James Dixon Barnes is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music artists of all time.
"Khe Sanh" is the debut single by Australian rock band Cold Chisel, released in May 1978 as a 45 rpm single, and named after the district capital of Hướng Hóa District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam. Written by pianist Don Walker, "Khe Sanh" concerns an Australian Vietnam veteran dealing with his return to civilian life. According to Toby Creswell's liner notes for the band's 1991 compilation album Chisel, the song is also a story of restless youth.
"Beds Are Burning" is a 1987 song by the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, the first track from their album Diesel and Dust. This song was released as the second single from the album. It reached No. 1 in New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, No. 3 in the Netherlands, No. 5 in France, No. 6 in the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, No. 17 in the United States and Sweden.
For the Working Class Man is the second studio album by former Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes, released in December 1985. The album consists of five original tracks and seven remixed tracks that had previously been released on Barnes' 1984 debut album Bodyswerve.
"Flame Trees" is a song by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel from their 1984 album Twentieth Century. One of their best known songs, it was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and keyboardist Don Walker. On its release it reached No. 26 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It resurfaced in August 2011 due to download sales, peaking at No. 54 on the ARIA chart.
"Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group The Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda, the track became a worldwide hit, reaching No.16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1967 in the US, No.1 on the Dutch Top 40 chart, No.1 in Australia and No.6 in the UK, as well as charting in several other countries. In 2001, it was voted "Best Australian Song" of all time by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as determined by a panel of 100 music industry personalities. In 2007, "Friday on My Mind" was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.
"T.N.T." is a song released in 1975 by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, taken from their Australian album T.N.T. and the international version of High Voltage. It was released as a single in 1976 and was written by Bon Scott, Angus Young and Malcolm Young. It peaked at No.19 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The song's title is a reference to the explosive chemical TNT.
"A Pub with No Beer" is the title of a humorous country song made famous by country singers Slim Dusty and Bobbejaan Schoepen.
"Sounds of Then (This Is Australia)" is a 1985 song by Australian rock band, Gang Gajang, from their self-titled debut album, Gang Gajang. "Sounds of Then" was written by front man, Mark "Cal" Callaghan, who provides lead vocals and guitar. He co-produced the album with fellow band member, Graham Bidstrup, and Joe Wissert (Earth, Wind & Fire, Helen Reddy, the J. Geils Band) at Rhinoceros Studios.
"Don't Change" is a song by Australian rock band INXS. It was released as a single from the album Shabooh Shoobah in October 1982. It has been described as the song that made the band internationally famous.
"When the War Is Over" is song by Australian band Cold Chisel from their 1982 album Circus Animals. The song was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and issued as the third single from the album, peaking at number 25 on the national singles chart, and also resurfaced in August 2011 due to download sales.
"Great Southern Land" is a song by Australian rock band Icehouse. It was released on 9 August 1982 as the lead single from their second studio album Primitive Man. It peaked at No. 5 on the Australian Singles Chart, it was later featured in the 1988 Yahoo Serious film Young Einstein, and remains their most popular songs according to listeners of Triple M in 2007.
"(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" is the first single from the fifth studio album by Powderfinger. It was released as a single on 16 June 2003 and reached No. 9 on the Australian Singles Chart, the band's third-highest-charting single to date. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" was ranked No. 97. The music video, directed by Scott Walton, was nominated for Best Video at the ARIA Music Awards of 2003.
"Power and the Passion" is the second single from Midnight Oil's 1982 album 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The song is one of the band's most famous, and it was performed on every Midnight Oil tour since the issue of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 as well as at the WaveAid concert.
"Good Times" is a song by the Australian rock band the Easybeats, written by George Young and Harry Vanda. It was released in June 1968 on their album Vigil, and as a single in July 1968 through Parlophone. It features guest vocals by Steve Marriott of Small Faces, and piano by Nicky Hopkins. The original Easybeats recording reached #22 in Australia. When broadcast by BBC radio, it was reportedly heard by Paul McCartney on his car radio; McCartney apparently rang the station immediately to request a repeat playing.
"Blow Up the Pokies" is a song by the Australian band The Whitlams, released in May 2000 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Love This City, it peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
"Back in Black" is a song by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released as the second US single from their seventh album of the same name in 1980 through Atlantic Records. Notable for its opening guitar riff, the song was written as a tribute to the band's former singer Bon Scott, who died suddenly in February 1980. In 1981, it reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2012, it reached number 65 in Australia and number 27 in the United Kingdom.
"Blackfella/Whitefella" is an Australian rock song written by Neil Murray and George Rrurrambu, recorded by their Aboriginal rock group, Warumpi Band, and released as the second single from their 1985 album, Big Name, No Blankets on Parole Records and Powderworks Records. While not a chart success, the song drew attention to issues of racism in Australia through lyrics that encourage harmony and co-operation by people of all races. The song received national airplay and attention in 1986 when politically charged rockers and Powderworks Records founders Midnight Oil accompanied the band on a free concert tour of remote Aboriginal communities as the Blackfella/Whitefella Tour.
"Boys in Town" is the debut single by Australian rock band Divinyls, released in 1981. The song was written in 1979 and was used on the soundtrack of the 1982 film Monkey Grip, along with several other Divinyls tracks written and recorded for the film, including the single's b-side "Only You". "Boys in Town" was also included on the international version of the Divinyls 1983 debut studio album, Desperate. The song became a success in Australia, entering the singles chart top ten and peaking at number eight.
"Just Like Fire Would" is a song by Australian alternative rock band, the Saints, which is written by the band's lead singer, Chris Bailey, and was released as a single in March 1986. It was the lead single from their seventh studio album, All Fools Day, and peaked at No. 29 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It was produced by Hugh Jones, who had co-produced the album with Bailey. AllMusic's John Dougan reviewed All Fools Day and opined, "One listen to songs as grabbing as 'Celtic Ballad' or the great 'Just Like Fire Would' will convince you that despite the differences, the new Saints were a good band for completely different reasons than the old Saints."
