Compilations and classic songs that put you in mind of the city, from Traveler’s city playlist.
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Compilations:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Midnight Oil exposed Sydney’s suburban complacency on their apocalyptic 1982 masterpiece. “Power and the Passion” is the stand-out track.
Breakfast at Sweethearts
Edgy, urban, alcohol-fuelled 1979 album from rock legends Cold Chisel. Don Walker’s lyrics celebrate Sydney’s seamy underbelly.
Gossip
Singer-songwriter Paul Kelly evokes vivid Sydney imagery on his 1986 album: South Dowling Street, Darlinghurst, and Randwick all receive the Kelly treatment.
Hourly, Daily
Recorded in Sydney, the 1997 release from rockers You Am I is heavy on local lore and suburban lyricism: Circular Quay, the Town Hall steps, milk trucks, and late-night AM radio.
Love This City
1999 album by Sydney band The Whitlams, digging under the city’s skin, exploring social change, urban gentrification, and commercialization.
Classic Songs:
Sydney conjures up a powerful sense of place that songwriters, from rockers to ramblers, can’t help but tap into. Some favorites:
1. “Botany Bay” (traditional ballad) by various artists
2. “Darlinghurst Nights” by The Go-Betweens
3. “Deep Water” by Richard Clapton
4. “From St. Kilda To Kings Cross” by Paul Kelly
5. “If We Can’t Get It Together” by You Am I
6. “Khe Sanh” by Cold Chisel
7. “Power and the Passion” by Midnight Oil
8. “Reckless” by Australian Crawl
9. “Somewhere in Sydney” by Skyhooks
10. “You Gotta Love This City” by The Whitlams
