Although Mariah Carey was the first performer to benefit from the MTV unplugged series, it was this compelling performance that Eric Clapton gave later in the year which made the segment a huge sensation. Part of that was due to this being the first performance he gave following the death of his son, thus showing the raw emotion of a man who was going through a lot in his personal life at the time.
Peak position #1x8
Peak position #1x5 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Layla #7 (AMR #6)
This was the debut album from a band who by all accounts deserved far more than what they ended up achieving this decade given how the music scene shifted away from Australian artists this decade. Led by the powerful presence of frontwoman Suze Demarch, this album was initially a moderate success due to her strong vocals and the bands catchy instrumentation only for it to explode in popularity once "One word" was released as a single.
Peak position #1x6
Peak position #1x4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Early warning #21 (AMR #16)
Rush you #30
Painless #49
One word #15 (AMR #17)
It's a bit of a shock to see how long it took for Prince to recapture the success he had with the soundtrack to his first theatrical film Purple rain in Australia, in fact this comeback of his remains his most successful album down under which should tell you how done dirty he was in our mainstream back in the day. This is the last album he released until he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol as well as the first with his new band the New power generation.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Gett off #8 (AMR #5)
Cream #2 (AMR #2)
Diamonds and pearls #13 (AMR #12)
Money don't matter 2 night #18 (AMR #12)
While it was among the most successful albums of its day internationally, MJ's previous album Bad didn't quite live up to its hype in Australia despite it arguably being better than Thriller on an artistic level. I guess the takeaway he got from it was that the videos weren't as flashy, because the videos to this album are some of the highest budgets to ever come out of a music artist.
Peak position #1x6
Peak position #1x3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Black or white #1 (AMR #1)
Remember the time #6 (AMR #3)
In the closet #5 (AMR #6)
Jam #11 (AMR #9)
Who is it #34
Heal the world #20 (AMR #19)
Give in to me #4 (AMR #4)
The legends are true people, this was the first of many Soul deep project from Jimmy Barnes, Soul deep being what he refers to his style of music where he attempts to recreate the success of many Motown records from the height of the label's popularity. This side project has achieved massive success over the years which means there's people out there who appreciate this side of his catalogue.
Peak position #1x3
Peak position #1x2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
I gotcha #6 (AMR #5)
When something is wrong with my baby #3 (AMR #2)
Ain't no mountain high enough #28
From what I can gather, the this is a soundtrack to a film that's based on a book which depicts the struggles of Irish immigrants looking to make it big into the music industry in America. The film must have been a massive success here in Australia (it flopped in America) given how its first soundtrack (yes there was more than one) managed to become one of the biggest of the decade here and spawn a single that permeates on oldies stations to this day.
Peak position #2
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Mustang sally #43
So, the Use your illusions era, it's referred to the time where Guns n Roses put out two long albums simultaneously and saw massive success with both of them both as albums and with the singles they released. The second volume proved to be more popular than the first likely due to having the bigger singles on the charts, although volume one did contain the Illusions trilogy which made them iconic.
Peak position #1x3
Peak position #1x3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
You could be mine #3 (AMR #2)
Knocking on heaven's door #12 (AMR #14)
Yesterdays #14 (AMR #18)
Estranged #40
One of the more dynamic vocalists to come from Australia in the last quarter of the twentieth century was Wendy Matthews, and while she had modest success with her previous album Emigre, this was the album that made her a household name in the mainstream (albeit briefly.) It's a shame her subsequent follow-ups didn't achieve this level of success, or any success for that matter due to the shifting audience's music tastes.
Peak position #2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
The day you went away #2 (AMR #2)
Friday's child #15 (AMR #11)
If only I could #41
It took them five albums to find a mainstream audience, heck it looked like this album was going to fail as well given how much of a failure its lead single was for the band. Fortunately for them, the second single proved to be one of the biggest hits of the early 90's which allowed the album to find massive worldwide success for them. This of course led to a bunch of band fights resulting in the temporary departure of John Frusciante.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #1x2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Give it away #41
Under the bridge #1 (AMR #1)
Suck my kiss #8 (AMR #5)
Breaking the girl #30
It looked like that Bryan Adams was going to become a one album wonder given the commercial failure of his 1987 effort Heat of the night, however following his contributions to the Robin hood soundtrack, he was able to bounce back more successful than ever with this album which led to him having a highly productive decade despite only putting out two more albums in the 90's.
Peak position #1x4
Peak position #1x3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
I do it for you #1 (AMR #1)
Can't stop this thing we started #9 (AMR #13)
There will never be another tonight #30
Thought I'd died and gone to heaven #13 (AMR #13)
All I want is you #31
This was the first signs of the Abba reevaluation that people gave them throughout the decade, indeed the band would become a well-respected legacy act following the initial success of this greatest hits package back in the day. This was one of many albums to find success multiple times this decade as it recharted two years later due to the success of Muriel's wedding and again when the Mamma Mia musical launched.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Dancing queen (re release) #37
The last time Rod Stewart had an album this successful was when he dabbled with disco with his 1978 effort Blondes have more fun, so to see him return to this level of success with his first album of the decade can only mean that fans decided to boycott him throughout the 80's and lifted the boycott once the 90's began. That's the best explanation I have for why there was such a long absence of his popularity.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
It takes two #16 (AMR #14)
Rhythm of my heart #2 (AMR #1)
The Motown song #26 (AMR #20)
Have I told you lately #12 (AMR #11)
Surprised to see this album so low on the list? I should point out that I'm only ranking these albums based on their original chart runs and while this was a huge success upon its initial release, it wasn't as inescapable as its reputation would have you believe. That said, this album is responsible for why many artists from the 70's and 80's struggled to retain their popularity as the decade went on due to how it revolutionised the rock scene.
Peak position #2
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Smells like teen spirit #5 (AMR #5)
Come as you are #25
So, if you're a casual fan of Madonna looking to explore her earlier work in more depth, then I can't give a bigger endorsement for this greatest hits package of hers as it collects most (but not all) of her biggest hits during the first eight years of her career to help you decide if you want to become a bigger fan of hers or not. This was attached to her Blonde ambition tour which was also a huge success around this time.
Peak position #1x5
Peak position #1x9 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Justify my love #4 (AMR #4)
Rescue me #15 (AMR #13)
This was the breakthrough album of one of the heaviest bands in the metal scene Metallica, although given how this wasn't as heavy as their earlier work, one would be excused for thinking that this was a sellout album even though it's still much heavier than most of what was coming out at the time. Their true sellout period came later in the decade when they released Load and its sequel Reload, both of which were meant to cash in on the adult contemporary of the 90's.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Enter sandman #10 (AMR #12)
The unforgiven #10 (AMR #9)
Nothing else matter #8 (AMR #8)
Sad but true #48
Wherever I may roam #14 (AMR #14)
This was the first volume of the Guns n Roses Use your illusions era, it wasn't as successful as their earlier entry despite it having the songs that would make up the Illusions trilogy which showcased a storyline that was paired with high budget music videos for the singles on the album. Even though it wasn't quite as successful as their earlier entry, it was still one of the biggest albums of the decade.
Peak position #2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Don't cry #5 (AMR #7)
Live and let die #10 (AMR #13)
November rain #5 (AMR #4)
Following the so so commercial success of their previous album New Jersey, Bon Jovi decided to adapt with the times with this album which admittedly got the album off to a slow start given how they led the album cycle off with the title track, however it did eventually rebound soon after when the other songs were released as singles. This led to the band going in an adult contemporary direction with their later material in the decade.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Keep the faith #10 (AMR #11)
Bed of roses #10 (AMR #11)
In these arms #10 (AMR #10)
I'll sleep when I'm dead #24 (AMR #20)
I believe #40
Dry country #31
This was the second greatest hits album that Cold chisel released following their breakup from seven years prior to its release, I never understood why labels would release greatest hits albums from bands and artist who haven't released any new material since their previous greatest hits album. I guess this was a success so here we are talking about it.
Peak position #3
Peak position #3 (AMR charts)
This was released just before Freddie Mercury's death, while it was always going to be a huge success since it came out exactly a decade after their first greatest hits package, the fact this is forever tied into the death of the legendary frontman likely factored into its huge success back in the day.
Peak position #4
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Australian production of Jesus Christ superstar, there was a revival show that starred John Farnham, Kate Ceberano and Jon Stevens which was so much of a success that its official soundtrack went on to become a massive success in the mainstream. Heck it even spawned a genuine hit single with the trio's rendition of "Everything's alright."
Peak position #1x10
Peak position #1x8 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Everything's alright #6 (AMR #6)
I'm not sure why Diesel decided to disband the Injectors at the start of the decade, sure this album was a huge success for him and even got him a huge fanbase in NZ of all places, but I'm sure he could've achieved that with the band intact. In any case, we have this album which sparked interest for him in America that sadly never came into fruition as his subsequent releases underperformed worldwide.
Peak position #1x4
Peak position #1x4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Love junk #19 (AMR #18)
Come to me #8 (AMR #8)
Tip of my tongue #4 (AMR #3)
Man alive #20 (AMR #20)
This was initially a flop for Boyz II men here in Australia, likely due to us Aussies not being that interested in RNB and New jack swing like the kiwis and their fellow Americans were. It was given a second chance when their theme to Eddie Murphy's Boomerang became one of the biggest hits of the decade and thus allowed us to appreciate this album and lessen our stigma against music of colour.
Peak position #4
Peak position #3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Motownphilly #32
End of the road #1 (AMR #1)
In the still of the nite #11 (AMR #8)
This album set records for Simply red over in their native UK, namely it became the first album to top the year end album charts there for two years in a row which should give you an idea of how inescapable they were back in the day. It wasn't quite that big here in Australia, although it was riding off the success of their first three albums, so its success was notable regardless.
Peak position #7
Peak position #6 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Something got me started #29
Stars #29
For the longest time, this was the only album from an aboriginal artist to find success here in Australia, in recent years Jessica Mauboy has found success with her albums but she only started doing so in the late 00's. Indeed, this album struggled to become a best seller initially due to audiences missing the point of its lead single, however it eventually won people over when it spawned another hit for the band.
Peak position #4
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Treaty #11 (AMR #11)
Djapana #13 (AMR #11)
Following the success of their previous album, R.E.M went back to the studio to release what's often considered their magnum opus as it contains many of their most iconic songs. It's by far their most successful album even if it had a bit of a slow start to its success here in Australia, in fact this only became a best seller when the third single became a huge success half a year after its release.
Peak position #2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Drive #34
Man on the moon #39
Everybody hurts #6 (AMR #5)
This was the last album to have Phil Collins as part of the band as he wouldn't reunite with the band later in the decade when they put out their final album to deafening silence. This album's success likely came from its main theme of religion which was becoming an increasingly popular topic for artists this decade ever since Madonna destigmatised criticisms of the church with her album Like a prayer.
Peak position #8
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
No son of mine #29
I can't dance #7 (AMR #7)
This was the album Madonna released to coincide with her book Sex, a book that was little more than a bunch of photos of her in sexually provocative positions that was meant to titillate the general audiences of the early 90's. While the album isn't as tasteless as the book, it does have a highly sexual nature which perhaps explains its bad reputation over the years as being an album for horny listeners.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #1x2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Erotica #4 (AMR #3)
Deeper and deeper #11 (AMR #10)
Bad girl #32
Rain #5 (AMR #6)
Bye bye baby #15 (AMR #15)
It seems odd that these guys would be able to survive the initial onslaught that the grunge scene had with the rest of rock music, however they did just that thanks to the lead single and its music video which features some of the worst CGI to come out of this decade. This allowed the band to hang in there while many of their contemporaries struggled to find success with their respective albums.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #1x2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Let's get rocked #6 (AMR #4)
Make love like a man #22
Have you ever needed someone so bad #44
Two steps behind #33
Elton John was certainly on a roll this decade as he was able to score massive success with his first new album of the 90's, although it would be his last successful album that wasn't attached to a soundtrack in his career as he largely focused on making soundtracks following the success he had with the Lion king two years later. It was not only a huge commercial success but also won him and academy award.
Peak position #2
Peak position #3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
The one #15 (AMR #14)
The last song #32
There was little doubt that U2 would find success with this album regardless of what direction they took their sound in, however the fact that they went with ironic rockstars certainly helped it find an audience who were likely becoming fed up with how sincere their 80's work had become as well as it spawning multiple hit singles which lasted over a year after its initial release.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
The fly #1 (AMR #1)
Mysterious ways #3 (AMR #4)
One #4 (AMR #3)
Even better than the real thing #11 (AMR #9)
Who's gonna ride your wild horses #9 (AMR #9)
This was the debut album for one Billy Ray Cyrus, a man who would go on to be known as the father for one Destiny Hope Cyrus AKA Miley. Before his daughter became a major Disney star, he was a decently successful country singer who initially struggled to find a record deal due to being seen as little more than a pretty face. Indeed, the success of this album was largely due to a lot of people finding him attractive as well as it popularising the line dance craze.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Achy breaky heart #1 (AMR #1)
Could've been me #43
When word got out for when the Beach boys would be releasing a new album, fans became excited despite the mediocre reception of their previous album Still cruising from the start of the decade. They rediscovered their back catalogue with this greatest hits album in preparation for the new album, said album was Summer in paradise which is considered to be their worst album.
Peak position #11
Peak position #10 (AMR charts)
This is often considered to be the magnum opus from Enya's discography, although it wasn't her most successful album as that honour goes to her next album she released later in the decade. This confirmed the new age trend to be legitimate as there were a ton of albums in this vein to make it big throughout the 90's.
Peak position #8
Peak position #9 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
How can I keep from singing #47
This was initially only a minor success in Australia when it was released, likely because we Aussies were beginning to fall out of love with their marriage of hip hop and rock in their sound. We quickly fell in love with it again when they released their cover of a Lionel Richie classic, a cover that has almost nothing in common with the rest of the album it appears on which nonetheless boosted its sales.
Peak position #4
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Midlife crisis #31
I'm easy #1 (AMR #1)
Even though these guys only ever had one successful album to their name in Australia, this greatest hits package released nine years after Eliminator was a huge success for ZZ top down under proving how much we Aussies realised we did them dirty during their initial popularity. It's likely because of this album we know their signature track "La grange."
Peak position #2
Peak position #3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Viva Las Vegas #28
This looked like it was going to be a mere moderate success upon its initial release, likely due to the lead single already being part of a successful E.P thus negating any incentive for audiences to check out the band's debut album. Fortunately, they were given an incentive to do so when their cover of a Harry Chapin track became a huge hit for them, although it's worth noting how out of place this cover is on this album.
Peak position #7
Peak position #11 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Everything about you #4 (AMR #4)
Neighbour #28
Cats in the cradle #1 (AMR #1)
Busy bee #39
It was only inevitable that John Farnham would release a live album that would see massive success for him, it comes around the time he had his collaboration with Jimmy Barnes on his Soul deep project from earlier on this list to remind audiences of what a phenomenal talent he was this far into his career.
Peak position #2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
He may have failed to score a hit single anywhere in the world since the soundtrack to his version of the Jazz singer, however it's obvious that Neil Diamond has remained a welcome presence in the music industry as evidence by how frequently his 1972 live album Hot august night recharts in the mainstream. Twenty years after that album, he released this greatest hits package that detailed his success from his debut to its release.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #1x3 (AMR charts)
There have been many compelling performances on MTV Unplugged over the years, perhaps the first one of these performances came from Mariah Carey who wanted to prove to her audience that she wasn't lip synching her material and only hesitated to go on tour due to her stage freight that she had at the time. Indeed, she sounds extremely nervous throughout this E.P, however she did successfully prove that she was the real deal as she had little issues in hitting those high notes.
Peak position #7
Peak position #7 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
I'll be there #9 (AMR #7)
Although these guys didn't achieve much success here in Australia with their albums or indeed their singles save for the three big hits I've already featured on this site so far, that didn't prevent them from finding success with this greatest hits package which no doubt led to them having a resurgence in popularity later in the decade with their next album.
Peak position #6
Peak position #7 (AMR charts)
Following the success of their previous album, Wendy Matthews decided to leave the group in order to pursue a solo career which led them to replacing her with Deni Hines who is the daughter of 70's icon Marcia Hines. Deni's presence took the band more towards reggae and RNB which proved to be more of a winning formula for the band as this album was more successful than their previous effort.
Peak position #3
Peak position #3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Ain't no sunshine #5 (AMR #4)
That word #4 (AMR #4)
It's not over #15 (AMR #13)
Here we have another greatest hits package to become a success this decade, this time it comes courtesy of Simple minds who were looking back over eleven years of uninterrupted success in their career (in their native UK it was uninterrupted.) It's one of many greatest hits packages to become a success that reassured the artist in question that their legacy was secured regardless of what happened to them next.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
We were still five years off from album number four from Lionel Richie, although I guess he noticed how long his fans had been waiting and as such released this greatest hits package to help tie them over to his eventual album. Unfortunately, while this album was a huge success for him, said fans grew tired of waiting and didn't flock over to his album when it dropped in 1996.
Peak position #1x6
Peak position #1x4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Do it to me #45
They may not have had much success with their albums in Australia (at least at this point they didn't) however the success of this greatest hits package ensured that Salt n Pepa had a very devoted fanbase here regardless based on their singles alone. Indeed, their popularity here would eventually lead to them having major success with their next album Very necessary both with the singles and the album itself.
Peak position #2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
It looked like the Cure would be stuck in the 80's as far as us Aussies were concerned, even their American breakthrough from 1989 wasn't enough to have us convinced that they had any place in our music scene now that the Countdown era was well and truly over. They won us over with this album likely due to it being a much brighter look at their catalogue as well as the success it had in America.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
High #5 (AMR #10)
Friday I'm in love #39
This was a decently successful album upon its initial release, likely due to it spawning two hits for Rick Price which was impressive for a debut album even for someone his age. It saw a massive rebound a year later when "Walk away Renee" became a surprise hit for him, thus making it a huge success for an Australian artist when that was becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.
Peak position #3
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Not a day goes by #5 (AMR #6)
Heaven knows #6 (AMR #9)
What's wrong with the girl #45
Walk away Renee #21 (AMR #18)
Following the success of their comeback album from the previous year, Hoodoo gurus decided to release a greatest hits album which was also successful making you wonder why their 1989 album was a flop when it came out. This was the last success the band would have in their career, however it also proved that their back catalogue was well loved by their fans and such they became a touring act.
Peak position #3
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Harry Connick Jr was always a crooner in the music industry; however, his career received a massive boost when he appeared in the film Little man Tate which compelled audiences to check out his music catalogue with this greatest hits package he had conveniently released around the time the movie came out. It was a slow rise to success here in Australia, however we were eventually won over.
Peak position #4
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
In a way, this feels like a greatest hits album as we have Michael Crawford singing all of the best-known songs from all of Andrew Lloyd Webber's productions at the time of the album's release. The success of this album was likely due to when the Phantom of the opera began its tour here in Australia which happened to star him in the titular role, thus making this a tie into the show.
Peak position #1x3
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
This was meant to be rereleased simply as the tenth anniversary of its existence, it became a success all over again due to the tragic passing of Freddie Mercury which even allowed their signature track to chart again this year.
Peak position #8
Peak position #8 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Bohemian rhapsody (re release) #5 (AMR #6)
While this wasn't James Blundell's debut album, it was the album that broke him through thanks to his collaboration with James Reyne serving as its lead single which almost got both men a chart topper for them in Australia. Unfortunately, through a combination of country music not being popular in Australia and local artists struggling throughout the 90's, this was the only success he managed to have in his career.
Peak position #4
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Way out west #2 (AMR #2)
This road #26
These guys were always described as a killer live band, so it only makes sense that this live album would be a huge success for them when they released it. They wouldn't have any more hits after this save for a song that they gave to be used as the theme to Last action hero.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #1x2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Highway to hell #29
Before he took Hollywood by storm with the likes of Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge, Baz Lurhman got his start with this film which he made here in Australia about a ballroom dancer wanting to win a competition and the trials and tribulations that he encounters along the way. It remains a classic to this day here in Australia and even a cult classic worldwide thanks to the story and soundtrack which was also a huge success.
Peak position #6
Peak position #8 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Love is in the air (ballroom mix) #3 (AMR #3)
It looked like this third album from Richard Marx was going to be a massive flop for him given how the lead single failed to find any sort of audience outside his native America from the previous year, fortunately the second single managed to become a massive worldwide hit albeit rather slowly as I'm sure most people didn't realise the dark subject matter of the ballad and thus not realise the true potential this guy had on here.
Peak position #11
Peak position #12 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Keep coming back #34
Hazard #1 (AMR #1)
Take this heart #11 (AMR #10)
It was a new decade, so Crowded house decided to dial back the bombast of their previous material to help them fit in with the calmer music scene which provided them their third big hit in a row with their albums. This managed to break them through into the UK where they scored massive success with this album, I'm guessing the Brits were looking to make them a success but couldn't get into their 80's material.
Peak position #2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Chocolate cake #20 (AMR #20)
Fall at your feet #31
It's only natural #15 (AMR #15)
Weather with you #27
Four seasons in one day #47
Following his star making performance at the Barcelona Olympics this year as well as the concert he gave with Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti earlier in the decade, Jose Carreras was able to make a name for himself with this album that collects all of his most memorable songs for the convenience of everyone who had fallen in love with his shows throughout the decade.
Peak position #2
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Friends for life #1 (AMR #1)
This was the only other success that Margaret Urlich was able to achieve here in Australia given how successful her solo debut was from the start of the decade, although it's worth noting that this too underperformed in her homeland, suggesting that the kiwis had grown tired of her music by this point.
Peak position #5
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Boy in the moon #21
Burnt Sienna #33
By this point Tina Turner had become royalty in the Australian music scene, so naturally this greatest hits album would be a massive success for her when she released it. Interestingly it was even more successful over in NZ meaning that the kiwis were likely bigger fans of her at this point than us Aussies.
Peak position #12
Peak position #11 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Nutbush city limits remix #16 (AMR #14)
Noiseworks had officially called it quits this year following the departure of Jon Stevens to allow him to embark on a theatrical career, as such they released this greatest hits album which was a success due to it collecting their biggest hits from their three albums during their time together.
Peak position #4
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
One of the more popular films live action kids' films of the 90's was My girl, a story about a young girl who was going through the challenges of life in the early 70's due to how distant her father was due to him being a funeral director and thus fascinated with death over his daughter. I won't spoil the film, but it's a fantastic watch to this day due to the performances and the way the soundtrack is incorporated in the scenes.
Peak position #4
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Although her (then) most recent album was a bit of a dud for her, Kylie's career so far was nonetheless a massive success everywhere in the world except for America (due to being dropped from her label over there) which made this the perfect opportunity to release a greatest hits package looking over the highlights. After this, she would experiment with her sound before eventually returning to bubblegum pop in 2000.
Peak position #3
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
What kind of fool #17 (AMR #16)
Celebration #21
This was another successful album to come from an artist who hadn't seen any success in several years at this point, Paul Young was one of the biggest artists of the 80's worldwide due to the strength of his first two albums so it makes sense that this album overlooking that success would be huge this year.
Peak position #6
Peak position #6 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Senza una donna #42
This was arguably the biggest album to come from Hunters and collectors, mainly because it was already a success upon its initial as it as it rebounding on the charts due to the success of the second and third singles on the album. It allowed them to find success during a time where it was becoming increasingly difficult for Australian artists to do so, particularly those coming from the 80's.
Peak position #6
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Where do you go #33
True tears of joy #14 (AMR #13)
Holy grail #20 (AMR #16)
Well Nirvana was able to find massive success with their earlier entry on this list, so why not allow Pearl jam to rise to the ranks of rock gods with their debut album? It may surprise you to learn that while this was a success upon its initial release, it took several attempts for it to reach the same level of success that Nevermind and even their later albums achieved, likely due to it being a bit ahead of its time.
Peak position #14
Peak position #15 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Alive #9 (AMR #8)
Even flow #22 (AMR #20)
Well, this is one way of acknowledging you have a rich back catalogue that fans had unfairly ignored at this point, RHCP released this greatest hits package to help fans discover what they had missed out on from their 80's material which proved to be a success for them.
Peak position #9
Peak position #10 (AMR charts)
I'm not quite sure why this album that was originally released in 1980 was becoming a success here in Australia again twelve years after its release, then again, this decade was an excellent time for older artists to find success with greatest hits albums so perhaps this was just part of the trend.
Peak position #2
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Midnight oil was among many bands to have a highly successful live album back in the day due to their reputation for their live shows, as such we have that album here which they released between two of their more prominent albums as a way of tying over fans from the 80's to the 90's in the music industry.
Peak position #3
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Sometimes #33
Well, this was the album where Prince as Eminem put it a decade later "turn himself into a symbol" which was a modest success upon its initial release due to the popularity of his earlier entry on this list despite it receiving a polarising reception due to fans and critics not knowing what to do with his new sound and image.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Sexy MF #5 (AMR #4)
My name is prince #9 (AMR #8)
7 #25
These girls have been described as the Australian equivalent of the Spice girls, it's there as they were a five piece who specialised in dance pop with elements of RNB and hip hop thrown into the mix. As such you have to wonder what happened to their popularity given how inescapable their British counterparts would be during the second half of the decade, I guess they were too ahead of their time.
Peak position #6
Peak position #10 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Take it from me #1 (AMR #1)
Girl's life #14 (AMR #13)
Without you #18 (AMR #15)
Bad attitude #28 (AMR #20)
Given how this album managed to spawn Bobby Brown's biggest hit not just here in Australia but throughout the rest of the world, it only makes sense it would be a success for him even if that success was a fraction of what his previous album achieved from the end of the previous decade here.
Peak position #2
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Humping around #1 (AMR #1)
Good enough #39
This is the only successful album to come from the Black Crowes here in Australia, a southern blues band who achieved massive success over in NZ of all places with their previous album even though this album was only a modest success over there given how big their earlier work was.
Peak position #6
Peak position #8 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Remedy #21
This album was six years in the making given how it took that long for Peter Gabriel to follow up his magnum opus So, as you can imagine, it's a bit of a disappointment given how much lower it appears on this list than that album would have. That said, it was still a big success even if that largely came from the singles helping it rebound whenever they were released.
Peak position #3
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Digging the dirt #23 (AMR #19)
Steam #29
I think these guys are the only EDM artists to have more than one successful album in Australia throughout the 90's, although admittedly neither of their albums were as big as any of their contemporaries so perhaps this all balances out. In any case, the Dutch duo was able to double their success the following year by releasing more of their irresistibly catchy dance tracks on their next album.
Peak position #10
Peak position #9 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Get ready for this #2 (AMR #3)
Twilight zone #11 (AMR #12)
Workaholic #35
The magic friend #16 (AMR #14)
This somewhat jumped the gun when it came to being an anniversary release of the album, mainly because it came out on the nineteenth anniversary rather than the more standard twentieth anniversary. Even so, the fact this finally saw a release on CD was what helped it find success this decade as was the case for many older albums throughout the 90's.
Peak position #19
Peak position #14 (AMR charts)
Here's that second volume of the Commitments soundtrack that I mentioned from earlier on this list, this was a very popular theme throughout the decade where a film would release more than one soundtrack (likely due to lacking space to include every song that appeared in it) with the second volume often doing rather well on our charts.
Peak position #6
Peak position #7 (AMR charts)
Although he's best known as a stage actor, Anthony Warlow achieved quite a few successful albums throughout the 90's here in Australia thanks to his baritone voice working wonders with opera music. As such he managed to score massive success with his second album this year when opera music was rising in popularity not just here but throughout the world.
Peak position #5
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
I guess this being a success here in Australia meant that we Aussies were slowly but surely becoming more receptive towards hip hop even if it didn't reach the dizzying heights that MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice achieved at the start of the decade, it's more credible than those albums but a far cry from what Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg had to offer as the decade went on according to hip hop fans.
Peak position #7
Peak position #9 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Jump #1 (AMR #1)
Warm it up #21
You'd think that INXS would be able to successfully transition from the 80's to the 90's similar to how Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham did, they somewhat made the transition given how this was a modest success for them, however it seemed like a last hurrah before they faded into obscurity as the decade went on.
Peak position #2
Peak position #3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Heaven sent #13 (AMR #14)
Baby don't cry #30
Taste it #36
Beautiful girl #34
This was released the previous year to deafening silence here in Australia, this is even after the fact that the lead single became a massive success here months before Mick Jone's previous band the Clash had a posthumous comeback with "Should I stay or should I go" in his native UK. It was due to the second single's similarities to that song that this finally took off here when that became a worldwide hit.
Peak position #10
Peak position #9 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Rush #1 (AMR #1)
The globe #8 (AMR #9)
This took its time in finding its success here in Australia, likely because these guys were dismissed as Boyz II men rip-offs internationally even though those guys didn't find any success here until nearly a year after their albums initial release from earlier on this list. These guys did appear on Beverly hills 90210 around the time it finally took off here, so you can thank that show for why it was a success.
Peak position #17
Peak position #15 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
I wanna sex you up #4 (AMR #4)
All 4 love #9 (AMR #6)
I adore mi amor #27
I'm not sure if this 1977 album was the one that charted this year or if we Aussies got an exclusive greatest hits album this year similar to the Dr Hook entry from earlier on this list, either way we had enough nostalgia for Smokie that a greatest hits package from them was a moderate success here this year.
Peak position #9
Peak position #9 (AMR charts)
We have yet another greatest hits package to be a success here in Australia from Elvis Presley, this time it's another theme album as this collected all of his love songs which connected with nostalgic Elvis fans this year down under.
Peak position #5
Peak position #7 (AMR charts)
While his previous album did spawn Julian Lennon's first chart topper here in Australia (that is if we're going by AMR charts) it wasn't until this album where he finally managed to rise up to the level of popularity his late father had during his lifetime two to three decades prior down under thanks to the lead single becoming a massive chart topper here.
Peak position #5
Peak position #8 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Saltwater #1 (AMR #1)
Help yourself #30 (AMR #16)
This is an interesting case of a soundtrack only being released many years after the film it was based on, Last stand was a concert film that was released in 1984 just as Cold chisel was breaking up and yet its soundtrack only came out this year where it was only a modest success despite it being another live album from a band who were known for their onstage antics.
Peak position #8
Peak position #6 (AMR charts)
Well just because the Eurythmics were no more by this point, doesn't mean that audiences didn't want to hear anything more from Annie Lennox as she managed to make a huge splash this year with her solo album. Here she trades in the new wave of her band for the sophistopop trends in order to help her realise her full imagination both with her music and the videos which likely were an inspiration for Lady Gaga.
Peak position #7
Peak position #10 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Why #17 (AMR #17)
Little bird #38
This was initially a failure here in Australia upon its release, however it rebounded on our charts this year likely due to the positive reception it received once several of the tracks won awards at the start of the year. If you can believe it, his next two albums would be even bigger down under as the decade went on.
Peak position #11
Peak position #11 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Love is a wonderful thing #25
OK I bet you didn’t think we’d be looking at an album where Ice-T would be the lead vocalist for a thrash metal band on this list did you? Here we are with the first of two successful albums they had back in the day which goes to show that combining hip hop with metal was endorsed by rappers even if it was popularised by the likes of Faith no more and Rage against the machine.
Peak position #12
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
The last time Neil Diamond troubled the Australian charts with one of his studio albums, it was almost a decade prior with Heartlight which was caught between two years to make an appearance on my site. Fast forward to this year and he has a surprise comeback with this album which he released alongside his earlier entry which resulted in his greatest hits package taking off later in the year.
Peak position #15
Peak position #13 (AMR charts)
This is the last successful alum that the Black sorrows had in their catalogue, even then it was more due to it sticking around for quite some time as it peaked right before the Aussie purge that took place in the music industry where several of their contemporaries struggled to find any success with albums that would've thrived at the start of the decade.
Peak position #13
Peak position #17 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Ain't love the strangest thing #46
Following the success of their album Joyride, Roxette wasn't sure what to do next and decided to go with everything at once as this is an album that's part studio, part live, part greatest hits and part interviews they gave from around this time. Fans didn't know what to make of the album, although the parts they did like they really liked hence why it was a success for them.
Peak position #3
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
How do you do #13 (AMR #17)
This was a bit of a mini comeback for Kiss given how they hadn't troubled out charts since 1980 with Unmasked, although it was only a success this year due to the lead single also serving as the theme song to Bill and Ted's bogus adventure which was a massive box office success when it came out.
Peak position #5
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
God gave rock and roll to you II #18 (AMR #18)
Bruce Springsteen was really struggling for mainstream popularity throughout the 90's, in fact save for a greatest hits package and his theme to the Philadelphia soundtrack from later in the decade, he didn't release anything after his 1987 album Tunnel of love that many people will find noteworthy.
Peak position #3
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Human touch #17
This was released the exact same day as Bruce's earlier entry on this list, which would explain why neither of these albums were as popular as his earlier work if he was having his fans choose which of them to make a success.
Peak position #6
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
Given how his earlier entry finally put him on the map in the music scene, it makes sense that this album from Harry Connick Jr would see moderate success here in Australia as it was the first thing he released following his breakthrough performance in Little man Tate the previous year. His true magnum opus would be his next album which was one of the most popular of the decade down under.
Peak position #10
Peak position #11 (AMR charts)
I guess it was inevitable that Mike Oldfield would release a sequel to his debut album, although he kind of bungled its release as this was only the nineteenth anniversary of the first volume of Tubular bells (not the only album on this list where that's the case.) I'm guessing this would've been even bigger here in Australia had it come out on its twentieth anniversary instead.
Peak position #12
Peak position #13 (AMR charts)
Wayne's world was a huge critical and commercial success this year, so it makes sense that its soundtrack would be a moderate success here in Australia even if its standout track was already a success due to the tragic passing of Freddie Mercury shortly before the film's release. I've yet to see either of the films in this series, however I should rectify that given how much I love the Austin Powers franchise.
Peak position #15
Peak position #19 (AMR charts)
For the uninitiated, Tommy Emmanuel was a former bassist for Dragon who left the group when their popularity began to die out at the start of the decade to pursue a solo career as a country artist. While his first album was a minor success, it was this second album where he started seeing mainstream popularity which would continue throughout the 90's.
Peak position #17
Peak position #18 (AMR charts)
It's hard to believe that Colour of my love wasn't the first English language album that Celine Dion released in her catalogue given how this and her previous albums were both commercial failures by comparison, indeed this only became a success due to the lead single being her Oscar winning duet with Peabo Bryson for the Beauty and the beast soundtrack that was a minor success this year down under.
Peak position #15
Peak position #19 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Beauty and the beast #17 (AMR #17)
This took its sweet time in finding success here in Australia, in fact it was only on its second anniversary that we Aussies finally decided to check it out given how one of its singles became a massive success for UB40 here. Even then, it was only a success in America initially before it found success amongst us Aussies, further proving how fortuitous this album's success was in the end.
Peak position #20
Peak position #18 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Here I am #3 (AMR #3)
Kingston town #17 (AMR #14)
This was the last successful album that Joe Cocker had anywhere in the world, mainly because he was considered to be a legacy artist by this point meaning that audiences weren't interested in hearing new material from him and instead wanted to relive his older material through nostalgia. Indeed, this was more of a sleeper hit for him here in Australia given how it charted mainly on the lower half of our charts.
Peak position #23
Peak position #19 (AMR charts)
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't more of a success here in Australia given how their first album from two years prior was a decent size success for Shakespeare's sister down under, although I guess the would-be success this album had instead went towards its singles which both managed to make their waves on our charts due to their unique approach to art pop they had.
Peak position #20
Peak position #23 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Stay #3 (AMR #3)
I don't care #18 (AMR #19)
From here in out (until 1998 where the AMR charts ceased to exist) we'll be looking at every entry from the 100% hits franchise given how every entry from the franchise was a success including the third entry which looks over the summer period of 91/92.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Let's talk about sex #1
Finally #8
Come to me #8
Kingston town #17
Spending my time #16
Saltwater #1
Peace #24
Set adrift on memory bliss #7
All 4 love #9
Love you right #1
Do anything #10
Spill the wine #31
Keep coming back #34
Wildside #28
It's only natural #15
I've had you #39
Lovesick #13
This was volume four from the 100% series, it collected the biggest hits of autumn of this year just like the previous entry collected the biggest hits of summer for 91/92.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
Be my baby #6
Dizzy #3
Skin to skin #16
To be with you #1
Dream alone #23
High #5
Insanity #31
Under the bridge #1
Way out west #2
Tip of my tongue #4
I think I love you #12
One #4
Sister's crazy #37
Ghost of a Texas ladies' man #31
Anthem #47
Help yourself #30
Stay #3
Marvellous #1
This album looks over the biggest hits of winter this year, naturally it had a strong selection of songs to chose from as this was a hectic time in music here in Australia.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Hazard #1
I can't help myself #28
Just take my heart #27
Perfect place #31
My Loving #36
I can feel it #7
Life is a highway #2
God gave rock and roll to you II #18
Man alive #20
Save the best for last #1
Always the last to know #39
The disappointed #32
One in a million #1
Everything about you #4
Cry #5
Fly like an eagle #44
Living in England #19
This was supposed to be the rival of the 100% hits series, this would eventually be rebranded as Hit machine given how this was the best the Can't beat the music trilogy was able to do due to all of the best songs of the year being on the Warner and EMI labels which its rival series had full access to.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Djapana #13
That word #4
James brown is dead #7
Not a day goes by #5
Get ready for this #2
The best #14
Ordinary angels #3
Innocence #31
Kicking to the undersound #20
Kiss me #27
We will rock you #50
America what time is love #40
She's got that vibe #28
Give me just a little more time #24
Why #17
This was the final entry from the Can't beat the music series, there was one more compilation album this year after this entry which was such a failure that it made people wonder if 100% hits would be the definitive franchise for these seasonal compilations.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Please don't go #2
Take a chance on me #13
Deeply dippy #38
Jump #1
Workaholic #35
Rhythm is a dancer #3
Midlife crisis #31
Pretend we're dead #50
Damn I wish I was your lover #7
Heaven knows #6
Live and learn #45
Love is holy #29
Tear me apart #33
This was more of a hit this year despite originally charting the previous year, it was a massive success either way as it had a fine selection of songs to choose from during our spring of 1991 to market as summer jams, thus confirming the 100% franchise as a legitimate compilation series.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Good vibrations #4
Sexy #3
I've got to go now #5
Wind of change #7
Break in the weather #2
Pump it #8
Just like you #4
The big l #20
Do you want me #19
Hole hearted #24
Lovesick #13
Every heartbeat #17
Fall at your feet #31
I will be there #43
Someone's singing new York new York #29
This was a decent success during the summer of 91/92 due to having a nice selection of songs to choose from that was a hit during the spring of the previous year.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
I'm too sexy #1
Rush #1
I gotcha #6
Love thy will be done #1
On my own #23
Wheels of love #26
Rush you #30
Under my skin #34
Move that body #27
Nutbush city limits #16
Jump to the beat #48
Where do you go #33
Ain't no sunshine #5
See right through
This is another album I'll be featuring on this site that by all accounts shouldn't qualify for this list as it failed to appear on the AMR year end charts, however I'm allowing it because I want to include every seasonal compilation on this site since the early 80's to compare and contrast how well they all did with each other.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
The globe #8
Justified and ancient #3
Everybody's free #11
Pride #12
Mustang sally #43
One word #15
Word is out #10
O.P.P #31
Ain't no mountain high enough #28
Once bitten twice shy #43
Nervous kid #32
Baby love #26
Just a touch of love #26
Please don't ask me #21
Feel so high #28
If you go away #26
Don't let the sun go down on me #3
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