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.
Oh, rick rolling, why did you have to ruin this otherwise cute and innocent song from one of the more impressive vocalists to emerge from the 80's? Nowadays people think this is one of the worst songs of all time due to that immature meme from the late 00's, however back in the day it was the biggest song of the decade in Australia thanks to how many demographics it managed to appeal to back then.
#1 for 1987
#1 for 1988 #1 ARIA
There was a lot of controversy surrounding this theme song to the comedy classic Ghostbusters, namely that Ray Parker jr stole the melody from Huey Lewis and the News "I want a new drug" which resulted in a lengthy lawsuit between both parties. As for the film itself, it's remained a comedy classic for a reason as the premise is inventing, the jokes are hilarious and the visual still hold up to this day.
#1 for 1984
#1 for 1985
Now normally I'm not the biggest fan of country music, in fact when it comes to either loving or hating the genre, I'm more towards the hate camp even if I don't hate a lot of country songs out there. With that said, I have to say that I adore this collaboration between Kenny and Dolly, the two have amazing chemistry and it rightfully allowed the song to linger on the charts for quite some time here in Australia.
#1 for 1983
#2 for 1984
Were it not for the popularity of the biopic about Ritchie Valen's life, I doubt Los lobos would've achieved any form of success during their impressive career. Fortunately, the biopic was a critical and commercial success which led to their cover of Valen's signature tune becoming a massive worldwide success for them.
#2 for 1987
#2 for 1988 #2 ARIA
Yep, this comedy routine wound up being the biggest hit single of the year in Australia. Bear in mind this was back in the day where comedy tracks were considered to be singles and thus were able to chart along the likes of everything else that will appear on this list. As for Austen Tayshus himself, this was the only notable success he managed to achieve throughout his career as far as the Australian charts are concerned.
#2 for 1983
Although she had already seen massive success with her song "I found someone," this was the comeback that Cher needed to reinvigorate her career following a long absence in the music industry. Admittedly this absence was due to her involvement in Hollywood where she starred in a string of some of the more memorable flicks of the decade such as Silkwood, Mask and the Witches of Eastwick.
#1 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#1 for 1989
This remains the biggest hit in Robert Palmer's career in Australia, mainly due to the video which depicts him in what appears to be a precursor to the set of a Deal or no deal show with a bunch of women who appear to be clones of Bebe Neuworth who's best known for her performance as Lillith Crane on Cheers and later Frasier. All I can say is that Robert is clearly having the time of his life in the video.
#3 for 1988
It looked like the Bangles would become a one hit wonder with "Manic Monday" given how the second single from Different light failed to become a success anywhere in the world and that said album was initially a flop for the girls. Fortunately, this third single was enough of a novelty that it managed to not only become a huge hit for them but encourage audiences to check out their album which has far more serious material.
#1 for 1986
#3 for 1987
The ballad which won Stevie Wonder an Oscar at the academy awards, although many will tell you that this is easily one of his worst songs in his catalogue due to how sappy they find the lyrics to be. I can't say I've seen the Woman in red despite it starring Gene Wilder and Kelly Lebrock of Weird science fame.
#3 for 1984
#2 for 1985
One of the earliest forms of electronic dance music (or EDM for short) was known as acid house, this is basically music you dance to while taking substance known as acid (look up what that means in your own time.) By far the biggest hit from this sub-genre is this breakthrough single from Yazz who managed to achieve massive success around the world with this trumpet heavy dance track.
#4 for 1988
#2 for 1989
This was a happy ending for John Farnham who has spent most of his career as an adult musician in obscurity save for a few hit singles as the front man of the Little river band from earlier in the decade. This even managed to give him a second hit throughout most parts of the world almost two decades after his initial success "Sadie the cleaning lady."
#2 for 1986
#4 for 1987
This version may seem very different compared to the one that wound up being a huge international success for Kylie Minogue, this is because it was originally made without the assistance of Stock Aiken and Waterman and was more of a vanity project for Kylie following the popularity she had on Neighbours. It's surprise success assured audiences of her singing talents which led to her success in the music industry.
#5 for 1987
One of the more divisive films to be released this decade was Flashdance, mainly because people feel that while the imagery is striking even for its time, there isn't much of a story to it which makes the film feel meandering at times (I disagree but can see where people are coming from.) One thing many people will agree with is how amazing the theme song is, so much so it was the second academy award that Irene Cara won this decade after her theme to Fame.
#3 for 1983
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#3 for 1988
I'm sorry but I always found this song to be rather annoying, in fact it's part of the sub-genre from around this time I've dubbed as nursey pop. Basically, it's a song so childish and precocious that it can easily be mistaken for a nursey rhyme, which I'm sure was what made this type of track a success back in the day. Surprisingly, this was so huge that it managed to crossover to Europe and even top the UK charts.
#1 for 1980
#1 for 1981
So Cocktail isn't a good movie, granted I'm no Tom Cruise fan but I can tolerate him in films such as Rain man and A few good men provided the story is as good as those flicks. I guess the saving grace from the film is that it did revive the career of the Beach boys following a long dry spell from the mainstream (save for a medley of theirs from earlier in the decade.) Even then, there's people who don't think this song was worth their revived popularity.
#5 for 1988
#3 for 1989
OK this is a song that I've always had negative feelings towards due to how misguided the execution was, I will say that there were good intentions behind this song but unfortunately the way the song guilt trips its audience into buying it to support its cause rubbed people the wrong way and continues to do so to this day.
#3 for 1985
It seems rather curious that Kim Wilde wasn't even aware of the original version of this track from the Supremes at first, admittedly it is shocking to know that Diana Ross and company didn't receive much love in the mainstream outside of America back in the day. Kim's version of this track about making a clean getaway from someone fooling around with the narrator's heart managed to equal the success the original version had two decades prior in America where it topped the Billboard charts.
#6 for 1987
It gives me great joy to know that one of the biggest hits of the decade in Australia was an honest to God pub rock anthem, true the Choirboys had been hustling in the industry for four years at this point, but their determination paid off with a track that's still fondly remembered by Australian audiences to this day. This even saw moderate crossover success in NZ, proving how much wide appeal these guys had.
#7 for 1987
#6 for 1988 #4 ARIA
I always thought this was a 90's track, although admittedly there was an inferior cover made a decade after this song came out that I do vaguely remember so maybe that's why I thought this was released later than it was despite the obvious usage of synths on the track. Something I'm sure most people don't realise about this track is that it's a breakup song, I'm guessing because of how repetitive it is without spelling out the moral of the track.
#7 for 1988
#4 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5 for 1988
#2 for 1989
Although this wasn't the lead single to Icehouse's biggest album Man of colours, it was their biggest hit both in Australia and NZ as well as their one big hit over in America due to how big it was in both countries in the southern hemisphere. I guess it's their best song even though on a technical level, their work from Primitive man from five years prior is better.
#8 for 1987
I have no idea why this signature track from the Rocky horror picture show became a hit five years after the success of the theatrical adaptation, I'm guessing it was due to the scene in Fame where the characters referenced the scene that this song takes place in the film which reminded us Aussies about how awesome the song was. It became one of the biggest hits of the decade as a result, and to be fair it's not the only time and older album found success much later here than it did internationally.
#2 for 1980
#2 for 1981
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#3 for 1989
This was already becoming a huge success during the final months of John Lennon's lifetime, although it's hard to deny that this song's true success came from the aftermath of his senseless assassination performed by someone who quite frankly doesn't deserve to be named on this site. Regardless of how you feel about him in retrospect, there's no denying that how he died was a tragedy and that no one deserves to go the way he did.
#3 for 1980
#3 for 1981
Ah yes, we have yet another Oscar winning ballad to become a massive success in Australia, this time it's the love theme from Dirty dancing (yet another movie you either love or hate which I love for the record) which captivated audiences upon its initial release thanks to the chemistry between Righteous brother Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes simulating the characters from the film it was written for.
#8 for 1988 #6 ARIA
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#4 for 1989
To think that this is the biggest hit in the Rolling stones career in Australia, granted this is mainly due to a lack of competition this song had upon its initial release here as many of their other tracks had to fight with the likes of the Beatles and other artists from the height of the British invasion but still. At least it's a song that's still well remembered by the general public to this day.
#4 for 1981
#1 for 1982
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#6 for 1989
I'm willing to be that Chris De Burgh watched the Gene Wilder flick Woman in red and used that as a basis for writing this love ballad supposedly about his wife, it's as good an explanation as to how he managed to achieve so much success worldwide with a song that seems to be the complete opposite of his other hit from earlier in the decade "Don't pay the ferryman." His popularity would carry on in his native UK for the rest of the decade.
#3 for 1986
#9 for 1987
Many will tell you this is one of the worst covers to ever exist as it took an infectious disco track from the start of the decade and turned it into a bombastic new wave track, I don't agree with this assessment as though it's very different from the original, Pseudo echo do more than enough to make it their own without turning it into a gimmick. It is a shame this remains their one and only hit in the northern hemisphere but what are you going to do?
#4 for 1986
#10 for 1987
These guys were already among the more popular bands of the 70's in Australia and their native NZ going into the 80's, however it was this single to their magnum opus True colours that made them a household name and even sparked international interest in them which resulted in this being one of the first songs to be played on MTV the following year. Not bad for a band whose gimmick centred around clowns.
#4 for 1980
This was the only noticeable success that Dexy's midnight runners had outside of their native UK (unfortunately "Geno" didn't find success elsewhere despite it topping their charts) although I would've been dumbfounded if I found out this song failed back in the day due to how incessantly catchy it is as well as the Celtic instrumentation fitting in well with the surprising rise in popularity Celtic music was receiving at the time.
#2 for 1982
#4 for 1983
Well mashup singles were all the rage this decade, so why not have one of the final hit singles be a mashup from this British group? I guess the gimmick here was the band's mascot which appears to be a (in my opinion) poorly drawn rabbit dancing around to this mashup in the video. Needless to say, this doesn't rank among the more popular mashups of the day despite it easily being the biggest hit in this genre.
#5 for 1989
It looked like the third album from the Bangles would be a huge commercial disappointment worldwide, however much like their previous album, a huge chart topper from the album saved it from flopping in the form of this heartfelt ballad which some have described to be creepy due to Suzanna Hoffs performance. I personally disagree as she's too earnest and lovestruck for it to be intentionally creepy, although it didn't prevent the girls from breaking up this year.
#6 for 1989
While people have questioned whether or not Samantha Fox had any business being in the music industry over the years due to her vocals not being up to par with many of her contemporaries, I don't think the vast majority cared as A: she was smoking hot and likely awakened many people's sexual fantasies and B: the music she made was well crafted similar to her 90's Disney counterpart Britney Spears.
#5 for 1986
Most people will be familiar with the Celine Dion version of this track from eight years later, however this was originally a hit for American born German pop star Jennifer Rush who took the world by storm with her strong vocals (though not as strong as Celine's) as well as the lyrics of devotion that struck a chord with audiences.
#4 for 1985
#6 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#7 for 1988
#7 for 1989
If there was one band who promoted the idea of diversity in the mainstream better than anyone else in the music industry, Culture club would be that band as everything about them (right down to their inception as a band) was built for the purpose of making the world a better place through acceptance of other people. It helps that the music throughout their discography was generally fun like their biggest hit.
#5 for 1983
#4 for 1984
This was released on its own as the third single from Madonna's sophomore album Like a virgin, however it was quickly bundled with "Into the groove" in Australia and her native America in order to lessen her overall grip on both charts. As such I'll be giving both songs their own separate entries on this list to give you an idea of how big they both were on their own had they not been combined into one entry.
#5 for 1985
It seemed like Diana Ross was yesterday's news when she scored a massive hit with this track, of course this was written by the Bee gees and even has the Brothers Gibb provide backup vocals, which meant that it had massive international appeal even if it bombed in her native America. The video is also really cool as it serves as a montage of how she began as a Motown artist twenty years prior and where she was at this moment.
#7 for 1986
Following the demise of his band Wham, George Michael decided to continue in the pop direction he established for himself during his time with his partner in crime Andrew Ridgely. The results were his solo album named after this signature track from him which was a huge success for British superstar.
#11 for 1987
#9 for 1988 #8 ARIA
Although their debut single was a huge success for them, it was this second single from 1927 which made them a household name and allowed their album ....Ish to become a huge success just as the decade was beginning to wind down. They were pipped for great things going into the 90's, however their second album was a huge commercial failure for them much like it was for Icehouse.
#10 for 1988
#7 for 1989
I think my American readers will be surprised to see this song appear on this list and not one of my 90's lists, this is because this signature track from the Proclaimers was eventually chosen as the theme song to the Johnny Depp flick Benny and Joon in 1993 despite it being five years old by the time that movie was released. I guess this does serve as the perfect song to use on a road trip montage.
#8 for 1989
While the title track to Madonna's fourth album was uncontroversial enough, after all it's merely about her questioning her own faith in religion as is the rest of the album, it was the video that got her in a lot of hot water when she released it this year. Suffice to say, Pepsi backed out of their sponsorship of her tour given all of the negative press the video received this year.
#9 for 1989
This was one of two big hits that Feargal Sharkey had in Australia, I bring this up here because this was written by Maria McKee (of "Show me heaven" fame) and that his other hit "You little thief" was written by her ex Benmont Tench which means this guy was singing the ups and downs of their relationship throughout his album. I'm guessing this is why said album was a commercial success for him.
#6 for 1985
#8 for 1986
This was the biggest hit in Billy Ocean's career in Australia, mainly due to it being the theme to Jewel of the Nile, which for the uninitiated is the sequel to Romancing the stone and is often considered to be an inferior film to its predecessor. I agree to an extent as this film isn't as funny or adventurous as the other flick, however it does still have plenty of heart and isn't too much of an Indiana Jones rip-off.
#9 for 1986
This was the lead single to Phil Collin's acting debut Buster, a film that I haven't seen but from what I can gather is absolutely terrible and rightfully lost to the sands of history. I can't say I'm that impressed with this update of the Mindbenders track from the 60's, mainly because for a song with the word groovy in its title, there doesn't seem to be much of that on this track.
#11 for 1988
#10 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#8 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#9 for 1989
This was the first of several songs to be released from Black box's one and only album Dreamland, although that's likely due to the behind-the-scenes drama the band went through when lead vocalist Martha Walsh (of Weather girls fame) was replaced with a more attractive woman on the cover art and in the videos. This led to her leaving the group which in turn led to them disbanding once the album cycle was done.
#11 for 1989
One of the more poignant films of the decade was An officer and a gentleman, mainly because it depicts the blooming romance of a renegade navy soldier and a working-class woman who both bring out the best in each other. To highlight this steaming romance, Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes were commissioned to record this duet which played over the ending scene of the film and led to it winning an academy award.
#6 for 1983
This is a cover of an obscure track from Gloria Jones from the mid 60's, although I don't think anyone would know that nowadays given how this English duo made the track their own at the dawn of the MTV era. It turns out there's two videos floating around out there to this classic, although I'm only familiar with the one that has the love sprites haunting the (possibly queer) man in the video as a metaphor for how sexually frustrated he is.
#3 for 1982
It may shock you to learn that in their native America, Survivor aren't a one hit wonder. This is because even in America, this is the only song of theirs that has endured the test of time as opposed to their other tracks which people often tend to think are from the likes of Loverboy or Foreigner. In any case, we have this theme to the third Rocky film which was both a critical and commercial success for Sylvester Stallone.
#4 for 1982
This was a massive success for Laura Branigan this year, likely due to how unique and powerful her vocals were but also for the lyrics which seem to depict a vein woman by the name of Gloria and the narrator calling out how her vanity has alienated her from anyone wanting to do anything with her.
#7 for 1983
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#10 for 1989
Well, here's a song that had novelty written all over it and yet it managed to endure the test of time regardless, here's the breakthrough single for Mi-sex who were a NZ band looking to make it big in Australia so that they could take said success back home to their homeland. They struck big with this track given how the videogame industry had taken the world by storm by the time they released this as a single.
#5 for 1980
This was the biggest hit of Bananarama's career in most parts of the world, likely due to the nostalgia people had for the original by Shocking blue back from 1969. This is also the first song of theirs to have Stock Aiken and Waterman produce their track, something that would happen for their next album where all of the tracks received this treatment.
#10 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#9 for 1988
#11 for 1989
This was the first solo hit that MJ had as an adult anywhere in the world (his first solo hit overall was with "Rocking robin" from earlier in the decade) it's also the first hit of his to feature Quincy Jones as his executive producer which resulted in some of his finest work both solo and with his family. Despite it clearly being a disco track, it still remains one of his more fondly remembered songs to this day.
#6 for 1980
Many people believe (me included) that this is a song about masturbation, mainly because it's the best explanation as to what Dave Fenton means when he claims that he's "turning Japanese" throughout the song. The song became a huge success here in Australia likely due to this urban legend despite only doing decently well in their native UK, although the band called it quits likely due to their novelty status not long after.
#7 for 1980
This was the E.P that spawned Australian crawl's most popular hit single "Reckless," a song that earned that title due to it being one of the very few where audiences don't have a problem understanding what James is saying throughout the track's runtime. The success of this E.P allowed the band to have moderate crossover success in NZ.
#5 for 1984
#8 for 1983
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#12 for 1989
Well this is the sellout to end all sellouts, we have a band who began their career as actual hippies now singing about how corporatised the world has become set to instrumentation that has since become synonymous with the mainstream pop rock of the 80's. I get what they were going for here, and to be honest if you ignore the hypocrisy on display, this is still an awesome track from one of the older acts on this list.
#7 for 1985
#11 for 1986
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#10 for 1988
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#11 for 1988
#13 for 1989
This was originally released on Bob Seger's 1978 album Stranger in town to deafening silence, probably because Bob was considered to be a bit ahead of his time as his popularity didn't shine outside his native America until this was featured in the Tom Cruise flick Risky business (specifically that famous scene where he dances to it in his underwear.) For some reason, this finally became a hit four years after that film in Australia, presumably through the strength of his other big hit this year "Shakedown."
#12 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#12 for 1988
#14 for 1989
This was originally released as a single on its own for Bobby Mcferrin, however it achieved massive success thanks to it being included in the Tom Cruise flick Cocktail which many consider to be one of the worst films of the decade. It also has the distinction of to this day being the most successful track to be performed entirely a Capella.
#12 for 1988
#12 for 1989
Given how tragedy struck the band during the midpoint of the decade with the death of one of its members, there was a very real possibility that this signature track of theirs and the album it came from never would've come into fruition had the band decided to call it quits once they lost their key member. Fortunately, the band soldiered on which resulted in this party jam coming into fruition for them and becoming their big breakthrough in their homeland of America.
#13 for 1989
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#13 for 1988
#15 for 1989
This was a fantastic year for the sister duo Mel and Kim, although it would be a bittersweet year for them as Mel would tragically be diagnosed with cancer which would them claim her life in 1990. It was because of this diagnosis that the girls didn't record much material after their debut album, although I'm sure if they did release new music, it would've been as fun as their biggest hit and also dripping with as much personality.
#13 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#16 for 1989
It's strange to think that Barbra Streisand's biggest hit in her career is neither a duet nor from one of her films, that's basically describes the rest of her catalogue, most of it being a combination of these two factors. That said I guess you can make the argument this is a collaboration with the Bee gees given how the Brothers Gibb do provide backup vocals on this track and the album it came from.
#8 for 1980
#5 for 1981
Oh, you thought we were done with looking at comedy routines on this site, weren't you? Well, here we are with another comedy routine this time courtesy of Billy Birmingham AKA the 12th man who scored a massive hit with this E.P where he does accurate impersonations of some of the more popular sporting commentators of the day.
#6 for 1984
This was a massive success for Fine young cannibals for a few reasons, the first is how dynamic of a vocal performance Roland Gift gives throughout the track which highlights just how messed up he feels about the woman he's singing about. The second is for the video which is both hilarious and gives unique visuals to convey the lyrics about this relationship, no wonder it found a captivating audience worldwide.
#14 for 1989
While this was indeed an 80's hit for the Buggles over in America, this was released just as the 70's was winding down throughout the rest of the world making these two future members of Yes score their big breakthrough two years prior to when MTV launched by playing this music video as the first thing to appear on the channel when it launched.
#9 for 1980
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#17 for 1989
Well, I think we all need to spare a thought for Bob Marley with this entry, he only managed to achieve one hit single in Australia during his lifetime with "Is this love" and yet these kids from London England managed to score a hit here twice as popular as that classic with a similar subject matter to his usual topics of weed culture, sometimes life isn't fair for certain people.
#5 for 1982
#9 for 1983
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#18 for 1989
Following the mediocre success of her self-titled album outside of Australia (it was a huge hit down under due to heavy promotion on Countdown) Madonna decided to go bit with her second album by working with Nile Rogers of Chic fame on this track he originally wrote from the perspective of a guy. Needless to say, she made it her own and it became one of her several signature songs over the years.
#7 for 1984
#8 for 1985
Here's a fun fact I came across while researching for new information on Billy Ocean, all of his Billboard chart toppers have exactly eight words in them which is a bit of a freaky coincidence the more you think about it. In any case this was the final hit single he had anywhere in the world, presumably due to RNB evolving away from the bombast that it was known for throughout this decade.
#13 for 1988
This remains the biggest hit in Cliff Richard's career in Australia, although I guess if we were going with sales then technically his remake of his debut single from later in the decade would claim that prize. In any case we have the crooner score a massive hit with this upbeat track right around the time MTV first launched proving he was still hip with the kids when the music scene drastically changed.
#6 for 1981
#6 for 1982
This is the ballad that serves as the emotional core of the film Beaches, were it not a cover of an obscure track from Roger Whitaker (of "The last farewell" fame) I'm sure it easily would've won an academy award for best original song for Bette Midler. This has sadly come under fire over the years due to the admittedly cheesy lyrics which divorced from the context of the film, are admittedly a lot to stomach.
#15 for 1989
Roxette are one of my favourite bands of all time, so to learn that they nearly never had a career outside of their native Sweden is a bit of a disappointment from me. Fortunately, with the help of a foreign exchange student, this third single from their sophomore album managed to find massive success in America which was then translated to the rest of the world for the duo.
#16 for 1989
This was a huge comeback success for Alice Cooper who had been MIA on the charts for exactly a decade worldwide as the last hit he had was with "How you gonna see me now" from the end of the 70's. Here he is with a song that seems to be a perfect fit into the hair metal that was popular around this time, meaning that he sadly wasn't able to retain his popularity going into the 90's.
#17 for 1989
If there was one band who desperately didn't want to sell out to save their career, it would be Cheap trick as despite this being their biggest hit in most parts of the world, the band have come to despise it as they've described it as a contractual obligation their label made them do rather than it being a passion project. I guess if this is them not putting in the effort and it still turns out this good, then it goes to show you how great they are as a band.
#14 for 1988
This was one of two songs written for the long-forgotten film Vision quest, a film where as far as I can tell is about a Caucasian man using the spiritual journey usually reserved for native Americans in order to help him win a boxing tournament. Madonna performs this track in the film, which I think is safe to say is the best part of it given how it was a box office flop despite this being a huge worldwide hit.
#9 for 1985
Want to know something interesting about these guys? It turns out that they ruined the early crossover appeal that Roxette had with their album from around this time due to this being a huge success in the UK at their fellow Swede's expense. I guess it's easy to see how they did it given how this has become a sporting anthem over the years thanks to those iconic synths, and hey these guys did score a second hit on Billboard with "Carrie."
#14 for 1987
It looked like the debut album from the Moving pictures had crashed and burned upon its initial release, however the success of this second single from their album Days of innocence ensured it would be a huge success for the band. Nowadays the song is known for two things, the first is the inferior (in my opinion) cover from Shannon Noll and the second is criticism that it glorifies suffering from first world problems (it doesn't.)
#7 for 1982
Well on my last list I covered how few really cared that Samantha Fox wasn't much of a vocalist in the mainstream, now let's talk about a fellow member of the LGBT community who used his good looks and infectious songs to overlook his own vocal deficiencies in the form of Paul Lekakis. Admittedly he didn't receive much love outside of Australia, presumably due to this song being used in a competition organised by Countdown which resulted in its popularity here.
#15 for 1987
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#14 for 1988
With a premise as arrogant as the one on display with this band's signature track, you'd think they'd be all bark and no bite much like most modern indie artists. Fortunately, not only is this track one of the more iconic hit singles to emerge from this year, but the rest of their catalogue follows suit with them not conforming to the trends of early MTV (for the most part that is.) That didn't stop these guys from calling it quits the following year so that Adam could pursue a solo career.
#7 for 1981
This was the only hit single that the NZ trio the Swingers were able to achieve in Australia, although they did achieve a second hit in their homeland with "It ain't what you dance, it's the way you dance it" so it's not like this is their only legacy over there. This is another novelty track whose popularity came from how incessantly catchy the song is, seriously try getting this out of your head if you can.
#8 for 1981
Behold the one and only hit that Pink Floyd were able to achieve during their time together (OK so "Learning to fly" also charted in Australia but still) there was little doubt this was going to become a huge hit for the band given how instantly relatable the lyrics have been to every generation of children since its initial release. Even the video is amazing as it brings these lyrics to life through stylised animation that was later used in the album's theatrical adaptation.
#10 for 1980
Although he remains a one hit wonder here in Australia with this theme to a long forgotten animated film from his native NZ (and one that doesn't look good judging by the animation displayed in the music video) Dave was a huge superstar in his homeland by originally with his band D.D smash and for many years after his first solo hit with the reggae group Herbs. I defy anyone to get this song out of their heads after hearing it, it's virtually impossible to do so.
#16 for 1987
This was the final solo hit to come from George Harrison, although the success of this cover of the obscure track from James Ray did lead to him forming the supergroup the Travelling wilburys a year after its initial release. Apparently, he cut out a verse from the original which led to two things about this track, the first is that it changes the context of the lyrics and the second is that it makes this version more repetitive than the original. No wonder many people don't like this track.
#17 for 1987
#15 for 1988 #15 ARIA
It's easy to forget that this was the second single from Men at work's debut album Business as usual given how it's overshadowed the actual lead single "Who can it be now" over the years, it's easy to see how it did so given that it's one of the first songs people think of when they think of an iconic Australian song. Another fun fact about this is that it helped the band become the first to top the Billboard and UK charts simultaneously with a song and album.
#9 for 1981
#8 for 1982
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