Were it not for a live album from Neil Diamond from earlier in the decade, this would've been the most successful album of the 70's in Australia, I'm glad it is as even to this day the album continues to receive a ton of love from the music community thanks to how iconic the songs remain. To think that this was an album built around the behind-the-scenes drama that the band was going through at the time.
Peak position #1x8
Hit singles
Go your own way #20
Dreams #19
Don't stop #30
Although these guys already had moderate success earlier in the decade, this was the album which finally made them into a household name thanks to them living up to their band name with the sound of this album. Indeed, Jeff Lynne and company hired an actual orchestra to create the sound they were going for on this album, which resulted in audiences who were into the rock opera of the day flocking to their album.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
Living thing #2
Rockaria #10
Telephone line #10
This is another album that took its sweet time in taking off upon its initial release, however once it managed to spawn a huge hit (or in Australia's case a double A-side with two of its singles on it) it became a huge success for Boz Scaggs worldwide. This led to him releasing a follow-up during its chart run which also became a huge success for him.
Peak position #1x18
Hit singles
Lido shuffle #2
What can I say #2
Well regardless of how you feel about this theatrical adaptation of the Broadway show set in the 50's (I personally love it) there's no denying that the soundtrack left a mark on audiences back in the day as it was by far the most successful to emerge from the 70's and arguably of all time. This is due to how much chemistry the two leads have both in the film and with the songs, regardless of John's deficiencies as a vocalist.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
You're the one that I want #1
Grease #2
Hopelessly devoted to you #2
Summer nights #6
Greased lightning #40
For someone who's constantly evolving her sound, you'd be surprised at how little success Linda Ronstadt has had with her music over the years. She struck gold with her attempts at country music on this album as it did spawn her biggest hit (outside of America that is) with a cover of an old Roy Orbison track. This led to her next album also being a huge success for her in Australia.
Peak position #1x5
Hit singles
Poor poor pitiful me #29
Blue bayou #3
The second soundtrack to a John Travolta film to appear on this list, this time it's for his film Saturday night fever which also serves as the Bee gees full transition into disco as in addition to the new tracks they recorded for this album, this also includes several songs from their previous album Children of the world for John to shake his groove thing to throughout the film. The film itself is decent, nothing revolutionary but certainly one that's earned its place in pop culture.
Peak position #1x13
Hit singles
How deep is your love #3
Staying alive #1
If I can't have you #9
Night fever #7
More than a woman #31
It's often regarded as one of the best albums of all time (no arguments here) however its status as the biggest album of its day didn't come until much later when it was rereleased in the 90's to cash in off the success of Meat loaf's reunion with Jim Steinman for the long-awaited sequel to this album. People were a bit more divided on that album due to when it came out, however there's very few that will say this is anything short of a masterpiece.
Peak position #1x8
Hit singles
You took the words right out of my mouth #3
Bat out of hell #26
Two out of three ain't bad #11
Boney M was the first band that Frank Farian had success with, although it's the only band where he participated in the vocals as he was the lead singer of the band. This was their biggest success likely due to it spawning not one but two of their biggest hits worldwide, although as they were in the disco genre, their popularity began to dwindle as the decade was coming to an end.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Rivers of Babylon #1
Rasputin #1
Following the success of her previous album Simple dreams, it appears that Linda Ronstadt decided she wasn't done exploring country and RNB which is perhaps why this album proved to be a successful follow-up less than a year after that albums release. She did eventually move on to new wave in the new decade, and it appears we Aussies at least weren't particularly interested in her tackling a heavier genre like that.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Living in the USA #18
Just one look #38
If there was any doubt that his previous album the Stranger was a fluke for Billy Joel in the mainstream, then this album put those doubts to rest as it cemented him as the piano man of choice given how both of these albums were released during Elton John's first dark period. Even though he had millions of fans around the world with these albums, he saw backlash from rock snobs who felt he was catering to soccer mums.
Peak position #1x5
Hit singles
My life #6
This was where it all began for one of the most critically acclaimed bands of all time, and it's with an album that sounds completely stripped back from what was coming out at the time to boot. Of course, Dire straits would go on to have infinitely more success the following decade, however they did win over a bunch of fans with this album who wanted an alternative with all the bombast.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Sultans of swing #6
Well would you look at this, we have a rock opera set to the plot of the H.G Wells book War of the worlds by composer Jeff Wayne that managed to become a huge success this decade. Admittedly this wasn't the first concept album to achieve massive success that was based on a book as a few years prior, Yes frontman Rick Wakeman did just that with the Jules Verne novel Journey to the center of the earth.
Peak position #1x7
Sandwiched between two of their biggest albums is this double album from ELO which seems to be an expansion of their previous album A new world record when it comes to making a rock opera to cash in on both that craze as well as the science fiction craze taking over the world. It's not as commercially appealing as their other work; however, it makes up for that by being them at their best artistically.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Turn to stone #17
Sweet talking woman #38
Although Billy had a massive sleeper hit earlier in the decade with Piano man, this was the album which turned him from that guy who you would hear when driving around late at night on the radio to a household name due to the second single becoming his first genuine hit throughout the world. Many consider this to be his best album as the stories he tells throughout its runtime seem to resonate with audiences to this day.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Just the way you are #6
Another year, another highly successful album from an artist that with a few notable exceptions, I never particularly cared for his music. There doesn't even seem to be any surprises on this track as this is what you would expect from a Rod Stewart album released this decade.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
You're in my heart #1
Hot legs #42
I'm a bit surprised that Stealers wheel didn't see much success back in the day considering how often you hear "Stuck in the middle with you" on the radio, I guess this solo album from Gerry Rafferty becoming a huge success was meant to be a consolation prize the world gave him for sleeping on his band earlier in the decade. Admittedly it's hard to imagine a world where the lead single would fail given how iconic that sax solo has become.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Baker street #1
I guess this was the Rolling stones looking to change with the times given how there's a noticeable disco influence throughout this album's runtime (it's not quite disco but it's easy to think it is.) This was able to spawn the band a hit single during the second half of the decade, although I don't think they were particularly interested in adding more hits to their name after all the success they had in the 60's.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Miss you #8
This was a runaway success for Kate Bush given how inescapable the lead single from the album was back in the day, indeed she quickly followed this up with a second album Lionheart which obviously didn't have the same beauty and grace that this album had. She bounced back with her third album and retained her popularity here in Australia due to appearing on Countdown more than once.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Wuthering heights #1
The man with the child in his eyes #22
I guess you can say that this album took its sweet time in finding an audience in the mainstream, except this was released when Silk degrees had finally gotten itself off the ground and thus had to compete with that album to find an audience worldwide. Both of these albums were highly successful and firmly put Boz Scaggs on the map in the music scene.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Hard times #40
Hollywood #43
This was the only notable success that Bob Marley managed to achieve during his lifetime in Australia, although I guess we should be thankful that at least one of his albums was a commercial success here as opposed to America where he never even charted on the Billboard charts. I guess this album's success was a bit confusing considering how reggae music never seemed to be that popular here in Australia.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Is this love #11
Although he remains one of the most iconic singer/songwriters of all time, Neil Young didn't have that much success in Australia back in the day save for the occasional solo album as well as his magnum opus with Crosby Stills Nash and Young at the start of the decade. This would be a close second to his biggest album here after Deja vu from 1971, allowing him to bookmark both sides of the 70's with a successful album.
Peak position #6
They had an amazing run throughout the 70's not just here in Australia but internationally, so it makes sense that the band would release a greatest hits package detailing the journey they had made in such a short amount of time and for it to be a huge success for them. This sadly was a bit of a curse for the band here as they wouldn't have another hit for ten years when they came back with "Love is a bridge."
Peak position #4
George Benson was one of the bigger musicians of colour to emerge from this decade, this jazz album of his being one of many successful albums he managed to achieve worldwide throughout his career. I'm not sure how he managed to find an audience in Australia when so many of his contemporaries failed to do so.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
On Broadway #23
It would seem odd that Santana would still be popular by the end of the decade only to fade into obscurity going into the 80's, until you remember that MTV launched in 1981 which naturally caused the mainstream to sideline these guys until the late 90's worldwide. Even so, they achieved massive success with their penultimate album of the decade here in Australia which makes this transition rather jarring.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Well all right #20
Disco was at the height of its popularity this year, so much so that even a band who I'm sure even at the time everyone new to be queer was able to find success with their breakthrough album. Even though these guys were closeted at the height of their popularity, they have since admitted that they're all gay which has only strengthened the popularity of their music as many champion it for lessening our stigma towards the LGBT community.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Macho man #3
Although he wasn't scoring many hits during the second half of the decade in Australia, that didn't mean that Neil Diamond was yesterday's news here as his albums were still among the more popular in Australia likely due to him still retaining much of his audience that made him a household name during the first half of the 70's.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Desiree #29
One of the bigger success stories to come from Countdown in terms of international artists was that of Leif Garrett, specifically how he managed to find massive success with this album despite it being a huge failure in his native America. His next album would be a success on Billboard; however, it would also lead the teen idol to develop a drug addiction which put a halt on his music career indefinitely.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Surfing USA #2
Runaround sue #8
Put your head on my shoulder #24
Santana were indeed one of the bigger bands of the decade in Australia when it came to their albums, true they weren't able to have much success with their singles like the Eagles or Led Zeppelin, but it was clear that audiences had fallen in love with their music regardless. This was the penultimate album in their catalogue to be a huge success before they became yesterday's news for over two decades.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
She's not there #19
Rita Coolidge is best known as the ex-wife of Kris Kristofferson, I thought I'd bring that up considering her success came during her marriage with the singer/songwriter/actor. Here she scored her biggest success thanks to her cover of the Jackie Wilson classic that still divides audiences to this day.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Higher and higher #6
We're all alone #32
While he continued to have success following the temporary parting ways he had with Bernie Taupin, it's obvious that the magic had been lost in Elton's music to the point where he occasionally needed to have songs originally written by Bernie be reworked into some of the tracks on his albums. Even so, he did manage to find success with this album due to it spawning a couple of hit singles for him.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Part time love #12
Song for guy #14
This was the final successful album that 10cc had here in Australia, I'm guessing because we Aussies were a bit too confused with their direction towards reggae with the lead single but could also be due to us not wanting them around in the 80's for some reason. They admittedly had a good run in the mainstream here so it's not like they went largely unheard of unlike in America.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Dreadlock holiday #2
There weren't any signs of these guys slowing down now that they were receiving international success with their material, indeed this album might not have been as successful as their previous album, however it more than made up for that by spawning multiple hits on Billboard and in other countries. These guys would continue to have success until Glenn Shorrock left the band and was replaced with John Farnham.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Shut down turn off #16
Reminiscing #35
Lady #46
This was another highly successful album to come from Bob Dylan, although he wasn't among the biggest names in music during the second half of the decade in Australia, he did manage to find a loyal fanbase which helped him succeed along the likes of Fleetwood Mac Pink Floyd.
Peak position #5
I guess Jackson Browne was able to achieve moderate success with his albums here in Australia during the second half of the decade, sure he wasn't a superstar here like his reputation would suggest but he did do better than some other rock and roll legends that never saw any success here back in the day.
Peak position #8
I'm surprised prog music wasn't more of a mainstream genre in Australia given how big rock operas were at this stage, Alan Parsons project was one of the bigger names in the prog scene as they were able to score a huge sleeper hit with this album following the success of their previous album which was based on the 50's book series I robot. Their popularity would dwindle going into the 80's and fade completely after their album Eye in the sky.
Peak position #16
Although Dragon did achieve minor success earlier in the decade here in Australia, this was the album which finally made them a household name here to the point where they were able to take their success back home as the lead single managed to become a huge success over there. They were one of the earliest acts to achieve success in NZ thanks to appearing on Countdown for what it's worth.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
April sun in Cuba #2
This was the final album Dragon released during their initial run together, despite this being their biggest album they broke up so that Marc Hunter could pursue a solo career that ultimately took him nowhere given how he didn't score a single hit song during the bands time apart. They got back together when he finally gave up on his solo career where they essentially picked up where they left off from here.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Are you old enough #1
Still in love with you #27
This was the penultimate album to be released from Wings before they went their separate ways in 1980, it was another huge success for them likely due to it being released immediately after their biggest hit "Mull of kintyre" which strangely neither appears on this album nor was it ever released in America.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
With a little luck #11
Well at least David Bowie was able to achieve some degree of success here in Australia during the height of the Countdown era, although it may surprise you to learn that Bowie didn't achieve that much success here save for his Pin ups album from 1973 as well as his Let's dance album from a decade after that.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Heroes #11
Although Queen was struggling to recapture the success of their breakthrough album A night at the opera during the second half of the decade, they did manage to continue to find massive success with their attempts which is why this album and its iconic lead single managed to find success here and remain popular to this day. They would hit a dry spell after this with their jazz album titled Jazz.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
We are the champions #8
I'm a bit surprised the Star Wars soundtracks didn't sell better here in Australia back in the day considering A: how much of a cultural phenomenon the films were and B: them being the orchestral themes composed by John Williams especially given how the original trilogy was released when orchestral music was in vogue in the music scene.
Peak position #12
Bob Seger was one of those artists that seemed to find more success with each subsequent album he released, although many will tell you this is his best work thanks to several of the tracks remaining as staples on oldies stations to this day. He would find the success he deserved by the end of the decade when his greatest hits package matched the success of many of his contemporaries on this list.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Still the same #23
We've got tonight #31
She was certainly one of the most popular artists in Australia throughout the decade, she was definitively the most popular female Australian artist of the 70's (that is if you count her as such as she was from America initially) so it makes sense that this live album would be a success for Marcia Hines when it was released.
Peak position #7
While they were the victims of overexposure this decade much like other popular bands of the 70's, Abba was still able to find massive success during the second half of the decade thanks to how catchy and memorable their songs were to audiences. Like I said, it was more due to overexposure than people genuinely finding their music to be terrible that these albums weren't bigger than they were.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
The name of the game #7
Take a chance on me #12
Bob Welch was the original lead singer of Fleetwood mac when the band decided to have a vocalist among their ranks, he left just before they exploded in popularity which I'm sure was a bit of a sinking feeling he experienced at the time. Fortunately, he was able to find success with a solo album thanks to the lead single being a huge hit for him here in Australia as well as scoring a second hit in his native America.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Ebony eyes #2
This was the only successful album that Dan Hill was able to have outside of his native Canada, mainly for the lead single which became a huge worldwide success for him and likely promised him massive success with his subsequent albums he never achieved. That said he still kept at it and achieved moderate success in his homeland after this.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Sometimes when we touch #3
While this wasn't their first album, it was the album which made the Angels into a household name due to how long it charted (albeit in the lower half of the charts.) This allowed them to join the elite ranks of Skyhooks and Dragon as one of the more successful bands from the southern hemisphere without finding success in the northern hemisphere.
Peak position #18
Hit singles
Take a long ling #29
Bob Dylan was among the most popular artists of the 70's in Australia when it came to his albums, sure his singles were something to be desired success wise (barring "Hurricane" of course) but that didn't mean he wasn't able to find success with this greatest hits package this year.
Peak position #2
Patti Smith didn't see much success in her career over the years, the one exception being her second album with her self-titled band which became a success due to the lead single being written by Bruce Springsteen of all people. It remains a popular album from the 70's pseudo punk scene (I guess you can say this is punk) as well as having her being a legend in the music industry.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Because the night #15
Graham Bonnet was a British musician that was briefly based here in Australia, this is why he scored two massive hits from two separate albums that didn't chart anywhere else in the world before he joined the British group Rainbow after the success of his second album. Rainbow never found success here, proving that his popularity was more due to his presence in our music scene.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Warm ride #2
He may be a one hit wonder with the lead single from this album, but at least Warren Zevon managed to score a massive hit with the album that spawned his radio classic back in the day. The song is a good representation of the album which is perhaps why the album was a success for him, normally a one hit wonder is as such due to their one hit being nothing like the rest of their catalogue.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Werewolves of London #8
So, you remember me mentioning late night rock on my singles lists, well this band exemplifies that definition for the genre I've come up with as they really do feel like the perfect choice to listen to when having a late-night cocktail. This would be the only album affiliated with John Waite to have any success in Australia, although he would find further success with the band and as a solo artist.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Isn't it time #1
Although he had a massive hit with "Girls on the avenue" two years prior, this was the first album from Richard Clapton to achieve any sort of success likely due to his continual presence on Countdown even if it failed to spawn a genuine hit for him. He would have one more successful album in the 80's before his time in the spotlight was up, this is despite the fact he continued to be a regular on the show.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Deep water #43
This was the only album from Barry Manilow's catalogue to be a huge success here in Australia, although his greatest hits album Manilow magic did confirm that he was more of a singles artist back in the day rather than having albums people could connect with in the mainstream. I guess it doesn't help that all but one of his hits have been covers despite him proudly proclaiming himself as a songwriter.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Can't smile without you #3
Copacabana #9
There was this weird trend throughout the 70's where half an album would be just a song expanded into a full half of an L.P with the second half comprising of filler tracks to justify releasing said song as an album. This format was used for the one and only album from French group Santa Esmeralda who saw moderate success here in Australia with this album that stretches their one and only hit into sixteen minutes.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
Don't let me be misunderstood #7
Given that the lead single from this album was a huge success here in Australia, it makes sense that it was able to also be a huge success for Pablo Cruise which makes the failure of the rest of their catalogue here and in their native America that much more confusing in retrospect.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Love will find a way #8
Given how their debut album became a huge (albeit heavily delayed) success here in Australia this year, it makes sense that Forteigner's follow up would find more instantaneous success here even if it too failed to spawn a hit on our charts. It's a bit weird they were considered an albums band back in the day considering how much airplay their singles receive on oldies stations nowadays.
Peak position #13
Hit singles
Hot blooded #24
Foreigner would become one of the most popular bands of the 80's worldwide, however they had much more humble beginnings as their debut album was a success here in Australia but only due to them being one of the earliest international guests to perform on Countdown this decade. That said, this did allow their brand of rock and roll to thrive on oldies stations decades after its initial release.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Feels like the first time #41
Cold as ice #32
While he was still looking for that big mega successful hit that wouldn't come until his magnum opus Born in the U.S.A, Bruce Springsteen was nonetheless able to find modest success with his follow up to Born to run as well as hand out success to others in the music industry thanks to his stellar songwriting skills. It could also be he was a bit ahead of his time as heartland rock wouldn't explode until the early 80's in his native America.
Peak position #9
Now this is an album which has a name that can be taken the wrong way, much like their third album, I think they were trying to give a voice to a minority group here (in this case the mentally disabled) but that's probably me giving them too much of the benefit of the doubt. You can't blame me for sticking up for them as they did have politically charged lyrics that seemed to speak up for the every man in their career.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Women in uniform #8
This was initially a flop for George Benson here in Australia as it was everywhere in the world, I'm guessing because the world wasn't ready for a jazz revival during the 70's given that it was all about rock operas and disco at the time. We Aussies changed our minds about this album several months after its release, although it's true success came when his next album was released where this rebounded on our charts due to its success.
Peak position #13
I should point out that Joe Cocker always had some level of success here in Australia throughout his career even if the peaks and valleys are very noticeable when going through his catalogue, indeed this release feels like it would've been a massive success at the start of the decade or even a decade later given how well it fits in with those points of his career.
Peak position #12
The title of this album may be a bit misleading given how this was the second album Genesis released as a trio following the departure of Peter Gabriel from earlier in the decade, however the real triumph this album had was spawning a genuine hit for the band given how the lead single managed to connect with audiences upon its initial release and has only become more popular with age.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Follow you follow me #16
This is the final successful album that Sherbet achieved in their career, it appears that their popularity had quickly dwindled during the last stretch of the decade given how inescapable they were during the midpoint thanks to their exposure on Countdown.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Feels like slipping away #22
Another night on the road #10
While he was quickly losing popularity here in Australia as the decade began to wind down, it's worth noting that Leo Sayer nonetheless managed to retain some of it making his supposed comeback at the start of the 80's that much less surprising given how he simply managed to reach some of the levels of success he achieved earlier in the 70's.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Dancing the night away #15
I can't stop loving you #37
David Bowie was always a killer live performer, as such it makes sense this live album would be a massive success for him back in the day. That said, you'd still think that this would've been one of the more popular albums at least of its year, let alone the decade but alas it wasn't.
Peak position #11
This is the album from Leif Garrett that my American readers will be more familiar with given how it was the only one of his to find success in his homeland, here in Australia it didn't see as much success likely due to us Aussies already falling out of love with his music, however it was a huge success here regardless.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
I was made for dancing #2
It's a bit of a surprise that these guys saw a steep decline in their popularity as the decade was coming to an end here in Australia given how inescapable they were during its midpoint, it's even more bizarre when you consider A: that their catalogue still receive airplay on oldies stations to this day and B: that their popularity in the UK continued as recently as the early 90's.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
Rocking all over the world #12
Elvis was indeed one of the biggest stars of Hollywood throughout the 60's, as such his label put together a compilation album of all of the songs from his films which became a success following his tragic death the previous year.
Peak position #15
Remember how I featured a live album that was a tribute to a musician known as Andrew Durant on my 1981 album list? Here's a studio album from the band who made that tribute which of course had him as the lead singer. It was the band's only success during their short time together as they were another Aussie band that only achieved limited success through their appearances on Countdown.
Peak position #14
It's a bit surprising that Steely Dan didn't have much success here in Australia back in the day, even taking into account that Countdown usually swept aside American bands in favour of our local artists, the fact that their music is constantly played on oldies stations makes their lack of success throughout the decade completely jarring to me. At least this magnum opus from them was a decent success here.
Peak position #9
This was a live album from 10cc during the height of their popularity, they may have never released two albums that were the same as each other, however that didn't prevent them from putting on cohesive live shows throughout their career as evidence by how well this resonated with audiences back in the day.
Peak position #13
It's a bit weird that Boston's debut album was a huge sleeper hit here in Australia given how you'd think it would've been as inescapable as something from the Eagles or Neil Diamond given how iconic it remains to this day, in a way, it makes sense that this follow up was more of an immediate success even if overall it didn't achieve nearly as much success in the long run as their previous effort.
Peak position #8
This was a bit of a comeback for the Who here in Australia given how they hadn't troubled our charts since the start of the decade with their album Who's next, I'm guessing inserting their name into their album title was what compelled us Aussies into buying them since as far as I can tell, none of their other albums were a success here (despite how big their singles were throughout the 60's.)
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Who are you #23
This was originally released four years prior to deafening silence for the Deep Purple bassist, presumably because no one initially wanted to listen to a solo project from him even if his band was among the most popular of his time when this initially came out. It was given a second chance when one of the songs had an animated video accompanying it that allow it to become a surprise hit here in Australia this year.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Love is all #10
I know I shouldn’t be surprised this debut album from Van Halen was a moderate success here in Australia, however considering how many notable absentees there are from rock legends on these lists, it's a bit puzzling to see how these guys managed to find an audience with us Aussies when so many others failed to do so (unless there's a lost episode of Countdown where these guys appeared on the show.)
Peak position #17
Hit singles
You really got me #12
Given how he played an instrumental park in bring to life Meat Loaf's magnum opus from earlier on this list, it's little surprise that Todd Rundgren managed to achieve sound success with his own album here in Australia this year even if this was his only notable success as a lead artist anywhere in the world.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Can we still be friends #8
This was the soundtrack to the film of the same name, a film that was about radio payola that wasn't well received at the time due to it having little to say about the radio industry. I guess the soundtrack more served as a compilation album given how it only had one song that was written for the film with the rest of the tracks being big hits from artists from around this time.
Peak position #12
Given how they were one of the biggest names of the decade here in Australia, it makes sense that this greatest hits package from the band (which from what I can gather is an Australian exclusive) was a decent success for them. It did somewhat activate a curse where a successful artist would release a greatest hits package only for them to struggle to retain their popularity moving forward.
Peak position #13
From what I can gather, the film adaptation to the Beatles album this serves as a soundtrack to is considered to be one of the worst films of all time thanks to bad acting from the cast which consists of musicians with limited acting experience as well as the plot being strung together solely through the lyrics of the songs from the soundtrack. Even the soundtrack was poorly received save for the covers from Aerosmith and Earth wind and fire.
Peak position #13
Given how this spawned one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia, it makes sense that this debut album from Eruption would see moderate success here even if at the time they were criticised for being a rip-off of Boney M. Indeed, this has since fallen into obscurity because of their German counterparts being better represented when it comes to 70's nostalgia.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
I can't stand the rain #1
Given how Livie's popularity had slowed down here in Australia by the time she released this greatest hits package here, it only makes sense that it would've been a flop upon its initial release. It did rebound on our charts following the success of her film Grease from earlier on this list which allowed it to become a huge sleeper hit eventually.
Peak position #18
This is the Canadian band err... The band who scored a massive hit in Australia and NZ with this live album that failed to be a success anywhere else in the world. These guys rose to prominence earlier in the decade by collaborating with Bob Dylan, so perhaps they felt this was prestigious enough for them to have success with this album.
Peak position #11
I guess it was inevitable that art rock would explode in popularity this year given how Kate Bush was leading the charge with her earlier entry on this list, enter David Gilmour who scored his one and only success with this album to give the young female art rocker a run for her money in the genre.
Peak position #14
This was a mini comeback for Van Morrison as he did have minor success here in Australia during the first half of the decade, it would lead to his next album being his most successful in his career before he fell into obscurity throughout the 80's.
Peak position #16
This was a bit of a comeback for Jethro Tull given how they somewhat fell out of popularity once Countdown launched earlier in the decade, admittedly I'm not sure why they did as their brand of prog rock wasn't that far out of line with what the genre had to offer throughout the decade.
Peak position #17
This was the first album that the Moody blues released following their hiatus from earlier in the decade, it was a decent success here in Australia, proving that they would've easily survived the Countdown apocalypse from the midpoint of the decade had they not temporarily gone their separate ways when it happened.
Peak position #16
Kiss were certainly on a roll when they released their greatest hits package which they named after the platinum certification that had just been introduced in their native America earlier in the decade, although unlike other acts who released a greatest hits package this decade, their fortunes would change for the better after this as their next two albums would be the biggest in their catalogue.
Peak position #17
It appears that the Commodores was more of a singles group than they were an albums band as this will be their only album to appear on this site of mine, even then it's more due to the lead single being one of the biggest of the decade worldwide which naturally enticed audiences to check out what else Lionel and company had to offer.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
Three times a lady #1
This is the earliest success that Joan Armatrading had here in Australia, like I said for her 80's material, she didn't really take off here until the start of that decade as she was likely pushed aside in the 70's for the likes of those who were regulars on Countdown. Heck she even appeared on Countdown during the height of her popularity here, which likely explains the success of those albums.
Peak position #18
This was the only taste of success that Thin Lizzy had here in Australia back in the day, this is despite the fact that "The boys are back in town" remains one of the most overplayed songs of all time down under even if most of that airplay comes from oldies stations nowadays.
Peak position #20
I'm not even sure what to make of this album's success here in Australia, mainly because it was originally released at the start of the decade here to deafening silence only to become a surprise sleeper hit eight years later despite sounding completely out of place with the rock opera and disco that was popular this year.
Peak position #23
This was the debut album from the Village people which naturally saw a surge in popularity once the band released their earlier entry on this list, there's not much to say about it that can't be said about their follow up aside from it spawning a moderate hit here even prior to when they took over our disco scene.
Peak position #21
Hit singles
San Francisco #15
As you can tell from the name of this album, this is a greatest hits package looking over the first ten years of Neil Young's solo career (as none of his work with CSNY appears on here) which was a modest sleeper hit here in Australia back in the day hence how it managed to appear on this list of mine.
Peak position #21
Given how Linda Ronstadt had received massive success with her album Simple dreams at the start of the year, it only makes sense that this greatest hits album she released two years prior would finally receive some modicum of success this year here in Australia in order to help fans discover her back catalogue up until this point in her career.
Peak position #22
From what I can gather, the movie this is a soundtrack for is one of those multi story films where the plots are interwoven with each other, kind of like Love actually or Crash but set in a disco setting. The film wasn't well revived likely due to the stories not amounting to anything; however, the soundtrack was a massive success and even won the film an Oscar for Donna Summer's big hit from the film.
Peak position #21
From what I can gather, Graham Parker and his backing band the Rumour was a British act who combined theatrics with pub rock that saw very limited success back in the day. I guess he was more of a live act given how his only success was from this live album of his.
Peak position #22
Hit singles
Hey lord don't ask me questions #24
This was the album Rita Coolidge released following the success of her earlier entry on this list, it was pretty much a flop and only appears on this list due to the lack of competition it had back in the day.
Peak position #26
Well, this is a bit of a bizarre placement for this legendary album, mainly because it was largely ignored here in Australia despite how inescapable it was internationally for Earth wind and fire. At least their greatest hits package they released following the success this received internationally was a huge success here and finally put them on the map.
Peak position #21
Hit singles
Fantasy #25
This album feels like a bit of a lie as although all three members on the cover would eventually become Shalamar (as opposed to the case with Milli Vanilli from over a decade later) it was originally recorded by a bunch of session musicians with the members being hired to promote the album rather than perform on it. I guess this these guys did prove to be the real deal on their subsequent releases.
Peak position #27
Hit singles
Uptown festival #20
No comments:
Post a Comment