Last week, we released our countdown of the 100 best Australian albums of the 2020s so far.
The list was so much more than a catalogue of releases — it was a reflection of the vastness of modern Australian music and commemoration of how local acts have responded to challenges such as COVID-19 pandemic, cost of living crisis, and operating in a notoriously difficult artistic field.
Sydney favourites 5 Seconds of Summer landed in at No. 22 on the list, while solo albums from three of the four band members, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin, sat pretty in the middle at No. 51, No. 50, and No. 49, respectively.
But it was the absence of Michael Clifford’s debut solo album SIDEQUEST that sparked debate among fans.
After years of leaning more into producing, the 29-year-old songwriter had a decision to make: leave those songs on a hard drive forever or summon the courage to release them to the world. And in July 2025, he did just that. Much like his fellow band members, Clifford wanted SIDEQUEST to feel different, to be something fans wouldn’t ordinarily expect.
Released just three weeks after the cut-off for our countdown, Clifford’s album was not eligible for consideration. Timing aside, however, it embodies the kind of fearlessness seen elsewhere in our list.
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“It would have been really easy for me to make something that was like a nostalgia album, you know what I mean? That would have been really easy for me to throw together some pop-punk songs and go for it… I was really focused on what could push this sound and genre in a direction that feels a little bit unexpected and do something that feels nostalgic but also feels like it’s going forwards in time as well,” Clifford told Rolling Stone AU/NZ in July.
“I think that was also part of the reason why it took me so long to create this. I take a ton of inspiration from electronic music and guys who work incredibly digitally and I think it’s important to take notes from these kids who are making songs in BandLab on their phone, you know? Like, really keeping in mind that that the world is moving forward quicker than I think pop-punk was able to keep up with.
“When I write a song, it’s always gonna come from that place. I’m an alternative emo kid at heart. That’s just like where I write from. But how can I take that and have it not be something that’s been recycled and done before?”
As the album title suggests, his main priority remains with the band. It’s a sentiment that’s been previously echoed by Hood, who hinted at new 5SOS music earlier this year when speaking to Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
Below are the details of the other 5SOS-related albums and projects that landed in our countdown of the 100 best Australian albums of the 2020s so far, chosen from the period January 1st, 2020-July 1st, 2025.
No. 51: Luke Hemmings, When Facing the Things We Turn Away From (2021)
The journey to 5 Seconds of Summer frontman Luke Hemmings‘ debut album started during the Covid lockdowns and was inspired by some of his favourite artists such as Neil Young, The War on Drugs, and Pink Floyd.
As he told Rolling Stone AU/NZ, the album was about his attempt to “understand” himself. “It’s really trying to in a very uncertain time figure out who I am, how I got here, and filling in a lot of gaps in myself in a way,” he said.
“All the lyrics on the album are just trying to understand everything and trying to find my truth and the way I want to live my life from here on in, because I had such a unique time to look back and reflect on what happened.” — Neil Griffiths
No. 50: Calum Hood, ORDER chaos ORDER (2025)
Like Ashton Irwin, Calum Hood wanted his debut solo album, ORDER chaos ORDER, to be a departure from the sounds of 5 Seconds of Summer.
The bassist teamed up with Jackson Phillips, the US musician behind indie rock project Day Wave, to create an album inspired by the likes of Phoenix, M83, and Teddybears.
As Hood told Rolling Stone AU/NZ: “I feel like I really wanted to do something really specific, and something a little more ethereal, a little cooler. I was listening to a lot of Radiohead and I was like, ‘Oh, that would be so cool if I did this, and no one would expect it.’” — Neil Griffiths
No. 49: Ashton Irwin, Superbloom (2020)
As the first member of 5 Seconds of Summer to release a solo album, drummer Ashton Irwin made sure 2020’s Superbloom wasn’t going to sound anything like what you’d expect from a 5SOS record.
The alt-rock album was also deeply personal for Irwin, who co-wrote and produced all of the tracks. Highly impressive for a debut solo effort. — Neil Griffiths
No. 22: 5SOS, 5SOS5 (2022)
By the time 5 Seconds of Summer released their fifth album in September 2022, 5SOS5, they could do no wrong when it came to chart success.
As expected, 5SOS5, the Sydney band’s first album released via BMG, topped the ARIA Albums Chart (marking their fifth consecutive No. 1 record) and also hit the top spot in the UK and No. 2 in the US. It was the first album that 5 Seconds of Summer largely wrote and produced all tracks for the album. — Neil Griffiths
