Crime ballads are one of the oldest forms of communication about crime, with ballads about well-known offenders – particularly those sentenced to execution – popular in early modern England even before the rise of mass literacy. From its earliest days as a penal colony, such ballads have been popular in Australia as well, particularly ones concerning convicts and bushrangers. The late twentieth century also gave rise to songs about crime in almost all genres of music, from blues to rock, musical theatre to hip hop. The timeline below presents descriptions of key works, and where possible clips of them being performed.
Learning Activity
Having examined the timeline, think about the following questions:
- What are the main themes pertaining to crime evident in Australian musical culture?
- Many of the folk songs were conceived in the nineteenth century but continue to be recorded by popular artists today. What do you think gives them this longevity?
- How are criminals depicted in these songs?
- Whose perspectives and stories are absent from the songs?
- Based on this timeline, how have representations of crime in Australian musical culture shifted or developed across time?
Further Resources
The Traditional Ballad Index offers information about the origins and historical basis of hundreds of folk ballads from around the world, including many from Australia related to convicts, bushrangers or other crime events. 
To learn more about the relationship between music and crime (particularly violent crime), consult Bruce Johnson and Martin Cloonan’s book Dark Side of the Tune: Popular Music and Violence.