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Top Australian Pop Songs – #’s 3 & 4

Sorry for the break there. But I’m back to get one step closer to wrapping up my Top 20 Australian pop songs.

#4 – Guns and Butter by Do-Re-Mi

Do-Re-Mi was one of Australia’s most respected and successful post-punk bands. This Sydney band formed in 1981 and featured Deborah Conway on lead vocals. They hung around until 1988 when Deborah was signed to Virgin Records for a solo deal. Domestic Harmony, their first album on a major label spawned a surprise Top 5 single with Man Overboard, he success of which they were never able to duplicate.

The release of Domestic Harmony was followed in 1986 by a single-only release, the politically-minded Guns and Butter. This single peaked at #48, and was openly critical of then-USA President Ronald Reagan. In 1988 they capped their career with the outstanding album, The Happiest Place in Town. Here’s the video for Guns and Butter.

#3 – The Sound of White by Missy Higgins

Missy Higgins makes another showing on this list with this very early single and the title track of her first album. It was the fourth and final single to be released from the #1 charting album, and was written when she was a teenager about a friend of hers who committed suicide. It climbed to #22 on the charts in August of 2005. I couldn’t find an official video for it, but there are many live versions out there, so I’ve included one of those, as well as the studio version with the lyrics.

 

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Top Australian Pop Songs – #’s 9 & 10

As we enter the Top 10, we get an 80’s classic and the first appearance of a more recent musical find.

#10 – Shark Fin Blues by Missy Higgins

Born in Melbourne, Missy Higgins’ first full-length studio album was released when she was only 21 years old. Since that time she has released four albums, the first three of which have all climbed to the #1 spot on the Australian album charts. Something of a child prodigy when it came to music, she learned classical piano at age 6. She wrote her first song, All for Believing which was recorded on her first album, at the age of 15. Eight years ago, Missy performed alongside best-selling novelist Harlan Coben, at the Boston Public Library. It was delightful to meet such a down-to-earth young woman who learned of her second albums’ Australian gold status while I was chatting with her.

Missy appears twice on this list, both times in the Top 10. This first entry, Shark Fin Blues was lifted off her last full-length album, Oz, an album of covers originally written by Australian artists. Shark Fin Blues was originally recorded by the Drones, and released in 2005. Higgins offers a gorgeous and haunting rendition, accompanied by a stunning video.

#9 – Bitter Sweet by Hoodoo Gurus

Formed in Sydney in 1981, Hoodoo Gurus gained popularity in the States as a alternative/college act. A successful co-headlining tour with the Bangles in the late 80’s was well-received in the States as well. They have released 9 studio albums, their most recent in 2010.

Released as the first single in 1985 off their second album, Mars Needs Guitars, Bittersweet was something of a departure for the Gurus. Lead singer/songwriter Dave Faulkner was quoted as saying, “… I vowed to myself that I would write less comic narratives and try to express my sentiments in a more forthright way. I feel I succeeded with Bittersweet though at the time I didn’t think that a) the band would want to play it and b) our audience would want to hear it. I was happily wrong on both counts.” It climbed to #10 on the Melbourne Record Charts.