Five Massive Australian Bands You Didn't Know Were From Adelaide

Adelaide, South Australia, is often characterized as a small place - some go as far to call it a glorified country town. And it’s true that it is in some ways a quiet city, with a population of less than 1.4 million people (as of 2022). But what Adelaide lacks in size it has, historically, made up for in talent. There have always been artists emerging from Adelaide in spite of the odds, in spite of the fact that the city is not quite on the tour circuit.

On that note, here are five iconic Australian bands who hail from South Australia’s modest capital.

No Fixed Address

This reggae rock group formed in 1979 at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) in North Adelaide, and are so dear to the city that they even have a laneway in the CBD - just off Rundle Mall - named after them.

No Fixed Address have the honour of reportedly being the first Aboriginal band to have travelled overseas. Since their formation, they have released two charting albums and they have been inducted into the Hall of Fame at the inaugural National Indigenous Music Awards as well as into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.

Sister Janet Mead

Who would have thought that the first song produced in Australia to sell one million copies in the US was not a tune belted by the Bee Gees or by Olivia Newton-John - it was, in fact, a Catholic nun from Adelaide.

Sister Janet Mead enjoyed one of the biggest hits of 1974 with a rock remake of The Lord’s Prayer, which peaked at Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year. The track was certified gold in Australia, having sold over one and a half million copies.

A teacher turned unlikely pop star, she was inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame in 2015. More of her fascinating story is covered here.

The Angels

1974 also saw the formation of iconic Australian rock band The Angels. Several of their studio albums peaked in the Australian top 10, including No Exit (1979), Dark Room (1980), Night Attack (1981), Two Minute Warning (1984), Howling (1986) and Beyond Salvation (1990). Several of their songs were also top twenty singles.

The band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in October of 1998. Any Adelaide pub - or Australian pub in general - that pops on Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again is sure to see their patrons get up to dance.

The Masters Apprentices

Another iconic group formed on Adelaide soil, The Masters Apprentices enjoyed a string of Top Twenty chart hits throughout the 60s and 70s.

Fronted by vocalist Jim Keays, they rose to prominence during the 60s “Beat Boom” and start to lean more into a prog-rock sound in the early 70s. They have since been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and the South Australian Music Hall of Fame

And there is perhaps no better Australian anthem of the 70s than that of their massive, poignant single Because I Love You.

Cold Chisel

They need no introduction.

This pub rock band, formed in Adelaide in 1973, is one of Australia’s best-loved music groups. Eight of their studio albums have reached the Australian top five and they have achieved six number one albums on the ARIA Charts.

Jimmy Barnes joined the band on lead vocals in 1975, and has subsequently become of the best-selling Australian music artists of all time. Barnes has achieved 15 solo number-one albums in Australia - more than any other artist, comfortably surpassing the likes of Taylor Swift and Madonna.

These are just some examples of why the Adelaide music scene has always been the one to watch.