Band & Artist Dossier

Midnight Oil

Origin: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia · Active Years: 1972-2002, 2016-present

A detailed catalogue profile for Midnight Oil.

In this archive

1 album / credit record(s) · Alternative Rock

Midnight Oil are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1972 (originally as Farm), known for their driving hard-rock sound, intense live shows, and outspoken political activism on environmental, anti-nuclear, and Indigenous rights causes. Fronted by Peter Garrett, the band broke through domestically with 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982) and achieved worldwide attention with Diesel and Dust (1987), whose singles "The Dead Heart" and "Beds Are Burning" highlighted Indigenous Australian issues. They were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.

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Band Lineup & Member Profiles

Lead vocals, harmonica
1972-2002, 2016-present
Distinctive frontman and later politician who fronted the band throughout its career.
Guitar, keyboards
1972-2002, 2016-present
Founding member and key songwriter.
Drums, vocals
1972-2002, 2016-present
Founding drummer and co-songwriter.
Guitar
1977-2002, 2016-present
Joined as guitarist in 1977, part of the band's classic lineup.
Bass guitar
1980-1987
Replaced founding bassist Andrew James and played on the band's key 1980s albums.

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Photo & Visual Gallery

Complete 1980s Studio Discography

4 studio albums released from 1980–1989 by Midnight Oil. Archived records link directly to full dossiers; remaining releases are queued for harvesting. MusicBrainz source.

♫ 1981
Place Without a Postcard
1981 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting
♫ 1982
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
1982 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting
♫ 1984
Red Sails in the Sunset
1984 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting
Diesel and Dust cover
Diesel and Dust
1987 · Columbia/Sprint
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80s discography & production credits in the archive

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