Double J have dedicated this month to celebrating the special gift that is a debut album. After much internal deliberation, we’re excited to share our list of The 50 Best Australian Debut Albums
Today Tim Shiel counts down the first 20, then tomorrow at 12pm Caz Tran and Zan Rowe count them down from 30 to 1, ruminating on what made them so special at the time and the lasting impact that they’ve had.
Double J’s Music Editor, Dan Condon, says “Hearing a brilliant new artist for the first time may be the purest musical experience we have. To trim this list to just 50 records was a heartbreaking, frustrating, painstaking and, altogether difficult experience. But every record below has a spark that made Australia’s ears prick up. It established careers, inspired more great art, and gave us reason to keep searching for that next great new discovery, even when we think we’ve heard it all.”
Double J’s top 50 Australian Debut Albums
1 |
The Avalanches |
Since I Left You (2000) |
2 |
Missy Higgins |
The Sound of White (2004) |
3 |
Tame Impala |
Innerspeaker (2010) |
4 |
Crowded House |
Crowded House (1986) |
5 |
Courtney Barnett |
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015) |
6 |
The Living End |
The Living End (1998) |
7 |
The Saints |
(I’m) Stranded (1976) |
8 |
Sampa The Great |
The Return (2019) |
9 |
Clouds |
Penny Century (1991) |
10 |
Gurrumul |
Gurrumul (2008) |
11 |
Silverchair |
Frogstomp (1995) |
12 |
Divinyls |
Desperate (1983) |
13 |
Flume |
Flume (2012) |
14 |
Wolfmother |
Wolfmother (2005) |
15 |
Kasey Chambers |
The Captain (1999) |
16 |
Archie Roach |
Charcoal Lane (1990) |
17 |
Hoodoo Gurus |
Stoneage Romeos (1983) |
18 |
Jebediah |
Slightly Odway (1997) |
19 |
Julia Jacklin |
Don’t Let The Kids Win (2016) |
20 |
Sunnyboys |
Sunnyboys (1981) |
21 |
Augie March |
Sunset Studies (2000) |
22 |
Jet |
Get Born (2003) |
23 |
Kev Carmody |
Pillars Of Society (1988) |
24 |
The Cat Empire |
The Cat Empire (2003) |
25 |
Grinspoon |
Guide To Better Living (1997) |
26 |
Washington |
I Believe You Liar (2010) |
27 |
Warumpi Band |
Big Name, No Blankets (1985) |
28 |
Radio Birdman |
Radios Appear (1976) |
29 |
Sarah Blasko |
The Overture and the Underscore (2004) |
30 |
PNAU |
Sambanova (1999) |
31 |
Skyhooks |
Living In The ’70s (1974) |
32 |
Baby Animals |
Baby Animals (1991) |
33 |
Christine Anu |
Stylin’ Up (1995) |
34 |
The Sleepy Jackson |
Lovers (2003) |
35 |
Regurgitator |
Tu-Plang (1996) |
36 |
Flowers |
Icehouse (1980) |
37 |
The Presets |
Beams (2005) |
38 |
Thelma Plum |
Better In Blak (2019) |
39 |
Eddy Current Suppression Ring |
Eddy Current Suppression Ring (2006) |
40 |
Falling Joys |
Wish List (1990) |
41 |
Pendulum |
Hold Your Colour (2005) |
42 |
Gang Of Youths |
The Positions (2015) |
43 |
Ruby Hunter |
Thoughts Within (1994) |
44 |
Ball Park Music |
Happiness And Surrounding Suburbs (2011) |
45 |
George |
Polyserena (2002) |
46 |
A.B. Original |
Reclaim Australia (2016) |
47 |
Katalyst |
Manipulating Agent (2002) |
48 |
D.D Dumbo |
Utopia Defeated (2016) |
49 |
Middle Kids |
Lost Friends (2018) |
50 |
Hiatus Kaiyote |
Tawk Tomahawk (2012) |
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