Nature's Best

Nature's Best is a series of three compilation albums of popular New Zealand Music songs, first released in 2002. The albums featured the Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time as voted by members and guest judges of the Australasian Performing Right Association.

A box set of all three albums was released in November 2005.

Background

The genesis of the idea was the 75th anniversary of the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) in New Zealand in 2001 and the selection of the top 100 New Zealand songs of the past 75 years. A list of over 900 candidate songs was prepared, and voting was open to APRA members and an invited academy.

The list of the top 100 songs was announced in stages in 2001, with the number one place going to the 1969 song "Nature" by Fourmyula.

Following the creation of the APRA Top 100 New Zealand song, a collaborative effort by representatives of major record companies and APRA – most notably Mike Chunn – took place to produce an album of the top 30 songs from this selection, titled Nature's Best, released in January 2002, and followed up with Nature's Best 2 in October 2002, and Nature's Best 3 in May 2003.

Nature's Best

Nature's Best
Compilation album
Released14 January 2002
Length115:56
LabelSony Music New Zealand

Nature's Best: New Zealand's Top 30 Songs of All Time was released on 14 January 2002 on the Sony Music label. The album was named after its title track, the 1969 The Fourmyula song "Nature", which had been voted number one in APRA's list of Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time.

The album enjoyed great commercial success, going 8x platinum. The album sold over 100,000 copies in its first four months, and eventually sold over 150,000 copies by its twentieth anniversary.

The album spent 11 weeks at number one on the RIANZ Official Aotearoa Music Charts.

Nature's Best was re-released as part of a Nature's Best Box Set on 29 November 2005.

Track listing

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist and yearLength
1."Nature"Wayne MasonThe Fourmyula (1969)2:53
2."Don't Dream It's Over"Neil FinnCrowded House (1986)3:55
3."Loyal"Dave DobbynDave Dobbyn (1988)4:38
4."Counting the Beat"
The Swingers (1981)2:59
5."Six Months in a Leaky Boat"Tim FinnSplit Enz (1982)4:21
6."Sway"Bic RungaBic Runga (1997)4:24
7."Slice of Heaven"DobbynDave Dobbyn and Herbs (1986)4:38
8."Victoria"Jordan LuckThe Dance Exponents (1982)3:29
9."She Speeds"
Straitjacket Fits (1987)4:10
10."April Sun in Cuba"
Dragon (1977)3:29
11."I Got You"N. FinnSplit Enz (1980)3:30
12."Whaling"
  • Dobbyn
  • DD Smash
DD Smash (1984)3:46
13."Not Given Lightly"Chris KnoxChris Knox (1989)5:07
14."Pink Frost"Martin PhillippsThe Chills (1984)4:01
15."Jesus I Was Evil"Darcy ClayDarcy Clay (1997)2:52
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist and yearLength
1."Weather with You"
  • N. Finn
  • T. Finn
Crowded House (1991)3:43
2."Blue Smoke"Ruru KaraitianaPixie Williams and the Ruru Karaitiana Quartet (1949)3:00
3."Dance All Around the World"
Blerta (1972)3:42
4."Lydia"Julia DeansFur Patrol (2000)4:16
5."Blue Lady"Graham BrazierHello Sailor (1977)4:05
6."Drive"RungaBic Runga (1997)3:00
7."Chains"
DLT featuring Che Fu (1996)3:36
8."Dominion Road"Don McGlashanThe Mutton Birds (1992)3:56
9."(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy"Shona LaingShona Laing (1987)3:15
10."I Hope I Never"T. FinnSplit Enz (1980)4:34
11."Tears"
The Crocodiles (1980)3:59
12."Be Mine Tonight"
Th' Dudes (1979)6:03
13."I See Red"T. FinnSplit Enz (1979)3:17
14."Beside You"DobbynDave Dobbyn (1998)3:43
15."Home Again"
Shihad (1996)3:35

Nature's Best 2

Nature's Best 2
Compilation album
Released4 October 2002
Length140:21
LabelSony Music New Zealand

Nature's Best 2: More of New Zealand's Top Songs of All-Time is a two-disc compilation album of 35 popular New Zealand music songs, first released on 4 October 2002.

The album featured songs numbered 31–65 on the APRA 75th Anniversary Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time.

The album spent four weeks at number one on the RIANZ Official Aotearoa Music Charts, and album sales were certified 4x platinum.

Nature's Best 2 was re-released as part of a Nature's Best Box Set on 29 November 2005.

Track listing

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist and yearLength
1."Outlook for Thursday"
DD Smash (1983)4:05
2."Down in Splendour"Andrew BroughStraitjacket Fits (1990)3:38
3."Better Be Home Soon"Neil FinnCrowded House (1988)3:09
4."How Bizarre"
OMC (1995)3:47
5."Language"DobbynDave Dobbyn (1994)3:29
6."Message to My Girl"N. FinnSplit Enz (1983)4:01
7."Poi E"
Pātea Māori Club (1983)3:52
8."Stuff and Nonsense"Tim FinnSplit Enz (1979)4:19
9."Venus"James ReidThe Feelers (1998)4:51
10."System Virtue"Emma PakiEmma Paki (1993)4:41
11."Fraction Too Much Friction"T. FinnTim Finn (1983)4:14
12."French Letter"
  • Toni Fonoti
  • Spencer Fusimalohi
  • Dilworth Karaka
Herbs (1982)3:41
13."Maxine"Sharon O'NeillSharon O'Neill (1983)4:35
14."Out on the Street"Alastair RiddellSpace Waltz (1974)3:16
15."Slippin' Away"Max MerrittMax Merritt and the Meteors (1975)5:28
16."Violent"Boh RungaStellar* (1999)3:30
17."Why Does Love Do This to Me?"Jordan LuckThe Exponents (1992)3:26
18."1905"Shona LaingShona Laing (1972)2:58
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist and yearLength
1."Anchor Me"Don McGlashanThe Mutton Birds (1994)4:30
2."Bliss"
Th' Dudes (1980)4:59
3."For Today"
  • Nick Sampson
  • Malcolm Black
Netherworld Dancing Toys (1984)5:31
4."Screems From Da Old Plantation"
  • Bill Urale
  • Kas Futialo
King Kapisi (2000)4:44
5."Cheryl Moana Marie"
  • John Rowles
John Rowles (1969)3:02
6."Blue Day"
  • Murray Burns
  • Colin Bayley
Mi-Sex (1983)4:15
7."Glorafilia"
  • Ben Campbell
  • Nathan King
  • Adrian Palmer
Zed (1999)3:21
8."Good Morning Mr Rock 'N' Roll"Tommy AdderleyHeadband (1971)2:46
9."History Never Repeats"N. FinnSplit Enz (1981)2:58
10."In the Neighbourhood"
  • Jansson
  • Hassanah Orogbu
  • Brenda Makaoeafi
Sisters Underground (1994)3:35
11."Julia"Geoff ChunnCitizen Band (1978)5:37
12."Pacifier"
Shihad (1999)4:03
13."Let's Think of Something"Roger SkinnerLarry's Rebels (1967)3:37
14."Bursting Through"Bic RungaBic Runga (1996)3:43
15."Liberty"Greg JohnsonGreg Johnson (1997)3:30
16."Sweet Disorder"
  • Paul Casserly
  • Mark Tierney
  • Anthony Ioasa
Strawpeople (1994)4:11
17."Asian Paradise"O'NeillSharon O'Neill (1980)5:04

Nature's Best 3

Nature's Best 3
Compilation album
Released12 May 2003
Length138:31
LabelSony Music New Zealand

Nature's Best 3: Completing the Top 100 NZ Songs of All-Time is a two-disc compilation album of 35 popular New Zealand music songs, released on 12 May 2003.

The album featured the songs numbered 66-100 on the APRA 75th Anniversary Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time.

The album peaked at number five on the RIANZ Official Aotearoa Music Charts, and album sales were certified platinum.

Nature's Best 3 was re-released as part of a Nature's Best Box Set on 29 November 2005.

Track listing

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist and yearLength
1."Don't Fight It Marsha, It's Bigger Than the Both of Us"Don McGlashanBlam Blam Blam (1981)4:44
2."Gutter Black"Dave McArtneyHello Sailor (1977)2:55
3."Long Ago"
  • Tama Lundon
  • Willie Hona
Herbs (1984)4:20
4."There Is No Depression in New Zealand"
  • McGlashan
  • Richard von Sturmer
Blam Blam Blam (1981)3:19
5."You Oughta Be in Love"Dave DobbynDave Dobbyn featuring Ardijah (1986)3:41
6."Andrew"
Fur Patrol (2000)3:47
7."Billy Bold"Graham BrazierGraham Brazier (1981)3:06
8."Distant Sun"Neil FinnCrowded House (1993)3:50
9."Suddenly Strange"Bic RungaBic Runga (1997)4:16
10."Forever Tuesday Morning"
The Mockers (1984)3:43
11."Cruise Control"
  • Chris Matthews
  • Michael Lawry
Headless Chickens (1991)4:33
12."Pressure Man"
  • James Reid
  • Matt Thomas
  • Hamish Gee
The Feelers (1998)4:32
13."Private Universe"N. FinnCrowded House (1993)5:37
14."Room That Echoes"Neville HallPeking Man (1985)3:48
15."Sensitive to a Smile"
  • Todd Casella
  • Dilworth Karaka
  • Charlie Tumahai
Herbs (1987)4:30
16."E Ipo"
Prince Tui Teka (1982)3:47
17."Andy"
The Front Lawn (1987)4:35
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist and yearLength
1."Bitter"
Shihad (1995)4:12
2."Four Seasons in One Day"
Crowded House (1991)2:47
3."Heavenly Pop Hit"Martin PhillippsThe Chills (1990)3:28
4."Husband House"Matthew BannisterSneaky Feelings (1985)4:14
5."Jumping Out a Window"
Pop Mechanix (1981)3:18
6."If I Were You"
Straitjacket Fits (1993)3:58
7."I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue)"Jordan LuckThe Dance Exponents (1983)2:49
8."Maybe"Sharon O'NeillSharon O'Neill (1981)3:30
9."One Day Ahead"
  • Sean Sturm
  • Luke Casey
  • Michael Scott
  • Grant Winterburn
Eye TV (2000)6:48
10."Renegade Fighter"
  • Ben Campbell
  • Nathan King
Zed (2000)3:22
11."Part of Me"Boh RungaStellar* (1999)4:00
12."Sierra Leone"Andrew McLennanCoconut Rough (1983)3:38
13."Words"O'NeillSharon O'Neill (1979)3:15
14."Spellbound"
Split Enz (1975)4:35
15."Rust in My Car"Geoff ChunnCitizen Band (1979)3:50
16."Mercy of Love"Shona LaingShona Laing (1992)3:38
17."Can't Get Enough"
  • Joseph Fisher
  • Karl Steven
Supergroove (1994)3:20
18."Naked Flame"DobbynDave Dobbyn (1994)4:46

Follow-ups

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Wayne Mason and the song 'Nature'", New Zealand History online
  2. 1 2 Hyde, Chris (16 February 2022), "NZ's top songs of all time: Call to refresh Nature's Best, the CD that got a nation arguing", Stuff, retrieved 4 September 2026
  3. ↑ Nick Smith (8 April 2006). "Mike Chunn - Musician, promoter". The Listener (3439).
  4. ↑ Chunn, Mike (3 November 2001). "Our top song - but vote kept a secret". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  5. ↑ Baille, Russell (16 January 2002). "Various: Nature's Best: New Zealand's Top 30 Songs of All Time". NZ Herald. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts, 1966-2006. Maurienne House. ISBN 9781877443008.
  7. ↑ "...the APRA-initiated 'Nature's Best Vol 1' which shifted well over 100,000 copies..." Archived 2012-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, nzmusician.co.nz, 2008
  8. ↑ Braae, Nick (2018). "Musical Anti-Virtuosity in New Zealand's Nature's Best". Popular Music and Society. 41 (2): 176–193. doi:10.1080/03007766.2016.1243981. Retrieved 21 August 2026.