A/ProfLiz Giuffre

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Originally known as 2JJ, or Double Jay, when it launched in Sydney at 11am on January 19 1975, Triple J has since become the national youth network. The station now encompasses broadcast radio, live events, social media and a huge digital and cultural influence. It’s been the beating heart (or beating drum, as its logo depicts) of generations of young Australians. With a target audience of 18–24-year-olds (ish), what does it mean when the national youth broadcaster hits middle age?

Former One Direction band member and solo artist Liam Payne has been found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, media reports have confirmed. Payne was just 31 years old – a loved friend and father. Alongside his former One Direction band mates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, Payne had a huge influence on popular culture in his home country of the United Kingdom and internationally.

There is nothing like a wedding episode. Bluey’s first 28-minute special, The Sign, was the ultimate wedding television. Full of family, and family-friendly, the wedding between Bluey’s godmother Frisky and uncle Radley was the sticky cake that held longer-than-average toddler attention spans and drew in broad audiences around and beyond Australia.

Celebrities, and their fans, wield tremendous economic, cultural and political influence – and none more so than US pop superstar Taylor Swift. Academia is getting on board, with university courses now entirely dedicated to studying the icon. But celebrities and their fans have not always been taken seriously, by academia, or broader society – particularly when it’s someone idolised by young girls. Well, these academics are trying to change that. Ahead of Swift's record-breaking Australian tour, 160 scholars from around the world came together in Melbourne for the inaugural Swiftposium conference, to engage in critical dialogue about Swift’s popularity and its profound influence on society, from feminism, to gender, fandom, popular culture, literature, the economy, the music industry, and more. This event was presented by the University of Melbourne from February 11 to 13, 2024. “The worst kind of person is someone who makes someone feel bad, dumb or stupid for being excited about something.” - Taylor Swift, 2019

International music press has reported this week that Queen’s song Fat Bottomed Girls has not been included in a greatest hits compilation aimed at children. While there was no formal justification given, presumably lyrics “fat bottomed” and “big fat fatty” were the problem, and even the very singable hook, “Oh, won’t you take me home tonight”. Predictably, The Daily Mail and similar outlets used it as an excuse to bemoan cancel culture, political correctness and the like, with the headline “We Will Woke You” quickly out of the gate.

Those focused on dissecting pop culture face hostility from politicians, the media and fellow academics, but their work remains vital, ‘Kylie scholar’ Liz Giuffre tells Rosa Ellis

In front of 30,000 screaming Australian fans on Monday night, British pop star Harry Styles raised a sweaty sneaker full of water to his lips and drank. "This is one of the most disgusting traditions I've ever heard of," he told the Perth stadium, grimacing before downing the drink to deafening chants of 'shoey, shoey, shoey'. Post-swallow, Styles told the raucous crowd he felt "like a different person".

“Shoey” is Australian slang for having a celebratory drink out of a shoe. Usually the beverage is alcoholic and the celebration follows a sweaty quest to victory. The shoey has become a popular part of some sports and music festival cultures.

Ian Alexander “Molly” Meldrum is 80 on January 29 2023. The Australian music industry would not be where it is today without his work as a talent scout, DJ, record producer, journalist, broadcaster and professional fan. His legacy has been acknowledged by the ARIAs, APRA, the Logies, an Order of Australia and even a mini-series.

Renée Geyer’s name is often in histories of Australian music. A pioneering artist, her iconic soul sound opened up the local conversation about what “sounding Australian” meant. Go-Betweens icon and industry legend Lindy Morrison simply said: “Renée Geyer was an exception to the rule”.

If you walk into a playground and start to sing "There's a bear in there", chances are someone else at that playground will join you with "and a chair as well". For 56 years, Play School has taught Australian children and their families games, stories, songs and craft ideas. To mark 90 years of broadcasting, the ABC has been asking Australians to share what the organisation has meant to them over the years through Your ABC Story. A common story has emerged of how Play School has made generations of Australians feel safe, happy and educated.

We remember two singers who brought Australian pop to the world: Judith Durham and Olivia Newton John.

Judith Durham, one of Australia’s most recognisable voices, has passed away at 79. An icon of the Australian music industry as lead singer for The Seekers and a solo artist, hers was an enduring female voice in an industry still dominated by men. Georgy Girl, A World of Our Own and The Carnival Is Over are just a few of the songs that will always ring best with her vocals. Her artistry and approach was an alternative to the swinging 60s in popular music. There were no gimmicks to her art – just a soaring voice delivered with precision.

ABC Radio used to broadcast a sing-a-long program which was played in classrooms around Australia. Students were given songbooks to sing along with. The program ran since the 1940s until the 2000s. The interview was part of the ABC's 90th anniversary specials.

You’ve probably heard the name Harry Styles. He is the current “real big thing” in popular music. But how did a former boy band star become such a huge musician and award-winning artist in his own right – and does he deserve all the breathless praise?

Joe Rogan is described on his website as “stand up comic, mixed martial arts fanatic, psychedelic adventurer, host of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.” It’s the last of these that has really made his name, and for many audiences, made the medium of podcasting too.

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Bert Newton’s achievements, particularly relating to Australian television, are remarkable. As an Order of Australia and Member of the British Empire holder for his services, he is also a Logie Hall of Fame inductee, a four-time Gold Logie winner and 20-time host of the ceremony. It has often been said the Logies should be renamed the “Berts” in his honour.

When Emma Watkins took over as “The Yellow Wiggle” in 2012 there were huge headlines. Her casting was a seismic shift for those who grew up loving her male predecessors (Greg Page, and then briefly Sam Moran), but also a challenge to the status quo. As Forbes proclaimed: “the Wiggles are dead. Long live the Wiggles.”

Young Talent Time (YTT) first aired April 24, 1971 and ran for 18 years. It was launched at a time when music television was still dominated by local performers doing covers of (or even just lip synching) hits from the American and British hit parades.

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/aussie-musos-in-with-grammy-chances-as-others-blast-corrupt-awards-20210312-p57a8o.html

In the book 25 years of Mushroom Records, published in 1998, Michael Gudinski described himself as “Chairman, Mushroom Group of Companies and music fan”. There could be no better description of Gudinski, an icon of the Australian popular music industry, who has died at the age of 68.

Bluey is easily the most successful Australian television show of the last decade. A record-breaking success for its local broadcaster the ABC, as well as production partners BBC Studios and Screen Australia, Bluey now has a global stage via Disney. There are many factors behind Bluey’s success, including beautiful animation, nuanced storytelling, and insightful reflections of family life. One element that is integral but not spoken about enough is the show’s music.

Listening Post is the magazine produced by Sydney community radio station 2SER FM from 1979 to 1997. It was launched just before the station itself in October 1979, designed to capture the mood, but also the progress, of a rapidly changing media industry at the time. With the print edition, 2SER, or ‘Sydney Educational Radio’, was able to provide the city and its surrounds with a broad resource to connect and continue to learn. Initiated by the station’s first manager, Keith Jackson AM, the magazine soon gained a dedicated following of those who wanted to get a grass roots, but also truly independent, view of the Australian media landscape.