"Blue Sky Mine" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in January 1990 as the first single from their seventh studio album, Blue Sky Mining (1990). The song was inspired by the experiences of workers at the Wittenoom asbestos mines who contracted various asbestos-related diseases. The "blue" refers to blue asbestos, and the "sugar refining company" mentioned in the lyrics refers to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company Ltd, the owner of the mines.
Reception "Blue Sky Mine" peaked at 7 on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart, No. 8 on the Australian Singles Chart, No. 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 on both the Billboard Album Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts. It charted the highest in New Zealand, where it reached No. 2 for two weeks in March 1990. The music video, directed by Claudia Castle, won the ARIA Award for Best Video at the ARIA Music Awards of 1991.ARIA Award previous winners.
Double J named it in the top fifty Australian songs of the 1990s, saying, "It just so happens to also have a beat perfect for fist-pumping and a chorus crafted for hearty singalongs, which is why it appealed to the masses around the world. If even a small percentage of rock'n'roll fans took something from their message, the band's work was not in vain." In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Blue Sky Mine" was ranked number 39, and ranked 99 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.
Reviewed at the time of release, Juke said, "Here the sloganeering is tempered with more musical variety. Organ and harmonica coupled with a more restrained vocal from the bald god brings a welcome change from the heavy-handed breast-beating of recent releases."
Track listings
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for "Blue Sky Mine"Chart (1990)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)56US Cash Box Top 10027
Year-end charts +Year-end chart performance for "Blue Sky Mine"Chart (1990)PositionAustralia (ARIA)35Canada Top Singles (RPM)43US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)26US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)20
Certifications
Release history +Release dates and formats for "Blue Sky Mine"RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Australia29 January 1990United Kingdom5 February 199019 February 19907-inch vinyl (gatefold sleeve)Japan21 March 1990Mini-CDEpic
See also List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1990s List of Billboard number-one alternative singles of the 1990s
References