Midnight Oil discography
 The Oils at Manly Leagues Club in 2005 | |
| Releases | |
|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 11 |
| ↙Live albums | 3 |
| ↙Compilation albums | 3 |
| ↙EPs | 2 |
| ↙Singles | 39 |
| ↙Video albums | 4 |
| ↙Music videos | 35 |
The discography of Australian rock group Midnight Oil consists of eleven studio albums, thirty-nine singles, two EPs, four video albums, three live albums, and three compilation albums. As of 2006, the band had achieved sales of over 12 million units worldwide.[1]
Midnight Oil began under the name Farm in 1972, establishing their own record label 'Powderworks' in 1977. They released their debut self-titled album Midnight Oil in 1978 along with their first single "Run by Night".[2][3] Their first three albums charted in the top 50 of the Australian Kent Music Report; in Australia, Head Injuries was certified gold and Place without a Postcard was certified platinum.
Their fourth album was their first to reach the top 10; 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982) peaked at number three in Australia pushing them to the level of mainstream recognition locally. It also brought their first appearance on the United States charts, peaking at number 178 on the Billboard 200. The album's first single, "Power and the Passion", was their first top ten single in Australia, at number eight. In 1984, Midnight Oil's Red Sails in the Sunset became their first number one album in Australia. It was the first of four in a row between 1984 and 1993. 1985 saw the release of the seminal EP "Species Deceases" featuring the powerful anti-war anthem "Hercules" and the environmentalist anthem "Pictures".
"The Dead Heart" in 1986 became the band's highest-charting Australian single, peaking at number four. It was followed by "Beds Are Burning" at number six, with both singles from the 1987 album Diesel and Dust which edged them into mainstream global recognition. In addition to number one in Australia, Diesel and Dust peaked at number 20 on the United Kingdom Albums Chart; it was certified platinum in the US and three times platinum in Canada. Midnight Oil followed up the success of Diesel and Dust with their seventh studio album Blue Sky Mining in 1990. It was their first and only to peak in the top 20 of the Billboard 200. It brought the single "Blue Sky Mine", which charted at number one on both the US Mainstream and Modern Rock charts. The second single "Forgotten Years" also charted at number one on the Modern Rock chart. Their last Australian number one studio album was Earth and Sun and Moon, bringing another three top ten singles on the US Modern Rock charts.
In the next decade, Midnight Oil released three further studio albums, all of which registered on the top ten charts in Australia, but failed to live up to the success of their earlier efforts. In 1997, the band released the greatest hits album 20,000 Watt R.S.L., which has since achieved four times platinum sales in Australia. In 2002, lead vocalist Peter Garrett announced his decision to leave Midnight Oil, concluding the band's 30-year career.[2]
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [4][5] |
AUT [6] |
NZ [7] |
NOR [8] |
SWE [9] |
SWI [10] |
UK [11] |
US [12][13] |
NLD[14] | |||
| 1978 | Midnight Oil
|
43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979 | Head Injuries
|
36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | AUS: Platinum[3][15] |
| 1981 | Place without a Postcard
|
12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | AUS: 2x Platinum[15][16] |
| 1982 | 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
|
3 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | 178 | — | AUS: 7×Platinum[15][17][18] |
| 1984 | Red Sails in the Sunset
|
1 | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | 177 | — | AUS: 4x Platinum[15] |
| 1987 | Diesel and Dust
|
1 | — | 1 | — | 5 | 7 | 19 | 21 | 11 | AUS: 7×Platinum[15][19] CAN: 3×Platinum[20] SWE: Gold[21] SWI: 2×Platinum[22] UK: Gold[23] US: Platinum[24] |
| 1990 | Blue Sky Mining
|
1 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 20 | 20 | AUS: 5x Platinum[15] CAN: Platinum[20] SWE: Gold[21] SWI: Platinum[25] US: Gold[24] |
| 1993 | Earth and Sun and Moon
|
2 | — | 5 | — | 15 | 5 | 27 | 49 | 57 | CAN: Gold[20] SWI: Gold[26] |
| 1996 | Breathe
|
3 | — | 26 | — | — | 31 | — | 155 | — | AUS: Gold[27] |
| 1998 | Redneck Wonderland
|
7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | AUS: Gold[15][28] |
| 2002 | Capricornia
|
8 | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [5] |
NZ [7] | |||
| 1997 | 20,000 Watt R.S.L.: Collection
|
1 | 18 | AUS: 5× Platinum[29] FRA: Gold[30] |
| 2006 | Flat Chat
|
21 | — | |
| 2012 | Essential Oils
|
7 | 25 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||
Live albums
| Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [5] |
AUT [6] |
SWE [9] |
SWI [10] |
NLD [31] |
NZ [7] | ||||
| 1992 | Scream in Blue: Live
|
3 | 30 | 42 | 28 | 70 | 28 | ||
| 2000 | The Real Thing
|
7 | — | — | — | — | — | AUS: Gold[32] | |
| 2004 | Best of Both Worlds[33] | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||
Extended plays
| Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [4] |
NZ [7] | ||||
| 1980 | Bird Noises | 28 | 48 | AUS: Gold[34] | |
| 1985 | Species Deceases
|
1 | 42 | ||
| 1986 | The Dead Heart[2]
|
— | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Video albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Black Fella White Fella[35] |
| 1990 | Black Rain Falls[35][36]
|
| 1997 | 20,000 Watt R.S.L. The Midnight Oil Collection[35][37]
|
| 2004 | Best of Both Worlds[33]
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [4][5] |
FRA [38] |
NLD [39] |
NZ [7] |
NOR [8] |
SWI [10] |
UK [11] |
US Hot [40][41] |
US Main. [40][41] |
US Mod. [40][41] | |||
| 1978 | "Run by Night" | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Midnight Oil |
| 1979 | "Cold Cold Change" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Head Injuries |
| 1980 | "Back on the Borderline" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | "Don't Wanna Be the One" | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Place without a Postcard |
| "Armistice Day" | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "Power and the Passion" | 8 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 |
| "Read About It" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "US Forces" | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984 | "When the Generals Talk" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Red Sails in the Sunset |
| 1985 | "Best of Both Worlds" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1986 | "The Dead Heart" [A] | 4 | 19 | 40 | 14 | — | — | 62[B] | 53 | 11 | — | Diesel and Dust |
| 1987 | "Beds Are Burning"[A][C] | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 6[D] | 17 | 6 | — | |
| "Put Down That Weapon" | 32 | 34 | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Dreamworld" | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | — | — | 37 | 16 | |
| 1990 | "Blue Sky Mine" | 8 | 25 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 66 | 47 | 1 | 1 | Blue Sky Mining |
| "Forgotten Years" | 26 | 44 | — | 24 | — | — | 97 | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| "King of the Mountain" | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 3 | ||
| "Bedlam Bridge" | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "One Country" | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Sometimes" (Live) | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | Scream in Blue (Live) |
| 1993 | "Truganini" | 10 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 29 | — | 10 | 4 | Earth and Sun and Moon |
| "My Country" | 52 | — | — | 49 | — | — | 66 | — | — | — | ||
| "In the Valley" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 60 | — | — | — | ||
| "Drums of Heaven" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | ||
| "Outbreak of Love" | 57 | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | ||
| 1995 | "Land" | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| 1996 | "Underwater" | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Breathe |
| 1997 | "Surf's Up Tonight" | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "White Skin Black Heart | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Redneck Wonderland | |
| 1998 | "Cemetery in My Mind" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "What Goes On" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Redneck Wonderland" | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999 | "Say Your Prayers" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Real Thing / Capricornia |
| 2000 | "The Real Thing" | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Real Thing |
| "Spirit of the Age" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | "Golden Age" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Capricornia |
| "Too Much Sunshine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002 | "Luritja Way" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Mosquito March" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003 | "No Man's Land" | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Notes
- A^ "The Dead Heart" and "Beds Are Burning" were both released in United States and United Kingdom in 1988
- B^ "The Dead Heart" peaked at number 62 in 1989 after its re-release in the UK; its first release originally peaked at number 68
- C^ "Beds Are Burning " was certified gold in Canada[20]
- D^ "Beds Are Burning" peaked at number 6 in 1989 after its re-release in the UK; its first release originally peaked at number 48
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Used and Abused" | [A] |
| "Cold Cold Change" | [A] | |
| 1981 | "Armistice Day" | David Bradbury[42] |
| 1982 | "No Time for Games" | Ray Argall[42] |
| "Lucky Country" | Ray Argall[42] | |
| "US Forces" | Tony Stevens[42] | |
| 1983 | "Power and the Passion" | Ray Argall[42] |
| "Short Memory" | John Duigan, Ray Argall[42] | |
| 1984 | "Read About It" | Ray Argall[43] |
| 1985 | "Read About It" (Live) | Mark Fitzgerald[42] |
| "Best of Both Worlds" | John Whitteron[44] | |
| "Pictures" | John Whitteron, Tony Stevens[42] | |
| 1986 | "The Dead Heart" | Ray Argall[42] |
| 1987 | "Beds Are Burning" | Andrew De Groot[42] |
| "Put Down That Weapon" | Martin Stauce / John Wilkinson[42] | |
| 1988 | "Dreamworld" | Andrew de Groot / Paul Elliot[42] |
| 1989 | "Hercules" | Mark Fitzgerald[42] |
| 1990 | "Blue Sky Mine" | Claudia Castle[45] |
| "Forgotten Years" | Claudia Castle[42] | |
| "Bedlam Bridge" | Claudia Castle[42] | |
| "King of the Mountain" | John Diaz / Larry Jordan[46] | |
| 1992 | "Sometimes" | Larry Jordan[42] |
| 1993 | "One Country" | Ken Duncan[42] |
| "Truganini" | Josh Taft[42] | |
| "My Country" | Claudia Castle[42] | |
| "Outbreak of Love" | Sally Bongers / Paul Elliott[42][45] | |
| "In the Valley" | Paul Elliott[42] | |
| 1996 | "Surf's Up Tonight" | Maurice Todman[42] |
| "Sins of Omission" | Maurice Todman[42] | |
| "Underwater" | Maurice Todman / Tim Bonython[42] | |
| 1997 | "White Skin Black Heart" | Andrew Lancaster[42] |
| 1998 | "Redneck Wonderland" | Jonathan Cohen[42] |
| "Cemetery in My Mind" | [B] | |
| 2002 | "Mosquito March" (Live) | Jon Olb and Sean Riley[C] |
| "Luritja Way" (Live) | Jon Olb and Sean Riley[C] |
Notes
- A^ These clips were filmed at the Channel Seven television station in Sydney, New South Wales and have no attributable director.[42]
- B^ The name of the Director for these music videos has not been found in reliable sources.
- C^ These clips were filmed for the TV series Live at the Chapel.[47] on 12 February 2002. They were included on a Special Edition release of Capricornia.[48]
Other appearances
| Year | Song contributed | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Wharf Rat" (Grateful Dead cover) | Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead[49] |
| 1998 | "Pub with No Beer" (Slim Dusty cover) | Not So Dusty - A Tribute to Slim Dusty[50] |
| 2002 | "Beds Are Burning" (Live) | Live at the World Café: Vol. 15 - Handcrafted[51] |
| 2003 | "Beds Are Burning" (Acoustic) | The Very Best of MTV Unplugged, Vol. 2[52] |
| 2008 | "Beds Are Burning" (Tamarama mix) | Caution: Life Ahead![53] |
References
- General
- "Midnight Oil discography". Midnight Oil website. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- "Midnight Oil discography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- "Midnight Oil – Discography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
- Specific
- ↑ "The Mighty Midnight Oil to Be Inducted Into ARIA Hall of Fame". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 2006-10-16. Archived from the original on 2007-03-15. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Nimmervoll, Ed. "Midnight Oil". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Midnight Oil'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (DOC). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Midnight Oil discography". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Discographie Midnight Oil". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2009-01-19. Note: some information is in Austrian
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Discography: Midnight Oil (NZ)". Charts.org.nz. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Discography Midnight Oil". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Discography Midnight Oil". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Discography Midnight Oil". Swisscharts.com. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Chart Stats Midnight Oil". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
- ↑ "Artist album chart history: Midnight Oil". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
- ↑ "Midnight Oil > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
- ↑ Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, Hitdossier
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ↑ "Midnight Oil > Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ↑ "Oils’ "10, 9, 8..." tops The Age readers poll". The Music.com.au. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
- ↑ "Midnight Oil: The Early Years". 2PR FM. 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
- ↑ "Midnight Oil's 'Diesel and Dust' celebrates 20th Anniversary". Plug In Music. 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 "CRIA search certifications: Midnight Oil". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Guld-Platina-1987-1998 (Gold-Platinum-1987-1998)" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2009-01-31. Note: some information is in Swedish
- ↑ "Awards 1994 - Singles and Albums". Swisscharts. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ↑ "Statistics - Certified Awards search: Midnight Oil". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Gold & Platinum search results: Midnight Oil". RIAA. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
- ↑ "Awards 1990 - Singles and Albums". Swisscharts. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ↑ "Awards 1993 - Singles and Albums". Swisscharts. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ↑ "Australian Music (The Best of Australian Rock) : Midnight Oil". Informationbrazil.com.au. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
- ↑ "Australian Music (The Best of Australian Rock) : Midnight Oil". Informationbrazil.com.au. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations 2008 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ↑ "Certifications Albums Or - année 1998 (Gold certifications Albums - 1998)". disqueenfrance. Retrieved 2009-01-31. Note: some information in French
- ↑ Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, Hitdossier 1939 - 1994
- ↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations 2000 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 "Best of Both Worlds CD & DVD". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
- ↑ Luke, George. The Rough Guide to Rock: Midnight Oil. Google Books. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 "Midnight Oil > Discography > DVDs & Videos". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
- ↑ "Midnight Oil: Black Rain Falls (1990) (V)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
- ↑ "Midnight Oil: 20,000 Watt R.S.L. - The Midnight Oil Collection (1997) (V)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
- ↑ "Discographie Midnight Oil". French Charts Portal. Retrieved 2008-10-25. Note: some information in French
- ↑ "Discografie Midnight Oil". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2009-01-19. Note: some information in Dutch
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 "Artist Single Chart History: Midnight Oil". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 "Midnight Oil > Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 42.5 42.6 42.7 42.8 42.9 42.10 42.11 42.12 42.13 42.14 42.15 42.16 42.17 42.18 42.19 42.20 42.21 42.22 42.23 42.24 42.25 42.26 20,000 Watt R.S.L. The Midnight Oil Collection (Media notes). Midnight Oil. 1997.
- ↑ "Video Clips". The Dead Heart. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ↑ ""Best of Both Words" (Promotional video)". The Dead Heart. June 2004. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 "History: Winners by Award - Best Video". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ↑ Midnight Oil - Black Rain Falls (Media notes). Midnight Oil. The Dead Heart. 1990.
- ↑ "Live at the Chapel". DVD.net.au. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ↑ "Capriconia (Special Edition)". Discogs. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ↑ "Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ↑ Holmgren, Magnus. "Not So Dusty - A Tribute to Slim Dusty". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
- ↑ "Live @ the World Cafe Volume 15, Handcrafted CD". Xponentialmusic. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ↑ "The Very Best of MTV Unplugged, Vol. 2". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ↑ "CAUTION: Life Ahead!". Cautionlifeahead.com.au. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
External links
- Official website
- Midnight Oil discography at Discogs
- Midnight Oil discography at MusicBrainz
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