Midnight Oil were never afraid to get political. Founded in 1976 when legendary frontman Peter Garrett met the members of the band Farm, the Oils played pub rock with a punk edge and an undeniable sense of ambition, earning instant renown for their impassioned live performances. Their classic 1982 LP 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 produced the anthem “Power and the Passion”, which helped take the band from playing Sydney RSLs to stadiums around Australia, as the record went multi-Platinum at home. From there, Midnight Oil broadened their horizons, courting global audiences with their uniquely Australian sound. 1987's Diesel and Dust and 1990's Blue Sky Mining sounded massive, and had the sales to match. Garrett's lyrics addressed the growing movements of environmentalism and Aboriginal rights, and in 2002 he quit the band to go back to Canberra, where he'd serve as MP and Minister for the Environment.