17 Iconic Australian Songs You Didn't Realise Are 15 Years Old

If you remember these songs well, you need to be using an eye cream.

1. "Sweet About Me" – Gabriella Cilmi

YouTube: Gabriella Cilmi

Then: Gabriella Cilmi burst onto the scene in 2008 and her song "Sweet About Me" stayed at the number one spot on the ARIA charts for five weeks straight. 

Now: Gabriella is now based in the UK and still releasing music, which you can find on her Spotify. 

2. "Where The City Meets The Sea" – The Getaway Plan

YouTube: TheGetawayPlanvideo

Then: Aussie emos unite! For all the alternative kids out there, The Getaway Plan had us all in a chokehold in 2008 with their album Other Voices, Other Rooms which hosted this absolute banger. 

Now: The band tours sporadically and their live shows are still just as good. It wasn't just a phase, mum! 

3. "Black & Gold" – Sam Sparro

YouTube: Island Records

Then: This debut single from Sam Sparro was a huge hit not only nationally but internationally, reaching number two in the UK charts, and number five in Ireland and Turkey, as well as being nominated for a Grammy. 

Now: Sam looks like he's living his best life in the States, still releasing tunes and collaborating with other artists/bands. 

4. "White Noise" – The Living End

YouTube: Universal Music Australia

Then: Iconic Aussie rock band The Living End released their fifth album in 2008 and the title track was (and still is) an absolute banger! 

Now: Their last album Wunderbar was released in 2018, but the band is still touring, headlining a winter escape in The Maldives in June. 

5. "Running Back" – Jessica Mauboy feat. Flo Rida

YouTube: Jessica Mauboy

Then: Baby Jess Mauboy! The idol sweetheart released her debut single all the way back in 2008 and it was a huge commercial success. In 2009, it won 'Highest Selling Single' at the ARIA Music Awards. 

Now: Jessica's still killing it in the music world, releasing the single "Right Here, Right Now" in March after performing at Sydney World Pride. 

6. "Strings & Drums" – Kisschasy

YouTube: Kisschasy Official

Then: Kisschasy released some stellar albums in the '00s and "Strings & Drums" was the cracking third single from their second album Hymns For The Nonbeliever.

Now: The band is touring again in May! Catch the dates here and I'll see you at the Sydney show. 

7. "My People" – The Presets

YouTube: The Presets

Then: Okay, this was technically released at the end of 2007, but it was a HUGE song throughout 2008 and on. Fun fact — at the time, The Presets and their record label were worried that the track was too heavy to receive any commercial airplay. Now, it's one of the greatest Aussie dance tracks of all time. 

Now: The duo is still going strong, doing DJ sets and popping up on festival lineups. Keep an eye on their tour dates here. 

8. "Take Me On The Floor" – The Veronicas

YouTube: Warner Records

Then: The fourth single from their 2007 album Hook Me Up, this bi-anthem actually caused some controversy back in 2007 because I guess we, as a collective society, were all huge, boring losers.

Now: The Veronicas have a successful longstanding career both in Australia and overseas, and released some new music last year. Stay tuned though, our spidey senses are tingling and we wouldn't be surprised to hear more new music this year.

9. "Walking On A Dream" – Empire Of The Sun

YouTube: Empire of the Sun

Then: Holy moley, look at those 200 million YouTube views! This song is basically a staple in Aussie music history now — it was and still IS huge. 

Now: The song had a huge resurgence in 2016 due to a Honda Civic commercial which saw it chart in the US. It was also hugely popular on TikTok in recent years, so it's officially a timeless banger.

10. "The Reductionist" – Bluejuice

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Then: Released prior to 2009's smash hit "Broken Leg", "The Reductionist" was a song that was just as infectious and guaranteed to make you want to dance.

Now: The band broke up for good in 2014, but in October last year announced an EP titled Jelly featuring previously unreleased tracks. 

11. "Perfect" – Vanessa Amorosi

YouTube: Universal Music Australia

Then: Vanessa Amorosi is an absolute powerhouse and this 2008 banger saw her hit number one on the iTunes store, as well as being the most played song by an Aussie artist on the 2008 National Airplay Chart. 

Now: Vanessa is still releasing music, releasing her seventh studio album City of Angels in 2022. 

12. "I Don't Do Surprises" – Axle Whitehead

YouTube: Antipodes

Then: Axle first became a name when he appeared on Australian Idol in 2003. "I Don't Do Surprises" was his debut single and it peaked at number eight on the ARIA charts, plus was certified gold.

Now: Axle later popped up in Summer Bay, spending a few years on Home and Away, and in 2021 appeared on The Masked Singer as 'Mullet'. 

13. "Naughty Girl" – Mr G

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Then: Yep, this parody song was actually released as a single in 2008 and it was wildly successful, despite how problematic Lilley's shows actually were in the '00s. How times have (thankfully) changed. 

Now: Chris Lilley’s shows haven't aged well, with Netflix removing four of his series including Summer Heights High in 2020 due to Lilley appearing in blackface, brownface and yellowface.

14. "Jimmy Recard" – Drapht

YouTube: Drapht

Then: Okay, so "Jimmy Recard" was released in January 2009, but it was recorded in 2008 so it still counts. It received massive airplay on Aussie radio stations and reached number one on the ARIA Charts, as well as landing at number 10 in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2008. 

Now: They're still touring! Catch Drapht playing at The Cambridge Farewell Festival in June!

15. "I Said I'm Sorry" – British India

YouTube: moopjaw

Then: Goddamn, British India released some stellar albums in the late '00s, and "I Said I’m Sorry" was their first single from their second album Thieves. It came in at number 37 on the Triple J Hottest 100 for 2008. 

When it comes to the band name, lead singer Declan Melia had this to say in 2012: “We thought of the name during our first year at university. I came across a clothing store in Singapore called British India. Given its colonial background, I found the name very surprising. We wanted a band name that stood out and was loaded with imagery. However, we’re certainly not interested in offending anyone or trivialising history." 

Now: The British India boys are currently on tour as we speak. Find the dates here. 

16. "Stay With Me Bright Eyes" – Something With Numbers

YouTube: SomethingWithNumbersVevo

Then: The first single from their third album Engineering the Soul, "Stay With Me Bright Eyes" got a strong rotation on music channels like Video Hits and Channel V and came in at number 48 on the Triple J Hottest 100.

Now: The band hasn't released any new music since 2013's Eleven Eleven. 

17. And lastly, "Fruity Lexia" – The Amity Affliction

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Then: Shoutout to my fellow metalheads — this song is a pure hit of nostalgia. Amity released their debut studio album Severed Ties in 2008 and have been on an uphill trajectory since then. 

Now: The Amity Affliction are one of the hardest-working bands in the Aussie music scene. Recently, they released a new single, "Not Without My Ghosts", and are touring Australia later this year.