71: John Farnham, “You’re the Voice” (no.6, 1987)

“We’re all someone’s daughter/We’re all someone’s son/How long can we look at each other/Down the barrel of a gun?” Mm. If the UK charts weren’t being besieged by Aussie soap stars in the 1980s (such as this flamin’ galaah), they were playing host to a new wave of socially-minded Antipodean rock (hear also: Midnight Oil, of “Beds Are Burning” fame). Here are some Things I Didn’t Previously Know About John Farnham:

1) He was born in Dagenham, of all places, and moved to Australia as a child;
2) He became the Australian equivalent of Cliff Richard, by having a number one hit in five consecutive decades;
3) There is a monument to him in Melbourne - note the flowing bronze mullet;
4) Shortly before recording “You’re the Voice”, he turned down the chance to record the song that would later become Starship’s “We Built This City”.

Greatest use of “You’re the Voice” in pop culture? Not that episode of Home & Away where naughty Sally (Kate Ritchie) bunked off school to go and see her idol in concert, but this priceless montage from 2007’s underrated Andy Samberg vehicle Hot Rod - love those bagpipers.