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.
Sweet were another band who had massive success in NZ during the first half of the decade according to the Listener charts, arguably more so than what they had here in Australia which is the best proof I have that glam rock was quite popular over there even if the likes of Suzi Quatro and Gary Glitter weren't.
#16 for 1975 (#12 website)
I was confused at first as to what took this song so long to crossover to NZ, however I then discovered that Graham Bonnet was living in Australia at the time of his two big hits meaning it was likely marketed over there due to its success here much like his other big hit "Warm ride" (which we'll be revisiting later down this list.)
#29 for 1978
This guy also had more than just the one hit in NZ, although "Going in with my eyes open" wasn't quite as big over there as it was here or in the UK, so it won't be making a second appearance on this site like his other two entries.
#33 for 1977 (#29 website)
#30 for 1978
This was the biggest hit from the Bay city rollers in NZ, it happens to be a cover of a song that I'm not even sure was a hit over there given how the Listener charts only go back to 1966 and the Dusty Springfield original was released in 1965.
#37 for 1976 (#38 website)
#34 for 1977
I guess I should talk about the Listener charts with this entry, they were charts compiled by a magazine of the same name that tracked what was popular in NZ from 1966 to early this year. This was the last chart topper on those magazines as well as one of the first on RIANZ which means this song serves as a transition from the old charts to the "hip" and "modern" charts that launched this year in NZ.
#17 for 1975 (#5 website)
This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia for Andy Gibb, although for what it's worth "Thicker than water" wasn't a success over there so you can consider this placement a dual entry for both of his big hits he had in Australia and America this year.
#31 for 1978 (#14 website)
Well at least this song was a success much sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, that would probably explain how it was such a huge hit over there given how Robert John was able to connect with audiences with his sad breakup song.
#22 for 1979 (#10 website)
This was the only big hit that Raydio had in NZ, sure "You can't change that" was also a modest success over there the following year, however it didn't bring in the numbers over there like it did over here, so it missed the cut in making a second appearance on this site. For what it's worth, Ray Parker Jr also had less success over there than he did over here, so perhaps the kiwis just weren't that into his music.
#32 for 1978 (#28 website)
This was the only hit from Sammy Johns, an American folk singer who scored a hit in NZ and his native America with this ballad that remains a staple on oldies stations to this day. I wish I could say more about this guy but he's honestly not that interesting outside of his one and only hit.
#18 for 1975 (#10 website)
We already looked at the Pauline Henry cover of this from the Australian side of this site, so now let's look at the original version of that song from Bad company which became a massive success for the British band Bad company in NZ back in the day. These guys were more of an albums band given how big their albums were despite them not having any success with their singles save for this rock and roll track.
#19 for 1975 (#13 website)
This was a hit for Elvis Presley in NZ upon its initial release over there, it was also a hit here in Australia albeit a sleeper hit due to us Aussies beginning to grow tired of the king of rock and roll from around this time but changing our minds when he tragically passed away later in the year. Indeed, this also rebounded on the NZ charts once he passed away, although that only stretched its chart run over there.
#35 for 1977 (#26 website)
Well, every band and artist seem to have at least one problematic song in their catalogue, for Elton John it was this Billboard chart topper about him wanting to save this "island girl" from what appears to be life as a sex worker while cosplaying as an "island boy." I guess if you were to ignore the lyrical content, the song has a nice rock reggae groove that still holds up to this day.
#20 for 1975
#38 for 1976
This was more of a success due to Neil Diamond's presence in NZ given how Barbra Streisand had only had one hit over there by this point, still it was a massive success for the duo which enabled it and the album of the same name to be a success over there.
#33 for 1978
#23 for 1979
I guess the kiwis loved this ballad from Leo Sayer more than anything else in his career, admittedly it's possible that his other entry on this list was bigger over there given how there was a shockingly big gap during most of the summer of 1976/1977 over there, however, as is this was his biggest hit as far as I can tell.
#36 for 1977 (#16 website)
There was no escaping this disco jam throughout the world upon its initial release, so much so that's it being a success in NZ like it was here in Australia was inevitable back in the day despite the fact that the official soundtrack from the film it was paying homage to was a massive flop over there.
#37 for 1977
#34 for 1978
Much like here in Australia, this was the first big hit that the Pointer sisters had in NZ again likely due to the track being written by Bruce Springsteen despite the heartland rocker being unable to score any success of his own over there by this point in time. The girls went on to have massive success over there in the 80's much like they did in Australia.
#24 for 1979 (#20 website)
This was the first hit that Billy Joel had in NZ of any kind, true this was his first major success here in Australia, but he did have a sleeper hit two years prior with "Piano man" likely due to it being featured on Countdown that year. Everywhere else in the world, this was the song which made him a household name likely due to the sentimental lyrics about wanting the person he's singing to not to change.
#35 for 1978 (#41 website)
Well, this was an inescapable hit for Abba in NZ just like it was here in Australia, it must be due to the group's criticism of capitalism which seemed to resonate with audiences back in the day.
#39 for 1976
#38 for 1977
This was Skyhook's only hit in NZ, you'd think they'd crossover with something like "Horror movie" or something from their second album, but instead it's with this track which was far from their biggest hit here in Australia. At least they had some success over in NZ, nowhere near as much as their main rivals Sherbet but it was better than nothing.
#40 for 1976
#39 for 1977
This didn't quite make it to number one in NZ like it did here in Australia, meaning it doesn't have the distinction of either being the last chart topper over there of the 70's or the first of the 80's like it does here in Australia. Still, it was a mammoth hit from the duo who correctly predicted the deaths of many of a rock stars career thanks to the rise of MTV two years prior to its launch.
#25 for 1979
It appears the kiwis were also into the trucker crazy of the 70's as this novelty track from ad executive turn country singer CW McCall managed to become a huge success over there because of the craze. He remains a one hit wonder to this day even in his native America due to how hard it was to take his music seriously.
#41 for 1976 (#18 website)
This is a bit weird considering how this was a huge number one hit in Australia despite it being the second single from a highly successful album and yet it was only a top ten (albeit still huge) hit in NZ where successful albums generally didn't impact the success of a single (at least back in the day.) The song was still huge likely due to it being another history lesson set to a catchy disco beat from Boney M.
#36 for 1978
#26 for 1979
At least there was only one version of the Everly brothers track to make it big in NZ from around this time, indeed Nazareth managed to beat out Jim Capaldi over there with their rendition of the classic due to them having a massive hit over in America with their rendition. This didn't do their careers any favours as they remain a one hit wonder worldwide with this cover to this day.
#42 for 1976 (#23 website)
This was more of an immediate hit for Nick Gilder in NZ this year due to the kiwis being as enamoured by his sexual antics as the Americans were, not so much that it was a number one hit over there like it was on Billboard but enough for it to be a genuine hit for him. It didn't do him any favours in escaping the one hit wonder bin, but at least there's a good chance there's a legacy the song has over there.
#37 for 1978 (#36 website)
Unlike in Australia where there was more than one track celebrating what a lovely place Rio is (whatever you say guys) in NZ it was only Michael Nesmith's endorsement of the capital of Brazil that was a success over there. This was his third hit in the southern hemisphere as both "Joanne" and "Silver moon" where huge hits in both countries from the start of the decade.
#40 for 1977 (#18 website)
This wasn't quite as big a hit for Amii Stewart in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm not even sure why as you'd think if anything this disco rendition of an RNB classic from the 60's would've been even more inescapable over there given the circumstances of how it came to be. Much like Australia, she would remain a one hit wonder in NZ with this disco classic.
#27 for 1979 (#12 website)
I'm a bit surprised that Donna Summer didn't have as much success in NZ as she did here in Australia back in the day, although I'm slowly discovering that women of colour from the disco scene did much better here in Australia overall, I guess we Aussies weren't completely biased against musicians of colour in the 70's like I originally thought.
#41 for 1977 (#20 website)
You knew that these three women of colour would have a massive hit over in NZ this decade, however I don't think anyone was expecting to see this obscure track from the trio be their biggest success given how little of a legacy it has in this day and age. Although it wasn't as big as this was, "Best of my love" was also a huge hit over there unlike here in Australia where these three didn't have a hit as a lead artist.
#38 for 1978 (#13 website)
This was one of only two hits that A taste of honey managed to have any success with worldwide, the other was a cover of "Sukiyaki" from Kyo Sakamoto which was meant to be a thank you to their Japanese fans for making them a household name over there. I'm surprised this wasn't a bigger hit here in Australia considering A: it's a disco hit that went to number one on Billboard and B: how it permeates on oldies stations here to this day.
#39 for 1978 (#16 website)
Again, I can't say definitively that Leo's earlier entry on this list was his biggest hit as I'm ranking these songs based on their chart performance, it's possible this song did quite well during the summer of 1976/1977 in NZ, but we'll never know since the charts went on a two-month hiatus during that time which was the peak of its popularity here in Australia.
#42 for 1977 (#27 website)
Well, this is a surprise, we have a funk track from the Commodores about them wanting the perfect woman which they describe as a "brick house" (I guess this song was ahead of its time when it came to body positivity.) This and "Lady" from 1981 were the only upbeat tracks to become a success for the band, mainly because they didn't have Lionel Richie on lead vocals, it's another connection both songs have.
#43 for 1977 (#35 website)
#40 for 1978
This was a massive success for Patrick Hernandez in NZ likely due to it being a goofy disco track at a time where disco was all over the place worldwide, although it still blows my mind that a random backup singer would go on to have more success than the main artist as Patrick would remain a one hit wonder worldwide with this.
#28 for 1979 (#23 website)
These guys were massively successful when it came to their albums during the first half of the decade in their native UK, however as far as I can tell, this was their only hit single anywhere in the world which became as such in NZ this year likely due to them combining disco with African influences.
#43 for 1976
#44 for 1977
This was also a mega hit for Donna Summer in NZ this year, I doubt it was due to this being her first Billboard chart topper as she already had two big hits internationally by the time her disco rendition of the Richard Harris classic became her first American number one around this time.
#41 for 1978
#29 for 1979
Unlike here in Australia where this needed several attempts to make it big, it appears the kiwis were able to instantly recognise this as a classic given how it immediately rose up their charts upon its initial release over there. I'm willing to be this only became a hit down under once we Aussies saw how well this was doing over there and it finally clicking with us.
#45 for 1977 (#34 website)
Well at least they were able to sign off from the 70's with one of their more iconic hits in their catalogue worldwide, although whereas at least these guys had a surprise hit in Australia with "You win again" from 1987, it wouldn't be until 1997 where these guys would return to their mainstream with their album Still waters.
#30 for 1979 (#15 website)
This was yet another big hit that the Eagles had in NZ this decade, it was the second single from their breakthrough album One of these nights (at least in the southern hemisphere it was) where it became a massive hit over there despite it flopping here in Australia. As I said, all of these songs I've featured on this site from the band remain staples on oldies stations to this day.
#21 for 1975
#44 for 1976
I'm not sure how successful Johnny Mathis was in NZ during his heyday in NZ, for all we know he could've been at number one over there for the entirety of the 50's and the first half of the 60's since I don't have access to any charts that cover those years over there. What I do know is that this was a huge hit for him this year likely due to it being a with up-and-coming soul singer Deniece Williams.
#42 for 1978 (#17 website)
This was the first big international hit that Dr Hook had that wasn't a hit here in Australia, I guess we Aussies only wanted to hear soft rock from these guys if you weren't able to dance to it as this wasn't able to become a hit here despite its massive international popularity. This would be the case for the rest of their catalogue save for "Girls can get it" which was that one bouncy track of theirs to make it big here.
#31 for 1979 (#17 website)
This was an even bigger success in NZ for Peter McCann, you'd think this would mean that singer/songwriters would dominate the charts in lieu of all the Australians that clogged up our charts but alas, that wasn't the case given what did end up appearing on each of these lists in NZ.
#46 for 1977 (#17 website)
I guess this was a hit for Gerry Rafferty as penance for the world sleeping on his hit with Stealers Wheels from earlier in the decade, although it wasn't as popular in NZ as it was in Australia, America or his native UK this year. I guess the kiwis weren't as in love with that iconic sax solo as the rest of the world was, either that or they didn't feel as obligated in making up for the lack of success his band had.
#43 for 1978 (#21 website)
Anne Murray did achieve moderate success in NZ on the Listener charts during the first half of the decade, so it makes sense that this was a success over there much sooner than it was here in Australia even if it wound up being the bigger hit down under than it was over there in the long run. This may have been her only hit on our charts, however she scored one more hit over there going into the 80's.
#44 for 1978 (#34 website)
Much like in the rest of the world, this was the only hit that Leif Garrett had in NZ likely due to how inescapably popular he was here in Australia with his first album. At least his one and only hit internationally was with an original track of his as opposed to the two covers he had here in Australia.
#45 for 1978
#32 for 1979
I'm not entirely sure how to categorise this track from French composer Jean Michel Jarre, I guess it's a hybrid of rock opera and actual opera which I'm sure was why this managed to become such a massive success in NZ but not here in Australia as it would've been too abstract for us Aussies to comprehend it whilst dealing with our ever-changing local music scene.
#46 for 1978
At least this song was popular in NZ on time as opposed to here in Australia where it had a slight delay to its success, although it was more successful down under than it was over there so perhaps the delay was worth it in the end. Either way, this was the only hit that the Boomtown rats had in the southern hemisphere despite how inescapably popular they were in their native UK.
#33 for 1979 (#25 website)
This wasn't quite as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing Robin Scott performed this on Countdown on one of those lost episodes which boosted its popularity here back in the day (it would explain the success of many tracks on the Australian side of my site.) Even so, this was too catchy to be ignored back in the day given how it was still a massive hit over there at the time.
#34 for 1979 (#16 website)
If we were going by the Listener charts, this would've been a number one hit for Elton John, instead it only made it to number two in NZ which should give you an idea of the different demographics that the Listener charts and RIANZ had back in the day. Either way, this was still a massive hit for the British piano man this year, definitely much more so than it was here in Australia.
#22 for 1975 (#14 website)
This was another successful American all-girl RNB trio of colour to make it big in NZ, although unlike the Emotions, they only had the one hit in both countries likely due to the kiwis and their fellow Americans only confusing them the one time for the women who brought us "Best of my love" this year. If it's any consolation, this was far bigger over there than that Billboard chart topper.
#47 for 1977 (#24 website)
This is one of those disco tracks that most 70's afficionados like to pretend never existed, mainly because of the bizarre chanting that goes "ooh ooh ooh" throughout the verses as well as it being a sex song that many people (me included) don't find the least bit sexy (side note, I didn't get my online tag from this band either.) It was their only hit in NZ and their native America likely due to how much of a novelty it is.
#47 for 1978
#35 for 1979
This was the only hit that Rita Coolidge had in NZ, like Australia it was a cover of a song that was a complete flop over there back in the day (at least according to the Listener charts) however unlike Australia, the kiwis atoned for this by giving Jackie Wilson a genuine hit ten years after this albeit due to a creepy Claymation music video.
#48 for 1977 (#22 website)
While this wasn't as big a hit in NZ as it was here in Australia, it was at least a huge success for Eruption over there likely due to the kiwis mistaking this for a Boney M track despite having the dulcet vocals of Precious Wilson instead of the vocalists from the German band. It's interesting that this was their big hit over there and not "One way ticket" given how that felt more like a Boney M track than this.
#48 for 1978 (#18 website)
This was a much bigger hit in NZ this year than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because the kiwis were all on board with the disco trend that was exploding around this time worldwide and that we Aussies needed a big more convincing before we were completely on board with it. Even though this was a much bigger hit over there, it wasn't enough to get Van out of the one hit wonder bin with his big UK hit "The shuffle."
#23 for 1975 (#19 website)
As it turns out, the part where it sounds like there's someone playing two saxophones at once was exactly what happened during the recording of this song, so much so that even in live shows the saxophonists repeats this feat which is usually the highlight of one of their concerts. While it wasn't as big in NZ as it was here in Australia, the kiwis were still clearly amused by this track enough to make it a hit.
#36 for 1979 (#31 website)
There were no signs of Neil Diamond's popularity slowing down in NZ given how this track from the album of the same name managed to be a massive success for him over there this year. Indeed, he wouldn't start to become yesterday's news over there until the start of the 80's.
#49 for 1978
Given the success of his theme to the miniseries against the wind, Jon English managed to have massive popularity in NZ this year which resulted in this bonus track from his greatest hits album English history to become a huge success over there. The funny thing is that this was a flop for him here in Australia, meaning he was more popular over there this year than he was here.
#37 for 1979
Given how this managed to become a hit in America this year, it only seems fitting that this would be a huge success for Bonnie Tyler in NZ even if it didn't quite make it to number one over there like it did here in Australia. She was all set to become a one hit wonder in most parts of the world with this track, however she had other ideas which involved firing her management and working with Jim Steinman.
#50 for 1978 (#37 website)
Peter Brown was normally a folk singer, however he managed to score his one and only hit this year with a disco track in NZ and his native America. I think this is the type of disco people point to when they say that the genre got out of hand, not that it was bad but rather it was made by someone who only made it to cash in on the popularity of the trend.
#51 for 1978 (#19 website)
This was the biggest hit to come from Tina Charles in NZ, I'm guessing because the kiwis could only handle so much of her voice as I'll admit it does become overbearing after several tracks which is perhaps why none of her albums managed to find success anywhere in the world. That said, at least all of her songs were a success upon their initial release over there unlike here in Australia.
#45 for 1976 (#22 website)
Well, this guy was a one hit wonder in NZ like he was everywhere else in the world with this Billboard chart topper given how "Skinny girls" wasn't a hit over there like it was over here back in the day. At least this was much bigger over there to compensate for him not having a second hit.
#49 for 1977 (#23 website)
This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia for Billy Joel, again mainly due to the lack of competition as the 70's had less to offer the kiwis than us Aussies given how weak their local music scene was back in the day. Still, this was a huge success worldwide for Billy Joel due to it being a self-empowerment anthem that can easily apply to anyone despite how personal this feels from the piano man.
#38 for 1979
This was a husband-and-wife duo who began their careers as the lead vocalists from the band the Fifth dimension a decade prior, they had massive success with the band including here in Australia where they scored three hit singles. They left the band to start their own career which only had this Billboard chart topper as its only success, still they did better than most singers from highly successful bands.
#50 for 1977 (#37 website)
This was an even bigger hit for Jon English in NZ, likely due to the success of the miniseries it was written for which also happens to star him in the lead role. I'm guessing the show was that much of a success in both countries that it was broadcasted throughout Europe where the song also became a hit for him.
#39 for 1979
While I'm not sure if this was the first hit single that had synthesisers on the track (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong for thinking it is) it was the song which popularised the usage of synths which would eventually explode in the 80's as more bands and artists got on board with the technology as the decade went on. Indeed, this one and only hit from Kraftwerk (at least in NZ) was a pioneer for everything great about 80's music.
#24 for 1975 (#16 website)
This was a massive hit for Jim Gilstrap in NZ, Jim is perhaps best known for singing TV themes such as the Good times theme which was one of the highest rated sitcoms at the time (as well as the first to feature a predominantly black cast.) This was a huge flop in his native America, which is perhaps why he stuck to singing TV themes rather than pursuing any further hits on the Billboard charts.
#25 for 1975 (#21 website)
To think this was the song that convinced the kiwis into making Boz Scaggs into a household name this year, after all, he really struggled for success over there despite how inescapable he was here in Australia with his previous album Silk degrees. Indeed, that album along with the album this serves as the lead single for both skyrocketed up their charts when it became a hit for the blues singer.
#52 for 1978
It looks like the kiwis were more on board with the Brothers Gibb switching over to disco this year than we Aussies were, then again it wasn't until the Saturday night fever soundtrack when we Aussies were finally OK with them hopping on the disco bandwagon considering how their first two disco albums underperformed here back in the day.
#26 for 1975 (#20 website)
Well at least these guys were a two-hit wonder over in NZ even if neither of their hits was with their signature track "Shake your groove thang" over there (although it did briefly crack their top ten this year.) This was by far the most successful rendition of the duet given how Herb Fame has gone through enough Peaches over the years to fill an entire auditioning studio.
#40 for 1979 (#18 website)
There weren't a lot of successful NZ artists to make it big in the 70's even in their homeland, one of the lucky few was Golden harvest who scored a massive hit with this number before fading into obscurity over here.
#53 for 1978
This was the only hit that the Welsh band Racing cars managed to have worldwide, I'm guessing it was through the title which makes it seem like it's a novelty track when really, it's your typical soft rock ballad that was popular throughout the 70's. It seemed to only be a hit in NZ as the rest of the world was likely put off from the title of the song.
#51 for 1977 (#36 website)
Some of these new entries on this list only barely missed the cut on making it on the Australian side of my site, I can tell you now that I can extend these lists to a top 500 and this iconic entry from the Eagles still wouldn't make the cut because that's how much of a failure it was here in Australia back in the day. Fortunately, it was a massive hit in NZ, which is why it gets its day in court on my site.
#52 for 1977 (#30 website)
Well, it appears that the kiwis didn't completely buy into the hype that went into the Knack like the rest of the world did, either that or there were only so many times they could listen to this (admittedly fairly repetitive) song before they grew tired of the band. Still, this was a huge success for them over there this year, although just not to the same degree that it was here or in their native America.
#41 for 1979 (#24 website)
This was another early disco hit that became a hit in NZ but not in Australia this year, although it did chart for a while down under so there was potential for this to become a hit here. Sadly, this was the only hit from Shirley and company as their subsequent follow ups failed to make an impact during a time where disco had exploded into the mainstream.
#27 for 1975 (#26 website)
Much like here in Australia, this title track to the third album from the band to have Stevie and Lindsey among their lineup was the biggest hit that the band were able to achieve in NZ. The band would score one more hit later in the 80's over there as opposed to the two that they scored over here.
#42 for 1979
I guess the kiwis really didn't like the Streets of fire theme that Dan Hartman had a hit within Australia five years after he first broke through with this disco classic, although it doesn't escape my notice that this was a much bigger hit for him over there than it was over here which should tell you what the kiwis were looking for from the closeted LGBT singer.
#43 for 1979 (#36 website)
This was inevitably going to be a bigger hit for Bob Marley in NZ than it was here in Australia, although you'd think this would be one of the biggest songs of the decade over there given how immensely popular he was throughout the 80's over there. Still, this was a massive hit for the Jamaican singer during his lifetime, it's far more impressive he found any success at all considering his failure in America.
#54 for 1978 (#44 website)
Even though Collette did find success with her version of this track a decade later in her homeland, the kiwis can breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that the original from Anita Ward was the bigger hit over there as opposed to here where they were neck and neck with each other. Anita was another woman of colour to find massive success in the disco scene back in the day like Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer.
#44 for 1979 (#27 website)
Donna Summer didn't have as much success in NZ as she did in Australia throughout the decade, I bring this up because you're going to see much more women of colour appear on these lists the further back we go in the 70's compared to the Australian side of my site. This huge chart topper she had in Australia and her native America was only a mere big top ten hit for here over there for some reason.
#45 for 1979 (#32 website)
This was one of several disco hits to be a success in the UK despite being a massive flop in the band's native America, although Tavares didn't have much success on Billboard this decade as all of their success came from how popular they were with the Brits back in the day. This was their only hit over in NZ, so perhaps this was the case of the Brits being over the moon for what they world considered an unremarkable band.
#53 for 1977 (#25 website)
This was also a success for Frankie Millier in NZ like it was here in Australia and his native UK, I guess there was still plenty of room for singer/songwriters in the mainstream in NZ even with all the additional disco and RNB that was making it big over there that failed to do so over here.
#46 for 1979 (#33 website)
This was the one big hit from 10cc that didn't appear on the Australian side of my site, I'm guessing because we Aussies were that into How dare you like the kiwis were as that album was one of the most successful of the decade over there. If you couldn't tell from the name of the song, this is an art rock track which the kiwis ate up in lieu of their more conventional song "The things we do for love" the following year.
#46 for 1976 (#34 website)
Well at least the kiwis were likely more familiar with how problematic this ballad is as it wasn't nearly as successful over there as it was throughout the rest of the world, I guess if you ignored the lyrics, it's a sweet enough ballad that easily fits in with the other adult contemporary from around this time.
#54 for 1977 (#46 website)
OK I try to avoid using album art that has any indication of a song being popular in a certain country, however this is the only album art I could find for this one and only hit from the British reggae duo Typically tropical that didn't have the cover model topless or in an otherwise sexually provocative stance (even this will probably be titillating to my audience if I'm being honest.) Suffice to say, this was a song meant to put audiences in the mindset of being in a tropical paradise which connected with the kiwis and their fellow Brits.
#28 for 1975 (#24 website)
Well, this was a genuine hit back in the day around the world, meaning that there's a good chance that this song still has its fans to this day even if it's mainly through nostalgia at this point. If you're one of those people, I won't say anything in this entry that will prevent you liking this song.
#47 for 1976 (#28 website)
You'd think with everything going into this song that it would be a massive success in NZ like it was here in Australia, admittedly it was quite popular this year because it's a reggae track with a children's choir singing a love song, but it wasn't a number one hit for weeks on end over there or even a number one hit at all like you would otherwise expect based on what tends to get popular over there.
#55 for 1978 (#25 website)
Well, it appears the kiwis weren't as impressed with the husband-and-wife duo of the Captain and Tennille as we Aussies were as this is the only other appearance they have in this side of my site after we looked at "Do that to me one more time" in my 1980 list. It was a huge hit over there this year, although mainly as a sleeper hit as it achieved most of its success in the lower regions of the charts.
#29 for 1975 (#22 website)
Well, I did mention that this was Air supply's first big hit internationally on the Australian side of my site, I don't think anyone could've predicted how much bigger this was over in NZ compared to here in Australia as this managed to not only crack our top ten (failing to do so on our charts) but also be a huge success in the final months of the 70's over there.
#47 for 1979 (#47 website)
This was another hit that Mark Williams managed to achieve in his homeland back in the day, I guess he was the most successful NZ artist of the decade over there even taking into accounts those that found success here in Australia first before taking it back home.
#30 for 1975
#48 for 1976
Well at least this managed to be an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia, that and it came from a highly successful album over there that was only barely a hit down under back in the day. Of course, all of this was inevitable over there given how both groups on the track already had sound success up until this point, actually the Emotions had a very big hit the previous year over there.
#48 for 1979 (#30 website)
This failed to appear on the Australian side of my site mostly because it was only a minor success here in Australia, I guess if Countdown hadn't of taken off when it did it would've at least been as successful here as it was in NZ for Wings.
#31 for 1975 (#25 website)
Well at least we get to look at a new David Bowie track on this side of my site one last time, this time it's the lead single to his album Low which is considered one of his best albums by afficionados. If I were to look over the Listener charts, Bowie would have a ton of other entries on this site as he was quite popular in NZ during the first half of the decade.
#55 for 1977 (#28 website)
Not only was this Barry Manilow's biggest hit on the RIANZ charts, it was also his only hit over there as he didn't score a hit with any of his other ballads according to their charts. I mention RIANZ because he did score a hit on the Listener charts earlier in the decade with "Mandy," so perhaps he may have racked up more hits in the 70's if those charts had of kept going.
#56 for 1978 (#43 website)
The last time Herb Alpert troubled the charts anywhere in the world was with his hit single "This guy's in love with you" back in the late 60's, here he is with a disco instrumental that managed to become a hit in NZ and his native America right as the decade was coming to an end. This is further proof I have that the disco backlash wasn't as immediate even in America as people would otherwise have you believe.
#49 for 1979
This was the only success that country singer Billie Jo Spears had anywhere in the world, although like most country legends, she had a ton of success on the Billboard country charts further proving how detached from the mainstream that the country scene has always been.
#32 for 1975 (#35 website)
While it wasn't released as a single in NZ until almost a full year after it was released here in Australia, this Australian and NZ exclusive track from Abba did eventually become a massive hit over there this year around the time of their two earlier entries on this list, proving that the Abba phenomenon was still strong over there during this phase of their career.
#56 for 1977 (#41 website)
This was originally released as the debut single for Bay City rollers three years prior, it was a flop for the band even in their native UK for reasons I can't seem to fathom. It was given a second chance this year when it was released as a single in America more to see if it would break the band through than anything else, it turns out it did as it became their biggest hit on Billboard despite the failure of their other songs.
#49 for 1976
For whatever reason, the kiwis were less kind towards Dragon than we Aussies were back in the day, although at least they were able to achieve success over there with their two biggest hits they had over here even if both were half as big there as they were here. This was naturally the bigger of the two hits they had in their homeland despite them breaking up a few months after it became a success.
#57 for 1978 (#45 website)
I guess the kiwis were a little bit more resistant to allowing Cliff Richard a second go in the mainstream going into the 80's, granted this was still a massive success for the crooner given that it appears on this site for a second time, however going through the 80's, you can tell that the kiwis love for his music was noticeably lower than our love for his catalogue.
#50 for 1979 (#46 website)
Well at least Natalie Cole was able to achieve a genuine hit in NZ this decade with this number, although I would've thought the kiwis would've gone with "This will be" given how that seems to be the song from this era that's survived the test of time for her over the years.
#50 for 1976 (#31 website)
This was another winner for Hot Chocolate in NZ throughout the 70's, in fact their popularity throughout the decade over there was more or less the same as it was here in Australia as the British RNB band racked up the hits regardless of where in the world you're from thanks to their upbeat instrumentation and Errol's soulful delivery.
#58 for 1978 (#26 website)
We have another successful ballad from Lionel Richie and company to appear on this site of mine, in fact there'll be a few more entries from these guys as we go further back in the 70's including a song that showcases their funky side of their catalogue. This was the lead single from their seventh album which spawned them a second Billboard chart topper with its second single "Still" which underperformed in NZ.
#51 for 1979 (#48 website)
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