The 10th Commonwealth Games, held in Christchurch in January 1974, was an odd coupling of 1970s cosmic harmony and cut-throat competition. The song that caught the mood of this was Steve Allen’s ‘Join together’.
Herbs are considered pioneers of the Pacific reggae sound. Their 1982 hit 'French letter', questioning French nuclear testing in the South Pacific, expressed the country's anti-nuclear stance.
New Zealanders have become accustomed to hearing the national anthem before major sporting events such as All Black tests. But many may not know that ‘God defend New Zealand’ is one of two official anthems.
In February 1949 a disc featuring the song ‘Blue smoke’, written by Ruru Karaitiana and sung by Pixie Williams, became the first record wholly produced in New Zealand from composition to pressing.
In 1980 Split Enz put New Zealand music firmly on the international scene with their album True colours. They were the first New Zealand act to break into the highly lucrative British and United States markets.
Sandy Edmonds was New Zealand's first pop superstar of the TV age – a 1960s New Zealand Paris Hilton – and she rose to be the swinging, groovy face of youth on pop show C’Mon.
The year 1981 was a time of great economic anxiety and social and political unease in New Zealand. This was captured by the Auckland band Blam Blam Blam, which released ‘There is no depression in New Zealand’.
Kiwi Records was a saviour of New Zealand composers. The label, started by publisher A.H. & A.W. Reed in 1957, was one of the few local outlets for recording classical music.
Timberjack's song shocked many with its chorus of ‘Come, come, come to the Sabbat/ Come to the Sabbat – Satan's there!’ The notoriety certainly helped sales.
The music scene in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, is dominated by electronic music and DJ culture. This dance floor revolution is a relatively recent phenomenon, which began in the early 1980s.
Sporting ties with South Africa during the apartheid years became a source of great debate and division in New Zealand society. Kiwi Records released a 45 to mark the 1960 All Black rugby tour.
The Wellington-based band Riot 111 played on the back of a truck outside Avalon studios to protest against Television New Zealand's refusal to screen the video clip for their single 'Writing on the wall'.
New Zealand isn’t famous for its railway songs and has produced little to compare with the American folk classics, but few home-grown folk songs are as iconic as Peter Cape’s ‘Taumarunui (on the main trunk line)’.
Dave Dobbyn is one of the most significant New Zealand musicians of the past 30 years. He's enjoyed success as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Th'Dudes and DD Smash.
