Spotify’s global impact list reveals Aussie artists worldwide success

As the Australian music industry struggles to ignite fan fires for our local artists, homegrown pop stars are racking up streams overseas. See who they are.

Australian superstar Sia’s solo comeback single Gimme Love was lapped up by her fans around the world who have given it almost 80 million plays on Spotify since it was released last September.

Back home in Australia, the single came and went unnoticed – except for soundtracking a Married At First Sight preview – and reached a peak of No. 384.

If there was ever more damning evidence the Australian music industry has lost its mojo to convert local music fans into supporters of homegrown stars, it is the 2023 Global Impact List, compiled by Spotify to spotlight our creative export champions.

Sia’s Gimme Love tops the weighted list, which combines global streams excluding Australian plays, to uncover the Top 30 most-exported tracks of the year.

She has generated more than 23 billion streams on the platform over her career.

Sia’s Gimme Love has been a stream dream internationally but she can’t get the song listened to in Australia. Picture: ANGELA WEISS / AFP.

“Sia is a global superstar in her own right, and has produced and collaborated with literally dozens of the world’s biggest artists,” Spotify’s Head of Music Alicia Sbrugera.

“So it comes as little surprise that the first track from her upcoming 10th album would have such a significant global audience.”

While ARIA and record labels struggle to get local artists back onto their own Top 50 singles and albums charts, many local musicians have quit Australia to build their careers and fanbases overseas.

Troye Sivan has generated half a billion streams with three hits in the last year. Picture: Getty.

World-famous pop stars including The Kid Laroi, Troye Sivan and Dean Lewis have multiple songs which proved popular on the dominant streaming platform last year.

But it is our electronic and dance producers who are really punching above their weight on the world stage.

House music producer Dom Dolla, a Grammys nominee this year, has enjoyed a meteoric rise offshore with three tracks, Saving Up, Eat Your Man (with Nelly Furtado) and Rhyme Dust (with American DJ MK).

Grammy nominee Dom Dolla has had a meteoric rise to the world stage. Picture: Getty.

Dolla plays in front of audiences of more than 100,000 fans at North and South American festivals and has generated more than 740 million Spotify streams during his career.

“It was fantastic to see Dom Dolla’s career go to new heights in 2023 on the international stage culminating in a Grammy nomination,” Sbrugera said.

“He is part of a swath of Australian producers doing huge, multi-continental tours (in the first half of this year he’ll play in Europe, North America, and South America before homecoming shows at the end of the year).”

Other Aussie dance pop stars to make the top 30 included Shouse with Live Without Love, their collaboration with superstar David Guetta, Ruel with Sitting In Traffic and Go-Jo with the mighty earworm that was Mrs Hollywood.

Minogue had a big first half of 2023 with Padam Padam. Picture: Getty.

Sbrugera said our dance and electronic producers gear their releases to the Northern Hemisphere summer now to capitalise on the potentially bigger audiences in American and Europe.

“We’re seeing more Aussie artists recognise this opportunity. Many electronic artists have bigger audiences overseas than they do here, both due to the culture around electronic music and other factors like (bigger) festivals and clubs,” she said.

“As part of their broader growth strategy, many local electronic artists have worked hard at building international audiences and have grown fanbases overseas (in places like Germany, US, Mexico, UK, France, Brazil, Netherlands). These are all very significant markets with fan bases eager to discover new music.”

Jess Mauboy made a splash on Spotify outside of Australia with Give You Love. Picture: Supplied

Collaboration is also key. Jessica Mauboy kicked a big international goal with her hit Gimme Love by pairing with Jason Derulo when they were on The Voice coaches’ panel last year.

But the 2023 list has one huge shock – Kylie Minogue’s come back hit Padam Padam didn't make the cut even though it topped the half yearly list last July.

“It is true that Padam Padam had a strong performance in the first half of 2023. But this 2023 Australian Music Global Impact List shows the tracks that international audiences were consistently listening to across the full year – they essentially had that extra staying power.”

Perhaps the combined forces of Sia and Minogue on their new track Dance Alone will land atop the next Global Impact list of Australian artists.

Originally published as Spotify’s global impact list reveals Aussie artists worldwide success