Pub rock (Australia)

Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll that peaked in popularity throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and that continues to influence Australian music into the 21st century. It is named after the live music circuit in which most associated bands developed their sound: inner-city and suburban pubs. These often noisy, hot, small and crowded venues favoured loud, riff-based heavy rock.

Australian pub rock emerged in the early 1970s, with bands such as Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Buffalo, Coloured Balls and Blackfeather pioneering the sound by incorporating hard rock and blues rock, and occasionally elements of progressive rock and psychedelic rock. It developed separately from British pub rock, with the Australian sound being heavier, bluesier and more hard-edged.^[1] Later acts such as AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and Cold Chisel expanded the sound further and achieved mainstream success.

In a few Australian cities, particularly Melbourne, pub rock was associated with the Sharpies youth subculture.