Hits of the 2010's (so far) ranked (NZ charts)

This is my ranking of the big hits from NZ this decade so far, or rather the big hits over there that were also hits here in Australia as admittedly I didn't feel comfortable with ranking songs that I wouldn't recognise if I didn't comb through their charts. As with the Australian ranking, I'm only including songs that made their official year end lists, meaning that there will be less songs on here overall as they don't have a top 100 year end list like we do here in Australia.

#1 Fleetwood mac-Go your own way (only charted on catalogue chart)

#2 Fleetwood mac-dreams #6

#3 Kate bush-running up that hill #1x2

#4 Dua lipa-levitating #5

#5 Killers-Mr Brightside #23 

#6 Dua lipa-don’t start now #3

#7 Weeknd-blinding lights #1x4

#8 Olivia Rodrigo-good 4 u #1x6

#9 Lil Nas x-that’s what I want #6

#10 Lizzo-about damn time #3

#11 Harry styles-adore you #6

#12 Adele-easy on me #1x6

#13 Harry styles-watermelon sugar #4

#14 Regard-ride it #8

#15 Beyonce-cuff it #3

#16 Lost frequencies-where are you now #12

#17 Benee-supalonely #2

#18 Maneskin-begging #3

#19 Joel Corry-head and heart #5

#20 Lil Nas x-Montero #2

#21 Elton john-cold heart #1x9

#22 Vance joy-riptide (only charted on catalogue chart)

Good tier 

#23 Weeknd-save your tears #9

#24 Post Malone-sunflower (only charted on catalogue chart)

#25 Dababy-rockstar #1x5

#26 Doja cat-paint the town red #1x10

#27 Sza-snooze #5

#28 Lil Nas x-industry baby #1x1

#29 Topic-breaking me #7

#30 Benee-glitter #3

#31 Doja cat-kiss me more #1x1

#32 Doja cat-Vegas #3

#33 Sza-kill bill #1x4

#34 Megan thee stallion-savage #2

#35 Harry styles-as it was #1x3

#36 Billie Eilish-bad guy #1x1

Meh tier 

#37 Sza-good days #3

#38 Giveon-heartbreak anniversary #2

#39 Fifty fifty-cupid #1x5

#40 Tones and I-dance monkey #1x11

#41 Steve lacy-bad habit #2

#42 Billie Eilish-everything I wanted #2

#43 Glass animals-heat waves #2

#44 Jack Harlow-what’s popping #6

#45 Billie Eilish-happier than ever #4

#46 Ed Sheeran-shivers #3

#47 Ed Sheeran-bad habits #1x2

#48 Miguel-sure thing #4

#49 Masked wolf-astronaut in the ocean #6

#50 Onerepublic-I ain’t worried #1x2

#51 Tiesto-the business #21

Bad tier 

#52 Pinkpantheress-boy’s a liar #1x6

#53 Ariana grande-34+35 #3

#54 Doja cat-woman #9

#55 Miley Cyrus-flowers #1x6

#56 Olivia Rodrigo-traitor #5

#57 Elley Duhe-middle of the night #16

#58 Doja cat-say so #3

#59 Raye-escapism #2

#60 Kid Laroi-stay #1x11

#61 Justin Bieber-ghost #16

#62 Doja cat-need to know #5

#63 Olivia Rodrigo-déjà vu #3

#64 Justin Bieber-anyone #9

#65 Rema-calm down #7

#66 Post Malone-I like you #6

#67 Stephen Sanchez-until I found you #13

#68 Simba-rover #8

#69 24kgolden-mood #1x7

#70 Nicky youre-sunroof #19

#71 Kid Laroi-without you #8

#72 Brockhampton-Sugar #12

#73 Justin Bieber-intentions #1x2

#74 Labianca-people #2

#75 Post Malone-circles #1x1

#76 Frank ocean-lost #16

#77 Kendrick Lamar-money trees (only charted on catalogue chart)

#78 Dave-sprinter #1x9

#79 Travis Scott-highest in the room #2

#80 Taylor swift-cruel summer #3

#81 Olivia Rodrigo-drivers licence #1x7

#82 Luke combs-fast car #8

#83 Chris brown-go crazy #2

#84 Saint jhn-roses #1x2

#85 Roddy rich-the box #1x3

#86 Internet money-lemonade #2

#87 Eminem-Godzilla #2

#88 Imagine dragons-enemy #6

#89 Cardi b-wap #1x6

#90 David Guetta-I’m good #4

#91 Doja cat-streets #10

#92 Taylor swift-anti-hero #1x2

#93 Justin Bieber-holy #2

#94 David Kushner-daylight #1x1

Nightmare tier (basically songs that make me shout MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!) 

#95 Latto-big energy #12

#96 Coi Leray-players #6

#97 Powfu-death bed #5

#98 Justin Bieber-yummy #1x2

#99 Meghan Trainor-made you look #2

#100 Weeknd-die for you #2

#101 Arizona zervas-Roxanne #1x6

#102 Justin Bieber-peaches #1x6

#103 Weeknd-creeping #6

#104 Sam smith-unholy #1x9

#105 Lil mosey-blueberry faygo #10

#106 Jvke-golden hour #22

#106 Acraze-do it to it #18

#107 Tom Odell-another love #21

#108 Sam Fischer-this city #20

#109 Future-wait for u #7

#110 Jack Harlow-first class #1x6

#111 Silk sonic-leave the door open #1x2

#112 Jawsh-savage love #1x8

#113 J cole-no role modelz #22

#114 Future-life is good #13

#115 Zach Bryan-something in the orange #9

#116 Lewis Capaldi-before you go #9

#117 Gayle-abcdefu #3

#118 Lp Saxe-if the world was ending #20

#119 Maroon 5-memories #3

#120 Morgan Wallen-last night #2

#121 Chris brown-under the influence #2

#122 Lewis Capaldi-someone you loved #4

#123 Ariana Grande-stuck with u #2

#124 Joji-glimpse of us #1x5

#125 Trevor Daniel-falling #17

#126 Surface-Sunday best #9

#127 Drake-toosie slide #1x1

#128 Russ-body #1x1

#129 Luude-down under #1x9

#130 Encanto-we don’t talk to Bruno #4

Years in music ranked

This is a much more subjective list of mine as naturally I'm basing this ranking on my personal preferences rather than objective qualities. That said, I feel I have enough authority on this site to justify my opinions on each year I've covered on this site, I'll also throw in the early 70s to round out the five decades we've looked at so far to give better context as to why I don't want to cover those years on this site.

Here's how I rank the 50 years in music from 1970-2019 (I'm not ranking the 2020s due to the lack of direction the music scene has had as of late).

2011

This is my least favourite year in music, mainly because I don't care much for the club boom, which dominated the music scene worldwide. There were some bright spots here and there, but overall, it was a painful experience.

1974

This is often considered the worst year in music by historians, I'm inclined to agree due to the sheer amounts of cheesy ballads that made it big at the time as well as some poorly aged comedy tracks that I'm sure were funny at the time but simply aren't these days. There was also a rise in popularity with artists from the 50s making it big for a second time this year, although this would die out by 1976.

2016

This was the height of "politically correct" culture. That is, we have a bunch of racist/sexist media claiming to fight against systemic injustice, which were still feeling the aftereffects of to this day. In music, this translated to pop stars "getting woke" by disingenuously singing about female empowerment as if the concept had just been discovered recently, resulting in preachy pop songs that few if anyone enjoyed even at the time.

2018

Although woke media still persists in entertainment to this day, it thankfully died off by this year in the music scene due to streaming taking over the music scene worldwide. Of course, this meant our listening habits were controlled by whatever was on the Spotify play lists, resulting in soulless music (usually trap and commercial jingles) dominating our charts which is only a marginal improvement over a rich pop star singing about disadvantages they've never experienced.

2015

I never cared much for the tropical house boom of the decade, granted its miles better than the club boom from five years prior, but it's unfortunately paired the beginnings of the woke garbage from those disingenuous pop stars that would permeate pop culture for the remainder of the decade.

2004

This year would be higher if I based it solely on what it had to offer, it was the height of the indie boom of the 00s after all as well as some great alternative rock dominating our airwaves. Unfortunately, this is cancelled out by Australian idol dominating our mainstream, which resulted in the rise of digital piracy here back in the day. Thankfully, digital downloads were made legal by 2006. Otherwise, the accursed reality show would've killed off our music industry down under.

2010

This was when the club boom took over the mainstream worldwide, the only thing preventing this from being at the bottom of the list with 2011 is that there's little pretentious indie music to be found this year which really made 2011 that much more intolerable due to these artists acting like they were too cool for the clubs when they really weren't.

2005

Again, this would be higher on the list, were it not for reality shows killing off physical media around this time. There was plenty of great rock and pop music this year that got pushed aside for the likes of those reality show contestants the media shoved down our throats in order to boost their egos which resulted in fans pirating their favourite artists music out of protest against the music industry.

2007

This was a really clunky year on our charts due to ARIA not including digital data on our main charts unless there was a physical release of a song in question. Although this year would still rank low even if that wasn't an issue as this was when viral hits from YouTube started taking over the mainstream worldwide which resulted in established artists pandering to the YouTube crowd in order to seem "hip" with these crowds.

2009

As this year was the last year of its decade, it felt more like a last hurrah of the big artists of the 00s more than anything else, pair that with the rise of the club boom this year and we have an overall annoying and rightfully forgotten year in music.

2017

You'd think this year would be lower due to it being the rise of streaming taking over our music scene as well as the continuation of woke culture in our music scene, at least the streaming juggernauts were largely inoffensive this year whilst the woke garbage was at least so disingenuous and awful that it wound up dying out in the music industry by the following year. What's left was decent enough to rise this year in the ranking.

2008

I feel this was the year where our music tastes were dictated to us, given how that was the trade-off for preventing those awful viral hits from YouTube from clogging up our charts. It was a temporary solution to that conundrum as it resulted in rather soulless music from artists who likely would've failed to crossover the year prior.

1989

This was another decade closer that seemed more interested in looking back on the greatest hits of its decade rather than exposing fresh talent to (then) modern audiences. Then again, that's likely for the best, considering how many Kylie Minogue rip-offs there were that did make it through to the mainstream, which really cheapened the overall quality of pop music.

2019

I had high hopes coming out of the 2010s given how decent the new artists were this year, it was dragged down by it celebrating the highs (and mostly lows) of the decade as well as having tik tok determine what was popular on streaming, but it's one of the better years of the 2010s overall. Sadly, its winning streak would be ruined shortly after the year ended for obvious reasons.

2006

The year where digital downloads saved the ARIA charts, this meant that the awesome indie scene was finally recognised in our mainstream as well as the pop divas of the moment no longer having their success stalled due to their labels (usually Sony) pulling their songs from shelves to encourage sales from reality show contestants.

1973

Oh boy do I find this year boring, so much cheap country and personality deprived ballads clogged up the charts this year likely due to these songs being pleasant enough to offset the hangover everyone was experiencing from the 60s coming to an end.

2012

This was the final year of the dreaded club boom, although the insufferable indie scene I mentioned in my 2010 entry would briefly take over this year which does drag it down as it would've been higher thanks to pop divas once again dominating without relying on the club boom gimmicks.

1972

Another boring year from the early 70s, there's not much to add here that doesn't apply to 1973 as there were a ton of country and pop ballads which really dominated the mainstream over the surprisingly few prog and heavy metal projects most people think of when thinking of early 70s music.

2014

This was when streaming was included on the ARIA charts, although that wouldn't happen until November this year, meaning the Australian charts were lacking any clear musical direction for the most part. Still, I prefer this over what was dominating Billboard given how we Aussies wisely didn't incorporate YouTube data onto our charts until very recently.

1987

If I were merely going off what was popular solely here in Australia, this would be much higher as this was an excellent year for queer music given how hi n r g dominated our airwaves this year. Alas, I have to factor in what was happening internationally this year, which drags it down as the rest of the world was more interested in oldies tracks due to them being used in commercials throughout the world. Basically, if it wasn't used in a commercial at the time, the rest of the world wasn't interested in it.

2013

Our final year from the 2010s, it's also a year American readers will despise as Billboard foolishly decided to factor in YouTube data this year which basically saw the return of those awful meme tracks making it big over there. Thankfully the rest of the world was mostly spared from those viral hits, meaning we got to witness indie music finally getting its head out of its ass and returning to the high standards it reached in the 00s with its insightful observations of our culture at the time.

1971

I have to say I never cared for the 60s music scene, so that means that the remnants of the decade that made it big this year and in 1970 do nothing for me which does drag down their rankings on this list. This also had those awful pop and country ballads that permeated the first half of the 70s, which the previous year lacked and thus gave it a higher ranking on this list.

1993

It's about time we had the 90s appear on this list, this is the worst year of the decade mainly due to how direction less it was as the general public were finally ready to move on from the 80s this year without having a clear indication of where to take the music scene. We evidently settled for reggae given how that was the most prominent genre this year. However, we quickly moved on to other genres the following year.

1990

This will forever be known as the 80s hangover, given how there was no attempt at moving away from that decade once the 90s began. There was a ton of Kylie Minogue rip-offs to make it big as well as Paula Abdul rip-offs in America given how Kylie wasn't popular on Billboard like Paula was at the time, however the rock scene from the 80's did return as it didn't have to compete with older bands and artists soaking up their last moments of fame this year like they did in 1989.

1999

This was a celebration not just of the 90s but of the 20th century overall, meaning there was a ton of older artists getting in their final moments of fame this year as well as a ton of throwback hits to older generations and the inevitable tracks from the counterculture to point out how messed up the 20th century actually was. The genre of the moment was teen pop, this would mean this year was actually terrible to those rock snobs out there, however I was seven this year, meaning my nostalgia has me looking back on these tracks fondly rather with disdain which did affect the ranking of this year on my list.

1980

Disco might have been dead in America. However, it was merely being phased out internationally, which means there was still plenty of it worldwide this year. Still, I don't particularly care for the rise of easy listening which dominated the Billboard charts this year, some of which did find its way into our charts here in Australia as well as a few novelty tracks that I can only describe as nursery pop (songs that sound like nursery rhymes written as pop music.)

1991

This is another year that lacked any direction for the music scene, I'm glad I'm not from America as contemporary Christian music was a huge draw to what was popular on Billboard as was the large amounts of Paula Abdul rip-offs dominating their charts. I guess the rest of the world settled for adult contemporary as well as songs that became commercial jingles in the UK, which did help the Brits discover hidden gens that were big here in Australia previously.

1970

If I were a bigger fan of psychedelia or hippy culture in general, then rest assured this year, and most of the 60s in general would be higher on this list. I guess this is a personal preference as I honestly feel like I'm on a bad trip whenever I listen to this type of music, however that doesn't make it terrible, hence why it's higher on here than other years I enjoy more overall.

2000

As this was the final year of the second millennium (our current millennium began in 2001) it only makes sense that the theme of celebrating music from the past would continue this year, although there was much less emphasis on the 90s given how the big names of that decade were largely absent this year by comparison. Teen pop was still huge which of course I'm biased towards due to nostalgia, there was also a higher emphasis of the "were in the future" theme that cropped up in the late 90s as well as the counterculture argument of "and the world is still shit" it competed with.

1998

While this year was decent for the most part here in Australia, I simply can't ignore how messed up the international charts were, particularly on Billboard which was wholly inaccurate to what was popular in America due to many songs failing to receive a physical release over there as well as the Uk where piracy began its reign with the Brits that lasted well into the 00s. There was also a bunch of teen pop throughout Europe that failed to crossover here in Australia, although we Aussies also passed up on the large amounts of rnb ballads and hip hop like we did throughout most of the decade.

1997

This was when the different trends that dominated different parts of the world throughout the 90s finally came together to coexist in harmony with each other internationally. It naturally resulted in only the most inescapable from each genre making it big in the mainstream worldwide, but at least rnb, hip hop, edm, Britpop and rock and roll could exist with each other regardless of where in the world you're from.

I should also mention that this was the year ARIA and AMR widely differed from each other as the former heavily favoured the mainstream whilst the latter was willing to acknowledge the alternative scene, this obviously didn't affect my ranking of this year, but I felt it made for an interesting fun fact.

2003

This is another year that didn't have much direction to it for the most part, although I rank it pretty high on this list due to it being a great year for Australian artists even without the influence of Australian idol as that didn't come to practice until the tail end of the year. Of course, I would rank this lower had I based it on the UK charts where reality show contestants reigned supreme, but thankfully few if any crossed over internationally. 

1992

The year I was born, you'd think I'd rank this at number one given how much sentimentality I've shown on this list so far. Alas it only ranks as high as it does due to this being the year that grunge broke through onto the mainstream as that was such a breath of fresh air compared to the adult contemporary that dominated the charts worldwide this year. I guess the remnants of the 80s that were still around also boosted this in the rankings given how audiences didn't want adult contemporary to be what defined the decade even at this point in time.

1975

Ahh yes, the year where countdown began its influence on the Australian charts, naturally I would rank this year fairly high as it was what gave a platform to so many iconic Australian artists and their different takes on popular genres of the decade such as pub rock and glam metal. The rest of the world didn't do too badly with their respective music scenes either as this was where disco began its meteoric rise in popularity as well as pushing aside all those old crooners who were making it big for a second time in the mainstream.

1981

The year MTV launched, although it launched fairly late in the year, meaning it was largely a continuation of 1980 when it came to adult contemporary and nursery pop dominating the airwaves. Thankfully neither genre was as dominating this year as this was when new wave finally took off in the mainstream which would of course heavily benefit from MTV given how the artists were willing to experiment with their music videos once the program launched.

2002

This is another year I'd rank lower if I were from the UK given how reality TV really did take over their mainstream this year, however it had no impact anywhere else in the world due to how dominant hip hop and rnb was internationally as well as the rise of personal ballads from usually female singer/songwriters which swept away the teen pop from the start of the decade.

1976

This year might seem a little low on this list if you're not from Australia, however we Aussies had an issue with diversifying our music tastes outside of sherbet, Abba and bay city rollers this year which does hold this back in my ranking. The rest of the world made up for this by having disco explode in popularity as well as having the introduction of rock operas, which would explode in popularity during the second half of the decade.

1977

There was a bit too much soft rock for my liking for this to be any higher on this list, however with the rise of disco and rock opera taking place, it was more than enough to forgive the stale adult contemporary that those genres were competing with. Also, I had to dock points due to us Aussies largely ignoring the punk scene that popped up in the UK this year.

1995

The mid 90s was different depending on where in the world you're from, the Brits were in love with Britpop, the kiwis loved their West Coast hip hop, Canada loved their rock and roll, Europe was all about Eurodance, America loved their rnb and we Aussies loved our edm. Naturally, this meant that anything with an electronic dance beat to it was fair game on our charts, which would be cool if that didn't include dance remixes of movie quotes and older ballads of yesteryear.

2001

This is the final year from the 21st century on this list, the millennium was off to a good start thanks to the high abundance of quality rnb and hip hop making it big worldwide as well as teen pop being on its way out in favour of more personal ballads from older artists. I guess reality shows did have their foot in the door this year. However, that was only a big issue in the UK who were still dealing with mass piracy in their music scene at the time.

1996

If you're from the UK, then this year may seem a bit high to you as there was a high number of British celebrities scoring minor success over there through their name recognition which clogged up the British charts and no doubt led to music piracy that lasted well into the 00s. The rest of the world continued showing their love for the genres that dominated their respective music scenes. However, there was a bit of crossover this year as we Aussies started embracing rnb as well as the Kiwis embracing edm.

1994

While we Aussies did shut out rnb and hip hop just like the kiwis had shut out edm and Eurodance, the two countries did allow for rock and pop to dominate our respective scenes which were both at their best this year. While it's a shame the decade was territorial with what was popular, there's no denying that each part of the world had a great music scene as the different genres had a ton of innovation to them all.

1988

This is sandwiched between two of the worst years of the 80s, although the rest of the world was finally done with having older songs clog up their charts and instead allowed genres of the moment to dominate. This culminated by having the bombast of the decade compete with the more subdue genres such as singer/songwriters and sophistopop, resulting in a very varied music landscape as it alternated from new wave to easy listening from song to song.

1982

This was where MTV truly kicked off, meaning that the new wave acts of the moment really let their creative juices run wild both musically and especially visually, resulting in some rather wacky music and videos. These were balanced out with the genres sophisticated cousin new romance which is a precursor to sophistopop as has the visual aesthetics of new wave but lacks the bombast of the genre which gave variety to what the music scene had to offer.

1979

This year, this year did something that the decade end years failed to do, celebrating what the decade in question accomplished without it coming off as a last hurrah for those who contributed to the pop culture of the day. It's a shame the disco backlash happened in America this year as the genre was at its peak here, as too was rock in general thanks to how bombastic it had gotten due to the rise of the rock opera. There was some easy listening. However, that took a back seat to the more interesting genres of the moment.

1986

If it weren't for the last quarter of the year being where the trend of older songs being featured in commercials took off internationally, this year would be even higher on this list as we had great offerings from the many pop divas of the moment as well as the introduction to sophistopop which sadly took a back seat by the end of the year in favour of those classics turned commercial jingles. We also saw fewer new waves in favour of hi n r g tracks, which is basically 80s disco given the similarities the two genres have.

1978

This edges out 1979 as there wasn't a racist/homophobic backlash towards a popular genre this year that took place in America like there was that year, that's about the only difference these two years have from each other as naturally that backlash meant there was slightly fewer disco classics to come out that year compared to this year, that and said backlash did result in more generic music finding success on Billboard that year that likely would've flopped if they peaked this year.

1983

Don't think for a second that me attacking the "woke" crowd means I'm against progressive music, if that were the case, I wouldn't be ranking this year so high as this was when artists of any kind were able to find success regardless of the colour of their skin or sexual orientation or what genre they were a part of. I do find it a tad overrated because people will tell you this is the best year in music because of these factors and little else, however with all of the rnb, new wave and pop to make it big, it's hard to deny this was a fantastic year in music.

1984

If there's one word to describe this year, it's colourful as there was no shortage of colour both with the music and the visuals that accompany said music. Some will say that this year is overrated as naturally the songs with the wackiest music videos were pushed to the top of the charts, however they simply helped with a songs success as this was long before watching a video counted towards its popularity meaning that people still bought the songs, they were attached to which consisted of new wave, funk and diva pop.

1985

I'm tempted to leave my explanation of why this is my favourite year in music with two words, live aid. I'll elaborate as naturally a concert that brought together the biggest names in music wasn't the only thing this year had to offer. First off, there was the combination of older artists recharging themselves to make music that would stack up with the younger artists of the day rather than making boring crooner music like their predecessors did a decade prior, then there's the countless sub genres which were given a platform thanks to the charity concert which further spiced up the variety this year had to offer. This year had more top ten hits than another other here in Australia, many of which widely differed from each other which made going through each week a joy for me as it was hard to predict what would go to number one looking at each chart the year had to offer. For all these reasons and many more, this will forever be my favourite year in music.

Disagree? I'm sure you do, so tell me how you would rank these years in music down below!

Biggest albums in Australia XX

Well seeing as though I've covered the biggest hit singles of each decade here in Australia, I've decided to compile a list of the biggest albums here in Australia. Please note that unlike these other lists which I had previously constructed from my rateyourmusic profile, I decided to make this one differently to encapsulate an album's entire chart run to allow the sleeper hits a much higher placement on this list rather than having them at the bottom. This means that several of the biggest albums of all time here will be appearing much lower than they should given how they naturally didn't last as long on our charts overall due to being an instant success rather than having to climb our charts as they found an audience with us Aussies. That said, the commentary will remain the same from my other lists, which may admittedly come off as weird due to the change in order of these albums on this list from their respective year end lists of mine.

Although the band were way past their prime at this point, it appears that the news of Sammy Hagar's departure shook up enough of us Aussies this year that their greatest hits package managed to become a huge hit for them.

Peak position #11

Peak position #12 (AMR charts)

(POPULAR IN 1996)

This was the last album that Santana had any success with for nearly two decades, it was more of the same of their south American style pop rock that had made them a household name throughout the 70's but didn't do them any favours going into the 80's. They would need the help of the 90's scene to find success in the mainstream again.

Peak position #9

(POPULAR IN 1979)

It may surprise you to learn that the Church wasn't among the most popular bands of the decade in Australia considering how well loved they remain in the alternative scene to this day, that said they did leave their mark on our scene due to their regular appearances on Countdown as well as their music being able to stand out from all the other MTV driven albums from this time.

Peak position #10

Hit singles

Almost with you #21

(POPULAR IN 1982)

It looks like Barbra Streisand was able to find some success during the midpoint of the decade as this album did reasonably well upon its initial release here in Australia, it would explain why her greatest hits package from earlier in the decade managed to rechart the following year given that there was still room for her in the mainstream.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

Left in the dark #27

(POPULAR IN 1984)

It appears we Aussies had enough love for the Offspring to give them one more successful album in their catalogue, although I get the feeling this was more due to rock music being at the height of its popularity now that digital downloads had made the genre mainstream once more. It's hard to say if their previous album would've succeeded if downloads were a thing, although there is a possibility it would've.

Peak position #3

(POPULAR IN 2008)

Following the success of their debut album from the previous year, Mi-Sex quickly capitalised off their newfound fame by releasing this album which continued with their sci fi theme that their earlier work had established for them. Although this was more of an immediate success for the band both here and in their native NZ, it proved to be less successful overall suggesting their novelty was quickly wearing off.

Peak position #5

Hit singles

People #6

Space race #28

(POPULAR IN 1980)

This is Keith Urban's only appearance on this site given how he didn't start finding massive success here in Australia until this album became a hit for him, although for what it's worth, he would find massive success throughout the 2010's likely due to his presence on the Voice Australia as well as country music doing quite well that decade down under.

Peak position #3

(POPULAR IN 2009)

Given how his onscreen wife had taken the music industry by storm this year, it only seems fitting that Jason Donovan would follow suit by releasing this album which was a massive success despite people questioning his musical abilities when listening to the album. It may have been a hit at the time; however, few will claim that he was a vocal talent unlike his onscreen wife Kylie Minogue.

Peak position #5

Peak position #5 (ARIA charts)

Hit singles

Nothing can divide us #3 (ARIA #3)

Especially for you #2 (ARIA #2)

Too many broken hearts #6 (ARIA #7)

Sealed with a kiss #8 (ARIA #8)

Every day #44

(POPULAR IN 1989)

This likely would've sunk on our charts here in Australia were it not for the surprise success of its lead single which helped Pat Benatar find a more mainstream audience following the success of her live album from the previous year, indeed her brand of pop rock seemed to better connect with audiences as the decade went on even if it wasn't on the level nostalgia stations would want you to believe.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

We belong #7

(POPULAR IN 1985)

One of the best comedies of the decade was Sister act, mainly for the ridiculous plot involving Whoopi Goldberg being put in witness protection in a nunnery and having her teaching the church choir how to be "hip" with the youth of the day through song. The film was a critical and commercial success as well as spawning a soundtrack which did include renditions of the songs used in the film as advertised in its credits.

Peak position #8

Peak position #6 (AMR charts)

(POPULAR IN 1993)

It appears that fifth time was the charm for Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons as this was their fifth album in their catalogue as well as the album that finally made them a household name here in Australia thanks to the lead single becoming their only hit. This is another surprise for me as I would've thought this would be among the more successful albums of this time from the overplay on oldies stations to the band appearing regularly on Countdown.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

Hit and run #12

Shape I'm in #22

(POPULAR IN 1979)

Following the success of her earlier entry on this list, Barbra Streisand released this album which was a modest hit for her here in Australia likely due to the good will she had from her Hollywood flicks this decade.

Peak position #11

Hit singles

My heart belongs to me #46

(POPULAR IN 1977)

This was the second RNB album that Billy Ocean released this decade, proving that he had found his niche as the British equivalent of Lionel Richie as he continued to score a string of hits throughout the decade with this album. His third album in this vein wouldn't be as successful two years later despite it spawning arguably his biggest hit with its lead single, although it's still bigger than anything he released in the 90's.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

When the going gets tough the tough get going #1

There'll be sad songs #10

(POPULAR IN 1986)

Nick Cave had a surprisingly good year in the Australian music scene this decade, not only did he score a huge hit with Kylie Minogue three years prior, but he also managed to have his albums see mainstream success for the first time earlier in the decade. This greatest hits album was released to help fans discover his older work which he had over a decade of at this point.

Peak position #2

Peak position #1x1 (AMR charts)

(POPULAR IN 1998)

It's a bit of a surprise that these guys saw a steep decline in their popularity as the decade was coming to an end here in Australia given how inescapable they were during its midpoint, it's even more bizarre when you consider A: that their catalogue still receive airplay on oldies stations to this day and B: that their popularity in the UK continued as recently as the early 90's.

Peak position #14

Hit singles

Rocking all over the world #12

(POPULAR IN 1978)

This was far less popular than Fall out boy's previous album here in Australia, although at least it was a success here which is more than I can say for the rest of the band's output given how their earlier catalogue failed to find an international audiences and their post breakup material from the 2010's fell victim to rock being exiled from the mainstream as well as their fanbases disappointment in the band by that point.

Peak position #9

Hit singles

I don't care #20

America's sweethearts #26

(POPULAR IN 2008, 2009)

This was all set to flop here in Australia due to RNB being unpopular throughout the decade, however thanks to the runaway success of its second single worldwide, it became a moderate success here which temporarily put the quartet on the same level of Boyz II men.

Peak position #12

Peak position #12 (AMR charts)

Hit singles

I swear #1 (AMR #1)

(POPULAR IN 1994)

A perfect circle is a side project that Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan launched this year, it was off to a good start as this became a huge success due to how much love it received from Triple J as well as his fanbase from his main band.

Peak position #2

Hit singles

Judith #25

The hollow #49

(POPULAR IN 2000)

This is the final album that the Jackson 5 had any sort of success with worldwide, mainly because it was their final album to have MJ as a part of the lineup which means that this is concrete proof that the family band owed all of their success to the king of pop throughout their time in the spotlight.

Peak position #9

Hit singles

State of shock #10

Torture #32

(POPULAR IN 1984)

This was the second volume from John Farnham's anthology series, this one covers his pre-Whispering jack albeit live renditions as a way to showcase his talents as a vocalist given how many people felt his pre-Whispering jack era doesn't hold up to his (then) most recent work.

Peak position #12

Peak position #18 (AMR charts)

(POPULAR IN 1997)

This is the final successful album that Eric Clapton had here in Australia, likely due to the presence of B.B King as the blues legend pays tribute to the older blues legend in a respectful way. Even so, this was a bit of a sleeper success as it randomly spiked in popularity throughout the year for some reason.

Peak position #5

(POPULAR IN 2000)

Following the success of her debut album here, Hilary Duff was able to rush out a second album which includes a cover of a Belinda Carlisle classic that divides audiences to this day. This cover was well received enough for the album to become a massive success here upon its initial release, although the rest of the album failed to keep it on the charts like the singles from her previous album did.

Peak position #6

Hit singles

Our lips are sealed #8

Fly #21

Somebody's watching over me #22

(POPULAR IN 2004)

Considering how inescapable their debut album was, you'd think that the second album from Hush which contains all of their most recognisable work would've been twice as successful. Alas it appears the success went towards the singles as the album itself struggled to live up to the success of their previous effort.

Peak position #14

Hit singles

Bony maronie #4

Glad all over #8

Rough tough and ready #49

(POPULAR IN 1976)

I can assure you that prog rock was all the rage here in Australia during the first half of the decade, so much so that this only being a modest success for Aussie band Sebastian Hardie (what is with that name?) is more due to it being late to the party rather than us Aussies not being interested in what they had to offer.

Peak position #12

(POPULAR IN 1975)

Given how the Power station was a supergroup comprised of Robert Palmer and several members of Duran Duran, it makes sense that their one and only album was a moderate success here in Australia. Even then, its success is more due to it spawning two big hits on our charts as it naturally didn't chart very high on our charts.

Peak position #15

Hit singles

Some like it hot #4

Get it on #8

(POPULAR IN 1985)

Tommy Emmanuel was a session guitarist for Dragon during their last few albums in the 80's, even with that in mind, it was a bit of a surprise that he managed to see massive solo success throughout the 90's beginning with this solo album following the final successful album from his meal ticket band from the previous year.

Peak position #13

Peak position #13 (AMR charts)

(POPULAR IN 1990, 1991)

This was the final successful album that the Thompson twins were able to score anywhere in the world, likely due to it being the final album where they were a trio as Joe Leeway would depart from the band after this (amicably it seems.) I'm not sure why this wasn't a bigger hit in Australia as the band did perform the third single on Countdown, I guess we wanted something else from them at this point.

Peak position #8

Hit singles

Lay your hands on me #28

Don't mess with doctor dream #17

King for a day #20

(POPULAR IN 1986)

This is the debut album from Vanessa Carlton and the only one that found any kind of success for her throughout her career, mainly due to how inescapably popular the lead single was worldwide which put her on the map of female singer/songwriters that included Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne and P!nk from this year alone.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

A thousand miles #1

Ordinary day #48

(POPULAR IN 2002)

This had a bit of a delay to its success here in Australia, mainly because both of the singles had already fallen off the Billboard charts by the time Bad English had caught on amongst us Aussies this year. This is peculiar as lead singer John Waite already had success both as a solo artist and with his first band the Babys by this point.

Peak position #12

Peak position #17 (AMR charts)

Hit singles

When I see you smile #4 (AMR #5)

Price of love #44

(POPULAR IN 1990)

One of the less successful bands to make it big during the Countdown era here in Australia was Matt Finish, likely because they sound more like a solo artist than a band but also because they didn't do much to stand out from the competition like so many of their contemporaries did.

Peak position #18

Hit singles

Short note #33

(POPULAR IN 1981)

These guys were on a roll when they released their second album which pivoted away from their early comedic tracks, although the albums success was sacrificed here in Australia in favour of given the band their second chart topper here in the form of its lead single, hence why it's much lower on this list compared to their earlier entry.

Peak position #14

Hit singles

Walk right in #1

What a way to go #41

(POPULAR IN 1977)

The Delltones were a surf rock band from the 60's who saw massive success in their heyday, for whatever reason, they saw a massive revival this year with this album even though it's the same type of surf rock that was in vogue twenty years prior and thus, way out of date compared to everything else on this list.

Peak position #20

(POPULAR IN 1984)

Well, this is something else, apparently some mad man (or woman in this case) decided it was a good idea to make a documentary of WWII but have its soundtrack comprised of popular covers of the Beatles back catalogue. Apparently, we Aussies were intrigued with this documentary as this became a decent success here this year, that or we simply considered this an acceptable compilation of Beatles covers.

Peak position #14

(POPULAR IN 1977)

This was a modest success here upon its initial release likely due to the success of their single from the Twilight soundtrack from earlier on this list, although it achieved most of its success the following year when it rebounded thanks to the success of "The only exception" around the world. Although they were promised a far more successful career, Paramore were one of the few rock bands to find success in the 2010's.

Peak position #1x1

Hit singles

Decode #12

Ignorance #35

The only exception #17

(POPULAR IN 2009)

Known as UK Squeeze here in Australia due to a band with the same name (that naturally found no success here) this second album from the new wave band became a moderate success here due to the title track becoming one of the few punk singles to make it big here. Naturally they were a one album wonder as none of their other albums managed to even touch our charts over the years.

Peak position #18

Hit singles

Cool for cats #5

(POPULAR IN 1979)

Following the success of his earlier entry on this list, Kevin Wilson was an in-demand comedian which resulted in his third album being a massive success for the politically incorrect humour. Like I said earlier, this style of comedy was controversial even for its time, meaning that even back then you had "woke" audiences leveling criticisms towards this type of humour.

Peak position #16

(POPULAR IN 1987)

This was the only successful album to come from Stevie Ray Vaughan and his band Double trouble (not to be confused with the UK duo who scored a hit with their cover of "Love don't live here anymore" in 1990.) They were a blues band who had a big breakthrough during the height of the MTV era, although their success would be bittersweet as Stevie would die in a plane crash in 1990.

Peak position #20

(POPULAR IN 1984)

This was a greatest hits package that was meant to overlook Deborah Harry's entire discography both solo and with Blondie, it's a bit of a surprise it wasn't more of a success here in Australia given how inescapable Blondie was during the late 70's and early 80's was well as her solo career recently peaking with her third album the previous year.

Peak position #6

Peak position #9 (AMR charts)

(POPULAR IN 1991)

Following the sleeper success of his second album, Tommy Emmanuel released his third album which proved to be more of an immediate success for the Australian country singer. This was repackaged a year later with a direct sequel to the album which helped it become his biggest album of the decade and arguably as big as his work with Dragon.

Peak position #5

Peak position #8 (AMR charts)

Hit singles

The journey #29

(POPULAR IN 1993, 1994)

This was another mini comeback that Kate Bush had in her career as it once again managed to spawn one of her more popular hits in her catalogue this year, unfortunately this would be her final successful album here in Australia given how none of her subsequent albums managed to spawn a hit for her like her first, third and this fifth album did.

Peak position #6

Hit singles

Running up that hill #5

(POPULAR IN 1985)

This barely managed to qualify for this list even though I standby that Patrizio's earlier entry on this list was the only success he had here in Australia, this should tell you how digital downloads had almost killed off our music scene here until ARIA finally decided to incorporate them onto the main charts the following year.

Peak position #7

(POPULAR IN 2006)

From what I can gather, Local hero was a comedy film that was a critical and commercial success among Australian and British audiences, it predictably flopped in America due to it being a non-Hollywood project as sadly non-Hollywood films almost always flopped over there throughout the twentieth century. The film is also known for its soundtrack as Dire straits frontman Mark Knopfler was commissioned to provide music for it.

Peak position #12

Hit singles

Local hero #29

(POPULAR IN 1983)

This is sandwiched between two of 10cc's biggest albums in their catalogue, although it's worth noting that this was far more successful internationally for the British band than it was here in Australia for reasons I can't seem to fathom.

Peak position #15

(POPULAR IN 1976)

He's been described in recent times as the 70's Justin Bieber, I guess Mark Holden at least has a sense of humour when it comes to his music being mocked and ridiculed by fans of "real" music over the years despite this being a decent success for him back in the day. I think the more accurate comparison here is that he's the Australian equivalent of the likes of Leif Garret and Shaun Cassidy.

Peak position #20

Hit singles

Never gonna fall in love again #13

I wanna make you my lady #11

Last romance #11

(POPULAR IN 1976)

For whatever reason, this album was a huge flop upon its initial release the previous year only to rebound this year here in Australia, I guess this was due to the album spawning a massive hit for Incubus over in NZ in the form of its second single which was a massive flop down under for the band. This would be the last time they would have any success in either country.

Peak position #3

Hit singles

Wish you were here #39

Are you in #38

(POPULAR IN 2002)

This is the only notable success that opera singer Russell Watson had here in Australia, I'm guessing we Aussies weren't interested in his music given how we were more interested in what Andrea Bocelli and Michael Crawford had to offer around this time. He found way more success over in NZ with the rest of his catalogue.

Peak position #10

(POPULAR IN 2002)

This is the first album from New order to find any success here in Australia, mainly because it was the first album of theirs to have a song that became a hit single albeit only here in Australia as "Bizarre love triangle" curiously bombed in NZ and their native UK where they had ruled the charts up until this point. This led the group to finding success with their greatest hits package from earlier on this list later in the year.

Peak position #15

Hit singles

Bizarre love triangle #5

(POPULAR IN 1987)

This was the first taste of success that Robert Palmer had here in Australia, mainly due to him performing the lead single on Countdown which went over so well that it became a huge hit for him here as well as in America due to the buzz it received from us Aussies. Of course, he would go on to have massive success throughout the 80's both solo and with Duran Duran of all bands.

Peak position #23

Hit singles

Bad case of loving you #13

(POPULAR IN 1979)

I'm a bit surprised this wasn't more of a success here in Australia given how their first album from two years prior was a decent size success for Shakespeare's sister down under, although I guess the would-be success this album had instead went towards its singles which both managed to make their waves on our charts due to their unique approach to art pop they had.

Peak position #20

Peak position #23 (AMR charts)

Hit singles

Stay #3 (AMR #3)

I don't care #18 (AMR #19)

(POPULAR IN 1992)

This was a modest success for Enya upon its initial release, you can say it's her Shepherd moons of the decade given how it was released during the Christmas period of 2005 and achieved most of its success in the new year like that album did over a decade prior.

Peak position #13

(POPULAR IN 2005, 2006)

It looks like Celine Dion was able to find success with one more album in her catalogue before the internet (unfairly) declared her as a joke due to her infamous cover of an AC/DC classic from earlier in the decade, evidently the deluxe edition came with perfume which was also widely ridiculed upon its initial release.

Peak position #12

(POPULAR IN 2007)

This was the first album from the Seekers they released when they reformed, although it's noticeably different from their previous work due to the absence of Judith Durham who didn't rejoin the band util twenty years later. This was more a success due to the lead single becoming a massive surprise hit for the band here.

Peak position #17

Hit singles

Sparrow song #7

(POPULAR IN 1975)

This was the final successful album to come from Madonna, it was mainly for the lead single becoming a massive worldwide hit for the queen of pop but also due to her having good will from her previous album which was one of the bigger hits of the decade for her. Unlike most artists who failed to find further success in the 2010's, her failure was due to her conforming to the internet culture of the decade to dire results.

Peak position #1x1

Hit singles

4 minutes #1

Give it 2 me #23

(POPULAR IN 2008)

This is yet another greatest hits package from Abba that was released around this time, I guess this was to retire their previous album from ten years prior given how that refused to die on our charts even back in the day. Alas it didn't work as this has long since faded into obscurity in favour of that other album coming back every time something Abba related happens.

Peak position #10

(POPULAR IN 2002, 2003, 2004)

Well, here's that dud of a third album from Shannon Noll I mentioned in my previous list, although I may have overstated its lack of success there as it did decently well thanks to having a lead single that was adopted as a sporting anthem thanks to his connections to Australian sport. This was the last time anyone cared about the former Australian Idol contestant as his fourth album was a complete flop.

Peak position #3

Hit singles

Loud #3

In pieces #26

(POPULAR IN 2007)

I wouldn’t have thought that these guys would be so lucrative on MTV's unplugged, however they proved to be just that (at least here in Australia) as they began the decade with a huge hit here in Australia with this album capturing the best moments of their appearance on the program.

Peak position #14

(POPULAR IN 2000)

I guess you can consider this a sellout album from Carole King given how the lead single is quite literally an ad jingle for the Hard rock café which first opened its doors six years prior to when it became a worldwide hit for her. Even so, it was enough of an incentive for fans to rediscover her (then) latest work as this was a success for her.

Peak position #19

Hit singles

Hard rock café #10

(POPULAR IN 1977)

This was the album Rita Coolidge released following the success of her earlier entry on this list, it was pretty much a flop and only appears on this list due to the lack of competition it had back in the day.

Peak position #26

(POPULAR IN 1978)

This is a collaboration album between Diesel and Chris Wilson, the latter being fairly unknown even when this album came out which perhaps explains why it failed to become a success for the former given how he had achieved massive success earlier in the decade with his solo work.

Peak position #18

Peak position #21 (AMR charts)

(POPULAR IN 1996)

If you're wondering why this album that managed to spawn two big hits for Go west underperformed back in the day here in Australia, that's simply because of the stiff competition it had compared to everything else on this list as this did last for quite some time on our charts due to the frenetic energy the duo brings to the project. Naturally it was far more lucrative in the UK and NZ of all places.

Peak position #19

Hit singles

We close our eyes #8

Call me #12

Don't look down #26

(POPULAR IN 1985)

There was a chance that Celtic music would've been the defining genre of the decade had MTV not swept the music scene the previous year, evidence of this is that this is far from the only album from the genre that found some level of success here in Australia during the height of MTV's reign.

Peak position #18

Hit singles

When you were sweet sixteen #9

(POPULAR IN 1983)

One of the few Aussie punk bands to find any sort of success back in the day was the Radiators, this was their debut album which was a decent success likely due to the lead single being a huge radio hit despite it (somehow) bombing on the charts. They would have another successful album later in the decade before they fell into obscurity.

Peak position #22

Hit singles

Coming home #33

(POPULAR IN 1980)

Although they would go on to achieve massive success throughout the 90's, this was the first taste of success that R.E.M had anywhere in the world given how it spawned their first hit in the form of its lead single. In a way, this was ahead of its time as their brand of jangle rock would be a staple for 90's alt rock given how many other bands had a similar style to theirs throughout that decade.

Peak position #13

Peak position #16 (ARIA charts)

Hit singles

Orange crush #16 (ARIA #15)

(POPULAR IN 1989)

It had been a while since we last heard from John Mayer, I guess that explains why this was such a commercial disappointment for him given how there had been other singer/songwriters to emerge since his breakthrough from three years prior.

Peak position #12

(POPULAR IN 2006)

This is the only other album that the Radiators found any sort of success with throughout their career, it proved to be slightly more popular than their debut album from the start of the decade likely due to it being more pop friendly than the punk rock that album had to offer.

Peak position #15

Hit singles

No tragedy #27

(POPULAR IN 1983)

Following the success of their previous album, Snow patrol were able to achieve sound success with this follow up here in Australia that finally gave them a charting song given that digital downloads were finally incorporated onto our charts by this point in time. It may not have lived up to the dizzying heights of success of Eyes open, however it at least prevented the band from becoming a one album wonder here.

Peak position #6

Hit singles

Take back the city #31

(POPULAR IN 2008)

This took its sweet time in becoming a minor success here in Australia, likely because we Aussies weren't interested in rediscovering Kate Bush's back catalogue until funnily enough, she scored a huge hit this year with Peter Gabriel on his earlier entry which boosted the popularity of this greatest hits package from the art pop legend.

Peak position #28

(POPULAR IN 1987)

It makes sense that the Simpsons would release a soundtrack given that there's a surprising number of episodes that were indeed musicals (not sure about naming it after a Stevie Wonder album though.) The success of this album encouraged showrunner Matt Groening to release the previously cancelled Yellow album the following year where it was predictably panned by critics for how much poor taste it had.

Peak position #26

Peak position #20 (AMR charts)

(POPULAR IN 1997)

This is the only notable success to come from American rocker Charlie Sexton, although it's worth noting he was sixteen years old when it saw the light of day, making this an album that was well received and proof that not all minors are stuck making cookie cutter pop music in the music industry.

Peak position #26

Hit singles

Beats so lonely #17

Impressed #40

(POPULAR IN 1986)

Given how this spawned to of the bigger hits of the year prior to its release, it makes sense that Smash mouth would see success with their second album here in Australia. Admittedly they were considered somewhat of a joke even this early in their career due to the second single being the theme of a goofy comedy, however their meme status would be confirmed when they appeared on the Shrek soundtrack twice.

Peak position #29

Hit singles

I can't get enough of you baby #14 (AMR #13)

All star #4 (AMR #5)

(POPULAR IN 1999)

I hope you weren't expecting any other appearances from Iggy pop on this site as this is the only album of his to find any sort of success throughout the world, he's another punk legend who only found mainstream success by "selling out" as this is far more pop friendly than the tracks most of his fans will be familiar with in his catalogue.

Peak position #34

Hit singles

Cry for love #50

Real wild child #11

(POPULAR IN 1987)

It makes sense that this greatest hits package would find success this year with us Aussies given how they finally saw a massive breakthrough with their earlier entry on this list, as such it allowed us Aussies to discover their back catalogue which is a bit odd given how they were regulars on Countdown throughout the decade.

Peak position #13

Hit singles

Boys don't cry (rerelease) #26

(POPULAR IN 1986)