Song · Spiderbait
“Calypso” by Spiderbait
From the album Ivy and the Big Apples (1996)
“Calypso” by Spiderbait appears on 2 radio countdowns from 1 station between 1997 and 2025. It was first released in 1996 on the album Ivy and the Big Apples. Its best result is #23 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 1997. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #182 alternative song of 1997.
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Video from YouTube (SpiderbaitVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Calypso" was the third single Spiderbait pulled from Ivy and the Big Apples, their third album, arriving in April 1997 on a CD single that tacked "and Other Tunes for Lovers" onto the title. Janet English, Kram and Damian Whitty wrote it together, and Phil McKellar produced it with the band and engineered.
It's a pure sugar rush: Junkee later heard the verse riff as "Blitzkrieg Bop" given a J Mascis makeover, with English's shape-shifting vocal lifting the whole thing into joy. It reached 13 on the ARIA singles chart and earned a Best Video nomination at the 1997 ARIA Music Awards, and it has lasted, too: in 2025 it came in at 95 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 23 | Triple J Australia (national) | Triple J Hottest 100 of 1997 | 100 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 95 | Triple J | Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs (2025) | 100 |
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