Even though this live album was released in 1972 and thus would've otherwise failed to appear on this site as I'm not going that far back in my retrospectives, it was nonetheless popular enough during the midpoint of the decade to qualify for these lists due to its refusal to die on our charts for many years. In fact, this album frequently recharts due to how ubiquitous it's become in Neil Diamond's catalogue throughout the years.
Peak position #1x29
Although the band already had massive success earlier in the decade with their victory at Eurovision, this was the album that finally made them international superstars thanks to how many hit singles it managed to spawn from the album (back when it was rare for an album to have more than one hit single from it.)
Peak position #1x11
Hit singles
I do I do I do #1
Mamma Mia #1
SOS #1
Rock me #4
I've been waiting for you #49
One artist I will say I have very little patience for going through their albums is Rod Stewart, oh sure he has his audience which still persists to this day, however I'm not among his target demographic which means me being positive towards his music will be a challenge for me. This was his biggest album in his career, likely due to it spawning his biggest hit over in America in the form of its lead single.
Peak position #1x10
Hit singles
Tonight's the night #3
Killing of Georgie #38
You know that these guys were overexposed when a throwaway greatest hits package became one of the biggest albums of the decade in Australia, although I'm guessing this albums success came from its bonus track becoming the biggest hit of the decade here.
Peak position #1x16
There were no signs of Wings slowing down this decade, heck even Countdown couldn't do much to sweep away their popularity in Australia to promote the newer bands as they were able to comfortably chart with the likes of Sherbet and Skyhooks as the decade went on. It's easy to see why as while I'm not a fan of him by any means, Paul's music regardless of who he's playing with has remained timeless over the years.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Listen to what the man said #14
Letting go #34
This was the first album from Fleetwood mac to include American musicians Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks in their lineup, coincidentally this was the album which took them from their early psychedelia roots that got them a hit with "Albatross" in 1969 to a more mainstream audience for the 70's which led to their magnum opus the year later with Rumours.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Rhiannon #13
Say that you love me #38
Although he already achieved massive success earlier in the decade with his second album Just a boy, this fourth album from Leo Sayer made him the superstar we all know him for thanks to containing some of his more iconic work in his catalogue. He would become more known as a singles artist after this album as his subsequent follow-ups spawned huge hits for him without being too successful themselves.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
You make me feel like dancing #2
When I need you #8
How much love #18
I should give out a fair warning to fans of these guys that while their albums were indeed among the more successful of the decade in Australia, that clearly came at the expense of their songs not being hits like they were internationally. Admittedly their brand of soft rock has always endured on our oldie's stations so it's not like their music has been forgotten by any means but that still doesn't make the lack of their singles success any easier to swallow.
Peak position #1x12
Hit singles
New in town #16
This seems to be more of a mainstream pivot for Alice Cooper given how there's less of an emphasis for appealing to the edge lords of the 70's and more of a contemporary audience which seemed to pay off for him as this remains his second most successful album in his career (behind School's out of course.) He would continue watering down his music for a more mainstream market as the decade went on.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Department of youth #7
Only women bleed #50
This is one of the most successful live albums of all time, that's impressive considering how Peter Frampton didn't have much success prior to this album both solo and with his band Humble pie. It's easy to see how this album won him such a dedicated fanbase given how iconic the live tracks remain to this day.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Show me the way #25
There were no signs of Rod Stewart slowing down in the mainstream this decade, even though the launch of Countdown would've swept his type of music away as it permeated the first half of the decade here in Australia, it didn't do any such thing as he continued to thrive along the likes of Queen and Alice Cooper down under.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Sailing #2
This old heart of mine #45
I don't want to talk about it #19
Following the success of their album One of these nights, the Eagles decided to remind audiences of their earlier work by releasing this greatest hits package which in turn became a huge success for them several months prior to when they released their magnum opus Hotel California. If nothing else, their absence on the Australian singles chart is excused by how inescapable their albums were.
Peak position #3
Well, here's a band that's unfortunately been largely forgotten over the decades that was inescapable throughout the 70's, here we have Ol'55 who made a huge splash with this album due to it being an affectionate throwback album to the rockabilly of the 50's as well as the band being regulars on Countdown during its early years. Despite their overwhelming popularity, the band unfortunately called it quits once MTV came around.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
On the prowl #14
Looking for an echo #9
Although these guys had sound success prior to this magnum opus of theirs, this was what made them a household name thanks in no small part to the success of its lead single and how it continues to be a cultural juggernaut even to this day. They did see plenty of success as the decade went on, although nothing would come close to achieving the dizzying success of this album.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Bohemian rhapsody #1
You're my best friend #40
There weren't any signs of this band slowing down as this album continued the success they achieved throughout the first half of the decade, the only thing I can add to this entry is that its success led to them calling their tour Wings over America which in turn led to them naming that their live album from said tour.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Silly love songs #20
This was the first album that was a massive success for the Eagles in Australia, although they did achieve success in their native America during the first half of the decade meaning these guys were unfairly ignored here until Countdown came along. While their albums were inescapable, the same can't be said for the songs themselves as they didn't chart very well during the height of Abba and Sherbet.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
One of these nights #33
Lying eyes #34
Take it to the limit #30
If you're wondering how this guy managed to thrive during the Countdown era in the Australian music scene, it might have something to do with this album being produced by Band lead singer Robbie Robertson, a true selling point of the album seeing as though this fact is plastered on the album cover.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
If you know what I mean #27
Yikes that is some seriously horrifying album art, it appears I'm not the only one who has this opinion as Pink Floyd were forced to issue another picture for the album art back in the day which while more generic, did the job in helping this album become a huge success for them. Nothing would top the success of their previous album Dark side of the moon, but they were really tempting fate with this picture, weren't they?
Peak position #1x4
This was a bit of a return to form following the slightly more mainstream appeal of his previous album, I guess Alice wanted to reassure fans that he wasn't a complete sellout before became as such with his next album. As such this didn't have a huge hit on here like his previous album and subsequent albums did, which is perhaps why he sold out as he likely wanted to have that big hit single which he got.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
I never cry #23
This was the album which took Chicago, a band previously known for their complex albums and instrumentation to a band who made music that would appeal to the same demographic that was into Rod Stewart. I guess it paid for them commercially as it spawned easily their biggest hit with the lead single, but fans have been disappointed ever since its initial release.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
If you leave me now #1
Although this wasn't Sherbet's most successful album in Australia (that honour goes to Slipstream from two years prior) this was the album which briefly made them international superstars due to the success of the title track throughout the world. Like many Australian artists who made it big internationally, this success did them no favours for their subsequent follow ups which each saw diminishing returns here in Australia.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Howzat #1
Gimme love #43
It's odd to see how successful Bryan Ferry was with his second and third album in Australia, mainly because his band Roxy music didn't have much success here until their final album Avalon in the early 80's. In any case we have his second album named after easily his biggest hit down under which managed to take the Australian charts by storm likely due to how inescapable said single was.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Let's stick together #1
Price of love #9
There looked like there was no signs of Marcia's career slowing down as she released her sophomore album one year after her debut, the album was equally as successful as its predecessor thanks to Marcia's vocals standing out from her obvious influence Diana Ross who was still MIA on the charts in Australia. Her third album wasn't as successful overall, however it made up for that by spawning not one but two of her biggest hits.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
I just don't know what to do with myself #6
Your love broke through #38
You may have noticed a distinct absence from Diana Ross on these lists, this is likely due to her being overshadowed by Marcia Hines back in the day as the American born Australian diva of colour was indeed one of the biggest names in our music scene throughout the decade. This was her debut album and one which made her an instant success due to her run as Mary Magdalene in the Australian production of Jesus Christ superstar.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Fire and rain #17
From the inside #10
Well, he may have failed to score a hit single this decade aside from "You are the sunshine of my life," but at least Stevie Wonder had a massive hit with this album during the height of the Countdown era. I guess if there was a negative affect the TV show had on our music scene, it was that many musicians of colour got sidelined in favour of our local talent, not entirely though due to the rise of disco.
Peak position #6
This was a huge success for Abba, although it was a given seeing as though they were on top of the world during the midpoint of the decade. Unfortunately for them, audience quickly grew tired of them as while their subsequent releases were successful, none of them reached the dizzying heights of this and their previous album.
Peak position #1x8
Hit singles
Dancing queen #1
Money money money #1
Knowing me knowing you #9
Even though this wasn't their debut album, this was the album which made AC/DC (or Acadaca as we Aussies like to call them) into a household name due to it spawning some of their more memorable songs as hits upon its initial release. Even though this wasn't the biggest album down under, it nonetheless sparked international interest in the band which resulted in them getting huge crossover appeal throughout the decade.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
High voltage #10
It's a long way to the top #9
TNT #19
There were a lot of successful disco albums this decade, one of the more prominent ones comes from this trio of women (who weren't actually a family) based on the success of their one and only hit they scored throughout the world. While they never saw the success of the likes of Donna Summer or Gloria Gaynor, they did leave their impact on the disco scene as their big hit continues to light up dance floors to this day.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
The best disco in town #3
This was the final bestselling album that John Denver released in his career, although he kept soldiering on throughout the decade and even well into the 80's in an attempt to recreate the success he had this year. I guess he just happened to be in the right place at the right time as country music was all the rage worldwide during the midpoint of the 70's.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
I'm sorry #7
Calypso #7
While many people (me included) will tell you that Bob Dylan isn't what you'd call an audibly pleasing vocalist, it's clear that the success of his music comes from his compositions and songwriting which are two aspects as to how he scored a huge hit with the lead single to this album. Naturally this made him a household name in Australia which allowed him to find massive success during the height of the Countdown era.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Hurricane #7
True to the name of the album, this is indeed more of a blues record from the Rolling stones which sadly costed them success with their singles as there didn't seem to be an obvious hit from the album. That didn't stop the album from being a huge success for them as evidence by its appearance on this list.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Fool to cry #45
This was the first album that Dr Hook released by reinventing themselves as a country band given how their earlier material as a comedy rock band wasn't finding much of an audience outside of their big hit "Sylvia's mother" (and also "Cover of a rolling stone" depending on where in the world you're from.) It was a big hit here in Australia that should be higher on this list but isn't due to being a bit of a sleeper hit with its success.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Only sixteen #8
A little bit more #10
He may not have been among the most successful artists of the decade; however, David Bowie at least has the distinction of having one of the more popular greatest hits albums in the form of this entry. The album would eventually see a sequel in 1990 when it was released as ChangesBowie.
Peak position #8
This was the follow up to Status quo's biggest album On the level, and while it didn't spawn a huge hit for them like that album did, it didn't prevent the album from being any less successful here in Australia proving how well loved these guys were. Sadly, that love began to fade after this album as though they continued to have his, none of their other albums saw the level of success these two did in their catalogue.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Rain #40
Well I think this is as good as time as any to point out that in addition to having more greatest hits packages than any other act combined, some of these albums had themes to them such as this one which was built around their rock track from their catalogue. Anything with the name Beatles on it is going to be an instant success worldwide, so we shouldn't be surprised that this was a success when it came out.
Peak position #4
This was the last album that had Elton John working exclusively with Bernie Taupin until their reunion in 1983, it was a massive success for the pair, suggesting they wanted to end their relationship on a high note but changed their minds when they both saw diminishing returns throughout the rest of the decade.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Sorry seems to be the hardest word #19
While the band had moderate success with their debut album the previous year, this was the album which made them a household name as it convinced us Aussies they were among the likes of the Eagles and Doobie brothers in the realms of soft rock. Their popularity would continue to grow with their next album which would lead to them taking the world by storm by the end of the decade.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Everyday of my life #29
This was the second greatest hits album that Sherbet released in as many years, I know they released two albums since their previous effort, but this was still getting out of hand as fans likely would've bought these two albums given that they were huge successes for them back in the day.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Rock me gently #6
Following the success of their greatest hits package from earlier on this list, America was able to score one more successful album to their name in Australia with this album. I'm not sure why they didn't find more success back in the day as they are known better for their novelty track "A horse with no name" even to this day.
Peak position #12
America had a great run in their career by this point in time, so it makes sense that the band best known for lines such as "there were plants and birds and rocks and things" and "cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain" would have massive success with their greatest hits package given how they were known for so much more than their novelty track "A horse with no name" back then.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Lonely people #43
Following the success of his earlier entry on this list, Billy Joel had little issues with finding success with this album even if he was still yet to have that big hit that would come on his later work. Indeed, he was a rising star in the music industry at this stage even in his native America where he still wasn't the biggest piano man in the music scene.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Say goodbye to Hollywood #45
Santana were one of the more popular bands during the first half of the decade, so it stands to reason that they were able to retain their popularity during the second half even if it they didn't have the same level of buzz they had earlier in their career. This was the first of three successful albums they achieved in Australia during the latter half of the decade, with the other two being more successful.
Peak position #9
This was the only notable success that these guys managed to achieve with one of their albums, although I did say when discussing their big hit that they were the victim of having each of their songs sounding similar to each other which is perhaps why they weren't as big as you would otherwise expect them to be. That said, they've remained in disco royalty since their initial breakthrough for a reason, those songs are catchy to this day.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Get down tonight #44
That's the way I like it #5
Sherbet was on a roll when they released this album a year into the Countdown era, so much so that it led to their biggest hit worldwide "Howzat" shortly after the album cycle finish and made them an international household name.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Life #4
Matter of time #5
Although he wasn't among the biggest singers of the decade, Davis Essex did achieve a string of hits during the midpoint of the decade which would explain why the album with his biggest hit became a massive success for him here in Australia. Even so he did struggle to find success after this album down under, although his popularity did return on occasion over the years in his native UK.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Rolling stone #19
Hold me close #2
This was originally released three years prior under the band's original name Bjorn Benny and Agnetha Frida to deafening silence, likely because that's not a compelling band name to give yourself regardless of what language you speak. The band reissued the album under their new name this year which became a huge success here likely due to how much in love we Aussies were with their music.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Ring ring #7
There seemed to be no stopping these guys as they managed to score a huge hit with their second album this year which spawned two of their more popular tracks in their catalogue. For whatever reason, they would sport themselves as T.M.G after this album, presumably to seem more "hip" and "cool" with the youth of the moment.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Darktown strutters ball #3
Crazy #11
This was the penultimate album that Led Zeppelin released in their career, I'm guessing because the band was already ready to call it quits by this stage but needed to release one more album which they did in 1979 with In through the outdoor. Their artist momentum was what helped them find success over the likes of many artists who made it on Countdown in Australia.
Peak position #4
Well, that's a title that I'm sure no one's going to find offensive, admittedly there has been debate whether or not these guys were pro or anti LGBT as their flamboyant nature suggests they are whilst some of their lyrics suggests they're not. In any case, this was their third album which I guess was provocative enough to drive away some of their previous fans as it wasn't as big as their previous two albums.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Million dollar riff #6
This is my city #32
Blue jeans #12
This had a bit of a cult following to it even prior to when it reached its peak in popularity here in Australia, namely because of the title track which was quickly becoming a huge dance craze across Australia and nowhere else in the world as the decade went on. Of course, the album skyrocketed in popularity here once we Aussies heard the news that Tina had left Ike showing out support for her decision to do so.
Peak position #13
Hit singles
Nutbush city limits #14
Regardless of how you feel about their music, I think we can all agree that Kiss were an amazing live band back in the day which is how they were able to achieve so much success with their live albums over their studio recordings. This was their first live album which boosted their (then) latest single "Rock and roll all nite" up the charts down under and throughout the rest of the world.
Peak position #13
We have another successful album to come from Bay city rollers this decade, it was the third album in a row where they saw massive success within a time span of six months, meaning that there was a bit of overexposure towards the band here in Australia and their native UK.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Give a little love #3
We have one final album from Bay City rollers to feature on this list, it was a success due to it having more of their hits which goes to show you how well loved these guys were in such a short amount of time.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Money honey #3
Rock and roll love letter #9
This was unfortunately the final successful album that AC/DC had with Bon Scott on lead vocals, for some reason their popularity just fell off a cliff after this album became a success for them which is odd because it's not like they were overexposed this decade like many other artists whose popularity declined throughout the 70's.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Jailbreak #10
Dirty deeds done dirt cheap #29
These guys already had massive success at the start of the decade when their self-titled album became a huge crossover success for the NZ band, so the fact that they scored a massive hit with their final album was a bit of a surprise for a couple of reasons. The first was that they only released one album between these two albums and the second is that they gave up once this album became a massive success for them.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Slipping away #2
This was the first album the Doobie brothers released to have Michael McDonald on lead vocals following the departure of Tom Johnson from their previous album due to personal antics. As such the band went in a more adult contemporary direction compared to their southern rock roots from earlier in the decade, this in turn helped them find success along the likes of Eagles and Steve Miller band.
Peak position #7
This serves as the soundtrack to Led Zeppelin's concert film of the same name, naturally it was a big hit here in Australia given how we Aussies were hungry for more material from the band which we wouldn't receive until the end of the decade.
Peak position #8
This was the final successful album to come from Bad company given how the band were among the many victims of the Countdown curse, that is, they were pipped for good things before the show launched and gave their potential success to local artists as well as international artists who appeared on the show instead.
Peak position #9
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Blinded by the light #11
This was the breakthrough album for Billy Joel, although it was originally released three years prior to deafening silence likely due to us Aussies preferring Elton John when it comes to piano men in the music scene. We were eventually won over by this guy when the title track became a surprise hit this year for reasons I can't seem to fathom.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
Piano man #20
Following the success of a live album, Kiss was able to find success with one of their studio albums which made them one of the more popular glam rock bands of the decade despite perhaps arriving a little too late to the party to fully capitalise on the success of Suzi Quatro and Sweet. Their biggest success would come at the end of the decade where they shifted towards a more mainstream market.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Shout it out loud #45
Well, this album might have left a bad taste in people's mouths back in the day, mainly for its lead single which while it was a massive hit, has been left forgotten in Elton's catalogue for being one of the more insensitive tracks in his catalogue. This would be the start of a very dark period for him as he ran into troubles with his partner in crime Bernie Taupin.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Island girl #12
This was the first noticeable success that Roxy Music achieved here in Australia, I guess it's good to know that they managed to have some notoriety here before Bryan Ferry took our music scene by storm with his earlier entry on this list.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Love is the drug #18
While he was far from the most successful artist of the decade here in Australia, at least David Bowie was able to achieve minor success with this album which is largely considered to be one of his best albums due to how highly regarded it remains to this day.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Golden years #34
It seems odd that Roxy music would find success with a live album this early in their career here in Australia given how their popularity wouldn't peak until they reformed at the end of the decade, I guess it was this album which launched Bryan's solo career with his earlier entry on this list.
Peak position #15
This was the album that started it all for Supertramp as they would go on to have massive success later in the decade with their subsequent follow ups, it contains some of their best work which sadly only found an audience once their popularity peaked in the 70's and not upon its initial release.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Dreamer #47
This was the album which launched Donna Summer into the mainstream largely thanks to its title track which took up the entirety of side A on this album due to being stretched out for sixteen minutes. Thankfully side B has more to offer as this was made while Donna fancied herself as an RNB singer, this is perhaps why it's been overshadowed by her later material which sees her firmly in disco.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Love to love you baby #4
There weren't a lot of successful albums from women of colour back in the day, so the fact that Yvonne Fair was able to score a huge hit in Australia through the strength of this albums lead single was impressive to say the least. She never made another album after this so who knows how much more success she could've had if she released a follow up album.
Peak position #13
Hit singles
It should have been me #10
From what I can gather, Reg Livermore was a contemporary of the likes of Peter Allen and other flamboyant performers from Australia that presented their queer identity as an act. He didn't quite see the level of success that his peers did, however he did achieve a massive success with this album thanks to his presence in our pop culture at the time.
Peak position #15
Given how John Lennon had decided to retire from music during this point in time, it only makes sense he would release a greatest hits album to look over his work both solo and with his wife's band since he broke away from the Beatles. Naturally it was a hit here in Australia upon its initial release, however it was a hit again five years later when he tragically passed away.
Peak position #8
JYP was on a roll this decade given how he managed to release his second album which contained his biggest hit, although the true peak of this album's popularity came two years later when the third single became a surprise hit here due to it being chosen as one of his singles for an international market.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
I hate the music #2
Keep on smiling #15
Standing in the rain #12
This is one of two entries to come from the Silver convention on this list, here we have the German trio with their second album which they named after their one and only other hit they had following their Billboard chart topper "Fly robin fly" this year.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Get up and boogie #19
You know that the Silver convention were among the most talked about artists of the moment when one of the members managed to achieve massive success with her own album during the height of their popularity, in fact, Penny Mclean was able to find more success here in Australia as a solo artist than she did with her band largely due to how much we Aussies fell in love with the title track to this album.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Lady bump #9
Given how this managed to spawn two big hits in Australia this year, it makes sense that this album from the novelty band Sailor became a moderate success here even if its novelty prevented it from reaching the dizzying heights of success that its lead single achieved. The novelty also failed to provide any further success for them on their subsequent follow ups.
Peak position #17
Hit singles
A glass of champagne #4
Girls girls girls #21
This is one of many greatest hits albums that the Rolling Stones released throughout their career, it was a decent success here in Australia due to how much they achieved since their last album that they released in this vein.
Peak position #12
This is the second greatest hits package that Sweet found success with here in Australia, mainly because this time it comes packaged with a live album which showcases how great they were as a live band back in the day which no doubt helped it stand out from their other successful album from the previous year.
Peak position #9
This was a live album from Elton John he released during the height of his popularity, it sort of made up for his blunder earlier in the year Rock of the westies given how audiences seemed to have forgotten all about "Island girl" even this soon after it became a massive success for him.
Peak position #11
I guess Elton John wasn't the only artist to release greatest hits albums with the exact same name more than one in his catalogue as this was the first album that Rod Stewart released with this exact name which was done so fourteen years prior to his vastly more successful entry from the start of the 90's.
Peak position #13
Considering how inescapable their debut album was, you'd think that the second album from Hush which contains all of their most recognisable work would've been twice as successful. Alas it appears the success went towards the singles as the album itself struggled to live up to the success of their previous effort.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
Bony maronie #4
Glad all over #8
Rough tough and ready #49
This was the final album that Deep Purple released before they called it quits, although they would return in the mid 80's where they're still going strong to this day as a touring act. This could've been more successful here in Australia had it been released earlier in the decade or indeed if Countdown did not encourage us Aussies to ignore this in favour of all of the local artists on this list alone.
Peak position #11
From what I can gather, Rock Follies was a British TV series that followed a fictitious rock band in their trials and tribulations of making it big, it's kind of like Sweet and sour only made almost a decade prior. Nowadays, the show is best known for being the launching pad of Julie Covington who went on to have a massive hit the following year with her theme to the Evita show.
Peak position #9
It turns out that the silver convention was meant to be little more than sex symbols from Germany (specifically west Germany given this was during the cold war) as it was hard for me to find appropriate album art for this entry for their debut album (let's just say the cuffs on here are for what you're thinking of.) Naturally this was a success thanks to its lead single as well as how sexy the three women were.
Peak position #18
Hit singles
Fly robin fly #11
Given how big the title track was here in Australia for Dorothy Moore, it only makes sense that this breakthrough album she had in her homeland managed to be a modest success down under as well, proving that we Aussies did have some room for musicians of colour in our mainstream after all this decade.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Misty blue #5
Eric Carmen is another artist who had a rather bizarre career when it came to his popularity, this was his debut album after all which promised him massive success as the decade went on due to the success of its lead single worldwide. Alas we wouldn't hear from him again until his appearance on the Dirty dancing soundtrack made over a decade after his debut.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
All by myself #7
This is sandwiched between two of 10cc's biggest albums in their catalogue, although it's worth noting that this was far more successful internationally for the British band than it was here in Australia for reasons I can't seem to fathom.
Peak position #15
It appears that John Denver was quickly struggling to retain his popularity moving forward in the decade given how much of a commercial disappointment this album was compared to his earlier entry on this list. Even so, he was far from yesterday's news with this album which is more than I can say for his later work.
Peak position #13
Given how they had one of the biggest hits of the year here in Australia, it makes sense that this husband and wife duo managed to have a moderate success with the first of only two albums they release, unfortunately Joanna wouldn't live to see the end of the decade (side note 1979 was a bad year for musicians of colour passing away) which is why we never heard from them again.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
We do it #3
Given how their earlier entry on this list was a massive surprise hit for Max Merritt and company, it makes sense that he would release a follow up which proved to be a bad move given how it was only barely a success for them. It was such a disappointment that they would call it quits once they fell off the charts.
Peak position #17
Hit singles
Let it slide #32
In keep with the tradition of having their albums all be self-titled, Chicago decided to make the ninth entry in their catalogue be their first greatest hits package which became a moderate success this year months prior to their earlier entry becoming their biggest success.
Peak position #16
Given that Bob Dylan was at the height of his popularity, it makes sense that he would release a live album which tied in to his earlier entry on this list. It wasn't that successful likely due to him being noticeably an acquired taste when it comes to his live material.
Peak position #17
This is the most recent album from Sweet to appear on my site, mainly because it spawned one of their more memorable hits during the height of their career but also due to it coming off the success of a highly successful greatest hits package from the previous year. They would trouble the charts once more two years later with "Love is like oxygen" before fading into obscurity.
Peak position #17
Hit singles
The lies in your eyes #14
I guess David Essex was considered a killer live act during his prime, that would explain why this live album was a moderate success here in Australia admittedly during the height of his career. It somewhat killed his popularity with us Aussies, however he maintained success in his native UK for the remainder of the decade.
Peak position #11
This flopped here in Australia upon its initial release two years prior, mainly because Abba was seen as a novelty act due to the title track being popular due to it winning Eurovision for 1974, it was given a second chance this year much like the rest of their back catalogue due to the success of their top entry on this list.
Peak position #18
Hit singles
Waterloo #4
Honey honey #30
Hasta manana #16
I guess we Aussies were only interested in the words of Crosby Stills Nash and Young if at least three of the four members were collaborating together, if it's only two (which in this case is Stills and Young) then it'll be a minor success at best and completely forgotten at worst.
Peak position #16
Given how he saw massive success through his performance as Judas in the Australian production of Jesus Christ superstar, it makes sense that Jon English managed to find success with one of his albums even though he did release two albums to little success here in Australia. This took off due to the title track becoming a huge hit for him on our charts.
Peak position #20
Hit singles
Hollywood seven #13
This album only barely makes the cut for this list due to how long it charted in the lower half of our charts back in the day, proving that while we Aussies often overlooked what we now consider to be classics in favour of flavour of the moment entries form earlier on this list, that didn't necessarily mean that they were undiscovered gems overall back in the day.
Peak position #20
He's been described in recent times as the 70's Justin Bieber, I guess Mark Holden at least has a sense of humour when it comes to his music being mocked and ridiculed by fans of "real" music over the years despite this being a decent success for him back in the day. I think the more accurate comparison here is that he's the Australian equivalent of the likes of Leif Garret and Shaun Cassidy.
Peak position #20
Hit singles
Never gonna fall in love again #13
I wanna make you my lady #11
Last romance #11
This was the debut album of the Bellamy brothers, a brotherly duo who began their career at the start of the decade and only released their first album during the height of John Denver's popularity in their native America. It saw some crossover success internationally due to the success of their debut single.
Peak position #19
Hit singles
Let your love flow #6
Given how the title track was one of the biggest hits of the year here in Australia, it only makes sense that this album from Fox would be a moderate success as naturally we Aussies wanted to see what else Noosha Fox and company had to offer from an album that spawned such a massive hit.
Peak position #22
Hit singles
S s s single bed #1
Given how they had one of the biggest hits of the year in the form of "December 63," it's fitting that these guys would release a greatest hits package collecting all the big hits from their back catalogue as well as the handful of solo hits that Frankie Valli had when they went on hiatus.
Peak position #24
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