Midnight Oil

Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil at Vieilles Charrues Festival, 2022
Background information
Also known as	Farm (1972–1976)
Origin	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Alternative rock post-punk hard rock new wave
Years active	1972–2002, 2016–present (reunions: 2005, 2009)
Labels	Powderworks Columbia
Members	Peter Garrett Jim Moginie Martin Rotsey
Past member(s)	Rob Hirst Andrew James Peter Gifford Bones Hillman
Website	www.midnightoil.com

Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band. It formed in Sydney in 1972. The members are Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The lineup also included Bones Hillman (bass) and Rob Hirst (drums and vocals) until their deaths in 2020 and 2026 respectively. Rob Hirst was a founding member of the band.

Midnight Oil issued their self-titled debut album in 1978. They gained a cult following in their homeland. Despite this, they lacked mainstream media acceptance. The band achieved greater popularity throughout Australasia with the release of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982). It featured the singles "Power and the Passion" and "US Forces." The band began to attract an audience in the United States. They achieved their first Australian number one album in 1984. This was with Red Sails in the Sunset. They topped Australlia's singles chart for six weeks in 1985. This was with the EP Species Deceases.

The band found worldwide success in 1987. This was with Diesel and Dust. Its singles "The Dead Heart" and "Beds Are Burning" brought light to discrimination of Indigenous Australians. The latter charted at number one in multiple countries. Midnight Oil had continued global success with Blue Sky Mining (1990) and Earth and Sun and Moon (1993). Both had internet hit single in "Blue Sky Mine" and "Truganini", respectively. They retained an album chart presence in Australia. This was until their 2002 disbandment. The group had some reunions in the 2000s. They fully reformed in 2016. The band released their 15th and final studio album, Resist in 2022. They announced an accompanying tour.

The band's music is often political. They have lent support to multiple causes. The band won eleven ARIA Awards. They were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006. Midnight Oil's legacy has grown since the late 1970s. The group had been cited as an influence by many popular artists. Some of whom, also covered their songs. The band is also renowned for their live performances. They showcase the frenetic dancing of Garrett.

Band members

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

• Midnight Oil (1978)
• Head Injuries (1979)
• Place without a Postcard (1981)
• 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982)
• Red Sails in the Sunset (1984)
• Diesel and Dust (1987)
• Blue Sky Mining (1990)
• Earth and Sun and Moon (1993)
• Breathe (1996)
• Redneck Wonderland (1998)
• Capricornia (2001)
• The Makarrata Project (2020)
• Resist (2022)

Awards and nominations

References

Other websites

Find more about Midnight Oil at Wikipedia's sister projects
	Media from Commons
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Data from Wikidata

• Official website
• Midnight Oil at AllMusic
• Midnight Oil discography at Discogs

• The Deadheart – fan website