# APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time

The APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time is a selection of New Zealand songs as voted in 2001 by members of the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). The top 30 of this selection was used to create the Nature's Best CD and the rest of the list for follow-up compilations. A similar list was made in Australia of the top 30 Australian songs.

## Selection

The list was created to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) in New Zealand in 2001. Nine hundred candidate songs were chosen for APRA members to vote on. The top 30 songs were released on the Nature's Best CD.

## Commentary

Some artists feature prominently in the list. These include:
* Dave Dobbyn with the most songwriting credits (10) and second equal as an artist (6).
* Neil and Tim Finn, with the second- and third-place songwriting credits (9 and 8, respectively).
* Finn-related bands Split Enz and Crowded House, which have the two highest entries (8 and 6—tied with Dave Dobbyn).
* Don McGlashan with 5 songwriting credits over his work with Blam Blam Blam and The Mutton Birds.
* Singer-songwriters Bic Runga and Sharon O'Neil, who each have 4 songs in the list.
* Herbs, who feature 4 times on the list.
Music journalist Bruce Sergent notes that the list is highly skewed towards the 1980s and 90s to the detriment of earlier music, with notable omissions including Howard Morrison, Dinah Lee, and Ray Columbus & the Invaders.
Some songs may also be claimed as both New Zealand and Australian. A list compiled by APRA at the same time of top 30 Australian songs also included Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" (at number 7).
Political songs on the list include commentary on the 1981 Springbok tour riots in Blam Blam Blam's "There Is No Depression in New Zealand", and nuclear testing in the French Pacific through Herbs' "French Letter" and DLT's "Chains".

## Top 100 list

The list of the top 100 is below.
| Position | Song | Artist | Writer(s) | Year | Album | Included on DVD |
| 1 | "Nature" | Fourmyula | Wayne Mason | 1969 | 1 | |
| 2 | "Don't Dream It's Over" | Crowded House | Neil Finn | 1986 | 1 | |
| 3 | "Loyal" | Dave Dobbyn | Dave Dobbyn | 1988 | 1 | Yes |
| 4 | "Counting the Beat" | The Swingers | Phil Judd, Mark Hough, Wayne Stevens | 1981 | 1 | Yes |
| 5 | "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" | Split Enz | Tim Finn | 1982 | 1 | |
| 6 | "Sway" | Bic Runga | Bic Runga | 1997 | 1 | Yes |
| 7 | "Slice of Heaven" | Dave Dobbyn with Herbs | Dave Dobbyn | 1986 | 1 | Yes |
| 8 | "Victoria" | Dance Exponents | Jordan Luck | 1982 | 1 | Yes |
| 9 | "She Speeds" | Straitjacket Fits | Shayne Carter | 1987 | 1 | |
| 10 | "April Sun in Cuba" | Dragon | Paul Hewson, Marc Hunter | 1977 | 1 | Yes |
| 11 | "I Got You" | Split Enz | Neil Finn | 1980 | 1 | Yes |
| 12 | "Whaling" | DD Smash | Dave Dobbyn | 1984 | 1 | Yes |
| 13 | "Not Given Lightly" | Chris Knox | Chris Knox | 1990 | 1 | Yes |
| 14 | "Pink Frost" | The Chills | Martin Phillipps | 1984 | 1 | Yes |
| 15 | "Jesus I Was Evil" | Darcy Clay | Darcy Clay | 1997 | 1 | |
| 16 | "Weather with You" | Crowded House | Tim Finn and Neil Finn | 1991 | 1 | Yes |
| 17 | "Blue Smoke" | Pixie Williams and the Ruru Karaitiana Quartet | Ruru Karaitiana | 1949 | 1 | |
| 18 | "Dance All Around The World" | Blerta | Corben Simpson, Geoff Murphy | 1972 | 1 | |
| 19 | "Lydia" | Fur Patrol | Julia Deans | 2000 | 1 | Yes |
| 20 | "Blue Lady" | Hello Sailor | Graham Brazier | 1977 | 1 | Yes |
| 21 | "Drive" | Bic Runga | Bic Runga | 1996 | 1 | Yes |
| 22 | "Chains" | DLT featuring Che Fu | Che Ness, Darryl Thompson, Angus McNaughton, Kevin Rangihuna | 1996 | 1 | Yes |
| 23 | "Dominion Road" | The Mutton Birds | Don McGlashan | 1992 | 1 | |
| 24 | "Glad I'm Not A Kennedy" | Shona Laing | Shona Laing | 1986 | 1 | Yes |
| 25 | "I Hope I Never" | Split Enz | Tim Finn | 1980 | 1 | |
| 26 | "Tears" | The Crocodiles | Fane Flaws, Arthur Baysting | 1980 | 1 | Yes |
| 27 | "Be Mine Tonight" | Th' Dudes | Dave Dobbyn, Ian Morris | 1978 | 1 | Yes |
| 28 | "I See Red" | Split Enz | Tim Finn | 1979 | 1 | Yes |
| 29 | "Beside You" | Dave Dobbyn | Dave Dobbyn | 1998 | 1 | |
| 30 | "Home Again" | Shihad | Tom Larkin, Phil Knight, Jon Toogood | 1997 | 1 | Yes |
| 31 | "Outlook For Thursday" | DD Smash | Dave Dobbyn | 1983 | 2 | Yes |
| 32 | "Down in Splendour" | Straitjacket Fits | Andrew Brough | 1990 | 2 | |
| 33 | "Better Be Home Soon" | Crowded House | Neil Finn | 1988 | 2 | |
| 34 | "How Bizarre" | OMC | Alan Jansson, Pauly Fuemana | 1995 | 2 | Yes |
| 35 | "Language" | Dave Dobbyn | Dave Dobbyn | 1994 | 2 | Yes |
| 36 | "Message to My Girl" | Split Enz | Neil Finn | 1984 | 2 | Yes |
| 37 | "Poi E" | Pātea Māori Club | Dalvanius Prime, Ngoi Pēwhairangi | 1984 | 2 | |
| 38 | "Stuff and Nonsense" | Split Enz | Tim Finn | 1979 | 2 | |
| 39 | "Venus" | The Feelers | James Reid | 1998 | 2 | Yes |
| 40 | "System Virtue" | Emma Paki | Emma Paki | 1996 | 2 | |
| 41 | "Fraction Too Much Friction" | Tim Finn | Tim Finn | 1983 | 2 | Yes |
| 42 | "French Letter" | Herbs | Tony Fonoti, Spencer Fusimalohi, Dilworth Karaka | 1995 | 2 | Yes |
| 43 | "Maxine" | Sharon O'Neill | Sharon O'Neill | 1983 | 2 | Yes |
| 44 | "Out on the Street" | Space Waltz | Alistair Riddell | 1974 | 2 | |
| 45 | "Slippin' Away" | Max Merritt and the Meteors | Max Merritt | 1976 | 2 | |
| 46 | "Violent" | Stellar* | Boh Runga | 1999 | 2 | Yes |
| 47 | "Why Does Love Do This To Me" | The Exponents | Jordan Luck | 1992 | 2 | Yes |
| 48 | "1905" | Shona Laing | Shona Laing | 1972 | 2 | Yes |
| 49 | "Anchor Me" | The Mutton Birds | Don McGlashan | 1994 | 2 | |
| 50 | "Bliss" | Th' Dudes | Dave Dobbyn, Ian Morris | 1979 | 2 | Yes |
| 51 | "For Today" | Netherworld Dancing Toys | Nick Sampson, Malcolm Black | 1984 | 2 | Yes |
| 52 | "Screems From Tha Old Plantation" | King Kapisi | Bill Urale, Kas Futialo | 2000 | 2 | Yes |
| 53 | "Cheryl Moana Marie" | John Rowles | Nathan Kipner, John Rowles | 1970 | 2 | |
| 54 | "Blue Day" | Mi-Sex | Murray Burns, Colin Bayley | 1985 | 2 | Yes |
| 55 | "Glorafilia" | Zed | Ben Campbell, Nathan King, Adrian Palmer | 1999 | 2 | Yes |
| 56 | "Good Morning Mr Rock 'n' Roll" | Headband | Thomas Adderley | 1971 | 2 | |
| 57 | "History Never Repeats" | Split Enz | Neil Finn | 1981 | 2 | Yes |
| 58 | "In The Neighbourhood" | Sisters Underground | Alan Jansson, Hassanah Orogbu, Brenda Makaoeafi | 1994 | 2 | Yes |
| 59 | "Julia" | Citizen Band | Geoff Chunn | 1978 | 2 | |
| 60 | "Pacifier" | Shihad | Shihad | 1999 | 2 | Yes |
| 61 | "Let's Think of Something" | Larry's Rebels | Roger Skinner | 1967 | 2 | |
| 62 | "Bursting Through" | Bic Runga | Bic Runga | 1997 | 2 | Yes |
| 63 | "Liberty" | Greg Johnson | Greg Johnson | 1997 | 2 | Yes |
| 64 | "Sweet Disorder" | Strawpeople | Paul Casserly, Mark Tierney, Anthony Ioasa | 1994 | 2 | Yes |
| 65 | "Asian Paradise" | Sharon O'Neill | Sharon O'Neill | 1979 | 2 | |
| 66 | "Don't Fight It Marsha, It's Bigger Than Both of Us" | Blam Blam Blam | Don McGlashan | 1981 | 3 | |
| 67 | "Gutter Black" | Hello Sailor | Dave McArtney | 1977 | 3 | Yes |
| 68 | "Long Ago" | Herbs | Lundon, Hona | 1984 | 3 | Yes |
| 69 | "There Is No Depression in New Zealand" | Blam Blam Blam | Richard Von Sturmer, Don McGlashan | 1981 | 3 | |
| 70 | "You Oughta Be in Love" | Dave Dobbyn | Dave Dobbyn | 1986 | 3 | Yes |
| 71 | "Andrew" | Fur Patrol | Andrew Bain, Julia Deans, Simon Braxton, Steven Wells | 2000 | 3 | Yes |
| 72 | "Billy Bold" | Graham Brazier | Graham Brazier | 1981 | 3 | |
| 73 | "Distant Sun" | Crowded House | Neil Finn | 1993 | 3 | |
| 74 | "Suddenly Strange" | Bic Runga | Bic Runga | 1997 | 3 | Yes |
| 75 | "Forever Tuesday Morning" | The Mockers | Gary Curtis, Andrew Fagan, Tim Wedde | 1984 | 3 | Yes |
| 76 | "Cruise Control" | Headless Chickens | Chris Matthews, Michael Lawry | 1991 | 3 | Yes |
| 77 | "Pressure Man" | The Feelers | James Reid, Matt Thomas, Hamish Gee | 1998 | 3 | |
| 78 | "Private Universe" | Crowded House | Neil Finn | 1994 | 3 | |
| 79 | "Room That Echoes" | Peking Man | Neville Hall | 1985 | 3 | Yes |
| 80 | "Sensitive to a Smile" | Herbs | Dilworth, Karaka, Tumahai | 1987 | 3 | Yes |
| 81 | "E Ipo" | Prince Tui Teka | Ngoi Pēwhairangi, Missy, Prince Tui Teka | 1982 | 3 | |
| 82 | "Andy" | The Front Lawn | Harry Sinclair, Don McGlashan | 1987 | 3 | |
| 83 | "Bitter" | Shihad | Shihad | 1995 | 3 | |
| 84 | "Four Seasons in One Day" | Crowded House | Tim Finn and Neil Finn | 1991 | 3 | |
| 85 | "Heavenly Pop Hit" | The Chills | Martin Phillipps | 1990 | 3 | |
| 86 | "Husband House" | Sneaky Feelings | Matthew Bannister | 1985 | 3 | |
| 87 | "Jumping Out A Window" | Pop Mechanix | Paul Mason, Andrew McLennan, Chris Moore, Kevin Emmett, Paul Scott | 1981 | 3 | |
| 88 | "If I Were You" | Straitjacket Fits | Shayne Carter, John Collie | 1993 | 3 | |
| 89 | "I'll Say Goodbye (Even Tho I'm Blue)" | Dance Exponents | Jordan Luck | 1983 | 3 | Yes |
| 90 | "Maybe" | Sharon O'Neill | Sharon O'Neill | 1981 | 3 | Yes |
| 91 | "One Day Ahead" | Eye TV | Sean Sturm, Luke Casey, Michael Scott, Grant Winterburn | 2000 | 3 | Yes |
| 92 | "Renegade Fighter" | Zed | Ben Campbell, Nathan King | 2000 | 3 | Yes |
| 93 | "Part of Me" | Stellar* | Boh Runga | 1999 | 3 | Yes |
| 94 | "Sierra Leone" | Coconut Rough | Andrew McLennan | 1983 | 3 | Yes |
| 95 | "Words" | Sharon O'Neill | Sharon O'Neill | 1979 | 3 | Yes |
| 96 | "Spellbound" | Split Enz | Tim Finn, Phil Judd | 1979 | 3 | |
| 97 | "Rust in My Car" | Citizen Band | Geoff Chunn | 1979 | 3 | |
| 98 | "Mercy of Love" | Shona Laing | Shona Laing | 1992 | 3 | Yes |
| 99 | "Can't Get Enough" | Supergroove | Joseph Fisher, Karl Steven | 1996 | 3 | Yes |
| 100 | "Naked Flame" | Dave Dobbyn | Dave Dobbyn | 1995 | 3 | |