Midnight Oil

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 

Current members
Peter Garrett – lead vocals, harmonica (1976–2002, 2005, 2009, 2016–present)
Jim Moginie – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (1976–2002, 2005, 2009, 2016–present)
Martin Rotsey – guitars (1977–2002, 2005, 2009, 2016–present)

Former members
Rob Hirst – drums, backing and occasional lead vocals (1976–2002, 2005, 2009, 2016–2026; died 2026)
Andrew James – bass (1976–1980), backing vocals (1979–1980)
Peter Gifford – bass, backing vocals (1980–1987)
Bones Hillman – bass, backing vocals (1987–2002, 2005, 2009, 2016–2020; died 2020)

Former touring musicians
 Charlie McMahon – didgeridoo (1984, 1986)
 Glad Reed – trombone (1985–1990, 2009)
 Chris Abrahams – keyboards (1993–1994, 2000)
 Jack Howard – trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards, percussion (2017)
 Andy Bickers – saxophone (2019, 2021–2022)
 Adam Ventoura – bass, backing vocals (2021–2022)
 Leah Flanagan – backing vocals (2021–2022)
 Liz Stringer – backing vocals, acoustic guitar (2021–2022)

 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 

 APRA Awards 

|-
| 1989–90 || "Beds Are Burning" (Peter Garrett, Robert Hirst, James Moginie) || Gold Award || 
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2001 || "Beds Are Burning" (Garrett, Hirst, Moginie) || APRA Top 10 Australian songs || 
|-
| "Power and the Passion" (Hirst, Moginie, Garrett) || APRA Top 30 Australian songs || 
|-
| 2018 || Midnight Oil (Garrett, Hirst, Martin Rotsey, Moginie, Bones Hillman || Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music || 
|-
| 2021 || "Gadigal Land" (Joel Davison, Rob Hirst, Bunna Lawrie) || Song of the Year || 
|-
| 2022 || "First Nation" || Song of the Year || 
|-
|rowspan="2" | 2023
|rowspan="2" | "Rising Seas"
| Song of the Year
|  
|-
| Most Performed Rock Work
| 
|-

 ARIA Music Awards 

|-
| 1987
| "The Dead Heart"
| Best Group
| 
|-
|rowspan="5"| 1988
| "Beds Are Burning"
| Single of the Year
| 
|-
| "Beds Are Burning" (Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie)
| Song of the Year
| 
|-
| Midnight Oil
| Best Group
| 
|-
| Diesel and Dust
| Best Indigenous Release
| 
|-
| Diesel and Dust – Ken Duncan, Creative Type Wart, Gary Morris, Midnight Oil
| Best Cover Art
| 
|-
|rowspan="4"| 1989
|rowspan="2" | "Dreamworld"
| Best Group
| 
|-
| Best Indigenous Release
| 
|-
| "Dreamworld" – Guy Gray
| Engineer of the Year
| 
|-
| "Dreamworld" – Andrew de Groot
| Best Video
| 
|-
|rowspan="8"| 1991
| rowspan="2"|Blue Sky Mining
| Album of the Year
| 
|-
| Best Group
| 
|-
| Blue Sky Mining – Livingstone Clarke
| Best Cover Art
| 
|-
| "Blue Sky Mine"
| Single of the Year
| 
|-
| "Blue Sky Mine" (Hirst, Moginie, Garrett, Martin Rotsey, Bones Hillman)
| Song of the Year
| 
|-
| "Blue Sky Mine" – Claudia Castle
| Best Video
| 
|-
| Midnight Oil – David Nicholas
| Engineer of the Year
| 
|-
| Midnight Oil
| Outstanding Achievement
| 
|-
| 1993
| Scream in Blue – Midnight Oil, Neo One Design
| Best Cover Art
| 
|-
| rowspan="3"|1994 || Earth and Sun and Moon
| Best Group
| 
|-
| Earth and Sun and Moon – Kevin Wilkins, Midnight Oil
| Best Cover Art
| 
|-
| "Outbreak of Love" – Paul Elliott
| Best Video
| 
|-
| rowspan="3"|1998
| 20,000 Watt R.S.L.
| Highest Selling Album
| 
|-
|20,000 Watt R.S.L. – Kevin Wilkins
| Best Cover Art
| 
|-
| "White Skin / Black Heart" – Magoo
| Engineer of the Year
| 
|-
|1999
| Redneck Wonderland – Magoo
| Engineer of the Year
| 
|-
|2004
| Best of Both Worlds
| Best Music DVD
| 
|-
|2006
| Midnight Oil
| Hall of Fame
| 
|-
|2017
| The Overflow Tank – Mitchell Storck
| Best Cover Art
| 
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2019
| Armistice Day
| Best Rock Album
| 
|-
| Midnight Oil
| Best Australian Live Act
| 
|-
|rowspan="5"| 2021
| rowspan="3"| The Makarrata Project
| Album of the Year
| 
|-
| Best Rock Album
| 
|-
| Best Group
| 
|-
| Robert Hambling for Midnight Oil – "First Nation"
| Best Video
| 
|-
| Makarrata Live
| Best Australian Live Act
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2022
| Resist
| Best Group
| 
|-
| Resist. The Final Tour 2022
| Best Australian Live Act
| 
|-

 Countdown Australian Music Awards 

|-
|1981
| Themselves
| Most Consistent Live Act
| 
|-
|1982
| 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
| Best Australian Album
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" |1983
| rowspan="2" | "Power and the Passion"
| Best Australian Single
| 
|-
| Best Promotional Video
| 
|-
| rowspan="4" |1984
| Red Sails in the Sunset
| Best Australian Album
| 
|-
|"Read About It"
|Best Group Performance in a Video
| 
|-
|"Short Memory" – Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil)
|Best Male Performance in a Video
| 
|-
| Themselves
| Most Popular Australian Group
| 
|-
| 1986
| "The Dead Heart"
| Best Australian Single
| 
|-

 Environmental Music Prize 

! 
|-
| 2023
| "Rising Seas"
| Environmental Music Prize
| 
| 
|-

 Helpmann Awards 

! 
|-
| 2005
| Midnight Oil - WaveAid - the Tsunami Relief Concert 
| Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert
| 
|
|-
| 2018
| Midnight Oil - The Great Circle World Tour 2017
| Best Australian Contemporary Concert
| 
|
|-

 J Awards 

! 
|-
| 2022
| Midnight Oil
| Double J Artist of the Year
| 
| 

 Mo Awards 
 (wins only)
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1990
| Midnight Oil
| Rock Group of the Year
| 
|-
| Midnight Oil
| Rock Performer of the Year
| 
|-

 References 

 Other websites 


 [ Midnight Oil] at AllMusic

 The Deadheart – fan website

Category:1970s Australian music groups
Category:1980s Australian music groups
Category:1990s Australian music groups
Category:2000s Australian music groups
Category:2010s Australian music groups
Category:Australian alternative rock bands
Category:Musical groups established in 1976
Category:Musical groups from Sydney
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2002
Category:2002 disestablishments in Australia
Category:1970s establishments in Australia