The music of Australia ranges across a broad spectrum of styles and genres. Some modern trends in Australian music is based on, or concurrent with, similar trends from the United States or United Kingdom and elsewhere, and the music is generally influenced by cross pollination of music from elsewhere; though traditional indigenous Australian music is unique, as it dates back more than 60,000 years to the prehistory of Australia and continues the ancient songlines through contemporary artists as diverse as: Jimmy Little, Warumpi Band, Yothu Yindi, Tiddas, Wild Water, Christine Anu, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Saltwater Band, Nabarlek, Nokturnl, the Pigram Brothers, Coloured Stone, Blekbala Mujik, Kev Carmody, Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter.
A folk club movement developed in Australia under the influence of those in Great Britain. A number of British singers have spent periods in Australia and have included Australian material in their repertoires, e.g. A. L. Lloyd, Martin Wyndham-Read and Eric Bogle.
Indigenous Australian music refers to the music of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Music forms an integral part of the social, cultural and ceremonial observances of these peoples, and has been so for over 60,000 years. Traditional Indigenous music is best characterised by the didgeridoo, the best-known instrument, which is considered by some to be the world’s oldest. Archaeological studies of rock art in the Northern Territory suggest people of the Kakadu region were playing the instrument 15,000 years ago.
The earliest western musical influences in Australia can be traced back to two distinct sources: the first free settlers who brought with them the European classical music tradition; and the large body of convicts and sailors they brought with them, who brought the traditional folk music of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The practicalities of building a colony means that there is very little music surviving from this early period, although there are samples of music originating from Hobart and Sydney that date back to the early 1800s.
The history of jazz and related genres in Australia extends back into the 19th century. During the gold rush locally formed ‘blackface’ (white actor-musicians in blackface) minstrel troupes began to tour Australia, touring not only the capital cities but also many of the booming regional towns like Ballarat and Bendigo.
Australia has a long tradition of country music, which has developed a style quite distinct from its U.S. counterpart. Early roots of Australian Country are related to folk traditions of Ireland, England, Scotland and many diverse nations. "Botany Bay" from the late 1800s is one example. Waltzing Matilda, often regarded by foreigners as Australia’s unofficial National anthem, is a quintessential Australian country song, influenced more by Celtic folk ballads than by American Country and Western music. This strain of Australian country music, with lyrics focusing on strictly Australian subjects, is generally known as "bush music" or "bush band music." The most successful Australian bush band is Melbourne’s Bushwackers, active since the early 1970s.
In the mid-1950s, American rock and roll spread across the world. Sydney’s independent record label Festival Records was the first to get on the bandwagon in Australia, releasing Bill Haley & His Comets’ "Rock Around the Clock" in 1956. It became the biggest-selling Australian single ever.
The "second wave" of Australian rock is said to have begun in about 1964, after the impact of The Beatles. Beat groups like Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs and Ray Brown & The Whispers were followed by The Easybeats, the Bee Gees, The Masters Apprentices, The Loved Ones and cult acts like The Throb. A wave of acts also came from New Zealand, including Ray Columbus & the Invaders, Max Merritt & The Meteors, Dinah Lee, Larry’s Rebels and The La De Das.
The "third wave" of Australian rock began in about 1970 with the last of the early 60s groups dissolving. Few acts from this era attained major international success, and it was even difficult to achieve continued fame across Australia, due to low radio airplay and the increasing dominance of overseas performers on the charts.
Recently, bands such as Cut Copy, The Presets, The Potbelleez, Polo Club, Empire of the Sun and Pnau have made a name for themselves in the genre. The success of The Presets at the 2008 ARIA Awards and the Potbelleez in the mainstream media was indicative of the rapidly growing popularity of electro house in Australia. Cut Copy frontman Dan Whitford has attributed the band’s success to a change in public attitude as much as the band’s quality, explaining "It’s a case partly of timing and a growing awareness of electronic music in Australia". Pnau’s first album, Sambanova, was released in 1999, at a time when many in Australia considered electronic music to be a dying breed. Nonetheless, the band traveled around the US and Europe, and slowly made a name for themselves, and for a rebirth of electronic music in the country.
Hobart