This month was marked by the 21st Annual ARIA Awards, and what an unforgettable birthday party it was – a history-making celebration that proudly reflected the diversity and success of contemporary Australian popular music.

It was a night of high glamour [Daniel Johns wore silver, Delta wore gold, a famous actress turned up on the red carpet in a sheer dress] and wonderful live performances from an extraordinary array of veterans and newcomers alike. See full report of the night here.

The ARIAs have grown into such a huge, national event that even smack-bang in the middle of a federal election campaign, pictures and reports from the ARIAs make it on to the front page of newspapers across the country and into gossip columns all over the world. The live broadcast on Network Ten drew over 1.5 million viewers and was the #1 show for the timeslot in the key 18-49 demographic.

The great Silverchair kicked off proceedings with a dynamic performance of their already classic hit, ‘Straight Lines’, and in many ways, it would turn out to be the trio’s night. The ’Chair put the icing on their comeback by taking home five ARIAs, including several of the biggies such as Album, Single, and Group of the Year awards. It makes them the ‘winningest’ act in the history of the ARIA Awards, a title previously held by John Farnham ever since the first ARIA Awards ceremony back in 1987.

The ARIAs, held in Sydney at Acer Arena on October 28, topped off another great month in Australia music. It was a month that saw Delta Goodrem confirm her status as one of our all-time greats when her third album, simply entitled ‘Delta’, followed its two multi-platinum predecessors straight to the top of the Motorola ARIA album chart. Even the album’s cast-offs would prove to be hits: a song Delta co-wrote for the album but chose not to record [‘Eyes On Me’] was picked up by Celine Dion.

Also making a return to the limelight this month were several other legendary Australian female performers. The Baby Animals, featuring Suze DeMarchi, announced they would soon be making a comeback after a dozen years apart. We also got to hear Divinyls’s first new music in just about as long, while ex-pat Tina Arena returned home with a new recording deal with EMI Music Australia and plans to release her first English album in over six years. In her absence from us, Tina has become both a mum and a huge star in France.

Also this October, tragedy struck a young band from Melbourne called Electric Jellyfish. In the middle of a self-funded tour through America, an accident involving the band’s tour bus in Cleveland claimed the lives of guitarist Hayden Sweeney and his wife Bridget O’Brien. Other members of the band were also seriously injured.

Meanwhile, a benefit concert was held at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre in honour of LA-based Aussie music legend, Max Merritt, who is fighting a crippling auto-immune disorder. The ‘Concert For Max’ featured an array of over 100 acts, including John Paul Young, Ross Wilson and Renee Geyer. It drew more than 2500 friends and fans and raised over $200,000 for Merritt’s on-going treatment.

Also displaying local music’s charitable side, the second Legs 11 festival, which raised money for breast cancer awareness, was staged in Sydney’s Domain and headlined by Missy Higgins. Then on the very last day of October, Powderfinger officially ended its own exhaustive national touring duties with a special show at the Sydney Opera House in honour of the victims of breast cancer. It was a magical way to end an historic month in Australian music.

The Rogue Traders score the biggest new local single of the month with ‘Don’t You Wanna Feel’ spending four straight weeks at #10. It’s a good month for other local dance acts too, with Sneaky Sound System earning another top 40 hit with ‘Goodbye’ peaking at #36. King Cross-based The Potbelleez see their new single, ‘Don’t Hold Back’, chart at #27. In the rock world, multiple ARIA Award winner Silverchair’s single ‘If You Keep Losing Sleep’ hits #16.

It’s a Delta month on the album charts with the songstress’s self-titled third album debuting in the top spot. Another big record comes in the shape of Rogue Traders’ ‘Better In the Dark’ hitting #4. Claire Bowditch, 2006 ARIA Award Best Female Artist winner, is also back with her new album, ‘The Moon Looked On’, which charts at #29. Country and crooners are also represented, with Adam Harvey’s ‘I’m Doin Alright’ coming in at #38, and Eran James’ ‘Ten Songs About Love’ reaching #43.