These guys were on top of the world when they released this greatest hits album, although it's worth noting that while they had hit after hit on the Australian charts, their albums weren't quite as successful. I'm not sure why as other glam rock acts such as Slade and Suzi Quatro were able to ride the balance between their singles and albums in the mainstream.
Peak position #2
(POPULAR IN 1975)
Even though there were already two versions of this story made by the time Barbra Streisand took a crack at it, it is the first version to center around the Grammys which perhaps led to its box office success and how it swept the Golden globe awards despite a mixed critical reception towards the film. As the story is about an aging male rock star mentoring a younger female rock star, the soundtrack proved to be a huge success thanks to audiences connecting with the relationship.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Evergreen #5
(POPULAR IN 1977)
While he continued to have success following the temporary parting ways he had with Bernie Taupin, it's obvious that the magic had been lost in Elton's music to the point where he occasionally needed to have songs originally written by Bernie be reworked into some of the tracks on his albums. Even so, he did manage to find success with this album due to it spawning a couple of hit singles for him.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Part time love #12
Song for guy #14
(POPULAR IN 1978, 1979)
She was one of the biggest celebrities of the decade, so of course this greatest hits package from Barbra Streisand would be a success for her worldwide upon its initial release. Her popularity would continue to grow in the 80's as she would score her next album would be the biggest of her career, and indeed her film career would also flourish.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
You don't bring me flowers #4
(POPULAR IN 1979)
One of the more critically acclaimed films of the late 70's was the biopic of Janis Joplin called the Rose, the film is notable for being Bette Midler's theatrical debut as she plays a character loosely based on the pioneer for female rock and roll and the ups and downs she had in her lifetime. As the film has several live performances throughout its runtime, this technically serves as a live album from Bette Midler as well as its soundtrack.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
The rose #6
(POPULAR IN 1980)
Boney M indeed were one of the biggest bands of the 70's, as such it was inevitable that their greatest hits package would be a success given how it serves as yet another reminder from this year of all the biggest success that came in the music industry from the previous decade.
Peak position #3
(POPULAR IN 1980)
Pat Benatar was on a roll following the sound success of her debut from the previous year, although seeing how she struggled to find mainstream success here when she was inescapable in her native America is puzzling considering how much oldies stations love her to this day given how they overplay her entire catalogue.
Peak position #16
Hit singles
You better run #31
Hit me with your best shot #33
(POPULAR IN 1981)
Livie was at the height of her popularity when she released the third volume of her greatest hits series, although it's worth noting that internationally this was only her second volume given how First impressions was released exclusively in Australia and NZ. Her career would come to a crashing halt when she starred opposite John Travolta for the second time in the critically panned Two of a kind.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Heart attack #22
(POPULAR IN 1983)
Well, if you wanted to see Linda Ronstadt try her hand at a standards album, she's got you covered as she released this album likely as a passion project as she wasn't known for making standards prior to making this album and standards has never been a huge draw for the mainstream. She would fade into obscurity after this album until her triumphant comeback from the very end of the decade.
Peak position #11
(POPULAR IN 1983, 1984)
It looked like that these two would find more success with each album they released, after all this was more successful than their previous album and their next two albums would be bigger than the rest of their catalogue combined respectively. They weren't able to score a big hit here in Australia off this album which is strange because the third single is one of their more well-known hits.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Who's that girl #20
Right by your side #15
Here comes the rain again #16
(POPULAR IN 1984)
I'm a bit surprised at how little success Paul Kelly had in the mainstream back in the day, he was always a critical darling and even was a regular on Countdown when he released this album which up until very recently was his most successful (we're obviously not counting his 1997 greatest hits package.) I guess this got pushed aside back in the day in favour of all the earlier entries on this list.
Peak position #15
Hit singles
Before too long #15
Darling it hurts #25
(POPULAR IN 1986, 1987)
He may have failed to score a hit single with the infamous "Songbird" from this album here in Australia, however it appears we Aussies passed up that track (which has since become a meme) in favour of making the album it came from a minor sleeper hit back in the day for Kenny G.
Peak position #25
(POPULAR IN 1987)
There was apparently a highly popular TV series known as Tour of duty which aired for three seasons in the late 80's, I'm guessing this was meant to be a more serious version of M.A.S.H that was set in the Vietnam war instead of the Koreon war. The show produced three soundtracks with the first soundtrack being a huge success here in Australia likely due to how many beloved 60's tracks appeared on the album.
Peak position #3
(POPULAR IN 1988)
The last time anyone cared about Alice Cooper was back in the late 70's when he tried to appeal to a more mainstream market with his adult contemporary ballads, fast forward a decade and we're here with his glam rock album from the height of hair metal which got him back in the mainstream worldwide except for his native America. I guess his fellow Americans felt he was already too old to rock with the younger crowd.
Peak position #11
Peak position #5 (ARIA charts)
Hit singles
Poison #3 (ARIA #3)
Bed of nails #15 (ARIA #13)
Only my heart talking #47
(POPULAR IN 1989, 1990)
This was released just before Freddie Mercury's death, while it was always going to be a huge success since it came out exactly a decade after their first greatest hits package, the fact this is forever tied into the death of the legendary frontman likely factored into its huge success back in the day.
Peak position #4
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
(POPULAR IN 1991, 1992)
This was released the previous year to deafening silence here in Australia, this is even after the fact that the lead single became a massive success here months before Mick Jone's previous band the Clash had a posthumous comeback with "Should I stay or should I go" in his native UK. It was due to the second single's similarities to that song that this finally took off here when that became a worldwide hit.
Peak position #10
Peak position #9 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Rush #1 (AMR #1)
The globe #8 (AMR #9)
(POPULAR IN 1992)
This was the second album to come from Boyz II men, an album that had no issues with finding success here now that they had two of the biggest hits of the decade under their belt. While they wouldn't find any further success with their albums throughout the decade, they didn't need to as their ballads would continue to become chart toppers for them in their native America throughout the 90's.
Peak position #4
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
I'll make love to you #1 (AMR #1)
On bended knee #7 (AMR #5)
Thank you #33
Water runs dry #36
(POPULAR IN 1994, 1995)
Given how he scored a surprise hit with the lead single to this album via Triple J of all places here in Australia, it makes sense that this album would be a huge sleeper hit on our charts which no doubt set up the full comeback for Tom Jones he would have at the end of the decade with his duets album Reload.
Peak position #19
Peak position #18 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
If I only knew #5 (AMR #6)
I wanna get back with you #30
(POPULAR IN 1995)
Although they weren't able to compete with their main rivals Oasis here in Australia, Blur did achieve some moderate success starting with this album which they released the previous year to minimal success. It was able to rebound on our charts likely due to the lead single ranking quite high on their yearend list for 1995 which helped incentivise the mainstream into checking it out.
Peak position #10
Peak position #14 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Country house #28
Charmless man #35
(POPULAR IN 1996)
While he never had much success here in Australia during his lifetime, this greatest hits package from 2pac nonetheless managed to become a huge success for him here proving that we Aussies wanted to atone for us ignoring his back catalogue this decade.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Changes #7 (AMR #9)
(POPULAR IN 1999)
They may have lost out to Coldplay as the British band of the 00's, however Travis was primed to claim that prize entering the decade when their second album became a huge success worldwide thanks to having similar qualities that their English counterpart would have with their own material later in the decade. If nothing else, the Scottish band did make a huge splash here in Australia with this effort.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Why does it always rain on me #11
(POPULAR IN 2000)
Machine gun fellatio (MGF for short) must have been one of the more provocative bands to make it big in Australia this decade, this was their second album which saw a massive push from Triple J thanks to their campy stage antics as well as their overall imagery (just look at this album cover and that should give you an idea of where I'm getting at.) Unfortunately, this only worked for this one album for them.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Roller coaster #38
(POPULAR IN 2002, 2003)
Although the soundtrack wasn't as successful as its predecessor, it was enough of a hit to appear on this list of mine likely thanks to the lead single being a massive success on the singles chart. Of course, it wouldn't really matter if the soundtrack flopped given how phenomenal the film is even without its music, it improved on the original film in every way from the characters to its sense of humour.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
Accidentally in love #11
(POPULAR IN 2004)
This is the only successful album to come from baritone singer Patrizio Buanne, likely because he wasn't able to compete with the likes of Il Divo and Michael Bublé in the realms of classical music despite there being a shorter of baritone vocalists in the mainstream this decade (particularly those from Italy.)
Peak position #3
(POPULAR IN 2005, 2006)
This was one of several albums to sit on shelves largely ignored until the digital charts finally came around to restore rock's popularity in the mainstream, that was certainly the case for its lead single which only became a hit this year in Australia despite it already being a massive hit the previous year worldwide. This would lead the band to be a one album wonder as their second album flopped the following year.
Peak position #1x3
Hit singles
Lips of an angel #1
Better than me #11
(POPULAR IN 2007)
While the Hannah Montana albums were only minor hits at best here in Australia, that didn't mean we Aussies weren't interested in hearing an album form Miley Cyrus that was made for the real world as her first album as herself was a massive success for her here like it was worldwide. It's the bridge to what she made on the show and the type of music she always wanted to make later in her career.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
See you again #6
Start all over #41
7 things #10
(POPULAR IN 2008)
This is the final album that Akon saw any success with worldwide, although once again it was more due to how prolific the singles were as while they were both sleeper hits here in Australia, they did far better internationally which of course translated to album success for him. It's likely his popularity died out due to the multiple controversies he was involved with during the height of his fame.
Peak position #20
Hit singles
Right now #17
Beautiful #14
(POPULAR IN 2009)
While this wasn't his first solo album, this was the first solo album from Eric Clapton to achieve massive success given how this was the first thing he released following the demise of his (then) most recent band Derek and the Dominoes. Here he incorporates reggae into his otherwise blues sound which resulted in his first solo hit in the form of its lead single much to the chagrin of Bob Marley fans.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
I shot the sheriff #11
(POPULAR IN 1974)
Although this didn't reach the same level of success here in Australia that it did in Janis's native America, the lead single was popular enough for it to be a sleeper hit (not big enough to qualify for my site) which allowed the album to be a moder success in its own right.
Peak position #16
Hit singles
At seventeen #18
(POPULAR IN 1975)
It's odd to see how successful Bryan Ferry was with his second and third album in Australia, mainly because his band Roxy music didn't have much success here until their final album Avalon in the early 80's. In any case we have his second album named after easily his biggest hit down under which managed to take the Australian charts by storm likely due to how inescapable said single was.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Let's stick together #1
Price of love #9
(POPULAR IN 1976, 1977)
This is the earliest success that Joan Armatrading had here in Australia, like I said for her 80's material, she didn't really take off here until the start of that decade as she was likely pushed aside in the 70's for the likes of those who were regulars on Countdown. Heck she even appeared on Countdown during the height of her popularity here, which likely explains the success of those albums.
Peak position #18
(POPULAR IN 1978)
This was a very productive decade for Leo Sayer given how he scored two of the biggest albums of the 70's, here he has a greatest hits package to overlook the journey he made from his humble beginnings, although the journey wouldn't end here as he had further success in the 80's.
Peak position #1x1
(POPULAR IN 1979)
This was a greatest hits package from Kenny Rogers that was released exclusively here in Australia and NZ, as such it was a huge hit for the country legend in both countries and even prompted him to give us a slightly altered version of his international greatest hits package the following year when he topped the charts with "Lady" on Billboard. This was one way of beginning the 80's and a positive one at that.
Peak position #4
(POPULAR IN 1979, 1980)
If you're looking for the campiest film ever to be made, then may I recommend this film made by the Village people which produced a highly successful soundtrack that arguably serves as their biggest album in their catalogue. It's got terrible performances from the band members, a laughably pretentious leading man played by Steve Guttenberg and a ton so cheesy and awful that you'll find yourself laughing your ass off at how bad it is.
Peak position #1x9
Hit singles
Can't stop the music #1
(POPULAR IN 1980)
I honestly don't know how to make of this album's mediocre success here in Australia, mainly because it was enough of a success that we Aussies knew about it back in the day but too much of a flop for it to be seen as the classic that it's since become nowadays.
Peak position #25
Hit singles
Once in a lifetime #23
(POPULAR IN 1981)
They may have lucked out from having a chart topper in their native UK with the title track (you can blame Joe Dolce for that) however at least these guys were able to see massive success with this album here in Australia due to the strength of said title track here. This was one of two bands that Midge Ure was a part of this year, the other being Visage who didn't see as much success with their album.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Vienna #11
(POPULAR IN 1981)
Here's an album that promised so much for the person who brought it to life only for said individual to crash and burn with their subsequent releases, Billy Field had huge success with this album and the songs from it despite it sounding very different to what was coming out at the time. I guess the novelty of this album wore off with his next album as that failed to do much to retain his relevancy.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Bad habits #4
You weren't in love with me #1
(POPULAR IN 1981)
There was no stopping these guys from making it big in the mainstream in Australia, true this didn't have a hit single on here like their previous two albums, but who cares when it was still a huge success for the band? Unfortunately, their popularity quickly began to dwindle after this album as despite scoring a huge hit with their Semantics E.P the following year, they weren't able to achieve much success with their subsequent albums.
Peak position #1x5
Hit singles
Shut down #17
(POPULAR IN 1982)
She saw plenty of success earlier in the decade as one half of Yazoo, however this was the big solo break that Alison Moyet had in her career which succeeded thanks to her killer vocals and relatable lyrics. It was more of a hit in NZ and her native UK, however even us Aussies couldn't deny her amazing voice on this album even if that love didn't really extend to her second album.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Love resurrection #17
All cried out #21
Invisible #15
(POPULAR IN 1985)
This was the only notable success that the Hooters were able to achieve here in Australia, although considering this was a massive flop in their native America, the fact this was a success here should prove to you how we were still willing to look outside the mainstream to find talent during the 80's. They band soldiered on after this trying to replicate the success they had here with this album to no avail.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
All you zombies #8
And we danced #6
(POPULAR IN 1985)
Following the massive success of their debut album, Sade went back into the studio to make another album where they combined jazz with RNB which proved to be equally successful for the British band. These two albums would be the last we hear from them for a while, although they did have a surprise comeback in the early 90's with Love deluxe shortly before the success of their spiritual successor M people.
Peak position #9
(POPULAR IN 1986)
This was the first album to be released from Van Halen that had Sammy Hagar on lead vocals, this was due to their original front man David Lee Roth getting fired from the band due to creative differences he had with the other band mates. While this drama no doubt fueled the success of this album, it didn't do the rest of their catalogue any favours as the band would never again reach the success of this period.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Why can't this be love #8
(POPULAR IN 1986)
These guys had already released three albums before they finally made it big with this album, although interestingly this was slightly bigger in NZ around this time so perhaps this was due to them having crossover appeal over there before taking it back home over here. I guess that makes these guys the inverse of Split enz and Dragon, and admittedly their brand of alternative rock still holds up to this day.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Say goodbye #24
Throw your arms around me #49
(POPULAR IN 1986)
This almost flopped for Tina Turner in Australia, likely due to the lead single underperforming here despite it being a huge success for her throughout the rest of the world. Fortunately, the second single picked up the slack by becoming a bigger hit for her in Australia which allowed the album to rebound on the charts this year, it set her up for further success with her third album later in the decade.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Typical male #20
What you get is what you see #15
(POPULAR IN 1987)
If this album seems a little low to anyone, bear in mind that it wasn't as much of a juggernaut here in Australia as it was throughout the rest of the world despite many people believing (me included) this to be MJ's best album. The album is also known for breaking several records on Billboard, including spawning the most chart toppers over there as well as how many consecutive number one hits an artist has had there.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
I just can't stop loving you #10
Bad #4
The way you make me feel #5
Man in the mirror #39
Dirty Diana #27
Just another part of me #49
Smooth criminal #31
Leave me alone #42
Liberian girl #46
(POPULAR IN 1987, 1988)
Dire straits had briefly broken up this year so that Mark Knopfler would work on his side project the Notting Hillbillies who would release one album in 1990 before reuniting the band in 1991, to help keep fans satisfied while he was off with this project, he released this greatest hits package which was a huge success proving they likely would've preferred it if he didn't break up the band around this time.
Peak position #3
Peak position #3 (ARIA charts)
(POPULAR IN 1988, 1989)
Martika was off to a good start when she entered the 90's as this album from 1988 became a massive success here due to how big the second single was. Evidently, she always wanted to be a pop star at a young age, which makes her retirement from music after the failure of her second album in her native America that much more tragic considering it was a moderate success throughout the rest of the world.
Peak position #3
Peak position #2 (ARIA charts)
Hit singles
Toy soldiers #5 (ARIA #5)
I feel the earth move #2 (ARIA #2)
More than you know #32
(POPULAR IN 1989, 1990)
This was initially a flop for Boyz II men here in Australia, likely due to us Aussies not being that interested in RNB and New jack swing like the kiwis and their fellow Americans were. It was given a second chance when their theme to Eddie Murphy's Boomerang became one of the biggest hits of the decade and thus allowed us to appreciate this album and lessen our stigma against music of colour.
Peak position #4
Peak position #3 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Motownphilly #32
End of the road #1 (AMR #1)
In the still of the nite #11 (AMR #8)
(POPULAR IN 1992, 1993)
Whereas most of his contemporaries from the 80's had struggled for mainstream relevancy by this point in the decade, John Farnham continued to thrive thanks to him adapting with the change in sound that adult contemporary was shifting towards at the time. This led to him having success well into the new millennium which is something even some of the biggest artists of the 90's was unable to do.
Peak position #1x1
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Seemed like a good idea at the time #16 (AMR #17)
Angels #36
(POPULAR IN 1993, 1994)
This is the last successful album Gloria Estefan released in her career both solo and with her band Miami Sound Machine, it was only a success here in Australia due to the lead single also serving as the theme to the Sylvester Stallone flick the Specialist which helped it become her biggest hit down under. In case you're wondering, yes, this album title was coopted for U2's Batman forever theme.
Peak position #11
Peak position #10 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Turn the beat around #8 (AMR #7)
Hold me thrill me kiss me #48
Everlasting love #29
(POPULAR IN 1995)
As divisive as this phase of Bon Jovi's career has remained over the years, there's no denying that its success makes sense as "Always" remains their biggest hit in their catalogue. As such, they ditched their hair metal ballads in favour of more adult contemporary ballads which struck a chord with listeners of the day, although they would go on hiatus for the rest of the 90's despite how big this album was.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #1x2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
This ain't a love song #4 (AMR #5)
Something for the pain #14 (AMR #15)
Lie to me #20 (AMR #16)
These days #38
(POPULAR IN 1995)
We have one more popular EDM album to come out this year, this time it's from Swiss DJ Robert Miles who managed to score massive success with his trance tracks on this album thanks to how the lead single became a massive success with the new age crowd. He's another one album wonder to appear on this list, although this was par for the course for EDM artists by this point in the 90's.
Peak position #12
Peak position #10 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Children #5 (AMR #5)
Fable #21 (AMR #19)
(POPULAR IN 1996)
There might be no signs of there being a Split enz reunion (at least one that isn't for a one-off concert) however that doesn't mean there haven't been any attempts made at expanding their audience over the years as the band's label commissioned an orchestral reworking of some of their biggest hits to be covered by some of the biggest names in NZ music. The results were an album that was a massive success for everyone involved.
Peak position #4
Peak position #6 (AMR charts)
(POPULAR IN 1996)
This was the debut single from B*witched, an Irish family group who briefly took the world by storm by combining teen pop with traditional Celtic music that won over a bunch of audiences back in the day. This formula only worked out for their debut album as their second album was such a failure that it flopped hard for them.
Also, for whatever reason, this was a massive hit according to ARIA but only a minor hit according to AMR, to give you an idea of how different the charts had become by this point in time.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
C'est la vie #6 (AMR #6)
Rollercoaster #1 (AMR #5)
To you I belong #25
Blame it on the weatherman #48
(POPULAR IN 1998, 1999)
Well so much for the first Ally McBeal soundtrack being an inessential album, this came out around the time the A.V club declared it as such which goes to show just how wrong the publication was at suggesting the smoky jazz found on these albums wouldn't connect with a (then) modern audience even if this was far less successful than the previous entry.
Peak position #17
(POPULAR IN 1999, 2000)
The film I am Sam was panned by critics upon its initial release, mainly for simplifying issues involving mental health which ironically is what better movies that handle this topic such as Rain man and Forest Gump get criticised for nowadays (perhaps those critics are thinking of this film when criticising those films.) Also, for some reason, the soundtrack is built around covers of the Beatles catalogue, which I suppose explains why it was a commercial success.
Peak position #8
(POPULAR IN 2002)
Given how he had already released two of the most successful albums of the decade, it makes sense that this live album from Michael Bublé would also be a huge success here even if from what I can gather, it's success mainly came from its DVD sales rather than the CD itself, suggesting that ARIA included DVD sales from around this time in order to make up for struggling CD sales due to physical piracy.
Peak position #15
(POPULAR IN 2006)
This proved to be the least successful soundtrack to the High school musical trilogy, likely because the film wasn't released to theatres like the third installment was nor the novelty fresh like the first installment. Still, it proved to be a massive success for the project and confirmed its main lead Zac Effron as a new force to be reckoned with in Hollywood given his appearing on the Hairspray project from earlier on this list.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
What time is it #20
(POPULAR IN 2007)
It had been seventeen years since these guys had last troubled the charts anywhere in the world, mainly because they only released two albums due to the death of one of their key members Roy Orbison during their short time together. As compensation for them never getting back together (given that George Harrison was also dead by this point) the surviving members released their two albums together with this entry.
Peak position #1x2
(POPULAR IN 2007)
This is the final successful album to come from Pete Murray, at least it was a hit upon immediate release as it was unfortunately unable to spawn a massive hit like his previous two albums from earlier in the decade. Like many artists on this list, he's continued to try and recreate the success of what he achieved this decade to minimal results in the 2010's.
Peak position #1x1
Hit singles
You pick me up #36
Saving grace #44
(POPULAR IN 2008)
Regardless of how you feel about their music, I think we can all agree that Kiss were an amazing live band back in the day which is how they were able to achieve so much success with their live albums over their studio recordings. This was their first live album which boosted their (then) latest single "Rock and roll all nite" up the charts down under and throughout the rest of the world.
Peak position #13
(POPULAR IN 1976)
If you're wondering how this guy managed to thrive during the Countdown era in the Australian music scene, it might have something to do with this album being produced by Band lead singer Robbie Robertson, a true selling point of the album seeing as though this fact is plastered on the album cover.
Peak position #1x4
Hit singles
If you know what I mean #27
(POPULAR IN 1976)
If there was any doubt that his previous album the Stranger was a fluke for Billy Joel in the mainstream, then this album put those doubts to rest as it cemented him as the piano man of choice given how both of these albums were released during Elton John's first dark period. Even though he had millions of fans around the world with these albums, he saw backlash from rock snobs who felt he was catering to soccer mums.
Peak position #1x5
Hit singles
My life #6
(POPULAR IN 1978, 1979)
I bet you weren't expecting to see Janis Ian have one of the most successful albums of the year, indeed she saw massive success with this album likely due to her appearing on Countdown to perform the lead single which helped it become a huge hit in the southern hemisphere. She would prove to be a one album wonder with this entry as she wasn't able to find any success with her subsequent follow ups.
Peak position #11
Hit singles
Fly too high #7
The other side of the sun #44
(POPULAR IN 1980)
You'd think this would be the album where Gene Simmons and company would you know, unmask themselves. That wouldn't come until much later in their discography as this was simply a continuation of their previous album where they appealed to a more mainstream audience with their pop friendly rock tracks. This was their last successful album in most parts of the world, as such they were spared from the sight of seeing what these guys looked like without the makeup on.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Shandi #5
Talk to me #39
(POPULAR IN 1980)
We have another successful album from George Benson following his breakthrough success with Weekend in L.A from two years prior, this time he incorporates some disco into his sound which helped it stand out from the rest of his discography by producing a hit single for him in the form of the title track.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Give me the night #10
(POPULAR IN 1980)
This remains the most successful album in the Rolling stones career in Australia, unless of course I can find stats about their earlier work with how well it did back in the 60's down under. Even so, this was a huge success for the band as they moved away from the disco trend in favour of their earlier work which audiences definitely appreciated both then and now.
Peak position #1x11
Hit singles
Start me up #1
Waiting on a friend #44
(POPULAR IN 1981, 1982)
This was the second volume for the Eagles greatest hits package following their first volume from 1976, admittedly this was released more in response to the band breaking up at the start of the decade rather than it being released six years after its first volume. It was a success given how they infamously declared that hell needed to freeze over for them to reform, that of course happened in 1994.
Peak position #5
(POPULAR IN 1983)
He did manage to score one of the biggest hits of the decade with the lead single from this album, so it was only inevitable that the album itself would be a huge success for Kenny Rogers here in Australia. This was unfortunately the last album he found success with here likely due to there not being much room for country music in the era of MTV here, although he did score one more hit with a greatest hits package.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Islands in the stream #1
(POPULAR IN 1983, 1984)
Does this band sound familiar to you? If you were born past 1980 and are from Australia, then they should as they would go on to become the Wiggles in 1991 even though they kept at the regular music until 1994 when they realised they had more success as a children's band than a pop rock band. Naturally they played their own instruments in both bands, which is why they've endured as the Wiggles for so many years.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Wait up #28
She's the one #9
Some kind of girl #32
Double shot #32
(POPULAR IN 1987)
This was the only notable success that Tiffany Darwish had throughout the world, presumably due to her inability to compete with fellow teen idol Debbie Gibson who had a more success likely due to her writing and producing her songs as well as being the main vocalist on all of them. For what it's worth, this album was more successful here in Australia compared to Debbie's catalogue even though she was also successful here.
Peak position #4
Peak position #6 (ARIA charts)
Hit singles
I think we're alone now #13
Could've been #8
I saw him standing there #9 (ARIA #10)
(POPULAR IN 1988)
This is another album that needed more than one attempt to find an audience in the late 80's, in this case it was due to the lead single not being able to connect with audiences upon its initial release from the previous year due to how different it sounded from everything else. Eventually people were won over by Sam's unique vocals and how different the album was from everything else making it a success.
Peak position #11
Peak position #13 (ARIA charts)
Hit singles
Stop #3 (ARIA #4)
Can I get a witness #19 (ARIA #17)
(POPULAR IN 1989)
His debut album had a bit of a climb to its success due to him initially being dismissed as a Bryan Adams knockoff, however it did eventually find an audience here through the strength of its singles. Here Richard Marx had no such barrier as this was able to become a huge success upon its initial release once again due to how big the singles were throughout the world.
Peak position #1x3
Peak position #1x7 (ARIA charts)
Hit singles
Satisfied #18 (ARIA #20)
Right here waiting #1 (ARIA #1)
Angelia #37
(POPULAR IN 1989)
This was the final album that Linda Ronstadt managed to have any success with worldwide, although I'm guessing it was due to audiences resonating with the lead single about how getting old kind of sucks, but she doesn't care now that she's found the love of her life with Aaron Neville. Indeed, this is her most sombre album that I'll be featuring on this site, likely a reflection of how she's matured over the years.
Peak position #11
Peak position #10 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Don't know much #2 (AMR #2)
(POPULAR IN 1990)
While this wasn't their debut album, it was the first album that Faith no more saw any success with worldwide likely due to the strength of its lead single. This was the band's only success in their native America, although here in Australia, they would release three more albums which would prove to be three of the most successful of the decade. They broke up after the fourth album likely due to frustration of their lack of success back home.
Peak position #2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Epic #1 (AMR #1)
Falling to pieces #26
(POPULAR IN 1990)
This was another greatest hits package from CCR to be released exclusively in Australia and NZ, this time it's the 21st anniversary of when they first started having success here which I guess was enough of an incentive to have another greatest hits album from the band despite them not releasing anything new since 1972.
Peak position #3
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
(POPULAR IN 1990)
This was initially only a minor success in Australia when it was released, likely because we Aussies were beginning to fall out of love with their marriage of hip hop and rock in their sound. We quickly fell in love with it again when they released their cover of a Lionel Richie classic, a cover that has almost nothing in common with the rest of the album it appears on which nonetheless boosted its sales.
Peak position #4
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Midlife crisis #31
I'm easy #1 (AMR #1)
(POPULAR IN 1992, 1993)
We already saw massive success with Enigma earlier in the decade, so why not have their French counterpart see massive success here as well? Deep forest was another new age band who connected with audiences looking to meditate with music like this, although unlike Enya and Enigma, they didn't have too much success outside of this album here.
Peak position #4
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Sweet lullaby #7 (AMR charts)
Deep forest #32
(POPULAR IN 1993)
This was an album that sat on shelves for nearly two years before it finally saw mainstream success with its singles, this is going to be a recurring trend this decade as we look at albums record labels failed to promote initially only for them to randomly find success sometimes years after their initial release. This led the Spin doctors to being a one album wonder, mainly due to their second album being widely panned by critics.
Peak position #1x2
Peak position #1x2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Little miss can't be wrong #16 (AMR #11)
Two princes #3 (AMR #3)
(POPULAR IN 1993)
As with most RNB albums, this initially sat on shelves in Australia likely due to us Aussies not being into RNB that much. Toni's fortunes changed here when "Breathe again" became a surprise hit which allowed this album to follow suit in becoming a huge hit here months after it already became a success in NZ and her native America. This led to her having no issues with finding success with her second album.
Peak position #6
Peak position #5 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Breathe again #2 (AMR #2)
You mean the world to me #49
(POPULAR IN 1994)
This was originally released the previous year to deafening silence for the Scottish band, likely because we Aussies didn't give them that much success back in the day and as such had no reason to check this greatest hits package out. That changed this year when their cover of a Mindbenders track become one of the biggest hits of the decade which incentivised us the check out their back catalogue with this album.
Peak position #2
Peak position #2 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Love is all around #1 (AMR #1)
(POPULAR IN 1994)
While he wouldn't have any more success further in the decade, Michael Bolton was able to find success with this greatest hits package overlooking the first ten years of his career. Granted most of his success came from the previous five years, however I guess this was a good way of fans discovering his mid 80's work which wasn't a success for him at the time.
Peak position #6
Peak position #9 (AMR charts)
Hit singles
Can I touch you there #18 (AMR #16)
(POPULAR IN 1995)
Simply red had a very good run during the first ten years of their time in the spotlight, so naturally they released a greatest hits package that was a huge success for them and promised them at least another decade of worldwide success. Unfortunately, this was the last many would hear from the band despite them releasing new material well into the 21st century.
Peak position #4
Peak position #4 (AMR charts)
(POPULAR IN 1996, 1997)
Following the success of their debut album, the Vengaboys released their second album which promised to be even better than their debut, hence why they named if after the certification one receives when an album sells a million copies in America. It didn't quite reach those dizzying heights; in fact, it was more of a sleeper hit here in Australia due to the band's novelty running out fast this year.
Peak position #20
Hit singles
Shalala lala #4
Uncle John from Jamaica #45
(POPULAR IN 2000)
This is the only notable success that P.O.D (acronym for Playable on death) were able to achieve here in Australia, mainly because this was during the height of nu metal even though this was more of a sleeper hit here thanks to the popularity of its singles unlike their contemporaries such as Linkin park and Limp bizkit. I'm sure if the genre had more of a shelf life, they would've had further success with their later material.
Peak position #19
Hit singles
Alive #18
Youth of the nation #17
Boom #43
(POPULAR IN 2002)
One of the best rom coms of the decade is easily Love actually, a Christmas film that has several stories intertwined with each other about several British citizens falling in love at a time where that seemed to be nigh impossible in modern society. As with most British films, it had a rather eclectic soundtrack which is perhaps why the soundtrack managed to be a massive success in addition to the film.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
The trouble with love is #11
(POPULAR IN 2004)
It took five years for them to follow up American idiot, however Green day was able to retain some of their success as the decade was coming to an end with this entry proving that their fanbase hadn't abandoned them despite how long they had to wait for another album from them. It's lucky they didn't delay this album to the new decade considering how rock music became poison to the mainstream in the 2010's.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Know your enemy #20
21 guns #14
(POPULAR IN 2009)
There didn't seem to be any signs of Neil's popularity slowing down in the mainstream given how he released this album around the time Countdown launched and swept away many of his earlier contemporaries from the decade. Such as the power of his popularity if he could thrive while the likes of Tony or Orlando and Harry Nilsson couldn't.
Peak position #1x7
Hit singles
Longfellow serenade #7
(POPULAR IN 1974, 1975)
Roger Whittaker saw a sudden rise in popularity this year due to the surprise success of his song from earlier in the decade "The last farewell," as such people wanted to hear more from his music which prompted his label to release this greatest hits album to make that task easier for his new fans.
Peak position #9
(POPULAR IN 1975)
This was the final album John Lennon released before he briefly retired in music, of course he would come back in 1980 months before his death but at this stage he wanted to step out of the spotlight due to all of the drama he had found himself in both with the band as well as his personal relationships.
Peak position #5
(POPULAR IN 1975)
Although this wasn't Sherbet's most successful album in Australia (that honour goes to Slipstream from two years prior) this was the album which briefly made them international superstars due to the success of the title track throughout the world. Like many Australian artists who made it big internationally, this success did them no favours for their subsequent follow ups which each saw diminishing returns here in Australia.
Peak position #1x2
Hit singles
Howzat #1
Gimme love #43
(POPULAR IN 1976)
Well, he may have failed to score a hit single this decade aside from "You are the sunshine of my life," but at least Stevie Wonder had a massive hit with this album during the height of the Countdown era. I guess if there was a negative affect the TV show had on our music scene, it was that many musicians of colour got sidelined in favour of our local talent, not entirely though due to the rise of disco.
Peak position #6
(POPULAR IN 1976, 1977)
There looked like there was no signs of Marcia's career slowing down as she released her sophomore album one year after her debut, the album was equally as successful as its predecessor thanks to Marcia's vocals standing out from her obvious influence Diana Ross who was still MIA on the charts in Australia. Her third album wasn't as successful overall, however it made up for that by spawning not one but two of her biggest hits.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
I just don't know what to do with myself #6
Your love broke through #38
(POPULAR IN 1976, 1977)
Following the success of her previous album Simple dreams, it appears that Linda Ronstadt decided she wasn't done exploring country and RNB which is perhaps why this album proved to be a successful follow-up less than a year after that albums release. She did eventually move on to new wave in the new decade, and it appears we Aussies at least weren't particularly interested in her tackling a heavier genre like that.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Living in the USA #18
Just one look #38
(POPULAR IN 1978, 1979)
This remains the biggest album in Barbra Streisand's career in Australia, presumably due to the involvement of the Brothers Gibb throughout its production (Barry even appears on the cover art with her.) This is her only successful album to not be affiliated with her acting career in any way as the rest of her discography consists of soundtrack from her films as well as her covering songs from Broadway productions.
Peak position #1x6
Hit singles
Woman in love #1
Guilty #37
(POPULAR IN 1980, 1981)
While his first solo album was a minor success the previous year, it was this second album that Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant released this year that made him a household name following the demise of his band earlier in the decade. It was his biggest solo album likely through the strength of its lead single which became a hit throughout the world for him, although he would find success later in the decade.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Big log #23
In the mood #37
(POPULAR IN 1983, 1984)
Given how they had only broken up the year prior to releasing this greatest hits package, it only makes sense that we Aussies would make this a success for Cold chisel given how their lead singer Jimmy Barnes was taking over the mainstream with his album around this time. This wouldn't be the only greatest hits package they would release during their time apart as Chisel would also be a success in the early 90's.
Peak position #3
(POPULAR IN 1985, 1986)
This was the second album from Simply red, and one that didn't spawn any major hits like the rest of their catalogue did which is perhaps why it remains their most successful album here in Australia. I always did find it interesting that as far as their singles were concerned, these guys were more successful in America than they were in their native UK.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
The right thing #17
(POPULAR IN 1987)
This was originally released earlier in the decade to deafening silence for Billy Idol, although I'm not sure why given how immensely popular he was here in Australia with his singles. It was given a second chance when "Mony mony" became a Billboard chart topper which compelled his label to reissue the album worldwide where it became a massive success for him.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Mony mony #8
(POPULAR IN 1988)
It had been six years since George Harrison troubled the charts with his tribute to John Lennon "All those years ago," so to see him back in the spotlight with this album was a bit of a surprise for audiences even if it led to him forming the supergroup the Traveling wilburys by the end of the year. This remains his final album as he did devote a lot of his time to the group even after the death of its key member Roy Orbison.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
Got my mind set on you #1
When we was fab #35
(POPULAR IN 1988)
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