TMN RETROSPECTIVE REPORT: Gotye hits #1 in US – 2012

TMN celebrates two decades in this ever-shifting music industry by taking a look back at the key moments – both triumphant and tumultuous – in the Australian music business.

2012
GOTYE HITS #1 IN US

Those of us who enjoyed his smoked-out antics on That ‘70s Show could never have fathomed a guess that Ashton Kutcher would be partly responsible for the success of one of the biggest Australian singles of all time.

The actor tweeted a link to the video in July 2011 shortly after it premiered online, with Katy Perry following suit. Commercial radio in Australia wasn’t convinced of the song’s success however – it took over 100 million YouTube views and for the single to hit #1 on the ARIA charts for the majority of stations to finally come on board.

In the US, the single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #91 in January 2012, and climbed steadily. The stars (or some savvy publicity) aligned in the week commencing April 9 with a Glee remake, an American Idol cover, and a Gotye and Kimbra performance on SNL.

Somebody That I Used To Know sold over half a million copies within a week, hitting the #1 spot, where it remained for eight weeks, winning the Record Of The Year Grammy and becoming the biggest selling song in the world in 2012. A lot of fuss for a song recorded at his parents’ farm in rural Victoria.

Our year on year reports are published courtesy of the Australian Music Industry Quarterly magazine. For your free copy click here.