Peter Garrett: the former Midnight Oil frontman is now Australia's environment minister. Photograph: Mark Baker/AP
Peter Garrett, the former singer of Midnight Oil, was recently appointed environment minister in the new Australian government. His rise through the Labor Party ranks since he was elected in 2004 is usually described as "meteoric". There have been accusations that he's sold out. But isn't that what we expect pop stars and politicians to do?
Being a politician has become so much like being a pop star - it's all about performance, and style over substance - that it's a wonder so few other musicians have stood up to be counted.
The 60s shock rocker first stood for parliament in 1963, contesting the seat recently left warm by John Profumo, for the National Teenage Party. Twenty years on, he was a candidate in that year's notoriously nasty Bermondsey byelection, where Labour's Peter Tatchell, got crucified - so it was nice of him to go and jolly things up. Sutch holds the UK record for standing in - and losing - elections; a top 41. He died in 1999.
Mick Jagger
In 1967 the licentious leftwing Labour MP Tom Driberg almost persuaded Jagger to stand for parliament. Introduced by Allen Ginsberg, Driberg was impressed by how Mick handled himself after the Redlands bust, and thought he could deliver the yoof vote. Things fizzled out when Jagger confessed he had "anarchist feelings", and it became clear that Driberg was more interested in jumping the young Stones' bones.
Jello Biafra
The Dead Kennedys warbler stood for mayor of San Francisco in 1979. Manifesto: "I will ban automobiles, legalise squatting in unoccupied buildings, auction off all high city government positions, clean up Market Street by requiring downtown businessmen to wear clown suits and tear down Pier 39." Jello came a respectable fourth. In 2000, the prankster made a serious bid to gain the US Green Party's presidential candidacy.
Sonny Bono
The most successful pop star turned politico electorally. The one-time Mr Cher was elected Mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988, and was a Republican senator from 1994 until his death. Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger have all demonstrated the allure of celebrity in US politics - and also how they prefer their politicians to be actors.
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Old Raver Chris Peat stood for the Hardcore You Know The Score Party in Stafford in the 1992 general election - which rather fortuitously coincided with the release of the poor man's KLF's first album, Full On... Mask Hysteria.
Dave Hill
The Slade guitarist served on Lower Penn parish council in the 90s, helping organise the annual horse parade and weekly whist evenings in the village hall. Get down and get with it!
Nana Mouskouri
The bespectacled warbler travelled from Eurovision in 1963 to the European Parliament in 1994 - also sporting the same centre-parting. Served as a Greek MEP from 1994 until 1999.
Won Eurovision in 1970. Won a seat in the European Parliament in 1999. Dana Rosemary Scallon stood as an independent on a frightening "family values" ticket. In 1997, she came third in the Irish Presidential election. Might have won if she'd promised voters "all kinds of everything", or stood on an "Anyone But Bono" platform.
Peter Wishart
The former keyboard player for Celtic rockers Big Country and Runrig was elected SNP MP for Perth in 2001. He also plays in the House of Commons hopeless house band, MP4. Runrig's singer, Donnie Munro, stood unsuccessfully for the Scottish Parliament in 1997, but as a Labour Party candidate. Runrig were almost certainly the first band to split because of unionist differences.
Adam Rickitt
In 2005, the Conservative Party announced with much fanfare that former Corrie star and pop poppet, Adam Rickitt, was on David Cameron's A-List of candidates who'd be parachuted into winnable seats. Tragically, the blond bombshell's political career was a short as his stay in the charts. He went on Question Time, and er, that was it. Adam is currently acting in the New Zealand soap, Shortland Street. It is politics' loss.
Blur's drummer stood for Labour in a City of Westminster council byelection in May. The voters in this Tory stronghold gave him a pounding. David Alexander Rowntree came third, polling just 222 votes. He 'd probably have done better if he'd stood in Burnage. Does he have aspirations to become an MP? "I'm just following my nose at the moment."
