Long way to the top: stories of Australian rock & roll

Compiled from the ABC-TV documentary series, “Long way to the top” is an in-depth visual and musical exploration of the cultural and creative explosion created by the arrival of the raucous, untameable voice of youth, otherwise known as rock and roll. Spanning the period 1956-2000 over six episodes, the series celebrates the evolution and re-interpretation of popular music and youth culture in Australia in the second half of the twentieth century. Not only a salute to Australian and New Zealand rock acts that achieved fame, this ‘rockumentary’ series also looks at the voices that struggled to be heard - the influence of the music of subcultures such as the hippies, punk, grunge and dance bands and the effect they have had in creating unique local sounds. Featured acts include: Johnny O’Keffe, Col Joye, Little Pattie, The Deltones, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, The Masters Apprentices, The Easybeats, The Seekers, Chain, Daddy Cool, AC/DC, Hush, Skyhooks, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, INXS, The Birthday Party, Midnight Oil, The Saints, The Models, Divinyls, Mental as Anything, Men at Work, Paul Kelly, Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, Warumpi Band, The Cruel Sea and Silverchair. This version contains 1 hour extra material not seen in the original broadcast series. A comprehensive companion website to the series can be found at http://abc.net.au/longway/