Part 2 of our 2-part Countdown feature. Read Part 1
Revisiting Australia's landmark music television program Countdown half a century after it began, we spotlight rarely-seen moments from the golden era of 1970s music television.
The national impact: For a generation of Australian youth, Countdown, ABC TV's weekly hour of music television, was essential viewing. Dominating the music industry for more than a decade, the show was broadcast nationwide each Sunday night at 6pm. Led by host and talent coordinator Ian 'Molly' Meldrum, each episode offered a mix of in-studio performances, video clips and interviews, closing with the national Top 10 countdown. Countdown made countless artists popular in Australia, attracting a massive youth audience to the ABC – a fact not missed by rival networks eager to capture a piece of its viewership.
The strength of Countdown was phenomenal because it went to every country town, to every small place… so on Sunday night, music took over the family home.
The groundwork laid: When Happening 72 host Jeff Phillips signed off for the last time in November 1972, Australia was left without a national pop music television show, leaving a gap in the music landscape. In the final moments of Happening 72, Ian Meldrum, a regular on the show, was humorously placed in a coffin – a playful close to the series that belied his future role as a music icon. A Kommotion mimer, music journalist and record producer, Meldrum had long championed the need for a national primetime music show. This never-aired pilot, Meldrum (1972), produced by filmmaker Peter Lamb, offered a taste of what Countdown would become.
Excerpt from pilot episode of Meldrum, 1971. Courtesy: Peter Lamb. NFSA title: 1145555
The transition years: Despite Meldrum's push, the call for a primetime music show initially went unheeded, and the Australian pop music scene continued to struggle. Meldrum stayed connected to television through Do It, a six-days-a-week children's variety show on HSV7 Melbourne, which he joined in 1974 alongside co-host Ian Buckland. When not under the desk operating the 'Molly the Monster' puppet, Meldrum promoted local acts and secured some memorable TV appearances, including an early spot for Skyhooks and a studio visit from Elton John. With his growing contacts book and industry knowledge, Meldrum was primed for a more influential role.
In this newly uncovered clip from the debut episode of Do It, Meldrum interviews Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and other members of Faces backstage at Melbourne's Festival Hall.
Ian 'Molly' Meldrum interviews Rod Stewart and the band Faces for the TV show Do It, 1974. Courtesy: Seven Network. NFSA title: 1778276
By the end of 1974, Meldrum's role was about to transform. No longer behind a puppet, he was set to become the talent coordinator for ABC's Countdown – the national broadcaster's most serious attempt to capture Australia's booming youth audience.
The early broadcasts: Countdown became Australia's first serious attempt at a national Top 40 music television show. Originally given the working title Six O'Clock Still Rocks – a nod to Johnny O'Keefe's lively ABC rock'n'roll show 15 years earlier – Countdown debuted on 8 November 1974 during the final months of black-and-white TV broadcasting. Initially hosted by a rotating cast of commercial radio DJs, the energetic new show thrived through its initial eight episodes, prompting a renewal in the new year. The show's ninth episode, hosted by John Farnham, aired two minutes after midnight on 1 March 1975, becoming ABC TV's opening program to be officially broadcast in colour.
The colour debut: With Ian Meldrum now acting as both talent coordinator and informal host, Countdown quickly moved to its iconic Sunday 6 pm slot. The timing was ideal – colour TV had arrived, and a new generation of music stars adorned in satin, tartan and elaborate make-up were ready to stand out. ABC's reach to '185 stations across Australia' meant that Countdown artists gained nationwide recognition.
For the next 13 years, a large proportion of the nation's youth would tune in each Sunday to see which artists were climbing – or sliding down – the charts. Digitised through the NFSA's audiotape preservation efforts, this radio promo for a March 1975 episode captures Countdown's early high-energy promotional style. Unlike the familiar Brian May-composed theme, this spot uses a 1970 English rock library track. The actual episode it promoted (Episode 12) is now believed lost.
Radio promotion for ABC TV's Countdown, March 1975. NFSA title: 530431
The live format: Countdown was recorded live every Saturday afternoon at ABC TV’s Ripponlea studios in Melbourne, establishing itself as a catalyst for countless artists and music careers. A distinct feature was its guest hosting tradition, with local and visiting acts introducing the show. This approach, combined with regular performances, made Countdown a launchpad for John Paul Young, Skyhooks, Christie Allen, Hush, Marcia Hines, TMG (Ted Mulry Gang), AC/DC and many others.
Singer-songwriter Wendy Stapleton recalls a particularly memorable hosting experience with Alex Smith (Moving Pictures) and Mark Edwards (the Runners). When a knock on her dressing room door revealed that Molly Meldrum’s flight back to Australia had been delayed, Stapleton was unexpectedly thrust into the hosting role. 'I was too embarrassed to say that I was as blind as a bat without my glasses, so I couldn’t read the cue cards,' she says. 'I just mumbled my way through – but it probably wasn’t any worse than what Molly would have done!'
In this rare clip from Countdown episode 212 (transmitted 23 September 1979), Stapleton delivers a live vocal for ‘Heart of Stone,’ her first single for Mushroom Records and a Rolling Stones cover. The video effects showcase the imaginative techniques used by Countdown’s production crew to make every performance visually engaging. Reflecting on her Countdown days, Stapleton adds, 'I think I appeared maybe six times – it was always a good experience and given the show’s popularity, you would never turn it down.'
Wendy Stapleton performs 'Heart Of Stone' on ABC's Countdown, 23 September 1979. NFSA title: 1525697
Countdown is the most influential factor in the pop business. If you don’t have a clip, you are nowhere.
The visual shift: Countdown played a key role in popularising promotional film clips and music videos, giving overseas acts a powerful new way to break into the Australian market. According to The Rolling Stone Book of Rock Video, Australia was 'the first country to develop a high degree of rock-video consciousness', with Countdown leading the charge.
Among the artists who benefited from Countdown’s embrace of promotional film clips were Pilot (‘January’), Roger Voudouris (‘Get Used to It’), Plastic Bertrand (‘Ça Plane Pour Moi’), Pussyfoot (‘The Way You Do It’), Peter Allen (‘I Go to Rio’) and Madonna (‘Holiday’). But perhaps most memorably, Countdown helped launch ‘ABBA-mania’ in Australia when Meldrum aired Lasse Hallström’s promotional film for ABBA’s ‘Mamma Mia’ repeatedly. The song quickly topped the Australian charts and cemented ABBA’s status with local audiences.
'If you don’t have a clip, you are nowhere,' Johnny O’Keefe perceptively observed in 1977, highlighting the growing importance of film clips. Still, not every video shown on Countdown became a hit. Livingstone Vale’s promotional film clip for ‘Moongirl’ only aired once (20 April 1975) despite heavy rotation on Sydney’s Sound Unlimited. Digitised from the original 16mm reel, this rarely-seen video ranks among the most obscure Australian promotional films of the time.
Promotional film clip for 'Moongirl' by Livingstone Vale, 1974. Courtesy: Richard Bradley. NFSA title: 7372
The Blondie breakthrough: Countdown was instrumental in giving Blondie their first international breakthrough. Meldrum, a fan, saw the band live in New York in 1977 and received videos of their first two singles. Recognising its potential, he aired ‘In the Flesh’ across six episodes, noting its more commercial appeal over the debut single, ‘X Offender'. The song quickly shot up the Australian charts, peaking at No. 2 and launching Blondie internationally.
The tour effect: Blondie’s success on Countdown led to Deborah Harry’s first Australian promotional tour. In this rarely-seen clip from Nightmoves, host Lee Simon interviews Harry about Blondie’s upcoming visit.
Lee Simon interviews Deborah Harry from Blondie for Nightmoves, 1977. Courtesy: Mushroom Music and Seven Network. NFSA title: 744548
The archival challenge: While Australia’s long-running dramas, such as Homicide (1964–75), Prisoner (1979–86) and The Sullivans (1977–85), have complete episode archives, pop music shows like Countdown enjoyed far less consistent preservation. Often low-budget and considered lightweight, pop music TV shows worldwide have frequently had their master tapes erased or discarded. Countdown, despite its influence, was no exception.
Of Countdown’s 563 episodes, more than 180 from its first six years remain missing. While ABC archives retain excellent records for episodes produced from 1980 to 1987, the early years are still incomplete. Occasionally, serendipitous discoveries yield a treasure trove of content.
The rare find: In August 2022, the NFSA uncovered a major find while digitising a batch of ½” open reel videotapes. Within a 1976 Swinburne Institute of Technology student documentary were found two live performances from a missing Countdown episode (episode 77 transmitted 5 September 1976): Ted Mulry Gang’s ‘It’s All Over Now’ and John Paul Young and the All Stars’ ‘Keep On Smiling’.
Unseen since 1976, this footage provides a rare glimpse into Countdown’s early days. While the low-quality black-and-white reproduction reflects the limits of the original Portapak format, these precious rediscovered moments, reflecting the genuine excitement evident in early Countdown episodes, cast a spotlight on local teenage music tastes of the time.
The Ted Mulry Gang and John Paul Young performing on Countdown, 5 September 1976. NFSA title: 36749
The evolving format: In the 1980s, Countdown began moving away from the high-energy, in-studio performances that defined its earlier years as music videos grew central to the industry. With Meldrum’s extensive contacts, international guests continued to appear, from Tina Turner to Duran Duran. Yet by 1987, music videos had shifted the demand for live performances on TV.
The final broadcast: Countdown’s final episode, the Countdown Music Video Awards, aired on 19 July 1987 as an extended 90-minute special. The broadcast mixed lip-synced and live performances, ending the show’s 13-year run. In the finale, Meldrum removed his hat to reveal a shaved head, a wink to his hidden appearance and a jab at Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett for the band’s refusal to appear on the show.
In a rare acknowledgement of Countdown’s cultural impact by a rival commercial network, the Nine Network's Willesee program aired a warm tribute to the show’s legacy, hosted by Jana Wendt the night after the finale. In this sequence, we see a clearly reflective Ian Meldrum, proud of the show’s achievements but also hesitant to talk up his own role and personal accomplishments.
Profile of Ian 'Molly' Meldrum on Willesee, 1987. NFSA title: 1498333
The surprise return: After Countdown ended, Meldrum joined Hey Hey It’s Saturday in 1988, where ‘Molly’s Melodrama’ became a Saturday night staple, bringing music’s biggest names to new audiences. For more than a decade, the segment cemented Meldrum’s place in Australian pop culture.
The enduring legacy: In 2012, Meldrum entered the TV Week Logie Hall of Fame, and in 2014, Countdown and Meldrum were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Today, Countdown’s legacy lives on through tribute concerts, documentaries and a 2024 commemorative coin, underscoring its place as Australia’s defining music television landmark.
Think you might hold some rare music television footage?
With thanks to Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Richard Bradley, Paul Drane, Fremantle Australia, Milton Hammon, Jeff Jenkins, Chris Keating, Peter Lamb, Mushroom Music, Network Ten, Nine Network, Grant Rule, Seven Network, Swinburne University of Technology, Wendy Stapleton and Transmedia for their assistance.
All Countdown footage and stills unless otherwise noted: Copyright/Courtesy: ABC
This is Part 2 of our 2-part feature marking 50 years of Countdown. Read Part 1: 13 surprising facts about Countdown
C Marks and R Tennebaum, I Want My MTV, New York: Dutton, 2011.
I Meldrum and J Jenkins, The Never, Um, Ever Ending Story: Life, Countdown and Everything in Between, Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin, 2014.
M Shore, The Rolling Stone Book of Rock Video, London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985.
P Wilmoth, Glad All Over: The Countdown Years 1974–1987, South Yarra: McPhee Gribble, 1993.
ABC Countdown episode guide (unpublished)
Countdown: 20 Years Ago Today (TVTV Special, 1994), NFSA title: 655942
Various newspapers, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Sun-Herald
Main image: Teenagers in the audience at ABC Studios for the taping of an episode of Countdown featuring the Bay City Rollers, 1975. Courtesy: ARN Media Group. NFSA title: 503318
To celebrate 50 years of Countdown, we’ve rounded up 13 surprising facts that define the show’s singular alchemy.
You can now view the closing minutes of the final episode of Happening '72, featuring John Farnham, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum and more.
Enjoy rare television clips of The Bee Gees, Johnny O'Keefe and Frank Thring.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.
