https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-02/Colour%20TV%20Mega%20Menu%203%20TVs_1000x745%20px.jpg
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/exhibition_component/background_image11-2016/1302134_1960s_tv_2_crop.jpg
Please be advised that this page contains names, images or voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Noughties
The 2000s marked a return to countdowns and clip shows, but the scene was far from static. Big Day Out hit peak cultural status, local rock roared back onto playlists, and music television blurred the line between backstage and broadcast.
With cameras rolling from the mosh pit to the media tent, festival specials, high-gloss interviews and lo-fi confessionals gave viewers front-row access. The decade mixed spectacle with sincerity – and proved the music video still packed a punch.
Molly meets Flea
The House of Hits may have lasted only one season, but with Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum at the helm, it still managed to pull big names. In this 2000 clip from the very first episode, co-host Leah McLeod interviews Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers about their latest album, Californication.
Equal parts music show and casual backstage chat, House of Hits combined Molly’s decades of influence with a next-gen TV format.
NFSA title: 699924 | Year: 2000
B(if)tek says goodbye
SBS’s Alchemy ran for four seasons, with hosts Robbie Buck, Nicole Fossati and Frank Rodi introducing a late-night audience to eclectic and emerging music.
This 2001 clip, from the final episode, shows the live studio opener – complete with a specially composed farewell track by Canberra-based electronic duo B(if)tek. It’s a bittersweet send-off for a series that championed creativity and low-fi cool in equal measure.
NFSA title: 521880 | Year: 2001
Elusive Iggy on the loose
In this 2006 Hangin’ with... Big Day Out special, Channel V’s Yumi Stynes is on the hunt for Iggy Pop – one of that year’s headline acts. Rumour has it he’s just had a run-in with a cameraman, but eventually he turns up for a short interview with Andrew G.
As Stynes reflects on the surreal encounter, we catch a brief, chaotic glimpse of the punk icon mid-tour. It’s fast, raw and unfiltered – very Big Day Out.
NFSA title: 1643070 | Year: 2006
Global sound, local takeover
In this 2006 Hangin’ with the Big Day Out special, M.I.A. joins Yumi Stynes at Sydney’s FBi Radio – and something quietly radical happens. Mid-interview, Stynes clocks the all-women, all-POC crew: Tamil refugee pop star, Arabic manager, Korean cam op, Chinese producer. ‘Not a white man in sight,’ she says. It’s a fleeting moment, but a powerful one – a snapshot of new global voices pushing their way into the frame.
NFSA title: 1643070 | Year: 2006
The Nineties
The 1990s were loose, loud and all over the place – in the best way. Hosts got weirder, formats got scrappier, and nothing felt too polished. Grunge, hip-hop and alt-rock spilled into mainstream programming.
More live performances crept back in, echoing the concert-driven shows of the ’70s. And with Recovery, Songlines, and Nomad, networks like ABC and SBS broadened the dial – making room for First Nations voices, underground artists and outsider energy.
Silverchair interviewed by Dylan Lewis on From Frogstomp to Freakshow, broadcast 22 November 1997, ABC TV. NFSA title: 332382
Silverchair in motion
In Recovery: From Frogstomp to Freakshow, Silverchair go mobile – literally. Interviewed in a moving car by host Dylan Lewis, the band reflect on the weight of early fame, their changing sound and the legacy of that famous frog.
It’s offbeat, unfiltered and tongue-in-cheek – perfectly in sync with Recovery’s anarchic spirit. First aired on 22 November 1997, this special captured Silverchair at a key turning point, with Daniel Johns trading teen angst for surrealist wit.
NFSA title: 332382 | Year: 1997
Tiddas on Songlines
Produced by the ABC’s Indigenous Programs Unit, Songlines launched in the late 1990s, bringing First Nations music and culture to national television audiences in a bold new format.
In this clip from the first episode, host Michelle Tuahine introduces the series as ‘Australia’s black music show’ and interviews acclaimed vocal trio Tiddas — Lou Bennett, Amy Saunders and Sally Dastey — as they prepare for the 1997 Deadly Awards.
It’s a powerful opening to a program that championed story, solidarity and sound, and marked a pivotal moment in Australian broadcasting.
NFSA title: 1543267 | Year: 1997
Pop talk on a Saturday
Video Smash Hits aired Saturday mornings on the Seven Network throughout the early and mid-’90s, hosted by Michael Horrocks and Kym Wilson. A direct rival to Ten’s Video Hits, the show kept Aussie teens plugged into the latest chart trends.
In this 1994 clip, the hosts casually review new CD releases – part promotion, part pop commentary, all ’90s nostalgia.
NFSA title: 1338673 | Year: 1994
Global sounds on Nomad
Broadcast on SBS, Nomad was a 1990s series spotlighting music clips and interviews with a global and local mix of artists.
This 1993 clip from episode 6 features Ugandan singer-songwriter Geoffrey Oryema speaking with reporter Jaslyn Hall. He discusses working with Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno, and the challenges African artists face breaking into the European market.
A rare window into the cultural politics of music, framed by a show ahead of its time.
NFSA title: 538883 | Year: 1993
For decades, Rage has ruled the after-hours airwaves – no frills, no host banter, just wall-to-wall music videos and the occasional chaotic guest programming spot. In this clip, Tex Perkins and James Cruickshank of The Cruel Sea take the reins, choosing clips for a night of Rage-fuelled television. Introduced by that iconic blue-tinted opener – a mashed-up remix of Iggy Pop, Johnny O’Keefe and glitchy DIY visuals – the show has barely changed since the '80s. That’s the point. It’s beautifully lo-fi, proudly unpolished, and a rite of passage for musicians and insomniacs alike.
NFSA title: 534246 | Year: 1998
The Eighties
Big hair. Bigger hits. From neon outfits to studio-polished sound, 1980s music television was built on spectacle. This was the age of MTV, music videos, and perfectly packaged pop.
Supergroups soared, pop idols emerged from soaps and stage schools, and production values skyrocketed. Shows like Countdown kept Aussie audiences in sync with global trends, while local acts joined the world stage with hair spray and synth hooks in hand.
It's the final Countdown
This clip captures the final moments of Countdown, which wrapped on 19 July 1987 after 13 trailblazing years. The episode closes with longtime announcer Gavin Wood counting down the week’s Top 10 before introducing a tribute montage to the show’s beloved host, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum.
Countdown shaped Australia’s music identity – spotlighting local acts, breaking international stars, and creating a shared ritual for Sunday-night viewers around the country. Its final countdown marked the end of an era.
NFSA title: 605939 | Year: 1987
I want my MTV
MTV landed on Australian television in 1987, five years after its global debut changed the music landscape. The Australian version ran for six years on the Nine Network, fronted by Richard Wilkins. In this 1987 episode, Wilkins is joined by Malinda Rutter – a former Simon Townsend’s Wonder World! reporter – and opens with an interview with rock frontman Huey Lewis.
With its signature logo, high-energy intros and glossy editing, MTV Australia brought international star power and high-production polish to Aussie living rooms.
NFSA title: 552853 | Year: 1987
Pop stars in training
Young Talent Time was a launching pad for a generation of performers, including both Kylie and Dannii Minogue. Hosted by musician Johnny Young, the long-running series combined variety show traditions with a pop-forward sensibility that evolved across the 1980s.
In this 1986 clip, the Minogue sisters perform ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves’ – a powerful duet originally by Aretha Franklin and the Eurythmics. Kylie had just joined Neighbours, and Dannii was already a YTT regular.
It’s an early taste of star quality, in a program that helped shape Australia’s pop future.
NFSA title: 1493192 | Year: 1986 | Courtesy: Johnny Young, Clearvoice Pty Ltd
In 1986, Japanese new wave singer Sandii is interviewed by Skyhooks guitarist Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie at his live music venue, The Club, in Collingwood. It’s a snapshot of a global underground moment: Sandii & the Sunsetz were fresh off three nights in town, promoting their electro-pop release Banzai Baby. The segment aired on The Noise – an SBS series known for championing non-mainstream music. With its eclectic mix of clips, interviews and live sets, The Noise captured the global sounds slipping through the cracks of commercial TV.
NFSA title: 758718 | Year: 1986
Countdown had the ability to take a song from nowhere and make it a hit overnight.
Gavin Wood
The Seventies
Before the big hair and chart-dominating synth of the 1980s, the 1970s saw Australian music television grow up – fast. Colour arrived, music videos were born, and Countdown reshaped the scene into a national obsession.
Innocence gave way to experimentation. Variety gave way to volume. Local acts rose, late-night formats emerged, and Sunday nights became Countdown country. Music took over the family home – and wasn’t giving it back.
Lost and loud: Countdown Uncovered
In 2022, the NFSA digitised a 1976 student documentary – and accidentally uncovered a long lost Countdown episode. Inside: two live performances from episode 77 (aired 5 September 1976) – Ted Mulry Gang’s ‘It’s All Over Now’ and John Paul Young’s ‘Keep On Smiling’.
Unseen since its original broadcast, this rediscovered footage captures Countdown before it became a phenomenon. Shot on lo-fi Portapak video, it’s raw, scrappy and full of charm – a glimpse into a moment before music television ruled the weekend.
Goodbye Happening
At the end of 1972, Australian teens faced a musical wipeout: three national pop shows were cancelled, including the 0–10 Network’s Happening ’72.
Decades later, a battered videotape turned up at the NFSA after a global detour – revealing the show’s final moments, including a rare performance by John Farnham. It marked the end of one era, and hinted at the new one rising: bolder, glossier, louder.
Read about the unearthing of Happening '72 featuring John Farnham
Bandstand tries again
Four years after the original Bandstand ended, the Nine Network gave it a 1976 reboot. This time it was a Grundy production, hosted by a young Daryl Somers with a live teenage audience and contemporary hits – a clear nod to Countdown’s fast-growing popularity.
While it never reached iconic status, the new Bandstand offered wild moments – including AC/DC blasting through ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top’ in Nine’s Sydney studio, with Bon Scott belting it live over the single.
NFSA title: 1529460 | Year: 1976 | Courtesy: Fremantle
Nightmoves after dark
When it launched in 1977, Nightmoves gave rock fans a reason to stay up late. Australia’s first major late-night music program, it featured concert footage, interviews and album reviews with a laidback vibe.
Created by Mushroom Records' Michael Gudinski and hosted by 3XY’s Lee Simon, Nightmoves spotlighted acts outside the Top 40 – from Rush to George Benson to Shirley Strachan, who appears in the show’s first episode. It broke rules, broke bands, and broke up the mainstream.
NFSA title: 744202 | Year: 1977 | Courtesy: Mushroom Music
Zoo, disco and chaos
Thank God It’s Friday at the Zoo burst onto screens in 1978, chasing disco’s glittery coattails. It featured DJs, live acts, a massive themed set – and total mayhem.
John Paul Young, Stylus, Sherbet and even Ronald Biggs (phoning in from Brazil) made appearances. But the disco moment was already fading, and the show was axed after six episodes. Only a single preview tape survives today – a chaotic time capsule of disco’s last dance.
NFSA title: 552819 | Year: 1978 | Courtesy: Network Ten
Countdown defined what music television could be. From its debut in 1974, it set the pace – not only for how music was broadcast, but how it was styled, staged and sold to a nation. For over a decade, it dominated Sunday evenings, launched careers, and created the kind of shared pop culture moments that are hard to replicate today.
Fifty years on, Countdown still looms large. Its impact on music, fashion, fandom and live TV can’t be overstated – and its best moments remain electrifying.
Read more about the legacy in our feature on Countdown’s 50th anniversary and dive into rare clips, rediscovered footage and fan favourites in Countdown Uncovered.
The Sixties
Rewinding to the 1960s, Australian music television still bore the fingerprints of radio. Variety shows reigned, and many formats were family-friendly, low-key and filmed live in-studio. But even in black and white, things were beginning to stir.
As TV studios started to embrace the visual possibilities of the medium, music became a key part of the programming mix – lip-synced hits, local performers, choreographed dancers, and international guests with that unmistakable showbiz sheen.
The Big O on the box
In this 1964 clip from Sing Sing Sing, Roy Orbison performs ‘Crying’ after wrapping an Australian tour. It’s one of the few surviving performances from the show’s early run, which aired on the Seven Network and was originally titled The Johnny O’Keefe Show.
When O’Keefe was hospitalised, the network quietly renamed it Sing Sing Sing. Folk singer Lionel Long stepped in as host, but O’Keefe’s presence – and charisma – still shaped the show’s style.
NFSA title: 10825 | Year: 1964
Lorrae in the limelight
With live performances and choreographed numbers by the Channel 2 Dancers, The Lorrae Desmond Show (1960–64) brought glamour and polish to ABC TV. But it also broke ground – with a rare female host at the helm.
Lorrae Desmond radiated charm and confidence, offering a sharp contrast to the era’s mostly male-fronted programming. In hindsight, even the show’s stylish, sultry opening sequence seems unusually bold for the time.
NFSA title: 4442 | Year: 1962
Teenage TV takeover
Launched in 1964 on the fledgling 0–10 network, Go!! was pitched squarely at the youth market. Hosted by Johnny Young, it was fast-paced and fashion-forward – a forerunner to the teen pop programs of the 1970s.
Ranked in the Top 10 moments of Network Ten’s 50th anniversary retrospective, Go!! survives today only in fragments. Just one complete episode remains, but its influence lives on.
Stateside meets Straya
The Delo and Daly Show brought a touch of American vaudeville to Aussie screens. Hosted by Ken Delo and Jonathan Daly, the show blended comedy sketches, live music, and variety acts – plus regular slots for the Joe Latona Dancers and vocal group Take Five.
It had a high-energy, goofball charm, complete with absurd skits like ‘Let’s Talk’ – a spoof interview segment featuring Daly as a wandering folk singer. It wasn’t edgy, but it was endearing.
NFSA title: 679373 | Year: 1963
Boomeride rewinds
In 1965, a softly spoken teenager named Olivia Newton-John opened an episode of Boomeride, a stylish and short-lived GTV-9 music show.
Boomeride was bold for its time – contemporary in design, relaxed in tone, and focused on live performance. Though much of the series is lost, rediscovered clips featuring Newton-John offer a glimpse into a now-obscure moment in music television – and an early step in an iconic career.
Family harmony on primetime
In this 1962 clip, legendary singer Jimmy Little appears alongside his brother Fred on episode 27 of The Johnny O’Keefe Show. Performing ‘Twisting the Night Away’, the pair bring warmth and harmony to one of Australia’s most iconic music programs.
Jimmy Little was one of the first Aboriginal artists to achieve mainstream success, and this moment captures both his musical legacy and quiet cultural impact.
NFSA title: 16595 | Year: 1962
Credits
- Curators: Tara Marynowsky, Sarah Little, Simon Smith
- Digital production: Mel Bondfield
- Words: Kate Scott
- Licensing and Rights: Tracey Crane, Anna Yates
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.