Bluey: The Album
| Company type | Soundtrack album |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 22 January 2021 |
| Founder | Joff Bush |
| Products | Soundtrack music |
| Parent | Demon Music Group (a branch of BBC Studios) |
Bluey: The Album serves as the official soundtrack for the inaugural season of the Australian animated series Bluey, launched on 22 January 2021 under Demon Records. The majority of the compositions and performances were crafted by Joff Bush, the series' main composer, alongside a group of collaborating musicians.
The music featured within the show was licensed by Universal Music Publishing on behalf of BBC Worldwide Music Publishing. This soundtrack was distributed by Demon Music Group, a branch of BBC Studios, which retains worldwide rights to the show's musical content.
Upon release, the album entered the ARIA Albums Chart at number one in February 2021, marking a milestone as the first children's album to reach the top position in Australia. It earned the title of Best Children's Album at the 2021 ARIA Music Awards and also received an APRA Screen Music Award for Best Soundtrack Album that same year.
Background and composition
Joff Bush leads the musical direction for Bluey, composing approximately half of the score and coordinating with a team that includes David Barber. A graduate from Queensland Conservatorium, Bush connected with executive producer Daley Pearson during his studies and had prior experience working on projects such as The Family Law and Australian Survivor. Each episode showcases a distinct musical style, with Bush deeply involved from the scripting stage and maintaining close collaboration with series creator Joe Brumm. The recordings predominantly feature live instrumentation, with each episode receiving a unique score—a method influenced by Brumm’s past work on Charlie and Lola in the United Kingdom.
The album compiles music from the first season, highlighting themes from episodes like "Keepy Uppy", "Grannies", "The Pool", and "The Creek". It combines original scores with classical selections including "John Ryan's Polka" and "Pachelbel's Canon". The initial portion of the album offers lively tracks, transitioning into more gentle pieces in its latter half. Vocal contributions by Helena Czajka and Jazz D'Arcy are featured on "I Know a Place (The Creek Song)".
Release
Work on a dedicated music album for Bluey commenced in July 2019 under Joff Bush’s direction. By mid-2020, plans were set for a late-year release. The lead single, an extended version of the show's theme tune, became available digitally on 6 November 2020.
Pre-orders began on 4 December 2020, coinciding with the announcement of the album’s official release date. Alongside this, the track "Keepy Uppy" was also released. The complete soundtrack was officially launched on 22 January 2021 in both digital format and physical copies featuring a gatefold digipack sleeve accompanied by collectible stickers. The cover artwork was created by Joe Brumm.
A special limited edition vinyl was issued on 17 July 2021 for Record Store Day Australia, produced as a double-sided picture disc limited to 500 units. A broader vinyl release followed on 1 October 2021 with blue-colored vinyl to align with the international rollout of the album.
Track listing
All tracks are composed and produced by Joff Bush unless otherwise specified.
Personnel
Joff Bush & The Bluey Music Team
- Joff Bush – guitar, melodica, percussion, accordion, keyboards, bass guitar, vocals, kazoo, organ, drums, synthesizers, ukulele, Mellotron, piano
- Stephen Peach – guitars, drums, banjo, tin whistle, bass guitar, keyboards
- Marly Lüske – synthesizers, bass guitar, percussion instruments, guitar
- David Barber – guitar, harmonica
- Pluto Jonze – guitars, piano, drums, bass guitar
- Helena Czajka – vocals, synthesizers
- Jazz D'Arcy – vocals
Additional performers
- Andrew Scrivens – guitar
- Anthony Garrett – drums
- Charlotte Stent – vocals
- Christopher Pearson – bass guitar
- David Orr – electric guitar, guitar
- Jessica Pollard – vocals
- John Knowles – harmonica
- Joseph Roberts – clarinet, flute, saxophones
- Katherine Philp – cello
- Kevin Higgins – pipes, tin whistle, flute
- Luka Wall – vocals
- Pru Montin – trumpet
- Robert Schultz – trumpet
- Sara Glynn – violin
- Steven Washington – violin
- Youka Snell – violin and vocals
Technical
- Marly Lüske – mixing and mastering
Weekly charts
Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart| Chart (2021) | Highest rank |
|---|---|
| US Kid Albums (Billboard charts) | 1 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard charts) | 92 |
| US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard charts) | 42 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2021) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 82 |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Nominee(s) | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APRA Screen Music Awards | 2021 | Bluey: The Album | Best Soundtrack Album | Template:Won |
| ARIA Music Awards | 2021 | Bluey: The Album | Best Children's Album | Template:Won |