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First time to be known
In 1975, Dobbyn joined the New Zealand rock band, Th' Dudes, as a guitarist and singer. The band also introduced Dobbyn to a wider public for the first time. -
First Album Release
Right First Time is the debut album by the Th' Dudes, released in May 1979.Dave wrote all the tracks, and the single "Be Mine Tonight" also features vocals by Dobbyn. The song is considered to be one of the greatest songs in New Zealand songwriting. -
The era of "DD Smash"
After the break up of the Th' Dudes in 1980, Dobbyn formed a new pop/rock band, DD Smash, which went on to win many NZ music awards and was a popular live act in both New Zealand and Australia. -
A delayed second album
"Where Are the Boys? " is the second studio album by Th' Dudes, released in 1980. Unfortunately, the band had already broken up by the time when the record was released. But the single "Bliss" from it received a huge popularity and even became an iconic drinking song in New Zealand. -
The first Kiwi album to debut at number one
A year after DD Smash's formation, they released their first album 《Cool Bananas》 which was the first New Zealand album to debut at number one and stayed on the NZ Top Charts for a total of 24 weeks. -
The concert that got out of hand
Free Concerts in Auckland's Aotea Square to Celebrate the End of the 1984 School Year, a power outage at the site caused the audience to riot. Dobbyn, the lead vocalist of DD Smash, who was involved in the concert at the time, was charged with inciting a riot due to inappropriate comments, but was later acquitted. -
Dobbyn Goes Solo
After DD Smash disbanded in 1985, his popularity as a solo artist skyrocketed with his contributions to the film Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale (1986). This was a major move in his career as arguably his two most well-known songs were produced for the film. These were 'Slice of Heaven' (1986) and 'You Outta Be In Love' (1986) which ranked at number one and two on the New Zealand Singles Chart (NZSC) respectively. -
Released his debut solo album - Loyal
After Dobbyn launched a successful solo career, he released his debut solo album, "Loyal". The album was a sonic change from Dobbyn's previous work with the band DD Smash. It also contributed to his transition away from the pub rock of DD Smash and into contemporary pop rock. -
Nearly hit rock bottom
In 1993, Dobbyn released the album "Lament for the Numb". The album was delayed for a year because it was too avant-garde. And Dobbyn lived in Australia for a few years without any success. Fortunately, after the album was released, most of the songs on the album became hits at live shows -
Back to New Zealand, Back on track
After the release of “Lament For The Numb”, Dobbyn has returned to New Zealand. New Zealand musician Neil Finn had also just returned to New Zealand with the end of "Crowded House", and the two of them collaborated on the new album "Twist", which made him famous in New Zealand again. -
A tour criss-crossing New Zealand
In 2000, songwriters Dave Dobbyn, Tim Finn and Bic Runga teamed up for the 'Together in Concert' concert, which toured all over New Zealand, culminating in the release of a best-selling album and a four-night run at Auckland's Civic Theatre. -
Receive a lifetime achievement award
He has won the coveted APRA Silver Scroll Award a record three times and was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Zealand recording industry in 2001.