EXCLUSIVE: Spotify Wrapped CMO edition

Yesterday, Spotify dropped its annual Spotify Wrapped campaign, which reveals users’ listening habits, including top songs and artists of the year. Today, Mumbrella is giving you an inside look into Australia’s leading marketing professionals’ favourite songs of 2023.

Melissa Hopkins – Chief marketing and audience officer, Seven West Media

1. Sugar – Maroon Five
2. The Things we do for Love – 10cc
3. Last Goodbye – Jeff Buckley
4. It’s Tricky – Run DMC
5. Lavender Haze – Taylor Swift
6. Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
7. Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
8. Lovefool – The Cardigans
9. Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve
10. Around the World – Daft Punk

“Given my new role at Seven – my commute has gone from 10 mins to 45 mins to 1 hour so music has become an important part of routine. I think the top 10 songs demonstrate my diverse love for music, but also the emotional connection music has with me. Be it optimistic and full of love, to moments of reflection and then a strong dose of complete escapism.”

Liana Dubois – Chief marketing officer, Nine Network

1. Footloose – Kenny Loggins
2. Faith – STXRZ
3. Metamorphosis – Interworld
4. Dream Wave – STXRZ
5. Night Drive – Wilee
6. Born to Hand Jive – Sha Na Na
7. Anyway – Onimanxd
8. Nowhere – Alx Beats
9. I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
10. The Best – Tina Turner

“Well, it’s pretty clear my boys use my Spotify account more than I realised! Music in the Dubois household is food for the soul but let’s be honest, if it was truly only my playlist there’d be way more cheesiness from the 80s and 90s!”

David Griffiths – APAC head of marketing operations, Uber

1. Aura (12” Mix) – Bicep
2. Vale – Bicep
3. Apricots – Bicep
4. Love is Noise – The Verve
5. Atlas – Bicep
6. We’ll Live and Die in These Towns – The Enemy
7. As it Was – Harry Styles
8. Wonderwall – Oasis
9. Poly Pineapple – Bicep
10. Der Alte – Kolsch

“As a big music fan I love Spotify Wrapped. It gets better every year and is now becoming a cultural event that signals we’re reaching the end of the year and Christmas is fast approaching! I’m always keen to see my Top 10 as there’s always an unexpected song in there, plus it usually helps me look back on the year that was.”

Alli Galloway – Chief marketing officer, Jaxsta

1. Cuff It – Beyoncé
2. Silk Chiffon – MUNA
3. Alien Superstar – Beyoncé
4. Energy – Beyoncé
5. Break My Soul – Beyoncé
6. What I Want – MUNA
7. Trustfall – P!nk
8. Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
9. COZY – Beyoncé
10. Driver’s license – Our Last Night

“I’m always equally keen to see the latest design for Spotify Wrapped, as I am to see my results! It’s intriguing because I listen to such varied music, across so many different genres and decades, that literally anything could show up. I’m surprised (and kinda relieved) my deep love for 90s trance and nu-metal didn’t make an appearance this year.”

Denny Handlin – Head of global business marketing, TikTok AUNZ

1. White Horse – Chris Stapleton
2. Obstacle 1 – Interpol
3. Paint the Town Red – Doja Cat
4. Song for the Dead – Queens of the Stone Age
5. Angles and Queens – Gabriels
6. Paw Patrol Theme Song – Paw Patrol
7. Bounce – Samantha Jade
8. Mourning – Post Malone
9. Nocture – Julian Lange
10. Flowers – Miley Cyrus

“My year of music can best be bucketed into three categories – songs I love, songs my kids love and songs that are trending on TikTok! What transcends them all though is the power music has to connect with core memories, whether it be my daughter dancing around our home or my recent trip to Brazil for a Jiu Jitsu camp.”

Clinton Hearne – Global head of marketing, Flight Centre

1. Loud Places – Jamie xx, Romy
2. Ready to Start – Arcade Fire
3. 1901 – Phoenix
4. Turn – The Wombats
5. Spanish Sahara – Foals
6. Inner Light – Elderbrook, Bob Moses
7. It’s nice to be Alive – Ball Park Music
8. Genghis Khan – Miike Snow
9. Daniel – Bat For Lashes
10. Mess is Mine – Vance Joy

“What an ingenious way for a business to be personalised, by touching the inner orchestra of an individual. Plus it’s done in such an enjoyable, snackable, shareable, talkable way. I know I can come back to this playlist and older unwraps at any time in the year and it will put a smile on my face and a beat in my step.”

Eva Kane – APAC head of marketing, DEPT

1. Gatjumak – Andrew Gurruwiwi Band
2. Back On 74 – Jungle
3. Me Too – Meghan Trainor
4. The Big Bang – Rock Mafia
5. Tightrope – Janelle Monáe feat. Big Boi
6. Far Away – Yebba feat. A$AP Rocky
7. The Barrel – Aldous Harding
8. Hate Street Dialogue – The Avener feat. Rodriguez
9. You’re The One That I Want – Pauline Croze
10. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free – Nina Simone (Never a year without Nina!)

Michelle Martinis – head of marketing, home owner, personal bank marketing, NAB

1. Chateau – Angus and Julia Stone
2. Sailing – Christopher Cross
3. Open Season – High Highs
4. Perfect Symphony – Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli
5. Return of the Mack – Mark Morrison
6. Never Too Much – Gold Rush
7. Dancing in the Moonlight
8. Don’t Start Now – Dua Lipa
9. American Dream Afterlife
10. You Make My Dreams Come True – Hall and Oats

“Spotify Wrapped is one on the year’s most anticipated events among my family, friends and I, and it seems most of the global population these days as it has entered culture, capturing the zeitgeist of the moment. It’s the soundtrack to the year – the highs, the lows and everything in between, igniting memories, emotions, laughter and joy, plus the ‘surprise and delight’ of seeing how Spotify has wrapped up the year – just for you in the most unexpected ways. Personalisation at its finest. I still can’t believe the inclusion of a personal video message from my favourite artist… pure personalisation genius. A marketer’s nirvana.”

Greg Kearney – Executive manager, media (marketing), Suncorp

1. 93 ‘Til Infinity- Souls of Mischief
2. Work – Gangstarr
3. Spicy – Nas
4. Turn Me Up – KAHUKX
5. Award Tour – Tribe Called Quest
6. Red Eyes – The War on Drugs
7. Weekends – Black Eyed Peas
8. Nothing to Something – KAHUKX
9. Ghost – Josiah and the Bonnevilles
10. Runnin’m – The Pharcyde

“Spotify Wrapped is a bit like wandering into a Finnish sauna. You might be there for a nice relaxing time, but every weirdo you’ve ever connected with on social media is sitting there with you. To be honest, I’ve only fully migrated to Spotify earlier this year so this is my first legitimate Wrapped. The fact that I have a few hardcore Swifties in my household meant I was rather petrified about broadly sharing this information.”

Sam Geer – National managing director, Initiative Australia

1. Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
2. Paint the town red – Doja Cat
3. What was I made for – Billie Eilish
4. Calm Down – Rema ft Selena Gomez
5. Sorry, not sorry – Tyler the creator
6. Unholy – Sam Smith and Kim Petras
7. Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift
8. Sprinter – Central Cee and Dave
9. Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
10. Flowers – Miley Cyrus

Jasmin Bedir – CEO, Innocean

1. Genesis Owosu – Sideways
2. Take you on a Cruise – Interpol
3. Mad as they Come – Cambio Sun
4. Smashing Pumpkins – Mayonnaise
5. The National – Mistaken for Strangers
6. Bakar – Right here
7. Badbadnotgood/ghostfacekillah – Sour Soul
8. Radiohead – Hearing Damage
9. Grizzly Bear – Morning Sound
10. Lana del Rey – A&W

“I’m the person that listens to music everywhere I go. Music is life and I do all of my writing and thinking to a soundtrack. This has never been any different, and the first thing I do when I make a coffee in the morning is to switch music on in my house. Different genres for different moods of course.”

Dylan Stewart – Director of marketing & sales, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

1. Green Green Grass – George Ezra
2. Zombie – The Cranberries
3. E.T. – Katy Perry
4. Mockingbird – Eminem
5. Open, Shut Them – The Wiggles
6. I’m Still Standing – Elton John
7. Hello – Adele
8. Stick Season – Noah Kahan
9. Teenage Renegade – Robinson
10. Star Walkin – Lil Nas X

“Music is constantly swirling through my world. And while the likes of Mahler, Strauss and Mozart are where my ears land during work hours, and my weekend chores are soundtracked by locals like Quivers, Watty Thompson and Private Function, my Spotify account is inevitably hijacked by my three kids. Despite the repetition of The Wiggles and George Ezra (including for some reason a ‘sped up’ version where he sounds like a chipmunk?), sharing music with my children has been one of the joys of 2023. Might try to add a little extra Shostakovich next year though!”

Stephanie Gold – Group digital marketing manager, Blackmores

1. Danielle (Smile on my face) – Fred Again
2. Heated – Beyonce
3. Rhyme Dust – Dom Dolla
4. Tití Me Preguntó – Bad Bunny
5. Turn on the Light – Fred again
6. Where She Goes – Bad Bunny
7. Try Me – Jorja Smith
8. Players – Coi Leray
9. Captain Hook – Megan Thee Stallion
10. Red Ruby da Sleeze – Nicki Minaj

“Blackmores had another incredible year of partnership with Spotify, but on a personal level, I was so excited to reflect on the music that moved me in 2023. My top artists were Beyonce, Bad Bunny, Kylie, Fred again and Cardi B – I loved the new music these artists put out in 2023 and Beyonce touring (and us all wishing we were there) flooded my feed. My top Podcast was Inspired Unemployed, I had notifications on for each episode so I could binge it on the spot each week! My top songs were a mix of dance, rap and R&B, mostly 2023 releases with a few fun throwbacks from Megan Thee Stallion, Beyonce and Bad Bunny.”

Hayden Abercrombie – Marketing and innovation director, Diageo

1. If You’re Happy And You Know It – The Wiggles
2. Rock – A – Bye Your Bear – The Wiggles
3. Can You (Point Your Fingers And Do The Twist) – The Wiggles
4. Do The Propeller – The Wiggles
5. Michael Finnegan – The Wiggles
6. Poo Bum Poo Bum – Poopy Man
7. (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding
8. It’s Time – Bobby Alu
9. Hot Potato – The Wiggles
10. Dreams – Fleetwood Mac

“Epic feature from an epic app when you don’t have young kids (see Top 10) and a fab way to review the year in tunes and recall some fond (or otherwise) memories associated with said tunes. Always an air of anticipation prior to the launch and plenty of golden nuggets to be rediscovered. Absolutely love it! God knows how that algorithm is so damn clever!”

Robert Aoukar – Senior media specialist, Telstra

1. You Were Right – Rufus
2. Numb / Encore – JAY-Z & Linkin Park
3. I Don’t Know What To Do – The Magician & Jeppe
4. In My Mind – Dynoro & Gigi D’Agostino
5. Renaissance (The White Lotus) – Tiesto & Cristobal Tapia De Veer
6. Whatever It Takes – Imagine Dragons
7. Tell Me Why – Supermode, Axwell, Steve Angello
8. Right Here Right Now; – Fatboy Slim
9. Lights & Music – Cut Copy
10. Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs

“What an exciting time of the year when Wrapped drops! I always enjoy looking back on the tunes that shaped the year and judging my listening habits. It’s often that I’ve listened to my favourite playlists a few too many times. Poor DJ X has been doing his AI-best to expand my palette, perhaps a goal to work on for my 2024 Spotify Wrapped…”

Got a tip?

Lauren McNamara

Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.

Linkedin

topics marketers Marketing Spotify Spotify Wrapped

Share Tweet Share

Comments: 2 Add Comment

Matteo Resta 1 Dec 23

Thank you @hayden.abercrobie for making me feel less lonely #thewiggles

Reply

D 4 Dec 23

I reckon David Griffiths knows his way around a rave!

Reply

User ID not verified.

---

Have your say

Login with:

Continue with LinkedIn

or

Comment anonymously

Your comment will be marked as unverified

Name

Comment

Δ