Sunday, June 4, 2023

Australian albums of 1982

This was the official year for two things in the music industry, the first of course being the rise of MTV as it officially launched late in the previous year. The second was the rise of the second British invasion in America due to many of the earliest music videos coming from UK artists which resulted in the popularity of the TV program.

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

Well this saw the band go in a different direction to what they were used to, admittedly even the greatest bands have to change their sound or else risk alienating fans in favour of more experimental acts. This paid off in a big way for Mark and company as the album was their most successful at the time of release, in fact it's second only to Brothers in arms as their most successful in their career.

Peak position #1x15

Hit singles

Private investigations #21

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

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 album had a bit of a delay to its release in Australia for some reason, I'm guessing because we were initially sceptical of these guys taking over the mainstream with their synth driven music only to be won over once their heavily delayed third single became a hit for them here. The real triumph this album had was when it became a huge success over in America thanks to "Don't you want me" topping the Billboard charts.

Peak position #3

Hit singles

Love action #12
Open your heart #33
Don't you want me #4

How bittersweet must this album's success been for Roxy music, after all they were always planning on going their separate ways regardless of how this album was received after its release and yet it remains their most popular album in their catalogue. I guess they wanted to ensure fans that there wasn't any animosity between them and that their demise was to allow Bryan Ferry's solo career to succeed this decade.

Peak position #1x3

Hit singles

More than this #6
Avalon #22

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

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

There was a lot of hype going into this concert given hot it was the official reunion for Simon and Garfunkel, needless to say these expectations were met effortlessly as the duo gave such a compelling show that audiences welcomed them back with open arms. There was talk of the two making new music together following the success of the show, however they remembered why they disliked each other and went their separate ways again.

Peak position #5

It took a while for this album to find the success it wound up deserving, mainly because the lead single didn't exactly light up the music scene here in Australia for Moving pictures. Fortunately, their second single did which resulted in the album itself being a massive success for them. Despite this success, the band would only release one more album to deafening silence before calling it quits and member Garry Frost forming a new band 1927.

Peak position #1x7

Hit singles

Busting loose #43
What about me #1

Following the huge success of their now self-titled album, Icehouse released their sophomore album which was an immediate success for them here in Australia and an even bigger success for them over in NZ. This success led to the album being released in the UK where it did fairly well as the second single managed to crack the top twenty there. This led to them experimenting with their sound for the next two albums.

Peak position #3

Hit singles

Great southern land #5
Hey little girl #7

This was the album that finally gave Cold chisel international appeal given how the big hit on here "Forever now" proved to be even bigger in NZ than it was over here (possibly due to it being the lead single there and second single here.) This was the penultimate album the band released before they went their separate ways, their final album being a huge success albeit not to this degree.

Peak position #1x1

Hit singles

You got nothing I want #12
Forever now #4
When the war is over #25

It looked like the magic was beginning to wear off on these guys as this proved to be less of a success than their previous album Tusk despite it being a return to form with their sound, I guess the success of Stevie Nick's solo album somewhat discouraged people from checking out what fresh drama the band had to offer on here. Fortunately for the band, they recovered later in the decade with Tango in the night which was filled with drama, thus making this albums lack of success that much more puzzling.

Peak position #2

Hit singles

Hold me #12
Gypsy #17

I guess this was Paul McCartney looking to change with the times given how this feels like it's the most dated album in his entire catalogue. Of course, the real sticking point for most audiences is that it features arguably his worst song in the form of its lead single, specifically how he and Stevie Wonder believe that they can solve racial discrimination just by making a song about it.

Peak position #2

Hit singles

Ebony and ivory #2
Take it away #18

I guess a change in imagery was what these guys needed to survive the into the MTV era given how the band ditched their clown get up when promoting this album. Granted it wasn't a permanent solution as the band would struggle to find success with their next album and would go their separate ways two years after this came out, however it's likely this process wouldn't have taken as long as it did if they stuck to their guns.

Peak position #1x2

Hit singles

Dirty creature #6
Six months in a leaky boat #2
Never ceases to amaze me #50

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

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 was the only successful album that Rod Stewart was able to have here in Australia, I'm guessing because both of the hits that spawned from the album are upbeat which was something different from the usually mellow crooner who made albums based on midtempo ballads. He would score a hit here and there throughout the rest of the 80's, however his popularity would skyrocket in the early 90's.

Hit singles

Peak position #11

Hit singles

Tonight I'm yours #6
Young Turks #3

Joe Jackson is another English piano man who managed to find success over the years, OK he only found success with this album likely through the strength of its lead single which seems to question the relevancy of toxic masculinity that's instilled on boys while they're growing up. While he had moderate success with his other albums, none of them reached the dizzying heights of success as this album did.

Peak position #5

Hit singles

Real men #6
Stepping out #30

This was by far the biggest success that the Alan Parson's project had in their career, likely due to the title track being a huge success throughout certain parts of the world which proved to be a first for the duo. Like many prog bands from the 70's, these guys weren't able to sustain a career once MTV had taken over the music landscape, although they certainly tried throughout the rest of the decade.

Peak position #4

Hit singles

Eye in the sky #22

Although Cliff Richard had scored a string of hits since his 1976 comeback with "Devil woman," it was this album that provided him with his first big success on the album charts here in Australia due to how popular both its singles were at the time. This set him up for even more success throughout the 80's and in the case in his native UK, well into the 90's as his popularity was officially revived by this point.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

Wired for sound #2
Daddy's home #8

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

Given how Stevie Wonder was one of the hottest names in music during the first half of the decade, it only makes sense that his greatest hits package would be a massive success here in Australia even if it became a success twice during its run down under for some reason.

Peak position #9

Hit singles

That girl #38

There was no stopping these guys from making it big in the mainstream in Australia, true this didn't have a hit single on here like their previous two albums, but who cares when it was still a huge success for the band? Unfortunately, their popularity quickly began to dwindle after this album as despite scoring a huge hit with their Semantics E.P the following year, they weren't able to achieve much success with their subsequent albums.

Peak position #1x5

Hit singles

Shut down #17

This was the breakthrough album from INXS, sure they had some buzz prior to this album but none of their earlier material found much success in the mainstream for some unknown reason. This is where their chart dominance would begin as it would spawn some of their more easily recognisable hits as well as set the band up as a force to be reckoned with from their subsequent follow ups.

Peak position #5

Hit singles

One thing #14
Don't change #14
Black and white #24

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

Blondie were on a roll when they released this greatest hits package, so much so that it was an instant success for them even though there were talks that the band would break up due to behind-the-scenes drama. Indeed, that was the case as the band would be no more by the end of the year, in fact we wouldn't hear from Debbie Harry again until later in the decade when she released her second album.

Peak position #1x2

Even though the lead single was an instant success here in Australia, it wasn't until the second single where Duran Duran found massive success with their debut album here largely thanks to the raunchy music video which made it among the first to be banned on MTV. This controversy only strengthened their appeal as their next album would see more flashy videos (albeit family friendly ones) to promote their music.

Peak position #9

Hit singles

Planet earth #8
Girls on film #11

Named after the second single from his 1971 album Teaser and the firecat, this greatest hits package was released a decade after that album where it became a huge success for Cat Stevens likely from fans who were already feeling nostalgic for his work. It's worth noting that while he saw massive success during the first half of the 70's, the second half saw his popularity dwindle quite a bit here in Australia.

Peak position #3

This was the final album that Supertramp were able to score success here in Australia, hey at least they were able to survive the initial hurdle of the MTV era given how this managed to spawn them their one and only hit here which is something that didn't happen throughout the 70's. They would try to soldier on as MTV grew in popularity, however they couldn't find any success which led to them breaking up.

Peak position #2

Hit singles

It's raining again #11

This was a good year for many artists who wouldn't see much success in any other year, ABC was one such act as they achieved quite a lot of success from their debut album before never being heard from again here in Australia. Of course, they had plenty of success internationally as they would have hits over on Billboard from their subsequent follow ups, it's just none of them made it big here.

Peak position #9

Hit singles

Poison arrow #4
The look of love #7
All of my heart #21

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

This was a moderate success for Billy Joel given how it was sandwiched between two of his biggest albums in his career, indeed it didn't have that Billboard chart topper that Glass house or An innocent man had but that didn't mean audience didn't gravitate towards it back in the day as they clearly did.

Peak position #4

Hit singles

Pressure #16
Allentown #49

This was originally released at the start of the decade to deafening silence here in Australia, however it was given a second chance when Hot Chocolate scored a massive comeback here thanks to a memorable appearance on Countdown with their (then) most recent album which helped stretch their popularity here this far into the 80's.

Peak position #4

Autumn of this year was an interesting time for the Australian music scene if this album is anything to go by, after all it collected some of the biggest hits of the year and was able to become a huge success in its own right.

Peak position #1x5

Hit singles

Centerfold #1
Just can’t get enough #4
Homosapien #4
Make a move on me #8
My own way #11
Dirty creature #6
Almost with you #21
Why do fools fall in love #15
The lion sleeps tonight #11
What about me #1
Cambodia #7
Beserk warriors #30
Golden brown #10
Let’s hang on #4
Mickey #1
Come back Suzanne #12
Body and soul #5
Daddy’s home #8

You'd think that these guys would've been among the most successful bands of the decade given how synonymous they've become with the 80's, although they were huge with their albums and singles, they weren't as big as their reputation would suggest. Here they have their second album which fully embraced the MTV trends by having flashy music videos to go along with their bombastic new wave tracks.

Peak position #1x1

Hit singles

My own way #10
Hungry like the wolf #5

Well, he may not have had the magic that Bernie Taupin gave him through his songwriting, however that didn't prevent Elton John from finding success during this perceived dark period as evidence by how popular this album was for him. I'm guessing this did as well as it did in Australia due to him being a regular on Countdown as he did perform the lead single to this album which made it a huge hit.

Peak position #3

Hit singles

Blue eyes #4

I'm guessing this was a hit for Barry Manilow due to the success of his cover of a Four seasons classic this year, although it doesn't come with the album so perhaps it was more due to how inescapable it was in the UK during the early stretch of the decade. This would be the last anyone would hear from the crooner, unless of course you're a fan of 90's Don Blueth in which case he wrote songs for Thumbelina and the Pebble and the penguin.

Peak position #6

Well, I guess we had an album about being hooked on classics, so why not have an album about being hooked on swing music? That was the premise for this group of session musicians who collected a bunch of swing tracks and mashed them together throughout this album.

Peak position #5

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

It took him nearly ten years, but Richard Clapton was finally able to find success with one of his albums in Australia. I'm not sure why it was this one and not one of his 70's output given how he was more popular in that decade due to his regular appearances on Countdown, I'm guessing this was due to a memorable performance he gave of the lead single to this album which boosted its sales.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

I am an island #20

This was the only notable success that Hall and Oates had outside of their native America when it came to their albums, although at least they had better luck with their singles internationally including the lead single on this album which is perhaps what made it a success here in Australia and over in NZ for the duo. It does make you wonder why they weren't able to achieve more success with their albums back in the day.

Peak position #3

Hit singles

Maneater #4
Family man #49

This greatest hits album looked like it was going to be a flop here in Australia as it originally came out two years prior for Don McLean, however it was given a second chance when "Castles in the sky" was released as a single ten years after it appeared as the B-side to "Vincent" thus allowing it and the album to become a success for the singer/songwriter.

Peak position #2

I guess Steve Miller had at least one more successful album in him when entering the MTV era of music, although it's worth noting that his only other successful album was with Book of dreams from 1977 which this was very different from so perhaps this was a success due to a change in sound. It certainly gave him his biggest hit here with the title track which is an accurate reflection of the album.

Peak position #5

Hit singles

Abracadabra #1

This was a very successful decade for AC/DC here in Australia even if they only spawned a total of four hits throughout the 80's, they made for that by having some of the more popular albums of the moment such as this follow up to their biggest album Back in Black.

Peak position #3

It may surprise you to learn that the Church wasn't among the most popular bands of the decade in Australia considering how well loved they remain in the alternative scene to this day, that said they did leave their mark on our scene due to their regular appearances on Countdown as well as their music being able to stand out from all the other MTV driven albums from this time.

Peak position #10

Hit singles

Almost with you #21

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

There have been a lot of love themed greatest hits albums to become a success over the years in Australia, here we have Cliff Richard's album of that vein following the success of his most recent album from around this time. It feels weird that this was the peak of his popularity, however "Wired for sound" does remain his biggest hit in Australia for what it's worth.

Peak position #1x2

This was a compilation album looking over the biggest hits of winter of this year, it was released during our spring where it was a huge success thanks to the excellent choices on display on the album.

Peak position #1x5

Hit singles

I love rock and roll #1
Don’t talk to strangers #10
Six months in a leaky boat #2
The other woman #1
Only you #7
View from a bridge #7
Radio #5
Do you believe in love #18
Shut down #17
I ran #1
Hungry like the wolf #5
It must be love #6
Island of lost souls #13
Freeze frame #7
Love plus one #10
Shout shout #39
One perfect day #12
Classic #12

Named after the popular showstopper from the recently released Andrew Lloyd Webber production Cats, Barbra Streisand released this greatest hits package to help her fans rediscover her music even though she only released one album since her last greatest hits album which somewhat made this album redundant.

Peak position #9

This was the only successful album that Dexy's midnight runners were able to achieve in Australia, although they saw massive success earlier in the decade with their debut album due to it spawning a massive hit over there with "Geno" that unfortunately never crossed over here. I guess the big difference was that they traded their more punk edge from their debut for Celtic influence which better connected with audiences.

Peak position #2

Hit singles

Come on Eileen #1

I guess the success of his Oscar winning ballad with Jennifer Warnes didn't come completely out of nowhere as this managed to be a moderate success for Joe Cocker just before the release of that single from the film and Officer and a gentleman. In fact, were it not for that ballad's success, it's likely this would've been even bigger as he curiously omitted it on the track list here.

Peak position #14

Hit singles

Sweet little woman #42

This was the only successful album that Iron Maiden were able to achieve here in Australia, mainly for a memorable performance on Countdown with the singles from the album which helped them breakthrough the MTV crowd with their brand of 80's heavy metal. Their popularity would only sustain them for this one album here, although they did see a rise of success in their native UK as the decade went on.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

Run to the hills #27

Following the success of his soundtrack to Chariots of fire, Vangelis decided to team up with Yes member Jon Anderson to create a prog album that was a huge hit for the pair this year. It even spawned a sleeper hit with the lead single which was rare for a prog track back in the day, although as this was a novelty, it didn't lead to any further success for either man in the music scene.

Peak position #9

Hit singles

I'll find my way home #22

Now that the compilation albums were taking off in our mainstream here in Australia, it only makes sense that we'll be seeing far more of them as we go further into the decade on my site. Here the people who assembled this album got together a good selection of songs that made it big during the summer period of 81/82.

Peak position #2

Hit singles

Down under #1
Trouble #1
Oh Julie #3
You’ve got nothing I want #12
Working for the weekend #19
Harden my heart #6
Arthur’s theme #13
Blue eyes #4
I’ll find my way home #22
Tainted love #1
Waiting for a girl like you #3
Happy birthday #23
Shake it up #10
Hop skip jump #47
Should I do it #18
Let’s groove #15
Turn your love around #21
Chariots of fire #21

I guess this was as good as time as any to have George Benson release a greatest hits album given how he just had his biggest album at the start of the decade which even spawned him a hit single on our charts. His next album would do decently well the following year, however this would be the full extent of his popularity in the 80's down under.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

Turn your love around #21

These guys were on a roll when they released their second album of the 80's, although it didn't spawn a huge hit for them which is perhaps why it wasn't as big as the two albums it was sandwiched between. Still, this did make them one of the more popular Australian bands of the early 80's which was a great time for the Australian music scene both locally and internationally.

Peak position #7

Hit singles

No time #11
The queen and me #40

It seems fitting that Madness would suddenly find success here in Australia around the time they released their first greatest hits package, it almost seems convenient that this would become a success in lieu of their previous albums due to a memorable episode of Countdown where they performed all their latest singles to promote the album. In any case, this was the full extent of their popularity here in Australia.

Peak position #2

Hit singles

It must be love #6
House of fun #5

The name of this album implies that it would have a rock theme to it, while there are plenty of rock songs on here, it's actually a collection of some of the biggest hits of winter of this year in Australia which helped it become a massive success due to the good choices to be found on the album.

Peak position #3

Hit singles

Goody two shoes #1
Baby makes her blue jeans talk #11
Be good Johnny #8
Poison arrow #4
Hurts so good #5
Temporary heartache #18
Jenny #22
Controversy #15
I’ve never been to me #1
Don’t you want me #4
More than this #7
Forever now #4
I know what boys like #14
Key largo #2
No time #11
Promised you a miracle #10
Without you #34
Believe it or not #2

The summer of 1981/1982 was an impressive time for music in Australia if this album is anything to go by, as such it became a success during the autumn of this year due to how many great selections are available on its track listing.

Peak position #5

Hit singles

Wired for sound #2
Hold on tight #5
Our lips are sealed #2
Girls on film #11
The break up song #14
It’s my party #4
Just so lonely #15
Summer of 81 #31
Green door #8
Do you know what I mean #29
Alone with you #28
Love song #17
Precious to me #6
Only crying #19
Pretend #36
Busting loose #36
Fashion and fame #17

It had been six years since T Rex had broken up due to the death of their lead singer Marc Bolan, as such they decided to release this greatest hits package which became a moderate success here in Australia proving that they would've thrived in the 80's had Marc had lived to see this decade.

Peak position #2

There were talks of Deep purple reforming around this time which no doubt inspired us Aussies to check out this greatest hits package from two years prior to rediscover their back catalogue, indeed the rumours were true as the band would reform two years after this and have been going strong to this day.

Peak position #5

Much like his previous album, this also had a different title here in Australia compared to what it was in the UK (it was called Shaky for the record) this was named after the second single of the album here which curiously was only the fourth biggest hit he had down under.

Peak position #11

Hit singles

You drive me crazy #1
Green day #8

You'd think that this breakthrough album from Simple Minds would've been more of a success here in Australia given how it not only managed to spawn two of their more memorable hits from their catalogue, but also due to the band appearing on Countdown earlier in the year to promote their previous album. Alas this wasn't the case, although it did quite well over in NZ for some reason.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

Promised you a miracle #10
Glittering prize #9

This was a live album that the Rolling Stones released following the success of their American tour from the previous year, it did decently well here in Australia proving that the band were still able to find an audience in the southern hemisphere in the MTV era.

Peak position #10

This is the sequel to RPO's earlier entry on this list, suffice to say that the novelty was already starting to wear off with listening to them mash up classical music given how much less successful this album was worldwide.

Peak position #10

This is one of many entries from the Angels to find success throughout the decade, although this had to compete with the Never so live E.P which also contains the lead single "Fashion and fame" which is perhaps why it didn't do as well as the rest of their discography.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

Fashion and fame #17

This was the only notable success for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts here in Australia, although at least they only appeared on Countdown long after the albums success in order to promote their back catalogue here in Australia. Still there was little chance this was going to fail here due to combination of Joan's sexual appeal and the pop punk of the record to give it a sense of female empowerment.

Peak position #10

Hit singles

I love rock and roll #1
Crimson and clover #6

This was released on the tenth anniversary of the album; it does remain the BIGGEST album of all time in Australia (albums from Spotify streaming not withstanding) so naturally its success was warranted this year.

Peak position #5

The Jacksons were on a roll during the first half of the decade, as such we have this live album being a massive success here in Australia which is slightly odd given how it wasn't very popular in NZ or even their native America despite the band being more popular in both of those countries up until this point.

Peak position #2

Following the demise of Led Zeppelin from the start of the decade, Robert Plant decided to embark on a solo career which was off to a sound start with this album given how it was a modest success for him worldwide. He would have much better luck with his second album the following year where it became a huge success for him.

Peak position #6

This album manages to collect the biggest hits of the summer of 81/82 here in Australia and market the collection as the songs of autumn, it was a modest success due to this tactic but could've been more popular as evidence by the other entries on these lists.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

Tainted love #1
Screaming jets #9
Being with you #15
I want to be free #35
Big city talk #41
Abacab #35
The land of make believe #15
He’s a liar #38
Celebration #33
Private eyes #17
Stay young #21
Jealous guy #1
Hooked on classics #9
Super freak #26
My imagination #50
Gemini dream #31
More stars #26

This is the final taste of success Marcia Hines had in her career, one thing you'll notice going through my site is that an artist releasing a greatest hits package is generally a sign that they're anticipating a turbulent time in their career with there being little chance of them overturning said turbulence which happens to be the case here.

Peak position #2

This was released on the eleventh anniversary of Daddy Cool's biggest hit "Eagle rock," as such it allowed the song to become a minor hit this year (odd as this usually happens on the tenth anniversary of something's release) which in turn fueled the success of the album.

Peak position #5

Hit singles

Eagle rock #17

From what I can gather, Starstruck is one of those cult classics from this decade that wasn't well received from critics due to the plot being nonsensical (I haven't seen it for myself.) I will say that the soundtrack is a good representation of its success given how it’s a collaboration with its star Jo Kennedy and the Swingers which is perhaps how it and its lead single managed to become a success here.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

Body and soul #5

Although he only ever achieved two hits in his career as a lead artist, Peter Allen was nonetheless able to score a modest hit with this greatest hits album this year proving how well loved he was during his lifetime.

Peak position #9

For a greatest hits package that only contains six tracks, this did quite well for Pink Floyd back in the day which goes to show how popular these guys were during this time despite the fact they had only one hit single to their name.

Peak position #14

I guess we Aussies weren't that impressed with this supergroup given how this is the only notable success that Asia managed to achieve back in the day, it's not that we were against supergroups as this will be far from the only appearance of one on my site, rather we didn't care for these guys like those in America did around this time.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

Heat of the moment #26

Slim Whitman was a country legend who was among the most popular artists of the mid twentieth century worldwide, as such it makes sense that this greatest hits album was a success this year given how it collects twenty of his most iconic songs from his heyday.

Peak position #2

While this album wasn't a huge success here in Australia like it was in Yazoo's native UK, it did manage to produce two of the more memorable hit singles here this year which I'm sure was a neat consolation for the duo who didn't find any success at all with this album over in NZ. They would release one more album before going their separate ways due to creative differences they had with each other.

Peak position #10

Hit singles

Only you #7
Don't go #6

This will be the only album from Kim Wilde to appear on my site given how she was far more of a singles artist than she was an album's artist, indeed this feels like it was only a success here in Australia due to this being an excellent year for artists who scored multiple hits from one album to have said album be a modest success.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

Cambodia #7
View from a bridge #7

This was a compilation album which collects all of the biggest Bond themes at the time of its release, I'm guessing it was a success here in Australia due to the (then) recent success of the latest Bond theme from Sheena Easton this year.

Peak position #10

From what I can gather, Julie Anthony was one of the many singers who tried to replace Judith Durham when the Seekers reformed in the mid 70's. This was the only success she had as she released this covers album likely to cash in on the workout trend that was taking the mainstream by storm thanks to the likes of Jane Fonda and other fitness experts.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

China blue #34


Well, his on again off again girlfriend Stevie Nicks managed to achieve a huge solo breakthrough the previous year, so it only seems fitting that Lindsey Buckingham would follow suit by releasing his own solo album which didn't do as well but did spawn a massive hit for him worldwide that Stevie never had on her own.

Peak position #10

Hit singles

Trouble #1

This will be the only appearance from XTC on this side of my site as the punk band curiously didn't see that much success here despite them appearing on Countdown as well as their brand of punk and new wave fitting in perfectly with what was popular here at the time. I guess this did spawn their only hit with the lead single which explains its brief commercial success with us Aussies.

Peak position #14

Hit singles

Senses working overtime #12

While it was a box office success worldwide, I'm willing to bet that the only reason why the soundtrack for the third Rocky movie was such a success was due to it containing one of the biggest hits of the decade worldwide which has become synonymous with workout music. Curiously, this didn't translate to success for Survivor as none of their albums will be appearing on my site despite this success.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

Eye of the tiger #1

This was the album that allowed "Castles in the air" to finally become a success on its own from "Vincent" for Don Mclean as it was released as its lead single on the tenth anniversary of the original's release. This meant that Don was able to find moderate success around the launch of MTV despite his music being the antithesis of what that channel was all about.

Peak position #15

Hit singles

Castles in the air #11

We have one more successful album to look at from Neil Diamond, although it was naturally more of a success in his native America due to his fellow American's being more receptive to his brand of soft rock than the rest of the world at this point.

Peak position #12

This was the last album that Blondie released during their initial run as they would go their separate ways following its commercial disappointment, it doubled down on their change in music direction they took on Autoamerican which further alienated their fanbase from the 70's. Still this album did have its fans back in the day, hence why it makes an appearance on this list.

Peak position #15

Hit singles

Island of lost souls #13

Although he had success prior to this album here in Australia with his debut single "I need a lover," John Cougar (later known as John Mellencamp) really took the world by storm with this release due to it being the first album of his to find any success in his native America. I'm a bit surprised this underperformed given that A: the singles were inescapable here and B: his later material was among the most successful albums of the decade.

Peak position #18

Hit singles

Hurts so good #5
Jack and Diane #7

For my American readers, this will be your introduction to the Motels catalogue given how their first two albums were complete failures in the northern hemisphere due to a lack of exposure the band had for them. This also shows a more bombastic side from the band which lined up with the bombast that MTV was known for, which perhaps explains why it was far less successful here in Australia.

Peak position #20

Hit singles

Only the lonely #20
Take the l #21

Their previous album Panorama failed to make an appearance on this site, mainly because it was more of the same from the Cars 70's work which wasn't the case for this album as they adapted with the times for it to be a moderate success. Their next album would be their magnum opus here in Australia due to it embracing the trends of MTV as well as new wave.

Peak position #20

Hit singles

Shake it up #10

It feels odd that this is the only album from Randy Crawford I'll be featuring on this site as it doesn't even contain her UK chart topper "One day I'll fly away" from the start of the decade. At least she has some representation on here as opposed to many other musicians of colour who struggled to find success around this time worldwide.

Peak position #20

This only managed to be a success here in Australia due to the lead single being a huge chart topper for A flock of seagulls this year on our charts, if it wasn't for that, then this new wave album likely would've bombed despite it fitting in perfectly with what MTV was promoting this year internationally.

Peak position #19

Hit singles

I ran #1

This is the only success that the J Geils band had anywhere in the world, mainly because it spawned the only two hits they had in their lengthy career which became as such due to their (in my opinion) bizarre music videos that fitted in nicely with the MTV mould that was growing this year.

Peak position #1

Hit singles

Centerfold #1
Freeze frame #7

Ever thought that 70's music was lame and overrated? If so then this is the album for you as we have a bunch of comedians parodying the likes of the Bee gees, Status quo and Paul McCartney to questionable taste which found enough of an audience here in Australia back in the day for it to be a minor success.

Peak position #23

This was where it all began for the Divinyls, one of the most popular bands from Australia throughout the 80's likely due to favourable comparisons they had with the Pretenders (right down to both frontwomen being named Chrissie.) This was an E.P they released which also serves as the soundtrack to a film Monkey grip which was a huge success here back in the day.

Peak position #25

Hit singles

Boys in town #8


This was another successful greatest hits from Neil Diamond to make it big here in Australia, although it was likely due to his popularity beginning to fade due to the times shifting against him. Still, this is far from the last time we'll be hearing from him as he made a spectacular comeback in the 90's.

Peak position #21
This is the last album from Chicago that found any sort of success outside their native America, mainly due to it spawning their second biggest hit in the form of its lead single which remains a classic on oldies stations to this day (for better or worse even though I like it quite a bit.) They would go on to dominate the Billboard charts as the decade went on despite them falling into obscurity internationally.

Peak position #22

Hit singles

Hard to say I'm sorry #4

Although they only have one hit single to their name here in Australia (that being "Chanson d'amour") it appears we Aussies were curious enough to check out the back catalogue of Manhattan transfer this year to make this a minor sleeper success here.

Peak position #27

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