Do you ever have those moments where you reminisce about your childhood? Whether it’s the things you consumed, the shows you watched, or even the ways you spent your Saturday night, this is for you.
Welcome to ‘Oh, I remember that’, a series that rediscovers the nostalgia surrounding Australian culture. For today’s instalment, we look at eight of the best So Fresh albums that will have you saying ‘Oh, I remember that’.
During the 2000s, iPods were taken everywhere, you had to dial in every Saturday afternoon for the top 40, and CDs were the gateway to our favourite jams. But one CD chain remained superior against the rest of the competition – So Fresh. The title itself described the type of music they would be getting. But what albums were the pinnacle of the brand’s domination? Let’s find out.
DISCLAIMER: Only CDs from 2000-2012 were considered, to keep with the nostalgic theme. Special edition CDs such as the decade and Christmas editions were also left out.
The Hits of Spring 2001
To start with, we have a CD that produces banger after banger. The further down the track list you go, the more you begin to question why ‘Hanging by a Moment’ by Lifehouse (one of my all-time favourite songs) is the only song to reach #1 on the ARIA charts? With generational classics such as ‘Don’t Stop Movin’, Ride wit Me’ and ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’, this edition of So Fresh had to feature. A Big Brother inspired song even featured!
The Hits of Winter 2007
This edition features some household names, as well as some up and coming stars at the time. Pink, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake all registered entries, whilst Gwen Stefani and Ne-Yo released coming of age classics. However, the highlight of the album for many was Avril Lavigne’s ‘Girlfriend’. The lead single from her third studio album, ‘Girlfriend’ was top of the ARIA charts for six weeks, on two separate occasions.
The Hits of Winter 2008
Fast forward another year and So Fresh began to hit their sweet spot. The first entry from an elite four CD span, the 2008 winter edition features some forgotten favourites. Newton Faulkner and Leona Lewis provided songs from their prime, whilst Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Britney Spears added to their portfolios. Jordan Sparks and Chris Brown headlined the album though with their hit single ‘No Air’.
The Hits of Spring 2008
Now this album was absolute fire. Arguably the best of the lot, Spring 2008 has no weak points. Metro Station and Sam Sparro had their one hit wonders, Lady Gaga’s debut single lasted 14 weeks in the ARIA Top 10 (including a week at #1), and ‘White Noise’ by The Living End was nominated for ARIA Song of the Year, along with Sam Sparro’s ‘Black and Gold’.
The Hits of Summer 2009 + The Best of 2008
Our first 40 song edition had the core of a strong year in music to produce a belter of an album. Lady Gaga continued her impressive end to 2008, with the song of the summer ‘Poker Face’ a feature. Other new editions to the So Fresh family included 11-times platinum song in Australia ‘Sex on Fire’, as well as ‘So What’ from Pink.
The Hits of Autumn 2009
The Autumn 2009 edition of So Fresh had songs which dominated the ARIA charts. In fact, the week beginning on the 16th of February 2009 saw nine songs on this album feature in the top 10! Jessica Mauboy continued her stellar start to her solo career with ‘Burn’, Taylor Swift produced her first career ARIA #1, whilst ‘You Found Me’ by The Fray eventually reached #61 on the ARIA Best Songs of the Decade chart.
The Hits of Summer 2012 + The Best of 2011
Ah, the first So Fresh album I owned. I would have this CD playing in the car on repeat, and it’s easy to see why. Regulars Rihanna, Chris Brown and Britney Spears were involved once again. Meanwhile the 2011 Triple J Hottest 100 winning song ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, and the fourth best song of the decade on the ARIA charts ‘Party Rock Anthem’, were just some of the classics that featured.
The Hits of Autumn 2012
Our final entry on this list featured a combination of songs which helped to kick off a great year of music. LMFAO had their second hit single ‘Sexy and I Know It’, One Direction and Timomatic had their debut singles, meanwhile Drake and Rihanna had hit song ‘Take Care’. The album also featured X-Factor winner Reece Mastin’s contest winning single ‘Good Night’ (isn’t that a blast from the past?).