What another ‘Year of the Wiggles’ tells us about the state of new music and nostalgia

According to a press release that thunked into Crikey’s inbox, Rolling Stone AU/NZ has declared 2022 “Year Of The Wiggles”. The group that has carried on like Theseus’ ship for more than 30 years is the magazine’s cover star for September.

But wait! Wasn’t last year the year of the Wiggles, when they topped Triple J’s hottest 100 with their cover of Tame Impala’s “Elephant” (mashed up with their own “Fruit Salad”)? Whether we think the veneration of a band whose audience is less “Kids today, huh?” than actual literal infants is a bit of fun or a sign that on the whole we’re not dealing with adult reality all that well, it may point to a trend in music consumption that’s here to stay: the shift towards nostalgia.

Earlier this month it was revealed that despite platforming an act that has been around roughly as long as the Hottest 100 itself (“Oh, you like The Wiggles? Name 18 of their albums, you poser …”) Triple J was haemorrhaging its core demographic to other radio stations, including boomer opiate dispenser Smooth FM.

This reflects new data from the US that consumption of new music (defined in this case by anything released in the previous 18 months) had shrunk by 1.4% compared with the previous year. Music older than that went up 14%. Illustratively, one of the biggest songs of the year is Kate Bush’s 1985 masterpiece “Running Up That Hill” after its use in Stranger Things.

As music analyst Bob Lefsetz writes, the increasing atomisation of music consumption, the death of charts and radio as true arbiters of success, the internationalising of pop stardom (Bad Bunny, BTS et al) have many effects, good and bad, but it makes ubiquitous hits of the sort we used to see nigh on impossible:

There is no top 50. It’s an irrelevant metric. We no longer pool all music. Instead, there are various verticals. And it’s not about crossing over, nearly impossible, the verticals are ever more narrow and defined, but becoming as big as you can in the world you inhabit, which means you’re probably going to be less big than the hit acts of yore.

Which doesn’t mean you’ll be broke without an audience. There are so many more ways to monetise these days. And to know who your fans are and reach them. But worldwide dominance? Mostly a fairy tale.

Can you bear listening to the Wiggles (without using the kids or grandkids as an excuse)? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.