One of the biggest hits of all time in NZ was a charity single that was commissioned following NZ's victory at the Caswell cup three years after we Aussies won the boat race against America. It was a one-off project for the supergroup which comprised of many of the biggest NZ celebrities and musicians including Dave Dobbyn who arguably got the biggest push from this release in his career.
#1 for 1986 (#1 website)
#1 for 1987
Unlike in Australia where this was only a moderate success for New order, this was arguably the biggest hit of the decade due to its refusal to die on their charts for such a long time. Indeed, this song was so popular that it lasted well over two years on the singles charts which was unheard of by the 80's over there.
#1 for 1983 (#1 website)
#1 for 1984 (#11 website)
It appears that even the kiwis weren't able to resist the charms of Kenny and Dolly on this bit hit of theirs, I bring this up because neither of them had that much success over there prior to this point which makes this duet's success all the more heartwarming for them.
#2 for 1983 (#40 website)
#2 for 1984 (#32 website)
Speaking of Dave Dobbyn, here's his first solo single which was so inescapable over in NZ that it even managed to become a massive success here in Australia for the former D.D Smash lead vocalist. Unlike here in Australia where he and Herbs remain a one hit wonder, they both went on to massive success later in their respective careers in their homeland thanks to how irresistibly catchy this song is.
#2 for 1986 (#3 website)
#2 for 1987
Although they had success with their albums a decade prior, this was the first hit single that the B52's were able to score in NZ just like everywhere else in the world except for Australia. Indeed, I'm guessing this became a success over there due to it being the perfect book end for the 80's which was a decade filled with joyous party music to distract from all of the stress and anxiety that the world was going through.
#1 for 1989
If you couldn't tell from the title of this track, this is a gospel tune from an aging pop crooner by the name of Howard Morrison which became a massive success in his homeland this year over any other song.
#1 for 1981
#1 for 1982 (#10 website)
Well, this songs controversy would've been much more pronounced in NZ as "I want a new drug" was actually a moderate success over there shortly before the song's release (it won't be appearing on this site I'm afraid.) The two men settled out of court over a decade later despite it being obvious that the two melodies were almost identical to each other.
#3 for 1984 (#5 website)
#1 for 1985
It may surprise you to learn that this was actually a hit slightly earlier in NZ than it was in Australia, as such the hierarchy of where this song was a success is as follows, NZ, Australia and America albeit five years later in the latter country. One place this wasn't a success in at all was the brothers native UK.
#1 for 1988
#2 for 1989 (#6 website)
Well so much for disco being dead around the launch of MTV, we have this French duo who scored a massive hit throughout the world with this English version of their big hit from their native France. This was a minor hit in Australia this year, although we Aussies did move on from euro disco to the likes of new wave and pub rock around this time, so it was only a sleeper success here at best.
#2 for 1982 (#3 website)
This was both the final number one single of the 80's and the first number one of the 90's in NZ, meaning that Margaret Urlich was poised for great things to happen in the latter decade which did at first as this song and the album it came from became a massive success over here in Australia for her.
#3 for 1989 (#46 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 1980
And I thought Inner Circle was the most persistent Jamaican band of the twentieth century, enter Toots and the Maytals who scored a massive hit in NZ with this reggae track a good two decades into their existence. They remain a one hit wonder over there which makes them the 80's equivalent of Inner circle if you consider that band's success here in Australia.
#3 for 1982 (#1 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 1980
This was a massive hit for Elvis Presley in the early 60's, so it kind of makes sense that Ry Cooder didn't have any success with his rendition of this ballad anywhere in the world except for NZ who didn't even have a chart when the original was popular. Because this was a massive hit for the rockabilly throwback artist, it allowed the album to be a massive success over there were it was only moderately successful here.
#3 for 1980 (#4 website)
This was a massive success for Patea Maori club back in the day, so much so that it became a success again nearly thirty years later in 2010 proving how much the kiwis love this hybrid of new wave and traditional Maoris music. It remains their only hit over there, although given it was a hit twice, I don't think the band minds.
#4 for 1984 (#1 website)
Given how these guys were among the most successful bands of the decade in NZ, it stands to reason that their first Australian chart topper would be their biggest hit over there given how their popularity was twice that it was here back in the day. This is one of the last hits they had to have that 80's bombast as they would strip things back from here on out to better fit with the 90's.
#2 for 1988 (#3 website)
#4 for 1989
This was a huge success for the short-lived NZ band the Holidaymakers, I'm guessing because it was yet another cover of a Bill Withers track from around this time given how many of these entries on these last few lists of mine were originally from the RNB legend.
#3 for 1988 (#1 website)
Again, this wasn't the lead single to Diesel and dust in NZ as "The dead heart" did become a minor hit over there; however, this may as well have been as it was not only much bigger over there than it was over here, but it became one of the biggest hits of the decade as well.
#3 for 1987 (#11 website)
#4 for 1988
This was originally a hit for Blue mink in the early 70's, so it seems to make sense that supergroup When the cats away would cover it and find more success in their homeland nearly two decades after the original came out for the British group. This group is best known for having Annie Crummer and Margaret Urlich in their lineup, both women would go on to have massive solo success each in the 90's.
#5 for 1988 (#32 website)
#5 for 1989
Much like the rest of the world, there was a good chance that this ballad from John Lennon would have been a success in NZ if he had lived to see its full chart run, it was meant to be a symbolic comeback as well as a literal one given how he had rekindled his love for Yoko Ono around this time and had dedicated it to her.
#4 for 1980
#2 for 1981 (#32 website)
This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, meaning that the kiwis were more into mashup singles back in the day than we were which is evident by the fact that there will be another mashup single to come later down this list (stay tuned for it.) In the meantime, this was still the only hit from Stars on 45 (or Starsound if you're from the UK) over in NZ leaving them a one hit wonder there.
#3 for 1981 (#1 website)
Well, there's no surprise that this was a huge success for Stevie Wonder in NZ, it won the Oscar for best original song for a movie I doubt even 80's afficionados care about these days which made it one of the biggest hits of the decade worldwide.
#5 for 1984 (#2 website)
#2 for 1985
This may be depressing to learn but as far as the RIANZ charts are concerned, this was the first hit that Stevie Wonder had in NZ as he didn't even have much success on the Listener charts early on in his career. At least he made it big over there with one of his more iconic tracks which of course fueled the success of his album Hotter than July.
#5 for 1980 (#19 website)
#4 for 1981
This was a cover of an Eddy Grant track; Eddy of course would go on to have massive success in NZ meaning that this was likely twice as successful for Renee Geyer in NZ than it was here in Australia because of that fact. This didn't do her career any favours in either country as she failed to score a second hit anywhere in the world.
#5 for 1981 (#13 website)
#4 for 1982
Like in Australia, these guys are a one hit wonder in NZ with this cover of the Gloria Jones track, it's a shame none of their other songs managed to become a success outside of their native UK, however they at least did score a string of other hits at home meaning they did fine over there during their heyday.
#5 for 1982 (#14 website)
Two decades prior to when Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow made this ballad their own for their film Duets, it was originally a hit for Smokey Robinson who finally managed to score a hit outside of his native America following years of failed attempts at international success with his band the Miracles. He never managed to score a hit in Australia, I'll let my readers decide what to do with that information.
#6 for 1980 (#3 website)
This was the biggest version of the Little Eva classic over in NZ, mainly because Kylie Minogue's version from later in the decade was only a moderate success over there and the original and Grand funk versions both flopped in NZ (from what I can gather at least.) This means that the kiwis only wanted to hear this classic if it was set to a disco beat and maybe if it was covered by a pop diva.
#7 for 1980 (#1 website)
This was only a mild sleeper hit here in Australia, I'm guessing because we Aussies found the idea of a hip hop track about Wolfgang Amadeus in German a bit too silly to make a huge success back in the day even if it came from Falco who scored a hit three years prior with "Der komissar" over here. Fortunately, the kiwis were able to instantly fall in love with this track which allows me to include it on this site.
#3 for 1986 (#4 website)
They already had three big hits from Rattle and hum in NZ, that did nothing to prevent this from being a massive success for U2 over there as they would close out the 80's with a sombre ballad after having a string of hits with some of their more bombastic material in their catalogue.
#6 for 1989 (#7 website)
Well, if you thought these guys were too low in my rankings on the Australian side of my site, you're in luck as the kiwis were much more lenient towards making them a success over there that all of their singles were much bigger hits and they also managed to score more hits over there as well. Their debut single in particular was indeed one of the biggest hits of the decade over there because of this.
#6 for 1988 (#16 website)
#7 for 1989
This was somehow an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis wanted to give their love to Europeans throughout the 80's any way they could, and this was one of the best ways they could think of doing so. I know it wasn't always meant for ad jingles, but that's all I hear whenever I listen to this song.
#6 for 1982 (#2 website)
Although the lead single to their album "Who can it be now" was a massive flop for these guys in NZ, there was little doubt this second single would be a huge success given how incessantly catchy the song is as well as it being a distinctly Australian track during a time where that was a selling point in pop culture. The song's success would eventually allow the band to crossover internationally later in the year.
#7 for 1982 (#19 website)
Well at least this song was inescapable in NZ back in the day, in fact David Bowie in general had a ton of success over there that was noticeably absent here in Australia from around this time as the kiwis seemed to be more on board with him changing with the times than we Aussies were.
#3 for 1983 (#2 website)
This was a bit of a sleeper hit in NZ given how long it took for this to become a success over there, however once it did it was just as popular there as it was at least in America. I'm sure many NZ detractors of this track can breathe a sigh of relief knowing this wasn't the biggest hit of the decade over there like it was in Australia.
#4 for 1987
#7 for 1988 (#15 website)
It looks like Jenny Morris had a similar trajectory for success in NZ as she did here in Australia, the only difference I can think of is that her solo debut was a huge flop for here over there as opposed to being a moderate success here a few years prior to this becoming her first hit in both countries. It was a good way for her to not only end the 80's but also begin the 90's due to how successful it was.
#8 for 1989
This was a good year for country artists, wasn't it? Here we have Cristy Lane scoring her one and only hit in NZ with this ballad that wasn't a hit anywhere else in the world for her except of course for the Billboard country charts which didn't seem to have any relevancy by this point (I can't imagine them having any relevancy now.)
#6 for 1981 (#8 website)
Much like in Australia, this was technically the first solo single from George Michael as it curiously wasn't credited to Wham despite it appearing on their second album as the final track. It was credited to Wham on the American release, likely to not confuse American fans due to this only being the duo's second single over there.
#6 for 1984 (#10 website)
Well, there shouldn't be any surprises as to how this managed to be a hit in NZ this year, Boris Gardiner did score a massive hit with this over in the UK and it was even popular enough to be a huge success here in Australia whilst also being a pop reggae track from the musician of colour.
#5 for 1987 (#8 website)
Although these guys had a bit more success with their singles over in NZ than they did here in Australia, this will still be their only single to appear on this site as it was the only one that was a massive success over there as it was throughout the rest of the world.
#8 for 1980 (#5 website)
Well, there were several mashup singles to become popular in NZ throughout the 80's just like there was here in Australia, so it only makes sense that this hit from Jive Bunny would become a success over there right when the decade was coming to an end. That said they remain a one hit wonder over there despite them having multiple hits in their native UK as well as a second hit here in Australia.
#9 for 1989 (#12 website)
Well, this was a NZ band who achieved massive success here in Australia, so of course their one and only hit here would be a massive success in their homeland as well. They did achieve a second minor hit over there with another song of theirs which is still to come much later on this list, proving that the kiwis did look after their own whenever they could.
#7 for 1981 (#3 website)
Well at least this was an instant success over in NZ upon its initial release, meaning that this song has a much more accurate placement on this list than on the Australian side of my site. Indeed, Tiffany had more success in general over there as not only were the singles much bigger but so was her album.
#6 for 1987
#8 for 1988 (#26 website)
When I first discovered this track from David Bowie, I thought he had written a song for the Andrew Lloyd Webber production Cats as that had premiered shortly before this was released as a single from him. It turns out this is the theme to a long-forgotten horror film Cat people which was loosely based on a book of poetry that the Broadway show is based on, although I really mean loosely based.
#8 for 1982 (#4 website)
This was a massive hit in NZ this year, although it was only due to it being a sleeper hit here in Australia from the previous year as this was a flop in the duo's native UK upon its initial release two years prior. This was the last big hit over there to come from the Celtic subculture for the rest of the 80's.
#7 for 1984 (#6 website)
Much like in Australia, this title track to George Michael's solo debut was the biggest hit he had in NZ throughout his career, it's a song that I feel sums up his entire career as he could be both insightful with his lyrics whilst fun with his production. Audiences obviously agreed as this was the template for most of his discography for the rest of his career.
#7 for 1987
#9 for 1988
This is where most of the world comes in when it comes to UB40's mainstream success, although they already had success in NZ and their native UK from the start of the decade and with their own material to boot. Still at least this was a hit this year worldwide and the following year in Canada, not like in America where it sat on shelves for five years before finally becoming a success for them.
#4 for 1983 (#6 website)
Well now that I've defended this song's legacy on this site, let's talk about how it made Dire straits a huge phenomenon as the song remains their biggest hit in their career regardless of where in the world you're from. It was a massive hit (homophobic lyrics notwithstanding) thanks to the smooth melody as well as the message about not living in the past and embracing the new trends offered in the world.
#3 for 1985 (#5 website)
It appears that a little controversy didn't prevent this song from being a success in NZ like it did in the UK, to be clear the video to this classic was controversial due to it glorifying fat shaming as well as a possible nod that the song was about two male gym instructors getting physical with each other. This was Livie's final hit single in NZ as none of her other songs managed to become a success for her over there after this.
#8 for 1981
#9 for 1982
This was an even bigger hit for both INXS and Jimmy Barnes back in the day in NZ than it was here in Australia, this was even before the song was chosen as the theme song to the cult classic the Lost boys as that film wouldn't come out until much later in the year. Both parties would continue to have success later in the year with their next respective albums.
#8 for 1987 (#6 website)
This was the biggest hit of Madonna's career in NZ, it's curious that it was considering that it was released late over there due to her not having much success over there from the previous year like she did here. I guess the kiwis were intrigued about how she felt like a virgin on this track despite being in the headlines about her promiscuous lifestyle during the height of her popularity.
#4 for 1985 (#11 website)
Well as far as the rest of the world is concerned, this is the debut single from Crowded house which means it was the first song that they promoted which resulted in it being a massive worldwide success for the band despite it only being a moderate success here in Australia due to it being the fourth single from their album here.
#9 for 1987 (#4 website)
This was a massive comeback for Diana Ross in NZ given how the only hits she had over there by this point were with the Supremes over a decade prior, at least here in Australia she had a couple of solo hits in the form of "Rhythm of life" and "Touch me in the morning" throughout the 70's. This was a more permanent comeback for her in NZ as she scored a string of hits over there that weren't as such here.
#9 for 1980 (#18 website)
These guys didn't have any better luck in NZ when it came to their success than they did here in Australia, in fact their success was identical in both countries which gives you an idea of how similar our music scenes were back in the day. One final bit of trivia I have is the woman on the album cover and who Kevin Rowland hits on in the video is Siobahn Fahey of Bananarama fame.
#10 for 1982 (#5 website)
#5 for 1983
This was a little late to the party in NZ given how it was released here in Australia at the start of the decade (albeit to deafening silence) however once it took off over there, it was a massive hit for Viola Wills who scored a massive success with this disco rendition of an old 50's song (early 50's at that) this year when disco was supposed to be dead.
#10 for 1980 (#30 website)
#9 for 1981
This was a massive success in NZ for the short lived EDM group M/A/R/R/S (I have no idea why they stylised themselves with this name) I'm guessing because EDM in general was much bigger in NZ during the 80's which is weird because that was the genre of choice in Australia throughout the 90's.
#10 for 1988 (#4 website)
This was a huge hit for the Marois born Deane Waretini, apparently, he was the son of a first nations person in NZ who was massively successful during the first half of the century over there.
#10 for 1981 (#2 website)
Well I don't think anyone was expecting me to declare this as the biggest hit from Elton John of the 80's on the Australian side of this site, I get the feeling I'll get fewer objections on this side of the site given how this was such a massive hit for him upon its initial release over there as well as it being one of only three chart toppers he had over there throughout his entire career (at least on the RIANZ charts.)
#5 for 1985
#4 for 1986 (#8 website)
There wasn't any deviation from what I said about the Bangles on the Australian side of my site, except maybe the fact that they weren't quite as inescapable over there as they were here due to their singles not being as bit for some reason. In any case, this novelty track about err.... I never understood the point of this track, however I think we can all agree it's a ton of fun even to this day regardless.
#5 for 1986
#10 for 1987 (#39 website)
Although these guys did achieve moderate success throughout the decade in NZ, it was this cover of the Lipps inc classic that made them a household name over there which led to them scoring massive success internationally with this cover. Much like here in Australia, they wouldn't find any further success over in NZ with this cover, meaning that it did kill their career regardless of what you think of it.
#11 for 1987 (#1 website)
Well, the Pointer sisters were a Motown act, therefore it makes sense that they had even more success in NZ back in the day than they did here in Australia. All things considered I'm surprised they had any success here in Australia given how many of their contemporaries, including those way more popular in their native America had failed to score any success here or even in NZ back in the day.
#11 for 1980 (#31 website)
#11 for 1981
There was little doubt that this second single from Culture Club's biggest album would be a success in NZ like it was throughout the rest of the world, even taking into consideration that they weren't as big over there as they were in Australia, this was a song that was too catchy for it to fail and came complete with a video that's still fun to watch even to this day.
#6 for 1983 (#7 website)
#8 for 1984
Well, it was the biggest hit of the 80's in the UK for a female vocalist, so naturally this one and only hit from American born German singer Jennifer Rush would also be a massive hit over in NZ around this time. I guess for nearly a decade, this was the definitive version of this love ballad until Celine Dion made it her own in 1994.
#6 for 1985 (#19 website)
#6 for 1986
So, disco died this year huh? Well given how this was a Billboard chart topper, I'm going to say that it didn't and was merely quick to lose its grip on the mainstream due to overexposure from the late 70's. This is often considered to be the bridge between disco and post disco which is a trend that would permeate throughout the 80's everywhere outside of America.
#12 for 1980 (#7 website)
This was the only hit that Prince Tui Teka had in his homeland, although he was part of two bands who I guess did alright in the 50's and 60's so this was merely his only solo hit in his career. He would pass away later in the decade which would explain why he didn't have any further success after this.
#11 for 1982 (#6 website)
This was a huge success for Hot Chocolate throughout the world, heck it only didn't appear on the Australian side of my site due to not charting long enough in the upper echelons of the charts back in the day to qualify for my rankings. It was the band's final hit single outside of their native UK likely due to audiences wanting to move on to other multi racial RNB groups of the day, however they kept scoring success in their native UK.
#12 for 1982 (#16 website)
#7 for 1983
This was the main theme to Tim Burton's Batman film of this year, although calling it a theme is stretching it as it's really a collage of quotes from the film set to a backing beat with Prince occasionally singing over the instrumental. It was a massive hit for the Purple one likely due to the popularity of the film.
#10 for 1989 (#4 website)
This is further proof that disco was far from dead this year as the Brothers Johnson managed to score a massive worldwide hit with this track, although it was most popular in NZ likely due to musicians of colour in general not having much pushback from the kiwis around this time.
#13 for 1980 (#2 website)
This was the showstopper from Elaine Paige for the show Cats, somehow the kiwis preferred Barbra Streisand's version of the track which suggests there was a possibility that she would play the role of Grizabella at some point which as far as I'm aware, never wound up happening. This must have encouraged the kiwis to make her greatest hits package of the same name a success over there.
#13 for 1982 (#18 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.
#14 for 1980
This was the last hit that John Rowles had in NZ, oh yeah, John Rowles managed to have multiple hits in his native NZ after his one and only international hit "If I only had time" from the late 60's. This is a cover of a Harry Belafonte track which means he was going for that reggae crowd which worked out for this song.
#12 for 1981
#14 for 1982
If we're only taking into account songs that charted during the year of 1985, this was the biggest hit in NZ despite it not hitting number one. I felt I should bring that up because even in NZ where the charts are much tighter than here in Australia, number one wasn't always everything as evidence by the biggest hit being from Madonna who only had one chart topper this year with an entry we'll get to.
#7 for 1985 (#3 website)
Given that the Timex Social Club did score a massive success in NZ the previous year, it's only fitting that their sister group Club Nouveau would find even more success in NZ this year with their cover of the Bill Withers track. Of course, being a pseudo reggae track was also a huge point in its favour over there given how much the kiwis love any form of reggae over the years.
#12 for 1987 (#3 website)
This was Belinda Carlisle's one and only hit over in NZ, this is even taking into account her band the Go go's who also never scored a hit over there likely due to them not being promoted there due to them lacking a Countdown equivalent. At least this song led to the success of her second solo album over there, however her next album was a massive flop there despite it being a huge success here.
#11 for 1988 (#9 website)
Well at least Bob Marley was one of the most popular artists in NZ even after his tragic passing, as such this kiddie version of one of his songs doesn't feel too out of left field for becoming a success over there like I'm sure it does in retrospect in America. Still, it feels weird that there was a huge hit coming from a bunch of kids who wanted to legalise marijuana in the music video.
#15 for 1982 (#9 website)
#8 for 1983
This was an even bigger success in NZ likely due to the kiwis allowing these guys to have massive success with their singles throughout the 80's which was something we Aussies didn't allow for them until this became a hit here in Australia this year. Indeed, this was the band's biggest hit in the southern hemisphere and even in America, however that honour went to "Fairground" in their native UK.
#11 for 1989 (#1 website)
Well, it looks like disco was still a thing this far into the 80's, even America acknowledged this as a classic at the time as it was a hit on Billboard (albeit only a modest one.) It was a much bigger hit in the UK where disco continued to thrive this year, although strangely it was a flop here in Australia where disco also seemed to be welcomed with open arms.
#13 for 1981 (#4 website)
From what I can gather, Audrey Landers was a failed American actress who scored a hit in NZ and throughout Europe with this European pop track in an attempt to launch her singing career. The song was a massive success for her; however, she remains a one hit wonder everywhere where this charted given how she wasn't much of a vocalist either.
#9 for 1983 (#18 website)
#9 for 1984
It seems strange that this would be Milli Vanilli's biggest hit in NZ, mainly because it was the one bonus track from the American release of their album meaning the kiwis preferred this over anything over their original album. Given this was released on time over there (likely due to them not caring about those pesky rumours that turned out to be true) it was a hit much sooner than it was here in Australia.
#12 for 1989
Even though they had success with their albums throughout the 70's in their homeland, this was still the first major hit single that Split enz managed to achieve over there just like they did here in Australia. It was an amazing start to the 80's given how their popularity exploded thanks to the video and their performance on Countdown, both of which helped spark international interest in them.
#15 for 1980 (#8 website)
There were a few Jamaican artists to make it big in NZ throughout the 80's, granted there were a few to do so in the 90's as well, but at least those guys had international success whereas these guys only had minor success outside of NZ and their native Jamaica. This was one of the lucky few to make it big in the UK around this time likely due to their big hit being a cover of a pre-teen MJ track.
#16 for 1982 (#22 website)
There was no surprise this duet between UB40 and Chrissie Hynde would be a huge success in NZ this year, both artists were among the most popular of the decade and it was a reggae cover of a 60's classic from Sonny and Cher made for Live aid after all.
#8 for 1985 (#2 website)
This guy had a huge success in Australia seven years prior with "My coo ca choo" during the height of the glam rock era, he returned this year to score a hit with this update of a rockabilly track from the 50's which proved to be a massive success in NZ and his native UK but not here in Australia funnily enough. What's really bizarre is that he's a one hit wonder in the southern hemisphere but with a different song in both countries.
#14 for 1981 (#47 website)
#17 for 1982
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.
#16 for 1980
So, Eddy Grant was able to score three hit singles in NZ throughout the 80's, none of them was the song he scored a huge hit with here in Australia or over in America which should give you an idea of what the kiwis wanted from this guy compared to us Aussies and Americans. Still, this was his biggest hit in his native UK even taking into account his work with his old band the Equals.
#10 for 1983 (#14 website)
This was the final hit that Bob Marley had in his lifetime in NZ, although considering he was able to score two gigantic hits over there as opposed to just the one here in Australia, I think it's safe to say the kiwis were on board with what he had to offer in his catalogue during his lifetime. This recharted later in the decade for some reason, I don't know why because it wasn't when he released his greatest hits album.
#17 for 1980 (#22 website)
This song is known for two things nowadays, the first is for the music video which has the same style of CGI animation that was a success for Dire straits around this time and the second is that the lead vocalist of the band was Margaret Urlich who would go on to have massive success as a solo artist in the 90's.
#9 for 1985
#7 for 1986
This guy was also a two-hit wonder in NZ with this and "Baby don't get hooked on me," although from what I can gather, this was a bigger hit over there as his earlier hit didn't do as well on the Listener charts over there as it did here in Australia.
#18 for 1980 (#14 website)
So, this is a surprise entry, mainly because it was a massive hit here in Australia upon its initial release two years prior and yet it only became a success in NZ this year following the premiere of the TV show. This was also the case in the UK, so perhaps this was an international thing where audiences were ambivalent on the film but fell in love with the TV series.
#18 for 1982 (#11 website)
This was the biggest hit that Billy Ocean had in NZ, curious that it came from his least successful album of the decade given how his previous two albums were successful worldwide even if they weren't so much in NZ for the English crooner. He would successfully close out the decade over there with his greatest hits package in a way he failed to do so here in Australia.
#12 for 1988 (#5 website)
This was the debut single from Duran Duran as far as the kiwis were concerned, true they had a bit hit in Australia the previous year with their actual debut single "Planet earth," however that flopped over there likely due to it lacking that flashy music video that came with this song. This actually charted again later in the decade for some reason, I'm guessing due to the whole 1984 doomsday that was a thing.
#19 for 1982 (#24 website)
While this charted higher in NZ than it did here in Australia, it overall wasn't as big a hit over there for Yazz as it was down under, proving that even early on, we Aussies would turn out to love the dance floors more than the kiwis. This is a cover of an obscure track from the start of the decade, although I don't think many people would realise that given how infectious this is over the original.
#13 for 1988 (#19 website)
#13 for 1989
Given how disco seemed to all the rage this year over in NZ, it makes sense that this title track from George Benson's disco album was more of a success over there than it was over here so much so that the album spawned him a second hit over there that we'll be looking at later down this list. While he thrived over there during disco's supposed dark age, he didn't last too long during the MTV era unfortunately.
#19 for 1980 (#16 website)
Well, this was instantly one of the biggest hits of all time in Australia, so naturally it would crossover to NZ for Joe Dolce given how catchy the song remains to this day. I honestly didn't realise this was a real song growing up, I heard people singing it over the years thinking it was from an old kids show from the mid twentieth century rather than it being a huge worldwide chart topper from around this time.
#20 for 1980
#15 for 1981
Well, this was the first time the kiwis had heard from Cher the singer since her hit single "Half breed" back in 1973 (it was big on the Listener charts) that was sixteen years of silence from her as far as they were concerned even though she was popular with her films throughout the 80's. I guess this is why her big comeback wasn't as big over there as it was here where it was welcomed with open arms.
#14 for 1989
This was the only hit single to come from Scottish singer Natasha England, it was a modest success in her native UK and a monstrous hit in NZ likely due to her take on the old nursery rhyme connecting with the kiwis. It remains the most popular version of the track, however the Belle stars did score a hit with their version from the Rain man soundtrack.
#20 for 1982 (#25 website)
#11 for 1983
Well at least these guys were able to have one inescapable hit on the charts in NZ, oh don't get me wrong, these guys were very successful over there just not to the degree they were here in Australia and especially their native UK. I guess the kiwis had their limits to great music if there was such shaky songwriting for it to carry.
#21 for 1980
#16 for 1981
This had a similar story to its success in NZ that it did here in Australia, the main difference being that it managed to capture all of its success over there this year as opposed to it being spread out here this year and the following year. Other than that, this was the song that saved the album from being a flop worldwide.
#22 for 1980 (#38 website)
While this had a somewhat delayed release in NZ, the kiwis more than made up for this by having it be a far bigger hit over there than it was here in Australia. In fact, the band was even able to score a second minor hit around this time with "I wanna rock," a song you may recognise if you're a SpongeBob fan as it was parodied in the first SpongeBob squarepants film.
#10 for 1984
#10 for 1985
Well given how A: "We do it" was a massive flop in NZ back in the day and B: album sales didn't seem to affect the success of a single over there, this second single from John Lennon's final album from his lifetime managed to be an even bigger success over there than it was over here. This was always meant as his second single from the album, although it's possible its success was due to his tragic passing.
#17 for 1981 (#10 website)
This is a song whose absence on my site has certainly been felt by yours truly, unfortunately this disco classic from Kool and the gang was never a hit here in Australia despite Dragon scoring a moderate hit later in the decade with their rendition. The kiwis were able to recognise this as the feel-good classic that it is despite this being yet another disco track that was released during the supposed dark age of disco.
#18 for 1981 (#9 website)
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