Forgotten Years

"Forgotten Years" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in April 1990 as the second single from their seventh studio album, Blue Sky Mining (1990). The song peaked at No. 26 on the Australian Singles Chart, No. 1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Chart and No. 11 on the Billboard Album Rock Chart.

"Forgotten Years"
Single by Midnight Oil
from the album Blue Sky Mining
B-side	"Shakers and Movers" "You May Not Be Released"
Released	April 1990 (1990-04)
Length	4:21
Label	CBS Sprint Music
Songwriter(s)	Rob Hirst Jim Moginie
Producer(s)	Midnight Oil Warne Livesey
Midnight Oil singles chronology
"Blue Sky Mine" (1990) "Forgotten Years" (1990) "King of the Mountain" (1990)

The song was inspired by drummer Rob Hirst's grandfather and father's experience of war and how they said it was up to future generations to avoid wars in the future and not to forget how horrible wars are.^{[citation needed]} The music video was filmed in Douaumont Ossuary, France.^{[citation needed]}

Track listings

Australian 7-inch single^[1]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Forgotten Years"	Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie	4:21
2.	"Shakers and Movers"	Moginie, Peter Garrett	4:32

UK 7-inch single^[2]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Forgotten Years"	Hirst, Moginie	4:21
2.	"You May Not Be Released"	Moginie	3:38

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[3] 26 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] 36 France (SNEP)[5] 44 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[6] 24 UK Singles (OCC)[7] 97 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[8] 1 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[9] 11

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[10] 15

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Australia	April 1990	7-inch vinyl	CBS Sprint Music	[3]
Europe		7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl
United Kingdom		7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD
Japan	21 June 1990	Mini-CD	Epic	[11]

See also

• List of Billboard number-one alternative singles of the 1990s