The Best Australian & New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far

Keli Holiday’s breakout hit “Dancing2” is the defining love song of 2025.

Transforming a personal moment of connection into a chart-topping viral juggernaut, the track combines sweaty indie-sleaze nostalgia with genuine heart. As a lead single for his upcoming record Capital Fiction, it cements Holiday as a major force in Australian music.

Wonderful (and underrated) musicians in their own right, Melbourne’s Emma Russack and Lachlan Denton are at their best when they come together.

On their most sincere joint album, Something Is Going to Change Tomorrow, Today. What Will You Do? What Will You Say (yes, that’s the actual title), Russack and Denton dovetail perfectly, switching roles depending on the song.

On “Grass Is Greener”, one of many album highlights, Denton leads the way, reminding listeners to try to live in the present. “Who cares if it sounds a little cliché?” he knowingly sings. When indie-folk sounds this good, who cares indeed. —Conor Lochrie

In 2022, fed up of seeing Melbourne bands dominate punk and post-punk, Body Type decided to do something about it.

The Sydney up-and-comers dropped Everything Is Dangerous But Nothing’s Surprising, one of the most promising debuts in Australian music this decade.

Right from the opening track, “A Line”, Body Type announced that they were a band of composure and vision.

“A Line” moves at its own menacing pace, in no rush to get anywhere, tantalising vocals proving to be almost unnerving by the song’s end. Post-punk was an exhausted field by 2022, but Body Type made it sound rejuvenated on “A Line”. —Conor Lochrie

Few songs in the Australian metalcore canon hit with the visceral emotional force of “Wildflower”.

Originally released on 2014’s Earthwalker, this tribute to a friend lost to cancer remains the beating heart of In Hearts Wake’s discography. It’s a masterclass in balancing heavy instrumentation with fragile beauty, reminding us that even in a genre built on aggression, In Hearts Wake have always possessed the rare ability to make us cry as hard as we mosh.

Muroki was the first artist signed to BENEE’s independent label, Olive Records, for a reason.

Blessed with the ability to stand out in a number of genres, chiefly pop and reggae, Muroki delicately combined multiple genres to groovy effect on “Wavy”, one of the early songs that first made his name. —Conor Lochrie

New Zealand’s unofficial poet laureate is always at his best when he’s turning his lyrical gaze towards his home country.

“Welcome Home” is a touching tribute to Aotearoa’s community spirit, and a friendly message to new arrivals that they’ll find a safe haven here.  “So welcome home, see I made a space for you now / Welcome home from the bottom of our hearts,” Dobbyn sings with gusto.

It’s no surprise that one of Dobbyn’s most meaningful songs has regularly been played at key moments in his country’s recent history, notably at a benefit concert after the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks. “Welcome Home” is, sadly, a song that remains terribly relevant 20 years after its release. —Conor Lochrie

Foley have always been proficient at producing electro-pop gems, but they stepped up their game on latest album That’s Life, Baby! (2025).

The Kiwi duo, now based in Sydney, saved one of their catchiest hooks for that album’s title track, in which they ponder the fact that, sometimes when a relationship breaks down, that’s just life, baby. —Conor Lochrie

As Party Dozen, Kirsty Tickle and Jonathan Boulet have had weirder and more experimental moments than “The Big Man Upstairs”, but rarely have their songs sounded so fired-up.

“The Big Man Upstairs”, a jewel amongst the Sydney noise-rock duo’s 2024 album Crime in Australia, offers a visceral look at Queensland’s “hillbilly dictator”Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

“It’s a story full of such unbelievable corruption and thirst for power that feels sadly relevant to the state of the world at the moment,” the group explained upon the song’s release. —Conor Lochrie

It’s easy to understand why Earth Tongue have built up such a passionate following across Europe and the UK.

New Zealand’s fuzz-rock duo now call Germany home, where bruising anthems such as the theatrical “Bodies Dissolve Tonight” have made them live circuit favourites. —Conor Lochrie

Jen Cloher’s sixth solo studio album, I Am the River, the River Is Me, was a deeply personal exploration of the singer-songwriter’s Māori heritage.

“Mana Takatapui” is sung in both English and te reo Māori as Cloher takes us deep into the anatomy of a relationship breakdown: “If you won’t let me be the love of your life / Then I’ll be the loss of your life.” A simple acoustic guitar strum and fragile vocal build to a climax of brass and choir. Quietly brilliant. —Andrew Mast

After years of shared tours and collaborations (including Flume’s classic “Smoke & Retribution”), “One More Night” delivers the massive pop moment this duo’s creative partnership has always promised.

It’s a track where the Grammy-winner’s signature, fearless production nudges KUCKA’s vocals into explosive new territory, building from near-silence to an electrifying crescendo.

The result is a salacious and satisfying anthem — a glittering, glitchy piece of electronic pop that cemented KUCKA’s status as a top-tier Australian visionary.

Mt Raskil Preservation Society was a special project put together to perform “Bathe in the River”, a gospel-inspired song penned by national treasure Don McGlashan for the film, No. 2.

Hollie Smith’s soulful voice was the perfect addition to the one-off song, which earned McGlashan the Silver Scroll Award in 2006. —Conor Lochrie

“Blue Dreams” was the centrepiece of Holly Arrowsmith’s stunning third album of the same name.

The Christchurch-based singer-songwriter started recording Blue Dreams when she was seven months pregnant, so it’s no surprise that it’s concerned with existential matters.

Other album highlight “Desert Dove” was lauded but it’s the title track, a timeless country-folk anthem, that truly encapsulates Arrowsmith’s power as a musician and a lyricist.

Blue Dreams — the album — deservedly earned Arrowsmith the Best Folk Artist trophy at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards. —Conor Lochrie

One of the best reality singing competition songs of all time.

“Angels Brought Me Here” is soppy, yes, and sentimental, doubly so, but it’s also a mighty fine pop ballad, with a towering bridge and earnest vocals.

Guy Sebastian’s debut single was the perfect introduction to his post-Australian Idol career, becoming the first of 12 top ten singles for him in Australia. —Conor Lochrie

You could listen to any Lontalius album, spanning almost a decade, and find a song worthy of a place on our list.

Lontalius is the project of Wellington’s Eddie Johnston, one of the most consistently brilliant producers in New Zealand music. He’s grown stronger and more well-rounded on subsequent releases, but “All I Wanna Say” is the song that really brought him to wider attention, released when he was still in his teens. —Conor Lochrie

What staying power “Maybe Tomorrow” had.

The second single from Goldenhorse’s chart-topping album Riverhead stayed in New Zealand charts for a whopping 31 weeks, making the band’s name in their home country.

Slightly recalling melancholic rock bands like The Cranberries or The Sundays, Goldenhorse rode “Maybe Tomorrow” all the way to the finals of the Silver Scroll Awards in 2003. —Conor Lochrie

Missing Frank Ocean? Of course you are. It’s lucky, then, that Australian music has a strikingly similar artist in its midst.

Rising alt-R&B star Forest Claudette’s breathy vocals on “Kobe Beef” might remind one of Ocean, but they’ve never been more themself in a song, courageously opening up for the first time in their lyrics about being non-binary. —Conor Lochrie

Tami Neilson’s voice is a force of nature, and “Walk (Back to Your Arms)” is her storm.

This song is a sublime, stripped-back country-soul classic that captures the moment of emotional reckoning with devastating clarity. It’s an essential piece of New Zealand country music history that proves vulnerability can be the most powerful weapon in a singer’s arsenal.

In the 2010s, there were not many more beloved figures entrenched in Auckland’s music community than Reuben Winter. A friend, collaborator, and mentor, Winters was, above all, a supremely talented producer.

Before his sad passing in 2020 aged just 26, he left behind a body of work that would make any contemporary producer envious.

Totems was arguably his finest project, and the electrifying “Stunt 151”, released in the same year of his death, contains all the things that made Winters such a special musician: intricate beatmaking, dazzling genre turns, and atmospherics that sound like they could only have been dreamed up via his singular musical mind. —Conor Lochrie

Miiesha’s debut project, Nyaaringu, was a landmark release in 2020, and “Twisting Words” is its electrifying core.

As a proud Pitjantjatjara and Torres Strait Islander woman, Miiesha confronts the manipulation and misrepresentation of her community in the media with stunning lyrical intelligence.

The track is built on an urgent R&B groove and features her signature soaring vocals, turning frustration into a powerful demand for truth. It’s a vital, uncompromising piece of modern Australian music that earned her an ARIA Award for Best Soul/R&B Release and cemented her status as one of the country’s most important new voices.

Emily Wurramara’s “STFAFM” (She Taught Feelings Are For Me) is an exercise in powerful vulnerability.

As the artist herself described it, the song is “the most personal I’ve ever been,” documenting a profound emotional breakthrough.

The minimal, heartbreaking arrangement perfectly frames her crystalline voice, delivering a message of self-love and acceptance that makes this one of the most essential Australian folk ballads of the century.

Georgia Lines revealed herself to be a piano-pop balladeer of considerable power on her debut album, The Rose of Jericho (2024).

“The Letter”, the aching standout track on the record, was a stop-you-in-your-tracks ballad that would have made Brooke Fraser or Adele proud. Emotions burst from the seams of one of the most personal songs Lines has ever written. —Conor Lochrie

Before she became a regular on New Zealand TV screens, Anika Moa was an established pop star with a slew of hit albums and singles to her name.

“Falling in Love Again” is her best work, released during a great period for Australasian pop music (Bic Runga and Delta Goodrem and myriad others were dominating the charts around 2002) but able to stand out from a crowded field.

Moa’s sweet song peaked at No. 5 on the New Zealand Singles Chart, appeared on the soundtrack for a Julia Roberts film (America’s Sweethearts), and was accompanied by a polished music video featuring a hitherto unknown Antony Starr. —Conor Lochrie

The absolute epitome of a modern summer jam.

Coterie’s “Cool It Down” is a funk-infused roots-pop anthem that is impossible not to move to. With its infectious bass and positive message, this song was a definitive, chart-topping hit across New Zealand and Australian airwaves. —Jade Kennedy

Dick Move made it all the way to No. 2 on our Best New Zealand Albums of 2025 countdown, in part thanks to confrontational pure-punk anthems like “Scared Old Men”.

Frontwoman Lucy Suttor has thoroughly had enough, berating the titular losers for “having tantrums” and starting wars and banning abortions, amongst other infractions. “Scared old men run the world, scared old men hurt women,” she spits with venom. One of the best punk songs of this — or any — year. —Conor Lochrie

A late miracle from one of Australian music’s most singular musician.

On Pop Crimes, what would be his final album in 2009 before his untimely death in the same year, the legendary Birthday Party guitarist was at his primal best on the downtrodden “Shut Me Down”.

Lines like “I’m standing in a suit as ragged as my nerves” were a reminder of his generational talent. Listening to him mournfully sing “I miss you so much” again and again, a middle-aged man lost in the past, it’s difficult not to get choked up knowing what was to come. The world will never have another Rowland S. Howard. —Conor Lochrie

If you needed a snapshot of the Australian rock scene in the year 2000, “Rip It Up” would be it.

The song showcased 28 Days’ signature blend of heavy guitars, punk attitude, and hip-hop flow, appealing equally to the mosh pit and the munted dancefloor.

Its visceral energy and punchy chorus made it an undeniable hit, confirming the band’s status as leaders of the nu-metal/rap-rock wave. —Jade Kennedy

Geneva AM is an Auckland dance artist with a big future.

The producer and vocalist dropped her debut album, Pikipiki, earlier this year, bending the disco and dance genres to her own will as she joyously explored her Māori heritage.

There probably wasn’t a better song in all of New Zealand this year than album standout “Urban Planning”.

“The motorway was an awa [river] / In the museum they put my waka/ I feel at home in the city / I got my Tipuna [ancestors] with me,” Geneva AM sombrely ponders, all while the most enticing electronic rhythm chugs along; nobody said that the best dance music couldn’t be contemplative. —Conor Lochrie

Rolling Stone Aotearoa Award nominee lilbubblegum is part of an exciting vanguard of Kiwi producers and rappers absolutely smashing it on streaming.

Case in point: “af1”, a genre-bending, ridiculously catchy cut that has brought the rapper over 130M plays and counting on Spotify alone. That high number is probably boosted by repeat listens — “af1” and its playful sax sample isn’t a song you just play once in a row. —Conor Lochrie

There’s a reason we united daine and Ninajirachi for an artist-in-artist conversation last month. The latter producer enjoyed her breakout moment (and then some) at the 2025 ARIA Awards, winning multiple awards after leading the nominations, and her interview partner could be next to emerge into the wider spotlight.

On their 2023 mixtape shapeless, daine came flying out of the traps with the pounding title track. Maximalist hyper-pop perfection entirely of its time. —Conor Lochrie

The song that introduced the world to Middle Kids.

“Edge of Town” is built on an electrifying guitar hook and a stunning vocal performance from Hannah Joy, balancing lyrical anxiety with a huge, undeniable sense of hope. It’s an essential piece of mid-2010s Australian indie-rock history that remains just as powerful now as it was when it debuted in 2016. 

The ultimate Pacific reggae escape track, Katchafire’s “Get Away” is pure, sun-drenched bliss, built on impeccable harmonies and a deep, pulsing bass line.

It’s a timeless anthem of relaxation and positive vibes that remains a perennial favourite across Australia and New Zealand. —Jade Kennedy

Best known for their abrasive, politically-inclined punk songs, Cable Ties’ best song is them at their softest.

The Melbourne band’s third album, All Her Plans, ends with a respite after a record filled with emotional upheaval. The final track is aptly titled “Deep Breath Out”: it begins with a tremulous guitar line, lead singer Jenny McKechnie’s voice timid as she relays the deeply personal story of a sibling struggling under the weight of addiction. She talks of “rearranging the past… keeping only the fondest parts”; she worries about “how things are gonna change.” 

And then “Deep Breath Out” relinquishes, the rhythm explodes into life, and McKechnie’s voice rises to meet it. “But I love it when you call with all your plans… And show me all the things you made with your own hands,” she cries out, her voice crackling with emotion.

“Deep Breath Out” is proof that the best punk songs can be vulnerable and empathetic. —Conor Lochrie

A emotive alternative rock anthem primed for soap opera climaxes and inspirational TV adverts.

Opshop’s Silver Scroll-winning single remains their most beloved song almost 20 years after its release. How “One Day” hasn’t yet soundtracked a heartbreaking moment on Grey’s Anatomy, we’ll never know. —Conor Lochrie

Few songs capture the exquisite pain of a fresh breakup like “Regular Touch”.

With production that expertly balances fragility and raw power, Blue’s song is pure electronic therapy, shifting from sparse, breathy folk to a soaring, stadium-ready chorus.

It remains Blue’s signature anthem and one of the most indelible Australian pop songs of the century so far.

The centrepiece of Sycco’s First EP, “Ripple” is the ultimate shimmering, psychedelic earworm.

It’s an exercise in contradictions, marrying lyrics about anxiety and self-doubt with the catchiest, most colourful bass line and chorus of 2022. This song is proof that Sycco is a master of expressing complicated feelings you can dance to.

Auckland’s indie-pop master Lawrence Arabia combined sublimely with The Phoenix Foundation’s Luke Buda on “Apple Pie Bed”, a 2009 tune that earned the collaborators the Silver Scroll Award in the same year. Just try getting that singalong chorus out of your head for days after hearing it. —Conor Lochrie

This list just had to have some summery surf music, and no band does it better than Babe Rainbow.

The ultimate Byron Bay band, Babe Rainbow have been pouring out their gentle psych-rock for over 10 years now, evoking the ’60s at every turn.

“Something New” is the Babe Rainbow at their most melodious, the ideal soundtrack as the sun goes down on a pleasant day at the beach. —Conor Lochrie

Reminiscent of Laura Marling at her best, Nadia Reid’s “Call the Days” uses simple ingredients — gentle acoustic guitar, soft but warm vocals — to create a beautiful folk song.

Reid captures the anxiety that comes with moving town (Christchurch to Wellington, in her case): “I was happy on my own / I would call the days as they were known.” —Conor Lochrie

A true Kiwi classic.

Smashproof’s record-breaking hit found the hip-hop trio hoping for change in their South Auckland neighbourhood, while singer-songwriter Gin Wigmore added some pleasingly contrasting tones to the heavy song.

“Brother” held the longest consecutive run atop the New Zealand Singles Chart, breaking a longstanding 23-year record. Proof that unlikely collaborations can yield big results. —Conor Lochrie 

Briggs’ lyrical genius has never been sharper than on this track.

Built on a commanding, soulful beat, “The Children Came Back” transforms historical trauma into a powerful vision of Indigenous excellence and survival.

The chorus, taken with permission from Archie Roach’s original, rings out as a defiant message of strength. The song is a cultural cornerstone that earned the National Indigenous Music Award for Song of the Year and remains a vital anthem for reconciliation and self-determination. —Jade Kennedy

This isn’t just a powerful song, it’s a profound statement.

“Little Things” is Jessica Mauboy’s career-defining ballad, tackling the difficult realities of family and trauma with immense grace and raw, emotional honesty. The song’s universal message of resilience — combined with her spectacular, heart-on-sleeve vocal delivery — makes it a certified Australian classic of the century.

When My Chemical Romance came to New Zealand in 2023, there was a more notable than usual support act: Goodnight Nurse, reuniting for one show only.

Before he produced pop classics for Lorde, Broods, and many other famous artists, Joel Little fronted Goodnight Nurse, a scrappy pop-punk band from Auckland.

Their biggest hit, “Our Song”, remains a favourite of Kiwi millennials, and peaked at No. 15 on the New Zealand charts upon its release in 2005. —Conor Lochrie

The title track from Dukes of Windsor’s debut album, “The Others” was remixed by electronic music duo TV Rock and became an instant hit.

The song dominated clubs, radio waves, and charts across the country, serving as the quintessential sound of peak-era Australian dance culture and cementing its place as an essential, high-energy modern classic. —Jade Kennedy

Hailing from Brisbane, The Goon Sax were an indie sensation for a time.

For several years it felt like they were always about to take the world by storm, but instead they pulled back and left behind a strong back catalogue of Australian indie.

“Sweaty Hands” a tale of nervous, blossoming love that namechecks ABBA, banana bread, and 7-Eleven, is their masterpiece. The melancholy. The anxiety. The jangly guitars. Gone but not forgotten. —Andrew Mast

Powered to success by a memorable music video, Midnight Youth’s “The Letter” became their breakout hit in New Zealand. Even the band members themselves were surprised.

“For us, it was a bit of a shock to the system because there was no love and then all of a sudden when ‘The Letter’ came out, it was like, ‘This is intense,'” the band’s Nick Campell told us in a 2023 interview. “It’s getting played all the time, not just on one demographic of radio, it was across the board.

“From there, you start getting better gigs and then you start realising what the real music industry is actually about in terms of business, corporate shows, festivals and touring.” —Conor Lochrie

Fergus Miller released two excellent records under his Bored Nothing moniker. His melancholic songwriting recalled Elliott Smith, while his prolific DIY output mirrored the rise of Alex G in the same decade.

“Let Down” was Miller’s masterpiece as Bored Nothing: a lovelorn lo-fi song for the ages, it features heartbreaking lyrics like “Tell me how will this go? / ‘Cause you already know / I can feel the time pass / And the feelings, they last.”

Miller sadly passed away in 2016 aged just 26. —Conor Lochrie

Spice World are a band that could only come from Australia, at the ends of the earth.

Previously featured in Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s Up Next series, the Fremantle band possess a style that’s steeped in this country’s grand tradition of dusty jangle-pop.

Their album There’s No ‘I’ in Spice World, so homespun and rustic and quietly melancholic, has “Mountain Pony 20” as its humble masterpiece.

It sounds like the four-piece made the song to just be played for themselves, a forlorn anthem for the end of the world. But Spice World’s songs are too sweet and real to be kept secret. —Conor Lochrie

Shihad were already Aotearoa hard-rock legends by the end of the ’90s, and they continued their stellar work right into the new millennium.

“Alive” is classic Shihad, all thunderous riffs and belting vocals. “Alive” is the type of song that made the Kiwi outfit so popular across the water in Australia. —Conor Lochrie

Released during a turbulent year (2020), “Everybody Rise” gave fans a much-needed shot of confident, infectious energy.

Shark’s song is a sharp, self-aware piece of pop commentary that dominated the airwaves and peaked in the ARIA Top 10.

With its sleek production and undeniably catchy hooks, it stands as a pivotal track from her second album, Cry Forever, showcasing Shark’s ability to turn wry social observation into a bona fide, fist-pumping pop hit.