I've decided to make a biggest hits of the 80's list similar to the one I made for the 2010's, although the key difference here is that I'll be including entries that reflect what was popular on the ARIA charts, although I'll only make a mention for which entries are the ARIA entries as I feel their placement on this list will speak for themselves rather than me delivering redundant commentary that will highlight how well/poorly they did compared to the AMR charts.
Even though this only peaked at number five on the Australian charts, the fact that this managed to linger on our charts for 64 weeks (mainly due to the B-side "Pink Cadillac" being promoted on radio) ensured that this would be the second-best charting single of the decade according to David Kent, I ranked it a bit lower as I tend to not take into account stats from the lower half of the charts.
#8 for 1984
This was the lead single to INXS's magnum opus Kick, the reason why it's their magnum opus is because not only is it their biggest album worldwide, but it also spawned them a Billboard chart topper with this very single from the band. Even though the song was released on its own, the video has it bundled up with "Mediate" which is the song which immediately proceed after this song ends on the album.
#18 for 1987
#16 for 1988 #16 ARIA
Well, this was a surprise hit for Paul Simon, mainly because the last time he had any success throughout the world was ten years prior when "50 ways to leave your lover" was a Billboard chart topper for him. I guess the premise of him allowing people to call him Al was endearing enough for this to become a massive hit throughout Europe and Australia, but not in his native America for some reason.
#12 for 1986
#19 for 1987
This was among the first songs whose music video was banned, although not by MTV as the video for this title track of Olivia's biggest album in her career was banned in her native UK due to its shameless depiction of body shaming. The song is a bop to this day; however, most people have described it as a body shaming anthem due to the (admittedly offensive) visuals in the video.
#10 for 1981
#9 for 1982
This was the solo debut for Kate Ceberano, an Australian woman of colour who began her career as the lead vocalist for I'm talking which was a band comprising mostly of older men while she and a friend of hers provided vocals for their jazz rock instrumentation. Here she goes in a more pop direction with this song that showcases her powerful vocals bringing to life these cute lyrics about the relationship she's in.
#18 for 1989
It's easy to forget that this wasn't the lead single to MJ's album of the same name, after all few people remember that "I just can't stop loving you" was the lead single to that album likely due to it not being among his more popular songs over the years. This on the other hand was such an instant classic that Weird Al decided to parody it a year after its release as "Fat" which was also a huge success.
#20 for 1987
#17 for 1988 #17 ARIA
It looked like Queen's fortunes had run out as the 70's was coming to an end given how they had failed to score any noticeable hit singles since the release of "We are the champions/We will rock you," however their popularity was revived with this lead single from their album the Game. One thing I'll point out about this track is how different Freddie sounds on here, almost like he was going for an Elvis impersonation.
#11 for 1980
This was the debut single for one of the more prominent bands this decade, I would say bands that emerged this decade except this came out just as the 70's came to an end in their native UK. Nowadays this song is best known for its usage in TV commercials, specifically that for the breakfast cereal Special K due to how the word special is used throughout its runtime.
#12 for 1980
This was the last hit that the Village people managed to achieve anywhere in the world, presumably due to it being the title track of their autobiographical film about how they came to be in the first place. OK so calling it a biography is a bit of a stretch as their actual story of how they came to be wasn't nearly as chaotic as what happens in the film but still.
#13 for 1980
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#19 for 1989
To think that this E.P was the only notable success these guys had on the Australian charts, although seeing as though it contains live renditions of two of their more iconic songs "Whip it" and "Girl you want," I guess you can consider this entry to be for those two tracks even though this is why they were popular here.
#11 for 1981
It's easy to forget that this wasn't the lead single to MJ's album Thriller, no that honour goes to the critically panned "The girl is mine" which was a modest success due to it being a collaboration with Paul McCartney. I'm guessing this wasn't the lead single due to its subject matter, one that seems oddly more relevant since its initial release given the multiple accusations levied against him.
#10 for 1983
Lionel admitted himself back in the day that his first solo album was made to appease his fanbase from when he was a part of the Commodores, this was to ease them into the change in music direction that he wanted to make in his career which resulted in his magnum opus Can't slow down and this lead single of his. It's a party jam that's since become a staple of parties since its initial release.
#11 for 1983
#9 for 1984
Following his departure from Bronski beat, Jimmy Sommerville formed this duo and seemingly picked up where he left off two years prior with his first bands album Age of consent. Here he also recruits female vocalist Sarah Jane Morris in order to semi duet with him, presumably to give him an excuse to show off his falsetto throughout the track which in turn further strengthened his queer audience.
#13 for 1986
#21 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#20 for 1989
Even though this appears on Wham's sophomore album Make it big, this is curiously credited as a George Michael solo ballad which goes to show that even before they took America by storm, he was already having ambitions of making it big without his partner in crime Andrew Ridgely. The two stuck together for one more album before going their separate ways two years later.
#10 for 1984
I never understood the backlash towards this cover, true it was made for charity and obviously Ali Campbell had no romantic relationship with Chrissie Hynde, however I feel you could've fooled me into thinking otherwise listening to this cover of the Sonny and Cher classic. I guess this track has only received backlash in more recent years due to UB40's general backlash due to their usage of cod reggae.
#10 for 1985
As far as non-Australians and kiwis are concerned, this was the debut single from Kylie Minogue as the updated version of "The locomotion" was released as the third single from her self-titled album released this year. As well respected as she is nowadays, critics and audiences from back in the day were rather harsh on her, going as far as to call her the singing budgie likely due to her chipper vocals here.
#18 for 1988 #18 ARIA
If you're a fan of this collaboration between Bonnie Tyler and Jim Steinman (yes, this was originally meant for Meat loaf) then do yourself a favour and don't check out the music video for this classic as it will ruin any and all fond memories you have of it. That out of the way, we have this comeback single for Bonnie who briefly went MIA following the success of "It's a heartache" due to issues she had with her previous management.
#12 for 1983
Well, this song seems to have come out of nowhere, Slim Dusty is best known for being one of the very first Australian artists to achieve any form of success in the music industry back in the 50's with his hit single "A pub with no beer." Fast forward over thirty years and he scored a surprise hit with this track he performed on Countdown which even the kiwis found amusing as it was a moderate success over there as well.
#12 for 1981
This is one of my favourite songs of the decade, to think that this was originally a song from Jackie Deshannon from several years earlier only for Kim Carnes to make it her own with her raspy vocals. This was such a success that the Hollywood legend wrote a letter of thanks to everyone involved in its creation for immortalising her as a pop culture legend (as if she wasn't already by this point.)
#13 for 1981
I haven't seen the film this duet is named after, although if its anything like this collaboration between Lionel Richie and Diana Ross then all I can say is that it certainly lives up to its reputation of being endless boredom. I'm sorry but I'm not a fan of this duet at all, sure the two artists have chemistry with each other and I'm sure it still has its fans to this day, but I don't get the hype behind this ballad.
#14 for 1981
If you thought that artists fighting for aboriginal rights is a recent phenomenon, then allow me to introduce you to Goanna who were fighting the good fight four years prior to when Midnight oil gave the marginalised group their voice with Diesel and dust. Here they are with their one and only hit in Australia which admittedly led to them having a highly successful album before they sadly faded into obscurity.
#10 for 1982
#13 for 1983
This was the first of many Billboard chart toppers that George Michael would have both solo and with his partner in crime Andrew Ridgely, however that would come six months after this topped the charts throughout the rest of the world proving that he really didn't need the approval of the American market he was so desperately trying to appeal to with his songs.
#11 for 1984
It looked like that Leo Sayer had become yesterday's news by the time the 70's became the 80's, however the English crooner had other ideas as he decided to record an old Buddy Holly track after seeing an advertisement for a greatest hits package of his and his band the Crickets. This resulted in this ballad being his biggest hit in most parts of the world and kept his career going for a little while longer.
#14 for 1980
While I'm sure there were people at the time who considered this cover to be in poor taste given how Roxy music recorded and released this mere months after John Lennon's assassination, they did make it clear that it was a tribute to the late Beatle and that they weren't trying to cash in off his sudden death. This incidentally was the first hit the band had in Australia despite how big Bryan Ferry was in the 70's.
#15 for 1981
These guys had been active in the music industry for well over a decade before they finally got a massive hit in the form of this classic, there was no way this was going to fail anywhere in the world given how it tells an interesting story about how the narrator knew a girl before she became a glamour model, or a centrefold as he refers to her as.
#11 for 1982
My international readers will know this as the theme song to Crocodile Dundee, however the year prior to that film's release this was the second single from Mental as anything's biggest album Fundamental as anything where it became a huge hit for them in Australia and NZ. I'm guessing it was due to a combination of how happy Greedy Smith sounds on this track and the video which shows him having the time of his life.
#11 for 1985
Their previous album was a decently huge hit for these guys, however following the success he had with his main band Genesis, Mike Rutherford saw a huge surge in popularity worldwide to the point where the main vocalist Paul Carrack scored a huge hit two years prior with "When you walk in the room." All of this led to this ballad becoming a huge success for the band when it did.
#19 for 1989
One of the more bizarre trends of the decade was that of the mashup single, granted there weren't as many as the decade would have you believe but when one became popular, it tended to make a huge splash in the mainstream like this medley from Dutch group Stars on 45. This was so popular that it even managed to become a hit in America, although for some reason they called themselves Starsound in the UK.
#16 for 1981
For one album, these guys had conquered the Australian charts as the album their biggest hit is named after was a huge success for a band whose lead singer began the decade with "Modern girl" being a moderate success. This of course sparked international interest in the band and even eventually got them to chart on Billboard albeit on the lower half of their charts, I guess these guys were no INXS according to Americans.
#12 for 1985
Well, this is a change of pace from Billy Idol, his earlier work was among the loudest songs to come out of the decade whereas this was more subdue as was the album it was pulled from Whiplash smile which traded in Billy's bombast for a sound more in line with the quieter bands of the decade. This change in direction paid off for him as both this song and the album were his most successful in his career respectively.
#14 for 1986
#22 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#21 for 1989
Mannequin is one of those films you either love or hate, it mostly comes down to its premise of a man falling in love with a store mannequin that randomly comes to life and whether or not you're on board with that premise. At least the theme song was well received even though it comes from Starship's sellout period, although those who despise "We built this city" don't often have many negative things to say about this.
#23 for 1987
This was the only notable hit from Scottish lounge band Fairground attraction and let me tell you I for the longest time thought this was a 90's hit given how out of place if feels on this year which itself feels like an early prototype of what was to come throughout that decade. This song's legacy has thrived due to it being used in many commercials to this day.
#19 for 1988
After the slow but overwhelming success of her debut album, Whitney was off to a good start with replicating its success with this iconic track which remains one of her more popular tracks even to this day. Unfortunately, though the album was a success, the same can't be said for any of the other singles on the album outside of her native America, perhaps due to how they helped her break a record on Billboard.
#24 for 1987
This was the debut single for one of the more prominent bands to emerge from Australia, I feel that people tend to forget that "Down under" was the second single from this band given how it's easily eclipsed everything else in their catalogue with how iconic it's become over the years. This managed to top the Billboard charts the following year despite it only getting to number two here.
#17 for 1981
As I said earlier on this list, this song was bundled with Madonna's third single from her second album in order to lessen her grip on the Australian charts. I'm willing to be that "Angel" wouldn't have been nearly as popular here if this didn't happen as it's obvious that this song from her film debut Desperately seeking Susan was what made the double A-side release be as successful as it was.
#13 for 1985
If you've somehow never heard of this song, then I suggest you rectify that because it's one of the most quintessential songs not just of the decade but of all time due to how timeless that synth riff has remained since its release. Apparently, this was originally released a year prior albeit as a slightly different song, in that I mean the instrumentation has a more oriental feel that they then changed probably to avoid accusations of cultural appropriation.
#14 for 1985
#15 for 1986
To think that this is the biggest hit that Crowded house achieved here in Australia, admittedly my shock towards this fact comes from this being one of my least favourite songs from the trio and believe me, I'm a massive fan of these guy's other work. I guess their big hit worldwide is "Don't dream it's over" and that songs lack of success here was more due to it being the fourth single released from their debut.
#20 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#19 for 1988
This was the first of three highly successful tracks to come from Wa Wa Nee (man what a stupid band name they gave themselves) it's also one that sparked international interest in them given how huge it was this year for them. Even though they scored all of this success with their singles, it didn't translate to their albums which caused them to break up when their second album failed to spawn a hit for them.
#16 for 1986
So, this is another song that fits into the sub-genre I've dubbed as nursery pop as this sounds like it was built off the melody of a nursery rhyme before becoming a pop tune. Despite this I find myself enjoying this track due to how playful Sheena sounds on this track, and it appears most of the world shares this sentiment as it became a huge worldwide success albeit after having its name changed to avoid confusion with the Dolly Parton track.
#18 for 1981
One of the most powerful scenes in cinematic history was when this song was playing over a massacre that took place throughout Vietnam, it took this completely innocent song about how beautiful the world was and flipped it to be the most cynical piece of irony you could imagine. The scene in question was what allowed this song to finally become a hit in Australia twenty years after its initial release.
#21 for 1988
This was a bit of a surprise hit for NKTOB given how it wasn't much of a hit in their native America, I'm guessing it crossed over here due to how incessantly catchy the track is compared to the rest of the album which is mostly filled with ballads from the boys. This eventually led the song to be released in the UK where it was an even bigger hit for them.
#20 for 1989
This was the first major success INXS had on the singles chart in Australia, admittedly their previous album Shabooh shoobah did spawn the fan favourites "The one thing" and "Don't change" which both did decently well, however it was this track and its poetic lyrics that finally brought the band into the big leagues here in Australia and even over in NZ.
#12 for 1984
This was the debut single from one of my favourite pop stars of the decade, mainly because of how much I adore how well her vocals compliment the new wave production on each of her tracks. It appears the general public agreed as she saw massive success during the first half of the decade here in Australia, arguably more so than her native UK where her songs weren't as successful.
#19 for 1981
Although they found plenty of success with their albums up until this point in Australia, this was the first genuine hit that Simply red had here as none of their singles lit up our charts like this song did throughout the decade. Their success would continue to grow in the new decade as their next two albums would break records for them in their native UK.
#21 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#22 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#20 for 1988
Many people find this to be Billy's most annoying song due to how the melody is structured, I don't agree but can see where they're coming from as it does seem like it was metered this way to accommodate for the lyrical structure which is just him shouting out a bunch of pop culture references that took place during his lifetime. This gimmick paid off for Billy commercially as this remains his biggest hit worldwide despite the backlash it's received.
#22 for 1989
This was the only noticeable hit for Bertie Higgins even in his native America, while I'm glad this crossed over to Australia, I can't say I understand why as at least in his native America, this was one of only many soft rock ballads to make it big this year. In any case, this song did become a huge success for him before he faded into obscurity.
#12 for 1982
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#21 for 1988
If you can believe it, Carole King's version of this classic was never released as a single as it was only ever the B-side to her biggest hit "It's too late" from almost two decades prior to when Martika made it her own with this cover. I guess her fellow Americans didn't appreciate this cover from her as this flopped hard on Billboard despite her previous single being a chart topper on there.
#23 for 1989
If Lionel's earlier entry on this list wasn't the indication that he was about to become one of the biggest names in music this decade, then this third single from his sophomore album cemented his place among the A-list despite it being subjected to heavy backlash over the years for what many perceive to be highly creepy lyrics. That's to say nothing of the video which makes them arguably worse by having them be directed at one of his students at a university.
#13 for 1984
This E.P created history when it was released on the singles charts, it became the first entry to debut at number one on the Australian charts even though by all accounts this should have been charting on our album charts due to it being an E.P without a standout track to promote it.
#15 for 1985
#17 for 1986
Well, I guess we Aussies aren't opposed to allowing cheesy RNB to become a hit here after all given how this highly ridiculed ballad from Boris Gardiner managed to become a huge success here. It's hard to talk about this song without coming off as mean, as such I won't say anything else here.
#25 for 1987
It looked like that the Game would only produce one hit single for Queen, that changed when the band released this as the albums fourth single which thanks to its funky bassline, was able to become their second consecutive chart topper on Billboard as well as a massive hit throughout the rest of the world.
#15 for 1980
#20 for 1981
This is the biggest hit in Jimmy Barne's career both solo and with his band Cold chisel, I'm guessing because it was the lead single to his album where he wanted to appeal to an international audience and as such saw success both from his fanbase and the more contemporary listeners of the day. He would abandon his ambitions at appealing to an international market following the failure of his album Freight train hearts outside the southern hemisphere.
#26 for 1987
#22 for 1988 #22 ARIA
Given how inescapable Jimmy Barnes was during the second half of the decade, it only makes sense that the other vocalist from Cold Chisel would follow in his footsteps and release his own album to prove that he was a worthy member of the pub rock band. Indeed, Ian Moss scored massive success with his first solo album largely thanks to its lead single which tells the story of a girl he's in love with but also knows is bad for him.
#24 for 1989
This was originally released in 1976 to deafening silence, presumably because by that stage few wanted to hear a ballad about how a twenty something year old was having an existential crisis about having everything she wanted except for the things that mattered. I'm guessing the world changed its mind six years later as this became a huge hit for her worldwide for reasons I can't seem to ascertain.
#13 for 1982
By far the biggest hit to come from Mondo rock, in fact this is only second to "Eagle rock" as the most successful thing Ross Wilson has done throughout his career. It's easy to see why this song was so big as it tells a coming-of-age story about two young lovers looking to explore their sexual relationship narrated expertly by Ross. Sadly, this was the last hit single he would have in his career.
#14 for 1984
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#23 for 1988
#23 for 1989
This was originally released the previous year in order to promote the show of the same name, for some reason this theme song only caught on in Australia once season two premiered. Regardless of when it caught on, it remains one of the most popular TV themes of all time due to how much of a success it was.
#14 for 1982
This was by far the biggest hit to come from Foreigner which is a bit of a shame because these guys are best known for their more energetic rock tracks such as "Urgent," "Cold as ice" and "Hot blooded." Admittedly their second biggest hit "Waiting for a girl like you" was also a soft rock ballad, so perhaps audiences were simply more interested in these guys expressing their sentimental side more than anything.
#16 for 1985
We have another Oscar winning ballad to grace us with its presence on this site, this time it comes to us from Berlin who had previously been known as new wave band and who you may recognise for their hit singles "No more words" from two years prior (especially if you're from NZ where it was a huge hit.) As usual, we have an indie band whose fans cried sellout to once they made it big worldwide by attaching themselves to a Tom Cruise flick.
#18 for 1986
If you didn't know, Rocky Burnette is the son of the late Johnny Burnette who had a string of hits in the early 60's until his untimely death in 1964. Fast forward nearly thirty years and we have his son scoring a massive hit with the type of rockabilly that made him a household name during the height of his career, making this a huge success as well as a touching tribute to Rocky's late father.
#16 for 1980
Angry Anderson is best known as the lead vocalist for Rose tattoo, an Australian band who rivals AC/DC as the band who rocks the hardest from the 70's and 80's. So, you can his fans horror when he agreed to rerecord one of the bands earlier songs and rework it as a wedding theme for Scott and Charlene in Neighbours (Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue for the uninitiated.)
#27 for 1987
One of the cheesier films to come out of the decade has to be Footloose, mainly because the plot hinges on the fact that no one in the town the film is set in thought to suspect the obvious delinquents they have was responsible for a tragic accident that occurred there and instead blame it on popular music. Stupid premise aside, the film remains a classic thanks to how excellent the songs written for the film were such as this title track.
#15 for 1984
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#24 for 1989
It's strange to think that the biggest hit these guys had outside their native America would be the rare non disco track in their catalogue, I guess mainstream audiences always preferred sentimentality over dance floor bangers and admittedly these guys certainly had earned the right to make a breakup ballad at this point in their career.
#17 for 1980
This was the debut single for Culture club, a band who would become synonymous with wanting to creature racial harmony around the world with their instantly catchy music and charming personalities. They were off to a good start with this song as it conquered the world charts with its quirky video which details some of the discrimination people like Boy George have experienced over the years.
#15 for 1982
#14 for 1983
This was originally the debut single for Cliff Richard that was released all the way back in 1959, it was a modest success for the English crooner and launched a very lucrative career for him that persisted as recently as 1999. This year he rerecorded it with the cast of the Young ones for charity, and let's just say that this version doesn't do the original any favours for me liking this man's music.
#19 for 1986
This was the biggest hit to come out of Belinda Carlisle worldwide, mainly due to the theme of finding heaven on earth (and more specifically how you define that word) resonating with audiences during a time where the world seems more interested in spreading chaos and madness over anything else. It led to her second album being a massive success everywhere except for Australia where it underperformed.
#23 for 1988 #24 ARIA
Johny Logan set up a record with this ballad as it allowed him to become the first artist to win Eurovision more than once for a particular country, in this case it was for his native Ireland who likely were as surprised as everyone else when he took home to top prize for the second time this decade following his earlier victory "What's another year." It appears we Aussies finally understood what made him so special as this became a huge success for him down under.
#28 for 1987
#24 for 1988 #25 ARIA
We had "Computer games" from Mi-sex, now it's time for the music scene to get specific with this song written about the Space invaders phenomenon from the Australian novelty act Player 1 (not to be confused with the soft rock band Player.) Before "Pac man fever" and around the time that arcade classic was launched, this song was making it big down under with a specific arcade unit.
#18 for 1980
This was the second collaboration that MJ made with Paul McCartney, and one that's been better received over the years as evidence by how much bigger the song was compared to their first collaboration from the previous year. This would be the last collaboration the two men would make as MJ would infamously buy up the back catalogue for Paul's music which put an end to their friendship.
#15 for 1983
#16 for 1984
This is a song that sparked massive controversy upon its initial release, mainly because it contains homophobic slurs in its second verse which even at the time, was a big no no in the music industry. Fortunately, the radio tends to edit out this verse so there's a good chance that most people aren't even aware of what I'm talking about, even if you are I think we can all agree that it's far from the most harmful thing to happen towards the LGBT community.
#17 for 1985
This was originally a song from a guy, and as such the lyrics had a different meaning to what Cyndi gives them on her debut single as there the narrator was a player whereas here it's a female empowerment anthem. The song rightfully launched her career worldwide and even had her as an early rival of Madonna given how both women struggled to find mainstream success prior to appearing on Countdown.
#17 for 1984
This was the breakout single for Lindsey Buckingham which I can't help but notice was released mere months after his partner from Fleetwood mac Stevie Nicks released her own album, though she had the more successful album of the two, Lindsey at least scored the bigger hit in both of their solo careers. I always found him to be checked out on this track due to how airy he and the production feels.
#16 for 1982
One of the catchiest songs to ever be recorded, we have this late disco hit from Lipps inc which managed to become a chart topper even in their native America. I feel this important to bring up as this is the best proof I have that disco wasn't as dead as what people make it out to be, sure it had seen a sharp decline in popularity, but it soldiered on throughout the decade regardless of what people say.
#19 for 1980
This was the second single from Richard Marx's sophomore album Repeat offender, an album which continued his popularity around the world despite many people nowadays dismissing him as the American equivalent of Bryan Adams. He would achieve further success in the 90's when his Canadian counterpart returned to the spotlight, however his popularity would quickly dwindle as the decade went on.
#25 for 1989
Although she achieved sound success earlier in the decade in Australia with her albums, it wasn't until this bonus track from her live album that she finally managed to score a hit single here or for that matter anywhere in the world outside her native America. It's easy to see how this connected with audiences, she really throws herself onto the track about navigating a complex relationship.
#18 for 1984
This was the lead single to John Farnham's album of the same name and given how his previous album was the most successful of the decade in Australia, it makes sense that he would continue to appeal to the adult contemporary crowd with this number which resulted in it being a huge success for him just like before.
#25 for 1988
Hey, remember when censorship was considered a bad thing in the Mainstream media? Here we have the Clash scoring their biggest hit with a song that was critical of censorship in the middle east, complete with a video that.... OK I guess they went a little too far with pushing the boundaries of good taste with that. In any case, this proved to be a huge success for the band including in America.
#17 for 1982
#16 for 1983
Kiss were on a roll when they released their second single from Dynasty, this is despite the backlash they received from their original fans claiming that they sold out for a more mainstream audience. True the lyrics and compositions aren't as complex as their earlier material, however they still had plenty of energy to their tracks which is why they were able to find massive success with this material.
#20 for 1980
This isn't among my favourite tracks from Fleetwood Mac, granted it's certainly a departure from their previous sound as this feels more in line with a prog track as opposed to their usual folk rock but something about the marching beat just doesn't sit right with me. I'm obviously in the minority as this remains their biggest hit in their catalogue outside of America (where "Dreams" has that honour) and is still well loved to this day.
#21 for 1980
This was the final hit single that Chicago had outside their native America, now this might shock some of my readers, but I really like this ballad as it does a good job of balancing out Peter Cetera's vocals with the instrumentation in a way I feel many of their other tracks fail to do. I guess my love for this ballad was tested when the RNB group Az yet convinced him to rerecord this track for their hit in 1997.
#18 for 1982
You'd think that a duet between a woman of colour that's been active for almost as long as her much younger male partner who was a closeted gay man would be a recipe for disaster, you'd be wrong as the two somehow managed to find chemistry on this track about how they can always rely on each other being there when they need each other the most.
#29 for 1987
Well, I think I found the reason as to why Julio Iglesias was able to score massive success the following year with his first English album, we have Renee and Renato who were a UK based duo singing a song that you'd expect in an old Dezi Arnaz film that became a surprise hit in Australia and throughout Europe.
#17 for 1983
This was the second single from John Farnham's magnum opus Whispering jack, I guess this helped reassure everyone that "You're the voice" wasn't a fluke and that he was here to stay in the adult contemporary part of the music scene. The third single from the album "A touch of paradise" was a minor hit after this, which further cemented that he was back in the mainstream and not a flash in the pan.
#30 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#25 for 1989
So disco wasn't dead quite yet as KC and the Sunshine band were able to achieve massive worldwide success with this track that has since gone down as one of their most memorable in their catalogue. This was a surprise success over in the UK which allowed it to become an international success before it finally became a moderate success in their native America, proving that even they weren't above disco at this stage.
#18 for 1983
This was the debut single for the supergroup the Traveling wilburys, a group that consisted of George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan who likely formed in order to make music that harkens back to the days when they were each in their prime. They succeeded cultivating an audience who would be interested in their older work; however, it was bittersweet as Roy would tragically pass away not long after this became a hit for them.
#26 for 1988
#26 for 1989
The Bee gees are here to save the day once again as they were able to resurrect the dying career of Dionne Warwick by giving her this ballad to sing which allowed it to become a huge success throughout Europe and here in Australia. The last time Dionne had any success here was back in 1964 when "Anyone who had a heart" first broke her through onto the scene, and indeed this wouldn't be the last time we hear from her.
#19 for 1983
This was the first time Madonna had released a song with a poignant message attached to it (and it certainly wasn't the last) here she advocates that should a teenage girl fall pregnant that it's ultimately up to her if she decides to keep the baby or not and not her parents or guardians and certainly not anyone else. It became the clear hit from her third album True blue due to feminists of the day applauding her approval for providing teenage girls with agency.
#20 for 1986
So Carly Simon was still able to find success going into the 80's, admittedly there was every indication that she would be one of the most popular artists of the decade had MTV not launched this year and ruined her chances at replicating the success she had throughout the 70's. I also have to admit that outside of her magnum opus "You're so vain," I've never been that much of a fan of her music.
#21 for 1981
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#26 for 1989
Well, this is a song that divides fans of Prince to this day, mainly because it's less of a song and more of a collage of moments from the Batman film with Prince occasionally singing to remind audiences that this is a track from him. This proved to be a huge success for him even if I would've gone with "Partyman" as the lead single from the soundtrack, not only is it a more conventional song but it plays in one of the better scenes in the movie.
#27 for 1989
Before it was chosen as the theme to the cult classic the Lost boys, it was a huge success for INXS and Jimmy Barnes who teamed up on this collaboration to combine their respective audiences from their most recent albums Listen like thieves and For the working-class man respectively.
#21 for 1986
#31 for 1987
No comments:
Post a Comment