The 10 Best Savage Garden Songs of All-Time

From 1993 until 2001, the Australian pop duo Savage Garden, rocked the worldwide audience with their catchy classics that have become some of the most beloved hits of all time among many of their fans. Darren Hayes and Dustin Jones officially got their start in 1993 out of Brisbane, Queensland after Hayes was the only applicant who offered to join Jones’ band as the lead vocalist. At the time, it was Dustin Jones, his brothers, and Darren Hayes as Red Edge. However, Jones and Hayes left the group in 1994 as a duo, first forming Crush, but later renamed themselves to Savage Garden after learning of a phrase from Ann Rice’s novel series, The Vampire Chronicles.

Savage Garden Discography

From 1993 until 2001, as Savage Garden, the duo received tremendous success as recording artists, and on tour. When Hayes talked about performing as a solo artist, speculation had it the band would break up. When the world tour after the duo’s second studio album was completed, Hayes and Jones went their separate ways.

In an interview, Hayes explained Jones was uncomfortable with all the fame and attention the duo had been receiving, which played a factor in Hayes considering a recording career as a solo artist. Although Savage Garden only released two studio albums, both of them became hugely successful.

The self-titled debut album became a multi-platinum certified phenomenon, earning seven times platinum with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), thirteen times with the Australia Recording Industry Association (AR(A)​, and three times with the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). With Music Canada, (Savage Garden) became diamond and it was gold-certified with Germany’s Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). The second studio album, (Affirmation), became three-time platinum with USA’s RIAA and the UK’s BPI, eight-time platinum with Australia’s ARIA, and double platinum with Music Canada.

It also earned gold certification with Germany’s BVMI. There were also six compilation albums to Savage Garden’s credit, as well as fourteen singles. Among the majority of the singles that made chart appearances, they also became at least gold-certified hits, mainly between the music industries belonging to Australia, the UK, and the USA.

10. Universe

In 1996, Savage Garden’s self-titled debut album came out with seven singles where six of which became charted hits. (Universe) was one of them, which charted at number twenty-five on the Recorded Music New Zealand chart and at number twenty-six on Australia’s ARIA chart. This single was released exclusively to these nations only, which is why it never appeared on any of the US Billboard charts, nor any other national-level music charts elsewhere. It was the final single from the album to be released, which was the most added song to radio stations within its first week. Although not a chart-topper, it is still a crowd-pleaser.

9. Hold Me

The sixth released single from Savage Garden’s second studio album, Affirmation, was (Hold Me). In the year 2000, it charted as high as number fourteen on New Zealand’s singles chart, as well as a number sixteen hit on the UK Singles Chart. In Canada, Hold Me charted as high as number forty-two and in Australia, at number fifty-four.

8. Break Me Shake Me

In 1997, Savage Garden’s debut album, (Break Me Shake Me) became the fourth hit single for the duo that not only realized chart success but an official certification from Australia’s ARIA. The single became certified gold after it already established itself as a number seven hit on the ARIA singles chart. In Canada, Break Me Shake Me was a number twenty-three hit. Although the single didn’t appear on any US Billboard charts at the time it came out, the song’s popularity still had its presence felt among dance clubs across the nation, as well as the hearts of the duo’s music fans.

7. Affirmation

The lead track from the album, Affirmation, was the fourth single released out of the seven that came from it. In the year 2000, (Affirmation) became a number eight hit on the UK Singles Chart and on the Recorded Music New Zealand chart. In Australia, it was a number sixteen hit and it was a number thirty-four chart hit on the Eurochart Hot 100. While this single did not appear on any of the US Billboard charts, it still remained a wildly popular song among the fans who found this song to be a genuine inspiration.

6. Crash and Burn

From Savage Garden’s second studio album, Affirmation, (Crash and Burn) was the album’s third single that reached the charts, starting in the year 2000. On the Adult Contemporary chart belonging to Canada, the single became a number one hit. On the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, it was a number ten hit while it was a number twenty-four hit on the US Billboard Hot 100. On Australia’s ARIA chart, Crash and Burn peaked at number sixteen and it also became a certified gold hit. Throughout Europe, the single was a top forty hit and appeared on the Eurochart Hot 100 as high as number fifty-three.

5. The Animal Song

(The Animal Song) became a number three hit on Australia’s ARIA chart in 1999, as well as on the music charts belonging to New Zealand and Sweden. The song was written for the motion picture, The Other Sister, with its focus on dealing with mental illnesses. The overall popularity of The Animal Song saw its peak as high number nineteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number five on Canada’s Singles Chart. Globally, it was a top forty hit among most European charts, including the chart rank of number thirty-eight on its Eurochart Hot 100. With Australia’s ARIA, The Animal Song became certified platinum.

4. I Knew I Loved You

On the US Billboard Hot 100, (I Knew I Love You) became a number one hit in 1999. It was the first single released from the duo’s second studio album, Affirmation. It was also their most successful from that album, both on the charts and commercially. In addition to becoming a chart-topper in the US, this was also achieved in Canada and Romania. On Australia’s ARIA chart, I Knew I Loved You was a number-four hit, and also became certified platinum as a single. In the US, the song was certified gold. The Eurochart Hot 100 saw Savage Garden’s single peak as high as number eighteen, and it was a top twenty hit among most of the European nations.

3. I Want You

When “I Want You” first hit the radio stations in 1996, the explosive impact Savage Garden made upon music fans was tremendous. Their debut single, coming from their debut album, seemed to put the world on notice there were a pair of two young men who were about to take the music industry by storm. In Canada, the appeal of this song was at its best as it charted its official music chart. It was also a number one hit on the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart and it was a number-four hit by the US Billboard Hot 100 and on Australia’s ARIA. On the Eurochart Hot 100, I Want You charted as high as number sixteen. With Australia’s ARIA, the single became certified platinum while the USA’s RIAA certified it gold.

2. To the Moon and Back

The second of Savage Garden’s singles was (To the Moon and Back), which became a number one hit on Australia’s ARIA chart and a number three hit on the UK Singles Chart. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the single peaked at number twenty-three and was a top forty hit among every European nation. In Canada, To the Moon and Back was a number fifteen hit while on the US Billboard Hot 100, the song charted as high as number twenty-four. On additional US Billboard charts, To the Moon and Back charted at number seventeen on its Adult Top 40 chart and its Mainstream Top 40 chart. On its Adult Contemporary chart, the single charted as high as number twenty-nine. With Australia’s ARIA and UK’s BPI, To the Moon and Back was certified platinum. Among the nations of France, New Zealand, and Sweden, it became certified gold.

1. Truly Madly Deeply

When Truly, Madly, Deeply first came out as a single from Savage Garden’s debut album, it didn’t take long for the song to dominate the charts. Globally, this massive hit topped the majority of the music charts, including the US Billboard Hot 100, the Canadian Singles Chart, and Australia’s ARIA chart. All around the world, Truly Madly Deeply was mostly a top ten hit among most of the nations. The popularity of the song was so intense that it was one of the top-played wedding songs for newlyweds shortly after its 1997 release. On the All-time charts by the US Billboard Hot 100, the 1958-2018 edition saw Truly Madly Deeply ranked at number thirty-nine as among the best songs of all time. In addition to these impressive chart rankings, the single also earned double-platinum certification with Australia’s ARIA, as well as platinum from the UK”s BPI. In the US, the RIAA certified the single at gold.

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