Australia has always punched above its weight musically, producing artists who not only dominated their home turf but also conquered the world stage.
From the sweaty pub-rock circuit to glossy international pop, the country’s musicians have shown a knack for combining raw energy with striking individuality. Take AC/DC, whose blistering riffs turned them into one of the biggest rock bands of all time, or Olivia Newton-John, who moved seamlessly between country, pop, and film superstardom. In the 1980s, INXS exploded globally with a sleek mix of funk and rock, while singer-songwriter Paul Kelly earned a reputation as Australia’s poet laureate of everyday life.
But the story stretches much further: new wave outsiders, psychedelic visionaries, political firebrands, and powerhouse voices have all come from Down Under, each shaping the way Australian music is perceived abroad. Whether topping the Billboard charts, filling stadiums, or writing songs that capture the rhythms of ordinary Australian lives, these artists left a legacy impossible to ignore.
This list celebrates the 19 greatest Australian musicians of all time – from household names to cult heroes – who proved that Australia’s musical voice is every bit as powerful, diverse, and enduring as anywhere in the world.
19. Peter Allen
While not necessarily well known for his own recordings, versions of Peter Allen's songs – such as 'I Honestly Love You' by Olivia Newton-John, Melissa Manchester's 'Don't Cry Out Loud' and 'I Got to Rio' by Pablo Cruise are well known around the world. He also penned 'Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do), which gave yacht rocker Christopher Cross a Number 1 single in 1981. Oh, and he also composed 'I Still Call Australia Home', Australia's second unofficial national anthem (after 'Waltzing Matilda'). Allen was married to Liza Minelli (the two are pictured), but died from AIDS in 1992.
18. Angus & Julia Stone
Angus & Julia Stone are an Australian sibling duo known for their atmospheric, folk-infused pop. Blending delicate harmonies with introspective lyrics, their music ranges from intimate acoustic ballads to lush, cinematic arrangements. Breakthrough tracks like 'Big Jet Plane' showcase their signature dreamy storytelling, capturing love, longing, and nostalgia. Both as a duo and through solo projects, they’ve become beloved for their emotional authenticity, understated charm, and ability to craft songs that linger long after the final note.
17. Little River Band
Little River Band's distinctive, harmony-driven soft rock sound achieved major success in the US during the late 1970s and early 1980s. With hits like 'Reminiscing', 'Lonesome Loser', and 'Cool Change', they became one of the few Australian bands to crack the American Top 10 consistently. Their legacy is defined by their polished musicianship and melodic songwriting, influencing the AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) genre.
16. Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy was a trailblazing Australian-American singer whose powerful voice and unapologetic presence made her a feminist icon. Best known for the 1972 anthem 'I Am Woman', she became a symbol of empowerment during the women’s liberation movement. Reddy’s career spanned pop, adult contemporary, and theatrical work, and she earned three Grammy Awards along the way. Beyond her music, she was admired for her resilience, humor, and advocacy for equality in a male-dominated industry.
15. Cold Chisel / Jimmy Barnes
Cold Chisel are an iconic Australian pub rock band, celebrated for their raw energy, storytelling lyrics, and working-class anthems. Formed in the late 1970s, they fused rock, blues, and soul, capturing the grit, humour, and heartbreak of Australian life. Frontman Jimmy Barnes became a defining voice of the band, his passionate, gravelly vocals driving classics like 'Khe Sanh' and 'Flame Trees'.
Beyond Cold Chisel, Barnes forged a hugely successful solo career, releasing multiple chart-topping albums and maintaining his status as one of Australia’s premier rock singers. With electrifying live performances and songs that resonate across generations, Cold Chisel remain a touchstone of Australian rock and cultural identity. Their influence endures in both the band and Barnes’s solo legacy.
14. Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly is Australia’s great songwriting chronicler, a master of storytelling that is wry, tender, and poetic. Across decades, he has captured the nation’s everyday lives, its landscapes, and its characters with unmatched clarity and empathy. From intimate ballads to raucous rockers, his songs blend narrative precision with emotional depth. Kelly’s work resonates across generations, making him not just a musician but a cultural touchstone, chronicling Australia’s joys, struggles, and small, unforgettable moments.
13. Gotye
Belgian born Australian indie rocker Gotye is that rare artist who turned experimental pop into a global phenomenon. Known worldwide for 2011's 'Somebody That I Used to Know', his work stretches far beyond that hit – layering samples, found sounds, and delicate vocals into intimate, inventive soundscapes. A multi-instrumentalist and meticulous studio craftsman, Gotye blends curiosity with emotional honesty. Though he’s released music sparingly, his influence endures, proving that thoughtful, boundary-pushing pop can still capture the world’s attention.
12. John Farnham
John Farnham is Australia’s great comeback story – and one of its most powerful voices. After early fame as a teen pop idol in the ’60s and ’70s, he stunned the nation with 1986’s Whispering Jack, led by the towering anthem 'You’re the Voice'. His vocal range – soaring, warm, and effortlessly commanding – remains iconic. More than a pop star, Farnham became a unifying cultural figure, embodying resilience, reinvention, and the joy of singing at full volume.
11. Silverchair
From teenage grunge prodigies to ambitious art-rock craftsmen, Silverchair’s evolution remains one of Australia’s most striking musical journeys. Emerging with the raw intensity of 1995's grungy, alt-metal Frogstomp, they quickly grew beyond their early comparisons, embracing orchestration, theatricality, and emotional depth. Neon Ballroom confronted inner turmoil with unsettling beauty, while Diorama exploded into bold, lavish art-pop.
10. Midnight Oil
Politically charged and musically thunderous, Midnight Oil forged a sound where anthemic rock collided with a fierce social conscience. Driven by Peter Garrett’s towering presence and impassioned delivery, the band used stadium-sized choruses not to escape the world, but to confront it.
Beds Are Burning stands as their most iconic statement – a rallying cry demanding justice for Australia’s First Nations people, specifically calling for the return of land to the Pintupi, who were displaced from their desert homelands. Yet even at their most urgent, the music is exhilarating: pounding rhythms, chiming guitars, and melodies built to echo across festival fields. Midnight Oil didn’t just entertain – they challenged, informed, and refused to look away.
9. Tame Impala
Kevin Parker’s psychedelic pop vision has quietly reshaped modern music. What began as fuzzy, inner-world rock experiments evolved into shimmering, synth-washed grooves that feel both intimate and cosmic. His studio wizardry has influenced everyone from Rihanna to Travis Scott, and Tame Impala now stands as a blueprint for emotionally rich, mind-altering pop that bridges indie introspection and global mainstream impact.
8. Men at Work
Australia’s quintessential early ’80s pop-rock export, Men at Work blended catchy hooks, quirky humour, and distinctive reggae-inflected grooves. Led by Colin Hay’s idiosyncratic vocals, the band achieved global success with hits like 'Down Under' and 'Who Can It Be Now?', combining lighthearted storytelling with subtle social commentary. Their inventive arrangements and memorable melodies made them international sensations, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the first Australian acts to truly break through worldwide while retaining a uniquely local charm.
7. The Easybeats
Sydney's Easybeats were Australia’s first truly international rock stars, blazing a trail for the country on the global stage. The first Aussie rock song to reach internatgional audiences, their 1966 single 'Friday on My Mind' captured the restless energy of youth with jangling guitars, irresistible hooks, and universal themes of workweek frustration and weekend escape. Beyond its success, the song became a defining anthem of the 1960s, showcasing the band’s knack for clever songwriting, infectious melodies, and vibrant, energetic performances.
6. Crowded House
Led by the gifted Neil Finn, Crowded House are often celebrated as one of Australia’s greatest bands, though their New Zealand origins spark ongoing debate. Blending melodic craftsmanship with poignant lyrics, hits like 'Don’t Dream It’s Over' and 'Weather With You' balance intimacy and anthemic power. Their music resonates across generations, marrying Kiwi sensibility with Australian rock culture, and cementing their place in the region’s musical pantheon as storytellers, craftsmen, and enduringly beloved artists.
5. Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John is one of Australia’s most beloved and versatile musical icons, celebrated for her crystalline voice, charm, and ability to move seamlessly between country, pop, disco, and soft rock. From early hits like 'If Not for You' to global sensations such as 'You're the One That I Want' and 'Physical', she captured international audiences with both talent and charisma.
Beyond her music, Newton-John became a cultural ambassador and advocate for health, wellness, and environmental causes. Her longevity, artistry, and warmth, combined with a remarkable ability to reinvent herself, secure her place as a defining figure in Australia’s musical and cultural history.
4. INXS
INXS are one of Australia’s most successful and influential rock bands, blending slick pop sensibilities with rock swagger to achieve global superstardom. Formed in Sydney in 1977, they combined Michael Hutchence’s magnetic charisma with tight musicianship, crafting hits like 'Need You Tonight', 'Devil Inside', and 'New Sensation' (all from their world-dominating 1987 album, Kick).
The INXS sound fused funk, rock, and danceable grooves, making them a defining act of the 1980s and early ’90s. Touring relentlessly, they conquered international charts and stadiums, bridging the gap between alternative credibility and mainstream appeal. INXS’s rise showcased Australian talent on the world stage, paving the way for future acts, and cemented them as a touchstone of rock excellence, style, and ambition that few homegrown bands have matched.
3. Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue is one of Australia’s most enduring and influential musical figures, seamlessly blending pop, dance, and glam with irresistible charisma. Rising from television fame to global superstardom, she has continually reinvented herself, from the bubblegum hits of 'The Loco-Motion' to the sophisticated electro-pop of 'Fever' and beyond.
Her voice, style, and stagecraft combine accessibility with artistry, while her resilience – battling illness and returning stronger – cements her cultural impact. Kylie’s career spans decades, continents, and genres, making her not just a pop star but a symbol of creativity, perseverance, and the global reach of Australian music.
2. Nick Cave
He's one of the most distinctive and compelling figures in contemporary music: a poet, storyteller, and performer whose work transcends conventional rock. From his early post-punk explorations with The Birthday Party to the brooding intensity of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Cave blends gothic atmospheres, literary sensibility, and raw emotional power.
His songs traverse love, death, religion, and human frailty with dark humor, lyricism, and theatricality, creating narratives that feel both intimate and mythic. Cave’s voice – commanding, mournful, and occasionally menacing – draws listeners into worlds of tension and beauty, while his fearless genre-hopping – from rock to ballads, blues, and orchestral experiments – keeps his output endlessly unpredictable.
Beyond music, Cave’s writing and film work reinforce his singular artistic vision. Few artists have combined literary depth, emotional intensity, and performative charisma as consistently and inventively, making Nick Cave a rare and enduring force in global music.
1. AC/DC
AC/DC are arguably the greatest rock act to emerge from Australia, a band whose raw power, relentless energy, and iconic riffs have defined hard rock for decades. Formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, they quickly carved a distinctive sound: thunderous, driving rhythms, blistering guitar solos, and vocals that combined grit, swagger, and attitude. Their music – anthemic, simple, and devastatingly effective – became a global force, with albums like Highway to Hell and Back in Black cementing their status.
Tragedy struck in 1980 with the sudden death of charismatic frontman Bon Scott, a pivotal moment that might have ended a lesser band. AC/DC instead roared back with Brian Johnson, channeling grief and rage into Back in Black, an album that remains one of the best-selling rock records of all time. Their resilience in the face of personal and professional turbulence, combined with an unwavering commitment to high-voltage rock and roll, has kept them relevant for decades.
AC/DC’s ability to marry unrelenting power with irresistible hooks makes them a symbol of Australian musical pride and one of rock’s most enduring, electrifying acts.
All pics Getty Images
