Drumroll please…

We’ve run the numbers and checked ’em twice, and we’re super excited to share the 100 Most Played Tracks of the year. As with our Most Played Artists of 2016, we’re proud to say that this list goes well beyond our promise to deliver 50% Australian music, with half of that from Sydney.

Out of the top 100, a massive 86 tracks are from Australian artists (in green) – including the entire top 30! And 61 of those tracks are from Sydney (starred*), including the top five. We are inspired by so many talented locals every day and it’s truly a pleasure to share their music with you.

Follow the playlist on Spotify and read some words from our presenters on why they couldn’t stop playing these tracks.

1. Rainbow Chan – Nest *

“It’s not often I find myself completely out of breath while on air – unless, of course, I’ve just played ‘Nest’. Luckily not too many people hang around the studio after 8pm, otherwise they would see me dancing around in a sweaty mess. Not only one of my favourite Sydney tracks of 2016, but one of my favourite tracks, full stop.” – Amelia Jenner, The Bridge

2. Marcus Whale – My Captain *

“It’s hard to write anything that would do the beauty of this song justice. All you can do is listen and listen again. It’s chaotic, it’s nuanced, it’s perfect. Thank you Marcus for gifting us with one of the most important albums of 2016.” – Amelia Jenner, The Bridge

3. Shining Bird – Helluva Lot *

“After moving from Wollongong to Sydney this year, I have a soft spot for this leisure coast gem – one that immediately makes me feel at home. Lyrically it’s a reminder that this earth is the only one we’ve got; sonically it’s a piece of Australiana you can take with you anywhere. Seriously, can we go back in time and make it the 2000 Olympics Opening Ceremony anthem?” – Lucy Smith, Up For It

4. Julia Jacklin – Pool Party *

“A new release in Julia Jacklin’s solo career was, for me, met with trepidation. It marked a potential departure from her band Phantastic Ferniture, who had truly made me fall in love with her bone-tingling wails. But I shouldn’t have worried. This track was the first taste of an album that would develop and champion a new Sydney sound, with delicate hooks placed seamlessly next to heart-wrenching lyrics and an effortlessly driven melody. I’m quite stoked that we all got to sing along to the ‘die, die die die die, die die die die’ bit together so many times.” – Samantha Groth, Lunch

5. BUOY – Clouds & Rain *

“After a breakout 2015, Sydney’s Charmian Kingston started this year by taking her songwriting to new heights with ‘Clouds & Rain’. Featuring additional production by Jack Grace and Christopher Port, ‘Clouds & Rain’ is a stunning love song with an uncomplicated core. Tinkering and pulsating, it’s the strongest production effort we’ve heard from BUOY yet, with Char’s intimate, unadorned lines of devotion ringing throughout.” – Lana Wyllie, The Bridge

6. Holy Balm – Fashion *

“This one had me hooked from the very first note. A staple for The Bridge and across FBi in general, Holy Balm absolutely knocked it out of the park with ‘Fashion’. If the sax melody doesn’t get you, then the video clip, featuring a fabulous farrrshun cameo from fellow top 20 artist Marcus Whale, definitely will.” – Tia Newling, The Bridge

7. Koi Child – 1- 5-9

“This song is like walking through a sheet of ice cold water. Leaves you frisky and refreshed, and ultimately wet – despite how tight the instrumentation on any Koi Child track is.” – Darren Lesaguis, Arvos

8. Middle Kids – Edge Of Town *

“Songs as immediate and arresting as Middle Kids’ ‘Edge of Town’ are few and far between. The local trio’s debut is a comforting companion piece for the all-too-familiar feeling of overwhelming indecision. Whether it’s Tim Fitz’s slide guitar action, Hannah Joy’s voice soaring with pinpoint precision, or the spectacular coda, this song is tailor-made to send shivers down your spine.” – Lana Wyllie, The Bridge

9. Dro Carey – Grow Lithe *

“Dro Carey grabbed broader attention this year not just because of the perfectly executed vocal collaborations on his Dark Zoo EP, but also the sharper focus he’s brought to his traditionally restless production, exemplified wholly on ‘Grow Lithe’. Eerie and full of anxious energy, it’s intriguing enough to pull people onto the dancefloor as soon as the smoke machine coughs into life.” – Sandro Dallarmi, Switch

10. D.D Dumbo – Satan

“I usually try to avoid any form of pop culture material where the dog dies, but for D.D Dumbo I’ll make an exception. This was the first single we heard from his anticipated album, Utopia Defeated, and it was a pretty stellar indication of what was to come. Driving rhythm patterns and lush instrumentation made it the perfect song to wake up with.” – Lucy Smith, Up For It

11. Middle Kids – Your Love *

“It’s the little details in this song – from the vocal harmonies you probably don’t notice until the fifth listen to the hooky slide guitar overlaid in the chorus. Hannah Joy’s remarkable voice keeps it together, lapsing into falsetto but keeping in control the entire time. Middle Kids took 2016 by storm, and it’s not hard to see why with songwriting as assured, clever and together as this. It’s exciting to see where this band is going to go – for now, enjoy some pitch perfect pop done to a tee.” – Dom O’Connor, Arvos

12. Rainbow Chan – Last *

“2016 has been the year of Rainbow Chan, and every track on Spacings deserves a spot on this list, but ‘Last’ was the one that really stuck with me. A magical combination of light and shade, the hook will be stuck in your head for days. If Rainbow Chan has already won you over, be sure to try her darker side project, Chunyin.” – Tia Newling, The Bridge

13. GL – Grip

“I love the insatiable physicality of GL’s music. It’s hard to ignore with songs like ‘Grip.’ Graeme Pogson and Haima Marriott’s production is a perfect equation: teetering percussion, throbbing bass line, piano chord stabs and the bright whizzing in your ears as you walk through a dancing crowd. This is music made for movement. “Not what you say but what you do,” yearns Ella Thompson, a sentiment that boils right down to the core of their debut album, a simple yet powerfully sensory idea – Touch.” – Darren Lesaguis, Arvos

14. Sampa The Great – Blue Boss *

“Sampa the Great is the queen of silently dropping singles with no fanfare. Dropping ‘Blue Boss’ early in the year, she gave us her raw fire spitting smooth poetry over slick jazzy production, bringing in 2016 on a high – ’cause we no longer in this world, cause we stuck up in the clouds’.” – Samira, Weekend Overhang

15. Lower Spectrum – Masquerade

“This track sits nicely with Leftfield, Jon Hopkins or Nicholas Jaar. Think dark, mature and driving electronica. Unlike the three I’ve mentioned, Lower Spectrum is Australian (yay!) and if you’re after an even deeper exploration, check out the Rioux remix which is out now on the Inverse EP. Choice cut for a laaaate night dance floor.” – Alex Pye, Mornings

16. DMA’s – Too Soon *

“One of the biggest surprises of 2016 was the breakout success of Newtown Britpop trio DMA’s. Amongst a bevy of singles from Hills End, ‘Too Soon’ stands out as 3 minutes of lean, unrelenting power pop. Guided by Johnny Took’s stirring vocals atop a ringing chorus of guitars, ‘Too Soon’ rattles and accelerates, speeding to the heart of the sun in the closing instrumental.” – Lana Wyllie, The Bridge

17. Le Pie – Up All Night *

“‘Up All Night’ is the kind of song that gatecrashes your attention span instantly and you’re glad it did. With its rat-a-tat energy, persistent melodies and whoa-whoa-whoa sing-alongs, it’s pretty much karaoke-perfect. The lyrics centre on being kept up all night – “but not the fun type” – which is ironic, ‘cos this track is pretty much 100% the fun type.” – Lee Tran Lam, Local Fidelity

18. Australia – Love Is Better *

“The creeping bass line. The half spoken vocals. The shimmering guitars. No one did Australiana better in 2016 than Australia (the band, not the country, and not a country band). Here, they wrote the strongest hook they’ve ever done: a shouted exultation of lust over keyboards that explodes into a cathartic chorus of monumental proportions. Immediate without being annoying, this Australia tune almost single-handedly started people calling INXS ‘pretty good’ again.” – Dom O’Connor, Arvos

19. Remi – Substance Therapy

“Funky, gritty, a bit sunny yet more than a little bit dark, Remi’s ‘Substance Therapy’ was one of our standout tracks for 2016. He’s built a reputation for writing music that’s lyrically incisive but can still kick off a dancefloor, and this song is no exception. Sensible J is the king of swing on production, and the result is one of this year’s best hip hop gems.” – Coda Conduct, What’s Good

20. BV – Huh *

“There’s a new vein of dark club-rap emerging in Sydney, and BV’s ‘Huh’ is the most hypnotic cut we’ve heard from the scene so far. Marcus Whale and Lavurn Lee spit and moan with malice, DJ Plead pushes a sharp, bass-heavy beat, and all we can think to do is dance.” – Sandro Dallarmi, Switch

21. Gordi – Wanting *

22. Remi – For Good ft. Sampa the Great

23. The Posse – MS-DOS *

24. Mere Women – Numb *

25. L-FRESH the LION – 1 In 100,000 *

26. Big Scary – The Opposite Of Us

27. Dorsal Fins – Heart On The Floor

28. Flyying Colours – It’s Tomorrow Now

29. GL – Hallucinate

30. Flume – Smoke & Retribution ft. Kucka & Vince Staples *

31. BADBADNOTGOOD – Time Moves Slow ft. Sam Herring

32. Jagwar Ma – O B 1 *

33. Camp Cope – Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steal Beams

34. Donny Benet – Working Out *

35. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Gamma Knife

36. Gonzo Jones – Misty Dreams

37. Anohni – Drone Bomb Me

38. B Wise – 40 Days *

39. Coda Conduct – Click Clack (Front & Back) *

40. Montaigne – In The Dark *

41. The Drones – To Think That I Once Loved You

42. Angel Olsen – Shut Up Kiss Me

43. Elizabeth Rose – In 3’s *

44. Jessy Lanza – It Means I Love You

45. Phantastic Ferniture – Gap Year *

46. Corin – Vexations *

47. Dro Carey – Elevate ft. Cadell & Chocolate *

48. Fishing – Yuwa *

49. H A N N A H B A N D – 29er *

50. Julia Jacklin – Leadlight *

51. Dereb The Ambassador – Fikera *

52. Dope Lemon – Marinade *

53. Dreller – Control *

54. A.B. Original – January 26 ft. Dan Sultan

55. Alex Lahey – Let’s Go Out

56. Marcus Whale – Vapour *

57. Alex Lahey – You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me

58. Matt Corby – Sooth Lady Wine *

59. Death Bells -Stainless *

60. Freda & Jackson – Sumluv *

61. Alta – Plans

62. Chicanery – Open Road *

63. Collarbones – The Cut *

64. Rainbow Chan – Work *

65. The Range – Florida

66. Ara Koufax – Makers

67. Confidence Man – Boyfriend (Repeat)

68. Danny Brown – When It Rain

69. Gold Panda – Time Eater

70. Jack Grace – All Lost *

71. Kevin Morby – I Have Been to The Mountain

72. The Jezabels – Pleasure Drive *

73. Goldlink – Dark Skin Woman (Cosmo’s Midnight & Swindail Remix) *

74. Kenton Slash Demon – TT

75. Moon Holiday – Out Of Bounds *

76. No Zu – Spirit Beat

77. Benjamin Witt – Dead Fish

78. DIIV – Under The Sun

79. Gang Of Youths – Native Tongue *

80. Georgia Mulligan – Worst Part *

81. Klue – Uh Oh *

82. Christopher Port – Bump

83. Father John Misty – Real Love Baby

84. Kero Kero Bonito – Lipslap

85. Oh Pep! – Doctor Doctor

86. Julia Jacklin – Coming Of Age *

87. Wallace – Is It You? *

88. Zeahorse – Torana *

89. Gussy – Looking At Myself *

90. Jack River – Palo Alto *

91. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Big Fig Wasp

92. LUCIANBLOMKAMP – The Overman

93. Tees – Got The Feeling *

94. Beach Slang – Punks in a Disco Bar

95. Flume – Take A Chance ft. Little Dragon *

96. Holy Balm – Clandestine *

97. Mossy – Electric Chair *

98. Felix Lush – State Of Mind *

99. FKA Twigs – Good To Love

100. Scott & Charlene’s Wedding – Delivered

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Take a walk down memory lane:

2015 YEARBOOK: MOST PLAYED TRACKS | MOST PLAYED ARTISTS

2014 YEARBOOK: MOST PLAYED TRACKS | MOST PLAYED ARTISTS

2013 YEARBOOK: MOST PLAYED TRACKS | MOST PLAYED ARTISTS