ABC Classic’s fiftieth anniversary gives this year’s Classic 100 added resonance, celebrating not only great music but a shared cultural ritual that brings Australians together through listening.

This year’s ABC Classic 100 feels particularly special.

As ABC Classic celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, the annual countdown is no longer simply a poll. It is part of the cultural history of Australia itself. For half a century the station has accompanied people through mornings and evenings, celebrations and losses, long drives, quiet studies, hospital rooms, kitchens and gardens. It has introduced generations of Australians to music stretching across centuries and continents.

Then, each year, comes the great long-weekend ritual.

The voting closes. The anticipation builds. On Saturday morning the countdown begins. Across Australia, listeners tune in to hear the people’s choices unfold one by one. Some listen for an hour, some for a day, and some for the entire weekend. There are surprises, debates, discoveries and moments of recognition. The countdown........

© Pearls and Irritations