The Wiggles

Children’s music has historically been the domain of dancing puppets and kindly, circle-time folksingers—that is, until The Wiggles came along in the early ‘90s to liven up the party. The band come by their rock ‘n’ roll energy honestly: Founding members Anthony Field and Jeff Fatt cut their teeth with ‘80s Aussie pub-rock favourites The Cockroaches, and their mates Murray Cook and Greg Page were products of the same scene. But their transition into an exuberant kid-friendly collective was precipitated by tragedy—after his infant niece died from SIDS, Field was inspired to combine his love of ’50s rhythm ‘n’ blues with his studies in early-childhood education. For The Wiggles, there wasn’t that much difference between playing for Teddy boys and singing about teddy bears. After all, vintage rock ‘n’ roll boasts the same sort of participatory calls to action as children’s music, and some of The Wiggles’ early standards (like the body-movin’ directive “Get Ready to Wiggle” and the food-themed sing-along “Hot Potato”) were actually child-proofed versions of Cockroaches songs. Thanks to their engaging live shows—which expanded to include colour-coded uniforms, dancing, and animal mascots—and ceaseless stream of albums, The Wiggles gradually transitioned from being a DIY outfit playing Australian shopping malls to a multimedia juggernaut selling out arenas around the world. At this point, the brand is bigger than the players who built it: After his fellow original members hung up their headset mics, Field introduced a revamped lineup in 2013 to ensure future generations are schooled in the fine art of the wiggle.