Given how chaotic the album charts were here in Australia, I've decided to make a shorter list covering albums that didn't quite make it onto one of my year end lists, be it they were caught between two years or simply failed to overcome all the compilation albums that clogged up the charts throughout most of the decade. Indeed, none of the entries come from 1989 which is when ARIA decided to make a separate chart for these albums.
The spring of 1985 was a hectic time in music here in Australia if this compilation album is anything to go by, we have a fine selection of songs on here that were naturally marketed as summer jams to ensure its success.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Money for nothing #4
Johnny come home #14
In between days #16
Head over heels #21
Life in a northern town #4
Endless road #5
The city of soul #19
Don’t lose my number #10
Dress you up #5
Axel f #6
Frankie #10
Date with destiny #25
Life in one day #33
All you zombies #8
Cherish #8
This peak during the Christmas period of 1982/1983 here in Australia, as such it wasn't able to make it on a yearend list for Neil Diamond and thus excluded on this site up until now. It was the final album from his discography that found any success even in his native America, proving he didn't last very long in the MTV era of music.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Heartlight #29
This is another album that got caught between two years on this list, this time it's the breakthrough album from Jennifer Rush which was a decent success here due to the strength of its lead single. Even though this album did quite well throughout the world, it wasn't enough to get her out of the one hit wonder bin even in her native UK.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
The power of love #1
To my knowledge, this is the only remix album from Madonna as she's had no other remix albums that have charted over the years. This was also caught between two years here in Australia, proving that we Aussies were a bit unimpressed with this release even though it was a decent hit for her back in the day.
Peak position #13
It turns out 10-1 wasn't the first successful album from Midnight oil after all as the album that proceeded it managed to be a decent success for Peter Garrett and company a year prior. I guess this fell off the charts due to it lacking that huge hit that its successor managed to spawn for the band, that and it was their first taste of success after a string of failed attempts.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Don't wanna be the one #40
Armistice day #31
Named after the Harrison Ford flick, this is a double album which collects several of the biggest hits of the early 80's that had the misfortune of peaking during the Christmas period of 1983/1984.
Peak position #13
Hit singles
Abracadabra #1
Dracula's tango #19
Eye of the tiger #1
Rosanna #16
Working for the weekend #19
Blue eyes #4
Who can it be now #2
Don't go #6
If you want my love #2
Key largo #2
Oh Julie #3
Goody two shoes #1
Can't take my eyes off you #22
Baby makes her blue jeans talk #11
Sexual healing #4
867-5309 #22
Avalon #22
A town called malice #15
Let's groove #15
The message #21
Stand up #21
Don't stop til you get enough #1
Our lips are sealed #2
The rhythm of the jungle #12
Da Da Da #4
I know there's something going on #5
Do you wanna funk #24
I did mention on my 1993 list that this should've appeared on my 1987/1988 lists, here it is as a consolation for getting stuck between the two years back in the day as it was a huge hit for Paul McCartney back in the day here in Australia.
Peak position #8
For whatever reason, this initially charted on the singles chart where it was a massive flop for U2 here in Australia, it was given a second chance several months later where it then charted on our albums chart where it had much better luck due to it becoming a success over in NZ.
Peak position #8
This is another near miss from my 1982 and 1983 lists, this time it's the album from Bruce Springsteen he released between The river and his magnum opus Born in the USA which suggested he wasn't going to fit in with the MTV crowd upon its initial release. Heck, it didn't even rechart here during his world tour like the rest of his back catalogue did.
Peak position #8
Ever wondered why Kiss's popularity seemed to die out prior to the launch of MTV? That's because the band, who was a perfect fit for the MTV era, decided to get experimental with this album which alienated their previously lucrative fanbase from the 70's. Hey at least you can't blame them for being one note as this was very different to what was coming out at the time.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
I #34
Although they never saw much success here in Australia or even their native UK, there did seem to be enough love for Sky for this greatest hits album to be a moderate success for them here in Australia. Unlike the other entries we've looked at so far, this simply had the bad luck of being released in 1984 which had the highest amount of compilation albums making my year end list for that year.
Peak position #13
From what I can gather, this is the soundtrack to a documentary about John Lennon that was released theatrically. The film was a box office failure (at least in America) however that didn't prevent this album from being a decent success here in Australia to the point where the song it's named after even recharted here following its release.
Peak position #15
Peak position #15 (ARIA charts)
Hit singles
Imagine #23
Duran Duran were always described as a killer live band, so it's a bit surprising that this was only a success here in Australia during the highly lucrative Christmas season of 1984/1985 which prevented it from appearing on my year end lists for those years. If nothing else, this live album proved to their naysayers they were so much more than their flashy music videos.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
The wild boys #3
This is another album that would've a shoe in for my 1985 list had it not been beaten out by all those pesky compilation albums that clogged up our charts during the midpoint of the decade, although I'm probably upsetting many of Stevie Wonder's die hard fanbase given how we're firmly in his "suckage" period where he seemed to have lost his genius according to them.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Part time lover #3
Although he only had one successful album to his name here in Australia, it appears that was all the incentive we Aussies needed for making this greatest hits album a success for Chris Rea likely due to us wanting to discoverer what he had to offer that we had previously skipped over throughout his career.
Peak position #14
Peak position #14 (ARIA charts)
From what I can gather, the Secret policeman's ball was an annual charity concert set up in the UK to raise money for causes, it's kind of like a localised Live aid with obviously a much smaller budget. Excerpts from these concerts were compiled and released in 1982 which became a decent hit here in Australia and nowhere else in the world.
Peak position #17
For the most part, the John Farnham era of Little river band wasn't well received barring the two big hits that their greatest hits album spawned here in Australia and in America of all places. Indeed, this feels like it was only a success due to how well the band was doing in both countries, although they wouldn't be seen again on our charts until Glenn Shorrock rejoined the band in 1988.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
We too #49
From what I can gather, this is a compilation album consisting of theme songs to movies and TV shows that was a decent hit here in Australia. You know the compilation albums got out of hand here when this I'm featuring new entries in this bonus section that's obviously meant for studio albums.
Peak position #13
This is another entry that was simply unlucky enough to make it on one of my official lists, this time it's the second album from V spy V spy who saw decent success with this album about well...... xenophobia. They weren't exactly being subtle with their political stances which is perhaps why their popularity fell off a cliff after this album.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Forget about the working week #44
I'm actually jumping the gun a little by featuring this album from John Rowles, for the uninitiated, he's a NZ crooner who saw massive success in his homeland throughout his career as well as minor success here in Australia. As such, you can expect to see him throughout the NZ side of my site in the upcoming months.
Peak position #16
It looks like Jo Jo Zep and company were able to have one more successful album to their name before Countdown had given up on them, indeed many of the early success stories from Countdown didn't see much success going into the 80's for some reason. Admittedly there isn't anything on this album that's nearly as catchy as what they had to offer from the 70's.
Peak position #17
Hit singles
All I wanna do #34
This was the third entry in the Tour of duty franchise, it's the only entry from 1989 on this list and it of course is an album that would've been a shoe in for ARIA's compilation albums had they launched it during the height of its popularity. It's low placement on here should tell you how quickly the series had worn out its welcome among us Aussies.
Ahh Jethro Tull, a name that'll send shivers down the spine for any heavy metal fan out there as they infamously robbed Metallica and AC/DC a Grammy for best metal album in 1989. This wasn't the album as it came out six years prior where it saw decent success here in Australia and nowhere else in the world.
Peak position #18
Ever wanted to know what the Village people would sound like if they fully embraced their queerness into their music? Well, wonder no more as they did just that for this album they released right as the MTV era was being launched. At the very least, this seemed like a slam dunk on paper given how they traded in their disco audience for the new wave crowd.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Do you wanna spend the night #48
This was sandwiched between Hunters and collectors two biggest albums, heck it even did decently well in NZ for the band which makes its absence on my site up until this point all the stranger until you realise it was simply caught between two years. The real surprise here is how the lead single wasn't a big hit despite it being a juggernaut on our oldies stations to this day.
Peak position #16
Hit singles
Do you see what I see #33
It looks like ELO were able to get have at least one album find success during the MTV era after all, again this was pushed aside here in Australia due to the sheer amount of compilation albums it had to compete with. At least this was a decent success here as was the lead single, this is something no other country in the world can boast about.
Peak position #19
Hit singles
Rock and roll is king #13
I may not even have the right entry for this album as this was released in 1983, yet the Australian charts list this as charting in 1981 around the time Begin the beguine charted. I'm including this here on the off chance that this was an Australian exclusive that saw international success two years later as Julio's concert album charted here around the time this charted internationally.
Peak position #15
Wallis and Matilda are an Australian country duo who likely would've found more success here back in the day had Countdown not insisted on prioritising rock and roll over country music during its run on TV. As is, this was a decent hit due to it spawning one of the longest charting songs on our charts even if that song didn't peak very high here.
Peak position #17
Hit singles
Clancy of the overflow #30
Given how popular the Pretenders comeback album from 1986 was, it makes sense that there would be an incentive in releasing a greatest hits album the following year which they did. It was a decent hit here in Australia for the band, although for some reason it was only a success in NZ twelve years after its release.
Peak position #19
If you were confused as to how John Denver scored a massive hit with a second volume to his greatest hits album in 1983 here in Australia and nowhere else in the world, it turns out it was in response to him releasing a new album that year which was yet another victim of how chaotic our charts were due to the high influx of compilation albums clogging up our charts throughout the decade.
Peak position #19
OK it appears I jumped the gun when I said that H20 was Hall and Oates only successful album here in Australia, granted this was a sleeper hit here, meaning that it only makes it on this list due to how long it lasted on our charts rather than it being a genuine success. Even so, it got the duo out of our one hit wonder bin that "Rich girl" had trapped them in.
Peak position #19
Hit singles
How does it feel to be back #48
Kiss on my list #13
You make my dreams #40
Well, we have another strike against political correctness with this entry, again these albums from Kevin Wilson were controversial even back in the day, so you can imagine the reaction to those who are perpetually offended if they ever come across one of these albums nowadays.
Peak position #20
It looks like the Dance wasn't the only successful live album Fleetwood mac had here in Australia, although this was only a success here due to the lack of competition there was from the start of the decade given how it didn't chart very high on our charts and there wasn't much competition from the compilation albums like there was during the midpoint of the decade.
Peak position #20
We finally have a perfect run from the Sports on my site as their third and final album managed to make it onto this list, again I'm not sure why this underperformed given how the lead single can still be heard on oldies stations to this day (to say nothing on how catchy it is.) It was due to this album underperforming that the band went their separate ways.
Peak position #20
Hit singles
How come #21
Even though he saw a string of hits here in Australia throughout the 60's and early 70's, this is only the second album from John Farnham that saw any sort of success which makes his material from 1986 onward seem like an outlier compared to what he had released prior. It was also a comeback of sorts given how it spawned his first hit in seven years.
Peak position #20
Hit singles
Help #8
This is an album that stuck around for quite some time on the Australian charts despite it not reaching its upper echelons, honestly, I'm more surprised that the lack of success George Thorogood had in his career prior to his mainstream breakthrough by the end of the decade given how much his music from earlier in his catalogue is played on oldies stations.
Peak position #21
Given how he scored a massive hit off the Dirty dancing soundtrack, it seemed fitting that Eric Carmen would release a greatest hits album to capitalise off his revived fame. While the album itself was a modest success at best, it was the new single it spawned that confirmed him as the real deal even if his comeback was short lived.
Peak position #21
Peak position #17 (ARIA charts)
Hit singles
Make me lose control #14 (#8 ARIA)
Many credit this album as the one that launched the hair metal genre into the mainstream, this is impressive given how it was only barely a success here in Australia for Twisted sister back in the day. That might be due to the lack of success it achieved in their homeland as they needed to appear on Countdown for this album to take off here.
Peak position #21
Hit singles
We're not gonna take it #6
I wanna rock #43
I could be wrong about what I'm going to say about this album as pulling up information on it was surprisingly hard to do, this was an album named after the big hit that Foster and Allen had around this time in the southern hemisphere which I think was commissioned by their label in order to capitalise off the success of said single.
Peak position #22
Hit singles
Maggie #17
Well, these guys had to begin their dominance on the international alternative scene somewhere, even so, it's a bit surprising to see how modest their debut album did on our charts considering how much of a commercial improvement their second album was. Although they never saw mainstream success internationally, they're well regarded to this day by music snobs.
Peak position #22
Hit singles
The unguarded moment #22
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't a huge success here in Australia, although it's worth noting that the two lead singles were released simultaneously here which no doubt affected the overall success of the album. It could also be that we Aussies weren't that into the hair metal scene, at least compared to the rest of the world we weren't.
Peak position #23
Hit singles
Is this love #12
Here I go again #24
So, it looks like James Taylor had some success here in Australia right before the launch of MTV. I guess this is the best proof I have that the 70's didn't die as quickly as people like to say given how this feels right at home with his earlier material from the 60's hangover that happened a decade prior to its release.
Peak position #23
If you thought it was weird that Marianne Faithful found success with her 1983 effort, it turns out she saw minor success here in Australia with her previous two albums given how she was on a roll with these entries in NZ of all places. We'll be looking at her other entry in a bit, however this was the more popular of the two, meaning each album she released was more successful than the last.
Peak position #24
This was somewhat of a comeback for Heart given how we Aussies hadn't heard from them since their 1977 effort, although it would've been a more solid comeback had the new single "Tell it like it is" been a hit here like it was in America and over in NZ.
Peak position #25
Although Richard Clayderman did have plenty of success here in Australia, it seems pitiful compared to what he achieved in NZ especially throughout the 80's. Trust me, he's going to dominate that side of my site when I begin sharing it with you in a few weeks.
Peak position #25
Marianne Faithful began her career as a child star in the 60's, although aside from a highly publicised relationship with Mick Jagger, nothing came of her career as a child back then. Fast forward over a decade and she finally scored moderate success with this album here in Australia due to how inescapable it was in NZ of all places.
Peak position #27
Hit singles
The ballad of Lucy Jordan #48
Honestly, I'm as surprised as you are that this wasn't Yes's biggest album here in Australia given how it spawned the only hit they had in their entire career, this was released after a tumultuous period they went through where they recruited the Buggles of all people to be part of the band. The duo had left by the time this came out, however their pop influence clearly remained.
Peak position #27
Hit singles
Owner of a lonely heart #14
This is an album that had no chance of appearing on one of my year end lists, mainly because it was a minor hit twice for Laura Branigan given how it rebounded on our charts when it unexpectedly spawned a second hit for her in the early months of 1985 here. Naturally it was a minor success upon its initial release due to the title track being a massive worldwide hit.
Peak position #29
Hit singles
Self control #3
The lucky one #48
Ti amo #2
Given how this spawned three of the bigger hits of the 80's here in Australia, I wasn't expecting this to be a sleeper hit for Wa wa nee (I can't even with that name) given how singles bands and artists usually find no success with their albums rather than sleeper success. They were seen as a one trick pony which resulted in their second album being a complete failure for them two years later.
Peak position #29
Hit singles
Stimulation #2
I could make you love me #5
Sugar free #10
One on one #19
What better way to close out this section with an Alvin and the chipmunks album? Not just any album, the album where they decided to go punk. As hilarious as this is, it's still nowhere near as embarrassing as the soundtracks to the terrible live action films from nearly three decades later.
Peak position #30
I'll also include two more albums from the early 90's that were big hits on ARIA but were also caught between two years to be included on one of my year end lists.
This was the last taste of success that Stevie Nicks had here in Australia both solo and with Fleetwood mac, admittedly this was a greatest hits album which is usually a sign of an artist acknowledging the end of their peak period. It’s interesting this underperformed here given how successful her four solo albums were throughout the 80's.
Peak position #13
Peak position #12 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Sometimes it's a bitch #18 (AMR #19)
Our other new entry from the 90's is another greatest hits album that peaked in the summer of 1991/1992, this time it's from Billy Idol who originally released this following the success of his 1990 effort Charmed life (more specifically it's lead single "Cradle of love") but didn't take off here until a full year after its initial release for whatever reason.
Peak position #11
Peak position #16 (AMR charts)
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