Song · Cold Chisel
“Khe Sanh” by Cold Chisel
From the album Cold Chisel (1978)
“Khe Sanh” by Cold Chisel appears on 4 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1989 and 2025. It was first released in 1978 on the album Cold Chisel. Its best result is #1 on the Triple M Ozzest 100 (2018). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #6,916 alternative song of all time.
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"Khe Sanh" was Cold Chisel's first single, a seven-inch that came out in May 1978 from their self-titled album, and it takes its name from a district capital in Vietnam's Quảng Trị Province. Pianist Don Walker wrote it about an Australian Vietnam veteran trying to find his feet back in civilian life, home in a country that gave its returning soldiers a cold welcome. Toby Creswell's liner notes for the 1991 compilation Chisel heard something else in it too: a tale of restless youth.
Walker plays piano and organ, Ian Moss handles the guitar, Phil Small and Steve Prestwich hold down bass and drums, and Dave Blight's harmonica and Peter Walker's acoustic guitar give it a ragged pub-rock edge. It became one of the most popular songs any Australian act has recorded, and the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia has added it to its collection.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 95 | Triple J | Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) | 100 |
| 1998 | 94 | Triple J | Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) | 100 |
| 2018 | 1 | Triple M | Triple M Ozzest 100 (2018) | 100 |
| 2025 | 8 | Triple J | Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs (2025) | 100 |
Also listed as: Khe Sahn.
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