Well I guess I should look at what was big throughout the 70's in NZ considering how I did the same for Australia on this site, this list will be even shorter given how the RIANZ charts only began in mid 1975, meaning I won't have carry over hits from 1974 like I did on the Australian equivlent due to those songs only charting on the Listener charts which conveniently ceased once RIANZ was launched.
This was the biggest hit of the 70's in NZ, it's curious because it wasn't even his big international hit (which we'll look at in a moment) proving that even from its inception, the RIANZ charts were able to display the kiwis as contrarians when it came to the music industry.
#1 for 1975 (#2 website)
#1 for 1976 (#48 website)
Here's that big international hit that Freddy Fender had in NZ, both of these songs charted as if they were from the album charts which perhaps gives you an idea of how unreliable the RIANZ charts were during the first few years of its existence in determining what was popular in NZ.
#2 for 1975 (#1 website)
#2 for 1976 (#47 website)
Well, it may not have lasted fourteen weeks at number one like it did here in Australia (still nine weeks isn't bad) however this still remains as the biggest hit from Abba over in NZ proving that the band were as inescapable over there as they were over here with how much audiences loved their music.
#3 for 1976 (#1 website)
This was another inescapable hit that Abba had back in the day in NZ, no doubt because it was their one and only Billboard chart topper proving that even America couldn't resist the infectious melody of this track despite their obvious best efforts to do otherwise given their overall lack of success over there.
#4 for 1976 (#4 website)
#1 for 1977
This remains as Elton John's biggest hit in his career here in Australia and in NZ, mainly due to how much chemistry he has with Kiki Dee on the track as well as the track being about how the two are in love with each other whilst acknowledging how that that was becoming at the time for people to experience.
#5 for 1976 (#2 website)
#2 for 1977
Unlike in Australia where this country esque ballad took forever to find an audience, in NZ this was an instant success for the Dutch trio which likely allowed them to have multiple hit singles over there during the second half of the decade and even a successful album the following year.
#6 for 1976 (#3 website)
While it wasn't the biggest hit of the decade in NZ (at least as far as chart runs go) this lead single from Boney M's third album does have the distinction of having the longest run at number one over there matching Abba's "Fernando" run at fourteen weeks. I guess in that regard, this was the biggest hit of the decade over there.
#1 for 1978 (#1 website)
From what I gathered going through the Listener charts, Glen Campbell wasn't as successful in NZ as he was in Australia which means that much like in his native America, he was more popular with his post sellout material over there than with his more authentic country work.
#3 for 1975 (#9 website)
#7 for 1976
I guess America wasn't interested in listening to a song about Paul's Scottish heritage, it's their loss as this became one of the biggest hits of the decade throughout the rest of the world with NZ being no exception.
#3 for 1977
#2 for 1978 (#3 website)
The kiwis certainly weren't going to make an argument for why this song wasn't a masterpiece back in the day, as such it was a massive success for Queen who already had a hit on the Listener charts over there with "Killer queen" from the year prior.
#8 for 1976 (#6 website)
Well at least these guys were able to score more than one hit in NZ back in the day, and hey their one and only Australian hit was twice as successful over there due to the kiwis having more love for RNB at the time of its release.
#9 for 1976 (#7 website)
#4 for 1977
You better believe that Rod Stewart was one of the biggest artists of the 70's in NZ just like he was everywhere else in the world, in fact he was arguably even bigger over there than he was in Australia due to the lack of competition he had from their local music scene.
#10 for 1976 (#19 website)
#5 for 1977
This proved to be an even bigger hit in NZ than it was in Australia, I'm guessing because the charts were still in their infancy at the time and also the kiwis didn't have as much variety to make a hit as we Aussies did given how they lacked a Countdown equivalent that we had to help them discover new music.
#4 for 1975 (#6 website)
#11 for 1976
This was another RNB ballad that managed to become a huge success in NZ that was a massive flop here in Australia, this time it's from Johnny Nash who scored a massive worldwide hit with the final hit from his career following the success he had earlier in the decade with "I can see clearly now."
#5 for 1975 (#17 website)
#12 for 1976 (#50 website)
This was Sherbet's only hit outside of Australia, at least it's their most iconic work given how it's a song about how Daryl has figured out his partner cheated on him and how he uses cricket metaphors to alert the person to his awareness. This was a big hit throughout Europe due it arguably being a bigger hit in NZ than it was here.
#13 for 1976 (#12 website)
#6 for 1977
It was inevitable that this would be a bigger hit in NZ than it was in Australia, after all the kiwis had already fully embraced the Brothers Gibb as the kings of disco by the time they released their magnum opus Saturday night fever. Admittedly this was the album which finally convinced us Aussies to do the same.
#3 for 1978 (#6 website)
Well, this was certainly a surprise, we have this comedy track from Bob Hudson becoming more of a success in NZ than it was in Australia which likely means the kiwis have a Bogan population as well (I'm not entirely sure if that's the case.) This allowed the album to be a moderate success over there proving how entertaining they found Bob as a comedian.
#6 for 1975 (#3 website)
This was a massive success for Sha na na singer Henry gross, a rockabilly throwback artist who scored his one and only hit with this song he wrote about a dog dying. I guess the kiwis were really chocked up about this song compared to us Aussies as this wasn't even a success here and yet it was huge over there.
#14 for 1976 (#5 website)
This was the second single to come from Abba's self-titled album, given how "Mamma Mia" wasn't released until the following year, it allowed this song to be a massive success over there without having to compete with their other single which proved to be much more popular here in Australia.
#7 for 1975
#15 for 1976 (#37 website)
Well, I did say that Supercharge reminded me of a German disco band when I featured them on the Australian side of my site, here's an actual German disco band who managed to score a massive hit worldwide this year thanks to how catchy this track was. It makes you wonder why this wasn't a hit here in Australia as we had little issues with German disco making it big if Boney M is anything to go by.
#7 for 1977 (#1 website)
It appears that there was plenty of interest in the idea of Andrew Lloyd Webber turning the life of Eva Peron into a Broadway musical as this theme song to the stage show was a success for Julie Covington years prior to it being first performed on stage. It was just as successful in NZ as it was in Australia and her native UK.
#8 for 1977 (#4 website)
This was one of several hits that the Dutch group Pussycat were able to achieve in NZ that wasn't a success in Australia, although these guys were a one hit wonder here with "Mississippi" despite them being one of the biggest bands of the decade internationally with some of the other songs still to come on this site.
#9 for 1977 (#2 website)
This was originally released on Rod Stewart's album Atlantic crossing; however, it was pushed as a single two years after the albums initial release for reasons I can't seem to fathom where it became a huge success over in NZ also for reasons I can't seem to fathom.
#10 for 1977 (#12 website)
#4 for 1978
Well, this might not have been as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, however this duet between the two stars of Grease was nonetheless one of the biggest hits of the decade in NZ thanks to the chemistry they display on the track as well as it being a bop to listen to even to this day.
#5 for 1978 (#2 website)
This was also a hit twice in NZ just like it was in Australia, although it was far more successful the first time given how it didn't have much competition on the NZ charts like it did on our charts back in the day. This was Frankie Valli's attempt at going disco, making him one of the earliest rock legends to try the formula to massive success which he would continue to do for the remainder of the decade.
#16 for 1976 (#8 website)
This was an even bigger hit for the George Baker selection in NZ than it was in Australia, although this was more inevitable as Dutch groups tend to have a free pass when it comes to finding success in NZ for reasons I never quite understood.
#8 for 1975 (#4 website)
Like in Australia, Kenny Rogers already had massive success in NZ from the start of the decade with his band the First edition, meaning this was more of a comeback than an introduction to his music like it was over in the UK. I still can't believe this flopped in his native America, he managed to score other hits on Billboard during the second half of the decade after all.
#11 for 1977 (#3 website)
For whatever reason, we Aussies were a bit slow when it came to allowing MJ and the Jackson five back into the spotlight as adults as they were able to achieve massive success in NZ months prior to when they crossed over here. In any case, this solo disco track from MJ was a massive success in both countries and ushered him into the 80's where he would go on to take the world by storm.
#1 for 1979 (#13 website)
Well, this was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, although Simple dreams wasn't as successful over there as it was here so perhaps this song ate up all of the success from the album in NZ that it didn't down under. In any case, this was her biggest hit over there as "Don't know much" wasn't as warmly received in the early 90's as it was here in Australia.
#12 for 1977
#6 for 1978
Given how much more popular RNB was in NZ throughout the 70's, it was only inevitable that this signature track from Hot Chocolate would be among the bigger hits of the decade over there due to how joyous and happy it remains to this day. This of course led to a string of hits for them throughout the second half of the decade over there like it did worldwide.
#17 for 1976 (#14 website)
For what it's worth, this guy was a massive deal in NZ during the era of the Listener charts (charts that existed prior to the RIANZ charts for the uninitiated) meaning that this hit wasn't a complete surprise for them at the time. Still the fact that it was one of the biggest hits of the decade over there must have been something to behold in retrospect.
#13 for 1977 (#10 website)
Well, if you're into a spoken word RNB track about guys hitting on you by introducing themselves with their horoscopes, then this is the song for you as the Floaters (wow that band name) managed to score a massive worldwide hit with this ballad likely due to the novelty of the track that I've just described.
#14 for 1977 (#13 website)
#7 for 1978
This was an inevitable hit for Exile in NZ given how inescapable it was throughout the rest of the world, although it led to them having a second hit the following year with "The part of me that needs you most" proving that there was potential for them to be a household name back in the day and not just a one hit wonder.
#8 for 1978 (#7 website)
Before he was the lead singer of Noiseworks, Jon Stevens was a teen pop idol in his native NZ who managed to score two massive hits over there with his earlier work. This was the bigger of the two hits which he scored during the transition of the 70's to the 80's.
#2 for 1979 (#21 website)
This was an interesting year for (then) older artists in NZ, we have the second appearance from an artist who only did moderately well here in Australia scoring a massive success in NZ likely through 60's nostalgia already kicking in over there. This did Tom Jones no favours as just like in Australia; he wouldn't touch the charts again over there until his collaboration with Art of noise over a decade later.
#15 for 1977 (#11 website)
There were no signs of the Brothers Gibb slowing down as the 70's was coming to an end in NZ, indeed this lead single to their album Spirits having flow was a massive success for them over there much more so than it was over here despite it not even being a disco hit from them. Like the rest of the world, their transition into the 80's was a disaster as their next album was a huge failure for them over there.
#9 for 1978
#3 for 1979 (#22 website)
This was also a major success for David Soul over in NZ back in the day, in fact his success over there was more or less the same as it was here likely due to the kiwis love for Starsky and Hutch being on par with the rest of the worlds.
#16 for 1977 (#5 website)
It looks like the kiwis were all for the rockabilly revival from the late 70's as this debut single from Racey managed to also be a massive success over there like it was over here for the British band. Indeed, the band would achieve almost the same amount of success over there this year as they did over here save for only scoring two big hits this year as opposed to three.
#4 for 1979 (#2 website)
This was the debut single for Blondie over in NZ given how their first two albums weren't even released over there prior to this (their second album did come out shortly after this became a hit for them though.) I guess this is the best proof I have for NZ not following the Australian charts that well given how if they did then this disco classic wouldn't have been the first they heard from the band.
#5 for 1979 (#1 website)
This may very well have been the first time the kiwis had heard from Chicago, after all the Listener charts suggest that they didn't have any success over there during the first half of the decade whereas they at least had a hit here in Australia with "25 of 6 to 4" from the start of the 70's.
#18 for 1976 (#24 website)
#17 for 1977
This was more of an immediate success in NZ than it was in Australia, likely because the kiwis were more accepting of disco music initially than us Aussies but likely because they were instantly heartfelt by the tale of perseverance in the song. They would score a second minor hit with "Hot to trot" before they faded into obscurity just like everywhere else in the world.
#19 for 1976 (#15 website)
#18 for 1977
As far as the RIANZ charts are concerned, this was the first hit that Barbra Streisand had over in NZ given how she never had any hits on the Listener charts from earlier in her career. I guess the fact that it was for her Oscar winning ballad from her rendition of A star is born was fitting considering all of her hits in Australia at this point had either been from her films or her shows on Broadway.
#19 for 1977 (#14 website)
Well at least this songs popularity was a worldwide anomaly given how this was a hit in Roger's native UK as well as in Australia and NZ this year. At least this was had a hit earlier in the decade on the Listener charts over there, not like here in Australia where he remains a one hit wonder with a song that was three years old at the time of its success.
#9 for 1975 (#7 website)
This was the third single to come out of Abba's self-titled album in NZ, as such it wasn't quite as successful over there due to it being released much later than even "S.O.S" was over here and thus allowing the kiwis to buy the album at its expense. That said, the song was still a massive hit over there which proves how much they loved the Swedish foursome.
#20 for 1976 (#15 website)
Well Jon English managed to have a huge music career by appearing in Jesus Christ superstar, so it seems natural that someone who played the titular character in the original west end version also managed to have a massive success in NZ with a song of his own. This was Paul Nicholas who scored his one and only hit worldwide with this pop tune before returning to the world of theatre.
#20 for 1977 (#19 website)
#10 for 1978
So, you remember that melody from "I wanna sex you up" from Color me badd right? Well, it turns out the boy band got that melody from this track from the Brothers Johnson who scored a massive hit with this RNB ballad produced by Quincy Jones before he met the future king of pop on the set of the Wiz. These guys would score a second hit with "Stomp" at the start of the 80's before fading into obscurity.
#21 for 1977 (#47 website)
#11 for 1978
This was the second of two chart toppers that Mark Williams was able to have in NZ back in the day, the first was with "Yesterday was the beginning of my life" which is a song best known nowadays as the song that the first season of NZ idol performed back in 2004.
#22 for 1977 (#6 website)
I guess I'm a huge sucker for disco if I feel this is an improvement for Kiss over their previous work, it appears the general public of the late 70's worldwide agrees as this remains their biggest hit in their catalogue and even a staple on oldies stations to this day. I did notice that their popularity in NZ is much less so than what it was over here.
#6 for 1979 (#6 website)
This was another successful ballad to come out of Rod Stewart this decade, one that I'm pretty sure led to a rather nasty rumour about him concerning sailors that I won't bother repeating on this entry.
#10 for 1975 (#23 website)
#21 for 1976
There was little chance this was going to fail in NZ considering how inescapable this debut single was for Kate Bush throughout the rest of the world, it also didn't feel out of place with everything else coming out this year which was another mark in its favour when it came to its success.
#12 for 1978 (#5 website)
This guy had a massive success worldwide thanks to country music still being one of the biggest genres in the music scene at this point in time, it was a huge hit over in NZ for him despite it being only a minor hit at best here in Australia. Like many country artists to make it big over the years, Elvin Bishop remains a legend in the country scene to this day.
#22 for 1976 (#13 website)
This was the big hit that ELO had in NZ and in America from their breakthrough album A new world record, I guess it was the most normal sounding track on the album which is why it managed to be such a huge hit in both countries and not the lead single "Living thing" which was the big hit here in Australia (although that is still to come on this list.)
#23 for 1977 (#8 website)
I'm dumbfounded this wasn't a hit here in Australia, heck I could've even accepted the Eric Clapton version from the following year as a huge hit but that was also a flop down under back in the day. Fortunately, the kiwis instantly recognised this as a classic as it became a massive success for JJ Cale back in the day. It makes even less sense this flopped here as he previously had a hit with "Crazy mama" earlier in the decade.
#24 for 1977 (#7 website)
This was the only hit that Bill and Boyd were able to achieve in their native NZ throughout their lengthy career, it only became as such a year after they nearly topped the Australian charts with their touching tribute to the victims of Cyclone Tracy from the Christmas of 1974 in Darwin.
#11 for 1975
#23 for 1976 (#33 website)
They may have been a one hit wonder even in their native America back in the day, however that didn't mean these guys weren't able to have a lasting legacy with their one and only hit worldwide given how it's endured on oldies stations to this day. I'm willing to be many people believing that this was a Jackson 5 track given how well this would fit into their discography.
#24 for 1976 (#10 website)
It looks like the kiwis were just as into the idea of Rod Stewart becoming a disco icon as the rest of the world was, although it was curiously the least successful of his big hits over there which means they ultimately wanted him as a pop crooner rather than him flaunting his sexuality.
#7 for 1979 (#26 website)
Well at least this song managed to become a success on schedule over in NZ, I still can't believe this sat on shelves ignored here in Australia for a year given how this was the Jackson five's first song released when they were adults. I think this was the song which convinced people to give MJ's solo career a second chance which led to the success of his entry from earlier on this list.
#8 for 1979 (#7 website)
Kellee Patterson is interesting in that she became the first woman of colour to compete in the miss America pageant earlier in the decade, she didn't win as that honour would go to Vanessa Williams over a decade later, however her presence certainly shaped up how the series was conducted. She tried to have a singing career which resulted in her scoring a huge hit with this over in NZ of all places.
#13 for 1978 (#39 website)
Given how there wasn't a local band in NZ to steal the success of this cover of an obscure Righteous brothers track from the African all girl group Clout, this managed to become a massive success for them over there and is a more accurate representation as to how well it did back in the day in the southern hemisphere.
#14 for 1978 (#15 website)
#9 for 1979
Like in most parts of the world, these guys remain a one hit wonder in NZ with this bouncy country ballad which was likely a hit due to it being their one and only Billboard chart topper from around this time.
#25 for 1976 (#9 website)
This is the only hit that funk band Parliament were able to achieve outside of their native America, although fans of Dee lite may recognise this as Bootsy Collin's band given how the bassist appears in their one and only hit "Groove is in the heart" technically making him a two hit wonder over there.
#15 for 1978 (#8 website)
This proved to be an even bigger success in NZ as did a lot of songs that were made from musicians of colour back in the day, hey at least many of these songs became hits over here even if they were relatively minor compared to what they achieved in NZ. I haven't seen the film this is named after, although it looks like one of those blaxploitation films that were popular throughout the 70's.
#25 for 1977 (#15 website)
At least I can comfortably say that this guy had plenty of success during his time with Simon and Garfunkel on the Listener charts, otherwise this ballad from the cult classic Watership down would be his only success in NZ which is a bit of a far cry from the music he's most well-known for in his catalogue.
#10 for 1979 (#3 website)
Well, here's that other chart topper that Mark Williams had in NZ this decade, again it's the original version of a track that became popular in the mid 00's over there thanks to NZ idol reviving its popularity.
#12 for 1975 (#8 website)
This was a massive success in NZ this year, likely because again, the kiwis didn't allow album sales to affect the popularity of singles from said albums back in the day. This means that this fourth single from the Saturday night fever soundtrack was the second biggest hit from the album as opposed to the fourth biggest like it was here in Australia.
#16 for 1978 (#9 website)
I guess the song that became a success in NZ for KC and the sunshine band was different compared to the one that made it big here in Australia, well that and the song in question being twice as successful over there is the only other difference between their careers in both countries as the band was big in the southern hemisphere just not as big as they were in their homeland.
#26 for 1976 (#30 website)
#26 for 1977
This was an even bigger hit for the Promises over in NZ, again I have to assume it was due to that infamous wardrobe malfunction in the video which I'm sure gave the lyrics a whole new meaning that the trio never intended for back in the day. I stand by that this would've easily been able to crossover to America had MTV existed around the time the band were still a unit.
#11 for 1979 (#5 website)
These guys had a bit more success over in NZ (although they won't be making any more appearances on this site, I'm afraid) meaning that the kiwis were more interested in what they had to offer than we Aussies were. Other songs to make it big from their catalogue include "Dance dance dance," I want your love" and "Good times."
#12 for 1979 (#8 website)
Well at least Dorothy Moore had even more success in NZ with her one and only hit worldwide, then again given how even we Aussies couldn't resist the RNB ballad back in the day, her being a one hit wonder over there only proves how unfairly ignored the rest of her catalogue was back in the day.
#27 for 1976 (#11 website)
Well at least this was released on time in NZ compared to here in Australia, mainly because Lionel Richie and company managed to have success over there prior to this ballad which meant the kiwis were already well familiar with their brand of soft rock set to RNB ballads.
#17 for 1978 (#11 website)
It seems like having the Brothers Gibb on your song was a cheat code for any Australian back in the day, heck any artist period as everything affiliated with the Bee Gees was a surefire hit such as this one and only hit from Samantha Sang in her catalogue. She would try to recapture the success she had with this ballad to no avail due to not collaborating with the Brothers Gibb again.
#18 for 1978 (#20 website)
This was another massive hit for Pussycat in NZ back in the day, it's staggering to think these guys were so successful over in NZ despite them being one hit wonders here in Australia, but this is the reality we live in.
#28 for 1976 (#29 website)
#27 for 1977
Well, this was 10cc's foray into reggae, so naturally it would be their biggest hit in NZ given how the kiwis have always had a soft spot for reggae over the years. Granted this was also their biggest hit here in Australia, however that was more due to their other songs coming from highly successful albums as well as possibly due to the story being told in the lyrics about the lead singer getting mugged.
#19 for 1978 (#22 website)
#13 for 1979
This was the lead single from Rod Stewart's album Foot loose and fancy free, and like his other songs and albums this decade, it was a massive success for him worldwide. Sorry but I don't have anything new to add to this entry.
#28 for 1977 (#32 website)
#20 for 1978
This was a little late to the party in NZ, although that didn't seem to matter considering it was just as successful over there as it was here for the (then) closeted LGBT band. It's more or less become a queer anthem as well as an advertisement for the homeless shelters across America over the years.
#14 for 1979 (#11 website)
It seems odd that this was Boney M's big breakthrough over in NZ, at least we Aussies had given them a hit with "Daddy cool" before rewarding them with success for a dance track history lesson about one of the evilest women from the first half of the twentieth century. The kiwis either appreciated the history lesson or simply found this track to be catchy in a way they didn't find their earlier work to be.
#29 for 1977 (#21 website)
#21 for 1978
For whatever reason, this breakup song from Rose Royce was slightly delayed with its release here in Australia, that wasn't the case in NZ where it was released on time for the band that gave us "Car wash" two years prior. As such, it became an even bigger success over there likely because the kiwis had already made them a huge success earlier in the decade with more than one hit.
#22 for 1978
#15 for 1979 (#28 website)
From what I can gather, this was the first big hit that the Eagles had in NZ as none of their earlier material made it big over there on the Listener charts. Honestly, it's less of a surprise that this was a hit over there and more so that it was a flop here in Australia, yes, the album was big here, but you'd think a song that was a Billboard chart topper for one of the biggest bands in the world would've done better here.
#13 for 1975 (#15 website)
Given how this was a massive flop for Meat loaf in his native America, it meant that it had to become a success here in Australia in order for it to crossover in NZ. Indeed, once it became a success over there, Meat loaf had no troubles in finding success with the rest of the album which allowed it to be one of the most successful of the decade in NZ just like it was in Australia and in the UK.
#23 for 1978 (#4 website)
These guys were able to score two back-to-back chart toppers in NZ just like they did here in Australia, that's impressive considering they never hit number one in their native UK despite both of these songs being massive hits on their charts. This would be the last the kiwis would hear from the band as neither their album nor third single managed to become a success over there.
#16 for 1979 (#4 website)
While I'm sure fans of both Smokie and Suzi Quatro in Australia will likely be disappointed that this was among the duo's biggest hits in their respective careers, at least they can take comfort in the fact that they both had a string of other hits here including some which was way bigger from earlier in the decade. This was the best either of them could do in NZ which I'm sure NZ fans of these guys will be upset about.
#17 for 1979 (#14 website)
It appears the kiwis were slightly more on board with making Andy Gibb a household name than we Aussies were, not by much as he only had two big hits over there as opposed to the three he had here, however both of these songs were quite big (the second one even bigger over there) and this one was released slightly sooner there than it was here.
#30 for 1977 (#9 website)
This wasn't quite as big in NZ as it was here in Australia, likely due to how much of an obvious novelty it was given that it was a song about playing computer games was the hot new thing to do going into the 80's. Then again, the gaming industry has only grown since this song was released as a single, meaning that it's arguably more popular now than it was back in the day.
#18 for 1979
Well at least this wasn't quite as big in NZ as their two earlier entries on this list, I say this more because their previous two entries have been the songs to survive over the years despite this lead single from the Saturday night fever soundtrack having a bunch of covers from artists over the decades. In fact, it's probably due to these covers that this song has since lost its place in pop culture since its release.
#24 for 1978
Whereas at least these guys had a huge hit in Australia with their album from the start of the decade, it's uncertain if that was the case in NZ given how the kiwis didn't have an album chart from prior to 1975 and that they didn't have any success with their singles prior to this ballad. I'm guessing they were ready to give up when this became a hit as they only lasted one more year before breaking up.
#29 for 1976 (#26 website)
Well, this was bound to be a success in NZ this year considering this was the song that finally gave Cliff Richard a hit in America as well as it being his big comeback single here in Australia. His popularity was slightly bigger down under compared to NZ, however it was roughly the same all things considered at least if we're going by the last quarter of the twentieth century.
#30 for 1976 (#17 website)
At least this guy was able to achieve a massive hit in NZ back in the day, although he also remains a one hit wonder everywhere outside of his native Canada so that's not really much of a compliment all things considered. Still, this does remain a classic to this day, and hey the dance track from the 90's didn't even chart in NZ so they likely will only be familiar with this version over there.
#25 for 1978 (#31 website)
This was the final hit that Frankie Valli had anywhere in the world, I think most people tend to not notice this was a disco hit given how it was the theme to a film that was set in the 50's which was long before disco was ever a thing. Frankie was a surprisingly good disco artist between this and "December 63" with the Four seasons, I'm not sure why these were the only two disco hits had had.
#26 for 1978 (#12 website)
This was the last country single hit Olivia Newton John managed to achieve anywhere in the world, although she did release a cover of "Jolene" right before starring in Grease that did gain some traction here in Australia later in the decade. This is a country version of a Bee Gees track from their (then) most recent album, meaning she took a disco track and made it into a country ballad.
#31 for 1976 (#20 website)
This was one of the slower disco tracks to make it big back in the day, I've heard it once described as a song about a disco lady you can't necessarily disco to which I feel best sums up this track. It was the only hit to come from Johnnie Taylor even in his native America, although it also had the distinction of being the first song to be certified platinum on the Billboard charts.
#32 for 1976 (#21 website)
Well, the kiwis might not have been as impressed with this track about a disco duck (I mean comparatively speaking as this had a lower peak and shorter chart run over there despite having less competition than here in Australia) but at least the idea was amusing enough for them to make it a huge hit around this time for the future radio DJ Rick Dees.
#33 for 1976 (#27 website)
#31 for 1977
John Rowles is best known for his 1968 it "If I only had time" outside of his native NZ, in his NZ it wasn't even his biggest hit as that honour goes to this track he scored a decade later over there.
#27 for 1978 (#10 website)
This was the only hit from Jimmy "BO" Horne (man what a weird stage name) it became as such due to it being written by KC and the Sunshine Band despite those guys not having a hit in a while over in NZ. For some reason, this wasn't a hit here in Australia for the musician of colour, I don't know why as George McCrae had a massive hit earlier in the decade with "Rock your baby" under similar circumstances.
#19 for 1979 (#19 website)
Hey, does anyone want to hear a disco rendition of Beethoven's "Symphony no 5?" Well Walter Murphy did just that as he got his orchestra the Big apple band to rearrange the classical piece to make it fit with the disco craze which resulted in it becoming a massive worldwide hit for him. This was a modest hit here in Australia, but nowhere near as popular as it was internationally.
#34 for 1976 (#25 website)
#32 for 1977
We Aussies were a little late to the party when it came to making this ballad from KC and the Sunshine band a success, likely because it was the rare ballad in their catalogue of otherwise upbeat disco jams. The kiwis were more punctual in making this a success over there proving they were on board with whatever these guys had to offer from the get-go.
#20 for 1979
Well at least this guy had more success in NZ with his two Billboard chart toppers, yes, his Oscar winning ballad from the start of the decade was the big hit on the Listener charts and not the inferior John Farnham cover that topped our charts in 1970. BJ Thomas didn't have any other hits after his second Billboard chart topper anywhere in the world, suggesting his brand of country was no longer in vogue.
#14 for 1975 (#11 website)
Well at least these guys were simply known as Jigsaw in NZ, likely because the Australian Jigsaw never had any success over there thus negating any incentive for the kiwis to change the name of these guys. This was a bit late to the party over there for some reason, I'm guessing they needed to have a hit here as British Jigsaw before they could conquer the NZ charts as Jigsaw.
#35 for 1976 (#41 website)
This was also a two for one deal in NZ like it was in Australia, although given how both songs were heavily marketed over there back in the day, they became much bigger hits and could even be considered two separate entries as they bounced in and out of the top twenty over there for several months.
#15 for 1975
#36 for 1976
Much like in Australia, this was a bit of a mini comeback for Abba as they were beginning to see diminishing returns following the success of their fourth album Arrival. Indeed, this was able to restore their popularity to their mid 70's status given how it was a huge number one hit for them over there
#21 for 1979 (#9 website)
Uriah Heep were one of the more successful rock bands from the first half of the decade when it came to their albums in Australia, although this was a minor hit over there, it was a massive hit in NZ which suggests they were even bigger over there with their albums. As usual, I have no definitive proof how big they were over in NZ with their albums during the first half of the decade.
#28 for 1978 (#23 website)
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