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 was the final hit that Barry Manilow managed to achieve in Australia, although it's worth noting that his final hit seems to be different depending on where in the world you're from as he had a different hit from around this time here, in the UK and his native America. In this case we have this cover of the Four seasons classic which likely helped keep nostalgia for Frankie Valli alive a little while longer.
#35 for 1982
Following the demise of Raydio the previous year, Ray Parker Jr decided to embark on a solo career which was off to a good start when he scored massive success with this song about how he was in a relationship with someone and how he was falling in love with another woman outside the relationship. It's a sleazy song sure, but Ray's performance makes this feel like more of a joke song than him bragging.
#36 for 1982
People tend to think that this is a silly reggae track about partying at a club named electric avenue, they couldn't be more wrong as this is in fact a protest song about starting a riot on a street where a police brutality took place and then taking it to a higher authority to see justice for the victims. This was the only hit that Eddy Grant had in Australia and in America, however he had a ton of success in his native UK.
#36 for 1983
This was the third single from MJ's album Bad, a song where he declares his love for a significant other who makes him feel good whenever they're around. This would be his final hit single in Australia for the decade as the next hit he would have down under would be "Black or white" from his next albums Dangerous.
#42 for 1987
#47 for 1988 #46 ARIA
Although it remains a popular film here in Australia, Young Einstein wasn't well received internationally largely due to the premise of there being an Australian Einstein who invented rock and roll not clicking well with foreign audiences. It doesn't help that the premise is built on a throwaway joke from Back to the future, although at least the music was well received such as this cover of the Chuck Berry classic from Mental as anything.
#46 for 1989
This was the only hit that either of these artists managed to achieve in Australia, I'm guessing it was due to the nostalgia people had for the Lesley Gore original as well as audiences being intrigued by the Kate Bushified nature of this cover. I guess if you're a mega fan of hers then you'll get something out of this cover.
#37 for 1982
While this wasn't her debut single, it was the song that got Irish new age vocalist Enya into the mainstream as it became a surprise success in her native UK when it got to number one over there. I'm guessing this was a huge hit down under due to the number of female singer/songwriters making it big around this time, making it a win for what would eventually become the Lilith Fair crowd.
#47 for 1989
This was the only hit that Men without hats scored outside of their native Canada, although they would retain their popularity in their homeland throughout the decade which was a rare feat for Canadian artists who saw international success this decade. In any case we have this novelty track that was written in response to people dancing aggressively at one of their shows which turned the show into a disaster.
#37 for 1983
This was originally released as the B-side to Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the dark" which was ranked the second biggest hit of the decade in Australia by David Kent due to its mammoth 64 week run on the charts. Naturally Natalie Cole saw how big this song was and decided to make it her own four years later which allowed it to become her first big hit here after over a decade of trying to make it big.
#48 for 1988
Much like the rest of his album, this was initially a flop for Bobby Brown likely due to us Aussies not being interested in the drama he had with his former band New edition. His fortunes changed when he released his theme to Ghostbusters II which helped this upbeat track from his album become a surprise success as the 80's was coming to an end, this allowed the album to also be a success for him.
#48 for 1989
By far their most successful song in their catalogue, this was the lead single for AC/DC who scored a massive comeback this year following the tragic death of their original front man Bon Scott earlier in the year. They replaced him with British singer Brian Johnston who was able to successfully match the energy that Bon brought to these tracks and also make the band an international household name.
#46 for 1980
This was the lead single to Duran Duran's third album, an album that was all set to flop likely due to the band feeling overexposed by this point with their flashy music videos but was rescued the following year when "The reflex" became their biggest hit in America and their native UK. Indeed, that song has long since overshadowed this lead single despite this being their bigger hit here in Australia.
#38 for 1983
This was the only hit single that Melissa Manchester was able to achieve in Australia, although at least it's a bouncy love ballad about how she's letting the narrator know that there's a woman who's clearly into them. I'm not sure how this managed to crossover for her considering the other hits she's had in her native America; however, I'm not exactly complaining about its success here.
#38 for 1982
Much like the rest of the world, we Aussies didn't realise the beauty of this track from Toto's fourth album until the album won album of the year at the Grammys, I think NZ was the only country in the world that made this a hit upon its initial release which is something they can absolutely brag about. This sadly proved to be their last hit as their subsequent albums flopped around the world.
#39 for 1983
Depending on where in the world you're from, this is either the lead or second single from Elton John's comeback album with Bernie Taupin this year. It was the lead single here due to it being the perfect song for Elton to return to his former roots from the 70's, this allowing it to become one of the biggest hits of the decade in his career and one that cemented his relationship with Bernie as a permanent one.
#40 for 1983
This is a song that's appeared in just about every bad child's media over the years, so it's easy to forget that it was once upon a time a huge hit single for the British/American band Katrina and the waves back in the day due to how shamelessly happy the song is even for the mid 80's. This was their only hit for the longest time until they reunited in 1997 where they went on to win Eurovision for the UK that year.
#41 for 1985
This was the only notable success that Paul Norton was able to achieve in his career, mainly because he managed to break through at a time that was good for Australian pop rock but not good enough for an artist to guarantee success going into the 90's. I guess he was hoping on receiving promotion from Countdown revolution following the success of this track which he received, but it didn't do him any favours.
#49 for 1989
This was the first of three duets that Peabo Bryson managed to score success with worldwide, although it's also the only one of his duets that wasn't attached to a Disney property meaning this was made out of passion rather than accepting a commission from the house of mouse. Here he teams up with Roberta Flack a good decade after her final hit "Killing me softly with his song" where it became a huge hit throughout Europe.
#41 for 1983
It looked like that Elton's popularity would be more permanent in the 80's now that he had reunited with his partner in crime Bernie Taupin, indeed he scored a string of hits over the next few years including this lead single to his album Breaking hearts which is him justifying how sad songs are necessary in the world of the 80's. He would hit a low point later in the decade when he had his polyps removed.
#39 for 1984
Here's the title track of Madonna's third album, it's a song that hasn't been as fondly remembered as her other hits this decade likely due to its exclusion from the Immaculate collection from 1990. I'm guessing because this is the song on the album that she has the worst memories of given how she dedicated it to her then husband Sean Penn and how that marriage wound up turning out.
#43 for 1986
This was the final hit single that ELO were able to achieve in most parts of the world, presumably because fans felt it was a return to form with their more operatic catalogue after two albums of disco hits. After this they struggled to find mainstream relevancy due to them not fitting in with MTV, this was a fate shared by many prog bands of the 70's despite their music being melodramatic enough for the era.
#45 for 1981
These women were on a roll in Australia as they were able to score another massive hit with this ballad about wanting to take it slow in a sexual relationship, it appears that our stigma towards music of colour was finally long gone by the 80's even without the assistance of MTV promoting black artists. The trio would go on to have massive success this decade, although mostly through their upbeat tracks.
#46 for 1981
This was the only hit that Joan Armatrading was able to achieve throughout her career, although it's worth noting that she was one of the most successful artists of her day if we were measuring her success with her albums sales even though The key was her only album to be a massive success here in Australia. Given how often this plays on oldies stations, I think it's safe to say that this song has resonated with audiences since its initial release.
#42 for 1983
This was one of the more popular bands to emerge from Countdown during the 80's, mainly because despite this not being among the bigger hits of the year down under, it became a huge success in NZ and even decently successful throughout Europe for the band likely due to audiences mistaking them for Icehouse. This would eventually receive a popular remix by the end of the decade just as the band called it quits.
#43 for 1983
Given how Phil Collins had established himself as one of the biggest names in music by this point, it only makes sense that Genesis would finally see some mainstream success which they achieved with the title track of their most successful album. People have complained that this is a Phil Collins track marketed as a Genesis track, I personally don't care either way as solo or with the group, I'm a fan of his.
#44 for 1986
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#47 for 1988
#46 for 1989
Years before it was featured in the first Shrek film as a montage of Shrek and Donkey's journey to save Princess Fiona, this was a huge hit for the Proclaimers in the southern hemisphere following the massive success they had with their earlier entry on this list. This helped the album be a massive success as it proved they were more than just a novelty act and were able to sustain an audience with their pop rock.
#50 for 1989
This was the first hit that both men on this track had in Australia, in fact it was their only hit here for both of them as they didn't have other hits here like they did internationally. At least this duet helped Julio score a massive hit with his first album in English, although it did no favours for Willie Nelson who didn't bother the charts outside of his native America after this.
#40 for 1984
This was the final hit that Stevie Wonder was able to score in most parts of the world, it's a pity because while it wasn't a return to his disco era, it could've led to another revival period for him given the state of RNB at the time. While he would score a surprise comeback in NZ a decade later with "For your love," he wouldn't be heard from again in Australia until his collaboration with Babyface.
#42 for 1985
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#47 for 1989
This is an English cover of Trio's only hit single worldwide, although I wouldn't blame you for thinking that this isn't a song at all given how this seems to be tailor made for TV commercials (most notably the Sakata crackers.) I guess the novelty of this track ensured that it would be a massive hit in most parts of the world.
#39 for 1982
While this wasn't the only hit that Daryl Hall and John Oates scored in Australia back in the day, it was by far their biggest hit thanks to a memorable performance of the track on Countdown as well as the lyrics which detail a money hungry gold digger that the audience should look out for. This was a success here slightly before it was as such anywhere else in the world, proving how much we loved these guys.
#40 for 1982
#44 for 1983
Although they made a big splash here in Australia with their cover of the Kinks "You really got me" back in 1978, it wasn't until this became a Billboard chart topper than Van Halen were able to score massive success here likely due to how frenetic the energy is on this track. Even though this finally put the band on the map down under, it was their only hit with David Lee Roth as the lead vocalist.
#41 for 1984
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#48 for 1988
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#48 for 1989
This was the debut single for a man who was promised so much success this decade between this and his earlier entry on this list, as I said this was an even bigger hit in NZ proving that there was plenty of crossover appeal for Billy's lounge music that sadly didn't end up coming to be after this year. I guess he was deemed to kitschy during a time where Barry Manilow and the Captain and Tennille were superstars.
#47 for 1981
So, we're all familiar with the story of Dr Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, right? Well Men at work decided to make a song about the story only to switch it around so that it's Dr Heckyll and Mr. jive which as you can guess, is about a mad scientist and a rock star split personality similar to the Jerry Lewis flick the Nutty professor. This proved to be a winning formula for the band as it became a success from their second album.
#41 for 1982
#45 for 1983
This was the only hit that the British freestyle band Freeez was able to achieve outside their native UK, although like many British bands this decade, they did have a couple of minor hits in their homeland that simply didn't rise up to the standards of those songs that did make it big internationally. Here they succeeded thanks to a killer synth riff as well as the falsetto in the vocals that rival that of early George Michael.
#46 for 1983
Before it became the theme song to the Michael Keaton flick Gung Ho, this was originally the title track to the reissue album of Jimmy's debut Bodyswerve which became an instant Australian classic due to it being dedicated to the working-class society of our country. It seemed like an obvious choice for a film that centres around this plot, however it wasn't able to help him score a hit in the northern hemisphere.
#43 for 1985
#45 for 1986
This was a rare hit from a Canadian band to be a hit in their homeland, I'm guessing this was due to the presence of Bryan Adams who provides backing vocals to this track. This was able to crossover to America and eventually Australia due to it sounding like something from Reckless, although this was the only notable success that Glass tiger managed to achieve outside of their homeland.
#46 for 1986
#43 for 1987
This was the first of two Oscar winning tracks from Irene Cara, although Australia was one of the few places in the world where this was a hit upon its initial release as this wouldn't be a hit in NZ and throughout Europe until two years later when the TV show began to air. The film remains a classic thanks to the relatable characters as well as the dance sequences which hold up to modern viewing.
#47 for 1980
Although they had success prior to this song becoming their first top ten hit in Australia, this is the point where they went from a mere pub rock band into a huge household name here that had them spark international interest in them. Indeed, this track about wanting a relationship to continue even after its clearly over was a minor success over in NZ and even allowed the album to be a hit over there.
#48 for 1981
This was the first major hit that John Swan was able to score here in Australia, I'm guessing this became a hit for two reasons. The first was that it's a pub rock cover of the Bobby Darin classic from the 60's and the second was that he's the older brother of Cold Chisel front man Jimmy Barnes who was scoring massive success around this time with his own music. He would score another hit the following year with "Lady what's your name."
#49 for 1981
This was the first solo hit that Deborah Harry had following the demise of Blondie from earlier in the decade, admittedly she did try to go solo around the time Autoamerican was tearing up the charts from the start of the decade, however no one seemed to be interested in her solo venture at the time. Indeed, this was a massive flop in her native America and only became a success when it crossed over to the UK for her.
#44 for 1987
If you couldn't tell from their two biggest hits this year, Mi-sex were a strange but enjoyable band who thought outside the box when it came to incorporating the science fiction craze in their music. Here we have the lead single to their second album which was based on aliens as evidence by the lyrics as well as the cover art. Indeed, the NZ band have been described as otherworldly by those who aren't into them.
#48 for 1980
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#49 for 1988
It was a new decade, so it only makes sense that Kenny Rogers would begin it with one of his more memorable songs becoming a massive success throughout the world. He did surprisingly well going into the MTV era outside his native America considering that MTV seemed to have an allergic reaction to country music, although he would end up being more popular on Billboard as the decade went on.
#49 for 1980
This was the first hit that Bette Midler had in Australia since her 1973 cover of the Andrew sister's classic "Boogie woogie bugle boy," it happens to come from her theatrical debut The rose which is loosely based on the tragic life of Janis Joplin that was well received by critics. While the film isn't historically accurate by any means, it remains a good film due to Bette's performance which she was Oscar nominated for, unlike this song which missed out on a nomination.
#50 for 1980
This was originally a hit here in Australia a good six months before it finally crossed over to the band's native UK, I guess Countdown came to the rescue again as I'm confident this ballad from PH. D would've never been a success anywhere in the world had it not been promoted on the show. If the vocalist on this track sounds familiar to you, you probably recognise him for his big solo hit "I should've known better" from later in the decade.
#50 for 1981
I don't think anyone was expecting this to be a success for Stacey Q due to the very poor quality of the music video, alas it was and got her out of the one hit wonder bin that her earlier entry threatened to trap her in. Sadly, this was her final hit anywhere in the world as she was unable to compete with Madonna and later on Kylie Minogue for the title of the pop princess of the music industry.
#45 for 1987
This was the third hit single that John Waite managed to score in Australia throughout his career, the first two being with his former band the Babys who had broken up going into the 80's due to the hits drying up for them. Indeed, this was John's only hit as a solo artist as he would form a new band later in the decade with Bad English, that band would score one more hit for him going into the 90's.
#42 for 1984
Well, this is one of those story ballads that leaves you feeling hollow inside, we have the tale of a wife of a missionary who one day finds her husband has left for a mission only for him to never return home despite reassurances from the air force that he would be back one day. The way Kim delivers the story leaves me in tears every time, almost as if she was speaking on behalf of someone she knew who was going through this dilemma.
#42 for 1982
Technically the first solo hit to come from Lionel Richie was his duet with Diana Ross from two years prior, however this lead single from his solo debut was the first hit he had completely on his own which sounds like something he would've made with the Commodores during his time with the band. Apparently, this was a calculated move to help ease fans into the music he wanted to make.
#47 for 1983
This was a bit of a surprise hit for Julian Lennon as the last time he troubled the charts anywhere in the world was with his debut single "Too late for goodbyes" from five years prior. Indeed, this lead single to his third album was a massive flop throughout the rest of the world and yet it was a huge success for him here in Australia, likely for the video which depicted him with a prototype of Slappy the dummy from Goosebumps.
#51 for 1989
This was the winner of Eurovision for this year, boy howdy did the marketing want you to know that as it's impossible to find album art for this song that doesn't mention that it one Eurovision this year. It's easy to see how this British band won as they were effectively a British version of Abba and Abba was still one of the most popular bands throughout Europe even leading up to their breakup.
#51 for 1981
Well, this might be a depressing fact if you're a fan of Marvin Gaye, that being this was his only hit in Australia and NZ during his lifetime given how he was unfairly ignored in the southern hemisphere for some reason. The more depressing fact is this became a hit a little over a year prior to his untimely death, meaning there was a good chance he would go on to massive success this decade if he lived through it.
#48 for 1983
This is technically the biggest hit from Duran Duran, mainly because it was released as the bonus track from their live album which from what I can gather, helps boost a songs popularity if a band or artist released a sole studio track from a live album. This is also one of the most contentious songs from the bands catalogue due to how strange Simon Le Bon sounds on the track compared to their other songs.
#43 for 1984
#44 for 1985
You'd think that the biggest hit from these guys would be their signature track "Everybody wants to work," that song came from an E.P which underperformed on the singles chart which meant that these guys were likely going to be nothing more than relics of a bygone era. Their fortunes changed with this ballad, which was not only a huge hit for them, but also made the album it came from a success.
#45 for 1985
This was the band where Madonna began her music career with, albeit as their drummer as the lead singer was always Dan Gilroy during their time together. I'm guessing the success that their former drummer was having worldwide allowed audiences to check out their music which would explain the success of this track, well that and the fact that it's one of the catchiest songs to come out of the decade.
#46 for 1987
This was the final hit that Leo Sayer was able to score in Australia, mainly because the 80's didn't seem to have much love for once the MTV era took off. At least he got in one more ballad on the charts before he was relegated to yesterday's news, and hey he did score some buzz the following year with "Orchard Road" which sadly didn't do much to revive his popularity.
#43 for 1982
This is where it all began for Wham, a British duo who would go on to have massive success this decade thanks to the charisma of its two members George Michael and Andrew Ridgely. If you're wondering why their debut album didn't crossover in America, it's likely due to it featuring a ton of rapping from George as he wanted to make music that he felt would cater to an American market.
#49 for 1983
The last time anyone had heard from Eric Carmen was back in the mid 70's where he scored a hit with "All by myself," this means that for twelve years he was a one hit wonder before this song appeared in one of the more iconic scenes in Dirty dancing where Patrick Swayze teaches Jennifer Grey how to dance. This allowed the song to become a huge success and even give Eric a second hit later in the year.
#49 for 1988 #50 ARIA
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#49 for 1989
This was the only hit for Rupert Holmes, a British musician who was based in America who wrote a cheating anthem about how a couple was looking to mutually cheat on each other only to end up getting together when the narrator answers an add placed in the paper by his spouse. The story proved to be amusing enough for it to be a huge success for him but also trapped him in the one hit wonder bin.
#51 for 1980
In case you were wondering, yes, this song is deliberately gay as it was made by an openly gay band meant to shock and titillate audiences who seemed to be put off by the queer community in general. Basically, if Culture club was easing people into accepting others for who they are, these guys were forcing it down everyone's throat albeit with a highly catchy and provocative sex jam.
#44 for 1984
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#51 for 1988
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#52 for 1988
#50 for 1989
This was the second Billboard chart topper in a row for MJ, even though it was technically released the previous year over in America, it didn't peak until this year which once again makes me question whether the disco backlash was as severe as modern historians make it out to be. Indeed, he would see more success this year with his album which is by all accounts a disco record than the previous year.
#52 for 1980
This was the first big hit that the Angels were able to score in their career, mainly due to how Doc Neeson describes the woman in question as someone who usually keeps her guard up except for the person he's talking to. It's a compelling performance he gives and a large reason as to why it remains one of their biggest hits in their catalogue, although there would be a huge quiet period for them after this.
#53 for 1980
This was the second single to be released from Heavy nova, a song that initially struggled to find success here due to it being one of his more subdue ballads but eventually became a success due to it being one of his bigger hits in his native UK. Apparently, the Brits didn't care for "Simply irresistible" but latched on to this track from the album, proving what they liked about his music and what they didn't.
#52 for 1989
Oh, wow is this song way too catchy for its own good, this was the only notable success that Renee Geyer was able to achieve in her career likely due to it being a cover of an Eddy Grant track from before he became a household name. This was an even bigger success over in NZ which no doubt inspired international interest in Renee that sadly never translated to actual worldwide success.
#52 for 1981
World party is the solo project of Welsh singer Karl Wallinger who scored a massive hit with this track about how he didn't want to conform to the standards set up by politicians of the 80's or as he puts it "sail on this ship of fools." It resonated with audiences in Australia where it became a huge success for him, although we didn't check out any of his other material as his album and other singles flopped here.
#47 for 1987
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#51 for 1989
Although he's best known for his ballad "Lady in red" from three years later, this was the first hit that Chris De Burgh achieved in most parts of the world which is about as far away as you can get from his bigger hit in terms of sound and tone. Instead of a lightweight ballad about love, we have a borderline angry track about not paying for a service until the service is delivered to one's satisfaction.
#50 for 1983
To think that this was Tiffany's biggest hit here in Australia, or it would've been had her debut single (which is still to come) not being a huge sleeper hit this year due to the success of this second single. Apparently, this was the first song that Tiffany recorded in her career, and by that, I mean it should be obvious as compared to the rest of her album, she sounds completely terrified on this ballad.
#50 for 1988
This was the debut single for Taylor Dayne, a woman who would go on to have massive success in the early 90's thanks to her powerful vocals albeit with ballads rather than her more upbeat dance tracks such as this song. It turns out this crossed over here in Australia due to it being a massive success in the UK as this was only a modest success in her native America, although it would be her only hit there.
#51 for 1988
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#52 for 1989
Following the success he had the previous year as the lead singer of Mike and the Mechanics, Paul Carrack released a solo album this year which was led off with this cover of the Searchers track from the early 60's. The original was a huge hit here in Australia back in the day, so that would explain how this was a hit for him down under and nowhere else in the world. His next single would be his first solo hit on Billboard with "Don't shed a tear."
#48 for 1987
This was the debut single for Johnny Diesel and the Injectors, an Australian pub rock band who took our music scene by storm with their debut album the released the following year which sparked international interest in the band. Indeed, this lead single became a surprise hit over in NZ, proving that the kiwis were all about our rock scene even if they were inconsistent with what they made popular there.
#52 for 1988
#53 for 1989
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#53 for 1989
This guy scored a massive success eight years prior with "Baby don't get hooked on me," it was by far one of the cheesiest songs of the 70's that seemed destined to trap him in the one hit wonder bin. He was able to escape from that bin with this track due to a performance that had Kenny Rogers on stage with him.
#54 for 1980
This was the song that made Duran Duran a household name in America, likely because it was the first video they released to have a high budget which their earlier songs in their catalogue didn't have much of. The song remains a classic largely due to the video which depicts Simon Le Bon hooking up with a tribal woman in the jungles of South America which continues to captivate audiences to this day.
#44 for 1982
This was originally released two years prior in this LGBT band's native America to deafening silence, I'm guessing because it was considered to be too wacky for audiences of the late 70's as well as them not appreciating the surf rock influences on the track. It was able to find an audience here in Australia due to them performing it on Countdown which went over really well for the band.
#55 for 1980
This was the final hit that Kim Wilde was able to score in Australia under her first label, she would return later in the decade with "You keep me hanging on" although that only became a hit for her once her contract with her first label ended in 1984. As such this was her final new wave hit in most parts of the world as she would change her sound when she switched labels for a more mainstream market.
#45 for 1982
This was originally a showtune from the 30's film of the same name, it was made famous by Gene Kelly's rendition which has endured over the years for good reason. Over fifty years later, we have Taco's rendition which helped the Indonesian born German star find international success with the track, although it cemented him as a one hit wonder due to how indicative of the times it was.
#51 for 1983
This was the lead single to Culture club's second album Colour by numbers, a common misconception is that "Karma chameleon" was the lead single to that album likely due to it being their signature track. It turns out it was this song that the band chose to lead their sophomore album with likely due to it sounding similar to a Human league song we'll get to in a bit with the harmonica and melody of the track.
#52 for 1983
This was the first of two big hits that Queen scored from their album The works, the other we'll get to in a bit but for now we have a song that Lady Gaga named herself after due to how bombastic the song remains to this day. The video is notable for having audience interaction, specifically when they raise their arms during each chorus which follows in the footsteps of "We will rock you" as some of the greatest audience interaction of all time.
#45 for 1984
Well so much for James Reyne being the reason why Australian crawl never scored a hit single during their time together, this was his first song he released following the band's demise, and it proved to be an instant hit for him. A common criticism towards his music is his inability to enunciate, I and many others don't find that to be an issue as while it is hard to understand what he's saying, the music usually makes up for it.
#49 for 1987
This was the only notable success that Phil Seymour had in his career, admittedly this sounds completely different from everything else that got popular this year as this would've felt more at home several years prior. Australia was the only country in the world to make it a hit for what it's worth.
#53 for 1981
This song sounds slightly different depending on if you're listening to the single or album version, the album version isn't as bombastic which likely suggests this wasn't meant to be released as a single from the band. They obviously changed their minds when they put more bombast in the production and released it as a single which was for the best as it became their biggest hit in America and their native UK.
#46 for 1984
Although these guys saw moderate success with their albums this decade, the last time they had a hit single was from the start of the decade when "No secrets" became a top ten hit for them. Here they are with a cover of the Animals classic from the mid 60's, this being a surprise hit for them here and even their big crossover hit in NZ as this managed to win over the kiwis after a decade of silence there.
#50 for 1987
This was the debut single from Kids in the kitchen, an Australian new wave band who had an interesting album cycle for their debut album as it went for nearly two years before they finally released it in 1985. I guess this was to make it a success which it did to an extent, it wasn't among the biggest albums of the decade here, but it was a huge commercial success thanks to their brand of alternative new wave.
#53 for 1983
#47 for 1984
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#53 for 1988
Even though this is credited to the Art of noise as the lead artist, I think we can all agree that this cover really belongs to Tom Jones for the simple phrase "think I better dance now." There's debate on whether this is better than the original, however there's no denying that both songs sees both men of colour at their sexiest as the lyrics encourage them to be as provocative as they can allow themselves to be.
#54 for 1989
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#54 for 1989
This was the second single to come from Footloose, although it almost never existed as the scene where this song plays had a different song given how the actor legitimately didn't know how to dance before shooting the scene. It became Deniece William's second Billboard chart topper after her duet with Johnny Mathis from 1978, although it was her final hit in most parts of the world despite how big it was.
#48 for 1984
Contrary to popular belief, this was the lead single to Faith and not the title track. It's easy to forget given how this was originally written for Beverly Hills cop II for a throwaway scene that got it the Razzie for worst original song, however this was meant to signal George's first solo hit away from his former partner in crime Andrew Ridgely. I think it's safe to say that it paid off for him much to the chagrin of the Razzies.
#51 for 1987
This was never a hit in the northern hemisphere, that should tell you how influential Countdown was for Australia and arguably in NZ as this debut single from Martha Davis and company was a huge hit in both countries thanks to it being promoted on the TV series. The band did eventually see success in their native America with their second album, success that didn't translate back here where it all began.
#56 for 1980
This was the only hit from Dynamic Hepnotics as they failed to make much of a splash here like many of their contemporaries save for this catchy dance track which had little chance of failing in our music scene. The real surprise here is that this managed to become an even bigger hit over in NZ the following year, possibly due to the kiwis finding this to be even more irresistible than us Aussies.
#49 for 1984
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