Famous Australian Musicians

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.

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. 

Calum Hood is best known as part of the Australian pop-rock group 5 Seconds of Summer, which has delivered hits such as She Looks So Perfect. He has also written songs for artists such as Makeout. He quit his plans of pursuing a soccer career to venture into music.

Australian electronic musician and DJ Harley Edward Streten, is better known as Flume, a moniker he chose inspired by his favorite Bon Iver song. From being a saxophonist in his school band, Flume ended up releasing a debut album that topped the Australian and New Zealand charts.

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.

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.

Colin Hay is an Australian-American musician, actor, singer, and songwriter. Known for his work with popular bands like Men at Work, Hay's music has been immortalized by actor-director Zach Braff, who has used his music in many of his own works. In 2020, Hay was honored at the APRA Awards with the Distinguished Services Award for his contribution to music.

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. 

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.

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.

Jeff Fatt is an Australian actor and musician. Fatt was one of the most popular members of a children's music group called The Wiggles; he was part of the group from its inception in 1991 to 2012. In 2011, Jeff Fatt was honored with the ARIA Hall of Fame Award along with other members of the Wiggles.

Peter Garrett is an Australian musician, activist, environmentalist, and former politician. Renowned for his eccentric dance style and signature bald head, Garrett is best known for his association with the popular rock band Midnight Oil where he performs as the lead singer. A football fan, Peter Garrett supports the Essendon Bombers of the AFL.

Tal Wilkenfeld is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She developed an early interest in music and graduated from Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music. She is the bandleader of her own bands and has also performed in collaboration with artists including Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock, Prince, and Mick Jagger. She is a regular practitioner of meditation. 

Morgan Evans is an Australian country music singer-songwriter. Interested in music from a young age, he performed his first gig when he was just 13. As a teenager, he was part of a local rock trio that also featured his brother, Tom. He released his self-titled debut album in 2014 and has since released several albums, EPs, and singles.  

Tammin Sursok is an actress and singer whose portrayal of Dani Sutherland earned her the Logie Award for Most Popular New Female Talent in 2001. Sursok is also known for her singing skills; her debut studio album Whatever Will Be peaked at number 13 on the ARIA Charts. Apart from acting and singing, Sursok has also been campaigning against bullying.

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. 

Tommy Emmanuel is an Australian guitarist. He started early, becoming a professional musician at the age of six! He initially played with his family band. After the death of his father, he became a part of country music star Buddy Williams’ band. As a young man, he played for many bands and also pursued a solo career. 

Iconic Australian country singer Slim Dusty mirrored the Australian bush life through his songs. His masterpieces include A Pub with No Beer, the first gold-certified Australian track. He earned a record 45 Golden Guitar honors at the Tamworth Country Music Awards but lost his battle with cancer at 76.

Luke Hemmings, the youngest member of the phenomenally successful Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, had started his career with YouTube covers. A promising model, he has graced the cover of Glass Man magazine. He was part of a highly publicized and controversial relationship with social-media star Arzaylea Rodriguez.

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.

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.

Phillip Wilcher is a pianist and composer. He is credited with co-founding the popular children's music group, The Wiggles. Wilcher achieved popularity early in his life as he released his first classical composition at the age of 14, becoming one of the youngest Australian classical composers. Over the course of his career, Wilcher has released more than 100 piano-related works.

Though known as a country singer, Australian singer-songwriter Kasey Chambers also mixes folk, blues, and rock n’ roll in her music. Born to the country singer duo Bill and Diane Chambers, she joined her family band at age 10. She later released chartbusting solo hits such as Not Pretty Enough.

The cofounder of the Australia’s iconic rock band, INXS, Andrew Farriss also serves as its main songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist, and backing vocalist. Opening his first band, Doctor Dolphin, while in high school, he later joined The Farriss Brothers before cofounding The Vegetables, which later became INXS. Winner of many awards, he released his debut album at the age of 62.