Few Australian songwriters mix blues, soul, and rock the way Dan Sultan does, and this guide to the 20 best Dan Sultan songs walks through the tracks that built his career. From the raw urban storytelling of his early records to the neo-soul punch of Killer, this list covers two decades of a Melbourne-born, Arrernte/Gurindji artist who never sounds like anyone else on the radio.
Quick Summary: Key Takeaways
- Dan Sultan’s catalog spans blues-rock, soul, and country, anchored by four major studio albums: Homemade Biscuits (2006), Get Out While You Can (2009), Blackbird (2014), and Killer (2017).
- Blackbird reached number four on the ARIA Albums Chart, went gold, and won the ARIA Award for Best Rock Album in 2014.
- Get Out While You Can earned Sultan ARIA Awards for Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album in 2010.
- Killer, produced by Jan Skubiszewski, pushed Sultan toward a harder, more soul-driven sound and picked up three ARIA nominations.
- Deep cuts from Blackbird and Killer sit right alongside the singles on this ranking, since the album tracks often carry just as much weight as the hits.
Your Love Is Like a Song
Pulled from 2006’s Homemade Biscuits, Sultan’s debut record made with longtime collaborator Scott Wilson, this track shows the country-soul blueprint he’d spend the next decade refining. The guitar tone sits warm and a little dusty, closer to a front-porch session than a studio polish job. This one earned Sultan a Single Release of the Year nomination early in his career, and it still holds up as a snapshot of where the sound started.
Old Fitzroy
Named after the Melbourne suburb where Sultan grew up, this Get Out While You Can cut trades in vivid, specific imagery rather than vague nostalgia. The rhythm section stays loose and swinging, giving the vocal room to breathe between lines. Anyone who has ever felt tied to a hometown that shaped them, for better or worse, will recognize the tension running through this song.
Letter
Also from 2009’s Get Out While You Can, “Letter” leans into slower, blues-inflected territory with a vocal performance that carries genuine weight. The arrangement stays sparse on purpose, letting the lyrics do the heavy lifting instead of burying them under production. On headphones, the small guitar flourishes and breath control in the vocal take come through clearly, which says a lot about how tightly this track was recorded.
Nyul Nyul Girl
Featured on the soundtrack to the 2009 film Bran Nue Dae, in which Sultan also made his acting debut, this track pulls from a livelier, more celebratory palette than his studio albums. Horns and a rolling groove push the energy up several notches. It’s a good entry point for listeners who associate Sultan only with slow-burning ballads, since this one moves.
Black Girl
Another Bran Nue Dae contribution, “Black Girl” carries a soulful, gospel-adjacent lift that pairs well with the film’s themes of identity and homecoming. Sultan’s phrasing here leans into the melody rather than pushing against it, which gives the track an easy, uplifting quality. Play this one in the car with the windows down and the chorus does most of the work.
Seeds That You Might Sow
Rounding out the Bran Nue Dae highlights, this track is quieter and more reflective than its soundtrack neighbors. The production keeps things stripped back, favoring acoustic textures over a full band arrangement. It’s a reminder that Sultan’s songwriting instincts were already fully formed well before Blackbird made him a household name.
Shark Attack
Taken from the 2010 live release He Will Have His Way, “Shark Attack” features The Break and Tim Finn, and the collaborative energy is obvious from the first verse. The live setting gives the track a rawer edge than a studio cut would, with the crowd’s presence audible in the mix. That kind of live performance energy is exactly what earns Sultan comparisons to classic blues-rock frontmen.
The Same Man
The second single from Blackbird, recorded with producer Jacquire King in Nashville, “The Same Man” set the tone for the album’s more polished, radio-ready direction. The production is noticeably slicker than Sultan’s earlier work, a shift critics pointed to as proof of his growing ambition. Blackbird went on to peak at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart and eventually earned gold certification, and this track was a big part of that momentum.
Gullible Few
Buried a little deeper in the Blackbird tracklist, “Gullible Few” leans into the album’s bluesier instincts, with guitar work that owes an obvious debt to Sultan’s early influence, Jimi Hendrix. The dynamics swing between restrained verses and a fuller, more urgent chorus. It’s the kind of album cut that rewards a full front-to-back listen rather than a quick skim through the singles.
High Street Riot
This Blackbird track packs a punchier tempo than most of the record, giving the album some welcome variety in pacing. The drums drive harder here, and the vocal delivery matches that urgency line for line. Fans who discovered Sultan through his rock side rather than his soul side tend to gravitate toward this one first.
Make Me Slip
Another standout from Blackbird’s Nashville sessions, “Make Me Slip” balances a soulful vocal performance against a tight, economical arrangement. Nothing here feels overplayed, which speaks to Jacquire King’s production instincts as much as Sultan’s own restraint. It’s a strong example of how the album’s studio polish never smothered the songwriting underneath it.
It Belongs to Us
Closing out several of the standout Blackbird deep cuts, “It Belongs to Us” carries a defiant, communal energy that fits the album’s themes of identity and belonging. The build from verse to chorus feels earned rather than engineered, which is harder to pull off than it sounds. Blackbird’s win for Best Rock Album at the 2014 ARIA Awards owes plenty to tracks exactly like this one, sitting quietly outside the singles list.
Waiting On The End Of The Phone
This Blackbird cut slows the tempo back down, putting the focus squarely on Sultan’s vocal phrasing and the emotional pull of the lyrics. The arrangement gives the melody plenty of open space, which makes the small instrumental details easier to catch. It’s a good late-night listen, the kind of track that suits a quiet room more than a crowded one.
Mountaintop
Recorded for the 2015 live album OpenLIVE, taped during a sold-out show at Melbourne’s National Theatre on the Blackbird tour, “Mountaintop” captures Sultan and his band at full strength in front of an audience. Live versions like this one often reveal how these songs were built to be performed, not just recorded. The energy in the room comes through even on a casual listen through a decent pair of headphones.
Hold It Together
The lead single from 2017’s Killer, “Hold It Together” marked a clear turn toward the harder-hitting, neo-soul direction producer Jan Skubiszewski brought to the record. The mix sits heavier and more modern than anything on Blackbird, with a rhythm section that pulls from soul and pop rather than straight blues-rock. Killer would go on to earn three ARIA nominations, including Best Rock Album, and this track set the stage for that reception.
Drover
Another Killer highlight, “Drover” leans into storytelling with a narrative arc that rewards close listening to the lyrics. The instrumentation stays tight and controlled, letting the vocal carry most of the emotional load. It’s proof that Sultan’s songwriting chops grew alongside his production ambitions rather than getting lost underneath them.
Magnetic
Released as Killer’s first single back in 2016, “Magnetic” leans harder into pop structure than most of Sultan’s back catalog, with a chorus built for repeat plays. The hook lands immediately, which explains why it became one of the most streamed tracks off the album. Anyone building a Dan Sultan playlist for the songs section of a streaming library should have this one near the top.
Kingdom
The title-adjacent centerpiece of Killer, “Kingdom” brings together the album’s soul influences and its rock backbone in one track. The dynamic range here is wide, moving from restrained verses to a chorus that opens the mix right up. It’s a strong showcase for how well the record translates on a good sound system or a solid pair of earbuds, given how much detail sits in the mix.
Nali
A genuine change of pace, “Nali” comes from Sultan’s 2019 children’s album Nali & Friends, produced by Jan Skubiszewski and released through ABC Music. The record hit number one on the Australian iTunes Children’s chart and won Best Children’s Album at the 2019 ARIA Awards. It’s playful and warm, and it shows a different, more personal side of Sultan’s songwriting than the rock and soul records that came before it.
Tarred and Feathered
The title track from Sultan’s 2021 release closes this list on a more stripped-down, mature note. The production favors space over density, letting the song’s themes sit with the listener rather than rushing past them. It’s a fitting bookend to a catalog that started with Homemade Biscuits and never stopped evolving.
Tips for Exploring Dan Sultan’s Catalog
- Start with Blackbird and Killer if the goal is the most polished, radio-friendly material, then work backward to Get Out While You Can for the rawer, bluesier roots.
- Listen to OpenLIVE for a sense of how these songs translate in a live setting, since several tracks hit differently with a crowd behind them.
- Pair a Blackbird or Killer deep-dive with a quiet evening rather than background listening, since the vocal phrasing rewards close attention.
Pro-Tip: The album tracks on Blackbird and Killer often get overlooked in favor of the singles, but tracks like “It Belongs to Us” and “Drover” carry just as much craft. A full album listen, start to finish, gives a much better sense of Sultan’s range than a singles-only playlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Dan Sultan’s music?
Sultan’s sound blends blues, soul, rock, and country, sometimes described as country soul rock and roll. His albums shift in emphasis, with Get Out While You Can leaning bluesier and Killer pushing further into neo-soul and pop territory.
What is Dan Sultan’s most successful album?
Blackbird, released in 2014, is his most commercially successful record. It peaked at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart, was certified gold, and won the ARIA Award for Best Rock Album.
Who produced Dan Sultan’s Blackbird album?
Blackbird was produced by Jacquire King, known for his work with Kings of Leon and Tom Waits, and recorded in Nashville. The Nashville sessions gave the album a noticeably different sonic character than Sultan’s earlier, Melbourne-recorded work.
What awards has Dan Sultan won?
Sultan has won multiple ARIA Awards, including Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for Get Out While You Can in 2010, Best Rock Album for Blackbird in 2014, and Best Children’s Album for Nali & Friends in 2019.
Is Dan Sultan Indigenous Australian?
Yes. Sultan is of Arrernte and Gurindji heritage through his mother, with an Irish-descended father. His cultural background has shaped several of his songs and his broader public work.
What was Dan Sultan’s breakthrough song or album?
Get Out While You Can, released in 2009, is generally considered his breakthrough. It reached number one on Australia’s independent album chart and earned him two ARIA Awards the following year.
Did Dan Sultan act in any films?
Yes. Sultan made his acting debut in the 2009 film adaptation of the musical Bran Nue Dae, and several tracks on this list originally appeared on that film’s soundtrack.
What instruments does Dan Sultan play?
Sultan plays guitar, drums, piano, mandolin, organ, bass guitar, and percussion, alongside his lead vocal work across every studio release.
Does Dan Sultan have a children’s album?
Yes. Nali & Friends, released in 2019 and produced by Jan Skubiszewski, is Sultan’s children’s music project. It topped the Australian iTunes Children’s chart and won Best Children’s Album at the 2019 ARIA Awards.
Where can new listeners start with Dan Sultan’s music?
Blackbird and Killer are the most accessible entry points thanks to their production polish, while Get Out While You Can suits listeners who want the bluesier, rootsier side of his catalog first.