Countdown, Rage, The Loop: a look at the best homegrown music video shows of all time
New ABC program The Sound is bringing live music back to primetime TV. We look back at the most influential music shows in Australian television history. 33 DAYS OF LOCKDOWN TO GO.
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Today we share some of Australia’s all-time greatest music video TV shows.
BANDSTAND
Ran: 1958 – 1972
Channel: 9
Host: Brian Henderson
There had been local shows in different states since 1956, but Bandstand took things nationally. It helped launch the careers of The Bee Gees, Peter Allen (then part of the Allen Brothers), Olivia Newton-John, Col Joye, Little Pattie, The Delltones and more. Channel 9 tried to revive Bandstand in 1976 with Daryl Somers as host to take on Countdown — they even flew ABBA (who Countdown had broken in Australia) down under for an exclusive interview but the reboot didn’t take.
SIX O’CLOCK ROCK
Ran: 1959 – 1962
Channel: ABC
Host: Johnny O’Keefe
Rock icon Johnny O’Keefe started as a guest on this show, the ABC’s first attempt to tap into the teenage market, and by six episodes he was host. It was invaluable for establishing his career nationally. He’d be poached by Channel 7 for the Johnny O’Keefe show in 1961.
KOMMOTION
Ran: 1964 -1967
Channel: ATV (10)
Host: Ken Sparkes
ATV (who’d become Channel 10) had success with Melbourne-only The Go Show, so launched Kommotion, which had a more national presence. A young Molly Meldrum would get his TV start as one of Kommotion’s cast of trendy teens who’d dance to hits of the day. Masters Apprentices, Normie Rowe and the Easybeats also performed on the show.
GTK
Ran: 1969-1975
Channel: ABC
Host: no host
Clips from GTK (Get to Know) still pop up on Rage’s retro shows — it was a 10 minute show that would air at 6.30pm each weeknight and looked for left field acts, including filming Lou Reed’s Sydney show in 1974.
SOUNDS
Ran: 1974-1987
Channel: 7
Host: Donnie Sutherland
Sounds (or Sounds Unlimited as it was originally titled) went to air just weeks before Countdown launched. Airing on Saturday mornings, it took advantage of the novelty of colour TV to air the new concept of video clips as well as live performances of local acts like Dragon — and the last TV performance by Johnny O’Keefe — and international guests.
COUNTDOWN
Ran: 1974 -1987
Channel: ABC
Host: Molly Meldrum
Arguably Australia’s most loved music TV show, Countdown became part of pop culture. It put locals Skyhooks, John Paul Young, INXS, Men at Work and AC/DC on prime time TV nationwide, and championed unknown acts Madonna and Blondie who had their first hits anywhere in Australia. Meldrum single-handedly helped ABBA’s second wind after they’d been written off as a novelty hit after Waterloo. Sadly many early Countdown episodes were wiped as the ABC recycled tapes to save money. A spin-off, Countdown Revolution, ran for a year in 1989.
NIGHTMOVES
Ran: 1977-1986
Channel: 7, 10
Host: Lee Simon
Late night music TV, Nightmoves was like Countdown’s cooler sibling, starting on Channel 7 and ending on Channel 10.
ROCK ARENA
Ran: 1982 – 1989
Channel: ABC
Host: Suzanne Dowling
Rock Arena was Countdown’s edgy older sibling, bypassing pop and showcasing underground Australian acts like Hunters and Collectors, Spy v Spy and I’m Talking and international indie acts like The Smiths and Style Council. Episodes still surface on Rage Goes Retro.
ROCK AROUND THE WORLD
Ran: 1981 – 1984
Channel: SBS
Host: Basia Bonkowski
With most music TV focusing on international music from the US and UK, Basia highlighted artists from Japan, France, West Germany, South America and beyond. SBS would continue the global music feel with the Noise, Kulture Shock, Alchemy and Nomad — the show that launched the career of Silverchair.
THE FACTORY
Ran: 1987-1989
Channel: ABC
Hosts: Tania Lacy, Andrew Daddo, Alex Papps, Karen Leng
Saturday morning live show that arrived just as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan were full grown local pop stars, and also looked at movies, fashion and comedy.
VIDEO HITS
Ran: 1987 – 2011
Channel: 10
Hosts: Faustina Agolley, Dylan Lewis, Kelly Cavuoto
Second only to Rage as Australia’s longest-running music show, this aired on Saturday and Sunday mornings, mixing Top 40 hits with Triple J-skewed artists like Frenzal Rhomb and the Cat Empire. In its heyday it would be watched by a million people each show, but towards the end budget cuts, falling ratings and the rise of You Tube saw it axed.
RAGE
Ran: 1987 – now
Channel: ABC
Host: none
Officially the longest-running music show still in production anywhere in the world, Rage has no host, minimal costs and plays back to back videos each weekend. There’s themed episodes and regular guest programmers who get to raid ABC’s archives. In Australia if you get to program Rage it’s a career milestone.
MTV
Ran: 1987 – 1992
Channel: 9
Host: Richard Wilkins
The program that launched Kiwi singer Richard Wilkins in Australia, this was the local version of the international franchise that helped invent modern music TV (MTV now focuses on reality TV). Wilkins and his mullet played videos, hung out with superstars and oozed 80s from every pore.
RECOVERY
Ran: 1996 -2000
Channel: ABC
Hosts: Jane Gazzo, Dylan Lewis
A Saturday morning institution and antidote to the glossy Video Hits, Recovery was live and often bands would stay up all Friday night to make it to the ABC studio on time, worse for wear. They gave bands like Silverchair, The Cruel Sea and The Living End a chance to perform live and regular guests Leigh Whannell (film reviewer) and Angus Sampson (the Enforcer) would go on to have successful Hollywood careers.
THE LOOP
Ran: 2012 – 2020
Channel: 10 Peach
Hosts: Olivia Phyland, Scott Tweedie, Ash London
Basically an updated Video Hits for the streaming/iTunes/Twitter generation, the show was axed this February after over 400 episodes.
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