This is the album which broke so many records upon its initial (international) release, having it and the signature track "Down under" top the Billboard and UK singles and album charts simultaneously. The album was of course a massive success here in Australia thanks to how huge the singles were as well as how quirky the band was, they were no Midnight oil, but they certainly had their place in our hearts.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
Who can it be now #2
Down under #1
Be good Johnny #8
To think this album almost never came to be, this is of course due to the band suffering a major setback during its production when their original frontman Bon Scott died of a drug overdose. Fortunately, the band soldiered on with Brian Johnston as their new front man and released this album where it became their most successful in their career. It's an album that four decades later, the band is still yet to top.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
You shook me all night long #8
Rock and roll ain't noise pollution #7
This was the biggest album to be released from Australian crawl following the huge splash they made the previous year with their album Boys light up, I'm guessing this was due to the band being huge in the pub rock genre which admittedly is the perfect setting for their music to shine in. The only complaint I and many have for these guys is that while he's a great vocalist, James Reyne really needed to learn how to enunciate in order for us to appreciate his lyrics.
Peak position #1x6
Hit singles
Things don't seem #11
Errol #18
Although their previous album Breakfast at sweethearts did put these guys on the map, it was this album which made Cold chisel a household name thanks to the raw vocal delivery of Jimmy Barnes in addition to how catchy their pub rock instrumentation remains to this day. It's a shame that the band would only last a few more years together as their popularity only continued to grow after this albums success.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Choir girl #14
Cheap wine #8
My baby #40
This was the debut album for a band that would eventually name themselves after said album, yes before they were Icehouse, Iva Davis and company were known as Flowers before they were forced to change it to avoid confusion with another band with that name who was also set to make it big internationally (wonder whatever happened to them.) This international interest led to their second album being a moderate success in the UK of all places.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Can't help myself #10
We can get together #16
Walls #20
This was the biggest album of Stevie Wonder's career in Australia, it's fitting that his final decent album according to his diehard fans would be the one which finally allowed us Aussies to reward him for his genius music he created throughout the 70's. For what it's worth, he did achieve moderate success here throughout the decade even with Countdown giving us an allergic reaction to funk and soul.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Master blaster #2
Lately #17
Happy birthday #31
From what I can gather, Chariots of fire is a film that's tailor made to be Oscar bait (despite it being a British film) as it tells the story of an athlete looking to make it big in a track and field race in a way that only those who are into the most sentimental of inspiration stories could appreciate. One thing that has held up about the film over the years is its soundtrack, specifically the score by Greek composer Vangelis.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Chariots of fire #21
This was the final album to be released in John Lennon's lifetime, it's unfortunately impossible not to bring up how John Lennon's life ended when talking about this album as it was a large factor into its success despite there being plenty of evidence to suggest that it would've been decently successful had he lived to see the end of its album cycle. At the very least, it's grammy win for album of the year was understandable.
Peak position #1x10
Hit singles
Just like starting over #1
Woman #4
Walking on thin ice #18
Watching the wheels #45
There were many success stories in the first year of the 80's in Australia, one of the more notable ones was Australian crawl who scored a massive hit with their debut album following the buzz they received from its advanced singles coming from the previous decade. While their next album would be their magnum opus, this remains a fan favourite for the band due to how iconic the singles remain.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Beautiful people #22
Boys light up #22
Downhearted #12
There's an unfortunate truth about the music of the Police, namely that despite him being an English teacher originally, Sting isn't what you'd call a skilled lyricist as evidence by some of the lyrics that can be found on this album in particular. That said, the album more than makes up for this shortcoming by having great instrumentation from the three members as well as Sting being a dynamic vocalist.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Don't stand so close to me #3
De do do do do da da da #6
Following the disappointment from their previous album Comminique, Dire straits decided to slightly alter their sound from their earlier work which seemed to be a wise move for them as this became just as big as their debut did at the end of the previous decade. They did experiment with their sound on their next album to much better results.
Peak position #6
This remains the most successful album in the Rolling stones career in Australia, unless of course I can find stats about their earlier work with how well it did back in the 60's down under. Even so, this was a huge success for the band as they moved away from the disco trend in favour of their earlier work which audiences definitely appreciated both then and now.
Peak position #1x11
Hit singles
Start me up #1
Waiting on a friend #44
This remains the biggest album in Barbra Streisand's career in Australia, presumably due to the involvement of the Brothers Gibb throughout its production (Barry even appears on the cover art with her.) This is her only successful album to not be affiliated with her acting career in any way as the rest of her discography consists of soundtrack from her films as well as her covering songs from Broadway productions.
Peak position #1x6
Hit singles
Woman in love #1
Guilty #37
Here's an album that promised so much for the person who brought it to life only for said individual to crash and burn with their subsequent releases, Billy Field had huge success with this album and the songs from it despite it sounding very different to what was coming out at the time. I guess the novelty of this album wore off with his next album as that failed to do much to retain his relevancy.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Bad habits #4
You weren't in love with me #1
There's little surprise that this is the most successful album in Olivia's career, after all it's named after her biggest hit and was obviously meant to shed her girl next door image in order for her to appeal to the MTV crowd. That said, this isn't too far removed from her earlier work, and admittedly it's possible that this being her biggest album did lead to her rapid decline in popularity as the decade went on.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Physical #1
Make a move on me #8
Neil Diamond starred in a remake of the Jazz singer this year which led to him receiving a Razzie award for worst actor, I'd hate to know how bad his performance was if he was considered the worst actor over the likes of the lead actor from Xanadu, the guy from Flash Gordon and Caitlyn Jenner in You can't stop the music (pre transition that is.) At least the soundtrack was well received and even a huge success.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Love on the rocks #23
This was the penultimate album that Blondie released in their original run together, even by this stage there was rumours that the band would be breaking up which they denied by simply saying that Deborah Harry would be recording a solo album shortly after its release. This album was a massive success whereas that one would be a huge flop for her, proving that audiences preferred her with the band than on her own.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
The tide is high #4
Rapture #5
Even though he had yet to achieve much success with Genesis prior to releasing this album, it managed to become a huge success for Phil Collins largely due to the strength of its lead single which many believe to be him outing someone for failing to save a person from drowning. This album is a bit of a compromise for his older fans as it does contain several instrumental tracks in addition to the ballads he would become known for.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
In the air tonight #3
This likely wouldn't have been a success in Australia had it not allowed Christopher Cross to sweep the Grammys, after all having him win the big five at the award ceremony at a time where it was seen as the most prestigious awards for music did give it a huge endorsement. Fortunately, the album was well received and even spawned a bunch of radio hits that permeate on oldies stations to this day for the soft rocker.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Ride like the wind #25
Sailing #46
Never be the same #42
While I am aware that this greatest hits package from Queen might very well be the most successful album of all time in Australia, I'm ranking these albums based on how well they did on their original chart run and not their overall success. This is so that I don't have to keep updating these lists whenever an album becomes popular again. That said, this album was a success during its initial release thanks to how popular the band was.
Peak position #2
The last time Steve Winwood had any notable success in Australia was with his bands Spencer Davis group, Traffic and Blind faith, all of which happened over a decade prior to him finding success with this solo album. I'm not even sure how this managed to become so popular other than it connecting with an audience organically as it's not like he was in the news that often outside of his music.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
While you see a chance #16
Even though they haven't had a hit in most parts of the world since the live version of "Nights in white satin," the Moody blues were able to find success with their albums well into the 80's with this perhaps being their most successful since they reformed in 1977. Their popularity wouldn't rise to this success again, although they've been releasing new material ever since.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Gemini dream #36
This was the first greatest hits package that Elton John released with this exact title, in fact when he released the second album with this title exactly a decade later, he had to clarify which one was which by giving them distinctly different album art to help audiences tell them apart. Naturally this wasn't as successful given that it was released during the period where he wasn't working with Bernie Taupin.
Peak position #3
This albums name changes depending on where you're from, although considering both Corroboree and Waiata roughly translates to a traditional owner of a land, I think it's safe to say that this album was dedicated to the indigenous groups of both countries even though the album has nothing to do with either group it named after thematically. This political push didn't seem to hamper or enhance the albums popularity.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
One step ahead #5
History never repeats #4
This was the last successful album that ELO released in their discography, I'm guessing because they weren't able to adapt with the MTV era despite making multiple attempts throughout the decade. Here they revert back to their prog roots which I'm sure many of their older fans appreciated seeing as though their last two albums saw them experiment with disco.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Hold on tight #5
This was originally released as Marie Marie to deafening silence, likely due to it missing that instantly catchy track that would become the title track of Shaking's breakthrough album. Indeed, he would see massive success this decade in his native UK as recently as 1987, although in Australia his success would only last him another year before we moved on from the rockabilly revival trend.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
This ole house #1
It seems weird that this greatest hits package would be so successful in Australia given how the popularity of Dr Hook was quickly dwindling around the time of its release, this is even stranger considering how their international popularity was quickly growing but I digress. I guess this became successful due to the success of their hit single "Girls can get it" which wasn't even on the album.
Peak position #1x4
Well, this feels like a shameless cash grab, granted the Beatles do have themed greatest hits packages and such it is possible this album was always meant to be released when it was. That said, the fact that this came out so soon after John Lennon's death just leaves a bad taste in my mouth as I doubt it would've been as successful as it was if John had lived to see this year.
Peak position #1x7
This was the first solo album from Stevie Nicks following a string of highly successful albums with Fleetwood Mac, I've heard people refer to this as an album filled with her songs that the band weren't able to fit into their album and I can certainly see that listening to the album. It remains her biggest solo album worldwide except for here in Australia where her third album Rock a little wins that honour.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Stop dragging my heart around #10
Given the surprise success of their hit single which they named after this album, the Royal philharmonic orchestra (that is, the REAL orchestra that's been around for decades at this point) released this album which contained other mashups of classical music that became a surprise success for them in the mainstream worldwide. They were relegated to novelty status in the music industry until recent years where they started making classical renditions of artists discographies.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Hooked on classics #9
Well, this was an album that was released exclusively in Australia and NZ following the surprise success of Willie Nelson's album Stardust the previous year, I'm guessing to help us Aussies and kiwis discover the back catalogue of the country legend which we absolutely did because this was a huge hit in the southern hemisphere for him.
Peak position #4
With an album title this uncreative, you'd think that Foreigner had run out of ideas which would be a bad assumption to make as this album was a huge success for them and also spawned (at the time) their biggest hit in the form of the second single. Even though this was a huge success for them, they took their time in following it up as their next album Agent provocatuer wouldn't come out for another three years.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Urgent #24
Waiting for a girl like you #3
Felt like you couldn't get enough of their big hit this year? Well Stars on 45 (or Starsound if you're from the UK) have you covered as that mashup was a mere taste of what they had to offer on their debut album. Indeed, they combined many more classics throughout the album which audiences fell in love with back in the day.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Stars on 45 #1
It took them well over a decade to find success even in their native America, however it finally came with this album due to the lead single becoming a huge success for them worldwide. It was a short-lived victory in most parts of the world as their next album was a huge flop for them, however they came back with the album after that as that spawned their second Billboard chart topper in the decade.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Keep on loving you #3
Take it on the run #30
This was the penultimate album that Abba released in their catalogue, although it was their final successful album in Australia as their next album the Visitors would be a huge flop here for some reason. I guess if the band members weren't going through highly publicised divorces at the time, they could've found a lot of success throughout the 80's given how well they began the decade.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
The winner takes it all #7
On and on and on #9
We have another live album to become successful here in Australia during our summer period, this time it's from Billy Joel who was on a roll throughout the decade here as just about all of his albums managed to become a success here during the 80's.
Peak position #9
These guys were always described as a great live band, so it only makes sense that this live album would be a huge success for them. This no doubt brought in even more fans who only knew them from their studio releases prior to this album which in turn led to more fans for their subsequent follow ups.
Peak position #1x2
It looked like this was going to flop here in Australia just like their previous album did in their native UK given how the lead single didn't even chart here, fortunately the second single was a runaway success which allowed the album to become a huge success following the hype that song gave their music. This hype continued with their next album they released later in the year, which apparently led to them breaking up the following year.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Antmusic #1
Dog eat dog #22
They may have lucked out from having a chart topper in their native UK with the title track (you can blame Joe Dolce for that) however at least these guys were able to see massive success with this album here in Australia due to the strength of said title track here. This was one of two bands that Midge Ure was a part of this year, the other being Visage who didn't see as much success with their album.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Vienna #11
There weren't any signs of these guys slowing down when they released their penultimate album this year, although it wasn't quite as successful as their other albums given how it only spawned one hit and didn't last as long on the charts as the rest of their catalogue. It was a very good run they had but unfortunately there was too much behind the scenes drama for them to cope with each other for long.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Every little thing she does is magic #2
Spirits in the material world #50
Anne Murray is by all means a one hit wonder here in Australia with "You needed me," however it appears that song was popular enough for this greatest hits package she released two years later to become a massive success for her over here to help fans rediscover her back catalogue they ignored prior to that song's release.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Could I have this dance #29
The Eagles might have been no more going into the 80's, however their fans were clearly shocked at their sudden breakup enough to make this live album from their final tour at the time a success months after it came to an end.
Peak position #3
This is a bit of a comeback album for Ross Wilson as he was previously the lead singer of Daddy cool (best known for their hit single "Eagle rock") indeed this seemed to spark a new chapter in his popularity given how iconic the singles remain from this album. Mondo rock would see varying levels of success throughout the decade, although none of their follow ups reached this level of success.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
State of the heart #6
Cool world #8
Chemistry #20
Summer of 81 #31
This was an album from Elton John I'm pretty sure was only a success back in the day due to his artist momentum, I know that not everything with his name on it was an instant success throughout his career, however unless it was infamously terrible like his 1979 effort, chances are audiences would make his work a success.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Nobody wins #46
Steely Dan is perhaps best known nowadays for their infamous Grammy upset at the 2000 awards ceremony, however back in the day they were a well-respected band who scored massive success in their native America throughout the 70's with their brand of adult contemporary and soft rock. This was their only massive success here in Australia which came right before they first called it quits.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Hey nineteen #48
This was the second greatest hits album that Kenny Rogers had success with in as many years in Australia and NZ, although this time it was the one he released in his native America so it makes sense why it would be a success in the southern hemisphere as it contained his first Billboard chart topper as a bonus track.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Lady #16
This was the only notable album that Kim Carnes had in her career, mainly due to the lead single becoming one of the biggest hits of the decade and inspiring people to check out her catalogue. She did have more success in her native America with other material not found on this album, but none of it crossed over internationally.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Bette Davis eyes #1
Following the success of their live E.P, Devo was able to find success with their breakthrough album of theirs as their wacky antics really struck a chord with us Aussies back in the day. This led to both of their albums this year being successful and even the band performing a song on each album on Countdown in the new year, although their popularity would fade once MTV took over.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Whip it #1
Girl you want #1
I always wondered why the signature track from this soundtrack was a surprise hit at the start of the decade here in Australia, it turns out our love for the film Fame was so prevalent that it allowed us to rediscover the film that originally spawned "The time warp" which resulted in the success of that films soundtrack six years after its initial release.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
The time warp #3
This was a stellar year for Devo given how they not only scored two successful albums here in Australia but also a successful E.P which charted both on the singles and albums chart for them. This was the album that they released once their mainstream crossover happened with their earlier album which continues in their new wave direction complete with wacky visuals to accompany their singles.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Beautiful world #14
Working in a coal mine #20
Although this wasn't the first album to come from Mental as anything, it was the first to give them massive success as it spawned not one but two hit singles from the quirky band this year. The album was popular enough here for it to crossover to NZ the following year where it proved to be an even bigger success for them, albeit without giving the band any success with the singles there.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
If you leave me can I come too #4
Too many times #6
Berserk warriors #30
This was a bit of a surprise hit for Roxy music given how this was a hit before their compelling tribute to John Lennon which became their first hit here in Australia, I'm guessing we suddenly remembered that Bryan Ferry was the lead singer of the band and that we wanted to hear more from him when this came out. In any case, their popularity exploded on their next album, which also happened to be their final album.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Over you #45
Same old scene #35
There was this popular Australian country artist who tragically passed away the previous year before he found any success in his career both solo and with his band the Stars, to commemorate his legacy, a concert was held in his honour which was apparently so well received that its live album was a huge success for him posthumously.
Peak position #8
With word that these two would reunite for a one-off concert in New York's Central Park, there was naturally a rush to check out their back catalogue which resulted in the success of this greatest hits package for the duo months prior to when they gave the show of a lifetime.
Peak position #3
This was all set to be a failure here in Australia likely due to us Aussies not being interested in the kiddie pop these Irish lassies had to offer, however a performance on Countdown with the lead single had us quickly changing our minds as this wound up being a success for them. The kiwis were more in love with this band than us Aussies as this was an instant success over there upon its initial release.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Gotta pull myself together #3
Rickie Lee Jones had massive success with her debut album from the end of the 70's, so naturally she would find modest success with her second album even if it got lost with all of the other trends emerging from the early 80's. At least she had one other album to her name that people will likely recognise.
Peak position #9
Given the success of the Beach boys medley (which naturally appears on this album) the Beach boys decided to capitalise off their brief comeback by releasing a greatest hits package that of course was a huge success for them here in Australia.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Beach boys medley #16
Well Meat loaf certainly had a big falling out with Jim Steinman if this album was the best he could do to follow up Bat out of hell with, that said its success was inevitable as not everything great about his debut can be traced back to Jim as Meat Loaf is a phenomenal singer on this album. Even so, it's little wonder this would be the last we hear from him in twelve years.
Peak position #5
This was the only notable success that Loverboy were able to achieve in Australia, mainly for the lead single which remains a staple on oldies stations to this day but also due to it fitting in with all of the popular adult contemporary albums released around this time. The band would struggle to adapt into the MTV era internationally, however they did find further success in the 80's in America and their native Canada.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Turn me loose #3
This was a greatest hits package that Smokie released this year, I'm guessing because they knew their time in the spotlight was up by the 80's and wanted to remind us Aussies of their past success with this album. Indeed, it was a success proving once and for all they were more of a singles band than an albums band.
Peak position #2
This was the only successful album to come from Dr Hook in Australia, even then I get the feeling this was only big here due to the success of their greatest hits package from earlier on this list. This did spawn one of their biggest hits in the form of its lead single, and they did release a track exclusively here in Australia that became a hit, so its success does makes sense for them.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Girls can get it #3
This was a massive success during our summer of 81/82 due to it successfully collecting some of the biggest hits of the spring of 1981 in our music scene.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Too many times #6
Louise #2
Beautiful world #14
Physical #1
I’ve done everything for you #31
Stop dragging my heart around #10
Chequered love #6
The night owls #18
I won’t let you down #5
The stroke #5
If I were a carpenter #5
Queen of hearts #8
Love in motion #10
Chemistry #20
You weren’t in love with me #1
What becomes of the broken hearted #34
Boys in town #8
Fire and ice #30
Speaking of that falling out that Jim Steinman had with Meat loaf, this was Jim's only album he release which I'm guessing was originally meant to be the second volume of the Bat out of hell series given how some of the tracks would later be covered by Meat loaf on that album twelve years later. Jim isn't a particularly great singer, at least compared to Meat loaf which is perhaps why this wasn't as successful.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Rock and roll dreams come through #18
This is one of the only entries from Pat Benatar's albums to appear on this side of my site, she did have more success over in NZ with her albums at the cost of her not having a giant hit over there like she did over here, however it's safe to say that her work wasn't very much appreciated back in the day like it is in recent years.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Fire and ice #30
This is the third and final album that Adam and the Ants released before they called it quits the following year to allow Adam Ant to embark on a solo career, it was a huge success here in Australia and their native UK largely due to how much quirkier the band had become, however it was noticeably less successful than their earlier effort.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Stand and deliver #12
Prince charming #4
Ant rap #43
This was only barely a success here in Australia for Rod Stewart, likely due to name recognition as it didn't have that much presence here back in the day which is strange given how inescapable he was at the end of the 70's.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Passion #16
This will be the final entry from Sky that I'll be featuring on this site, suffice to say that the band perhaps broke through a bit too late as they no doubt would've had much bigger success had they broken through during the mid 70's where prog music was at its peak.
Peak position #7
This was another successful compilation album that will become more prevalent as we go through these lists of mine, this one collect's all of the biggest hits of winter of this year in order to market them as spring jams which is why it was a success when it was.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Stars on 45 #1
This ole house #1
Keep on loving you #3
Gotta pull myself together #3
Who can it be now #2
Shout and deliver #43
How come #21
Fade to grey #6
Jealous guy #1
Turn me loose #3
Antmusic #1
Celebration #33
Hip shake jerk #12
Into the heat #14
History never repeats #4
Falling in and out #20
Nobody wins #46
The wild colonial boy #4
This is the last album that Little river band released that had Glenn Shorrock on lead vocals until his return much later in the decade when his replacement John Farnham released his magnum opus which compelled him to leave the band in the first place. It was a modest success due to them being one of the more popular bands of the 70's worldwide, although its success was more noticeable in America than it was down under.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
The night owls #18
This is another successful album that collects the biggest hits of winter this year, as such it was guaranteed some level of success even if its success pales in comparison to other albums collecting the biggest hits of the midpoint of other years this decade.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Bette Davis eyes #1
Misplaced love #22
Jessie’s girl #1
Say I love you #5
Cool world #8
Modern girl #24
Things don’t seem #11
This little girl #26
Kids in America #5
Planet earth #8
To cut a long story short #15
Vienna #11
The unguarded moment #22
If you leave me can I come too #4
They won’t let my girlfriend talk to me #8
The one that you love #10
Rock this town #38
This is the only notable success that the Sunnyboys were able to achieve here in Australia, they're best described as a poor man's Icehouse as they copied the formula of their debut album from earlier on this list to much less successful results commercially. Still, they remain darlings on oldies stations, perhaps due to fond memories people still have for the singles even if they were huge flops back in the day.
Peak position #13
Hit singles
Happy man #26
Alone with you #28
It looks like the Who were able to find success with one more album in the 80's before they faded into obscurity, although it's worth noting that lead singer Pete Townshend did go on to have solo success later in the decade like so many other lead singers of bands that began their careers in the 60's.
Peak position #16
Hit singles
You better you bet #21
JJ Cale was one of the big names in soul music of the 70's, so it seems rather odd that his popularity would all but fade away even this early on in the 80's given how inescapable he had been up until this point in time.
Peak position #14
One of the less successful bands to make it big during the Countdown era here in Australia was Matt Finish, likely because they sound more like a solo artist than a band but also because they didn't do much to stand out from the competition like so many of their contemporaries did.
Peak position #18
Hit singles
Short note #33
This is the earliest compilation album I'll be featuring on this site; they were a lucrative collection of albums which overlook the most popular songs of a season here in Australia. This one in particular gathers most of the biggest hits of 1980 during spring which explains why it was a success during our summer period.
Peak position #11
Dreaming #4
Upside down #1
More than I can say #1
More love #46
So long #15
Falling in love #6
Babooshka #2
Let's get serious #24
Help #8
Echo beach #6
Can't help myself #10
Downhearted #12
We live for love #28
Modern girl #12
Singing in the 80s #16
Everybody's got to learn sometime #11
Whose problem #43
You shook me all night long #8
This was a moderate success during out winter here given how hectic our music scene was during the autumn, as such it led to the success of the earlier entries on this list as well as these albums dominating our album chart for the 80's and (at least on the AMR charts) 90's.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Counting the beat #1
One step ahead #5
Baggy trousers #30
Walls #20
Stop the Calvary #2
Banana republic #18
I want to be straight #18
Rock and roll ain’t noise pollution #7
9 to 5 #1
Girls can get it #3
Every woman in the world #8
Angel of the morning #2
Long jumping jeweller #32
Looking for clues #23
Spend the night #31
This originally charted upon its initial release in 1975, however it recharted following the tragic murder of John Lennon much like the majority of his catalogue around this time as it gave fans a chance to rediscover his solo back catalogue to honour his legacy.
Peak position #18
Boz Scaggs was one of the most popular artists of the 70's worldwide, as such it makes sense that he would find success with a greatest hits package even if it signaled the end of his popularity moving forward.
Peak position #9
This also charted on the singles chart in lieu of any potential single that could've spawned from the E.P, as a result we have an entry that appears on both of these lists despite not having its success altered in any way.
Peak position #2
This is where it all began for Spandau ballet, it did decently well here in Australia due to the lead single becoming a moderate success even if this pales in comparison to their later work when it comes to commercial success. That said, it's better received than their later work due to being more in line with new wave than new romanticism.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
To cut a long story short #15
This was the last time Santana troubled the charts anywhere in the world until their 1999 comeback Supernatural, by this point, this feels like it was only a success due to it sticking around long enough to qualify for this list rather than anyone being genuinely interested in their brand of soft rock.
Peak position #14
This is the last studio album that saw any kind of success here in Australia as the only success they saw after this was their greatest hits package from two years later, I guess we Aussies were officially done with their brand of soft rock which is funny given how they were inescapable in America with this album in particular.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
The one that you love #10
Here I am #43
Although they were always more of a singles artist, Pointer sisters did achieve sound success with their albums here in Australia likely because of how popular their singles were down under. This is impressive given how they were one of the few Motown artists to see massive success with us Aussies back in the day, more so because they weren't among the more popular Motown artists in their native America.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Slow hand #5
Should I do it #16
While he never had a charting single, Rick Wakeman (lead singer of Yes) saw massive success in the 70's with three concept albums revolving around books. This was his fourth album of that nature based around the Orson Welles book 1984, although it was only barely a success likely due to his gimmick fading out of favour by the time this came out.
Peak position #10
This is the first of a small number of albums to come from the French pianist Richard Clayderman, he was quite popular here throughout the decade due to the rise in popularity of classical music, although he nowhere near as big as he was throughout the rest of the world.
Peak position #12
This was a huge success here in Australia thanks to the surprise hit of its bonus track, this was indeed the 50th album in Slim Dusty's catalogue which he decided to make a greatest hits album to overlook the success he achieved throughout his career up until this point.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Duncan #1
This is the other album that Midge Ure released this year as it was with his other band Visage, it too did decently well here in Australia even if like I said earlier, it did reach the dizzying heights of success that his album with Ultravox did. While they have their differences overall, I feel both albums are very similar to each other likely due to the presence of Midge on both of them.
Peak position #17
Hit singles
Fade to grey #6
It appears that the Pretenders were set to become a one album wonder given how this follow up failed to bring in the numbers of their debut from the previous year, in fact they wouldn't be a major threat to the charts again until their fourth album much later in the decade where the original members had all left save for Chrissie Hynde.
Peak position #18
Hit singles
Message of love #15
This was the first taste of success that INXS had in their career, although it may as well not be the case when compared to the rest of their catalogue as even their next album dwarfs this albums achievements from the following year.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Stay young #21
This was a mini comeback for George Harrison, mainly because the lead single was his heartfelt tribute to his fallen friend John Lennon which became a huge hit for him this year which led to this album's success. This would be the last time he troubled the charts until his 1987 magnum opus Cloud nine as well as his work with the Traveling wilburys the following year.
Peak position #17
Hit singles
All those years ago #9
This was a decent success for Joan Armatrading following the success of her breakthrough from the previous year here in Australia, indeed she would see varying degrees of success down under throughout the 80's which peaked with her next album as it spawned her biggest hit in her catalogue.
Peak position #16
It's a bit odd that this underperformed this year given how inescapable Phil Collin's earlier entry on this list was worldwide, I guess the world was more interested in what he had to offer on his own than what he had to offer with his band as this was a massive disappointment compared to their last album.
Peak position #18
Hit singles
Abacab #35
Pat Benatar was on a roll following the sound success of her debut from the previous year, although seeing how she struggled to find mainstream success here when she was inescapable in her native America is puzzling considering how much oldies stations love her to this day given how they overplay her entire catalogue.
Peak position #16
Hit singles
You better run #31
Hit me with your best shot #33
This is the soundtrack to a concert film that Bette Midler made following the success of her theatrical debut film the Rose from the previous year, it was a moderate success for her here in Australia likely because she already had her big breakthrough here with her debut album from seven years prior.
Peak position #20
I'm not really sure why this underperformed here in Australia given that A: Grace Jones was a regular on Countdown and B: her brand of new wave would've fitted in perfectly with the new wave scene that was emerging this year. She saw a ton of success over in NZ throughout the decade, so perhaps this was only a success ere due to her exposure over there.
Peak position #19
This is the last time that John Denver troubled the charts with a studio album of his until 1988 where he saw a surprise comeback here in Australia with his album Higher ground, there's not much to say about this album that doesn't apply to his mid 70's work, hence why it didn't do very well this year.
Peak position #20
Hit singles
Some days are diamonds #33
Although he had plenty of success over the years, Mike Oldfield only had two albums in his catalogue that saw him take the mainstream by storm. Those being his debut Tubular bells and Crises from later in the decade, with this being one of the lesser-known albums in his catalogue as far as the mainstream was concerned.
Peak position #23
Wonderful land #40
Wonderful land #40
It really is a shame that Tom Petty didn't achieve much success here in Australia with his albums as he's been widely regarded as one of the greatest rock and roll artists of his time if his constant presence on oldies stations is anything to go by. This was only barely a success here in Australia, or more accurately it stuck around long enough to qualify for this list of mine.
Peak position #21
Hit singles
The waiting #38
This was a decent success for the Alan Parsons project this year, although this feels like a warmup to their next album which would be their commercial peak due to it spawning a genuine hit for them in certain parts of the world.
Peak position #24
I honestly don't know how to make of this album's mediocre success here in Australia, mainly because it was enough of a success that we Aussies knew about it back in the day but too much of a flop for it to be seen as the classic that it's since become nowadays.
Peak position #25
Hit singles
Once in a lifetime #23
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