Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia has a diverse music landscape, with a mix of mainstream and independent artists. In recent years, the country has become a notable exporter of music, with its artists gaining international recognition. While pop, rock, and indie dominate the charts, there is a thriving independent music scene with a range of genres, including neo-psychedelia, surf-rock, and electropop. The country also has a strong history of indigenous music, with traditional instruments like the didgeridoo and contemporary artists covering various styles such as rock and roll, country, hip-hop, and reggae.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Pop, Rock, Indie, Surf-rock, Neo-psychedelic, Electropop, Hip-hop, Rap, Metalcore, Reggae, Grunge, Jazz |
| Popular Artists | Drake, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Sia, 5 Seconds of Summer, Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Pond, The Murlocs, Flume, Rufus Du Sol, Sticky Fingers, Ocean Alley, Skegss, Hockey Dad, The Chats |
| Radio Station | Triple J |
| Music Streaming Platform | Spotify |
| Music Export Companies | Sounds Australia |
| Music Sales in 2015 | Rock and Pop accounted for 76.13% of all sales |
| Music Sales in 2018 | Digital sales valued at 649 million Australian dollars |
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What You'll Learn
Rock and pop
In the 1970s, a new style of rock called "pub rock" emerged, with AC/DC becoming the most famous pub rock band. The 1970s also saw the emergence of pop magazines and television programs that promoted Australian pop and rock music to the youth market. The ABC's first all-rock radio station, Double Jay (2JJ), was launched in 1975, playing a crucial role in stimulating domestic demand for Australian rock and pop music.
In the 1980s, rock music in Australia broke through with acts like Nick Cave, who commented on the increased independence of Australian rock. During this decade, a new wave band from Melbourne rose to international fame by blending reggae, pop, and rock. At the same time, a Sydney-based band blended rock, pop, and New Wave, pushing boundaries and experimenting with their sound, earning multiple chart-topping hits.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, grunge, a subgenre of alternative rock, gained popularity in Australia. Bands like King Snake Roost, The Scientists, and Beasts of Bourbon were described as "grunge." Grunge bands built strong followings and signed major record deals.
In recent years, Australia has continued to produce successful rock and pop artists, with acts like Sia, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Tame Impala achieving global recognition. The electronic genre has also evolved, with sub-genres like electropop and neo-psychedelic music gaining traction. Additionally, indie-rock and surf-rock bands have thrived, with Spotify's "Surf Rock Sunshine" playlist featuring many Australian artists.
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Indie music
Australia has a thriving indie music scene, with a range of artists and bands making their mark outside of the mainstream industry. The country's independent music scene has been fuelled by the expansion of FM radio and a prosperous economy, allowing independent bands to thrive without having to seek international acclaim first.
The roots of Australian indie rock can be traced back to the end of the punk rock era, with Sydney at the forefront of the post-punk movement in the 1980s. The city's vibrant pub music scene and independent radio station, Triple J, played a pivotal role in promoting independent music. Triple J, which began as an AM station called Double J in the 1970s, evolved into an FM station in the early 1980s and started broadcasting nationally in 1989. The station has been credited with helping launch the careers of numerous Australian bands over the years.
One of the key factors contributing to the growth of the independent music scene in Australia is the presence of a strong network of independent record labels, venues, and music export companies. Record labels like Phantom Records, which grew out of an import record store, played an essential role in promoting breakthrough indie acts in the 1980s, such as The Hoodoo Gurus, The Sunnyboys, and The Cockroaches.
The Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Sydney also witnessed the emergence of a small but active indie rock movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Seven Ballerinas, active from 1981 to 1984, were a significant contributor to the alternative rock music scene in these regions, being one of the first bands from the Gold Coast to perform original material to audiences across Australia.
In recent years, Australia has become a strong source of international music exports, particularly in subgenres such as electropop and neo-psychedelic music. The country's electronic dance music (EDM) scene has evolved to create several of its own sub-genres, including indietronica. Additionally, the indie-rock and surf-rock genres have gained significant popularity in Australia, with Spotify's "Surf Rock Sunshine" playlist featuring numerous Australian artists.
Some notable Australian indie artists include Andy Bull, The Panics, Asta, The Hard-Ons, Celibate Rifles, New Christs, GANGgajang, and The Rockmelons.
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Metalcore
Carpathian, a prominent metalcore band from Melbourne, formed in 2003 and played with huge names both domestically and internationally before disbanding in 2011. The Amity Affliction is another influential metalcore band from Australia, with a worldwide fanbase that has helped to popularize the genre within the country. I Killed The Prom Queen, a band from Adelaide, also played a significant role in popularizing metalcore in Australia. Although they initially broke up in 2008, they reformed in 2011 and have since become synonymous with the genre.
In Hearts Wake is a notable metalcore band that gained recognition for blending social consciousness with heavy metalcore tunes. Ocean Grove, who describe their music as "odd world music," is another act that has risen to prominence in the genre. Other popular Australian metalcore bands include Buried In Verona, Hellions, Northlane, and Parkway Drive, who are considered idols for up-and-coming Aussie bands.
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Neo-psychedelia
Australia has been a strong source of international music exports, with several subgenres such as electropop and neo-psychedelic music. The latter, also known as acid punk, is one of the strongest trends in new wave music. It is characterised by experimental and radical musical deconstructions.
In the 1980s and 1990s, mainstream acts such as Prince and Lenny Kravitz dabbled in neo-psychedelia, but it has primarily been the domain of alternative and indie rock bands. Neo-psychedelia is considered a revival of the 1960s psychedelia movement, which was prominent in Australia and New Zealand. The Beatles, the Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane were some of the influential bands of that time.
In the 2010s, there was an explosion in the psychedelic music scene in Australia, with several bands gaining international success. Tame Impala, Pond, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are some of the notable acts in the neo-psychedelic rock scene, incorporating elements of garage rock, synth-pop, and heavy metal. The demand for synth-fuelled psychedelia has incentivised up-and-coming artists to explore their sound and build international audiences.
Melbourne duo Good Morning offers a low-fi, ambient sound, while Beaches delivers an eclectic blend of raucous rock and fuzz guitar-laden psychedelia. The Babe Rainbow, a band from Northern NSW, has a '60s-inspired "free love" brand of psychedelia. Other prominent artists in the neo-psychedelic genre include Nick Saloman's Bevis Frond, Spacemen 3, Robyn Hitchcock, Mercury Rev, and Super Furry Animals.
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Indigenous music
Indigenous Australian music refers to the music of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Music is integral to the social, cultural, and ceremonial observances of these peoples and has been for over 60,000 years.
The didgeridoo is the best-known traditional instrument and is considered by some to be the oldest in the world. It is a long tube without finger holes, through which the player blows, sometimes with a mouthpiece of beeswax. Traditionally, it was played only by men to accompany singing or, rarely, as a solo instrument. The didgeridoo is now commonly considered the national instrument of Aboriginal Australians.
Another traditional instrument is the clapstick, which is a percussion instrument where one stick is struck against another.
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Frequently asked questions
Pop, rock, country, and hip-hop/rap are the most popular music genres in Australia.
Some popular Australian artists include Sia, 5 Seconds of Summer, Sticky Fingers, Ocean Alley, Skegss, Hockey Dad, The Chats, Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and Flume.
Australia has produced several unique genres of music, including Breakcore, which emerged in Newcastle and Sydney in the 1990s and early 2000s, and Grunge, which originated in Australia and the US Pacific Northwest in the mid-1980s.
The indie music scene is particularly strong in Australia, with many independent record labels, venues, and export companies supporting local artists. The neo-psychedelic rock scene is also thriving, with bands like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Pond, and The Murlocs gaining international attention.
Australians are consuming music through digital platforms like Spotify and live performances. According to a survey, 18% of Australians attend stadium gigs, 19% go to arena shows, 22% prefer mid-level venues, 27% choose theatres, and 34% opt for bars and clubs.
