National Songbook Launch: First 10 Tracks Selected

The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) and music rights organization APRA AMCOS introduced the first 10 tracks of the National Songbook on Wednesday night in Canberra. The initiative aims to preserve music that has shaped Australia's cultural identity through a permanent digital archive. The inaugural list was selected by an 11-member panel of experts, including broadcasters Richard Kingsmill and Zan Rowe, composer Cornel Wilczek, and musician Mo'Ju.

Meagan Loader, the NFSA's chief curator, described the selection process as a "very robust conversation" facilitated by APRA chair Jenny Morris and NFSA chair Annette Shun Wah. Loader, who was not part of the selection panel, acknowledged that there is no definitive list for music. She stated that she hopes listeners see themselves reflected in the choices, noting that the selected songs articulate who the nation is.

The oldest entry on the list is Waltzing Matilda, written by Andrew "Banjo" Paterson in 1895 and later composed by Christina Macpherson. The panel selected the 1927 recording, describing it as one of Australia's most enduring hauntings. The most recent entry is My People by The Presets, an electronic track written by Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes. The song served as a protest against Australia's treatment of asylum seekers. The panel noted that while the political message may be less immediately apparent to modern listeners, the track's ferocity remains.

Yothu Yindi's Treaty was honored as a landmark protest anthem. The song is credited to Dr M Yunupingu, Stuart Kellaway, Witiyana Marika, M Mununggurr, Cal Williams, G Yunupingu, Peter Garrett, and Paul Kelly. Kelly stated that he is proud to be part of the song, which originated around a campfire in East Arnhem Land before moving through rehearsal rooms and studios in Darwin, Melbourne, and Sydney. He noted that the process of treaty-making, like the song, involves many hands and is still ongoing.

Kelly also credited Melbourne electronic producers Filthy Lucre with a huge influence on the track. He said they re-tooled a minor hit, stripped out most of the English vocals, and turned it into an international dancefloor success that put Yothu Yindi on the map. The Easybeats' 1966 garage-rock anthem Friday on My Mind is also on the list. Written by Harry Vanda and George Young, the song was praised for capturing the restless energy of a generation hungry for romance and escape.

Ruby Hunter's Down City Streets is another inductee. The song was first recorded for Archie Roach's album Charcoal Lane and addresses displacement as a member of the Stolen Generations. Neil Murray's My Island Home, released by the Warumpi Band in 1987 and covered by Christine Anu in 1995, was chosen for its enduring pull of home and belonging. Not every selection was a commercial release. The Necks' score for the 1998 film The Boys was recognized for its unsettling and off-kilter qualities.

Peter Sculthorpe's 11-minute Earth Cry, featuring William Barton on yidaki, was selected for capturing the vastness of Australia. Loader said she was personally thrilled to see Midnight Oil's Beds Are Burning on the list. Written by Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst, and Jim Moginie, the song was an awakening for Loader when she heard it as a child.

The songbook will grow each year, with a new panel appointed to select 10 additional songs. Eligible works must be written or co-written by an Australian APRA member, be at least a decade old, and show demonstrable cultural impact. Loader described the first list as a great conversation starter, adding that it will be interesting to see what the songbook looks like in 10 years' time.