the australian's top 10 aussie songs.

As part of coverage to mark The Australian’s 50th anniversary, picking only 10 songs to represent half a century of Aussie rock and pop is no easy task. Even picking 20 leaves a lot of classic material sitting by the wayside. I could have chosen 10 others instead of these ones, but after much wrangling and fretting, I stand by these gems as the best Australia has produced. - Iain Shedden


SHEDDY’S TOP 10 (and have your say below)


1. It’s a Long Way to the Top — AC/DC (1975)

Everything about this song is perfect — Bon Scott’s petulant rant about life on the road, the interlocking guitars of the Young brothers and the primitive rumble of the rhythm section, Mark Evans and Phil Rudd. Bagpipes! Most of all it’s a tribute to producers Harry Vanda and George Young, who weave all of the elements together to create a rock ‘n roll classic.

2. Friday on My Mind — The Easybeats (1966)

The Easybeats had enjoyed a string of hits in Australia by the time this arrived, but this song took them to another level. Penned by the aforementioned Vanda and Young, it takes the old “here comes the weekend” premise and wraps it around an intoxicating melange of guitar motifs and harmonies, leading to that celebratory chorus. Sublime.

3. Somebody That I Used to Know — Gotye (feat Kimbra) (2011)

Earworms don’t come much more insistent than this few minutes of delicious pop music from writer Wally de Backer and guest vocalist Kimbra. The duo trades verses on a tale of broken love, nailed to that seductive xylophone hook.

4. Into My Arms — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1997)

Cave’s best love song, a sombre, brittle, exquisite piano ballad on which he sings from the heart. He was compelled to do just that a few months after its release, at the funeral of his friend, Michael Hutchence.

5. Under the Milky Way — The Church (1988)

This song won a readers poll in The Australian six years ago as the best song over the previous 20 years. Penned by Church singer Steve Kilbey and his then girlfriend Karin Jansson, it’s a song about nothing, according to Kilbey. It’s the band’s masterpiece, however — a moody, atmospheric slab of poetic pop.

6. How to Make Gravy — Paul Kelly (1998)

Storytelling is at the heart of many a Kelly song and this is just one where no line, no word, is wasted in conjuring a vivid portrait. In this case it’s the tale of a prisoner longing for his family on Christmas Day.

7. Throw Your Arms Around Me — Hunters and Collectors (1985)

Much maligned by some and butchered in karaoke bars nationwide, this, nevertheless, is a classic piece of pop craftsmanship from H&C and one of singer Mark Seymour’s most romantic lyrics.

8. (I’m) Stranded — The Saints (1976)

While something was stirring in New York and London that would manifest itself in the punk explosion, in Brisbane The Saints had already declared their disenfranchised credentials with this glorious, sneering, frenetic barrage of noise that never fails to sound exciting and dangerous.

9. Into Temptation — Crowded House (1988)

Neil Finn’s pop craftsmanship manifests itself beautifully on this sombre musing on adultery, the sweeping strings adding to the mood of despair and regret. “Experience is cheap/ I should have listened to the warning”.

10. Cattle and Cane — The Go-Betweens (1982)

Another song that expertly paints a vivid canvas, this one of a young boy returning home to the family nest in rural north Queensland. The autobiographical lyric is singer Grant McLennan’s finest few moments as a writer, matched to a tune that exemplifies the Brisbane band’s penchant for angular pop.

So that’s Sheddy’s top 10 — do you agree?

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