Australia is a nation that has a tradition of creating great music, and the bands here represent just how diverse and talented their music scene can be. These Australian musicians have a broad range of styles, from rock and pop to metal, electronic, punk, jam, and acoustic. Whether you’ve been a music enthusiast for a long time or are looking for something new, this playlist has compiled the best bands Australia has to offer.
Beyond music, Australia is also making its mark in the digital entertainment industry, with platforms like Stake offering innovative ways for users to engage with cryptocurrency gaming.
Check out our selection of the best Australian bands ever. Maybe you’ll find a surprise among the list or a great discovery.
| Band Name | Years Active | Best Album | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC/DC | 1973–present | Back in Black | Over 50 million copies worldwide |
| INXS | 1977–2012 | Kick | Over 6 million copies worldwide |
| Tame Impala | 2007–present | Currents | Over 1 million copies worldwide |
| Midnight Oil | 1972–2002, 2017–present | Diesel and Dust | Over 4 million copies worldwide |
| The Bee Gees | 1958–2003 | Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack | Over 40 million copies worldwide |
| Crowded House | 1985–1996, 2006–present | Woodface | Over 2 million copies worldwide |
| Powderfinger | 1989–2010 | Odyssey Number Five | Over 500,000 copies in Australia |
| Jet | 2001–2012, 2016–2019 | Get Born | Over 3.5 million copies worldwide |
| Savage Garden | 1993–2001 | Savage Garden | Over 12 million copies worldwide |
| The Seekers | 1962–1968, 1975–1989, 1992–2019 | The Best of The Seekers | Over 1.75 million copies worldwide |
1. AC/DC
No band is more revered than AC/DC when it comes to Australian rock. AC/DC, formed in 1973 by the Scottish brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, is the extreme, energy-charged stuff of hard rock. Their guitar-driven riffs and catchy songs have been rock’n’roll staples.
AC/DC’s Back in Black (1980) was among the best-selling albums of all time, firmly setting them on the music map. Songs such as “Thunderstruck” and “Highway to Hell” are a staple on rock playlists worldwide. The mix of bluesy guitar riffs and hard rock aggression that characterized their sound has inspired hundreds of bands and remains unrivaled as an energy weapon. From Angus Young’s schoolboy uniform to AC/DC’s erupting shows, their legacy is built on relentless passion.
Genre: Hard Rock
Hits to Know: “Thunderstruck,” “You Shook Me All Night Long“
2. INXS
In the 1980s, INXS became one of Australia’s most exported bands, mixing rock, funk, and pop in a sound that’s all their own. Fronted by Michael Hutchence, the band instantly won over fans with their electrifying live shows and pop hits such as “Need You Tonight” and “Never Tear Us Apart.” INXS was a global phenomenon, with their albums selling millions worldwide.
Genre: New Wave/Rock
Hits to Know: “Never Tear Us Apart,” “Devil Inside“
3. Tame Impala
Tame Impala is the latest face of Australian music, giving psychedelic rock a new depth. Led by the multinstrumentalist Kevin Parker, their experimental nature creates sounds with hypnotic melodies as well as poignant lyrics and a combination that emotionally and musically strikes through.
Tracks like “The Less I Know, the Better” and “Let It Happen” exemplify Parker’s genius in terms of innovation that can still be accessible. Tame Impala’s global success brought psychedelic rock back to the mainstream while influencing countless artists from pop to hip-hop genres.
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Hits to Know: “Let It Happen,” “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”
4. Midnight Oil
Few bands have used their voice as well as Midnight Oil. Politically charged lyrics and activism were part of the band’s agenda, which included issues like environmental conservation, indigenous rights, and social justice. The anthem “Beds Are Burning” became a rallying cry for Indigenous land rights and remains a powerful symbol of activism through art.
Midnight Oil developed a strong fanship with critical acclaim. Tracks such as “Blue Sky Mine” and “Power and the Passion” demonstrate an ability to merge compelling storylines with energetic instrumentation.
Genre: Rock
Hit Songs: “Beds Are Burning,” “Power and the Passion“
5. The Bee Gees
Although their journey started in the UK, it was in Australia that they found their feet and formed the foundation of their massive success across the globe. Masters of harmony, the Bee Gees are most popularly associated with their disco-era anthems that defined the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever.
Tracks like “Stayin’ Alive” and “How Deep Is Your Love” demonstrate an ability to adapt to current musical trends while still expressing their sound. Their span of influence is seen from their initial pop success to their control of the disco era to the present day.
Genre: Pop/Disco
Hits to Know: “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep Is Your Love”
6. Crowded House
Crowded House might come from New Zealand, but the contribution of this band to the history of Australian music is legendary. Formed in Melbourne in the mid-1980s, this group under the great Neil Finn had emerged as a symbol of sensitive songwriting and skillful pop-rock melodies. Its anthems, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Weather With You,” are testimonies to how its writers can be poetic within introspective lyrics but sound easy and accessible to a common ear.
Many of their songs touch on the subject of personal growth, relationships, and emotional vulnerability, so it is not surprising that the music crosses generations. The emotional resonance, perfect vocals, and songwriting of Neil Finn cement Crowded House as one of the most loved bands in the Australasian region.
Genre: Pop Rock
Hits to Know: “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “Weather With You”
7. Powderfinger
Powderfinger was among the leading bands that took control of Australian music towards the latter half of the 1990s and into the early 2000s. Alternative rock out of Brisbane came into contact with many hearts across its listeners, following in-depth its introspective lyrical material and emotively evoked soundscapes.
Albums like Odyssey Number Five gave their music a peak through such hits as “My Happiness” and “These Days,” which captured the real struggles and triumphs within everyday life. Although the band Powderfinger disbanded in 2010, music remains a very special place for them in Australian culture.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Hits to Know: “My Happiness,” “These Days”
8. Jet
Jet broke its way into the world music scene early in the 2000s, bringing along with it a sound chock-full of raw energy and style reminiscent of classic rock. Its first release, Get Born, simply took off, and songs such as “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” and “Look What You’ve Done” were suddenly sung from memory. Jet brought the old flavor of the rock back to the musical world along with a feeling of modernity to go with it.
Genre: Rock
Hits to Know: “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” “Look What You’ve Done”
9. Savage Garden
Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones achieved global recognition during the late 1990s, performing emotional pop ballads that struck hearts all over the world. Instant classic songs such as “Truly Madly Deeply” and “I Knew I Loved You” will be able to win people’s hearts because of the rich melodies and heartfelt words.
Profound emotions conveyed in their accessible sound helped them attain massive success across international charts.
Although their band career was rather short-lived, Savage Garden’s legacy remains very strong. Their songs remain to be lauded as pop anthems and show the depth of musicianship unmatched by any others in crafting timelessness in music.
Genre: Pop
Hits to Know: “Truly Madly Deeply,” “To the Moon and Back”
10. The Seekers
The Seekers are pioneers who, opening the Australian folk-pop era, occupy a very peculiar place in the history of the music of Australia. They are one of the 1960s products and so, until today, are the first Australian band to have such great success overseas. The Seekers’ ability to craft melodies that bridged cultural and generational gaps set them apart as trailblazers in the global music scene. Their impact did not go far as they opened the highway to other Australian artists around the globe.
Genre: Folk/Pop
Hits to Know: “Georgy Girl,” “I’ll Never Find Another You”
