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 only solo success that Don Henley managed to achieve in Australia, although it's worth noting that his second album was a huge hit here as opposed to Glenn Frey's which was a massive flop despite the success of his earlier entry on this list. Even though this is a distinctly summer jam, it was a hit here during our autumn which is perhaps why it wasn't as big a success as it should've been.
#60 for 1985
This was a massive hit worldwide before crossing over to America where it topped the Billboard charts, it makes sense that it would be a success in America given how the rest of the world fell in love with the passionate vocals as well as how lovestruck the overall theme of the song is. Interestingly there was a separate video released for this song in America compared to the rest of the world, a common trend from this time.
#54 for 1986
#56 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#60 for 1988
#68 for 1989
This was the first of two hits that Yazoo scored this year throughout the world, you've likely noticed a pattern on this list where artists would score two hits this year before struggling for relevancy throughout the rest of the decade. In any case, we have the debut single from Yazoo who is a band best known for its members, specifically Alison Moyet who was a successful singer this decade and Vince Clark who was one half of Erasure.
#61 for 1982
Well, this was certainly a surprise, we have this adult contemporary ballad from the Brothers Gibb which came out eight years after their last hit single "Tragedy" had topped the charts in America. Indeed, this was a chart topper in the UK for them which likely allowed it to become a success back home in Australia, although we wouldn't hear from the trio again for another ten years after this.
#57 for 1987
For eight years, this was the only hit that Underworld managed to achieve anywhere in the world, they eventually escaped the one hit wonder bin with "Born Slippy" from the Trainspotting soundtrack. In the meantime, their only hit was this infectious EDM track which was much bigger here than it was in their native UK despite EDM not being our favourite genre until well into the 90's.
#62 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#61 for 1988
This was the only hit that country star Eddie Rabbitt was able to achieve here in Australia, likely because this was a Billboard chart topper for him but also due to how incessantly catchy this is compared to the rest of his catalogue. This was a surprisingly good time for country music given how disco had begun to lose its popularity, although country would follow suit once MTV launched this year.
#62 for 1981
Given how the Rolling Stones were back on top of the charts here in Australia, I guess it makes sense that the bassist Bill Wyman would score a massive hit here with this track about how he's a rock star which he curiously sings in French about during each chorus. I guess the novelty of him wanting to be as recognisable as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards allowed this to be a success here and in NZ.
#63 for 1981
There's a really touching quote that I want to share that Cyndi gave when she was asked about why she was the way she was when her second single from her debut album went to number one on Billboard, "I'm not trying to be different, I'm just saying it's OK to be yourself, and if you have a few quirky things, that's OK too." This is more or less the message she tries to convey in the video to this track about being there for an ex-lover if they want to resume a relationship with her.
#62 for 1984
This was the centrepiece of Phil Collin's Grammy award winning album No jacket required, a ballad about how he wants to spend one more night with this person before they go their separate ways. It remains one of his more popular songs in his catalogue due to it being one of his biggest hits of the decade, although it's often cited as one of the reasons why he was so hated throughout the decade.
#61 for 1985
This was the second single from Johnny Diesel's debut album, while it wasn't as big as their earlier entry (likely due to it not being as catchy) it did continue their winning streak here in Australia as it fuelled the popularity of the album thanks to Diesel's strong passionate vocals. They would score one more hit this year (which we'll get to) before contributing to the Delinquents soundtrack in 1990.
#65 for 1989
This was a remix of New order's breakthrough single from five years prior, in fact it was no coincidence this came out when it did as it was released on the fifth anniversary of the original version of this track. Curiously, this version was more successful in Australia than the original, mainly because we knew who the band was by this stage.
#63 for 1988
Fans of Madonna's Confessions on a dance floor will recognise the beat to this song on her hit single "Hung up," however here it was used for a song that's about wanting to hook up with a man for a one-night stand in the middle of the night as opposed to Madonna being fed up with her partner wasting her time. The success of this track proved that Abba's popularity was still going strong entering the 80's.
#62 for 1980
The last time Heart saw any success in Australia was ten years prior when "Magic man" became a huge hit for them, here they are ten years later with their biggest hit on Billboard which (to me at least) sounds like a prototype of Roxette's "Listen to your heart" which makes it a favourite of mine. They would have one more hit in 1990 with "All I wanna do is make love to you" worldwide.
#58 for 1987
I'm not sure how he was able to do it, but Chris Rea managed to see a massive comeback this year eight years after he first charted with "Diamonds" in Australia. I'm guessing this was due to the song almost topping the NZ charts which in itself was bizarre as the British musician never saw any success over there prior to this pop rock track. It was a short-lived comeback but a notable one.
#59 for 1987
This was the last hit that these guys had here in Australia before they broke up so that Adam Ant could pursue a solo career the following year, I guess it retains their bombastic sound that they promised from earlier on the list even though the visuals in the video are far wackier than they have any right to be. They did score a couple of more hits in their native UK before they broke up for what it's worth.
#64 for 1981
This was the third and final hit that Irene Cara was able to score anywhere in the world, and behind it's not attached to a film (that I'm aware of) meaning it was able to become a success in its own right here in Australia. She was attached to the Breakin soundtrack this year which was obviously meant to be the third film project her music was attached to, however her contributions to that soundtrack led her nowhere.
#63 for 1984
Although Billy Idol had success here in Australia prior to this lead single from his second album of the same name, a memorable performance of the track on Countdown ensured that it would be a huge hit for him here which likely made the album a bigger hit than his previous album. It's often considered to be the signature track from his catalogue despite his biggest hit being "To be a lover" from two years later.
#64 for 1984
This was the final hit that Hall and Oates were able to score here in Australia, although they would still find moderate success during the second half of the decade in their native America. This is perhaps my favourite song from the duo as it's by far the catchiest as well as me relating to the lyrics about being with someone who's out of touch with reality. I've that person on both sides of this relationship.
#65 for 1984
#62 for 1985
There were many early hits from the EDM scene that would explode throughout the 90's, I think one of the earliest comes from this band who scored their only hit with this acid house track before calling it quits. Don't ask me why they gave up after only one track, it was a common troupe for EDM artists throughout the 80's and 90's as we'll see going through these lists.
#64 for 1988 #62 ARIA
Dee C Lee was the backing vocalist for the Style council, so it seems fitting that she would launch a solo career given how she's likely the reason why Paul Weller found more success with them than he did with the Jam earlier in the decade in Australia. Indeed, this was a huge hit for the singer of colour despite it being a haunting ballad that's a far cry from the post punk she made with her band.
#55 for 1986
This was the last hit that Pseudo echo had here in Australia before they sold out with their earlier entry on this list, indeed we have another song that some may say is overproduced but to good effect as it's about how the band love thrills and excitements in their lives which is captured in the production on this track. They would release one more single from their second album which sadly wasn't a hit for them.
#56 for 1986
This was the debut single for one of the more popular Australian bands for the next ten years, although it was their only massive hit as their popularity came more from their albums as well as their overplay on the radio. I've never quite been clear about what this song is about, I know metaphorically it's about diving up society but I'm not sure what wall they're referring to as there were a lot of walls back in the day that did that.
#57 for 1986
Following the demise of the Gogo's earlier in the decade, Belinda Carlisle embarked on a solo career which went off to a good star with this track becoming a huge success for her here and in her native America. It's essentially a love letter to her husband (who it turns out is a politician who served under Ronald Reagan) and was the launching pad for a highly successful solo career for a decade.
#58 for 1986
This was the only hit from NZ singer Kim Hart, likely due to it being a disco record which means she was perhaps a little bit late to the party given how disco was supposedly beginning to lose its popularity this year. Admittedly it could also have been that she was only barely in her twenties when she broke through, after all there weren't that many younger female pop stars during the days of Shaun Cassidy and Leif Garrett.
#63 for 1980
If these guys sound familiar to you, that's because they would go on to become the Wiggles which is one of the most popular children's bands of all time despite them never having success on the music charts. If you can believe it, this pop rock track about the girl of their respective dreams was their only hit here in Australia, although I'm reliably informed that preschool music doesn't often chart in the mainstream.
#60 for 1987
This was the only hit single that Janis Ian managed to score in most parts of the world, it appears audiences weren't interested in her coming-of-age track "At seventeen" but were interested in this jazz track she released five years later. I think this was a hit here due to her performing it on Countdown, either that or we really enjoyed the groove on here more so than her fellow Americans.
#64 for 1980
This was the lead single to Culture club's third album Waking up with the house on fire, an album which seemed to alienate their fanbase as it moved away from their more fun tracks and towards more politically charged messages. Indeed, the lead single was a blatant cry to end the cold war, calling it stupid and pointless which while I agree with their sentiment, wasn't the way to go about ending it.
#66 for 1984
This was the other hit that Feargal Sharkey had this year, as I said earlier this was written by the ex-partner of the person who wrote his biggest hit which makes his two hits a back and forward between the two during their breakup. Something I forgot to mention earlier is that "A good heart" had Boy George on backing vocals, which likely further boosted the popularity of Feargal's career this year.
#59 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#63 for 1988
Although he remains a one hit wonder internationally with "Undercover angel," Alan O'day was able to score a second hit here in Australia with this track about how much he likes skinny girls. I guess everyone is entitled to their preferences and to be fair, this is meant to be tongue in cheek about how thin girls were becoming from around this time.
#65 for 1980
It appears that Donna Summer hadn't completely transitioned into being a feminist with this track as while it's more in line with new wave than disco, it's still a sexually charged track largely thanks to her performance. Her feminist tracks would come later in the decade and would culminate with her next hit "She works hard for the money" which seems to be her finally disowning her previous album Bad girls.
#66 for 1980
Here we are with the lead single to the band's third and final album, naturally it was a continuation from their earlier sound but with them appealing to the early MTV crowd months prior to when the program would launch later in the year. This was likely a success here for two reasons, the first was that they performed it and "Antmusic" on Countdown this year and the second was that it and their previous entry were both chart toppers in their native UK.
#65 for 1981
This was the only hit that the Bureau managed to achieve during their short time together, although I get the feeling they called it quits due to them failing to score a hit in their native UK. I'm surprise this wasn't a hit over there considering how popular ska reggae was around this time, in fact I'm even more surprised this was a hit down under considering how Madness had yet to score a hit here.
#66 for 1981
These guys will unfortunately be forever remembered for their 1997 album which many regard as one of the worst albums ever made, eight years prior they scored a massive success with their debut album with its lead single due to it being a country ballad that connected with audiences as the 80's was coming to an end. They would fade into obscurity going into the 90's until their infamous comeback.
#66 for 1989
This was the only hit that Martha and the Muffins managed to achieve in their career, it's a well-remembered track about how Martha Johnson reminisces about a time where she had the love of her life on the titular echo beach and how she longs to return to the location to meet up with her partner. I guess she wasn't able to find much success going into the decade down under, not unlike another Martha on this list.
#67 for 1980
This was the theme song to the theatrical adaptation of Orson Welle's book 1984, a film that coincidentally came out in the year it was named after and was a box office success back in the day. I guess that explains the dystopian sound of this song which is very different from what we'd expect from the Eurythmics, after all the film and book had a dystopian setting for the year it was set in.
#63 for 1985
This was the only hit that Debarge were able to score outside of their native America, likely because this was the theme to The last dragon which was a Motown produced film that was panned by critics. The family band scored other hits in their native America over the years, as did lead singer El Debarge who wrote the theme to Short circuit which was a huge box office success the following year.
#64 for 1985
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#64 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#65 for 1988
This was originally a hit for Sandie Shaw back in the 60's, although it never managed to crossover to Australia until Naked eyes made it their own this year likely due to their version adding church bells to the mix which adds to the drama of the lyrics as well as complimenting the music video which further adds drama to the song. This was their only hit worldwide, although Rob Fisher would return later in the decade as Climie Fisher.
#63 for 1983
This was the final hit single to be release from True blue, an album that had five out of five chart toppers if you were to combine the Billboard and UK charts. Here we have a Latin flavoured track from the queen of pop which was very different to everything else coming out at the time, no doubt this and a later entry on this list led to the likes of the Gipsy kings finding success as the end of the decade.
#61 for 1987
This was the final solo hit that Phil Collins managed to score here in Australia, it's a song that's seemingly about living in paradise but is actually from the point of view of a homeless person wanting to find paradise in their life of poverty. This tugged at the heartstrings of his audience for one last time as it became the final Billboard chart topper of the 80's, this earning him the nickname of Mr. 80's.
#67 for 1989
This was the lead single to Icehouse's second album Primitive man, an album which gave them massive success in the southern hemisphere and even moderate success worldwide making them one of the more popular Australian bands of the 80's in the process. This is probably their most well-known song despite it being far from their biggest hit, mainly due to the mixing which makes it sound like it was made in a spiritual world.
#62 for 1982
It looked like Peter Gabriel would only score one hit from his album So with "Sledgehammer" from the previous year, however he then decided to release this duet with Kate Bush as a single where it became a surprise hit for the two of them this year. I'm guessing this was a hit due to the popularity of Kate given how she was still one of the biggest names in music this far into the 80's.
#62 for 1987
This was the only hit that Canadian singer/songwriter was able to score in Australia throughout his career, it's curious because he did score success with his earlier hit singles on Billboard and in his native Canada and yet this was his only hit here despite this being a huge bomb in both countries. I guess this became a hit due to us wanting to give him at least one hit down under and this was our favourite track from him.
#63 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#66 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#69 for 1989
This was the title track to the Rolling Stone's first album of the 80's, so of course it was going to be a success regardless of the fact that the band was still trying to make disco hits despite the genre supposedly dying out this year. Yeah, I'm here to tell everyone that disco didn't die out when the 70's ended, sure it wasn't as popular in the 80's as it was in the 70's but there were plenty of disco hits still to come.
#68 for 1980
This is one of the catchier songs to become a hit this year, it comes to us courtesy of a British band who failed to score any success in their homeland once again making me wonder how we Aussies discovered this track back in the day. This is a song about how the Members prefer listening to the radio rather than the stereo, presumably due to the arbitrary nature of what they'll hear when they tune in to the radio.
#63 for 1982
This was that other big hit that Dr Hook managed to score this year, although given how it's the story of an Irish settler in Australia that was apparently written in the first half of the century, I get the feeling this was the band's thanks for us having them be one of the biggest bands of the 70's as it was unsurprisingly released exclusively here and nowhere else in the world.
#67 for 1981
While this was a hit for Blancmange in their native UK, there wasn't any indication that it would crossover to Australia given how it was far from the most popular song to come out when it did. I'm guessing we Aussies gravitated towards this track due to the middle eastern style of the melody as well as the admittedly funny lyrics about how this person is driving the singer insane in their relationship.
#64 for 1983
Even though Journey never found success outside of their native America, lead singer Steve Perry was able to score a massive hit with his solo debut single here in Australia. I'm not sure why we Aussies love this track so much but never cared for the rest of his catalogue as everything found on this track can be found on the likes of "Don't stop believing," 'Separate ways" and "Open arms."
#67 for 1984
This was the last hit that Wham had together before they officially went their separate ways so that George Michael could pursue a solo career and Andrew Ridgely could become a race car driver (no really, he gave up music for that.) Reportedly this was a song inspired by their Chinese tour which should give you an indication of how out of control their popularity was around this time.
#60 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#67 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#70 for 1989
This was the second version of the Little Eva track to become a hit in Australia, although considering that the original was a flop here back in the 60's, I feel that these covers being a success was our way of atoning for sleeping on the original. Here we have a disco cover of the song which proved to be a huge hit for Ritz this year, although it was an even bigger hit over in NZ where it was the biggest hit of the year according to RIANZ.
#69 for 1980
This was the only hit that Supertramp were able to score here in Australia, it makes sense because it's by far their catchiest song and it's about how the narrator is losing a friend and how it makes him feel like there's rainy weather to come from the fall out. This helped them survive into the MTV era longer than many of their contemporaries who struggled for success once the program launched in 1981.
#64 for 1982
#65 for 1983
This was the big hit off of Icehouse's second album Primitive man, so much so that it was chosen as the lead single for their international release where it became a minor hit in the UK for them. This would be their last hit in Australia and NZ until their comeback album Man of colours, mainly due to them experimenting with their sound throughout the midpoint of the 80's to varying results.
#65 for 1982
#66 for 1983
Following the success of her live album the previous year, Pat Benatar was able to score a second hit in Australia with this lead single to her album Tropico likely due to the inclusion of a children's choir in the final chorus. This would be her final hit in most parts of the world, although she would score one more hit later in the decade with "All fired up" here in Australia which was a return to her rock roots.
#65 for 1985
Although they had seen plenty of buzz here in Australia prior to this standalone hit they had, this was the song which convinced us Aussies they were worth our time which made the failure of Paul Weller's previous band the Jam here that much more puzzling in retrospect. I wouldn't feel too bad for him though, the Jam were one of the most successful bands of the decade in his native UK.
#66 for 1985
Even though Madonna is often credited as the first artist to question the concept of religion in her album Like a prayer, these guys had beaten her to the punch by two years as they list a bunch of things that's considered a sin in religion to showcase just how restrictive one's life has to be in order to retain their faith. This naturally connected with audiences back in the day and was another easy hit for the British duo.
#64 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#71 for 1989
This was the second hit that Limahl managed to achieve in his career, although his first hit was with his band Kajagoogoo so technically this was his only solo hit he achieved in his career. This is the theme song to the movie of the same name which is often described as one of the best kids' films of the decade due to its timeless themes and interesting visual style, the song is also considered one of the best themes of all time due to how catchy it is.
#67 for 1985
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#68 for 1988
This was the third and final single to be released from Spandau Ballet's third album True, although one would think that the title track would be the big hit from the album when in fact it was this song at least in Australia (stay tuned for the title track in a bit.) I'm guessing we Aussies were more interested in this upbeat track about comparing the love Tony Hadley has to his partner with that of literal gold.
#67 for 1983
While this was far from the first single they released, this was the song which made Twisted sister a household name likely due to its music video depicting the band going from abused children to who they were which connected with audiences here and especially in NZ where this nearly topped their charts. It was a short-lived success for the band, however one that I'm sure people look back on fondly.
#68 for 1984
This was originally written by Michael Bolton for Laura Branigan, that would explain his earlier entry on this list as Cher made this ballad her own following the success of her performance in Moonstruck which got her an academy award for best actress. Although this was a massive worldwide success for her, it would be her next album where she would truly be welcomed back in the music scene.
#65 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#69 for 1988
This was the lead single MJ's masterpiece Thriller, I get why it was chosen as the lead single considering it was a collaboration with his then BFF Paul McCartney, however many will agree that any of the other songs on the album would've made for a better lead single and no doubt would've made it an instant success as opposed to it having to work its way to being the biggest album of all time.
#66 for 1982
This was the first big hit that Billy Idol had in Australia, although he did see minor success with his solo debut "Hot in the city" coming into the year which likely boosted the success of this classic of his. Apparently, this is meant to be a criticism of a traditional white wedding, likely due to this being released just after Princess Diana's wedding to Prince Charles which was described as a fairytale wedding.
#68 for 1983
People have criticised this song for its lyrics about how Madonna enjoys a spoilt lifestyle or as she puts it "living in a material world," I guess they don't realise that this song is meant to be ironic given how they also claim her delivery is beyond irritating and that the production sounds sarcastic. A lot of people either got the joke back in the day or more likely, didn't care given how this was a huge hit regardless.
#68 for 1985
It looked like that the Euroglider's third album would underperform given how it initially only spawned a hit with its lead single, however it saw a massive rebound this year due to the success of the third single which became a huge success for the Eurogliders in the early months of the year. They would have one more hit later in the decade with "Groove" before they called it quits in 1989.
#61 for 1986
This was the final hit that Foreigner were able to achieve in most parts of the world, heck this was a bit of a surprise hit here in Australia considering how these guys didn't have much success after their previous album Agent provocateur in their native America. I guess they were more popular here over the years hence why we were able to give them one more hit ten years after they first broke through.
#66 for 1988 #70 ARIA
This was the debut single for one of the most well-beloved bands from around this time, to think this sat on shelves for an entire year largely ignored due to their debut album having original album art that was completely horrifying. This has become a staple in hair metal from the late 80's, to the point where I don't think I can add anything to the conversation that hasn't been said a thousand times over.
#67 for 1988
This wasn't Nik Kershaw's debut single in his native UK, that honour goes to "I won't let the sun go down on me" which was given a second chance after this became a massive hit for him worldwide (sadly it won't appear on this list.) People like to compare him to Howard Jones as both men had massive American appeal back in the day, although only Howard managed to score any success on Billboard.
#69 for 1984
This was the only hit that Princess had here in Australia, oh yeah there was an RNB singer from the UK who called herself Princess just how there was a British band who called themselves King from around this time. This was one of the earlier hits to be produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman, meaning that their earliest cliental consisted of women of colour and members of the LGBT community.
#62 for 1986
This and her next entry are songs Madonna like to pretend never happened, mainly because of the negative memories she has of the film in question which garnered her second Razzie win for worst actress. Despite the film being a critical and commercial failure (likely due to the obnoxious tone of the film from what I've seen in reviews) the soundtrack was a huge success likely due to both of these songs being among her better work.
#65 for 1987
This is my favourite song to ever become a hit in Australia, sure there's songs that made it big that are technically better, but the way Marie tries to reassure her audience that everyone deserves a second chance in a relationship (and by extension in life) just resonates with me that few other songs can do. A lot of people agreed that this was a great song as it became their second Billboard chart topper even though "Dressed for success" flopped in America.
#68 for 1989
There were two versions of this song floating around the charts this year, there's the English cover from British band After the fire which was a bit hit in America and the original from Austrian rapper Falco who scored the bigger international hit. I guess we Aussies had brushed up on our German throughout the decade as there were a few German language songs to make it big throughout the 80's here.
#69 for 1983
This was the lead single from the Eurythmics album Revenge, an album that proved to be the biggest for the duo despite never making clear what they wanted vengeance against. Here they have a song about the possibilities of the future which might have one of Annie's best performances in her career, in fact the album in general has her at her best vocally which is perhaps why it was their biggest album.
#63 for 1986
This was the second single to come from Madonna's ill-fated Who's that girl soundtrack, a soundtrack that would've been a success has it been an album tie in that Madonna made herself rather than it only having three songs from her, and the rest filled with filler tracks sprinkled throughout the film. This was played in the animated intro of the film, which many consider to be the only good part of its runtime.
#66 for 1987
This was the biggest hit that Paul Young was able to score in Australia, although it wasn't his biggest hit anywhere else in the world as that widely changes depending on where you're referring to. I guess we Aussies were into the Christmas sounds on this track as it was designed to be the Christmas chart topper of 1983 in his native UK, it didn't quite get there but it came close so there's that.
#70 for 1984
Given how Talking heads were on the verge of breaking up this year, it only seems reasonable that Jerry Harrison would form a new band with the Casual gods in order to find success on his own. Indeed, he was off to a good start as this debut single of theirs proved to be a bigger hit here in Australia than anything that Talking heads released, although the album wasn't anywhere near as success as their work.
#68 for 1988 #71 ARIA
This was the only hit that Matchbox had throughout the world, although here in Australia they were known as Major Matchbox due to there being a local band with that name and us needing to tell these two bands apart. Naturally we have another rockabilly throwback to become a hit this year, it was a very good year for rockabilly throwback tracks as we've seen throughout this list.
#70 for 1980
This was the debut single from a band who would eventually become known as Icehouse, yeah, these guys went by Flowers originally but had to change it when they sparked international interest in them due to another band with that name also looking to make it big worldwide (wonder whatever happened to them.) The album went on to be one of the most successful here and in NZ funnily enough.
#71 for 1980
I've heard this be described as having the feel of a Doobie brothers track, ever since all I hear whenever I hear this is the Pointer sisters covering "What a fool believes" which is admittedly a good thing in my book. Of course, the lyrics are completely different as it's about how the girls are smitten by a shy guy as opposed to the Doobie brothers being felt like a fool for being in a relationship with someone.
#72 for 1980
You know a film has connected with an audience when even its main character's theme song manages to become one of the biggest hits of the year worldwide, that's exactly what happened here as Axel Foley was so well liked by audiences that his theme was a huge success for composer Harold Faltermeyer. It's perhaps best known for the Crazy frog remix two decades later, a remix that's best left in the 00's.
#69 for 1985
This was the only hit that Big pig managed to score here in Australia, I guess they were technically a British band as they were based in the UK when they started releasing songs two years prior, however they're often claimed as an Australian act likely due to them not having any success over there. This was a massive success over in NZ for some reason, I guess it pop up on a popular DJ's set over there.
#69 for 1988
This was a stellar year for Shaking Stevens who managed to score a third hit throughout the world, although this time it's with a cover of a very well-known staple of the 50's given how the original was one of the biggest hits of the decade for Jim Lowe in 1956. Shaky would have one more hit the following year with "Oh Julie" before his time in the spotlight came to an end here in Australia.
#68 for 1981
#67 for 1982
This was Simple Mind's biggest hit in most parts of the world, likely due to it being the theme to the cult classic the Breakfast club which wasn't well received back in the day despite it being considered a masterpiece nowadays. The song essentially sums up what the movie is about, that being a bunch of misfits who unexpectedly form a friendship with each other due to circumstances only for them to wonder if that friendship would carry on once they go their separate ways.
#70 for 1985
This was the third time this ballad became a hit in Australia, the previous two were from the original singer Dusty Springfield and Bay City roller's version from 1976. This time we have Annie Lennox taking a stab at the track with her first band the Tourists, although technically this was the Eurythmics as David Stewart was part of the group as well. They would become the Eurythmics while the band were on tour here in Australia.
#73 for 1980
If I had to pick a favourite track from these guys, this would be it as it's by far the bounciest song in their catalogue as well as it being an ode to the ladies who were admittedly their biggest demographic back in the day. Their next song would be their sole Billboard chart topper, although it's also the point where they became more popular in America than they did in Australia (stay tuned for it.)
#69 for 1981
Here's that song from the Human league that I and many others reckon Culture club built their lead single off Colour by numbers off from earlier on this list, I swear the melody to both of these tracks seem identical to me the more I listen to both songs. This was one of two hits the band had this year from their E.P Fascination, an E.P that flopped here despite it producing two of the band's bigger hits.
#70 for 1983
From what I can gather, Michael Bow was a German singer who scored a massive hit here in Australia with this song that was used in a Countdown competition during the final months of the show's existence. I consider this to be in the trilogy of queer anthems from this year, the other two songs being "Boom boom" and "Male stripper" due to how well loved they remain in our queer community.
#67 for 1987
Now that New order finally had a hit single to their name here in Australia, they no longer had any issues with finding success here which is how this timeless classic from them managed to be a huge success for them months after their earlier entry on this list became a huge success for them. The song is best known nowadays for its strange video which seems a typical of their filmography.
#68 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#72 for 1989
Suzi Quatro had been seeing diminishing returns in her popularity since her second album in Australia, mainly because she quickly drifted away from glam rock and into a more contemporary sound as the 70's went on. Here she returned to her glam roots which got her one final hit here in Australia before she was once again seen as yesterday's news as she failed to adapt to the MTV era of music.
#74 for 1980
#70 for 1981
This was the first song that Van Halen released with Sammy Hagger on lead vocals, while it wasn't as big a hit as their final song with David Lee Roth, it did launch a new era for the band as the album proved to be a massive success for them. Sammy would remain with the band for the next ten years before he departed under similar circumstances to that of David and was replaced with the guy from Extreme.
#64 for 1986
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