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.
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#80 for 1988
Here we are with the third single from NKTOB's second album here in Australia, it was their second Billboard chart topper in a row which should tell you how popular these kids were around this time. This song has received a lot of flak over the years for it desperately trying to prove how tough these kids are when in reality they obviously had it pretty easy in life up until this point.
#76 for 1989
This was the first song that Icehouse released once they changed their name to match that of their debut album, indeed this feels like a bonus track from their now self-titled album as they released this purely to tie fans over to their second album which is where their international appeal was finally met.
#83 for 1981
While this wasn't the first single that Duran Duran had a hit in Australia, this was the song which made them international superstars thanks to a provocative video which depicted women wrestling topless which earned the video the distinction of it being the first to be banned on MTV. The song itself is a classic thanks to the passionate vocals of Simon Le Bon, although the video has made it an anthem for misogyny in recent years.
#80 for 1982
This is a song that I feel has too much brass in it (or rather synthesisers pretending that they're brass) as a result I feel that the song is a bit too annoying for my liking which puts me in the minority as this remains one of the band's most iconic songs to this day. This would be their last hit in Australia as their second Billboard chart topper "Human" would flop here, possibly due to the band being reduced to a trio by that point.
#81 for 1983
This needed two attempts to become a hit here in Australia as it was released towards the start of the year to deafening silence for the French pop star FR David. I'm not sure what allowed us Aussies to change our mind about this track other than it being a catchy number and its success throughout Europe.
#82 for 1983
This was the fourth single from Kylie's debut album, it's a song about how Kylie is in love with someone but admittedly doesn't understand why because of the way they treat her. The song is cute in that she ponders why she loves this person in French, hence the title of the song which translates to "I still love you (but I don't know why)" and why it was likely a huge hit for her worldwide.
#80 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#80 for 1989
This is a cover of a song that was made in the late 50's, even so I wasn't expecting to see this on one of these lists considering I was dead certain this was always meant as a commercial jingle and not a critically acclaimed art pop track from the start of the 80's. Even though this remains well loved in the music community to this day, the band couldn't shake off their novelty status which led to them breaking up in 1984.
#81 for 1980
This was the first of two hits that Fischer Z achieved this decade, although their second hit wouldn't come until eight years after this was released as that was with "The perfect day" in 1988. This was due to the band briefly breaking up throughout the 80's despite them having massive worldwide success with this new wave ballad, although they obviously came back and have been going strong ever since.
#84 for 1981
I feel like this is the female empowerment anthem to end all female empowerment anthems, after all we have not one but two of the most powerful women in music joining forces to uplift the spirits of women around the world saying they can do whatever they want without feeling like they need to conform to the patriarchy. This song endures the test of time due to uplifting the women of the world without feeling the need to put men down.
#81 for 1985
#74 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#81 for 1988
Darryl Cotton was the lead singer of Zoot from a decade prior, so he seems to be a little late to the party when it comes to 60's rockers finding it big on their own given how the likes of Glenn Shorrock and bandmate Rick Springfield already had massive success by this point in time. Even so, he got there eventually with this one and only hit about how a girl he used to date hasn't changed over the years.
#82 for 1980
This has to be one of the most incessantly catchy songs to become a hit throughout the 80's, this is due to the charismatic performance of Limahl as well as the instrumentation that his band Kajagoogoo (man what a stupid band name) provided for him on this track. For whatever reason, this wasn't that big of a hit here in Australia which is why it appears much lower on this list than you would otherwise expect.
#83 for 1983
This was a song that was released exclusively in Australia, it interrupted the album cycle as "Kiss the bride" was always meant to be the third single from Too low for zero but was pushed back to the following year where it flopped due to everyone owning the album by that point. I guess this was his way of thanking us for keeping his popularity alive during the years Bernie Taupin was absent from his career.
#84 for 1983
It had been four years since these guys had a hit anywhere in the world, although at this point this was more of a Chrissie Hynde solo project as the other original members of the band had left for various different reasons. This meant that she went in a more pop friendly direction as opposed to her new wave roots from earlier in the decade which would explain how she was able to score hits from Get close.
#75 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#82 for 1988
This was the big hit off of Cold Chisel's breakthrough album East, a song about how Jimmy Barnes gets day drunk to help him cope with the loss of his girlfriend (who may or may not be the mother of his son David Campbell.) The song remains a classic to this day as does the majority of the tracks from East, it makes you wonder why it wasn't a bigger hit until you remember it coming from a highly successful album.
#83 for 1980
There were quite a few Irish tracks to make it big during the first half of the decade in Australia, one of the more popular ballads was this track about how the narrator of the song reminisces about knowing someone from when they were sixteen years old. I feel this song gets right what "My eyes adored you" and especially "You're sixteen" gets wrong, reminiscing about someone from when they were younger without coming off as creepy.
#85 for 1983
This was the only hit that Vicki Sue Robinson was able to score here in Australia, although American readers will be more familiar with her Billboard hit "Turn the beat around" from ten years prior which was made famous ten years later by Gloria Estefan's cover. I'm guessing this was a hit here due to how much love we Aussies had for disco this far into the 80's compared to her fellow Americans.
#80 for 1984
While she hadn't had a hit since the start of the decade, Kate Bush was able to slip her way into the mainstream this year with this track about how she felt she made a deal with God in finding happiness with the person she's singing to. It became a surprise hit for her this year given how out of place it felt compared to everything else on this list, although it's par for the course when it comes to her discography.
#82 for 1985
Although he saw massive success at the start of the decade in his native NZ as a teen idol, this was the first hit that Jon Stevens had in Australia given that he had become the lead singer of Noiseworks to reinvent himself as a pub rocker in the same vein as Jimmy Barnes and other Australian singers. I'm not sure why this was a success and not "No lies," both have such a passionate performance from Jon that they should've been bigger.
#75 for 1987
This was the only hit that Bette Midler released this decade that wasn't attached to a film, instead it was a cover from the Rolling stones from their 1978 album Some girls that Bette made her own without changing the style of the original. Bette would disappear from the music scene for most of the decade as she focused on her acting career, it paid off as she made six films in the second half of the decade which were all box office hits.
#81 for 1984
While this wasn't their debut single here in Australia, it was the song which got them off the ground given how the first two singles from their self-titled album were huge flops here despite the band performing them on Countdown the previous year. Naturally this was chosen as the lead single internationally once the album got off the ground here, which is why it did much better internationally than it did here.
#76 for 1987
Even though he had appeared on Countdown almost a decade prior, Iggy Pop never had any success in Australia until this year where he scored a surprise worldwide hit with this new wave track of his. This made it big in the UK of all places, I know the Brits welcomed punk rockers worldwide with open arms, but surely, they could've given this guy success back in the day when he was with the stooges.
#77 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#83 for 1988
These guys had been active in the music industry since the mid 50's, and while they saw a ton of success in their native America over the years, this was their only hit here in Australia due to it becoming a surprise hit for them in the UK. For some reason, the Brits labelled them as Detroit Spinners, I'm guessing due to there being an up-and-coming band named the Spinners at the time.
#84 for 1980
Oh, wow was Stephanie Mills done dirty when Diana Ross replaced her in the theatrical adaptation of the Wiz, fortunately she was able to score a hit with her singing career this year shortly after Diana scored her own comeback with "Upside down" from the previous year. Who knows how much more popular she would've been if Diana hadn't have taken her opportunity to be a Hollywood legend.
#85 for 1981
There was a popular British drama series known as Minder that ran throughout most of the 80's, it came with a theme sung by its star Dennis Waterman that needed several attempts to find success worldwide on the singles chart. This was the fourth attempt to have this be a hit here in Australia, becoming as such two years after it succeeded in NZ and his native UK.
#86 for 1983
This was Bob Seger's other bit hit this year, it comes from Beverly Hills cop II and helped the film earn both an academy award nomination and a Razzie with George Michael's earlier entry on this list from the film. This was the critically acclaimed song of the two and the one which finally allowed Bob to have a Billboard chart topper after over a decade of scoring hits in his native America.
#78 for 1987
I guess it had been several decades since there was a dance craze in the music scene, so here's the big one from the 80's with a band called Was (not was) (whatever that's supposed to say about them) who scored their one and only hit with a song about doing the Dinosaur which is a strange dance that seems to be taken from the moves found in "Walk like an Egyptian" from the Bangles. It was a huge hit in Australia and the UK but not in their native America.
#81 for 1988 #84 ARIA
Well, if you wanted to imagine Cliff Richard as your daddy, I guess this is the song for you as that's essentially what he's doing here on this cover of an obscure track from the early 60's. It was a big hit for the aging pop crooner following the success of his earlier entry, although he wouldn't trouble our charts gain for another four years before he teamed up with the Young ones to remake his debut single for charity.
#81 for 1982
This was the only solo hit that Steve Winwood was able to achieve in his career in Australia, yes, he had other hits with his bands Spencer Davis group and Traffic as well as having a huge album earlier in the decade with Arc of a diver, however this was the only hit he had to himself here. It's surprising to me it wasn't a bigger hit considering A: how passionate he sounds on the track and B: it being a huge Billboard chart topper for him.
#76 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#81 for 1989
This was the breakthrough single for New order, a band who serves as a sequel act to Joy division following the death of that bands lead vocalist Ian Curtis. Curiously, this song became the biggest hit of the decade over in NZ due to its refusal to die on their charts, I know this song has a diehard fanbase, but I didn't realise it consisted of the majority of the general public of NZ from around this time.
#87 for 1983
You'd think that the big hit from the Rock steady crew would be their signature track "Hey you," it was their big hit over in the UK for the American breakdance band after all. Instead, it was their second single that was the big hit here, likely due to them performing both tracks on Countdown and their performance of their big UK hit being little more than a breakdance whereas this was sung by the members.
#82 for 1984
This was the only notable hit that the Venetians managed to have here in Australia, although they did spark international interest in their catalogue despite them being far from the most successful Australian band of the decade. They would try to find a second hit here throughout the rest of the decade before they called it quits and broke up in 1989, much like many bands from the 80's now that I think about it.
#77 for 1986
This was the only hit to come from The Joshua tree in Australia, although as you've likely noticed, we Aussies don't tend to give out that many hits from highly successful albums due to our charts being strictly measured by capitalism. In any case, we have U2's first Billboard chart topper with this ballad about how Bono is unable to live his life whether he's in a relationship with this person or not.
#79 for 1987
You'd think that the biggest hit from the Machinations would be "No say in it" or "Pressure sway," instead it was this track which lasted quite a while on the charts thus making it their biggest hit by how long it lingered in the mainstream. It was also their final hit as the band would call it quits when their third album flopped later in the decade.
#80 for 1987
This was the second UK chart topper in a row for the Police, although I get the feeling this was a hit here more due to them performing it on Countdown rather than us wanting to hear about how Sting desires to be an astronaut. Regardless it was a huge success for the band and confirmed them as a household name here, heck their debut album even managed to become a success because of this.
#85 for 1980
This was the biggest hit to come from the Eurythmics's fourth album Revenge, it's a personal favourite of mine thanks to how well Annie sounds on this track as well as it confronts what she describes as a thorn in her side that is the toxic relationship she was in at the time. This would be the last hit that the duo would have here in Australia, although they would release two more albums before calling it quits.
#78 for 1986
#81 for 1987
This was the final hit that Cliff Richard managed to score in Australia for the rest of the twentieth century, although he did return in 1999 with "The millennium prayer" which was the last time anyone had heard from him in the mainstream. Even though this was a big hit for him in his native UK the previous year, it took a while for this to become a success here likely due to us Aussies not wanting to make him relevant but changing our minds several months later.
#82 for 1988 #85 ARIA
This was the only hit that John Farnham had for almost ten years as his last hit was from 1973 and his next one wouldn't come until he joined the Little river band later in the decade. This is a cover of the Beatles classic, although aside from replacing the voices of Paul and John with his own, he admittedly doesn't add much to this track which is perhaps why it's been lost to the sands of time.
#86 for 1980
This is a song that seems to be way ahead of its time both in terms of its sound and the lyrics. The sound heavily reminds me of a Sega Genesis game which is why I believe it's ahead of its time there, however the lyrics are very ahead of its time as it's essentially this guy talking to his computer as if Facebook existed back in the 80's. The gimmick of him getting love advice from his computer helped it become a huge success here.
#83 for 1984
Even though Lionel Richie had long since left the band by this point in time, that didn't mean the Commodores couldn't still find success without him as they had replaced him with British vocalist JD Nichols and soldiered on. They scored their one and only hit without Richie with this tribute to both Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye who died the previous year, making it an emotional ballad that resonated with audiences.
#83 for 1985
You'd think the big hit off of Sting's solo debut album would be "If you love somebody set them free," instead this was the big hit off of the album here in Australia. Although the album was already doing well here upon its initial release, this songs popularity allowed it to become one of the biggest hits of the decade down under and more so than the rest of his output both solo and with the Police.
#79 for 1986
This was a one-off project for INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence, I'm guessing he wanted to make a name for himself away from his band, so he released this in an attempt to do so following the failure of his solo single "Room for the memory" two years prior. It was a huge success for him both here and NZ, although he would dissolve the project and return to making music with INXS the following year.
#77 for 1989
As with every fad in the music industry, it was only a matter of time before there would be a parody song about the rockabilly revival that would be a success. That came in the form of this track from the Belgian group the Veterans who made a joke song about how the rockabilly revival was flooding the mainstream over newer and more exciting music.
#87 for 1980
This was the first of three Billboard chart toppers Billy Joel had this decade, it was the second single from his Glass house album which was less a throwback to the music of the 50's and more him wondering why we should glamourise newer music when the older stuff holds up. It's a rather poignant track that seems to be more relevant now that it was back then.
#88 for 1980
I haven't seen the Goonies (nor do I plan on doing so) so I have no idea how accurately this theme song reflects the film as it appears that fans feel it's a terrible theme due to how wacky Cyndi makes it out to be in the song and especially the video. It's one of two songs in her catalogue that she seems to have regretted making as it hardly ever appears on her greatest hits compilations despite its initial success.
#84 for 1985
Well, this was the first big hit that Milli Vanilli managed to score in Australia admittedly this was only a sleeper hit here due to our scepticism towards whether they were the real deal or a what they really were which was hired models to lip synch to music that otherwise would've gone unnoticed in the mainstream.
#78 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#82 for 1989
This was the lead single to Cold Chisel's biggest album East; it was also the final song they released in the 70's as it found its success during the first months of the 80's thanks to the sentiment of the lyrics and Jimmy's performance. Their earlier entry on this list was the bit hit from the album, although both of these songs do remain popular in their discography regardless of which one was bigger.
#89 for 1980
This took a while to be a success here in Australia, I'm not sure why other than it being a more upbeat track compared to their other hit "Send me an angel" from the previous year. It eventually reached the upper echelons of our charts and even did quite well in Europe considering the success of their other big hit, although this would sadly be the last anyone would hear from the Australian band.
#84 for 1984
Given how many artists from highly successful bands were finding solo success around this time, it only makes sense that the Who's Pete Townshend would throw his hat in the ring with this solo entry from him. It became his only success both solo and with the band following their 1971 album Who's next, likely due to how bouncy it is as well as having his daughter on backing vocals.
#80 for 1986
This was the big hit from I'm talking due to it being the lead single to their debut album, evidently the songs they released the previous year were from an E.P which is why none of them appear on their album they released this year. I think they were trying to win over an international audience as there's a remix of this track that was done by Stock Aiken and Waterman, this remix was a flop unfortunately.
#81 for 1986
This was the lead single to Noisework's second album, an album that didn't live up to the hype set up by their debut album likely due to there being plenty of pub rock coming out from around this time. The band would come back in the early 90's with their third and final album where they added some bombast to their sound which helped them stand out from their contemporaries and made them a success.
#83 for 1988
He already had three hits with three different acts prior to his solo debut, so why not become a one hit wonder for a fourth time here with said debut single? We may not have ever had any interest in giving the likes of Ultravox, Visage of Band aid a second hit here in Australia, but at least we were interested in what Midge Ure would do next as evidence by how often he would appear on the charts with a new act.
#85 for 1985
This was the last hit that Cyndi Lauper had in most parts of the world, although she would return five years later with a remix of her debut single in NZ and the UK so there's that at least. This was originally written for and performed by Roy Orbison; however, he didn't include it on his final album this year which technically means this version is the original version. Roy's version came out in the early 90's when word got out that it was meant for him.
#79 for 1989
This was the one and only hit for the Little heroes, an Australian band looking to make it big along the likes of other stripped back bands such as Goanna and the Reels but only managed to do so with one of their songs. That said, this song has endured over the years more so than many of the entries on this list, likely due to the fond memories people have of watching this be performed on Countdown this year.
#82 for 1982
This is often forgotten about in Madonna's vast catalogue, mainly because it charted around the same time both of her movie themes were dominating our charts in addition to this being the fourth single to a very successful album which prevented it from becoming more of a success even without the competition. There are also two versions of this track as the album version is very different from the live version that serves as its official music video.
#86 for 1985
This was the debut single for Mel and Kim, it was a song that was destined to be a flop here in Australia until their earlier entry became a massive hit for them here which allowed it to rebound on the charts and become a hit when that went to number one. It has a positive message about having fun without breaking the bank set to some of Stock Aiken and Waterman's catchiest melodies.
#82 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#83 for 1989
One of the funniest films to ever be released is Monty Python's the Life of Brian, a film that admittedly caused controversy back in the day due to it mocking Christianity which got it banned by many Christian groups in several countries (then ban has since been lifted.) The film ends with this novelty track that was so popular here in Australia that it became a genuine hit eleven years prior to doing so in the UK.
#90 for 1980
This was a bit of a surprise hit for Hot chocolate given how it seemed like they were yesterday's news once the new decade rolled around, although their popularity didn't waver entering the 80's as they scored a massive hit with "No doubt about it" at the start of the decade in their native UK. This was one of two hits they had internationally this year, the other being "It started with a kiss" which sadly underperformed here.
#83 for 1982
Sheila E was the on again off again girlfriend of Prince, so it only makes sense that she was able to score a massive hit with a song that he wrote for her during the height of his popularity. She was another vocalist to achieve massive success by playing the drums on her songs, although I think she's the first solo female drummer/vocalist to achieve a hit in the music industry and second after Phil Collins.
#85 for 1984
This was the only hit that Howard Jones was able to score here in Australia, even then it's a remix of a track from his second album he released the previous year which had little success upon its initial release down under. I think it's safe to say that we Aussies preferred Nik Kershaw over this guy even though I do tend to hear his big UK hit "What is love" from time to time on the oldies station.
#82 for 1986
This was the biggest success that Paul Kelly achieved back in the day, it's a song that still resonates with audiences to this day due to the story he tells about an abusive husband who seeks to redeem himself to his wife. Even though he never achieved mainstream success outside of this hit he had, he remains one of the most well-respected Australian artists of all time to the point where his greatest hits package was a huge success in 1997.
#83 for 1987
#84 for 1988 #86 ARIA
This was the first big hit that Daryl Braithwaite had in over a decade, in fact he had become a tradie in the time it took to release his second album during the days of his band Sherbet. When he finally decided to give his singing career another go, he was given instant success as the public welcomed him back into the music industry as if no time had passed since his heyday, just like fellow aging star John Farnham
#85 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#87 for 1988
This was the debut single for Paul Young (not to be confused with Australia's John Paul Young) it was a cover of a Marvin Gaye song which technically means the Motown icon had two hits in Australia this year. In any case, Paul would score a second hit here the following year with his Christmas track "Love of the common people" which in turn would allow his album to be a success here.
#88 for 1983
It looked like we Aussies wouldn't be interested in the works of Fine young cannibals given how their first two singles underperformed on our charts (admittedly this was more due to how much competition they had at the time) however this third single from their debut album managed to become a hit for them here likely due to it being a cover of an Elvis Presley classic that connected well with us back in the day.
#83 for 1986
You'd think that Duran Duran would've performed a bunch of their hits on Countdown back in the day, as far as I can tell, they only performed this and "Is there something I should know" from the following year. Their performance of this lead single to their second album was the reason why it was a hit here as it was a massive flop everywhere else in the world likely due to the video being rather mundane.
#84 for 1982
This was one of only five hits that Fleetwood Mac managed to score in Australia, that should give you an idea of how our music scene works as artists who dominate our albums charts rarely do so for our singles charts. In any case, we have the lead single to their album Mirage which was their way of adjusting to the MTV era, they somewhat struggled compared to their previous work, but they pulled it off.
#85 for 1982
Although his earlier entry on this list was the big hit off of Billy's second RNB album Love zone, it was this song that was meant to promote the album as that track came from the Jewel of the Nile soundtrack and was later included on the album. Here Billy scores his biggest hit with and RNB ballad as the rest of his hits in his catalogue are more fast paced and more in line with his disco hits from the 70's.
#84 for 1986
Shona Laing was a NZ songwriter who broke through in her homeland as a child start in 1973 with her hit single "1905" before fading into obscurity over there, however she eventually came back this year with this folk track thanks to it being one of the last songs to be performed on Countdown which allowed it to be a success here and, in her homeland, before she once again faded into obscurity.
#84 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#84 for 1989
This will be the only appearance from the punk band the Damned on my site, it was mainly a hit here in Australia due to them being one of the last international artists to perform on Countdown where they admittedly gave a rather compelling performance of this cover of the 60's classic from Barry Ryan on the show. It was also a decent hit in their native UK, which is proof that punk rock was still a thing over there.
#85 for 1986
If you're wondering where this track came from, it was the theme song to a film that starred Cyndi Lauper known as Vibes which was so poorly received that it's now long been lost to the sands of time. Indeed, this has gone down as one of Cyndi's worst songs (not just because of that strange title) as she likes to pretend that this doesn't exist, suggesting that she has bad memories of making the film in question.
#86 for 1988
These guys were on a roll this year as they managed to score a second hit here in Australia as well as their second Billboard chart topper in their native America. As the name of the song implies, this is a song dedicated to a Sara who was the ex-girlfriend of the lead singer of the group. They would have one more hit the following year with the theme from the film Mannequin.
#86 for 1986
Well at least this song has far less baggage attached to it thank her earlier entry due to the music video not depicting anything contentious, although it might be due to how safely it was marketed that resulted in it not being as successful as "Physical" for Olivia Newton John anywhere in the world despite this also being a sex jam that remains a bop to listen to even to this day.
#86 for 1982
This was originally recorded by Bob Seger for his 1978 album Stranger in town, it wasn't a hit anywhere, but it remains popular on oldies stations to this day. This year Kenny Rogers decided to turn the ballad into a duet with Sheena Easton of all people where it became a huge hit for the two of them, I'm guessing due to audiences finding chemistry between the aging country star and Scottish diva.
#89 for 1983
I guess these kids were meant to be the 80's equivalent of the Jackson 5 as they began their career with something similar to the likes of "ABC" or "I want you back" with this track. This was a massive flop in their native America; however, it became a surprise hit for them in the UK which allowed it to become a hit everywhere else in the world. They did eventually find success in their homeland later in the decade.
#90 for 1983
This was the final hit single that Rod Stewart was able to achieve in Australia throughout the 80's, mainly because it was a chart topper for him in his native UK likely due to him experimenting with new wave with this track. Indeed, he wouldn't trouble the charts again until the early 90's where he returned to his adult contemporary sound that he scored massive success with throughout the 70's.
#91 for 1983
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#88 for 1988
This was the second single to come from Culture club, although curiously it wasn't included on their debut album which is odd because the song was a huge success for them even over in America. It was eventually included on later issues of the album, although by that stage the band had well and truly broken up due to all of the drama they would find themselves in over the decade.
#92 for 1983
This was released on the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death in the duo's native UK, naturally it interrupted the album cycle for their sophomore album Actually which is perhaps why the album wasn't as big a success as their debut Please was. It's success this year was due to the album cycle not being altered internationally which means this cover came out months after the anniversary.
#87 for 1988 #89 ARIA
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#90 for 1988
Bet you didn't know that the Royal philharmonic orchestra had a hit single back in the day, did you? They did and it was with a song that was similar to what Stars on 45 released earlier on this list except instead of songs from the 50's and 60's, the orchestra recorded renditions of classical pieces. It was a surprise hit for them and allowed them to have a highly successful album which had more mashups from them.
#86 for 1981
While this wasn't their debut single or even the lead single from their biggest album, this was the song which made Midnight oil a household name given how we Aussies connected with the lyrics about how the political system was corrupt at the time (unfortunately it's always been corrupt here in Australia.) This was a bigger hit in NZ given how it was the lead single to their album over there.
#93 for 1983
This was obviously meant to come out three years prior but was understandably delayed due to the tragic death of John Lennon shortly after it was recorded, it was a huge hit here in Australia due to his fans wanting to find out what he had in store for his album Milk and honey even if it's long since been forgotten in his catalogue due to the lack of legacy it and the album has had over the years.
#86 for 1984
This was the only hit that Sister Sledge had here in Australia, I feel that it's a bad representation of their music given how the family group are best known for their disco classics from the late 70's such as "We are family" and "He's the greatest dancer." I think this was a hit here due to this being an excellent time for Motown in our music scene despite most people feeling that artistically the label was at a low point.
#87 for 1985
Well, here's the other half of Duran Duran scoring their big hit this year with the song I mentioned earlier on this list, although it's worth noting that they didn't achieve the same level of success as the Power station did given they had replaced Simon with Robert Palmer on their songs. Still, this was a decently big hit for its time, although this was the last hit any of the members would have here.
#88 for 1985
This was the only hit from the American husband and wife duo Nu shooz, a song that was released to deafening silence the previous year but was given the remix treatment where it became a massive hit this year. For some reason, I always thought this was an Ace of base track, I think because the woman sounds similar to the girls from the 90's band. It was their only hit but at least it was a huge international one.
#87 for 1986
This was the lead single to Australian crawl's biggest album Sirocco, it's a good representation of their music as while the music continues to captivate audiences to this day, people feel that James Reyne needed to learn to enunciate his vocals as they tend to have a hard time trying to figure out what he's trying to say. For what it's worth, the song is about how the person he's singing to is in denial with things going good for them.
#87 for 1981
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#85 for 1989
Although she had minor success earlier in the decade as the lead singer of Q.E.D, Jenny Morris was able to finally score a massive hit on her own with this track from her solo debut album. It would lead to her releasing a second album as the decade was coming to an end where she saw even more success with her hit "She has to be loved" both here and her native NZ.
#85 for 1987
This was the only hit that British band Black were able to achieve, even then it came two years after its initial release as this took a while to take off in their native UK. I have to say that I've never liked this ballad, I know that it's meant to be bittersweet and ironic but the fact that there's such cheery lyrics set to depressing music has always rubbed me the wrong way.
#88 for 1988 #91 ARIA
This is the only other hit that Boom crash opera was able to achieve with their singles, although their popularity was more from the album this served as the lead single for as it went on to achieve massive success the following year. I'm a bit surprised these guys didn't achieve further success in the 90's, sure this might be too bombastic for that decade, but they did adapt with the times unlike their contemporaries.
#80 for 1989
I'm not exactly sure what took this song from British group Sniff n the tears to make it big given how it was originally released two years prior, although it did eventually find an audience just as the decade had started despite it never being a hit in their native UK. I guess the rest of the world were able to appreciate the slow ballad more than their fellow Brits.
#91 for 1980
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