Australian music is known for being wildly eclectic or rock or country-based. Oddly enough, a whole heck of a lot of our famous musicians (particularly those who became famous around the 1970s, when there was a huge explosion of Australian pub rock) were born in the UK and immigrated here. They almost invariably came here as children and got their start in music over here, though, so we can still legitimately claim them as our own (even if singers such as Jimmy Barnes and Colin Hay still sound semi-Scottish). However, nowadays Australian mainstream musicians are sliding more and more into
pop territory, to compete with international artists.
Famous Australian musicians and groups include:
- AC/DC
- Airbourne
- Air Supply
- Vanessa Amorosi
- Amy Meredith
- Angelspit
- Architecture In Helsinki
- Tina Arena - now based in France
- Augie March
- The Avalanches
- Baby Animals
- The Bee Gees (born in the UK, were based in Australia when they launched their musical career)
- The Berzerker
- Birds of Tokyo
- The Birthday Party (Nick Cave's original band)
- Bliss N Eso, a good example of Australian hip-hop.
- Bluejuice
- Bodyjar
- Havana Brown
- The Cat Empire
- Nick Cave
- Kasey Chambers
- Gabriella Cilmi
- Closure in Moscow
- Cold Chisel, and its lead singer Jimmy Barnes, who went on to a solo career after they broke up.
- Matt Corby — an acclaimed Australian folk singer-songwriter
- Crowded House (actually not solely Australian - Neil and Tim Finn are both New Zealanders).
- Israel Cruz
- Cut Copy
- Daddy Cool
- Dead Can Dance
- Kyle Dennis, a notorious cult noise musician.
- Diafrix, another good example of Australian hip-hop. Australia's most successful hip-hop group with ethnic African emcees.
- Diesel
- Divinyls
- Doug Anthony All Stars
- Drapht
- The Easybeats
- Eskimo Joe
- John Farnham
- Frenzal Rhomb
- The Go Betweens
- Giulietta
- Delta Goodrem
- Gotye
- Grinspoon
- Missy Higgins
- The Hilltop Hoods
- Hoodoo Gurus
- The Hot Lies
- Horrorshow, one of the best hip-hop groups to come out of Sydney.
- Hunters & Collectors
- Icehouse
- Natalie Imbruglia
- INXS
- Samantha Jade
- Emily Janes
- Jebediah
- Jet
- Justice Crew
- Killing Heidi
- Kisschasy
- Knife Party
- Steve Lee
- Elen Levon
- The Lime Spiders
- Little River Band
- The Living End
- Magic Dirt
- Masters Apprentices
- Reece Mastin
- Jessica Mauboy
- Men At Work (After all, they come from a land downunder)
- Midnight Juggernauts
- Midnight Oil (the lead singer of which is now a politician)
- Kylie Minogue (along with her sister Dannii)
- Newsboys
- Olivia Newton-John
- Shannon Noll
- Pendulum
- Pogo
- Powderfinger
- The Presets
- Radio Birdman (frontman Deniz Tek was born in America)
- Ricki-Lee
- Helen Reddy
- Regurgitator
- Rogue Traders
- The Saints
- Savage Garden
- Scarlett Belle
- Guy Sebastian
- The Seekers
- Short Stack
- Sia
- Silverchair
- Skyhooks
- Slim Dusty
- Sneaky Sound System
- Spiderbait
- Rick Springfield
- The Temper Trap
- Timomatic
- T.I.S.M. (stands for "This Is Serious Mum". Never seen without their masks, with every song being a bit of a piss-take)
- Thirsty Merc
- Tripod
- Holly Valance
- The Veronicas
- Jack Vidgen
- Stan Walker
- Nikki Webster
- The Whitlams
- The Wiggles
- Gin Wigmore (technically a Kiwi, but there's no index for New Zealand Music...)
- Wolfmother, a more recent band that rapidly gained international acclaim.
- You Am I
- John Paul Young
- Yothu Yindi (Aboriginal Australian Rock Band)
