This was the year that reality TV took over in Australia and the NZ charts updated their format to conform to modern listening trends, as a result there'll be fewer songs to make it big through artistic merit from here on out. That said, music would continue to thrive for at least another decade before it found itself in any real trouble.
They may not have had that inescapable hit single (at least when it comes to legal physical sales, trust me these guys were inescapable on the radio back in the day) however that didn't prevent Jet from becoming the biggest Australian band of the decade with their debut album, and all before Apple ever discovered their music and decided to use their singles in their ads for their products.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Are you gonna be my girl #20
Rollover DJ #31
Look what you've done #14
Cold hard bitch #33
There was a rivalry between Missy Higgins and Delta Goodrem throughout the decade, ultimately Delta won out thanks to have a stronger fanbase (and arguably due to her hate dom as well) however Missy had the slightly bigger debut album of the two women with this entry thanks to endorsements from Triple J as well as her folk pop connecting slightly better to audiences at the time of its release.
Peak position #1x7
Hit singles
Scar #1
Ten days #12
The special two #2
The sound of white #22
Who'd thought that an appearance on the Daredevil soundtrack would be all it took for this second album to be one of the most successful of all time? Granted it could also be due to it being close enough to nu metal to be welcomed by fans of that sub-genre given how it was still one of the most popular genres of the moment when it came out, although those fans would jump shift once the band released their second album.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Bring me to life #1
Going under #14
My immortal #4
Everybody's fool #23
This had a bit of a slow start to its success here in Australia given how it was lacking that obvious radio hit that "Yellow" proved to be from their previous album, of course that radio hit came when "Clocks" was overplayed to death upon its initial release which helped the album become the band's second-best seller worldwide. This is the album fans consider to be their best work given how the songs linger to this day.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
In my place #23
Clocks #28
God put a smile on your face #43
The scientist #40
This was the biggest album of the decade to not conform to the mainstream given how it was a jazz pop number from Norah Jones, the daughter of popular jazz artist Ravi Shanker who is considered to be one of India's best musicians of all time. She made a massive splash with this debut of hers that led to her next album also being a massive success, however her popularity quickly dwindled after that.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
Don't know why #5
It looked like these guys would've had their success confided to the 90's given how their album from the start of the decade was such a commercial failure (despite the singles permeating on radio to this day) that it seemed no one was interested in them going into the 21st century. Of course, that changed when they got political with their second album of the decade which was highly critical of the American government.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
American idiot #7
Boulevard of broken dreams #5
Holiday #24
Wake me up when September ends #13
Jesus of suburbia #24
This had a bit of a climb to its popularity given how Michael Bublé was an unknown crooner prior to its success despite it being his third album in his catalogue, indeed it only became a success here in Australia thanks to the success of its single "Sway" which became popular on the radio when it was released as a single.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Sway #15
She had a lot of hype going into her debut album thanks to not only her debut single, but also her role in Neighbours which quickly became a fan favourite of the series. The hype was effortlessly met as this was declared the bestselling album of the decade according to ARIA given how it spent almost a full year in the top three on the charts. It was inevitable given that is has five out of five chart toppers to come from the album.
Peak position #1x29
Hit singles
Born to try #1
Lost without you #1
Innocent eyes #1
Not me not I #1
Predictable #1
Although her debut album was a modest success here in Australia at the start of the decade (mainly through how inescapable its singles were) it was her second album where fans really started taking notice of her evolution as a pop diva as she would begin writing her own songs to go with the theme of her being "stripped" of the pop machine that had gone into her previous work with Disney.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Dirrty #4
Beautiful #1
Fighter #5
Can't hold us down #5
The voice within #8
This was the debut album from Maroon 5, an album that sat on shelves largely ignored for two years before finally becoming a massive success once the second single took off worldwide. As you can tell from the title, this is an album dedicated to a woman in Adam Levine's life and all of the emotions she made him feel during its production, I wonder if their subsequent material is also about this Jane in question.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Harder to breathe #37
This love #8
She will be loved #1
Sunday morning #27
These guys did have minor success earlier in the decade when they were a trio devoid of Fergie, however their fortunes changed once they added their sole female member to the group permanently (or at least it was permanent for nearly a decade) where they started having massive hits worldwide. Of course, the album that spawned these massive hits was also a huge success, although not immediately like their follow ups.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Where is the love #1
Shut up #1
Hey mama #4
Let's get it started #2
It took a while for this debut album from Pete Murray to become a success here, mainly because the lead single didn't have much success on the singles chart despite Triple J heavily promoting it and the album upon its initial release. The album finally took off when the third single became a surprise hit for him on the radio and eventually through sales, thus getting the album to become one of the biggest of the decade.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
So beautiful #9
Please #33
This is another band that I would've sworn had massive success with their singles throughout the 00's, although the led single to their third album was a sleeper hit, so perhaps they were just another victim of the music industry shoving them aside in favour of reality TV singles. In any case, their third album proved to be a massive success for them here in Australia as well as over in NZ despite it failing to spawn a hit over there.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Zebra #23
What you want #29
Something you want #47
This solo album from Gwen Stefani remains divisive among fans to this day, basically you either love it for her willingness to branch out into pop music (like I do) or hate it because you feel it betrays her time with No doubt by sacrificing her ska punk roots in favour of making a pop album. Either way, it was a massive success for the pop diva despite criticisms of her fetishising her Asian fans on the album cover and the lyrics.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
What you waiting for #1
Rich girl #2
Hollaback girl #1
Cool #10
Luxurious #25
Although Jack Johnson had moderate success here in Australia with his debut album Brushfire fairytales, it was his second album that made him a massive success here thanks to how laid back the album is compared to many of the other entries on this list. It led to his eventual backlash where his haters dubbed him the pioneer of the term "white guy with an acoustic guitar."
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Taylor #27
This is the magnum opus to come from Usher given that it not only remains his biggest album to date worldwide, but it also contains some of his most memorable work despite it all being about how he screwed up his relationship with Chilli from TLC. I guess Sony tampering with the singles here in Australia didn't prevent the album from flopping, it didn't boost its sales, but I guess things could've been worse.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Yeah #1
Burn #2
Confessions #5
Caught up #15
It looked like this was going to underperform for Nickelback despite how big the lead single was for them here in Australia upon its initial release, it eventually saw massive success due to the second single becoming a surprise hit here which confirmed the band to be in the same leagues as Limp Bizkit and Creed from earlier in the decade as a band who was massively successful despite a mixed critical reception.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Someday #4
Figured you out #10
Feeling way too damn good #40
There were no signs of Powderfinger slowing down in the 00's given how this was the second album they released this decade to have overwhelming success thanks to how popular the singles were on the radio, although again, said singles had their success eaten up by digital piracy due to them also underperforming on the charts back in the day (hence their absence on my singles lists.)
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
On my mind #9
Love your way #37
Sunsets #11
It looked like Dido was going to remain an albums artist given how this also failed to spawn a massive hit for her here in Australia (despite the lead single debuting at number one on our charts.) At least this proved to be equally as successful as her debut album if only because it didn't need to wait on shelves for two years before a rapper found one of the singles and sampled it for their most critically acclaimed song.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
White flag #1
Life for rent #28
Sand in my shoes #37
It looked like this third album from Matchbox 20 was going to underperform for them worldwide due to the failure of its lead single, fortunately the second single proved to be a massive hit for them which allowed the album to rebound on the charts and become a massive hit for the band. They would go on hiatus once they were finished promoting it in order to allow Rob Thomas to embark on a solo career.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Disease #31
Unwell #12
Bright lights #26
All I need #32
By some miracle, Anastacia's second album wasn't a complete flop here in Australia, although she clearly took its lukewarm reception to heart by switching her style to have more soul and gospel in it compared to before which allowed her third album to be a massive success here and throughout Europe. Once again, this failed to dent the Billboard charts for the American singer, proving how unpopular she was among her fellow Americans.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Left outside alone #1
Sick and tired #8
Welcome to my truth #41
This was a bit more of a sleeper hit here in Australia which is why it's slightly lower on here than it should be, however make no mistake, this album from Robbie Williams was inescapable thanks to it rebounding on the charts whenever one of the singles was released even if said singles were more successful on the radio than with sales. It continued his popularity well into the decade for good reason.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Feel #10
Come undone #27
Something beautiful #24
Sexed up #17
Although it wasn't technically an album from Australian idol given how Shannon Noll lost the first season of the series, this will forever be affiliated with the program given how it led off with the song that caused him to lose the series which ironically has retained its popularity over the years over Guy Sebastian's victory single. His next album is what fans consider to be his true debut album.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
What about me #1
Drive #4
Learn to fly #1
There were no signs of Robbie Williams slowing down in the music scene, so it made sense that he would release a greatest hits package during the height of his popularity which became a massive success for him during the midpoint of the decade. His popularity did begin to dwindle following this album's release; however, it wouldn't fade away until the end of the decade.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
Radio #12
Misunderstood #39
Well, here's an album that I'm going to have trouble being nice to, basically everything people have said about Nickelback I think of Simple Plan which I'll leave at that in terms of how I feel about them. Naturally they were a massive deal back in the day, specifically with their second album which was a massive success for them thanks to how big its singles were.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Welcome to my life #7
Shut up #14
Untitled #9
Crazy #32
This is another album whose position on this list is misleading to how successful it was, mainly because it was another sleeper hit who only achieved best seller status when the third single became a hit. It was their second and final nu metal album as the band would reinvent themselves with each subsequent album to avoid being typecasted in one branch of rock music to commercially diminishing returns.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Somewhere I belong #13
Faint #25
Numb #10
From the inside #37
Breaking the habit #23
Given how Kylie Minogue was still one of the most popular artists in the music industry by this point in time, it only makes sense that her greatest hits package would be a massive hit during the midpoint of the decade even if it proved to be a kiss of death to her popularity in the future.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
I believe in you #6
Giving you up #8
There was no stopping RHCP throughout the 00's, so much so that their greatest hits album proved to be a massive success for the band upon its initial release given that it was sandwiched between their only two albums from the decade which were both nonetheless massive hits for the band.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Fortune faded #16
While it wasn't as inescapable as her earlier entry on this list, this second album from Norah Jones nonetheless managed to make a huge splash in the mainstream this year thanks to jazz pop still being in vogue for the most part all throughout the decade. Her next album was also a modest success for her, however that would be the end of her relevancy once it fell off the charts.
Peak position #2
Given how her second album was a massive success for her, it only makes sense that Kasey Chambers would continue the momentum she had with her third album which also proved to be a massive hit for her. It saw a minor rebound on the charts when "Pony" became a surprise hit for her, although to a much lesser scale than what "Not pretty enough" did for her previous album.
Peak position #1x5
Hit singles
Hollywood #28
Pony #10
Robbie Williams was at the height of his popularity when he released this live album from his concert at Knebworth, which is an annual festival held in the English city of the same name that began tradition in the 70's. From what I can gather, this recording is the most successful to come from the show as far as merchandising is concerned.
Peak position #3
It had been ten years since Guns n Roses last released new material, although we're using that definition loosely as their most recent material by this point had been their covers album the Spaghetti incident. The fact that this greatest hits package was such a huge success for them even at the time (let alone over the years) should tell you how eager fans were to listen to new material from the band.
Peak position #6
Well, you all knew this album was coming, although you may be surprised at how low it is considering how inescapable it was during the midpoint of the decade (well the singles that is.) It was the point where people began to turn against the band, more for how overexposed they were as this won them their second Grammy of the decade (third overall) as well as the songs (particularly "City of blinding lights") being flogged to death on the radio.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Vertigo #5
Sometimes you can't make it on your own #19
City of blinding lights #31
All because of you #23
This is a double album that actually consists of two solo albums from Big Boi and Andre 3000, a concept that I don't think has ever been done in hip hop which is perhaps how it managed to win album of the year at the Grammys due to how unique it remains to this day. Whilst Big Boi's album remains the critical darling from the project, the success of this project came from Andre's album given that's what spawned all but one of the singles.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Hey ya #1
The way you move #7
Roses #2
This is the final album that George Michael released in his lifetime, I'm not sure why as though it wasn't a huge success for him, it was still quite popular which was something many of his contemporaries from the 80's and even 90's were struggling with at the time in their respective careers. Even though this was his final album, that didn't mean he stopped making music altogether as he did release singles over the years.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Freeek #5
Shoot the dog #36
Amazing #6
Flawless #26
While it wasn't a flop by any means, this second album from Avril Lavigne did unfortunately underperform partially due to audiences feeling it was more of the same from her debut album (which I disagree with) but mainly due to Sony tampering with its release schedule here in Australia to allow Australian idol to rule over our charts this year. These two factors led to her going in a different direction with her third album.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Don't tell me #10
My happy ending #6
Nobody's home #24
He wasn't #25
Well, this was the album that many fans believe (me included) disgraced Eminem's discography and undid all of the goodwill his previous two albums achieved to the point where people once again believed that he was little more than a sexist and homophobic shock rapper looking for attention. Even so, it appears to still have its fans to this day who likely believe it to be satire of the worst aspects of hip hop.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Just lose it #1
Like toy soldiers #4
Mockingbird #9
Ass like that #10
These guys hadn't had a successful album to their name for almost a decade when they released their greatest hits package, it's yet another example of a fanbase preferring their classics over their newer material as the band were still releasing new albums this decade to very little success.
Peak position #5
Although they would achieve massive success with their third album, it was the second album from Eskimo Joe that first brought them to the mainstream thanks to how popular the trio was on Triple J upon its initial release. They were another Australian act who I believe were done dirty by the act of digital piracy as I could've sworn they were much bigger with their singles then they ended up being.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
From the sea #33
Older than you #46
While the band had begun to lose their popularity in the mainstream, it was clear that fans hadn't forgotten about their back catalogue and merely wanted them to return to their grunge roots as evidence by the success of this greatest hits package of theirs. They of course wouldn't return to their roots as they have yet to release another grunge album as of this writing.
Peak position #2
This seemed like a good time to release a greatest hits album from Powderfinger given how they just came off three of the biggest albums of all time here in Australia, as such it somewhat affected their popularity moving forward, however not enough for it to matter as their next two albums also proved to be a massive success for them.
Peak position #2
This is one of three successful albums that Cat empire had here in Australia, it was mainly thanks to its lead single which I remember being played in every commercial available at the time as well as the band being heavily promoted on Triple J back in the day. I guess if it weren't for all of the digital piracy and Sony pushing every artist aside to give success to the contestants on Australian idol, then this album could've spawned a hit or two.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Days like these #37
The chariot #34
This was a classical album consisting of a British girl group playing violins to classical pieces as well as some pop tracks that have made it big over the years, it was a surprise hit here in Australia likely due to a popular tour that the girls had at the time which helped them crossover from the classical audience to the mainstream.
Peak position #1x1
While it has a much lower appearance on this list than her predecessor did on its respective lists, Delta Goodrem nonetheless was on a roll with her second album which helped her break another record by having the lead single be her sixth consecutive chart topper here in Australia. All of this success from what many have described as Celine Dion with an Australian accent led to her receiving a lot of unfair backlash.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Out of the blue #1
Mistaken identity #7
Almost here #1
A little too late #13
This is the closest to an album from Jay-z that will be appearing on this site, it was a live recording of both artists appearance on MTV where they would mash up their respective catalogues to create a concert that was well received on the program. As such, the album (really E.P if we're being honest) was a massive hit for them and likely continued the popularity of Linkin Park into the second half of the decade.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Numb/Encore #3
This was another successful greatest hits package from John Farnham, in fact it only came six years after his previous entry in his catalogue which goes to show you how much we Aussies loved his back catalogue even by this point in time.
Peak position #2
This was the victory album that Guy Sebastian released following his win on Australian idol, it also serves as his debut album which of course meant that it was less a journey to how he came to be and more him competing with the already established artists of the moment. He would rush a follow up less than a year later which wasn't nearly as successful.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
Angels brought me here #1
All I need is you #1
This was another successful album to come from KD Lang here in Australia, it was released fairly late in the year, which means it wasn't a Mother's Day gift like many of her other albums.
Peak position #3
Although the soundtrack wasn't as successful as its predecessor, it was enough of a hit to appear on this list of mine likely thanks to the lead single being a massive success on the singles chart. Of course, it wouldn't really matter if the soundtrack flopped given how phenomenal the film is even without its music, it improved on the original film in every way from the characters to its sense of humour.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Accidentally in love #11
Live had certainly done very well for themselves even this far into the new millennium, as such it makes sense they would release a greatest hits package around this time which became a huge success here in Australia thanks to our love for the band's back catalogue which coincidentally began a decade prior to this album's release.
Peak position #4
There seemed to be many contemporaries of Norah Jones that managed to score success throughout the decade, one of the more prominent examples coming from Katie Melua who is a Georgian musician who achieved massive success this year including in Australia even though it's yet another album that was pushed aside in our mainstream in favour of all the commotion from Australian idol.
Peak position #13
Hit singles
The closest thing to crazy #45
We have another successful entry from the Great American songbook franchise, this is the third volume which just like the second volume, was an instant success upon its release and even lasted quite a while on our charts albeit on the lower half of them hence why it appears so low on this list below albums that it was far more successful than back in the day.
Peak position #8
This was a decent success here in Australia upon its initial release for MJ, although I should point out that its title is a lie regardless of where in the world you're from given how many of these songs failed to reach number one anywhere in the world. Naturally it became a bigger success later in the decade following the tragic death of MJ.
Peak position #2
While this wasn't as successful as their first album from earlier in the decade, it made up for that by spawning two of D12's biggest hits which was a given as it was during the height of Eminem's popularity. I guess you can say this album eased fans into accepting Eminem's Encore album which will be appearing on the following list despite it being a critical failure for the rapper.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
My band #1
How come #4
This is the final album to come from Blink 182 during their first run together, they would go their separate ways later in the decade only to reunite for the 2010's where they struggled to find relevancy as did any band or artist that was from the rock genre. This had a bit of a climb to its success given how only the second single managed to become a hit for the band which was very different to the rest of their catalogue.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Feeling this #20
I miss you #13
Down #35
Always #45
While the momentum had begun to slow down for Britney Spears by the midpoint of the decade, she was still very much one of the most popular artists of the moment which explains why this greatest hits package of hers managed to be a huge success for her this year. Of course, it would all be downhill from here save for her album Circus which in addition to spawning multiple hits was a success in its own right.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
My prerogative #7
Do something #8
Although Kelly Rowland managed to get her album out first, Simply deep was a commercial disappointment for her which wasn't the case for Beyonce's solo album she released six months after that album. Granted this was only a modest success for her here in Australia at first as it only became a huge hit once the fifth single became a surprise hit for her almost a year after its initial release.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
03 Bonnie and Clyde #2
Crazy in love #2
Baby boy #3
Me myself I #11
Naughty girl #9
This was the second entry in the Great American songbook franchise that Rod Stewart released this decade, it was far less popular than the first entry, however it at least was an immediate success here rather than it needing to find its audience.
Peak position #7
This was all set to become a mere modest success here in Australia for Good Charlotte given how it was following up one of the more popular rock albums of the first half of the decade, however they scored a huge runaway success with the second single from the album which allowed it to rebound on the charts and make it almost as big as their previous entry thanks to how much airplay that single received.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Predictable #15
I just wanna live #12
The chronicles of life and death #31
Before the likes of Duffy, Leona Lewis and Adele, there was Joss Stone when it came to British artists finding success with American soul back in the day, this was the first of two albums she scored massive worldwide success with this year (the other sadly won't be appearing on this list) thanks to her unique vocals bring life to these soul numbers in a way that can rival the likes of those who came after her.
Peak position #16
This is another album that came out two years prior to deafening silence that only saw success this year, although this was mostly the case in Australia as its success wasn't as tardy in the band's native America given how the singles on here managed to become massive hits on Billboard the previous year. I guess the wait was worth it as it became their biggest success here in Australia as did one of the singles.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Here without you #2
Even though these guys were from the UK, this proved to be a massive flop throughout Europe due to Europeans not being as invested with opera music as we Aussies and kiwis were back in the day. The fact that the lead vocalist was from NZ allowed it to be a huge success here and a massive success over in his homeland which led to them releasing another album the following year.
Peak position #4
This was the last successful album that the Corrs had anywhere in the world, I'm guessing this was another victim of Australian idol pushing aside established artists in order to promote the contestants of the show as I don't remember hearing much about this back in the day. They would release one more album the following year to deafening silence which resulted in them going their separate ways afterwards.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Summer sunshine #13
This was Ben Harper's gospel album which became a moderate success here in Australia likely due to the success of his previous album from the previous year, he also recruits a gospel group known as the Blind boys of Alabama who have been active since the 30's, although I'm guessing this is the offspring of the original members given how old said members would've been around this time.
Peak position #6
One of the best rom coms of the decade is easily Love actually, a Christmas film that has several stories intertwined with each other about several British citizens falling in love at a time where that seemed to be nigh impossible in modern society. As with most British films, it had a rather eclectic soundtrack which is perhaps why the soundtrack managed to be a massive success in addition to the film.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
The trouble with love is #11
This album may be a bit low on this list as will be the next few albums, however rest assure that each of them were far more popular here in Australia back in the day than their placements would suggest given how they were all pushed aside in favour of the Australian Idol shenanigans this year. Suffice to say, this debut album from Franz Ferdinand was huge here thanks to its lead single and Triple J heavily promoting it.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Take me out #25
We have another appearance from Andrea Bocelli on this site of mine, even though his popularity was dwindling as the decade went on, it was still strong enough for him to compete with the likes of Michael Bublé and Amici forever when it comes to the realms of classical music.
Peak position #12
This is yet another greatest hits package from Abba that was released around this time, I guess this was to retire their previous album from ten years prior given how that refused to die on our charts even back in the day. Alas it didn't work as this has long since faded into obscurity in favour of that other album coming back every time something Abba related happens.
Peak position #10
This was a huge sleeper hit for Jessica Simpson here in Australia, likely due to the singles doing surprisingly well here which I guess was due to the success of her reality series which had premiered around the time it came out. It would be the last album to be a success in any way as the show unfortunately turned her into a laughingstock in both the real world and especially the internet.
Peak position #13
Hit singles
With you #4
Take my breath away #15
Angels #27
Following the success of her previous album Fever, Kylie decided to embrace her new seductive image by channelling it further into this album which was still a huge success albeit one that was pushed aside in our mainstream due to it being released during the height of Australian Idol's dominance in our music scene. This is primarily why it and its singles didn't seem as inescapable on our charts as they felt back in the day.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Slow #1
Red blooded woman #4
Chocolate #14
From what I can gather, Jamie Cullum is a jazz singer who scored massive worldwide success with this album of his that was originally released the previous year throughout Europe. It wasn't that big of a success here likely due to it being pushed aside for the Australian Idol camp as was the case for many other entries on here.
Peak position #2
I guess it was only a matter of time before the Finn brothers would collaborate together to make an album with just the two of them, basically this the closest thing to a new album from Split Enz audiences were going to get given how those guys are yet to release any new material despite occasionally reforming for a concert.
Peak position #2
This was another rock album that could've been among the most successful of the decade were it not for the rise in digital piracy eating up the success of it and its singles, this is further compounded by the fact that it managed to become a success here despite having stiff competition from all of the contestants from Australian Idol which I'm sure was something that the band were thoroughly against.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Hard act to follow #24
Better off alone #30
Hold on to me #44
Following the success of her debut album here, Hilary Duff was able to rush out a second album which includes a cover of a Belinda Carlisle classic that divides audiences to this day. This cover was well received enough for the album to become a massive success here upon its initial release, although the rest of the album failed to keep it on the charts like the singles from her previous album did.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Our lips are sealed #8
Fly #21
Somebody's watching over me #22
From what I can gather, Honey was another attempt for Hollywood to cash in off the nostalgia of Flashdance this decade given how it had a similar formular to that of Save the last dance from earlier in the decade. It was panned by critics for how formulaic the story was; however, the soundtrack went over a lot better given that it had a more urban feel to it than the new wave of the film it was ripping off.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
I'm good #28
Given how she managed to come in third place as well as being a fan favourite of the first season of Australian Idol, it's little surprise that Paulini managed to have her own album be a moderate success here and even have it spawn one of the bigger hits that came from the show as its lead single.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Angel eyes #1
We can try #30
Well, here's that second album I mentioned earlier on this list, it was indeed far less successful than his debut we already looked at despite having a strong start with its lead single, suggesting that his popularity was already fading less than a year after his victory on Australian idol.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Out with my baby #1
Kryptonite #15
Oh oh #11
Although it was a huge success, the second Bridget Jones diary film didn't do quite as well as its first entry due to the plot being more contrived, the same can be said for the soundtrack as there wasn't any tracks commissioned for it, hence it was unable to spawn any hits to boost its popularity.
Peak position #8
This was the victory album from Casey Donovan who was the winner of the second season of Australian Idol, although it wasn't very popular given how she beat out fan favourite Anthony Callea for this victory during season two which upset fans of the series.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Listen with your heart #1
What's going on #18
This is an album that charted all throughout the decade here in Australia, however it was only this year that it charted long enough to qualify for one of these lists given that this was a rather slow year in music here in Australia. I'm guessing these guys being available on digital media for the first time encouraged fans to buy a physical copy of this album to justify their illegal downloads from earlier in the decade.
Peak position #17
This is the last album that Human nature released as a pop group before reinventing themselves as a bunch of throwback crooners on their next release, it did better than you think given how it spawned a hit for them which is more than I can say for other teen pop stars from the 90's around this time.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
When you say you love me #7
Guilty #33
We have another greatest hits package from the Eagles to become a success here in Australia, this time it's a different track listing from their lucrative release from ten years prior which was only a decent success due to how redundant this album was at the time of its release.
Peak position #17
Before Hannah Montana, there was Lizzie McGuire, which means that before Miley Cyrus, we had Hilary Duff trying to make the transition from Disney starlet to credible musician which was admittedly off to a shaky start due to the lead single to her debut album also being the theme song to her theatrical film of her Disney character. She eventually won us Aussies over with the album due to constant radio play.
Peak position #19
Hit singles
Why not #14
So yesterday #8
Come clean #17
Little voice #29
It's hard to say if these guys struggled to find success here in Australia due to the advent of Australian idol or if we Aussies genuinely weren't interested in a glam rock album in the 21st century, I'm willing to bet it's the former as A: I do remember hearing the second single quite a lot on the radio back in the day and B: the album was a massive success over in NZ likely due to how inescapably popular the Darkness were in their native UK.
Peak position #17
Hit singles
Growing on me #46
I believe in a thing called love #40
Love is only a feeling #35
This is a bit of a surprise success for Spiderbait, well more specifically the lead single was which fuelled the album's success as it likely reminded fans of the band's heyday from the mid to late 90's. This was a bit of a short-lived comeback for the band as they didn't have any other gimmicks up their sleeves once the novelty of their cover of the Ram jam classic wore off.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
Black betty #1
F**ken awesome #30
This was a side project comprising of Daniel Johns from Silverchair and Paul mac of "Just the thing" fame, they found decent success this year due to the hype that went into this project and likely would’ve found even more success were it not for Australia idol pushing these guys aside in the mainstream.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Somewhere down the barrel #25
Young man old man #46
This album's title is a bit misleading as it implies that it includes Ronan's work with Boyzone among the track listing, while some of the tracks on here were those he made with his old band, they were rerecorded to be solo outings which perhaps explains why this wasn't that big of a hit despite the success of his previous two albums here.
Peak position #13
This only barely manages to make the cut on this list, even then it does so more as a sleeper hit since it was released the previous year to very minimal success likely due to it being yet another victim of Australian idol's monopoly of our music scene around this time. Admittedly it also wasn't promoted very well which explains why it only spawned one hit from the album as opposed to her usual multiple entries.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Trouble #8
God is a DJ #24
If Sony felt that delaying the release of each of the singles on Britney's fourth album only to then pull them from shelves shortly after they were finally released was going to allow the album to be a success for her, they were sadly mistaken as this album only makes the cut for prosperity as it merely recharted whenever one of its singles were released. It's a pity because it remains her most mature work to date.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Me against the music #1
Toxic #1
Everytime #1
Before he became well known as an in-demand producer with the Neptune’s, Pharrell was the lead vocalist for this rap rock group who scored a decent hit worldwide with the lead single to this album. They had other albums in their catalogue; however, this was the only time they troubled the mainstream because of the hit it spawned for them.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
She wants to move #21
Maybe #48
To give you an idea of how much Australian idol killed any chance of the alternative scene taking off in the mainstream this year, we have an appearance from the British EDM group the Streets who likely would've seen massive success this year were it not pushed aside in favour of the likes of Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll throughout the year.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Fit but you know it #37
Dry your eyes #42
Given how she only had three albums that anyone cared about by this point, it felt a little odd that Shania Twain would release a greatest hits package especially considering that only Come on over managed to make any impact in the music scene as far as the singles went. This would be the last anyone would hear from her for over a decade as her next album didn't come out until 2017.
Peak position #10
This is the last album from the Offspring to spawn any hits for the band, true they kept going after this and even managed to have one more album in their catalogue that proved to be more successful than this entry, however many feel this is the last time they really challenged the mainstream with their brand of alt rock.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Hit that #13
This was a flop upon its initial release here in Australia for Enrique Iglesias, mainly because we Aussies were done with his Latin lover shtick despite this being the follow up to his mammoth album Escape. It was given a second chance his year due to the surprise success of "Not in love" which gave him his final hit of the decade.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Addicted #43
Not in love #15
This was a moderate sleeper hit for No Doubt here in Australia, mainly because of the news that this would be the last thing the band would do before going their separate ways to allow Gwen Stefani to pursue her solo career which began a year after this came out. It's success also came from the lead single which revived an obscure 80's track due to it becoming a huge hit for the band.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
It's my life #7
This is the only success that Australian indie folk singer Xavier Rudd had throughout his career, it seems typical that he would have his initial breakthrough during the height of the Australian idol phenomenon given how this was otherwise a fantastic year for our local indie scene if you were to remove the phenomenon from this list.
Peak position #13
Given how Michael Bublé was at the height of his popularity with his earlier entry on this list, it makes sense that this live album managed to become a decent success here in Australia which would only elevate this popularity as the decade went on.
Peak position #18
For whatever reason, we Aussies widely rejected this second album from Alicia Keys upon its initial release, this is the best proof I have that (at least until very recently) we never took much stock into what was popular in America given how it remains one of the biggest albums of the decade over there. It did get a second chance due to a bootleg known as "Karmastician" which combines "Karma" with Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" that was widely popular here back in the day.
Peak position #22
If you're wondering how Sarah McLachlan managed to find moderate success with this album this year here in Australia, that's because it managed to spawn a few minor hits that charted which is more than I can say for any of her other albums which all failed to do so for her.
Peak position #22
Hit singles
Fallen #41
Stupid #37
The best way I can describe Hoobastank is if they were the American equivalent of Nickelback from around this time, that said they only found success with this album due to how inescapable the lead single was throughout the world thanks to heavy radio play.
Peak position #23
Hit singles
The reason #7
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