Midnight Oil - One Of The Finest Australian Rock Bands Ever

Midnight Oil (also known informally as ‘The Oils‘) is one of the finest Australian rock bands ever! The band is rooted in the genres of alternative rock, hard rock, post-punk, and new wave and has been active from 1972 until 2002 and then once more from 2016 onwards. Midnight Oil have also reunited in the period of time between 2002 and 2016 twice, namely in 2005 and 2009.

Midnight Oil was originally formed under the moniker ‘The Farm‘ in Sydney in 1972. Lead singer Peter Garett joined the band one year later in 1973. In 1976, the band changed its name. Subsequently, in 1987, the band achieved worldwide success with the studio album ‘Diesel and Dust‘ which produced 4 hit singles as follows: ‘The Dead Heart‘, ‘Beds are Burning‘, ‘Put Down that Weapon‘, and ‘Dreamworld‘.

The iconic ‘Diesel and Dust‘ studio album by Midnight Oil (released in 1987). Image source: www.blogspot.com

The band continued its worldwide success with their next studio albums, namely ‘Blue Sky Mining‘ (released in February 1990) and ‘Earth and Sun and Moon‘ (released in April 1993). Both LPs produced a major hit single as follows: ‘Blue Sky Mine‘ and ‘Truganini‘. As of 2022, the band sold 20 million copies of their albums worldwide.

With its great musical history behind, Midnight Oil has been one of the most treasured musical acts in Australia, also establishing a solid fandom outside their native country, across Australasia, and even overseas, to Europe and North America.

The lyrics of some of their most well known songs touch on very sensitive and important social issues as well as on the hardships and rights of the indigenous Australians. They released 13 studio albums between 1978 and 2022. Their discography consists of 5 live albums, 6 compilation albums, 5 video albums, and 2 EPs.

The band also won several noteworthy awards by APRA (i.e. the Australasian Performing Right Association) and 11 by ARIA (i.e. the Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards), being also inducted in the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006. They also won other awards such as two Mo Awards in 1990 (in the categories of Rock Group of the Year respectively Rock Performer of the Year), one J Award, and one Countdown Australian Music Award.

Below you can listen to a personal selection of most favourite songs by Midnight Oil. Enjoy, all the best, and rock on!