Australian Rock Music Charts

The Australian rock music charts are a great way to keep up with the latest in Australian rock music. Here you’ll find the latest chart rankings for popular rock songs, as well as information on upcoming chart-toppers.

Australian rock music history

Rock music first became popular in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s with bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Bee Gees. Australian rock music was further popularised in the 1970s by bands such as AC/DC, Cold Chisel and Daddy Cool. In the 1980s, Australian rock music was dominated by Midnight Oil and INXS. In the 1990s, Australian rock music was influenced by grunge and punk rock from the United States. Bands such as Silverchair, Powderfinger and Jebediah were popular in the 1990s.

The evolution of Australian rock music

Rock music in Australia has undergone a number of changes over the years, with different styles becoming popular at different times. In the early days of rock music, artists such as Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs were at the forefront of the Australian music scene. They were followed by bands like AC/DC and Cheap Trick, who helped to bring hard rock to the fore.

In the 1980s, Australian rock music was dominated by bands like INXS and Midnight Oil, who helped to bring new wave and alternative rock to the fore. In more recent years, bands like Powderfinger and Silverchair have been responsible for bringing indie rock to the charts.

Australian rock music of the 1970s

The Australian music charts in the 1970s were 1) based on retail sales of records, 2) compiled by various chart providers including magazine and radio airplay surveys, and 3) published in weekly or bi-weekly magazines. The top-selling singles and albums were determined by the number of copies sold. The data were compiled by the Record Retailer chart until it was assimilated into the Gallup chart in 1974.Magazines which published rock music charts in Australia during the 1970s included Go-Set, TVWeek, Countdown ( song),countdown (tv show)|Countdown Magazine, and RPM. In 1979, a national radio airplay chart was established by a partnership of radio stations Triple J and Double Jay, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radiophonic Workshop calculating songs’ popularity from a combination of the number of times played on each station.

Australian rock music of the 1980s

The Australian rock music scene of the 1980s saw the rise of a number of successful Australian bands and artists, notably Midnight Oil, INXS, Hunters & Collectors and Crowded House. The pub rock scene that had nurtured many of these bands also thrived in the 1980s, with prominent acts such as The Angels, The Choirboys and Dragon enjoying considerable success. A new generation of post-punk bands also emerged in the early 1980s, including The Church, Go-Betweens and The Triffids; while in the latter part of the decade a number of successful pop-rock acts, such as Noiseworks, Roxus and Icehouse, emerged.

Australian rock music of the 1990s

Rock music has been a part of the Australian music industry since the 1950s, when American and British rock and rollers began touring Australia. By the 1960s, Australian rock bands such as The Easybeats and The Bee Gees were gaining international attention, and by the 1970s, Australian acts such as AC/DC and Olivia Newton-John were achieving global success. However, it was not until the 1990s that Australian rock music truly began to come into its own.

The 1990s saw a new wave of Australian rock bands emerge, including Silverchair, You Am I, Powderfinger, and Spiderbait. These bands enjoyed both critical and commercial success, with Silverchair selling over 6 million albums worldwide and Spiderbait scoring a number one hit with their single “Buy Me a Pony”. Other notable bands of the 1990s include Tumbleweed, Grinspoon, Custard, Jebediah, Frenzal Rhomb, Magic Dirt, and The Living End.

The 1990s also saw the rise of alternative rock in Australia. Bands such as Niccea (which featured future Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns), Urge Overkill (which featured future Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning), Ripe (which featured future Spiderbait drummer Kram), and Screaming Tribesmen all found success with their alternative sounds.

The 1990s were a hugely successful decade for Australian rock music, with many local bands finding international acclaim. This period also saw the beginning of what would become one of Australia’s most enduring genres – alternative rock.

Australian rock music of the 2000s

Australian rock music of the 2000s experienced a revival of sorts with a number of bands achieving mainstream success. Bands such as Silverchair, Powderfinger and Jet With came to prominence during the early part of the decade and helped to bring Australian rock music back into the mainstream.

The middle part of the decade saw a number of bands achieve international success, with several going on to enjoy chart success in the United States. Bands such as The Vines, The Living End and Jet all achieved considerable success in America, with The Vines’ album “Highly Evolved” going platinum.

The late part of the decade saw a continued resurgence in popularity for Australian rock music, with several bands enjoying considerable commercial success. Bands such as Kings of Leon, who achieved huge success with their album “Only by the Night”, became one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Others such as Wolfmother and Airbourne also achieved considerable international recognition.

Australian rock music of the 2010s

The 2010s saw a return to prominence of Australian rock music. Addressing concerns that the local industry was in terminal decline, a number of commentators noted that Australian music was thriving in the new decade. This was attributed to a number of factors, including the growing popularity of streaming services such as Spotify, which had made it easier for listeners to discover new music; the commercial success of a number of high-profile Australian rock bands, including Tame Impala, 5 Seconds of Summer and Birds of Tokyo; and the continued support of government initiatives such as triple j’s Hottest 100 – an annual poll of the nation’s favourite songs, which began in 1993.

In 2018, three Australian rock bands – Tame Impala, 5 Seconds of Summer and Gang of Youths – topped the ARIA Chart, the first time this had happened since 1977. This was seen as further evidence that Australian rock music was enjoying a renaissance.

Some commentators argued that Australian rock music was in better health than it had been for many years, while others cautioned that it was too early to tell whether this was merely a temporary resurgence or the start of a sustained recovery.

The future of Australian rock music

It is no secret that the Australian music scene has been through some tough times in recent years. A number of high-profile festivals have been cancelled, venues have closed down and many musicians have struggled to make ends meet. But despite all of this, there are still a number of talented and hardworking rock bands out there fighting for their place in the industry.

So what does the future hold for Australian rock music? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure – the rock scene here is not dead yet. There are still a number of dedicated fans who are passionate about their music, and as long as there are bands out there willing to keep playing, the future of Australian rock music looks bright.

The influence of Australian rock music

The sound of Australian rock music is often credited to the influence of American and British music. However, there are many other influences that have contributed to the development of Australian rock music. These influences include Indigenous Australian music, folk music, jazz, blues, country, and electronic dance music.

Australian rock music has also been influenced by the political and social climate of Australia. For example, the anti-authoritarian sentiment of the 1970s was reflected in the punk rock movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The pub rock scene of the 1970s was a response to the mainstreaming of pop music in Australia.

Today, Australian rock music is still influenced by a variety of factors, including global popular culture, local scenes and individual artists.

Australian rock music in popular culture

Since the 1960s, rock music has been a staple of the Australian music scene. Australian artists have been highly influential in the development of popular rock music, with a number of iconic bands and artists emerging from the country.

The Australian rock music charts are a record of the most popular rock songs in Australia. They are compiled weekly by ARIA, a music industry association. The charts are based on data from a number of sources, including retail sales, radio airplay and digital downloads.

The Australian rock music charts have undergone a number of changes over the years, with different formats and methods of data collection being used. However, they have always reflected the popularity of rock music in Australia.

Some of the most popular Australian rock songs to appear on the charts include “If I Had a Dollar” by Regurgitator, “Pure Massacre” by Silverchair and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” by INXS.