Knowing that an artist is Australian is, at least to your typical American, is something you learn incidentally, like by reading a review or an interview, or hearing them speak. Men at Work was pretty upfront about being Australian, but the rest of the artists on your list...it was probably quite some time before I learned they were Australian because judging from the vocals alone, you can't usually detect an accent--this often goes for UK bands as well. I didn't know until this very moment that Olivia Newton-John was British! (I looked her up because I had remembered she played Sandy in Grease, who was supposed to be Australian.) Not sure if anyone mentioned Dead Can Dance; I've been a fan since 1983.
I apologize if they've already been mentioned (I don't have time to read thru 22 pages of thread), but how'bout some Mortal Sin, '80s thrash metal in the vein of Justice-era Metallica.
Great news, thanks very much. Sadly I lost my vinyls, those extended mixes were always above what was around by others at the same time to my ears. Even the artwork was classic. Bear Witness is a brilliant album, not only just Kate's vocals but the band was superb. Looking forward to this.
Oliva Newton-John migrated to Australia when she was 6. I'm sure if you ask her she will say that she is an Aussie.
I collect a lot of Aussie 60s artists: Bryan Davies Little Pattie The Executives The Allusions Bev Harrell The Twilights The Town Criers The Strangers Robbie Snowden The New Dream Dove Grantley Dee Yvonne Barrett Denise Drysdale Christy Allen Steve and the Board Normie Rowe Ronnie Burns Peter Doyle Buddy England Ray Brown and the Whispers Ross Wylie
those guys are some of my true aussie legends Spencer P Jones ( kiwi born ) , get well Spencer Rowland S Howard RIP Brian Henry Hooper , get well Brian and Chris Bailey , obviously Chris Bailey (The Saints) Let's Pretend Acoustic
Sarah Blasko Something for Kate Missy Higgins Motor Ace Wicked Beat Sound System Pollyanna Butterfly 9 Kasey Chambers Vance Joy Waikiki Angus and Julia Stone Empire of the Sun
Anyone mentioned Ups and Downs? Great band in the 80s and a very good new album out 2016. Living Kind, Lit By the Fuse, ... some great tracks.
Grinspoon Eddy current suppression ring. Frenzal Rhomb Gyroscope You am i The Living end The Avalanches The Vines Birds of Tokyo The Grates British India The Drones Dave graney and the coral snakes. The Smith Street Band What about some Aussie hip hop? Drapht Hilltop hoods Downsyde Pez Funkoars Bliss n eso Urthboy The Herd Horrorshow Vents
I've been thinking about this, wondering if there is a decent compilation available which contains a top-down classic view of undisputed classic Aussie (mainstream) songs. So far I've only found two, none of which wholly satisfy and both of which seem to be out of print. Suggestions welcome. The Great Australian Songbook (2011): OK starting with a Rolf Harris song is (as they say) problematic, but there's a solid selection here. I'd throw in the Hoodoo Gurus, swap out Eskimo Joe for Magic Dirt and ditch The Middle East and Alex Lloyd for something a bit less fey/whiny but these two sold big in the day so whatever. Oh yeah, Delta Goodrem. You've been warned. Australia's Ultimate Songs (2000): looks well out of print but the first three CDs are solid. Compilers make a good fist of sorting the wheat from the chaff for the late '80s-mid '90s pop and rock chart hits, but are seriously trolling the Kiwis by including Max Merritt, Split Enz and Dave Dobbyn. CD5 has its own issues.
This soundtrack was released with the movie a few years ago about of the life of Ian "Molly" Meldrum. Great selection of more well known Aussie bands... Molly - The Soundtrack To The Mini-Series & Molly's Life In Music
JB HiFi have a pretty sizable selection of this sort of thing. I'm not a mainstream person so can't give you any tips.
The general idea was in part to answer the OP's question, provide a comp for someone whose knowledge of Australian music is restricted to the usual Men At Work/Air Supply/LRB/INXS/etc. That Molly comp has a good selection but is not restricted to Australian bands, unless Suzi Quatro has been given an honorary citizenship for services to touring. There's also a bunch of "Australian Pop in the 70s/80s" sets on Sony but there's some truly gruesome cuts. No one ever needs to hear Indecent Obsession again.
