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 somewhat of a surprise hit in Australia, mainly because funk music wasn't doing so well throughout the decade which is perhaps why it took a while for it to crossover here for the band Cameo. It was a huge hit the previous year in the UK and their native America, likely due to the funky groove as well as the ridiculous video which showcases the lead singer wearing a plastic codpiece.
#69 for 1987
This was the other big hit that Midge Ure had this year worldwide, and it's the song that was blocked from the UK top spot with Joe Dolce's hit from the start of the list which angered a lot of people back in the day. It seems appropriate that it would be a hit down under, although it wasn't nearly as successful as you'd think given how it's endured over the years as well as Midge Ure's reputation in music.
#71 for 1981
This was the debut single for one of the more popular bands to come out of the 80's, although this was originally attached to a soundtrack to a film about a drug addict coping with their day-to-day struggles. It was an instant hit for the band likely due to how well Chrissie Amphlett sells the subject matter of the song and film on this track, it was even included on their debut album on its international release.
#72 for 1981
Although this did take a while to become a hit here in Australia, at least it eventually became as such on its initial release unlike the rest of the world where the girls needed to find success with their next album Break out in order for this to be a success. This is one of the most upbeat songs in their catalogue as well as the most sexually suggestive which is likely why it won us Aussies over initially.
#71 for 1983
Technically this was the second solo single that George Michael released in his career, although by all accounts it was his first solo single as "Careless whisper" was by all accounts a Wham track that just happened to be credited to him alone when it was released as a single. Much like that track, this is also a ballad about his complicated feelings about a past relationship which seemed to be a theme in his catalogue.
#65 for 1986
This was a surprise comeback for Little river band as it was the first song, they released that had Glenn Shorrock back on lead vocals, I'm guessing this was a hit here due to how well his temporary replacement John Farnham was doing around this time and fans wanting to thank these guys for giving him the platform to reboot his career.
#70 for 1988
This was the only hit either artist involved was able to achieve in Australia, although Stevie Nicks did see a ton more success with her albums and during her time with Fleetwood mac, so we at least knew who she was. Tom Petty on the other hand had less success here back in the day, sure his songs have popped up on oldies stations, but none of them found much success and his albums weren't big either.
#73 for 1981
This was the lead single to Split Enz's album Time and tide, although it wasn't as memorable as their earlier entry on this list which is why it wasn't as big a hit here. It did do considerably better in NZ, proving that the band were catering more to their local scene rather than us Aussies with this entry, although it was a huge hit regardless and did lead to the album being a massive success.
#68 for 1982
It took him nine years, but Mike Oldfield was finally able to score a second hit in his career in Australia following the success of his Exorcist theme from 1973. Here he recruits Maggie Reilly to provide vocals for this song about a friend of his who died from a drug overdose; indeed, Maggie gives a compelling performance which no doubt tugged at the heartstrings of many listeners back in the day.
#72 for 1983
This was the title track to by far the most popular album that Spandau Ballet released in their career, in fact this is easily their most recognisable song in their discography for a two of reasons. First off, it's widely regarded as having some of the worst lyrics in a song, I personally disagree as even back then there were some pretty awful lines that make these look professionally written in comparison. Secondly this was sampled in P.M Dawn's big hit "Set adrift on memory bliss" in 1991.
#73 for 1983
This was the only hit that Quiet riot was able to score even in their native America, although given it's a heavy metal cover of a Slade track from a decade prior, there was little chance this was going to flop even though it came many years after they first formed and released an album. Rather coincidentally, Slade themselves had a comeback hit this year and even finally broke through to America with the song.
#71 for 1984
Eight years prior to when she scored a massive hit with Don Henley with "Sometimes love just ain't enough," Patty Smyth was the lead singer of a short-lived band by the name of Scandal who scored their one and only hit this year with this track that's often been confused for a Pat Benatar track. I'm guessing that's why Patty returned with an adult contemporary ballad if she was often mistaken for her in her career.
#72 for 1984
This was the second and final hit that Ian Moss managed to achieve in his career, although this did come out around the time his album was release meaning it helped him score massive success with the album. This doesn't have as complicated a narrative as his earlier entry on this list, I'm guessing that's the only reason why it wasn't as successful as the sound is the same on both tracks.
#69 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#73 for 1989
This was the final hit that Roxy music managed to score anywhere in the world, this is because they would break up once the album cycle for Avalon was done so that Bryan Ferry could focus on his solo career more permanently. Unfortunately, his solo career didn't pan out in Australia this decade despite how big it was internationally, meaning this was the last song to become a hit for him overall.
#69 for 1982
This was the only hit that Little river band scored in Australia to have John Farnham on lead vocals, although they would score a huge hit internationally the following year with "The other guy" proving that people were open to the idea of John having replaced Glenn Shorrock as the lead vocalist at least for a little while. They changed their minds as the band didn't find any further success with this line up.
#70 for 1982
This was the lead single to No jacket required, an album which many felt was the turning point for Phil Collins given how it was more in line with adult contemporary rather than the pop prog from his earlier hits. This song in particular has received criticism due to the melody sounding similar to "1999" from Prince, perhaps it's this comparison that caused the song to not be as successful here in Australia as it was internationally.
#71 for 1985
This was the final hit that Rolling stones had throughout the world, it came from their critically panned album Dirty work which was nonetheless a success likely due to the animation in the video. As it turns out, it was done by John Kricfalusi who's best known for his 90's nicktoons hit Ren and Stimpy (and its more infamous adult version from the 00's) I guess every legend in animation has to begin somewhere.
#66 for 1986
This was the first of only two hits that Madness had in Australia, although a little-known fact about it is that it's a cover of a Labi Siffre track from ten years prior which surprised me considering that these guys were known for writing their own songs. Their second hit came when they appeared on Countdown to perform all of the singles from their greatest hits album Complete madness.
#71 for 1982
This ballad was nominated for an Oscar this year, I just thought I'd throw that out there as there are many people who don't like Peter Cetera's solo material due to him being schmaltzy in both his vocals and songwriting. This comes from the second Karate Kid flick which has been described as a sequel that repeated the big hits from the original film, although it's still considered better than the next two films.
#67 for 1986
This was the third and final hit that Bros were able to score worldwide, although in their native UK they kept at it for two more albums before finally calling it quits in the early 90's. Here they have a song about how they owe their exes nothing after the relationships had ended, although you can make the argument this is also meant for their haters as they no longer had anything to prove to them.
#71 for 1988
You knew there had to be a newer version of Pseudo echo at some point, so here we are with Indecent obsession who were a younger version of the band who managed to score their one and only hit this year with their debut single. Even though the marketing depicts them as the Australian equivalent of NKOTB, they were a proper band who played their own instruments who just happen to be conventionally good looking.
#70 for 1989
This was the biggest hit that the Cure were able to score here in Australia, it seems odd that they weren't that successful here in the 80's considering how many times they appeared on Countdown during its run. I think the video had something to do with this being a success as it successfully demonstrates the claustrophobia that the lyrics and Robert's vocals paint out in the song, this being able to connect with stressed out audiences.
#68 for 1986
This was the lead single to Janet's breakthrough album Control, an album that didn't see much success here in Australia save for this track likely due to it being a display of female empowerment during a time where that was becoming popular in the mainstream. She wouldn't have another hit down under until the lead single of her next album, even then her popularity wouldn't explode here until the 90's.
#69 for 1986
This was the most successful version of this standards track here in Australia, it's fitting that Rick Astley's version would be a success given it was his third UK hit in a row as well as the song being well know even at the time. This is the first song where Stock Aiken and Waterman tried their hands at standards track in terms of their production, they would make these types of songs with Kylie Minogue on her second album.
#72 for 1988 #72 ARIA
It seems odd that George Harrison would be the only member of the Beatles to record a tribute for John Lennon following his death from the previous year, although I guess both Paul and Ringo still had complicated feelings about him around this time given how they never made up with him during his lifetime following the bands demise. George would disappear from the music industry for a while before coming back in 1987.
#74 for 1981
These guys were on a roll this year as this became their third hit in a row thanks to it being a story about how Colin Hay takes an interest in a young boy and his ambitions (mind's out of the gutter please.) It connected with audiences this year (again in an innocent way) thus making it a huge hit for the band, although they wouldn't trouble the charts again until the lead single of their second album.
#72 for 1982
This was the debut single for Bronski beat, another band who was out and proud about their LGBT status as the video to their debut single depicts a fictionalised story of lead singer Jimmy Somerville's experience coming out of the closet. The song itself remains a classic to this day, however it's the visuals of him falling in love with a man who is revealed to be homophobic that sticks with audiences to this day.
#73 for 1984
There weren't any signs of these guys slowing down as they scored a huge hit with the first single from their third album Absolutely which remains their biggest album in their catalogue. This is a more lovestruck track from their catalogue compared to their previous hit, which is about whether heaven existed or not, sure this wasn't as big as "Heaven," but it still managed to resonate with audiences.
#72 for 1985
While I'm sure fans of the Pretenders were a bit disappointed to see Chrissie go in a pop friendly direction on her fourth album Get close, it did result in her biggest success while still staying true to what made her a household name (minus the "I'm one of the boys" attitude of course.) Here she sings about her feelings of how her mother was no longer with us and how she was going to cope with her loss.
#70 for 1987
This was the first solo hit that Annie Lennox had, OK technically it isn't as this was a duet between her and Al Green which was made for the Bill Murray flick Scrooged which was a modern take of the Ebeneezer Scrooge fable. From what I can gather, the film was a critical and commercial success thanks to Bill's performance as the titular character, thus enabling this to be a huge success for the pair.
#71 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#74 for 1989
This likely wouldn't have been a hit here in Australia were it not for a memorable performance that Judie Tzuke gave on Countdown with this song, it was a huge hit in her native UK but there were plenty of hits from British artists over there that failed to see crossover success over the years. Sadly, this was her only hit anywhere in the world, likely due to it being another ballad from a female singer.
#75 for 1980
This song was released here in Australia when Laura Branigan performed it and her earlier entry on Countdown this year, so it was a shoe in for being a huge hit for her down under. Australia was where she was the most successful because of her appeal this year, that appeal comes from her killer vocals as well as her songs mostly being covers of foreign language tracks made popular throughout Europe.
#74 for 1983
This was the third hit that Cyndi Lauper had from her debut album, in fact she broke records on Billboard with this album by being the first artist to score four top five hits from a single album in America. This is one of her wackiest songs given that it's about female masturbation, although for the longest time I had no idea what this song is about due to how vague she comes across in the lyrics.
#74 for 1984
This was one of the last hit singles that Abba achieved before their inevitable demise later in the decade, in fact you can make the argument that this was the song which broke them apart as the two couples were going through a highly publicised divorce when this song was released. Let's just say that Frida and Agnetha sound like they've been defeated by their husbands on this track given how the men wrote the lyrics they're singing.
#76 for 1980
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#73 for 1988
Well at least there was an upbeat track from the soundtrack to Phil's first starring role in Hollywood, here we have a love ballad about how he feels that he has as he puts it "two hearts living in one mind" which means there's two sides of his personality which are very different from each other. From what I can gather, Buster is a film loosely based on The great train robbery of 1963, which means this song gives details to a potential romance subplot in the film.
#72 for 1989
Well, this is the trio's commentary of how songwriting had become stagnant in the music industry, let's just say Sting wasn't in a position to be making these claims considering even at the time people were calling into question his songwriting skills. The point of the song is to showcase how songs had begun to heavily rely on catchy choruses, this having a copout chorus to force audiences to pay attention to the verses.
#75 for 1981
This was the debut single for one of the most popular bands of the decade, although it's worth noting that this video is rather ordinary compared to the rest of their videography which perhaps explains why it was only a hit in Australia as there weren't any flash visuals to go with the bombastic track. True to the name of the song, this is a pro earth song made during the height of the cold war.
#76 for 1981
Here's the other big hit that ABC were able to achieve this year, although instead of it being a song about how Martin Fry was bitter at his ex-girlfriend's success, it's about how he's falling in love with another person and that they should take a chance on him. This was the band's biggest hit in their native UK likely due to how bouncy it is, and it even sparked their crossover success over in America.
#73 for 1982
This was the third single to be released from Man of colours for Icehouse, normally the band wouldn't score a third hit from one of their albums but in this case, they did due to how passionate Iva Davis is in his performance on this track. No doubt this helped the album becoming their most successful in their career, although their popularity would die out once the decade came to an end.
#71 for 1987
#73 for 1988 #74 ARIA
This was the final hit that Simple minds were able to achieve in Australia, it also stands as their biggest hit in their native UK as it was their only chart topper over there. I guess these guys were a bit ahead of the curve when it came to the Celtic revival of the 90's as this ballad has plenty of Celtic influences on here that wouldn't feel out of place on a Corrs album or the Riverdance soundtrack.
#73 for 1989
The was the other hit that Yazoo managed to score this year, it was their bigger hit in their native UK due to being a far catchier song than their earlier entry. They would have one more hit in their homeland the following year with "Nobody's diary" before they called it quits so that they could pursue their own ventures. Alison would find success with her debut album the year after that while Vince would rule the EDM scene.
#74 for 1982
This was originally released as the lead single of the trios album Break out; however, it was a huge flop worldwide likely due to them failing to shoot a music video for the song. It was given a second chance later in the year when "Automatic" became a surprise hit for them in the UK, but this stage they had filmed a music video which helped this song become a huge hit worldwide.
#75 for 1984
This was the first of three songs with this title to become a hit this year, although considering we've looked at the other two songs earlier on this list, you probably already knew that. This was a different song from the band's previous two hits as this feels more in line with sophistopop rather than the LGBT banger of their debut or their politically charged second single, making them one of the more eclectic bands to find success this decade.
#73 for 1985
This was the debut single for Go West, a band who would see massive success this year with their debut album throughout Europe and would return five years later with a song that made it big off the Pretty woman soundtrack. Here they have a song about taking a chance in a relationship, this can be an obvious metaphor about the music industry taking a chance on their music which it did sporadically.
#74 for 1985
From what I can gather, St Elmo's fire is arguably one of the best Joel Schumaker films due to it being the story of a bunch of young adults which happens to comprise of some of the most popular actors of the 80's in the 20 something year old bracket. By far the best part of the film according to modern audiences is the theme song which was a huge success for John Parr due to the inspirational lyrics.
#75 for 1985
This was the second single to be released from this RNB star's debut album, I get the feeling this was a massive success due to the whistling on the track as RNB didn't tend to do too well here in Australia back in the day. This was eventually a chart topper in his native America once the album became a huge success for him throughout Europe, I'm guessing he used the proceeds to help him get home after being stranded there by the US army.
#72 for 1987
Well, this is a surprise, you'd think this would be one of the most successful songs of the decade here in Australia considering how inescapable it was internationally for Tiffany Darwish. Alas it was only a sleeper hit here despite how catchy the song is and it arguably being her best performance in her catalogue, although she did find success with her follow up from earlier on this list.
#74 for 1988 #75 ARIA
This was the other big hit that the Hooters managed to score here in Australia, it was actually the lead single to their debut album which became a hit exclusively here in Australia likely due to the religious lyrics connecting with us in a way that they failed to do so internationally. Even though they saw massive success with both of these songs and their album here, they would fade into obscurity after this year.
#76 for 1985
James was on a roll this year as he managed to score a second hit from his solo album, further proving that he was the driving force of Australian crawl throughout the decade given how their popularity dwindled after their third album. All of this success led to him receiving buzz the following year for his album internationally, so much so that his album was given an international released that sadly flopped for him.
#73 for 1987
Bet you didn't know that Patrick Swayze had a singing career back in the day, well he didn't actually as this was one of only three songs he recorded before he realised he was a much better actor than he was a singer. This ballad he wrote and recorded was played during the emotional highlight of the film where he and Baby couldn't be together due to him being fired, it works in the film which is perhaps why it was a hit for him.
#75 for 1988 #76 ARIA
This was the only hit that Blondie managed to score from their album Eat to the beat in Australia, I'm guessing we Aussies weren't as thrilled about that album as the rest of the world was given how this was a British chart topper for the band this year. Fortunately, they came back with "Call me" which restored their popularity in time for their penultimate album Autoamerican and its huge hits.
#77 for 1980
Given how MTV had taken over the mainstream, it only makes sense that this art rock track from Johnny Warman would be a huge success when it was. With that said, it's little wonder that it hasn't endured the test of time given how it seemed to be tailor made for the launch of the program and little else.
#77 for 1981
#75 for 1982
This was the only other hit that Joan Jett managed to score in Australia, I'm guessing because it was a cover of the Tommy James classic of the same name which was also a huge hit here back in the late 60's. One thing interesting about this track is that Joan doesn't change the pronouns in the sex jam, leading to a long-standing rumour that this was her way of confessing she was in fact a lesbian.
#76 for 1982
This is another song from the acid house genre, meaning that it was inescapable from the band's native UK as well as it being a huge international hit for them. If the vocalist sounds familiar to anyone, that's because it's Sonique who's best known for her hit single "It feels so good" which she released ten years after this became a hit for her.
#76 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#75 for 1989
Following the mediocre reception of Kick's second single "Devil inside" (which we'll look at in a bit) INXS were able to bounce back with the third single here thanks to how energetic it was proving they were still able to have a banger in their catalogue as they appealed to an international market. The fourth and final single from the album was "Never tear us apart," a song that's considered their signature track.
#77 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#77 for 1988
This was originally a hit for the French trio Gibson brothers just as the decade was starting throughout Europe, I guess we Aussies weren't interested in it at first due to it coming off as a bit too silly for us. We changed our minds a year later likely due to us wanting to support disco whenever we could given how to this day, Americans will claim that the disco backlash of 1979 forever killed the genre.
#78 for 1981
This was the other big hit that Mental as anything were able to score this year, it's not quite as silly as their earlier entry as it seems to be a role reversal of that situation which makes this a roundabout hit from the album both songs came from. The band would see a quiet period for a while as their next album underperformed on the charts, however they came back strong than ever in 1985.
#79 for 1981
We have another comedy routine to become a hit this year, this was the final one to do so on the singles charts as comedians restricted themselves to only releasing albums from here on out in Australia. This was a comedy sketch about how George Smilovici felt he was tough, the joke being that he was a redneck how was about as threatening as say, an underweight rock rapper from the 90's on TRL.
#76 for 1984
I'm not exactly sure how this song managed to become a hit here in Australia, mainly due to it being a huge flop for the band Missing persons in their native America and them never having a hit on Billboard during their career. I'm glad it was a hit here as it's a unique song about how the singer feels like her partner isn't listening to her and that she feels like communicating with them is a waste of time.
#77 for 1982
Wang Chung were a British band who were all set to fail in the music industry given how their debut single was a flop on the British charts the previous year, fortunately it somehow caught on in America which allowed it to find an audience here in Australia several months after its initial release. The band would return three years later with "Everybody have fun tonight" which was their biggest hit.
#77 for 1984
This was the lead single to Elton John's least favourite album Leather jackets, mainly because of the bad memories he has of making the album as it was during its production that he had to have his polyps removed which prevented him from making his trademark falsetto that he was known for earlier in his career. We Aussies were there to support him by making this and the album a success, however that courtesy wasn't matched anywhere else in the world.
#70 for 1986
This was the first of three hits that Maxi Priest scored in Australia over the years, it's also his only cover as he took the Cat Stevens original and turned it into a reggae track to help him establish a career away from UB40. This was likely one of the songs to kick star the 90's fascination with reggae given how many other tracks from the genre made it big that decade.
#78 for 1988
Following the success of his earlier entry on this list, Eric Carmen was able to score a hit without the assistance of being attached to a film with this lead single to his (then) most recent album. This led people to wondering if he was back for good after a twelve-year absence on the charts, however he wasn't as this was the last time anyone had heard from the singer/songwriter.
#79 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#78 for 1988
This was the second solo hit that Jason Donovan was able to achieve in his career, although his success in Australia was noticeably pitiful compared to how well he was doing in the UK due to how much the Brits were in love with his role in Neighbours. This is another song that's hard for me to talk about without being mean as it's gone down in infamy as one of the worst songs to come out of the 80's.
#74 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#76 for 1989
This was a surprise hit here in Australia, at least it would've been were it not for the fact that the American duo performed this on Countdown as part of some competition that the show had this year. You'd be amazed how many of these songs that history has forgotten about became big due to the show over the years.
#80 for 1981
This was the second hit that Pseudo echo was able to score here in Australia, it's more in line with what their earlier entry originally sounded like proving they weren't always about being bombastic for the sake of it. This was actually their big hit over in NZ from their debut album, likely suggesting the kiwis were also in agreement that these guys were at their best when they would dial things back.
#78 for 1984
This was originally the theme to the Sean Penn film At close range, a film that was critically acclaimed by flopped at the box office this year. It was then the lead single for her third album due to it topping the Billboard charts, making it her third chart topper in America despite it not being among her bigger hits here in Australia. It's a departure from her earlier work due to it being a haunting ballad rather than innocent dance pop.
#71 for 1986
This was the only solo hit that Foreigner front man Lou Gramm managed to score worldwide, although the success of this track in Australia likely led to the band scoring one more hit the following year with "Say you will" down under. This was during that time where everyone from a band was launching a solo career, so this did better than you would expect considering what else was coming out at the time.
#74 for 1987
Well, here's that other hit that Juice Newton managed to score in Australia this year, this time it's a cover of a Dave Edmunds track from a few years prior which in addition to it being a bouncy number is likely why it found success here for the country singer. Although these two songs on this list were the full extent of her popularity in Australia, she found further success in her native America as the decade went on.
#81 for 1981
This was the other big hit that Madness achieved here in Australia, likely due to it coming out around the time they performed this and their earlier single on Countdown making them one of the more popular bands here this year. Their next song was "Our house," a song that underperformed here despite it easily being one of their most recognisable tracks likely due to its popularity on Billboard.
#78 for 1982
This was the only success that Carl Carlton was able to have in his career, he's a musician of colour who was perhaps a little late to the party when it came to 70's soul as this only became a success here in Australia due to how inescapable the likes of MJ and Prince were throughout the year.
#75 for 1983
This was the lead single from Cargo in America, as such it's the reason why it was the big hit in America as opposed to their earlier entry which was a massive flop for the band on Billboard. The success of the song here in Australia was inevitable as the band were still on top of the world as far as we Aussies were concerned this year, although aside from "Down under" recharting this year, it would be their final hit.
#76 for 1983
This was the first big hit that the Cure were able to achieve here in Australia, it's curious because they had appeared on Countdown multiple times prior to getting their big breakthrough with a song that's unlike most of the rest of their catalogue. The song's success likely comes from the video where lead singer Robert Smith does indeed share his love of cats in a way that I'm sure audiences found endearing.
#79 for 1984
This was the only hit to come from Billy Joel's greatest hits package from this year, it's a song about gaining your second wind after you've been shot down by someone in a relationship. There weren't any signs of him slowing down in the industry as his next album would be a huge success for him, that is only in Australia it was as it underperformed throughout the rest of the world for some reason.
#77 for 1985
The last time Aretha Franklin troubled the charts in Australia was with her 1968 hit "I say a little prayer," that's nearly two decades where she went unheard of here (save for her role in the Blues brothers.) This makes this track about her finding love in a Pink Cadillac a triumphant comeback for her and one that gave her a second run in the mainstream given how she scored a hit with George Michael in 1987.
#78 for 1985
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#79 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#77 for 1989
This was the third hit that Johnny Diesel and the Injectors were able to score from their debut album, proving that they were one of the hottest Australian bands of the day right when the 80's was beginning to come to an end. Their popularity was so huge this year that they scored buzz over in the UK which likely explains why their music occasionally pops up in international media throughout the 90's.
#75 for 1989
Well, he may have lost the magic he had with Bernie Taupin from earlier in his career (don't worry he'll get it back later in the decade) however that didn't mean that Elton John wasn't able to achieve success as indeed this was a huge hit for him worldwide as was the album it serves as the lead single to. He would go on to have many highs and lows throughout the 80's, making it a very unpredictable decade for him.
#78 for 1980
This is a song that's so awesome that people will claim that it became a hit twice this year, the second being Stevie Nicks track "Stand back" which was reportedly inspired by this second single from Prince's album 1999. I feel this is the song where his lyrics start to become their most poetic which is one of the strongest points of his appeal over the years and a reason as to why so many people have covered his music.
#77 for 1983
This was the theme to the Bond film of the same name; it remains the most successful Bond theme of all time due to it being the band's second Billboard chart topper as well as the only Bond theme to top the Billboard charts. It appears that this song had cursed everyone involved with the project as Roger Moore would step down as the titular character after this and Duran Duran would never again have a hit in Australia.
#79 for 1985
This was the only hit for both men involved with this track in Australia, although in the case of Clarence Clemons that was more due to him being known for being a saxophonist and this being his only song he recorded vocals for. Jackson Brown on the other hand is one of the most respected singer/songwriters in the music industry and yet was only able to score his one and only hit with this duet.
#72 for 1986
This is one of those cheesy duets which has endeared over the years due to how sincere both performers are on the track, although it's worth noting that neither Gloria Loring nor Carl Anderson saw much success in their respective careers outside of this duet even in their native America.
#73 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#78 for 1989
This is often considered as the signature tune from Air supply, mainly because it's the song that best represents their discography of passionate love songs performed in a melodramatic way. The duo scored more success in America than they did in Australia this decade, although they did have a few hits down under before we Aussies gave up on them entirely.
#79 for 1980
I feel the title of this track tells you everything you need to know about it, it's a novelty track about absolutely nothing made by a man who was likely just as surprised by its success as everyone else was back in the day. It was a massive hit in his native NZ early in the year and a big hit over here in Australia as well.
#78 for 1983
This was the big hit off of Bryan Adam's breakthrough album Reckless, it's the rare ballad he had this decade which seems odd for me to say considering how the 90's would be filled with ballads from him. Indeed, the other two singles off the album "Run to you" and "Summer of 69" (stay tuned for that in a bit) would be a better representation of his 80's material as they were more in line with arena rock.
#80 for 1985
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#79 for 1989
Well, we needed to have another version of the Village people eventually, enter the Skatt bros who managed to copy the formula of the LGBT band and score a massive hit here in Australia around the time they released their film Can't stop the music. This was an excellent year for queer disco in Australia it seems.
#80 for 1980
Just a heads up that I'll be having a bunch of two for one deal entries on this site as there were quite a few singles that were bundled together here in Australia to help boost their popularity. In any case we have our first entry which was the second and third singles from Back in black which managed to become the band's second top ten hit in the decade due to how well fondly remembered both tracks are to this day.
#82 for 1981
This was a bit of a comeback for the Cars given how their previous album was a massive flop here in Australia, although it's worth noting that their overall popular down under was pitiful when compared to what they achieved in NZ and their native America. This is especially noticeable with their next album which was only a modest success here despite it being on the biggest hits of the decade in those countries.
#79 for 1982
You'd think that this would be a fast-paced RNB jam judging by the name of the band who made it as well as the name of the song, instead we have a smooth RNB jam that wouldn't have felt out of place on the Saturday night fever soundtrack making it big this far into the 80's. This was their only hit back in the day, and sadly Fat Larry would pass away later in the decade putting an end to their time together.
#79 for 1983
This was the lead single to Billy Joel's biggest album An innocent man everywhere in the world except for the UK where his earlier entry was the lead single, indeed this was his second Billboard chart topper due to how instantly popular it was in his native America which prompted its success here in Australia. The album has a doo wop revival to it which explains why it's so bouncy even after all these years.
#80 for 1983
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