Maybe not the first, but a powerhouse in the ecological music movement was Midnight Oil. The 80's / 90's was a different time for artists. It wasn't easy to make it as a successful artist to the mainstream expounding political agenda, in the 90's that would change and thanks in part to bands like Midnight Oil. The Australian quintet did not give a fuck.. Their mission was to try to preserve the Australian the wildlife through threats of the big guys - oil companies, mining companies, and neo-governmental aboriginal settlement agencies.
Midnight Oil started playing with that in mind and more. Their biggest hit - "Beds are Burning" literally played out the plight of Aboriginal Australians. With justice against them, they have literally overtaken with fire from the aggressors, the backward thinking policies. Blue Sky Mine is off their second album, also titled Blue Sky Mine. It is one of my favorites.
My friend Miriam, from http://www.miriaminthemidwest.com, is a sweetie. She is also an Australian resident living here. She reminded me recently how much I love Australian artists, from Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy and the Presets, the Church ... but these guys and INXS started it all for me as a kid ~ Midnight Oil (also known informally as The Oils to fans) inspired me deeply. Their call to action lyrics, voiced by singer Peter Garrett as he struts his stuff so uniquely in this video, powerful rhythm and driving tempo makes this one of my favorites. Thank you Miriam! I'll be highlighting Australian music this whole week on here!
