Wallaby Down

Iconic Aussie Songs: Friday On My Mind

Our next selection in the Iconic Aussie Songs series is perhaps one of the most memorable success stories for Australian music: Friday on my Mind by The Easybeats.

It was 1966; rock and roll was in full swing. The Beatles were the most successful band in the world, and numerous bands and artists were following the trend they had set. The Easybeats were, essentially, Australia’s logical response to The Beatles.

Formed by guitarists George Young and Harry Vanda, with vocalist Stevie Wright, The Easybeats were the first Aussie rock band to kick the door down into international success; and Friday On My Mind was the song to do so. In the decades before AC/DC, Silverchair, INXS, and Jet, it would be The Easybeats that formed the beginnings of Aussie bands making their marks overseas.

The tune focuses on the drudge associated with the mundane day-to-day life of 9 to 5 work life, and celebrating the party life of the weekend. While the tone and subject matter resonated strongly with people overseas, the mentality of the song keys very strongly into Aussie culture, embracing the “work hard, party hard” attitude across the country.

In the years since its release, Friday on my Mind has become not only an iconic Aussie song, but an iconic song around the world. For Australians, it signifies the beginnings of Aussie’s venturing into the international music scene… one that would be later followed by Easybeats’ George Young’s younger brothers Angus and Malcolm when they would go on to form a little band that would become known as AC/DC…