9. The Cruel Sea - Tex Perkins has one of my favourite singing voices - I'd like to saw out his voice box and use it as my own.
8. INXS - They've become a bit of a joke now, with the whole "finding the next Michael Hutchence" nonsense - but in their prime, they released good stuff.
7. The Lucksmiths - Under-appreciated indie-pop, better songs than the Go Betweens. It's a mystery why these guys aren't BIG.
6. AC/DC - Speaking of big. I'm not a huge fan but it would be silly not to include them in this list. AC/DC are still a massively worldwide popular hard rock band and have written some of the most iconic guitar riffs ever. Very bogan.
5. Cold Chisel - Speaking of bogan. Jimmy Barns can be a bit much but Chisel are more than just a pub band; they had some very well-crafted songs.
4. The Easybeats - Genuinely good Aussie 60s pop. It doesn't seem possible, but listen to it - it's good stuff!
3. You Am I - Wonderful, consistent, genre-defying. They deserve international attention but probably won't get it because their songs are so "Oz".
2. Midnight Oil - Groundbreaking and meaningful rock band, with a very charismatic front man. Very, very good stuff.
1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Still going strong (playing at the crustbowl (Derwent Entertainment Centre) next month), Nick Cave has gone through many incarnations but I think his best stuff is with the Bad Seeds. Not many can combine poetry, Old Testament theology, punk, and piano ballads so seamlessly.
Notable omissions:
Crowded House - More of NZ band, really. They wouldn't exist without Neil Finn. Otherwise they'd be in the top 5.
The Saints - Yes, they were one of the first punk bands and '(I'm) Stranded' is a great song, but they don't have a very impressive catalogue of good songs.
The Church - I've heard they're a good band but I've just never bothered to listen to them. Pure ignorance.
The Dirty Three - I find them a bit boring, as great as they may be.
Potentially great:
Augie March - If their last album was anywhere near as good as their first three, I would have included them in the top 10.
Luke Steele - He's very talented and one of the most interesting people in Australian music. If he can stick to one project at a time, he might be one of the greats - whether it be under 'Sleepy Jackson', 'Nations By The River', 'Empire Of The Sun'...
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14 comments:
Maybe this isn't what you're looking for, (definitely not a rock band) but...
Air Supply
Stick with me! They had a series of massive hits in the US and UK, which all Aussies agree is apparently more
important than our own charts. And they were massive in Asia too. And "All out of love" is a song everyone, everywhere knows.
Hmmm... Air Supply... I didn't even think of them. I dare say most people are trying to forget "All Out Of Love" though?
Better yet: The Bee Gees! They had some huge hits! I could have seriously included them.
What a great post!
From memory, pub rock notable omissions: Hoodoo Gurus, Rose Tattoo, the Angels, X, Hunters & Collectors
Seminal but not that good notable mention: Radio Birdman
Great 60s band: Daddy Cool
Could possibly make the list one day: The Drones
Underrated but good pop: Sodastream
And I'm not one for the mid-90s grunge angst (I believe Shaun and Bron can fill that void) but is there a place for Silverchair? Four massive albums in Australian terms, the first was a big hit in the US college circuit, and they're still making music.
And what about Dragon?!?!
OT:
Bob Kauflin commented on my blog and asked what specifically about SG music made me want to hurl. I deleted comments out of embarrassment and humiliation. AUGH!!!
/OT
OT: Ah! Yikes. Sorry if my comment about Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra encouraged your hurling! But, to answer his question: The synthesizer.
Re: Silverchair, I've never been a big fan, but to give credit where it's due, I think there new stuff is pretty good and way better than their 90s stuff.
Aren't Dragon from NZ?
Those pub rock bands all blend into a beer-stained wall of bogan sound for me. But I agree, The Drones could make the list one day.
Just to pedantically point out before someone else does - I meant "their" not "there".
OT (again):
Well, he's sending me their latest album to critique. Holy crap.
/OT
Bee Gees! Rad! So camp.
60s Bee Gees stuff is surprisingly excellent, too.
CL, your comment about liking their new stuff better than their old stuff reminds me, Regurgitator?
Also, X is excellent, more punk that pub.
And are we going for pure commercial success, musical excellence, or a blend of both? Otherwise, surely Savage Garden would make the list...
Great list, indeed. Well thought out (esp. adding The Easybeats... many of those bands wouldn't even exist if it weren't for them.
In terms of hugeness overseas, I think that Angus is right about Air Supply and Pos about the Bee Gees and Savage Garden. You'd have to add Men At Work to that list, too.
(P.S. No message from beyond the grave in today's word verification.)
I was going more for musical excellence and influence over commercial success, otherwise the list would be something like:
5. Silverchair
4. The Bee Gees
3. AC/DC
2. Air Supply
1. The Wiggles
But I tried to find something in between the two factors.
I'm, so glad Gangajang didn't make your list.
My wife was very keen on Noiseworks. But then she met me... I think John Stevens was from NZ anyway.
I'm a pub rock kinda guy. I remember seeing the Hoodoo Gurus in the Uni bar in Hobart in about 1994. Absolutely awesome.
Weddings Parties Anything were great too.
But I think your list is a good representation. I'd probably have Midnight Oil at no.1. I saw them in the Hobart Town Hall in the 90's. My eardrums are still ringing.
But I do love Nick Cave and the BS. Nocturama is one of my favourite albums of all time.
Hi Al,
I was close to putting Midnight Oil at number one... but I prefer Nick Cave so they just missed out.
You are totally a pub rock kinda guy, by the way!
Substantially agree with your list, though I'd probably up Hunters and Collectors into the ten, with Augie March, despite the last album.
Other notable mentions - Triffids, Australian Crawl, Divinyls, The Whitlams (whatever you might think of them) and TISM, for being like nobody else for a very long time.
Benny
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