By far the most colourful year in music, this was when MTV became such a cultural juggernaut that artists began prioritising their music videos over their music which resulted in some of the wackiest imagery one could conjure up from around this time.
This proved to be an even bigger success in NZ than it was in Australia (if that was even possible) likely due to the songs being bigger hits over there which suggests that the kiwis were more in love with heartland rock around this time than us Aussies were (again if that was even possible.)
Peak position #1x16
Hit singles
Dancing in the dark #2
Cover me #7
Born in the USA #1
I'm on fire #10
My hometown #28
Well, this wasn't the most successful album of the decade in NZ, although it was still a massive success for the king of pop over there despite it also needing to find an audience with how audiences were put off with its lead single.
Peak position #1x12
Hit singles
The girl is mine #3
Billie jean #2
Wanna be starting something #35
Beat it #1
Human nature #33
Thriller #6
This is another album that wasn't quite as successful in NZ as it was in Australia, although it was still inescapable over there largely through the strength of the second single becoming his first big hit in the UK which in turn made it his biggest hit throughout most parts of the world including in the southern hemisphere.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Tell her about it #12
Uptown girl #1
An innocent man #24
The longest time #24
Leave a tender moment alone #21
Keeping the faith #38
Well at least the kiwis were able to instantly recognise this as one of the biggest albums of the decade, then again, these guys already saw massive success in the 70's with their first two albums over there so this being a huge success there is less surprising and more proof that it wasn't a bigger hit here.
Peak position #1x6
Hit singles
You might think #27
Drive #5
Magic #50
Hello again #12
Unlike here in Australia where this album needed the success of the band's iconic hit "Legs" to even chart, in NZ this was a modest success upon its initial release only for its popularity to explode a year later when their aforementioned track became a massive worldwide success for them.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Legs #7
This was a success twice in NZ, the first time was upon its initial release due to the Talking heads already having success over there in the late 70's with their album More songs about buildings and the second time was when the big hit from the album on Billboard became as such over there several months after its initial release.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Burning down the house #5
This was an album that was a success multiple times throughout the decade in NZ, the first time was upon its initial release given how well received Phil Collin's solo material was during the first half of the decade. It lingered around the lower half of the charts for the next two years (hence its lower placement on this list) before skyrocketing in popularity due to the success of "Home by the sea" over there around the time Invisible touch was taking over the charts worldwide.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Mama #27
Home by the sea #4
This proved to be even more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, although it's worth noting that her next two albums wouldn't be as successful over there likely due to neither of them having a big hit for her there like she had in Australia and from this album.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Let's stay together #4
What's love got to do with it #3
Better be good to me #22
Private dancer #5
Show some respect #41
I guess the kiwis weren't as interested in listening to the positive vibes of Culture club as they weren't as inescapable over there as they were over here, that said their second album was a huge success given how it spawned four top ten hits over there.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Church of the poison mind #9
Karma chameleon #1
Victims #7
It's a miracle #5
Elton John's popularity remained rather consistent in NZ over the years as opposed to Australia where there were many peaks and valleys, this album might not have had that inescapable hit over there like it did here but that didn't prevent the album from being a massive success even with a slightly different release schedule.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
I guess that's why they call it the blues #12
I'm still standing #30
Kiss the bride #32
Although this was heavily delayed in NZ, this solo debut from Billy Idol was a massive success over there due to the singles becoming mega hits for him despite the lack of success he had in his native UK at the time. I guess the two big hits he had over there have remained iconic to this day here in Australia, however they didn't exactly light up our charts back in the day which is why the album failed here.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
White wedding #5
Hot in the city #5
This was more of an immediate success over in NZ given how the singles proved to be much bigger over there than they were here, as such it managed to be even more successful overall which no doubt set Paul Young up for success he didn't end up achieving with his subsequent material over there.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Wherever I lay my hat #4
Come back and stay #1
Love of the common people #10
Unlike in Australia where this needed the runaway success of one of the singles to be as such on Billboard for it to be a success, the kiwis instantly gravitated towards this debut album from Sade due to the lead single being an instant success over there upon its initial release.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
Your love is king #2
Smooth operator #22
Hang on to your love #20
This was the biggest album that the Police had over in NZ, admittedly these guys weren't as popular over there as they were here in Australia despite A: them having little issues with crossing over initially in the late 70's over there and B: them having reggae influences in their sound and that they kiwis love their reggae in music.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Every breath you take #6
Wrapped around your finger #22
Much like in Australia and their native UK, this was the album that finally caught the attention of the kiwis in NZ which resulted in it being a massive success for them around this time despite lacking that inescapable hit that their subsequent albums would spawn throughout their career.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
New year's day #32
Two hearts beat as one #16
There should be no surprises with this entry given how U2 had already achieved massive success in NZ with their album this live recording is based on, indeed this allowed their career to pan out the same was in NZ as it did in Australia and their native UK by them having massive success with their next album.
Peak position #1x1
This debut album from Cyndi Lauper had a similar run with its success in NZ as it did in Australia, namely it was a modest success at first despite spawning three of her biggest hits over there only for it to become a best seller when she embarked on a highly successful world tour a year after its release.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Girls just want to have fun #1
Time after time #3
She bop #6
All through the night #19
Money changes everything #14
This was the first album to chart for INXS internationally, I'm guessing because the kiwis weren't interested in what these guys had to offer until the lead single from this album became a huge success over there for the band. Out of the three albums that made it big internationally this decade, this was by far the least successful over there as each of their albums became bigger as the band's popularity grew.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Original sin #6
I send a message #18
Burn for you #29
Much like in Australia, this was the only success that Julio Iglesias had over in NZ, meaning that his son would go on to have more success in both countries than he ever did going into the 21st century. At least the singles on here were more successful for him over there than they were over here.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
To all the girls I've loved before #2
All of you #10
I have no idea how Billy Idol managed to be so much more successful in NZ than he was in Australia, after all he appeared on Countdown with the title track of this album, broke through earlier here than he did over there and even came from the new wave crowd which was more successful here than it was over there.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Rebel yell #3
Eyes without a face #4
Flesh for fantasy #5
Catch my fall #42
This was the debut album for a band known as Dance exponents, although they would become known as the Exponents in the 90's when the NZ pub rock band rebranded themselves for the new decade. This was a massive success for them due to how much hype went into its release, although as it failed to spawn a huge hit for them over there, it failed to crossover to Australia despite easily fitting into our music scene.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Victoria #6
All I can do #23
Know your own heart #19
I'll say goodbye #18
Well, if you thought that "Take my breath away" was a bad representation of what these guys had to offer, you'd be correct as they were a new wave band who scored a massive hit in NZ with their second album this year. Interestingly this had the potential to be big here in Australia as the band did appear on Countdown this year to promote the album.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
No more words #5
Dancing in Berlin #12
You'd think that this would be a much bigger success for the Thompson Twins in NZ given how popular their previous album was the previous year, alas it only proved to be equally as successful over there as it was here in Australia which goes to show that their popularity was on par there as it was throughout the rest of the world. Their next album would be even bigger over there despite its commercial disappointment internationally.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Hold me now #4
Doctor doctor #12
You take me up #24
This was a slightly more contemporary sounding album compared to their previous effort, which is perhaps why it managed to be slightly bigger worldwide than their debut album given how more pop friendly it is. This would also describe their next two albums respectively which is why each of them proved to be more successful than their earlier catalogue.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Who's that girl #13
Right by your side #9
Here comes the rain again #32
This was the biggest album that Prince had in his career worldwide, in NZ it was even bigger than Diamonds and pearls from the 90's which had his biggest hit of his career with "Cream." There's no surprise that this was a success back in the day given how it's the soundtrack to an autobiographical film about his rise to stardom that was a critical and commercial success.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
When doves cry #2
Let's go crazy #13
Purple rain #16
At least Kenny Rogers was able to score one successful album in NZ back in the day, although I would've been surprised if this was a flop over there given how its lead single was one of the most successful hits of the 80's worldwide. His popularity all but died out after this year even in his native America.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Islands in the stream #2
This woman #49
This was far more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis had more love for this one album from Stevie Ray Vaughan upon its initial release given how it had no issue with finding success upon its initial release over there as opposed to it being a sleeper hit at best over here.
Peak position #5
Although this was a massive success for Lionel Richie in NZ, it was mostly a sleeper success which is why it's a bit lower on here than you would otherwise expect. Yes, it was massively popular, however it was more due to the two big hits that came from there as the album would linger in the lower half of the charts throughout the rest of its run on the album charts over there.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
All night long #4
Running with the night #33
Hello #1
Stuck on you #26
Penny lover #30
This was more of a success in NZ than it was in Australia, likely due to the album rebounding when their biggest hit was released as a single which is something that didn't happen for the band down under. Indeed, they would struggle to find success after this album aside from a few singles here and there, although they had better luck internationally.
Peak position #1x5
Hit singles
Union of the snake #3
New moon on Monday #32
The reflex #6
There were no surprises when it came to this album's success in NZ, OK there was one when the title track became a surprise success over there months after it was originally released as the second single in order to promote a release of the video album which contained the videos of both singles as well as live footage of the band performing them.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Pride #1
The unforgettable fire #3
Well, these guys were a killer band live, that in addition to how inescapable they were in NZ throughout the 80's meant that this live album would be a shoe in for the NZ side of my site.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Love over gold #29
Icehouse proved to be more popular in NZ throughout the 80's than they were in their homeland, likely because the kiwis were willing to reward the band with their experimentation this decade much more than we Aussies were as evidence by how much more popular this was over there than it was down under.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Taking the town #32
Don't believe anymore #36
Well, he already had massive success in NZ during his lifetime, so it was inevitable that this greatest hits package would be a huge success for Bob Marley in NZ this year. One thing of note is that the two songs that charted with this albums release were originally released on his 1977 album Exodus.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
One love #1
Waiting in vain #38
Well, the soundtrack might not have been as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, however I feel the kiwis made up for that by having it spawn more songs on their charts as two of the tracks were able to chart over there and not here in Australia. This is a film I respect far more than I like due to its themes.
Peak position #1x8
Hit singles
Footloose #1
Let's hear it for the boy #2
Dancing in the sheets #8
Holding out for a hero #33
Following the success of their earlier entry on this list, Berlin were able to find success with their debut album in NZ from two years prior even though it was more of a sleeper hit over there this year. This completely went ignored here in Australia given how the band didn't see their breakthrough until two years later when they appeared on the Top gun soundtrack.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Sex #18
I guess the Jam did have some moderate success earlier in the decade in the southern hemisphere, so I shouldn't be too surprised that Paul Weller's second band the Style Council saw massive success in NZ with their second album. Admittedly it was set to be a minor success but rebounded when the second single became a huge hit over there for the band.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
My ever changing moods #32
You're the best thing #7
Well in case you felt these guys weren't that successful in NZ, I'm here to tell you otherwise as this follow up to their previous album was a massive success for the band likely due to the lead single becoming their biggest hit over there in their career. They would continue to have success in NZ all throughout the 80's, proving how much the kiwis loved the Scottish band more than anyone else in the world.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Waterfront #1
Speed your love to me #46
Up on the catwalk #44
This was released in NZ not long after it became a success in Australia for Midnight oil to minimal success, likely because the band wanted to try and make it big over there without releasing a song to promote it which almost never works for bands and artists outside of classical music and prog rock. They eventually released their big hit over here as the lead single which allowed the album to finally be a success almost a year after its release here.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Power and the passion #4
This was equally as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia, in fact everything about this soundtrack matches its success in both countries from how big it was to the popularity of its one and only single to even the peak positions of both the album and the single.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
I just called to say I love you #1
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 #1x3
Hit singles
Maggie #1
This was another successful album that the Psychedelic furs managed to achieve in NZ this decade, although it wasn't quite as big as their previous album Forever now likely due to it failing to spawn that big hit that they had with "Love my way" from two years prior. This was the last time the British band troubled the charts anywhere in the world.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Heaven #41
The ghost in you #32
This was the last successful album that Joe Jackson had in his career over in NZ, although it was much more of a success over there than it was over here hence why it managed a higher placement on this list compared to its Australian counterpart.
Peak position #8
This was a big hit for the Mockers this year, a band who would achieve massive success with the lead single of their next album by the end of the year which was an album that didn't achieve much success over there.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
My girl thinks she's Cleopatra #36
Alvison park #39
Swear it's true #19
I should point out that Hall and Oates were far less successful in NZ prior to their hit "I can't go for that" than they were here in Australia, as such, it makes sense that this greatest hits album managed to be more popular over there than it was over here as they rediscovered the duo's back catalogue they initially passed up on.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Say it isn't so #18
This was more of a success for Split enz over in NZ than it was here in Australia, proving how much more love they had in their homeland this decade than they did over here even two years prior to when Neil Finn would leave the group to form his new band Crowded house.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Strait old line #15
Message to my girl #28
While this wasn't anywhere near as successful for Elton John in NZ as it was here in Australia, it's apparent that the kiwis still had enough love for this album to make it a success over what was to come during the second half of the decade for the English piano man.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Sad songs #8
Passengers #38
Who wears these shoes #39
If you felt that Van Halen was underrepresented on the Australian side of my site, then I'm sorry to say that this is their only entry on this side of my site as nothing else they released in NZ was a success over there like it was internationally. That said, the lead single was a minor success there and this did last on their charts for quite some time, making this a genuine success for the band.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Jump #12
Although they never had that big hit in NZ like they did here in Australia, at least Big country managed to have more success overall with the kiwis largely due to how much bigger their debut album was over there compared to over here at the cost of it spawning them a hit single over there. Indeed, they would have much better luck with their subsequent follow ups largely due to the vocals of Stuart Adamson.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Fields of fire #26
In a big country #34
Much like Australia, this was only a success in NZ due to it rebounding on their charts whenever one of the singles was released over there, meaning that this was more of a collection of singles than a cohesive album as far as the general public was concerned back in the day.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Radio gaga #4
I want to break free #6
It's a hard life #30
This had a similar fate in NZ that it did here in Australia, namely that it was only a minor sleeper hit due to how long it stuck around the lower half of their charts back in the day. The only difference is that its success was slightly quicker due to it spawning a hit for the band which of course is the one that Ray Parker Jr plagiarised for the Ghostbusters theme over there.
Peak position #19
Hit singles
Heart and soul #41
I want a new drug #10
Heart of rock and roll #21
If this is it #37
Unlike in Australia where these guys needed the success of their biggest album Little creatures in order for this soundtrack to find success, it was an instant success in NZ due to the band already being a household name by this point over there with their previous album Speaking in tongues.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Once in a lifetime #15
Girlfriend is better #21
Well at least David Bowie was able to achieve more success with his biggest album over in NZ than he did here in Australia, again this was due to the singles from the album being even bigger hits over there than they were here which is a growing trend when comparing the success musicians had in both countries back in the day.
Peak position #1x8
Hit singles
Cat people #1
Let's dance #1
China girl #3
Modern love #6
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't even bigger in NZ considering how massive the singles were here in Australia, indeed the singles weren't even among the biggest of the decade (barring George Michael's solo entry) meaning this was far from the most unavoidable album of the moment back in the day over there.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Wake me up before you go go #2
Careless whisper #3
Freedom #8
Everything she wants #6
Well, they didn't have that much success in NZ during their heyday, but at least Air supply was able to have some success with this greatest hits package again likely due to it having a bonus track that many consider to be their best work in their career.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Making love out of nothing at all #24
This was more of a success for Led zeppelin frontman Robert Plant in NZ than it was here in Australia, likely due to this album spawning a huge hit over there with its lead single which is a good way of an album finding success in the southern hemisphere back in the day.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Big log #7
It appears that Bob Dylan had a resurgence in popularity throughout the 80's in NZ, this is interesting because his popularity was close to non-existent anywhere else in the world due to people not caring for him adapting the trends of the decade in his music.
Peak position #4
This was the second and final album to come from DD Smash (Dave Dobbyn Smash for short) a new wave band best known for making Dave Dobbyn a household name before he took the NZ music scene by storm with his solo material. It was a huge hit due to it spawning multiple singles on their charts, as were most of their local albums that did well over there.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Whaling #8
Magic #4
She loves me back #38
This was a massive success in NZ likely due to Duran Duran being frequently described as a killer live band back in the day, although it wasn't so big here in Australia likely due to how divisive the bonus track from the album was (even back in the day.) The album recharted shortly after it dropped off the charts when the band members found success with their side projects shortly after its release.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
The wild boys #5
While these guys did have success with their earlier albums in NZ, it was this album which made them a household name over there much like it did in the UK. None of their albums did particularly well here in Australia, however you can expect to see a bunch of them moving forward on these lists given how much the kiwis loved these guys.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Red red wine #1
Please don't make me cry #41
Many rivers to cross #48
This is the last album that Split Enz released before they went their separate ways, they were on the cusp of breaking up when this came out, which is why it didn't do very well here in Australia as they barely even promoted it like they presumably did in their homeland where it was more of a success for them.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
I walk away #13
I would've thought this would've had more success in NZ than it did here in Australia given how the lead single was a genuine hit for the Rolling stones over there where it was a flop over here, it turns out it was only equally as popular in both countries which suggests the winning streak of the band was coming to an end at this point.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Undercover of the night #10
She was hot #46
Unlike here in Australia where this was the biggest album that Pat Benatar had, it appears that it was only a modest success over in NZ likely due to the bonus track not being one of the bigger hits of the year over there like it was over here.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Love is a battlefield #6
Even though Cats wasn't a phenomenon in NZ or Australia like it was in the northern hemisphere, it appears its main star Elaine Paige was well liked by the kiwis as her performance in the stage show allowed her to find massive success with her third album with them this year which was a rarity for theatre actors this decade.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Memory #33
Given the success of their album Maggie (which we'll get to in a bit) Foster and Allen were able to find massive success with this follow up in NZ just like they did over here in Australia this year. Unlike here in Australia where we gave up on the duo after this album, the kiwis kept them around for many years as they occasionally pop up in the upper echelons of their charts even in recent years.
Peak position #3
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