OK I've decided to give another crack at making commentary about the biggest albums of the 2010's in NZ, I won't go into too much depth about these albums as it would become repetitive if I did, however I'll make a quick comment with each of them to give you an idea of how homogenised this decade was throughout the world when it comes to popular music.
Given how this spent more time in the upper echelons of the NZ charts than it did on the Australian charts, this debut album from James Bay managed to score a higher placement on this list despite overall being equally as successful in both countries.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Hold back the river #8
Let it go #10
This was far less popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because the kiwis weren't as big a fan of the Dreamworks film as we Aussies were, that or they weren't as impressed with its theme song.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Can't stop the feeling #2
It appears the kiwis were more heartbroken than we Aussies were when David Bowie tragically passed away given how this greatest hits package proved to be more popular over there than it was over here once the news got out that he was no longer among us.
Peak position #1x4
This was also less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia for Eminem, not by much mind you as the singles did quite well over there like they did over here, but noticeably less so regardless.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Berzerk #12
Rap god #4
Survival #13
The monster #1
Beautiful pain #15
I guess the kiwis were more interested in the Black Panther soundtrack than we Aussies were, I'm guessing because of the two hits that had Kendrick Lamar appealing to them much better than they did to us.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
All the stars #2
Pray for me #12
I think this was where this second album would've ranked on the Australian side of my site were it not for the Vampire diaries making "Never let me go" a huge hit here in Australia, the song didn't chart in NZ which suggests the kiwis weren't big fans of the show like we Aussies were.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Shake it out #16
What the water gave me #15
Spectrum #2
It looks like the kiwis were really unimpressed with this album initially given how it only became a success over there once it finally took off here in Australia thanks to one of the songs performing quite well on Triple J's year end list for 2009.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Dog days are over #27
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Of monsters and men, likely because the lead single (which funnily enough wasn't the case over there) was more of an instant hit as opposed to it being a sleeper hit down under.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Dirty paws #35
Little talks #4
Mountain sound #22
This was a bit of a comeback for Katchafire, mainly because they hadn't had a massive hit in their homeland since their debut album from seven years prior. Indeed, this comeback didn't last as they would once again fade into obscurity as the decade went on.
Peak position #3
This is the second album from Gin Wigmore, it wasn't quite as popular as her earlier entry on this list, however it was still among the most successful of the decade over there which is more than I can say for the rest of her catalogue.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Black sheep #13
This album did manage to achieve all of its success in Australia and NZ before the Grammys forever tainted Macklemore's reputation, even so, the singles weren't as popular there as they were here barring the final one of course.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Thrift shop #1
Same love #1
Can't hold us #4
White walls #6
She may not have had as much success overall throughout the decade in NZ as she did here in Australia, however at least Taylor can take some comfort in the fact that her third album proved to be more popular over there than it was over here at the start of the 2010's.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Mine #16
Speak now #34
Back to December #24
It makes sense to me this second album from 1D was more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia given how quick the kiwis were in making them a household name compared to us Aussies.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Live while we're young #1
Little things #2
Kiss you #13
This failed to appear on the Australian equivalent of this list due to being too much of a sleeper hit for George Ezra here, I would say it was due to streaming pushing it aside except that it was more of a hit over in NZ where streaming is the main way of a song or album finding success in their mainstream.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Shotgun #1
It had been a while since John Rowles troubled the music charts in his homeland, he did it for the first time in thirty years with this album which overlooks some of the biggest love songs of the twentieth century in addition to new renditions of his own biggest hits.
Peak position #4
This was the debut album for the NZ indie duo the Broods, I'm guessing it became a massive success in their homeland following the success of Lorde internationally which would also explain how they attracted so much international buzz with both of their entries on this list.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Bridges #8
Never gonna change #40
Mother and father #12
Four walls #18
This missed out on appearing on the Australian side of my site due to it being too much of a sleeper hit to qualify for the list, however it was more mainstream over in NZ for the troubled RNB singer hence why it's on this list.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Undecided #15
No guidance #5
Don't check on me #13
I guess the tradeoff for the singles being bigger in NZ than they were here in Australia for Lady Gaga is that her second album that spawned them would be slightly less successful there than it was here.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Born this way #1
Judas #12
The edge of glory #3
Hair #9
You and I #5
Following the tragic death of Whitney Houston in 2012, this greatest hits package from 2007 that was widely ignored on its initial release became a smash hit worldwide to commemorate the work of the pop diva.
Peak position #2
It's a bit odd that this would prove to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia given how much less popular the band's previous two efforts were over there compared to over here.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
What kind of man #34
Ship to wreck #37
This E.P proved to be equally as successful as their debut album from earlier on this list in their homeland, mainly because it rebounded on the charts once that album was released which led to them sparking interest amongst us Aussies with how inescapable they were.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Bridges #8
Never gonna change #40
There was a ton of hype going into this debut album from Zara Larsson given how many advanced singles it spawned prior to its release, it appears that hype wasn't really met as this was a huge failure here in Australia and only became a success in NZ due to it gaining their streaming charts over there.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Never forget you #6
Lush life #8
Ain't my fault #19
I would like #19
Symphony #12
I guess the kiwis didn't have as much nostalgia for Bon Jovi at the start of the decade as we Aussies did given how A: this was far less popular upon its initial release over there and B: this covers the full popularity of the album.
Peak position #2
This is the final nail in the coffin that was Australian idol, so much so that it was barely a success here in Australia for Stan Walker despite it being a massive success for him in his homeland and the catalyst for a highly successful career over there that he couldn't replicate over here despite initially finding success in our music scene.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Black box #1
Much like Australia, this achieved most of its success at the start of the decade despite coming out at the end of the previous decade, hence why it reappears on this list albeit at a lower position than on the Australian counterpart.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Uprising #12
Undisclosed desires #12
OK so I'm kind of cheating with this entry as RIANZ never bothered to let the kiwis know when this replaced her top entry on this list on their charts, however there is a clear point where that entry rebounded on their charts which is when this began charting here in Australia, so I used the stats from that point to calculate this entry.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Part of me #1
Wide awake #1
From what I can gather, Cilla Black was quite popular in NZ throughout the 60's which makes the success this greatest hits package that was released when she passed away in 2015 make sense to me.
Peak position #1x5
This was another successful album here in Australia that missed out on appearing on the Australian equivalent of this list due to being too much of a sleeper hit to do so, I guess we Aussies were largely put off by the controversy that went into this albums marketing in a way that didn't bother the kiwis.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Diamonds #2
Stay #4
What now #13
Jump #10
This was more of a success in the 2010's than it was upon its initial release in NZ just like it was here in Australia, as such this album managed to reappear on this list due to how I structured how this list works.
Peak position #1x1
File this in the category of a NZ artist (or group in this case) finding success in their homeland by appearing on Australian reality TV, although these guys didn't even win in their season and yet they still found success back at home.
Peak position #1x1
I guess the kiwis were bigger fans of the second Mamma Mia film than we Aussies were given how much more popular this soundtrack was over there compared to over here.
Peak position #1x3
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't even bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia considering how much better the singles did over there compared to over here, at least this won't be the band's final appearance on this list.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Payphone #2
One more night #1
Daylight #11
Love somebody #34
For whatever reason, this wasn't anywhere near as successful in NZ than it was here in Australia for Beyonce. This means that it's second to I am Sasha fierce as her biggest album over there as opposed to it being her biggest album over here.
Peak position #1x2
Although the lead single wasn't a hit over in NZ like it was here in Australia and admittedly prevented the album from being one of the biggest of the decade over there, it was still a massive success for the band regardless and set them up for a highly successful comeback period that didn't pan out for them.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
The sound of silence #32
I guess the kiwis weren't as big of fans of the Guardians of the galaxy mixtapes as we Aussies were given how much less popular they were over there compared to what they achieved over here.
Peak position #7
It looks like the kiwis had more love for the Foo Fighters than we Aussies did this decade, not only was this more popular over there than it was over here, but so too is their third album they released this decade.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Something from nothing #32
This was Ellie Goulding's only successful album throughout her career, although I'll be featuring its deluxe edition Halcyon days in a bit as her fans consider it to be an immediate follow up to this album even though it's more of an expansion pack similar to that of the Complete confection from Katy Perry.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Lights #16
Anything could happen #16
Figure 8 #7
I need your love #15
Only you #37
I guess the kiwis were bigger fans of the live action Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise than we Aussies were given how the soundtrack to the second film was a massive success over there and not over here.
Peak position #3
This was an immediate success over in NZ upon its initial release as opposed to it being a sleeper hit here in Australia, mainly because the title track was a huge hit over there as opposed to being a minor hit over here for the country duo. This won't be their only appearance on this list as their second album was also a success over there for them.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Need you now #5
This was equally as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia for Coldplay, although that's mainly for the album itself as the singles proved to be far less successful over there as they were over here.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Magic #10
A sky full of stars #2
Midnight #11
While Glee didn't infiltrate the NZ singles charts like it did here in Australia, the tradeoff appeared to be that the soundtracks would instead be far more popular over there than they were over here.
Peak position #7
I'm a bit surprised this was only slightly less popular in NZ for Shawn Mendes than it was here in Australia, mainly because after his initial breakthrough from Vine, the kiwis didn't seem to have much love for his singles throughout the decade.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
In my blood #13
Lost in Japan #32
Youth #22
There was a lot of hype going into this second and (to date) final album from Will.I.Am, for the most part it wasn't met due to the critical thrashing it received for it being considered everything wrong with BEP's (then) most recent albums, however it was nonetheless a massive success in NZ for some reason.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
This is love #5
Scream and shout #1
#thatpower #16
Fall down #15
This is another greatest hits album that was a success this decade years prior to the resurgence in popularity of the band in question, although this was a carryover from the 00's and I doubt anyone would've predicted the success of Bohemian rhapsody nine years after its release.
Peak position #6
Given how EDM was never as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia, it shouldn't surprise anyone that this would be David Guetta's only appearance on here or that it's much lower than on the Australian equivalent.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Sweat #5
Where them girls at #6
Little bad girl #19
Titanium #3
Without you #5
Turn me on #2
Night of your life #38
We have one final entry from Fat Freddy's drop for this list as it appears their fellow kiwis were able to give them one more success story before they fell into obscurity much like the rest of their contemporaries from the 00's.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Slings and arrows #5
This was equally as successful for Barbra Streisand in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing due to the cultural significance it achieved when it made history by helping her have a chart-topping album in every decade since the 60's on Billboard.
Peak position #2
I really didn't think this would make the cut for this side of my site given how quickly Kings of Leon faded from the mainstream after their 2008 album, however it was popular enough in NZ to make one more appearance on here.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Radioactive #10
This is yet another greatest hits package from Pink Floyd to become a success in NZ, it would've made sense had it been released after their earlier entry; however, it came out three years prior to that.
Peak position #8
It's a bit odd that this would be roughly as successful as Beyonce's earlier entry on this list in NZ, I guess this was due to the album spawning a few minor hits over there as opposed to Lemonade failing to spawn a charting single for her.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
XO #10
Drunk in love #7
The kiwis must have felt really sombre following the death of David Bowie given how much more successful his final album was over there than it was over here upon its initial release.
Peak position #1x2
I guess the kiwis were far ahead of the curb when it came to making Harry Styles a household name following the demise of 1D than we Aussies were, although it's worth noting the lack of success the singles had there compared to down under.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Sign of the times #6
Sweet creature #39
This was more of a sleeper hit for the Weeknd in NZ than it was here in Australia, although I don't think he minds this being much lower on this list given how the trade-off was that the singles were far more popular over there than they were over here.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Earned it #7
Can't feel my face #1
The hills #2
In the night #22
Naturally this album also saw the bulk of its success during the early months of this decade, this of course qualifies it for another appearance on this site of mine even if it was far less successful in NZ than it was over here.
Peak position #3
Well, I did mention we'd be revisiting this album again, didn't I? Here we are with one of the final albums of the 00's which became a massive hit in the early months of the decade due to it rebounding on their charts following the conclusion of the decade.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Dutchies #20
This was originally released to minor success for J Williams, however it exploded in popularity when the deluxe edition came out which contained some of the biggest hits during the first stretch of the 2010's in NZ. Like Dane Rumble, this being J Williams only album remains puzzling to this day given how popular it and the singles were.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Blow ya mind #13
Set it off #36
Ghetto flower #5
Stand with you #6
Your style #16
You got me #1
Takes me higher #2
Night of your life #4
I guess the kiwis love for Mumford and Sons dwindled quite a bit after their second album from earlier on this list, at least this was somewhat of a success for the band even if it seemed to be as such out of obligation over there.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Believe #29
This was also a huge success in NZ like it was here in Australia for Kesha, although it was considerably less popular over there due to the singles underperforming on their charts as opposed to being genuine hits over here. For what it's worth, I didn't bundle this entry with Cannibal for either of these lists as that was a huge flop for her in both countries.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Tik tok #1
Blah blah blah #7
Your love is my drug #15
Take it off #11
Both of James Blunt's entries from the Australian equivalent of this list will be reappearing on this list, although it's worth noting that neither of them was as popular over there as they both were over here.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Bonfire heart #8
From what I can gather, this was a highly successful compilation album released at the end of the decade in NZ that was assembled by a radio station.
Peak position #2
I'm not sure how the kiwis felt nostalgia for Charley Pride given how he never had much success over there during his heyday, however that's exactly how this greatest hits album managed to become a success over there this decade.
Peak position #1x2
This was the second album to come from the brother and sister duo Broods, it wasn't quite as successful as their two earlier entries on this list but was nonetheless a massive hit in their homeland as well as a modest success here in Australia for the duo.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
Free #21
This isn't the first greatest hits package to come from Prince Tui Teka posthumously that found success, however it was far more popular for him than his 2002 effort fourteen years after that albums release.
Peak position #1x1
This is an interesting compilation album where some of the biggest names in NZ music rerecorded their biggest hits into Marois in order to pay respect to the traditional owners of the country, naturally is was a massive success over there as the decade was coming to an end.
Peak position #1x1
From what I can gather, Eddie Low is a popular NZ musician who was a member of the NZ group the Quin Tiki's (who are still to come on this list) that found success with this greatest hits package over there.
Peak position #2
I guess the kiwis weren't as torn up with the absence of Zayn as we Aussies were, as such this final album from the boy band proved to be more popular over there than it was over here.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Drag me down #1
Infinity #28
Perfect #7
History #14
This wasn't as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia for Avicii, mainly because EDM was never among the more popular genres over there like it was over here but also likely due to this reminding them of Rednex in a negative way upon its release.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Wake me up #1
You make me #32
Hey brother #4
Addicted to you #6
Although his first album was a hit in NZ, it was too much of a sleeper hit to be considered for this list of mine. Indeed, his second album only makes the cut due to it being an immediate success for the Australian DJ.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Never be like you #2
Say it #4
It appears the kiwis were big fans of this album from Sia but not her other album 1000 forms of fear as that album won't be appearing on this side of my site, I guess this was more due to them imagining how these songs would sound if they were successfully recorded by the intended artists.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Alive #29
Cheap thrills #3
The greatest #5
I guess the kiwis weren't as choked up about the tragic passing of Robin Gibb as we Aussies were given how this greatest hits package wasn't nearly as successful over there as it was over here when news broke out he was no longer among us.
Peak position #3
It appears the kiwis were more shaken up by the tragic passing of Leonard Cohen than we Aussies were given how much bigger this was over there than it was over here, although that might be due to his previous album also being a big hit over there (stay tuned for it.)
Peak position #1x1
We have the other appearance from James blunt on this list, there's not much more I can say about these entries that don't apply to his other appearances.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Stay the night #13
Much like their previous album from twenty years prior, this proved to be more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia for Pink Floyd proving how much more loved they are over there compared to over here.
Peak position #1x1
We'll never know what Amy Winehouse truly had in store for her third album, however her management cobbled together all of her ideas into this posthumous release which proved to be adequate for the kiwis given how it was a massive success over there for her where it wasn't here in Australia.
Peak position #2
This is another NZ band to find massive success this decade in their homeland, this time it's Shapeshifter who are an EDM group who followed up their 2009 effort (which we'll look at in a bit) with this album that proved to be their magnum opus.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Gravity #12
In colour #11
I'm a bit surprised this didn't do as well in NZ as it did here in Australia given how Pharrell was behind some of the biggest hits of the 00's over there, I'm guessing the kiwis felt this was more of a gimmick than we Aussies did due to the lead single being from Illumination's Despicable me franchise.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Happy #1
Come get it bae #30
RHCP had much more presence in NZ this decade than they did here in Australia, so much so that this won't be their only appearance on this list like it was on the Australian equivalent.
Peak position #1x1
This will be Calvin Harris's only appearance on these lists given how this album managed to not only produce some of his biggest hits but also be well received outside of the indie sphere that made his earlier work a success for him.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Slide #7
Rolling #34
Feels #2
I guess this soundtrack managed to spawn a couple of minor hits for the Glee cast, as such it doesn't surprise me that it managed to be more popular over there than it was over here.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Loser like me #28
Thriller #38
I definitely wasn't expecting to feature an album from Diana Krall on this list given how her popularity had died out by the end of the 00's, I guess this is on here due to nostalgia of her back catalogue the kiwis had upon its initial release.
Peak position #9
Well, this proved to be far more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, I told you that Michael Bublé’s popularity was more palatable in NZ than it was here in Australia this decade.
Peak position #3
This was a bit of a comeback for Stan Walker given how his previous album Let the music play was a huge dud for him even in his homeland, indeed we'll be looking at another album from him in just a bit on this list.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Take it easy #5
Bulletproof #2
Inventing myself #27
This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for 1D, in a way, the title does foreshadow what's to come of the group's final album even if it's named after its placement in their discography.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Steal my girl #9
Ready to change #29
Night changes #11
You know Dave Grohl was inescapable this decade in NZ when his collaboration with Queens of the Stone age frontman Josh Homme from the end of the previous decade managed to make the cut for this list. Evidently, they've yet to release another album together due to the controversies surrounding the latter.
Peak position #2
The kiwis were much more impressed with Susan Boyle's subsequent follow ups from her earlier entry on this list, so much so this second album from her proved to be quite popular over there compared to what is was over here.
Peak position #1x7
One of the most prominent Broadway shows was the biopic of Frankie Valli known as Jersey Boys, this was the reason why there was such a rise in nostalgia for him and his group the Four seasons which explains this album's success.
Peak position #1x2
It doesn't surprise me this was more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia given how Josh Groban managed to achieve more success over there throughout the 00's than he did over here that decade.
Peak position #1x2
This is a major surprise given how it not only became a hit in NZ from an Australian artist on an Australian reality show, but it managed to be more popular over there than it was over here to boot. I guess the kiwis really do like their reality TV if this was able to find more of an audience among them than us Aussies.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Good night #1
She will be loved #32
From what I can gather, this was originally released in the late 80's to deafening silence given how it competed with Rod's greatest hits package I featured on my 1990 lists on this site. It was given a second chance in 2012 where it was a minor hit here in Australia and a massive success in NZ for the crooner.
Peak position #1x1
This was the soundtrack to the Broadway show that was responsible for the Four seasons album from earlier on this list, I'm guessing its success was due to the show coming to the southern hemisphere this decade as it originally premiered in 2005 in their homeland of America.
Peak position #5
It's odd that his redemption ark from earlier on this list would be more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia given how JB's second album was only equally as popular over there as it was over here. Admittedly that wasn't the case for the singles which were indeed more popular over there from the album.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Boyfriend #2
Turn to you #18
Die in your arms #21
All around the world #15
As long as you love me #6
Beauty and a beat #6
This Grammy award winning album may have a lower placement on this list compared to the Australian equivalent, however that's mainly because it didn't rebound on the NZ charts like it did here in Australia when the lead single ranked high on Triple J's year end list for 2013.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Get lucky #2
This had the same path to success in NZ as it did here in Australia, the difference being that it sat on shelves ignored for an additional year over there given how it only took off in 2013 despite its success here taking off the year prior for the exact same reason it did over there.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Skinny love #2
It's a bit of a surprise this wasn't as big in NZ as it was here in Australia given how much more popular the lead single was over there compared to over here, however there's no doubt that it was a huge success with the kiwis regardless.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
See you again #1
We have one final appearance from Gin Wigmore on this list, it may have been far less popular than her previous two entries on this list, however it appears the kiwis still had enough love for her music to make this a success for her.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
New rush #39
This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for the TV show Glee, although it clearly came at the expense of the singles over there as the series never had a single hit over there like it did over here.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Don't stop believing #16
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I guess this goes to show how popular the band were throughout the decade worldwide as audiences weren't quite ready to discard their legacy like they did to so many of their earliest peers.
Peak position #7
This was too much of a sleeper hit to make the cut on the Australian side of this site, however it was more of a mainstream success in NZ despite it being critically divided upon its initial release and largely forgotten about over the years.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
We found love #1
Talk that talk #37
You da one #10
Where have you been #4
Even though the kiwis wanted to pay their respects to Prince following his death like we Aussies did, it appears they prioritised his 1993 release rather than his 2001 release like we Aussies did when celebrating his back catalogue.
Peak position #1x2
Even with the confusing album cycle this third album from 1D managed to have, it still proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia due to their strong fanbase at the time.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Best song ever #3
Story of my life #1
Diana #2
Strong #1
Midnight memories #3
You and I #22
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