The song deals with issues of land rights for Indigenous Australians and was released in September 1982[1] as the lead single from the band's debut studio album, Spirit of Place.

At the 1982 Countdown Music and Video Awards, "Solid Rock" won Best Debut Single.

[2] In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Solid Rock" was ranked number 13.

According to Howard, the inspiration came on a ten-day camping trip at Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) during 1980 where he had a "spiritual awakening" which brought "the fire in the belly" to the surface over injustices to Australia’s indigenous peoples.

Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described it as "a damning indictment of the European invasion of Australia.