After holding the music world hostage upon its release and becoming the first French group to top the ARIA Singles Chart, you’d think that Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ would be one of the most played songs on Australian radio, right? 

But the Parisian robots, along with a host of chart-bothering pop stars and folk-storming groups like The Lumineers and Of Monsters And Men, have lost out on the coveted title as ‘most played artist on radio’, as The Music Networks mid-year radio report, the Hot 100, reveals.

After passing the half-way mark for the year, it may seem like the likes of Bruno Mars, Pink, and Rihanna are saturating the radio waves, but while they all have strong showings in the rankings for the charts representing “the 100 most heard tracks across the country,” the #1 spot actually goes to a local band.

Perth spawned rock band Birds of Tokyo have replicated their first quarter success as the most played Australian act of 2013 with their Top 3 peaking hit ‘Lanterns’, which has now trumped international competition as the most played song on Australian radio. Period.

The Ian Kenny-led quintet’s single also marked Birds Of Tokyo as the highest charting of only nine Aussie artists to make the Top 100 list, alongside Sydney sensation Flume, who had the second highest entry, with ‘Holdin On’ landing at #29. It may seem like the likes of Bruno Mars, Pink, and Rihanna are saturating the radio waves [but] the #1 spot actually goes to a local band.

Other appearances in the Hot 100 came in dual entries from Guy Sebastian (at #56 and #69), two entries for Justice Crew (#67 and #90), The Stafford Brothers (at #30), Sheppard (#70), Prinnie (#95), and The Potbelleez (#96).

Other notable entries include Iceland collective and Australian Favourites Of Monsters And Men, falling just outside the Top 10, with ‘Little Talks’ landing at #12, while the equally Triple J listener beloved Macklemore & Ryan Lewis had a strong six months off of their hit ‘Thrift Shop’ sitting at #17. Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ however, didn’t quite live up to its title, scraping into the Top 50 at #44.

As The Music Network stipulates, the rankings for the most played are songs are based on those of radio stations, “with each station’s chart weight being variable, and measured by population figures and current cumulative audience figures.”

The #1 most played Aussie song also happens to come from Birds Of Tokyo’s first ever chart-topping album, March Fires, which serendipitously debuted at the #1 position on the ARIA albums chart upon its release in March; finally capitalising on their successive releases, with 2008′s Universes peaking at #3 and its self-titled follow-up managing #2 in 2010.

It seems the five-piece band’s efforts paid off after an extensive national tour and festival appearances at Tasmania’s Breath Of Life and co-headlining Queensland’s Big Pineapple Music Festival.

After taking full flight around the country, Birds Of Tokyo take a well-earned roost while vocalist Ian Kenny begins the campaign in earnest with his other major musical concern, Perth prog titans Karnivool, who are set to drop their first album in four years, Asymmetry, after announcing a new single and national tour.

Top 100 Most Played Songs On Australian Radio For 2013

via The Music Networks Hot 100 covering January to June.

1 Lanterns – Birds Of Tokyo CAP/EMI
2 When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars ATL/WMA
3 Ho Hey –  The Lumineers INERTIA
4 ‘Beneath Your Beautiful – Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande SME
5 Just Give Me A Reason – Pink ft. Nate Ruess SME
6 Stay – Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko IDJ/UMA
7 Impossible – James Arthur SME
8 Troublemaker – Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida SME
9 Locked Out Of Heaven – Bruno Mars ATL/WMA
10 Everybody Talks – Neon Trees MERCUK/UMA
11 Love Is Easy – McFly MERCUK/UMA
12 Little Talks – Of Monsters And Men UNI/UMA
13 I Love It – Icona Pop NEON/WMA
14 I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift BIG/UMA
15 Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton MACKLEMORE LLC
16 I Could Be The One –  Avicii ft. Nicky Romero UNI/UMA
17 Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz MACKLEMORE LLC
18 Thank You – MKTO SME
19 Mirrors – Justin Timberlake SME
20 Scream & Shout – will.i.am ft. Britney Spears IGA/UMA
21 Feel This Moment – Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera SME
22 I Need Your Love – Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding SME
23 Try – Pink SME
24 Small Bump – Ed Sheeran ATL/WMA
25 Same Love  – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Mary Lambert MACKLEMORE LLC
26 I Will Wait Mumford & Sons DEW/UMA
27 Let Her Go Passenger INERTIA
28 What You’ve Done To Me Samantha Jade SME
29 Holdin On Flume FC/WMA
30 Hello Stafford Brothers ft. Lil Wayne & Christina Milian UNI/UMA
31 Sweet Nothing Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch SME
32 Pompeii Bastille VIR/EMI
33 Give Me Love Ed Sheeran ATL/WMA
34 Diamonds Rihanna IDJ/UMA
35 Blow Me (One Last Kiss) Pink SME
36 Army Of Two Olly Murs SME
37 Still Into You Paramore ATL/WMA
38 Daylight Maroon 5 A&M/UMA
39 One More Night Maroon 5 A&M/UMA
40 Don’t You Worry Child Swedish House Mafia CAP/EMI
41 Mountain Sound Of Monsters And Men UNI/UMA
42 We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Taylor Swift BIG/UMA
43 Guns & Roses T.I. ft. Pink ATL/WMA
44 Hall Of Fame The Script ft. will.i.am SME
45 Get Lucky Daft Punk ft. Nile Rogers, Pharrell SME
46 Drinking From The Bottle Calvin Harris ft. Tinie Tempah SME
47 Hey Porsche Nelly UNI/UMA
48 Beauty & A Beat Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj IDJ/UMA
49 Blurred Lines Robin Thicke ft. T.I & Pharrell IGA/UMA
50 Change Your Life Little Mix SME
51 Get Up (Rattle) Bingo Players ft. Far East Movement ONELOVE
52 It’s Time Imagine Dragons IGA/UMA
53 The Other Side Jason Derulo WB/WMA
54 Waiting All Night Rudimental ft. Ella Eyre WMUK/WMA
55 Good Time Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen UNI/UMA
56 Get Along Guy Sebastian SME
57 Next To Me Emeli Sande VIR/EMI
58 Suit & Tie Justin Timberlake ft. Jay Z SME
59 ThatPOWER Will.I.Am ft. Justin Bieber IGA/UMA
60 Not Giving In Rudimental ft. John Newman & Alex Clare WMUK/WMA
61 Right Now Rihanna ft. David Guetta IDJ/UMA
62 Treasure Bruno Mars ATL/WMA
63 Some Nights Fun. ATL/WMA
64 Radioactive Rita Ora SME
65 22 Taylor Swift BIG/UMA
66 Put Your Hands Up Matchbox Twenty ATL/WMA
67 Best Night Justice Crew SME
68 Rest Of My Life Ludacris ft. Usher & David Guetta IDJ/UMA
69 Battle Scars Guy Sebastian ft. Lupe Fiasco SME
70 Let Me Down Easy Sheppard CHUGG/MGM
71 Feel The Love Rudimental WMUK/WMA
72 She’s So Mean Matchbox Twenty ATL/WMA
73 Girl On Fire Alicia Keys SME
74 She Wolf (Falling To Pieces) David Guetta ft. Sia VIR/EMI
75 It’s A Beautiful Day Michael Buble WB/WMA
76 Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself) Ne-Yo IDJ/UMA
77 Global Concepts Robert DeLong LBR/UMA
78 Bed Of Clouds Swift K.I.D. ft. Guy Sebastian NEON/WMA
79 Alive Empire Of The Sun CAP/EMI
80 This Is What It Feels Like Armin Van Buuren ft Trevor Guthrie XXX
81 Everything Has Changed Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran BIG/UMA
82 Beautiful Mariah Carey IDJ/UMA
83 Language Porter Robinson HUS/UMA
84 Here’s To Never Growing Up Avril Lavigne SME
85 C’mon Ke$ha SME
86 We Come Running Youngblood Hawke UNI/UMA
87 Let It Roll Flo Rida ATL/WMA
88 Spectrum Florence & The Machine ISLUK/UMA
89 How Ya Doin? Little Mix SME
90 Boom Boom Justice Crew SME
91 Happening Chiddy Bang CAP/EMI
92 Need U 100% Duke Dumont ft. AME MOS/UMA
93 We’ll Be Coming Back Calvin Harris ft. Example SME
94 Turn Up The Love Far East Movement ft. Cover Drive IGA/UMA
95 Don’t Wake Me Up Prinnie MERCAU/UMA
96 Saved In A Bottle The Potbelleez MOS/UMA
97 Arena B.o.B ft. Chris Brown & T.I. ATL/WMA
98 Dear Darling Olly Murs SME
99 Drunk Ed Sheeran ATL/WMA
100 My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) Fall Out Boy IDJ/UMA

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine