Famous Australian Lyricists & Songwriters

Olivia Newton-John's breathy voice and stunning beauty made her one of the biggest pop stars of the 1970s. She charmed generations of movie viewers in the blockbuster film Grease. Following a string of country and soft-rock hits, Newton-John starred opposite John Travolta in the 1978  blockbuster Grease, considered as one the most popular movie musicals of all time.

Four-time Grammy-winner Keith Urban had already tasted success in Australia, before making his American debut with a platinum-certified solo album. He knows how to play a variety of instruments, including the sitar, guitar, piano, and mandolin. His track Somebody Like You was named Billboard’s greatest country hit of the 2000s.

Michael Hutchence, co-founder of the Australian rock band INXS, was known for his wild lifestyle, his affairs with celebrities, and his history of drug abuse. He was named to News.com’s list of the 15 greatest Australian singers of all time but unfortunately died by suicide in a Sydney hotel room.

Toni Watson is an Australian singer-songwriter whose single, Dance Monkey, broke Bing Crosby's all-time Australian record by spending 24 weeks at number one position on the ARIA Singles Chart. The single also earned Toni Watson several prestigious awards, such as APRA Music Award and ARIA Music Award.

Australian singer-songwriter, voice-actress and director Sia Furler rose to fame with albums like We Are Born. Moving on, she bolstered her career with albums like 1000 Forms of Fear that debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and singles like Cheap Thrills, her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one. Furler has also co-written hit songs like Diamonds, Titanium and Wild Ones.

Malcolm Young was an Australian musician. He is credited with co-founding the popular rock band AC/DC. He is also credited with popularizing the band and was described by many as the leader and the driving force of the band. Widely regarded as one of the best rhythm guitarists ever, Young was a leading exponent of rhythm guitar in rock music.

Australian actor, dancer and singer-songwriter Keiynan Lonsdale is best-known for playing Wally West/Kid Flash in The CW series The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Other on-screen portrayals of Lonsdale includes Oliver Lloyd in the series Dance Academy and Uriah Pedrad in film The Divergent Series: Insurgent. He has also released the studio-album Rainbow Boy and worked as an MTV VJ.  

Named one among the 12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists by Elle magazine, Australian musician, singer and songwriter Orianthi Penny Panagaris began playing the guitar at the age of three and moved to acoustic by six. At fifteen, she began her professional career, concurrently focusing on songwriting and released her debut independent album at the age of 20. 

Kevin Parker is an Australian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with founding the psychedelic music project, Tame Impala. Over the years, Parker has won several prestigious awards, such as a Brit Award and ARIA Music Awards. 

Jessica Mauboy is an Australian singer, actress, and songwriter. She started hogging the limelight after finishing second in the fourth season of Australian Idol, which was aired in 2006. One of the most successful female artists in Australia, Mauboy has received several awards, such as ARIA Music Awards.

Judith Durham is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter. In 1963, she became the lead singer of the popular folk-influenced pop quartet The Seekers, which became the first Australian pop band to achieve major sales and chart success in the United States and the United Kingdom. Her services to music earned her the title Victorian of the Year in 2015.

Tash Sultana soared to fame with her phenomenally successful single Jungle, which was first posted on YouTube and went viral on social media, gaining a million views in 5 days. The non-binary Australian singer uses the pronoun “they.” She also made it to the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list.

Indiana Evans is an Australian actress, songwriter, and singer. She is best known for playing Matilda Hunter in a TV soap opera titled Home and Away, for which she won the Dolly Teen Choice Award under the Queen of Teen category. Evans is also known for contributing immensely to the 2011 soundtrack for series three of H2O: Just Add Water.

Australian singer-songwriter Jessica Origliasso is one-half of the Australian pop-duo The Veronicas that she formed with her identical twin sister, Lisa Origliasso. They rose to fame with platinum-certified studio-albums like The Secret Life of... and Hook Me Up, and singles like You Ruin Me. They have also acted in the television series Cybergirl and co-designed a fashion line for Target.    

Daniel Johns is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician best known for his association with Silverchair where he was the former frontman and lyricist. Renowned for his guitaring skills, Daniel Johns was ranked 18th on Rolling Stone magazine's 25 Most Underrated Guitarists list in 2007.

Courtney Barnett is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter. Renowned for her witty lyrics and deadpan singing style, Barnett achieved international recognition after releasing her highly successful EP, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas. Over the years, she has won several important awards, such as APRA Music Awards, ARIA Music Awards, and AIR Awards. 

Brody Armstrong is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. She had a tumultuous childhood marred by abuse and violence. She sought solace in music and began her career as a teenager. As a young woman, she was part of many bands with which she released numerous hit albums and singles. She also has a successful career as a soloist. 

Tina Arena is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and musical theatre actress. Having sold more than 10 million records worldwide, Arena is one of the highest-selling Australian artists. Tina Arena has won several national and international awards, including two World Music Awards and seven ARIA Awards so far. In 2015, she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Betty Who is a singer-songwriter best known for her cover of Donna Lewis’ song I Love You Always Forever. Born in Australia, she moved to USA as a young girl to attend Interlochen Center for the Arts. She began her career as an independent artist and later signed with RCA Records. She is openly bisexual. 

Dean Geyer is a South African Australian actor, singer-songwriter, and martial artist. Geyer came into prominence after finishing third in the popular Australian singing competition Australian Idol in 2006. He then released his debut album Rush which peaked at number seven on the ARIA Chart. In 2009, he won the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Award under the Fave Hottie category.

Award-winning Australian singer Kate Miller‐Heidke specializes in both contemporary pop and classical music. Apart from releasing multi-platinum hits such as Last Day on Earth, she has also composed the opera Rabbits and performed at various international music festivals. Her album O Vertigo! became the fastest crowdfunded project on Pledge.

Lisa Origliasso is an Australian singer-songwriter best known for forming the popular pop duo The Veronicas along with her twin sister, Jessica. Origliasso is also known for her humanitarian efforts; in 2006, she joined the Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, an organization that aims at protecting animals and their natural environments.

Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins is known for her chartbusting singles such as Scar and Where I Stood. She has also performed at international events such as TEDx. Her hit album The Sound of White made it to the top 5 of the End of Decade Top 100 Albums Chart in 2010.

Matt Corby is an Australian singer-songwriter. He loved music from an early age and was encouraged by his parents and teachers to follow his passion. As a teenager, he auditioned for the fifth season of the reality TV show Australian Idol and emerged as the runner-up. In the ensuing years, he successfully established himself as a popular singer. 

Jon English was an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. Born in England, he moved to Australia with his family as a young boy. He began his career in music by chance when he was just in his teens. He proceeded to become a famous singer and also ventured into acting. He was the recipient of several awards. 

Billy Thorpe was an English-born Australian record producer and singer-songwriter. He is best remembered for his association with the popular rock band Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs which enjoyed success in the mid-1960s. Thorpe is credited with co-developing the pub rock scene in the early-1970s. In 1991, Billy Thorpe was made an inductee of the ARIA Hall of Fame.