Disco hadn't quite reached its peak yet, however it was a rising star this year along the likes of soft rock and rock operas.
This was an album that refused to die on the NZ charts, granted this was also the case worldwide but the kiwis kept this around in the mainstream for quite a number of years since its initial release hence why it's appearing on this list.
Peak position #3
This became a success twice in NZ throughout the decade, the first time was upon its initial release and the second was when "I don't want to talk about it" unexpectedly became a huge success two years after its release over there. Admittedly that song also did reasonably well here in Australia albeit as a sleeper hit.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Sailing #3
I don't want to talk about it #2
Well, there's no surprise that Rod Stewart would be a huge success in NZ this decade, this is also his biggest album over there due to the kiwis falling in love with his ballads which are still successful on oldies stations to this day.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
Tonight's the night #2
Get back #23
The first cut is the deepest #21
The kiwis were just as enamoured with this greatest hits package as we Aussies were, again this was due to the success of a bonus track from the album becoming one of the biggest hits of the decade over there.
Peak position #1x18
It's hard to say what was popular in NZ during the first half of the decade, what I do know is that this was the most popular album over there during the second half of the 70's thanks to the drama that went into this album resonating with them back in the day. Sadly, there weren't any improvements with the success of the singles over there like so many other albums on these lists.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
Go your own way #23
Dreams #16
You make loving fun #26
I can't say if the Eagles were among the biggest bands of the decade in NZ during the first half of the 70's, however they did see even more success over there with their Australian breakthrough album One of these nights than they did here which makes this greatest hits album success over there make more sense.
Peak position #2
This was more of an immediate success in NZ than it was in Australia, as such it managed to have a higher peak over there despite doing as well in both countries as each other for the iconic guitarist.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Show me the way #26
Well, it might not have been as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, however at least this album from the Eagles was able to spawn hits for the band over there which I feel more than makes up for it as the album was still a massive success there whilst also making the band a household name on NZ's singles charts.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
New in town #5
Hotel California #6
It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that these guys were so much more successful in NZ than they were here in Australia during the disco phase of their career, then again, they saw massive success over there during their early Beatles esque era so perhaps the kiwis just loved these guys overall more so than us Aussies.
Peak position #1x5
Even though this had a low peak position in NZ back in the day like it did here in Australia, this breakthrough from Supertramp nonetheless managed to last for quite some time on their charts which ensured that it would be a shoe in for several of these lists on this side of my site.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Dreamer #34
While this album wasn't quite the inescapable success in NZ that it was in Australia, Abba mania was still a huge deal over there back in the day due to how inescapable the songs were. In fact, the album had a longer shelf life due to the Australian exclusive tracks being released months later over there than they were here.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
I do I do I do #1
SOS #1
Mamma Mia #2
Rock me #2
I've been waiting for you #8
This proved to be an even bigger hit in NZ than it was in Australia, I'm guessing because their third album wasn't quite as huge over there as it was over here which means the inevitable burnout from the Swedish foursome didn't occur as quickly over there as it did over here.
Peak position #1x12
Hit singles
Dancing queen #1
Money money money #1
Knowing me knowing you #8
This was the only successful album that Leo Sayer had in NZ, mainly because it was the album that made him a superstar in America given how it spawned two Billboard chart toppers for him over there. Indeed, these two songs remain his biggest hits in most parts of the world despite being very different from each other.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
You make me feel like dancing #1
When I need you #4
How much love #10
This album really did take its time in finding an audience in NZ, so much so that it wasn't until the success of his next album that this finally reached the upper echelons of their charts due to it lacking that hit single over there. That said, it did hover in the lower half of the charts for a year which is why it wound up being the bigger album over there.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Lowdown #35
Lido shuffle #18
From what I can gather, Barbra Streisand didn't have any hits in NZ prior to when she starred in the third adaptation of A star is born, meaning this soundtrack was likely many kiwis introduction to her music as it and the lead single became a massive success for her and her costar Kris Kristofferson over there.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
Evergreen #3
I think it's weird that these guys weren't more successful in Australia, not with the albums so much as they did fine, but rather with the singles because not only do they remain iconic to this day, but they also would've easily fitted in with all of the rock opera making it big worldwide from around this time.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Give a little bit #14
This was another successful album to come from Rod Stewart worldwide, I guess this was slightly more successful in NZ with the singles given how it had one more minor charting hit over there than it did over here.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
You're in my heart #2
Hot legs #31
I was only joking #35
For whatever reason, this album didn't so much as chart here in Australia despite it being one of the biggest albums of the decade in NZ, mainly through the lead single which incidentally was one of the biggest singles of the decade over there as well despite that also failing to chart for JJ Cale here in Australia.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Cocaine #1
This was also initially a flop for George Benson in NZ like it was here in Australia, although the kiwis were more open to making this a success than we Aussies were which is why it managed to appear much higher on this side of my site even if its road to success over there is identical to what it was over here.
Peak position #9
It was a bit of a surprise that this was only barely a success here in Australia back in the day, fortunately the kiwis were way more impressed with the works of Supertramp during their heyday which is why this manages to not only have a much higher appearance on this side of my site, but also multiple appearances given how long it charted for over there compared to over here.
Peak position #6
Much like here in Australia, this one and only album that anyone knows from Al Stewart was a massive success in NZ likely due to the novelty of what he named the album and the big hit that came from it.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Year of the cat #15
This had a bit of a slow start to its rise in popularity in NZ, mainly because the lead single was far from the most successful of its time and the second single didn't even chart over there for some reason. The album finally reached its peak when the third single became one of the biggest of the decade over there much like how it became a success for the band in America.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Living thing #4
Telephone line #1
While their debut album wasn't that big of a hit over in NZ, this sophomore effort from the Dutch group Pussycat managed to be a massive success due to it spawning two gigantic hits for them over there. To think these guys were a mere one hit wonder here in Australia and with a song that doesn't even appear on this album.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Smile #3
My broken souvenirs #1
It's clearly obvious the kiwis weren't ready to say goodbye to the King of rock and roll this year given how this was one of two albums that look over his rock hits from his lifetime to become a success over there following his tragic death this year.
Peak position #3
This proved to be an even bigger success over in NZ than it was here in Australia, again likely due to Elvis not having to compete with much competition over there as his death was likely the talk of the town compared to all of the exciting new local talent that it had to share the news with here in Australia.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
Moody blue #5
Way down #7
Moody blue (post death) #16
Although Eye in the sky was this duo's most successful album in NZ as it was in Australia, their 70's output gave it a run for its money likely due to how much more successful prog music was throughout the decade over there.
Peak position #2
Mario Lanza was an Italian American performer from the first half of the twentieth century, he died relatively young in life in 1959 (that was a bad year for musician now that I think about it) but leaving behind a rich recording history that the kiwis felt nostalgic for this year for some reason.
Peak position #3
While it wasn't as big as his first live album this decade in NZ (impressive considering it came out two years prior to when the RIANZ charts launched) this album recorded as the Greek theatre was nonetheless a huge success over there for Neil Diamond back in the day.
Peak position #1x1
This was another live album to inevitably find success in NZ this year, after all this was tied to their highly successful album Wings at the speed of sound which proved that Paul McCartney and company were still on top of the world during the second half of the decade.
Peak position #3
This was originally released earlier in the decade to deafening silence, I'm not sure why it wasn't a hit upon its initial release given how Elvis was still able to find success with his singles throughout the world. This became a hit this year due to his tragic passing just like the second edition of this series.
Peak position #4
This was another success for Pink Floyd in NZ this year, the top entry on this list was their 1973 effort, so it was inevitable that this would make a reappearance on this side of my site.
Peak position #1x3
I'm not sure how the kiwis came across Steve Miller back in the day given how "The joker" was a massive flop over there during the first half of the decade (according to the Listener charts it was at least.) I'm guessing this was a success over there due to how big it was here in Australia as well as the kiwis wanting to see how this guy kept topping the Billboard charts throughout the decade.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Jet airliner #12
Much like here in Australia, this album was initially a huge flop for the brothers Gibb in NZ the previous year, thankfully it was a much bigger hit once it was given its second chance over there given how their earlier entry on this list encouraged the kiwis to check out what they were missing from this album.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
You should be dancing #10
Boogie child #13
While this wasn't her debut album, it was the album which got Joan Armatrading off the ground in NZ years before she got any buzz here in Australia. I'm not sure how the LGBT folk singer managed to connect with the kiwis (or indeed how the kiwis even came across this album) but it would explain her success over there throughout the 80's.
Peak position #11
This was a compilation album from NZ collecting some of the most well-known classical pieces for the convenience of the kiwis discovering them on one convenient album.
Peak position #1x2
I guess the trade-off of Peter's earlier entry on this list being as successful as it was resulted in this follow up achieving half of the success in NZ that it did here in Australia, it could be because the big hit off the album down under wasn't as such over there but it could also be overexposure from his live work.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
I'm in you #13
Signed sealed delivered #24
This was only a success in NZ following the success of their earlier entry on this list, I guess the kiwis really needed some incentive in making these guys one of the most popular bands of all time back in the day because I can't think of why else this only became a sleeper hit nearly two years after its initial release over there.
Peak position #4
This was another successful compilation series to make it big in NZ back in the day, although it doesn't escape my notice that all of these compilation albums centre around disco which should tell you the type of music the kiwis were supporting back in the day.
Peak position #1x1
Well, this proved to be much less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because the kiwis didn't jive with the lead single as much as we Aussies did back in the day. In fact, I'm willing to bet this was only a hit over there because it was so successful down under upon its initial release.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
The things we do for love #23
I guess Split Enz were able to achieve some success in their homeland prior to making it big here in Australia after all given how this album of theirs managed to be a huge success over there in lieu of its lead single becoming a moderate success like it was here in Australia. They would of course go on to dominate both countries music scenes in the 80's by reinventing their image with each new album.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
My mistake #21
This may have come out earlier in the decade, however it was still popular enough by the time the RIANZ charts launched for it to be one of the biggest albums of the year, it goes to show how inescapable this was from Neil Diamond back in the day.
Peak position #1x1
This albums success in NZ was about the same as it was here in Australia, meaning that Linda's popularity was on equal footing in the southern hemisphere even though the second minor hit from the album varies depending on which country you're referring to. Here it was "Poor poor pitiful me" which was written by Warren Zevon of "Werewolves of London" fame and in NZ it was a cover of a Buddy Holly track.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Blue bayou #3
It's so easy #11
Given how there wasn't a Countdown equivalent in NZ (to my knowledge at least) this allowed Neil Diamond to have even more success over there than he did over here which feels like a more accurate representation of how big he was throughout the second half of the 70's worldwide.
Peak position #1x6
Hit singles
If you know what I mean #8
I guess these guys had massive success with their albums during the first half of the decade in NZ, why else would their greatest hits package be so successful over there given how they didn't see much success with their singles (at least according to the Listener charts they didn't.)
Peak position #3
It appears the London Symphony Orchestra wasn't the first orchestra to have a successful album in NZ as their own symphony orchestra managed to score a huge success with their renditions of classical music from the golden age of classical music.
Peak position #1x1
Unlike in Australia where these guys at least had some success during the first half of the decade when they were a jazz rock band, I doubt that was the case in NZ as they didn't have any successful singles and this album was the best they could do on the album chart which suggests they weren't much of an album's band either.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
If you leave me now #2
This was more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia for Led Zeppelin, again this was due to a lack of competition the band had over there as the kiwis didn't have a strong local music scene like we Aussies did throughout the decade.
Peak position #6
Although we Aussies largely ignored these guys back in the day, this wasn't the case with the kiwis who openly embraced Steely Dan likely due to them not having a Countdown equivalent to discourage them from making these guys a success over there. Indeed, soft rock in general seemed to be far more popular with the kiwis this decade given what we've seen on these lists so far on this side of my site.
Peak position #3
This was less popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, or at least I assume it was given how it peaked during the summer period of 1976/1977 which is the longest time that the charts have ever been on hiatus since the Listener charts launched a decade prior over there.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Sorry seems to be the hardest word #7
OK the album wasn't quite as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia (to say nothing of how much bigger it was in Stevie Wonder's native America) however at least it still managed to be a success for him back in the day over there hence why it is making another appearance on this site of mine.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
I wish #19
Sir duke #24
It's a bit of a surprise that this wasn't a success here in Australia for Elton John given how much we Aussies have loved the English piano man over the years, then again it wasn't that huge in NZ either and only appears on this site due to the lack of competition it had back in the day.
Peak position #6
Neil Diamond was one of the biggest names in music when he released this greatest hits album, even so, it was only popular in NZ as we Aussies had left him in the dust in favour of our local music scene and the rest of the world were only interested in his albums and not so much his singles.
Peak position #9
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