Artist · chart history
Bernard Fanning
Solo artist Brisbane Australia
Bernard Fanning is an artist from Brisbane. Bernard Fanning has 3 chart appearances on 2 radio countdowns from 1 station on RockLists, spanning 2005–2025. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Wish You Well”, which appears on 2 lists and was voted number one once. In total the artist has topped 1 countdown. The station that charted Bernard Fanning most often is Triple J (Australia (national)), with 3 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 2005.
Tea & Sympathy, released in 2005, was Bernard Fanning's first record away from Powderfinger, the Queensland alt-rock band he had fronted since they formed in 1989, and it traded the big guitars for something warmer and more worn-in: blues and acoustic folk, with Fanning on guitar, piano and harmonica. "Wish You Well" is its sunniest moment, a rollicking, sunny sing-along, while "Songbird" shows the gentler, porch-light side of his voice.
Born in 1969 and raised in Toowong, Brisbane, Fanning had piano lessons from his mother as a kid and started writing songs at 15 at St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace. He was studying at the University of Queensland when he met Ian Haug in an economics class, and soon he was the singer in Haug's new band with John Collins and Steven Bishop. With Jon Coghill and Darren Middleton coming aboard later, Powderfinger put out five studio albums in fifteen years and became a mainstream force in Australia.
The solo album came during the band's 2005 hiatus. Powderfinger regrouped in 2007 for two more records before calling it quits in late 2010. Off the stage, Fanning has spoken out against Australian politicians, given plenty of time to philanthropic causes and campaigned for Aboriginal justice.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs by Bernard Fanning on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wish You Well | 2 | #1 | 1 | 2005 | |
| 2 | Songbird | 1 | #14 | – | 2005 |
Albums with charting songs
Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.
Featured on
Songs by other artists credited with Bernard Fanning as a guest.
Every countdown appearance
| Year | # | Song | Countdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57 | Wish You Well | Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs (2025) |
| 2005 | 1 | Wish You Well | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2005 |
| 2005 | 14 | Songbird | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2005 |
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