Talk:Countdown (Australian TV program)

Australia: Television / Music Mid‑importance

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Television Mid‑importance

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Conventions, Myths and Legends[edit]

There is much missing from this article about the conventions, myths and legends of Countdown. When I tried to add this information Wikipedia/OSMOSSIS ruled it out. Im new at this democratic publishing experience however my experience is direct. I was contracted by Executive Producer Michael Shrimpton to provide market research for Countdown from 78 through to 82 and was co-producer of the Countdown Australian Music Awards in collaboration with ARIA and Australia's major independent record companies of the time. Recently I produced DIY GLOBAL REVOLUTION for the Western Australian Music Industry Association so am still in the flow. The information I tried to add was about bands missing from the document as most of the Australian talent listed is drawn from the earliest era of the show. Also, given the potential of Wikipedia it would be wonderful to see this process debunk and discuss various major myths and legends arround the show such as: why Midnight Oil never appeared on Countdown? why it is now reported in one respected Australian music encyclopaedia that Cold Chisel never appeared on the show either?

- - my hope is that via democratic wiki some of this story can now be told- what say you OSMOSSIS?

The above material was added by Gatekeepercb (talk | contribs) at 17:40, 24 May 2006 – see Differences between revisions, manually added by shaidar cuebiyar (talk) 01:20, 22 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The End of Countdown[edit]

Should be some mention of the demise of the show. If I remember correctly the show was live and the hosts held up signs saying "Dubbed" or something (as none of the live acts on Countdown were, they just mimed). The show died a few weeks later.Softgrow 23:32, 10 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You're thinking of Countdown Revolution; that was a different show altogether. Fastbak77 09:27, 11 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Madonna[edit]

FROM ARTICLE: "Madonna achieved her first hit single when "Burning Up" reached the top twenty in 1982 following repeated showings of the video clip on Countdown"

COMMENT: Wasn't Holiday her first Australian hit single? Holiday hit in April 1983, and I believe that song became popular directly via Countdown. It may have even been her first ever hit anywhere - I don't know for certain though. Burning Up became a hit a few months later. Though I believe that Burning Up wasn't a hit in other territories and yes it was probably the repeated screenings of the clip on Australian TV that helped propell it to be a hit here, it wasn't her first hit. Asa01 19:09, 20 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How sad that the most influential pop-culture show in Australian history is now best remembered as breaking Madonna! Surely it had some other achievements. Leeborkman 02:43, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Burning Up entered the Australian singles chart on 28 Nov 1983; Holiday entered 9 Apr 1984. Therefore Burning Up was a hit first.Nqr9 (talk) —Preceding comment was added at 04:12, 25 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Young Talent Time[edit]

If i remember correctly there was a sort of rivalry with Young Talent Time - growing up you were either a "Countdown kid" or a "YTT kid" (and then later a "Hey Hey kid"). PMA 14:01, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But they are different shows with different content catering to different audiences and age groups. I've enever heard of the rivalry. Now Skyhooks vs Sherbet, that was a rivalry! Asa01 02:36, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I stand corrected. Oh, well! PMA 08:37, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For some reason I recalled this today. I wonder if you were thinking of the shows Sounds Unlimited (three hours of music videos hosted Donny Sutherland on Network Seven each Saturday morning) that aired in direct competition with Hey Hey It's Saturday when it was in its morning slot. I recall sometimes flipping between the two shows. Being in direct opposition and with a somewhat overlapping target audience (though Hey Hey was more the kids show, Sounds Unlimited more for teenagers) I see some rivalry developing. Asa01 11:05, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Kylie Minogue[edit]

I would debate that Countdown was crucial to the success of Kylie Minogue. Loco-motion was released 28th July, 1987. Countdowns last episode was the 19th July 1987. So this appears to be incorrect information that has been given. I would of said that MTV Australia was more crucial to the success of Kylie Minogue than Countdown. Oz Juice24 (talk) 05:57, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

She did a duet with John Waters in early '87, and also performed locomotion. That gave her a record contract with Mushroom. None of it was on Countdown. She was already fairly famous because of Neighbours, and the public performance with Waters proved she could sing, too.220.245.43.121 (talk) 05:55, 29 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]