John Farnham’s hits get boost in digital music charts amid update on tell all memoir, The Voice Inside

The Aussie music legend’s greatest hits have taken a surprising turn in the wake of his cancer battle and his upcoming memoir.

The Finding The Voice documentary and upcoming memoir inspired by its success are giving John Farnham’s hits a big boost in the digital world.

While “heritage” artists struggle to match the playlist power of pop artists who have burst onto the charts since streaming became the dominant music format, their movies, biographies and viral video moments are reigniting the back catalogues of rock legends.

Farnham’s diehard fans are renowned for preferring physical releases such as vinyl or CDs — anything that can be potentially autographed — but the beloved superstar is finding a new generation of fans in the wake of his cancer battle and the wildly successful documentary of his life.

Before Farnham confirmed this week he would finally put pen to paper for his The Voice Within memoir out in November, the Finding The Voice loco landed on streaming services at Easter and his Greatest Hits collections and Whispering Jack record rebounded into the top 10 on iTunes download charts.

But Spotify data shows Farnham fans are also seeking a daily dose of his signature hits.

The Aussie legend has been battling health issues since being diagnosed with mouth cancer last August.

You’re The Voice, first released in 1986 when the CD was emerging as the popular music format, now receives more than 85,000 daily streams on Spotify.

It is his biggest song on the streaming platform and closing in on 200 million streams.

The second most popular Farnham song is Two Strong Hearts with 37 million streams in total and scoring 9700 daily plays.

The third highest ranked Farnham song is Pressure Down with 25 million plays, adding another 6300 streams daily.

Farnham’s most played album on the platform is The Essential 3.0 which has a whopping 342 million plays, with 136,000 daily plays.

Whispering Jack, his biggest solo record, scores 98,000 plays a day.

‘THE RIGHT TIME’: JOHN FARNHAM DROPS BIG NEWS

Australian music icon John Farnham will release his memoirs in time for Christmas.

Called The Voice Inside and co-written with Poppy Stockwell, the book will track Farnham’s rise from early pop stardom in the 1960s, the wilderness years of the early 1980s, the comeback of all comebacks with his Whispering Jack album in 1986, and the remarkable career highs that followed.

But the book will also explore the tough times in the 74-year-old singer’s career, from record companies turning their backs, dire financial straits, his devastating diagnosis of mouth cancer in 2022, and the death of his long-time friend and manager Glenn Wheatley that same year.

To be published by Hachette Australia, the book is slated for a November release.

The memoir comes after the documentary John Farnham: Finding the Voice, which picked up both ARIA and AACTA Awards in 2023.

Cover art for The Voice Inside. Picture: Supplied

A recent photo of John Farnham posted on social media by his son James. Picture: Supplied/Instagram

Farnham said he had been asked to write his story many times before, but “it finally felt like the right time”.

“It is a very strange feeling looking back on my life, on the good and the bad, and now that I have started, it is all rushing back. I hope the book engages and entertains, because that’s what so much of my life has been about,” he said.

Co-writer Poppy Stockwell, who wrote and directed Finding the Voice, said Farnham’s “resilience and sense of humour shine through every recollection, making this project a genuine reflection of the man behind the music”.

“It’s been a joy to help bring his tales to life, and I can’t wait for readers to get an unfettered glimpse of the man whose music is the soundtrack to so many of our lives,” she said.

Aussie rock memoirs are a hot property in the publishing industry.

Jimmy Barnes released two volumes of memoir in 2016 and 2019, Working Class Boy and Working Class Man, with both winning the biography of the year awards at the Australian Book Industry Awards.

John and Jill Farnham with sons Rob and James. Picture: Supplied

Last month, Farnham’s wife Jill provided an update on the Aussie singer’s health after he experienced a setback.

“John continues his recovery following last years successful surgery. He’s always been a strong and determined person with everything he’s ever done and we are all so very proud of him. He is responding well to the specialist care he’s receiving,” Farnham’s wife Jill said.

The family also thanked the medical staff and fans who have supported Farnham during his illness.

“The family would like reiterate their appreciation for all the medical staff that have attended to John over the past 6 months and for all the kind messages that been received from across Australia and the world,” they said in the statement.

Originally published as John Farnham’s hits get boost in digital music charts amid update on tell all memoir, The Voice Inside