Rock Australia

The country-folk music tradition in Australia has its roots in the country's British colonial past. A direct heir to the 1954-56 American rockabilly, ‘Wild one’ (Johnny O’Keefe, 1958) was the first Australian rock’n’roll song to reach a wide audience. Subsequently, the Australian rock scene enjoyed recurring international success due in particular to the following artists:

1960s - Frank Ifield, Ray Brown & the Whispers, The Easybeats, Bee Gees (Anglo-Australian)
1970s - Spectrum, AC/DC, Little River Band, John Paul Young, Flash & the Pan, Madness
1980s - Men At Work, Midnight Oil, Icehouse, Crowded House, John Farnham, The Triffids, Inxs, The Church, The Go-Betweens
1990s - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Hoodoo Gurus, Jenny Morris (NZ), Savage Garden, Natalie Imbruglia, Madison Avenue
2000s/2010s - Kylie Minogue, Empire Of The Sun, Gabriella Cilmi, Gotye, Lorde (NZ), Sia, Betty Who

ROCK HITS from down under

∙ 1958 ∙ Wild one (Johnny O'Keefe) ∙ 1962 ∙ I remember you (Frank Ifield) ∙ 1965 ∙ Fool fool fool (Ray Brown & the Whispers) ∙ 1966 ∙ She's my baby (Johnny O'Keefe) ∙ Friday on my mind (The Easybeats) ∙ Spicks and specks (Bee Gees) ∙ 1971 ∙ I'll be gone (Spectrum) ∙ 1975 ∙ It's a long way to the top if you want to rock'n'roll (AC/DC) ∙ 1976 ∙ Walking in the rain / Hey, St.Peter (Flash and the Pan) ∙ 1978 ∙ Love is in the air (John Paul Young) ∙ Reminiscing (Little River Band) ∙ 1979 ∙ One step beyond (Madness) ∙ Highway to hell (AC/DC) ∙

∙ 1980 ∙ Hells bells (AC/DC) ∙ 1981 ∙ Down under / Who can it be now? (Men At Work) ∙ 1982 ∙ Hey little girl (Icehouse) ∙ Waiting for a train (Flash & the Pan ) ∙ 1983 ∙ Short memory (Midnight Oil) ∙ 1986 ∙ Don't dream it's over (hey now) (Crowded House) ∙ You're the voice (John Farnham) ∙ Wide open road (The Triffids) ∙ 1987 ∙ Need you tonight / Devil inside (Inxs) ∙ Beds are burning (Midnight Oil) ∙ 1988 ∙ Under the Milky Way (The Church) ∙ Streets of your town (The Go-Betweens) ∙ 1990 ∙ The weeping song (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) ∙ 1991 ∙ 1000 miles away (Hoodoo Gurus) ∙ Break in the weather (Jenny Morris, NZ) ∙ 1997 ∙ To the moon and back (Savage Garden) ∙ Torn (Natalie Imbruglia) ∙ 1999 ∙ Don't call me baby (Madison Avenue) ∙

∙ 2001 ∙ Can't get you out of my head (Kylie Minogue) ∙ 2008 ∙ We are the people (Empire Of The Sun) ∙ Sweet about me (Gabriella Cilmi) ∙ 2011 ∙ Somebody that I used to know (Gotye ft Kimbra) ∙ 2012 ∙ Royals (Lorde, NZ) ∙ 2014 ∙ Chandelier (Sia) ∙ 2016 ∙ I love you always forever (Betty Who) ∙

.. more rock from Australia, 1960s-2010s.. (show/hide)

∙ 1963 ∙ He's my blonde headed stompie wompie real (Little Pattie) ∙ 1964 ∙ Dream lover (Col Joye) ∙ The wheel (The Breakaways) ∙ She's a mod (Ray Columbus and the Invaders) ∙ 1965 ∙ Tell him I'm not home (Normie Rowe & the Playboys) ∙ Velvet waters (Tony Worsley) ∙ 1966 ∙ Fortune teller (cover, Rolling Stones) (The Throb) ∙ I would if I could (Marcy & the Cookies) ∙ A needle in a stack (The Twilights) ∙ 1967 ∙ Woman you're breaking me (The Groop) ∙ Cadillac (Hergs) ∙ 1968 ∙ 9.50 (Twilights) ∙ 1969 ∙ The real thing (Russel Morris) ∙ 1x2x3x4 (Zoot) ∙

∙ 1971 ∙ Because I love you (The Masters Apprentices) ∙ My name is Earl (Wil Greenstreet aka Billy Green) ∙ Caroline (Doug Parkinson In Focus) ∙ 1973 ∙ Excuse me just one moment (Indelible Murtceps) ∙ 1974 ∙ Evie (ver. 1979 live) (Stevie Wright) ∙ 1975 ∙ Glad all over (Hush) ∙ It's a long way to the top (AC/DC) ∙ Horror movie (Skyhooks) ∙ 1976 ∙ Howzat? (Sherbet) ∙ 1977 ∙ Don't fall in love (The Ferrets) ∙ Hey St Peter (Flash and The Pan) ∙ 1978 ∙ Shivers (Young Charlatans) ∙ Marmaduke (Cole Paterson) ∙ Red dress on (Young Modern) ∙ Up there Casaly (The Two Man Band) ∙

∙ 1980 ∙ I got you (Split Enz, NZ) ∙ 1981 ∙ She lets me know (Little Murders) ∙ 1982 ∙ Be cool be smart (The Mighty Guys) ∙ Love comes, love goes (Mike Rudd & The Heaters) ∙ Solid rock (live) (Goanna) ∙ 1983 ∙ Rain (Dragon, NZ) ∙ Reckless (Australian Crawl) ∙ 1984 ∙ Flame trees (Cold Chisel) ∙ On the alert (The Naturals) ∙ Inside fire (Tiny Town) ∙ India (Gulf Klub) ∙ Changes must be made (No Nonsense) ∙ 1985 ∙ 50 years (Uncanny X-Men) ∙ Throw your arms around me (Hunters & Collectors) ∙ So much for love (Venetians) ∙ Working class man (Jimmy Barnes (ex-Cold Chisel)) ∙ 1986 ∙ Stimulation (Wa Wa Nee) ∙ We've got to get out of this place (The Angels) ∙ 1987 ∙ Knight in Gale (The Palisades) ∙ No lies (Noiseworks) ∙ He's gonna step on you again (The Party Boys) ∙ 1988 ∙ Sydney town (The Mexican Spitfires) ∙ 1989 ∙ Onion Skin (Boom Crash Opera) ∙ It's gone (The Beans/Mungabeans) ∙

∙ 1990 ∙ Not given lightly (Chris Knox, NZ) ∙ 1991 ∙ Landlord Green (David Virgin) ∙ Higher Than Hope (Daryl Braithwaite) ∙ Easy Come, Easy Go (Grant McLennan) ∙ Better (Screaming Jets) ∙ 1992 ∙ Happy birthday Helen (Things of Stone & Wood) ∙ 1994 ∙ Fall (Single Gun Theory) ∙ 1995 ∙ It's not too late (Shock Poets) ∙ Let the good times roll (Blekbala Mujik) ∙ A Song To Welcome The Onset Of Maturity (Chris Knox, NZ) ∙ 1998 ∙ Don't blame the beam video (Far Out Corporation) ∙

∙ 2001 ∙ Betterman (The John Butler Trio) ∙ 2003 ∙ Mission beat (Russel Crowe & Tofog) ∙ 2004 ∙ Hey there bomb (67 Special) ∙ Ride (The Vines) ∙ 2005 ∙ Joker and the thief (Wolfmother) ∙ 2006 ∙ Flaunt it (TV Rock) ∙ 2007 ∙ Hook me up (The Veronicas) ∙ Don't hold back (The Potbelleez ) ∙ Straight ines (Silverchair) ∙ 20 good reasons (Thirsty Merc) ∙ 2008 ∙ You (Wes Carr) ∙ 2009 ∙ This is who I am (Vanessa Amorosi) ∙ Sweet disposition (Temper Trap) ∙

∙ 2010 ∙ Young blood (The Naked And Famous, NZ) ∙ 2012 ∙ Nakamarra (Hiatus Kaiyote) ∙ Lanterns (Birds of Tokyo) ∙ 2013 ∙ Angelina (The Affections) ∙ Avant gardener (Courtney Barnett) ∙ Riptide (Vance Joy) ∙ 2014 ∙ A heartbreak (Angus & Julia Stone) ∙ The lucky country (The Basics) ∙ Seaweed (Hockey Dad) ∙ 2016 ∙ Jungle (Tash Sultana) ∙ Marinade (Dope Lemon /Angus Stone) ∙ 2018 ∙ Home (The John Butler Trio) ∙ Healing hands (Conrad Sewell) ∙ 2019 ∙ Pressure to party (Julia Jacklin) ∙ Keeping time (Angie McMahon) ∙ Inappropriate Behaviour (Lime Cordiale) ∙ 2022 ∙ Expert in a dying field (The Berths, NZ) ∙

.. punk and post-punk rock from Australia.. (show/hide)

∙ 1976 ∙ I'm stranded (The Saints) ∙ 1980 ∙ Cities (Outline) ∙ 1982 ∙ This is love (The Affections) ∙ 1983 ∙ Death and the maiden (The Verlaines (NZ)) ∙ 1994 ∙ More wine waiter please (The Poor) ∙ 2016 ∙ Bullshit (Dune Rats) ∙ 2016 ∙ Pollyanna (DZ Deathrays) ∙ 2020 ∙ The clap (The Chats) ∙