The Essential 10: Crowded House

I am going to add a little preface to my usual opening blurb for this feature...

I promised myself that 2026 was going to be full of positivity and goodness, and yet I find myself sitting here surrounded by dark (and often ridiculous) news, oh and I'm on my second cold of the year and January is already 837 days long! So, I needed a blast of music that will be guaranteed to soothe my soul - hence today's choice for the Essential 10.

Normal service will now resume.

This edition of The Essential 10, our quickfire introduction to a wide range of my favourite artists, features Crowded House; an act that has managed 8 studio albums over an on-off career that has so far spanned the early 1980s to now.

I have trawled the entire catalogue to come up with ten of my favourite tracks by them, including a few surprises (although, if you don’t know much about them, they may all be surprises).

Crowded House came into my life in 1988 when I heard some of the songs off their second album, Temple Of Low Men. Neil Finn quickly became my songwriter of choice and there can't be many pop creators since the heyday of Lennon & McCartney that can match him (maybe Difford & Tilbrook). Now, he has written some very sad and moving songs over the years, but as mentioned before, I need something more uplifting - so I have focused away from the more melancholic songs. I have also made this more difficult for myself by leaving out songs that appeared on the main section of their Greatest Hits record, Recurring Dream.

1. Now We're Getting Somewhere: the only single from the self-titled debut that didn't make the Greatest Hits record for some reason. Interestingly, this is one of two songs that don't include Nick Seymour and Paul Hester, as for some reason they weren't in L.A. for the early sessions, where duties were completed by Jim Keltner (drums) and Jerry Scheff (bass). From the opening burst of accordion, to the jangle that signals the start of the chorus, this song invites you in and fills you with warmth. (typically jolly and amusing official music video)

2. Tall Trees: Tim Finn joined younger brother Neil for the third Crowdies record, Woodface. It became something of a hit factory, especially in the UK (4 x Top 40 hits) - but among the hit singles were also some great album tracks, like this lively number. Despite being about the growth of a tree (a very slow process), this song fairly bounces along - and of course, you get the bonus of the brothers singing together. (great live rendition from Fremantle in 1991)

3. Sister Madly: while Temple Of Low Men remains my favourite album of theirs, it was tough given the brief, to pick anything from it for this list, given the overall dark and melancholic feel there is across the record. The lyrical content here is a little dark, being about nightmares and sleepwalking, but despite that this song has always been a crowd favourite, often turning into lengthy joyous jams - so we will clearly make room for it here. (funky and joyous live version from Sydney, 1988)

4. Don't Stop Now: this is a standout track from album five, Time On Earth, the first after the death of Hester in 2005 - replaced for this by former Beck drummer, Matt Sherrod. Given that place in their chronology, there is a tendency for this record to be melancholic as they looked for a way to move on from his passing. Don't Stop Now however has a quiet power, that was in part inspired by the Finn's move to the west of England at that time - and you get some of that bucolic beauty coming through in the music and lyrics. (official music video)

5. Together Alone: not a lively track, but as powerful and uplifting a song as they have ever done. This, the title track of album number four (the last with the original trio intact) gets its added depth from the inclusion of a Maori choir and some log drummers - the song was co-written with Ngapo Wehi of the Te Waka Huia Cultural Group Choir. The combination of voices and instruments on this one never fails to get the hairs on my neck standing (especially when the second chorus kicks in). (audio only - turn it up)

6. To The Island: there was a long hiatus between albums six and seven, but then in 2021 we got Dreamers Are Waiting. This represented something of a full circle, with the band comprising of Finn and Seymour, but now with the addition of the two Finn juniors, Liam and Elroy, along with former producer Mitchell Froom. Although much of it had been recorded in L.A. before the lockdowns hit (which seems to provide it with a generous infusion of Brian Wilson spirit), this song retains a feeling of the South Pacific in its gentle sway. (official music video)

7. Anyone Can Tell: in 1999, Crowded House put out a compilation LP of B-Sides and rarities, called Afterglow. The thing is, with one or two slight novelty exceptions, this is a record most pop bands would have killed for. Such is Finn's greatness, even a record of his offcuts makes for an often sublime listen. Amongst it all is this absolute pop gem, complete with the usual strident guitars and lush harmonies. (audio only)

8. Twice If You're Lucky: this one is from album six, Intriguer (2007) - with Finn yet again making this whole writing classic pop stuff look so easy. The dramatic piano notes give way to a lilting pop song that glides along so beautifully, lovely little bits of slide guitar providing counterpoint. (charming official music video, complete with an animated bear on some sort of journey)

9. Italian Plastic: every now and again Finn would allow the others into the songwriting room, with this song from Woodface being written and sung by the late and still much missed Hester. It features some of his archetypal brush work on the drums, and its laconic verses erupt into such a joyous chorus. Gosh, we still miss him an awful lot. (another hairs on the neck performance, from their original 'final' shows outside Sydney Opera House in 1996).

10. I Walk Away: push comes to shove, my favourite Crowdies track. This originally was a track on the last Split Enz record (See Ya Round) and was re-recorded by Crowded House, although it didn't appear on the initial Australia / NZ version of the debut album (but was added to all later editions). It is perhaps their most straight ahead pop-rock track, driving along nicely to the middle eight. There, it settles down with some lovely harmonics and little bass runs, before it comes flying back out of the blocks - Finn sings that he's 'just a man with a mission', and he's not kidding - Hester pounds the drums behind Finn's flailing guitars as they wind the song up to its climax. (audio only - for some unfathomable reason, I don't find evidence of them ever playing this live)