“My choices are not an all-encompassing list of great Australian songs,” Ian Hulme tells Apple Music. “But they all represent a snapshot in time, an emotional moment captured and preserved forever.” As bassist and one of the founding members of classic pub rock band Choirboys, Hulme made sure this playlist of his favourite Australian songs was heavily steeped in ’70s and ’80s rock, alongside a few extra names, such as country icon Slim Dusty and singer-songwriters Angus & Julia Stone and Gotye. “Sitting down, listening and just looking at the album covers, over and over,” he says, reflecting on his early years of musical discovery. “[Those tracks] just stick to a point of time in your life like an emotional signpost.” Read on for more on his favourite songs. Daddy Cool, “Eagle Rock” “The first track and band I really loved as a 14-year-old. Daddy Cool were it. They had a great rhythm section—the bass and drums had a magical feel. Ross Hannaford on guitar was outstanding.” Billy Thorpe, “Most People I Know Think That I’m Crazy” “I loved the Live! at Sunbury version. I’m sure I’ve played the album thousands of times. Billy Thorpe’s voice is simply amazing, his guitar playing rocked and Gil Matthews on drums delivered. What a drummer.” Richard Clapton, “Girls on the Avenue” “I was a little older but this had the spirit of the Northern Beaches at the time—free and easy. A wonder flavour.” Divinyls, “Pleasure and Pain” “I first saw Divinyls at the Dee Why Hotel along with about 15 other people on a Wednesday night. It was amazing to see a Chrissy Amphlett performance in such a way. The band just blew everyone away, and within a couple of weeks the place was packed, you couldn’t move.” Rose Tattoo, “Rock ’N’ Roll Outlaw” “I first saw Rose Tattoo at a music shop in Brookvale while I was buying guitar stuff. It must have been 1976 or ’77. Seeing a bunch of heavy-looking tattooed dudes in a music store was out of place and so intimidating. They looked tough and rough to this 18-year-old kid.” Slim Dusty, “A Pub With No Beer” “I was playing in a band called Hotlips at the Royal Antler Hotel in Narrabeen in about 1975. We had a residency there, we played every Thursday, Friday and Saturday for a year or two. When the pub shut at 10 pm they would always play ‘A Pub With No Beer’ through the crappy little in-house ceiling speaker system. That was my introduction to Slim Dusty.” Wolfmother, “Woman” “They were like a breath of fresh air. It was a bunch of guys going for warts and all. Their first album was like a magical moment in time captured and then jettisoned upon the world. Hard to do, hard to repeat.” Ian Moss, “Tucker’s Daughter” “Just such a wonderfully uplifting melody from Don Walker that could not be presented by a better guitar and voice.”

Choirboys: Favourite Aussie Songs

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