10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in 1982 by Columbia Records. It hit number 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart during 171 total weeks. Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974. The band's first US release, it peaked at number 178 on the Billboard 200. At the Countdown Music Awards, it was nominated for Best Australian Album.

In October 2010, the album made the Top 40 of the book 100 Best Australian Albums. It is listed in the Triple J Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time, 2011, at number 21. In December 2021, it was number 19 in Rolling Stone Australias "200 Greatest Albums of All Time" countdown.Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time. Rolling Stone Australia, Rolling Stone Australia, 06 December 2021. Retrieved 06 December 2021.

Content Contrary to the hard rock of Midnight Oil's previous albums, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 has been described as new wave and art rock, with difficult time signatures. Drummer Rob Hirst added, "With that album, we were one of the first Australian bands to get into sequencers and synthesisers. It was quite a landmark album at the time, and still stands up really well, because it managed to combine all the aggression and frustration of Midnight Oil with some amazing studio stuff courtesy of Nick."

The album's closing track "Somebody's Trying to Tell Me Something" contains a note held by the group which continues into the album's runout groove, and emulated on the CD version for just over 40 seconds. This is an approximation of a locked groove, a method used a number of times on vinyl albums (such as Diamond Dogs and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) wherein the ending sound continues into the runout groove indefinitely until the turntable arm is lifted or the automatic return, present on some turntables, kicks in.

Singer Peter Garrett noted: "We wanted, as a band, to make this album lyrically stronger, because these are fucking desperate times. It's very important for us to get immediate, because we can't go on making records like this for years and years and people can't go on ignoring it."

Reception

Mark Deming at AllMusic wrote: "It's remarkably listenable and catchy, offering up one passionate anthem after another. The band's politics are both well considered and unapologetically upfront throughout ... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 was [Midnight Oil's] first undeniably great album and still ranks with their very best." David Fricke said the album "sounds like the end of the world turned up to 10".

The Sun-Herald added: "This extraordinary collection of songs marked the evolution of Midnight Oil from explosive live band to studio act capable of great invention without ever sounding poxy." Roadrunner praised how the band "combine power with intelligence. 10-1 is without doubt their most subtle and intricate offering to date.

Track listing

Charts Weekly Chart (1982+) Peakposition Australian Kent Music Report NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988. 3 Canada (RPM)"RPM100 Albums". RPM, March 3, 1984. 98

Year-end Chart (1983) Position Australian Kent Music Report 2 Chart (1984) Position New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 37

Certifications

PersonnelMidnight Oil Peter Garrett – lead vocals Peter Gifford – bass, vocals Rob Hirst – drums, vocals Jim Moginie – guitars, keyboards Martin Rotsey – guitarsAdditional personnel' Gary Barnacle, Peter Thoms & Luke Tunney – brass (on "Power and the Passion")

References