Overseas acts rule 2012 music charts

Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen's hit Call Me Maybe was the highest selling single in Australia last year, just beating Gangnam Style by South Korean rapper Psy.

Jepsen had a big head start, with Call Me Maybe entering the Australian Recording Industry Association charts in early March. Gangnam Style was released only in mid-September.

The songs have sold close to nine-times platinum, or 630,000 copies.

Guy Sebastian's single Battle Scars came a distant third.

The inaugural Australian Idol winner was only one of 11 homegrown artists in ARIA's Top 100 singles list for last year.

Music industry powerbroker Michael Gudinski said the poor local presence was not an indication of the talent in this country.

"It really shows the lack of support by Australian radio to new Australian artists," he said.

Most of the 11 locals, including Sebastian, Justice Crew, Timomatic and Perth's Samantha Jade, were discovered via television talent quests.

"Even though I'm supportive of those shows for getting young fans excited about music, in real terms out of all those shows you could count on one hand the artists that have lasted any distance," Mr Gudinski said.

ARIA general manager Lynne Small said she was disappointed more Australian acts did not crack the Top 100.

"We put it down to the fact that most of the singles chart seems to be a little bit dominated by the urban genre, which seems to emanate predominantly from the US," she said.

Mainstream and Top 40 radio stations have to play 25 per cent local content and only a quarter of that needs to be new Australian music.

Commercial Radio Australia chief executive Joan Warner said many stations regularly exceeded their quota.

There was better news on the album charts, with 27 Australian artists making the grade, including Jade and Perth rockers Tame Impala.

The Voice winner Karise Eden boasted the highest selling Australian album with My Journey, which came sixth overall.