Is Australian Music At Its Best, Or At Its Worst?

Australia has always had a prominent foot in the door of mainstream film and entertainment, and the same goes in the world of music.

Local artists such as Sia, 5SOS and Flume are all widely recognised acts that are rooted in our sunburnt nation, and with their music firing on all cylinders - not only on a national scale, but also international scale - it is easy to say Australian music is at its best.

Let’s look at Australia’s biggest genres one by one. Firstly, rock-n-roll: Australia has a rich history of rock-n-roll thanks to the pub scene which developed major acts such as INXS, Cold Chisel and AC/DC. Nowadays, you wouldn’t think Australia is as heavily looked upon for rock. However, a bit of research and discovery finds many bands such as Violent Soho, Dz Deathrays and even the likes of Tame Impala filling the quota of a still-relevant rock scene within Australia.

Next: Australian dance music is thriving like never before. Acts such as Peking Duk, Will Sparks and Knife Party are achieving massive accomplishments on a national and international scale. One act who dominates the form is Flume, aka 23-year-old Harley Streten. Born and bred in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, he’s been packing out concerts in North America and Europe over the course of his eight-month international tour. This success, as well as that of others, proves how dominant Australian dance music has become.

Finally: hip-hop. This is a difficult one to gauge in regards to success. As this is my favourite genre and I have an especially deep love for Australian rap, I have some bias. In my humble opinion, Australian rap has come a long way, but still has a longer way to go. While acts such as 360, Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso have experienced success within our nation, there has been little to no ground broken in surrounding lands. While this doesn’t mean Australian hip-hop is a flop, I believe it still has room for improvement. Overall, Australian music is indeed at its best, and it can only be onwards and upwards in the year 2015.

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