Australia’s biggest music hits of the 2000s, featuring Kylie, Guy Sebastian and Delta Goodrem

The new millennium brought with it a revolutionary musical concept and the return of two of Australia’s favourite acts. These were the biggest Aussie hits of the 2000s.

Kylie was back and so was Silverchair in the 200s.

The new millennium brought with it a revolutionary musical concept and the return of two of Australia’s favourite acts.

And TV shows would influence what sold in Australia – enter Guy Sebastian and the Australian Idol effect – plus Delta Goodrem.

These were the decades biggest hits.

2000: POISON – Bardot

The single that just had its 20th anniversary, Bardot released Poison after millions watched them form on groundbreaking reality TV hit Popstars. Poison would go double platinum here, reached No. 1 in New Zealand (where the Popstars franchise was born) and even made No. 45 in the UK, where the Popstars franchise would soon explode.

Runners up: Who the Hell are You? – Madison Avenue, Bloke – Chris Franklin

All girl Pop Group, Bardot – (Front L-R) Tiffany Wood, Katie Underwood, Sally Polihronas, (back) Sophie Monk and Belinda Chapple were a hit.

2001: CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD – Kylie Minogue

Minogue heard a demo of Can’t Get You Out of My Head and knew it was a hit 20 seconds in – the perfect pop song had been rejected by S Club 7 although Sophie Ellis-Bextor has busted the urban myth she turned the song down.

“Kylie made that song,” Ellis-Bextor told News Corp last year.

“I like to think that even if I did hear it before her I would have said someone else should sing that, because that song is hers, she owns it. You can’t take the Kylie out of that song.” No. 1 in Australia and the UK, No. 7 in the US and has sold over five million copies worldwide and kickstarted a new phase of her career.

Runners up: Me Myself & I – Scandal’Us, Strawberry Kisses – Nikki Webster

Welcome back Kylie Minogue.

2002: BORN TO TRY – Delta Goodrem

Goodrem’s debut single, the Britney-esque I Don’t Care, had stalled at No. 64 in 2001. That allowed Goodrem to shake the pop image being foisted on her and release a piano ballad, timed to capitalise on her role in TV drama Neighbours. Born to Try hit No. 1 in December 2002 and was the second-highest selling Australian single in 2003. Born to Try would reach No. 3 in the UK and set up her 2003 album Innocent Eyes, which sold over one million copies in Australia alone and spawned five ARIA No. 1 singles.

Runners up: Not Pretty Enough – Kasey Chambers, Kiss Kiss – Holly Valance

Delta Goodrem is another star whose career was helped by an appearance on Neighbours.

2003: ANGELS BROUGHT ME HERE – Guy Sebastian

Enter the Australian Idol era. Angels Brought Me Here was written as a bespoke winner’s single (the original title was Faith Brought Me Here). Sebastian won the show, and the single set a record for an Australian artist by selling just under 130,000 copies in its first week. It wasn’t just the highest-selling single of 2003, but the highest-selling single of the entire decade. It would remain the biggest-selling Australian single ever until Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know in 2011.

Runners up: Lost Without You – Delta Goodrem, Predictable – Delta Goodrem

Australian Idol rivals Guy Sebastian (L) & Shannon Noll. Picture: Alan Pryke.

2004: WHAT ABOUT ME – Shannon Noll

This was the highest-selling Australian single of 1982 when Moving Pictures originally released it.

Shannon Noll’s cover went one better and his What About Me was the highest-seller overall in 2004, selling over 300,000 copies and launching his solo career. The “robbery”, Sebastian beating Noll to win Idol, would continue to be referenced in memes.

Runners up: Black Betty – Spiderbait, These Kids – Joel Turner

2005: THE PRAYER – Anthony Callea

Another Idol who didn’t win the show, but blitzed the chart. Callea turned Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s duet into a solo vocal tour de force. It beat Guy Sebastian’s first-week sales records, remains the fastest-selling single by an Australian artist and was the biggest selling single of 2005 overall. It sits behind Angels Brought Me Here as the decade’s second highest-selling single.

Runners up: Almost Here – Delta Goodrem & Brian McFadden, 4Eva – The Veronicas

Another idol Anthony Callea.

2006: FLAUNT IT – TV Rock

Melbourne DJs Grant Smilie and Ivan Gough formed this musical project with rapper Seany B on vocals. Flaunt It hit big in the era when people paid to have their favourite ringtone on their mobile phone – as well as selling nearly 200,000 CDs and downloads, they sold 65,000 ringtone downloads. Flaunt It wound up being the second-highest selling single of the year, behind one-hit wonder Sandi Thom’s I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair).

Runners up: This Time I Know It’s For Real – Young Divas, Forever Young – Youth Group

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Grant Smillie and Ivan Gough from TV Rock.

2007: STRAIGHT LINES – Silverchair

Virtually unrecognisable from the trio that topped the charts the previous decade with Tomorrow, Straight Lines saw Daniel Johns write with Julian Hamilton of the Presets, incorporating electronic elements into their sound.

The song became their first No. 1 since Freak 10 years earlier, and matched the double platinum status of their previous biggest seller Tomorrow. Straight Lines was an underground US hit and has surprise fans, like One Republic’s Ryan Tedder. He told News Corp “The fact Straight Lines wasn’t a hit in America literally blows my mind. Daniel Johns is a star.”

Runners up: In This Life – Delta Goodrem, 20 Good Reasons – Thirsty Merc

Silverchair were back too.

2008: SWEET ABOUT ME – Gabriella Cilmi

The Melbourne singer was just 16 when Sweet About Me was a hit. Her sound was pitched somewhere between Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse. The song reached No. 6 in the UK but No. 1 in Australia and she’d win six ARIA Awards including Best Female Artist. A curious change of musical style towards dance pop saw her second album tank and she disappeared, releasing her first music since 2013 last year.

Runners up: Black and Gold – Sam Sparro, Untouched – The Veronicas

Singer Gabriella Cilmi who dominated with six wins, at the 2008 ARIA Awards.

2009: LIKE IT LIKE THAT – Guy Sebastian

Post Idol, Sebastian had suffered a tiresome credibility backlash and recorded an album in Memphis. Like It Like That was an original with a heavy soul influence that started a breakthrough of belated industry respect. He started getting serious radio play, scored ARIA nominations and established himself as a bankable touring act.

Runners up: The Last Day on Earth – Kate Miller-Heidke, This Is Who I Am – Vanessa Amorosi

Originally published as Australia’s biggest music hits of the 2000s, featuring Kylie, Guy Sebastian and Delta Goodrem