100 best australian albums

[SteveO]

from the book depicted above




Couldn't resist this list as I was curious about Crazy-Horse's recommendation of Crowded House...after many listens of Woodface I wanted to know where exactly where it panned out in Australian rock music history... it's at number 3 ! behind AC/DC and a surprise to me...at number 1 - Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust,,,from 1987 ,,,during my " I don't care about music period". I was only familiar with the radio single Beds are Burning...evilB lists it as one of his albums in which he likes all the tracks. Another reason for me to investigate.

I am sure Crazy can weigh in on his country's top 100 !!!!

These lists are for fun and for information purposes. I really wouldn't engage in a meaningless debate as to album positions ..however omissions are always interesting

Any similar Top 100 lists from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Nederlands, and Jerome's Ireland and South Africa??? ...unfortunately Jerome is on sabbatical !

Here's the Australia list ......

1.Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust (1987)
2.AC/DC – Back in Black (1980)
3.Crowded House – Woodface (1991)
4.Cold Chisel – Circus Animals (1982)
5.The Triffids – Born Sandy Devotional (1986)
6.The Easybeats – The Best of the Easybeats (1967)
7.Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls – Gossip (1986)
8.You Am I – Hi Fi Way (1995)
9.Skyhooks – Living in the 70's (1974)
10.The Avalanches – Since I Left You (2000)
11.INXS – Kick (1987)
12.The Go-Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane (1988)
13.Radio Birdman – Radios Appear (1977)
14.Daddy Cool – Daddy Who? Daddy Cool (1971)
15.Richard Clapton – Goodbye Tiger (1977)
16.Bee Gees – Best of Bee Gees (1969)
17.The Birthday Party – Junkyard (1982)
18.Hunters & Collectors – Human Frailty (1986)
19.Sarah Blasko – As Day Follows Night (2009)
20.The Saints – (I'm) Stranded (1976)
21.The Drones – Gala Mill (2006)
22.Split Enz – True Colours (1980)
23.Midnight Oil – 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982)
24.Slim Dusty – The Very Best of Slim Dusty (1998)
25.Silverchair – Neon Ballroom (1999)
26.Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Boatman's Call (1997)
27.Regurgitator – Unit (1997)
28.Hoodoo Gurus – Stoneage Romeos (1984)
29.Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream (2008)
30.Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul (2008)
31.Kasey Chambers – Barricades & Brickwalls (2001)
32.Johnny O'Keefe – The Wild One (1958)
33.The Church – Starfish (1988)
34.The Reels – Quasimodo's Dream (1981)
35.The Masters Apprentices – Master's Apprentices (1967)
36.Savage Garden – Savage Garden (1997)
37.Sunnyboys – Sunnyboys (1981)
38.Kev Carmody and Various Artists – Cannot Buy My Soul (2007)
39.Something For Kate – Echolalia (2001)
40.Stephen Cummings – Lovetown (1988)
41.The Saints – Prehistoric Sounds (1978)
42.Australian Crawl – The Boys Light Up (1980)
43.Powderfinger – Odyssey Number Five (2000)
44.Mental As Anything – Cats & Dogs (1981)
45.Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush to Relax (2010)
46.Models – The Pleasure of Your Company (1983)
47.Augie March – Moo, You Bloody Choir (2006)
48.The Missing Links – The Missing Links (1965)
49.Ed Kuepper – Honey Steel's Gold (1991)
50.AC/DC – Highway to Hell (1979)
51.The Sports – Don't Throw Stones (1979)
52.The Seekers – The Best of The Seekers (1968)
53.Cold Chisel – East (1980)
54.Underground Lovers – Leaves Me Blind (1992)
55.You Am I – Hourly, Daily (1996)
56.INXS – The Swing (1984)
57.The Living End – The Living End (1998)
58.Jimmy Barnes – For the Working Class Man (1985)
59.Russell Morris – Wings of an Eagle (1973)
60.Hoodoo Gurus – Mars Needs Guitars! (1985)
61.The Presets – Apocalypso (2008)
62.The Dingoes – The Dingoes (1974)
63.The Cruel Sea – The Honeymoon Is Over (1993)
64.The Angels – Face to Face (1978)
65.The Hummingbirds – LoveBUZZ (1989)
66.Paul Kelly & the Stormwater Boys – Foggy Highway (2005)
67.Chain – Toward the Blues (1971)
68.Dragon – O Zambezi (1978)
69.Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs – Aztecs Live at Sunbury (1972)
70.The Scientists – Blood Red River (1983)
71.Crowded House – Temple of Low Men (1988)
72.Died Pretty – Doughboy Hollow (1991)
73.Axiom – Fool's Gold (1970)
74.Bob Evans – Suburban Songbook (2006)
75.Dirty Three – Ocean Songs (1998)
76.Renée Geyer – Ready to Deal (1975)
77.The Church – The Blurred Crusade (1982)
78.The Vines – Highly Evolved (2002)
79.John Farnham – Whispering Jack (1986)
80.The Loved Ones – Magic Box (1967)
81.The Sleepy Jackson – Lovers (2003)
82.Bliss N Eso – Flying Colours (2008)
83.Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Tender Prey (1988)
84.Tex, Don and Charlie – Sad But True (1993)
85.Flowers – Icehouse (1980)
86.Missy Higgins – The Sound of White (2004)
87.The Go-Betweens – Before Hollywood (1983)
88.Normie Rowe – Ain't Necessarily So (1965)
89.Jet – Get Born (2003)
90.The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band – Smoke Dreams (1973)
91.Ben Lee – Awake is the New Sleep (2005)
92.Rose Tattoo – Rose Tattoo (1978)
93.I'm Talking – Bear Witness (1986)
94.X – X-Aspirations (1979)
95.Beaches – Beaches (2008)
96.vSpy vs Spy – Trash the Planet (1989)
97.Bernard Fanning – Tea & Sympathy (2005)
98.Kylie Minogue – Fever (2001)
99.Men at Work – Business As Usual (1981)
100.G. Wayne Thomas, Terry Hannagan, Tamam Shud, Brian Cadd, John J. Francis, Peter Howe – Morning of the Earth (1971)

[CRAZY-HORSE]

there's actually a hell of a lot of good albums in this list SteveO...but as you pointed out they are all subjective to opinion of those making them, as is everything to do with music reviews etc...but they are always interesting to read...

i'll get through this list bit by bit with my thoughts...

firstly Midnight Oil's "diesel and dust" was simply huge back in the day, wasnt a time over a period of 18-24 months after its release that there wasnt a song from it on the radio or a video on MTV...! Midnight Oil were are highly politically charged group fronted by Peter Garrett...a well known outspoken leftist minded thinking individual...he became involved in the NDP, Nuclear Disarmament Party in the early 1980s and the songs of that period reflrected his views towards Nuclear Power and US Warships docking in our ports with Nuclear capabilities... "diesel and dust",however, focuses on the rights of indigenous Aboriginals and their rights for getting sole rights to their land(surprisingly enough the land they wanted to reclaim always seemed to be that which mining companies were already mining gold,diamonds,silver,nickel,iron ore,opals etc etc....
whether you agree with Garrett's views or not he has to be admired for his belief in what he was doing/saying...
in a way, this is a very "australian" themed album and therefore is justifiably #1 on the list....personally, i havent got it out and played it for some years now as i have it on cassette(remember them?) but from memory it was a very good album

BTW looking through the top 100 albums i believe i only have 28 of them, not sure of 28% of an all time list is good or not?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

1.Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust (1987)
2.AC/DC – Back in Black (1980)
3.Crowded House – Woodface (1991)
4.Cold Chisel – Circus Animals (1982)
5.The Triffids – Born Sandy Devotional (1986)
6.The Easybeats – The Best of the Easybeats (1967)
7.Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls – Gossip (1986)
8.You Am I – Hi Fi Way (1995)
9.Skyhooks – Living in the 70's (1974)
10.The Avalanches – Since I Left You (2000)


of the rest of the top 10....
AC/DC is self explainetary

CROWDED HOUSE...these guys were at the top of their game and the quality of songs on the album were just sublime

COLD CHISEL...fronted by Jimmy Barnes,were a tough R&B/Blues Rock outfit,they rivalled AC/DC on the charts throughout the late seventies/early eighties and also as a live act...the album in the top 10 here is not that good IMO, i prefer "east" as their greatest achievement(MH got given a copy of 'east' by me when in the US...im sure he will post his thoughts on it fairly soon)lead vocalist Barnes lived the fast/hard life in much the same way as Bon Scott did, only he survived and is still performing to this day.

THE TRIFFIDS...dont know enough about these guys as i dont own any albums, but they were a pre-grunge,indi group, not big on the charts but had a huge live following...have gained respect moreso over the last 20 years in retrospect.

THE EASYBEATS...check out the "aussie music beginners guide to...Easybeats"

PAUL KELLY...a worthy inclusion in the top 10 IMO,"gossip" was his debut album and believe it or not it was a double vinyl album, his style mixes his own version of bluegrass,folk,country etc into a truly original sound, his wordplay is up there with Dylan,especially on the 80s and 90s.

YOU AM I...i actually posted their 'best of' set on the forum a few weeks ago, didnt rate too high for me, but back in the day these guys were better known for their energetic live shows more than than albums, their songs IMO lack oomph on record, have a lot to owe to tough R&B groups like The Who's 60s and early 70s sound.

SKYHOOKS...very original,flambouyant,psuedo-punk outfit from the mid to late 70s,wore silly costumes and outrageous videos similar to Split Enz, their songs dealt mainly with teenage boy type subjects.

THE AVALANCHES...personally i have never heard of these guys,this album that rounds out the top 10 sort of came round as i was not interested in music for the second time

all-in-all i'd say the top 10 is ok, a lot of the artists deserve to be there IMO,but some of the albums im not so sure about.

i will try to get through a few more of these albums/artists ASAP for you.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

11.INXS – Kick (1987)
12.The Go-Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane (1988)
13.Radio Birdman – Radios Appear (1977)
14.Daddy Cool – Daddy Who? Daddy Cool (1971)
15.Richard Clapton – Goodbye Tiger (1977)
16.Bee Gees – Best of Bee Gees (1969)
17.The Birthday Party – Junkyard (1982)
18.Hunters & Collectors – Human Frailty (1986)
19.Sarah Blasko – As Day Follows Night (2009)
20.The Saints – (I'm) Stranded (1976)


fristly, from the list between 11-20....
there are several surprises for me here....

really thought that INXS would have been in the top 10 with either "kick" or "the swing"..."kick" at #11 is prety good though, Bee Gees also not in the top 10 also a surprise, but the one that is here is a "best of" set...personally i would not put best of sets in best of lists as they are surposed to be great albums IMO!,
really surprised that Birthday Party were even in the top 100 let alone the top 20..BP were Nick Cave's first band prior to Bad Seeds, i guess that with the Cult following he has that people will always look back on not only his, but other artists formative bands with interest, i however dont rate Birthday Party as being that great either as a singles or albums band, but the Cave talent was there in dribs and drabs!

Sarah Blasko is a very talented young female artist and deserves to be in the top 20 albums list.

The Saints were a pub/bar rock cum punkish type band, and all bands that have that type of loyal following big or small will always rate high in lists, never saw what people saw in them though, guess i was too young to drink in pubs and party etc so i missed the Saints boat!

i thought i did the Daddy Cool/ross Wilson thing in the "guide to aussie music" thing...guess i didnt!, very R&B/blues/Rootsy band from the Woodstock days out here, they do nothing for me...nor for MH, i showed him a couple of tracks on youtube whilst in the States and he didnt like them either, again they were huge here in the late 6os early 70s amongst the 'free spirited' and 'hippies', i much prefer their later incarnation of Mondo Rock in the 80s!

Go-Betweens, can only vaguely remember these guys from the late 80s...but cant place the name with any songs....so sorry!

Richard Clapton,Radio Birdman...can only just recall the names when i read them, obviously a bit before my time in australia...was still in UK when these guys were around, no knowledge of their material at all!

finally to round out the top 11-20, hunters & Collectors, coincidence or what! i just posted their debut album in the "alt" thread yesterday, that "human frailty" album in the list was bloody good, also their really only big hit album so i have no arguement with them being in the list at all( actually i dont have a problem with any artist, some i dont know that well, others i like the albums or like the artist in general)

[TraceNspace]

Yeah I just can't believe INXS didn't crack the top 10 but what do I know about Australian music?

[SteveO]

I will pitifully admit I only have nine Aussie albums,,,soon to be 10 as I have ordered Diesel and Dust !!!!

from the book depicted above




Couldn't resist this list as I was curious about Crazy-Horse's recommendation of Crowded House...after many listens of Woodface I wanted to know where exactly where it panned out in Australian rock music history... it's at number 3 ! behind AC/DC and a surprise to me...at number 1 - Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust,,,from 1987 ,,,during my " I don't care about music period". I was only familiar with the radio single Beds are Burning...evilB lists it as one of his albums in which he likes all the tracks. Another reason for me to investigate.

I am sure Crazy can weigh in on his country's top 100 !!!!

These lists are for fun and for information purposes. I really wouldn't engage in a meaningless debate as to album positions ..however omissions are always interesting

Any similar Top 100 lists from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Nederlands, and Jerome's Ireland and South Africa??? ...unfortunately Jerome is on sabbatical !

Here's the Australia list ......

1.Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust (1987)
2.AC/DC – Back in Black (1980)
3.Crowded House – Woodface (1991)
4.Cold Chisel – Circus Animals (1982)
5.The Triffids – Born Sandy Devotional (1986)
6.The Easybeats – The Best of the Easybeats (1967)
7.Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls – Gossip (1986)
8.You Am I – Hi Fi Way (1995)
9.Skyhooks – Living in the 70's (1974)
10.The Avalanches – Since I Left You (2000)
11.INXS – Kick (1987)
12.The Go-Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane (1988)
13.Radio Birdman – Radios Appear (1977)
14.Daddy Cool – Daddy Who? Daddy Cool (1971)
15.Richard Clapton – Goodbye Tiger (1977)
16.Bee Gees – Best of Bee Gees (1969)
17.The Birthday Party – Junkyard (1982)
18.Hunters & Collectors – Human Frailty (1986)
19.Sarah Blasko – As Day Follows Night (2009)
20.The Saints – (I'm) Stranded (1976)
21.The Drones – Gala Mill (2006)
22.Split Enz – True Colours (1980)
23.Midnight Oil – 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982)
24.Slim Dusty – The Very Best of Slim Dusty (1998)
25.Silverchair – Neon Ballroom (1999)
26.Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Boatman's Call (1997)
27.Regurgitator – Unit (1997)
28.Hoodoo Gurus – Stoneage Romeos (1984)
29.Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream (2008)
30.Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul (2008)
31.Kasey Chambers – Barricades & Brickwalls (2001)
32.Johnny O'Keefe – The Wild One (1958)
33.The Church – Starfish (1988)
34.The Reels – Quasimodo's Dream (1981)
35.The Masters Apprentices – Master's Apprentices (1967)
36.Savage Garden – Savage Garden (1997)
37.Sunnyboys – Sunnyboys (1981)
38.Kev Carmody and Various Artists – Cannot Buy My Soul (2007)
39.Something For Kate – Echolalia (2001)
40.Stephen Cummings – Lovetown (1988)
41.The Saints – Prehistoric Sounds (1978)
42.Australian Crawl – The Boys Light Up (1980)
43.Powderfinger – Odyssey Number Five (2000)
44.Mental As Anything – Cats & Dogs (1981)
45.Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush to Relax (2010)
46.Models – The Pleasure of Your Company (1983)
47.Augie March – Moo, You Bloody Choir (2006)
48.The Missing Links – The Missing Links (1965)
49.Ed Kuepper – Honey Steel's Gold (1991)
50.AC/DC – Highway to Hell (1979)
51.The Sports – Don't Throw Stones (1979)
52.The Seekers – The Best of The Seekers (1968)
53.Cold Chisel – East (1980)
54.Underground Lovers – Leaves Me Blind (1992)
55.You Am I – Hourly, Daily (1996)
56.INXS – The Swing (1984)
57.The Living End – The Living End (1998)
58.Jimmy Barnes – For the Working Class Man (1985)
59.Russell Morris – Wings of an Eagle (1973)
60.Hoodoo Gurus – Mars Needs Guitars! (1985)
61.The Presets – Apocalypso (2008)
62.The Dingoes – The Dingoes (1974)
63.The Cruel Sea – The Honeymoon Is Over (1993)
64.The Angels – Face to Face (1978)
65.The Hummingbirds – LoveBUZZ (1989)
66.Paul Kelly & the Stormwater Boys – Foggy Highway (2005)
67.Chain – Toward the Blues (1971)
68.Dragon – O Zambezi (1978)
69.Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs – Aztecs Live at Sunbury (1972)
70.The Scientists – Blood Red River (1983)
71.Crowded House – Temple of Low Men (1988)
72.Died Pretty – Doughboy Hollow (1991)
73.Axiom – Fool's Gold (1970)
74.Bob Evans – Suburban Songbook (2006)
75.Dirty Three – Ocean Songs (1998)
76.Ren̩e Geyer РReady to Deal (1975)
77.The Church – The Blurred Crusade (1982)
78.The Vines – Highly Evolved (2002)
79.John Farnham – Whispering Jack (1986)
80.The Loved Ones – Magic Box (1967)
81.The Sleepy Jackson – Lovers (2003)
82.Bliss N Eso – Flying Colours (2008)
83.Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Tender Prey (1988)
84.Tex, Don and Charlie – Sad But True (1993)
85.Flowers – Icehouse (1980)
86.Missy Higgins – The Sound of White (2004)
87.The Go-Betweens – Before Hollywood (1983)
88.Normie Rowe – Ain't Necessarily So (1965)
89.Jet – Get Born (2003)
90.The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band – Smoke Dreams (1973)
91.Ben Lee – Awake is the New Sleep (2005)
92.Rose Tattoo – Rose Tattoo (1978)
93.I'm Talking – Bear Witness (1986)
94.X – X-Aspirations (1979)
95.Beaches – Beaches (2008)
96.vSpy vs Spy – Trash the Planet (1989)
97.Bernard Fanning – Tea & Sympathy (2005)
98.Kylie Minogue – Fever (2001)
99.Men at Work – Business As Usual (1981)
100.G. Wayne Thomas, Terry Hannagan, Tamam Shud, Brian Cadd, John J. Francis, Peter Howe – Morning of the Earth (1971)

[Music Head]

I only have 12

[CRAZY-HORSE]

I will pitifully admit I only have nine Aussie albums,,,soon to be 10 as I have ordered Diesel and Dust !!!!

just dont expect every track to have the same upbeat slound as "beds are burning"...its quite mellow in parts...took me a few listens to appreciate it back in the day...which reminds me, im gonna have to find it and play it again

[evilB]

I have 39 of these. Lots of great stuff from down under.


thats a bloody great effort "evil"....any bands on the list that you have a fair few albums of?...and how many of the so called top 10 albums do you have?