The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

[Scraggers]

The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Let me start this by saying I LOVE AUSSIE 80s MUSIC … whilst the world had the generation of big hair and glam rock, we were rocking with great ”REAL” music.

I think it shaped Australia artistically, and bands like Cold Chisel / INXS et al. made in-roads for the Aussie bands of today.

So, I made a list … the top 50 Aussie 80s songs. I don’t know if this is the ‘be all and end all’ of lists, or if this is just my favourite list of Aussie 80s music but here goes.

1. Never Tear Us Apart – INXS
2. Bow River – Cold Chisel
3. Leaps And Bounds – Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls
4. You Shook Me All Night Long – AC / DC
5. Throw Your Arms Around Me – Hunters & Collectors
6. No Second Prize – Jimmy Barnes
7. What You Need – INXS
8. Great Southern Land – Icehouse
9. Everybody Wants To Work – Uncanny X-Men
10. City Flat – Boom Crash Opera
11. Working Class Man – Jimmy Barnes
12. What About Me – Moving Pictures
13. You’re The Voice – John Farnham
14. US Forces – Midnight Oil
15. Australiana – Austen Tayshus
16. Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again (live) – The Angels
17. Solid Rock – Goanna
18. When The War Is Over – Cold Chisel
19. If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too? – Mental As Anything
20. Need You Tonight – INXS
21. Sounds Of Then – GANGgajang
22. Down Under – Men At Work
23. Change in Mood – Kids In The Kitchen
24. Fall of Rome – James Reyne
25. From St Kilda To Kings Cross – Paul Kelly
26. Run To Paradise – Choirboys
27. I Should Be So Lucky – Kylie Minogue
28. Breakaway – Big Pig
29. Funkytown – Pseudo Echo
30. Don’t Change – INXS
31. Beds Are Burning – Midnight Oil
32. Downhearted – Australian Crawl
33. Onion Skin – Boom Crash Opera
34. Original Sin – INXS
35. Don’t Need Love – Johnny Diesel & The Injectors
36. Driving Wheels – Jimmy Barnes
37. Come Said The Boy – Mondo Rock
38. Take Me Back – Noiseworks
39. I Hear Motion – Models
40. Listen Like Thieves – INXS
41. Happy Man – Sunnyboys
42. Don’t Tear It Down – Spy vs Spy
43. Quasimodo’s Dream – The Reels
44. Darling It Hurts – Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls
45. Power And The Passion – Midnight Oil
46. I Send A Message – INXS
47. Dumb Things – Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls
48. Music Goes Round My Head - The Saints
49. Under The Milky Way – The Church
50. We Can't Be Beaten – Rose Tattoo

(Apologies to bands like Split Enz / Crowded House / Dragon / Mi-Sex etc., but I said Aussie)

(Apologies also to Warwick Capper’s ‘I Only Take What Is Mine’ and Jacko’s ‘I’m An Individual … top quality songs, but could not make the list !!)

I know I have missed some songs … tell me what I’m missing.
Also feel free to correct me if I have incorrectly listed a NZ band.

What’s your top ten Aussie 80s songs?

[Scraggers]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Things to note:-

• This started as a list of twenty songs; I couldn't narrow it down below thirty, so it grew to 50
• Kylie Minogue is the only female artist I have listed ... This says more about me than it does female artists of the 80s. With performers such as Chantoosies, Kate Ceberano, Divinyls, Do Re Mi, Eurogliders, I'm Talking, Renee Geyer, Electric Pandas, Cheetah etc ... There was a plethora of good Aussie talent (just not on my list)
• Austen Tashus makes the list, but The 12th Man and Joe Dolce don't.

[Mofra]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Jeez that's a hard list to create - I have to admit I'd probably have too much Beasts of Bourbon on my list to be legitimate anyway

[Scraggers]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Jeez that's a hard list to create - I have to admit I'd probably have too much Beasts of Bourbon on my list to be legitimate anyway

It has taken me the better part of six nights to create the list ... Going through old records and singles ... Working out if they are Aussie or have Kiwi influence ... Narrowing the list down ... placing them in order.

It was quite a sense of achievement to actually (finally) post the thread.

[Bornadog]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

It has taken me the better part of six nights to create the list ... Going through old records and singles ... Working out if they are Aussie or have Kiwi influence ... Narrowing the list down ... placing them in order.

It was quite a sense of achievement to actually (finally) post the thread.

Gotta have Divinyls in there somewhere and Renee Gayor as well as Kate Cebrano had unbelievable voices.

In the early 80's I was into the electronic stuff like Pseudo Echo and also liked Kids in the Kitchen, but gee hard to make up a list like you have - well done.

[Bornadog]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Others to consider are Nick cave and the bad seeds, Little River Band

[bulldogtragic]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Gotta have Divinyls in there somewhere and Renee Gayor as well as Kate Cebrano had unbelievable voices.

In the early 80's I was into the electronic stuff like Pseudo Echo and also liked Kids in the Kitchen, but gee hard to make up a list like you have - well done.

Yeah, no Krissie Amphlet is a crime!

[Bornadog]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Yeah, no Krissie Amphlet is a crime!

Arrest him

[bulldogtragic]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Yeah, no Krissie Amphlet is a crime!

Ice House under represented.
Do you reckon Air Supply is 80's?

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Go-Betweens - Your Town, Cattle & Cane
The Saints - Know Your Product

[chef]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Go-Betweens - Your Town, Cattle & Cane
The Saints - Know Your Product

Was going to say that, but it's a 70's song isn't it?

The Church with 'Unguarded moment' and 'Almost with you' would be up there for me.

Must say I'm not a fan of Aussie 80's music and there's probably only a couple of songs I like in your list. Much preferred overseas stuff growing up in that decade.

[Twodogs]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

I have two distinct phases to my life. I changed the day I heard "Release The Bats" by The Birthday Party.

And if I were making the list then I would have bands like Died Pretty, The Bad Seeds and The Cosmic Psychos on it. In fact I will make my own list in the next couple of days. Your list has the Sunnyboys and the Reels on it-I will certainly have them!

[Twodogs]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Yeah, no Krissie Amphlet is a crime!

As is spelling her name wrong...

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

]Was going to say that, but it's a 70's song isn't it?
[/B]
The Church with 'Unguarded moment' and 'Almost with you' would be up there for me.

Must say I'm not a fan of Aussie 80's music and there's probably only a couple of songs I like in your list. Much preferred overseas stuff in that decade.

Right you are Sir! 1978, my memory is starting to get a bit sketchy!

[Hotdog60]

Re: The Top 50 80s Australian Songs

Redgum, I was only 19.

For all the vets