Well I guess I should look at what was big throughout the 80's in NZ considering how I did the same for Australia on this site, at least this list will be more straightforward as (at least as far as I'm aware) there wasn't more than one chart chronicling what was popular over in NZ like there was here in Australia.
Unlike here in Australia where these guys had a ton of hits, this was the only big hit that the Pretenders were able to score in NZ likely due to how iconic the melody has become since its initial release. At least they would have success with their fourth album later in the decade in lieu of its singles.
#23 for 1980 (#11 website)
Much like here in Australia, Kim Carnes was a one hit wonder in NZ with this iconic track about how this woman she's singing about is as promiscuous as Bette Davis herself. Reportedly she wrote a letter of gratification to everyone involved with this track thanking them for making her relevant to (then) modern society, although I doubt she would've done so if she knew what the song was actually about.
#19 for 1981 (#6 website)
This was the biggest hit that Shaking Stevens had in NZ, it's curious because it was the weakest of the four hits he had here in Australia and yet his popularity over there wasn't an inverse of what it was over here. Another curious fact is that he never made it to number one over there despite arguably being bigger than he was here where he had two chart toppers.
#20 for 1981 (#18 website)
It appears the kiwis were also in love with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts this year, although they did score success later in the decade over there with "I hate myself for loving you" unlike here in Australia where all of their success was confided to this one year. They broke down a lot of barriers for women in rock given how at this point they were mostly confided to the alternative scene.
#21 for 1982 (#7 website)
Mel and Kim were much more popular in NZ than they were here in Australia, mainly because they were immediately welcomed into the mainstream over there as opposed to here where they had to earn their popularity which is why their debut single had such a low placement on the Australian side of my site. Of course, their second single was the real success they had in the southern hemisphere regardless.
#13 for 1987 (#5 website)
This was a huge success for Queen entering the 80's in NZ, not quite as big as it was here in Australia or even in America but big enough to be among their most successful songs. I guess Freddie's Elvis impersonation was enough to help the band comeback from the brink of obscurity given how their last few albums weren't that big anywhere in the world.
#24 for 1980 (#10 website)
While this was a bit late to the party in NZ for KC and the Sunshine Band, it was still a massive success for the band which was further proof that disco was still yet to be dead everywhere in the world except for America. There's a bit of minor controversy with the lyrics as they do seem a bit forward even with the implications of the person KC is hitting on wanting to be with someone for themselves.
#12 for 1983
#11 for 1984
You better believe I was dumbstruck when I first discovered this second single from the Joshua tree was a flop here in Australia, I can't stress enough how albums sales affected the popularity of songs down under back in the day. In any case, we have this iconic track from U2 which continues the theme of the lead single (which is still to come on this list) of the band's poetry which resulted in their second Billboard chart topper.
#14 for 1987 (#7 website)
Well, this took its sweet time in becoming a hit over in NZ, it was already a massive hit for Grayson Hugh in Australia and the UK likely due to its admittedly ridiculous video where he shows his sorrow to his ex-partner while packed away in a suitcase. I'm not sure what got this to win over the kiwis, but whatever it was it resulted in it being a massive success over there around this time.
#15 for 1989
This was a massive hit for D.D Smash, these guys being best known nowadays as the band which made Dave Dobbyn a household name before he went solo during the second half of the decade. Evidently the D.D in the band name stands for Dave Dobbyn, meaning the full name of this band is Dave Dobbyn Smash which seems like he was NZ's equivalent of the Hulk.
#13 for 1983 (#10 website)
This wasn't even released as a single here in Australia and yet it was a huge number one hit for U2 in NZ, that should give you an idea of how inescapably popular the band was over there during the Joshua tree era of their catalogue. This popularity would continue onto their next album which spawned them an additional three mega hits over there to close out the 80's.
#14 for 1988 (#2 website)
While it wasn't their biggest hit over in NZ (that honour goes to "Good times" with Jimmy Barnes) this is considered to be INXS's signature track given how it was their biggest hit in America as it topped the Billboard charts. They would have massive success with their album Kick the following year as it spawned three additional hits worldwide to varying degrees of success depending on where in the world you're from.
#15 for 1987 (#43 website)
#15 for 1988
The kiwis were just as open to the idea of a band against discrimination of any kind back in the day as the rest of the world (I wonder how modern audiences would take to these guys) as such their debut single was a massive success over there just like it was over here and in every country that it charted in.
#22 for 1982 (#21 website)
#14 for 1983
This was the only hit that Aswad was able to achieve outside their native UK, it's a reggae cover of a Tina Turner track that was the B-side to her hit single "Typical male" from two years prior. This likely inspired Ace of base to cover this track in the mid 90's given how successful it was in NZ and their native UK.
#16 for 1988 (#13 website)
This was blocked from the top spot in NZ by David Bowie's earlier entry, I guess this was simple karma as "Let's dance" failed to reach the top spot in Australia due to this blocking it from that spot here. It's information like this that led me to looking over the NZ charts to compare and contrast with the Australian charts.
#15 for 1983 (#9 website)
Chaka Khan was a one hit wonder in NZ like she was here in Australia, I'm not sure why as some of her work from the 70's does find its way into oldies stations in both countries, but I guess she needed to cover a Prince track and have a guest verse from Grandmaster Melle in order to make it big in the southern hemisphere. I'm not sure why Grandmaster Melle isn't credited on this track other than perhaps rap features not getting credits back in the day.
#12 for 1984
#11 for 1985
It appears the kiwis were only into Bronski beat purely for Jimmy Somerville as the band flopped over there with "Hit that perfect beat" and yet Jimmy scored a massive hit with his new band the Communards. Granted this was a bit late to the party over there as it was already one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia by the time it saw the light of day, but it didn't impact its overall success.
#8 for 1986
#16 for 1987
Unlike here in Australia where this wasn't among the biggest hits of the year, this was indeed a massive success over in NZ likely due to how incessantly catchy the track is as well as Limahl wanting to get with a girl but finding her to be too shy to be his type. The track was even bouncy enough to become a hit for them over in America this year, making this an international one hit wonder for the band.
#16 for 1983 (#16 website)
This was the only success that the NZ band the Mockers managed to achieve in their homeland, it was a massive success for them but not enough to grant them any other hits there or a crossover success in Australia.
#13 for 1984
#12 for 1985
Well, I guess it's time to talk about the song itself given how the kiwis got the release order correctly resulting in the band's instant success over there, this is a song originally released two years prior to deafening silence from the duo but became a worldwide success this year due to them reworking the original to be more in line with the popular trends of the moment.
#9 for 1986 (#5 website)
This was the debut single from one of the most popular bands to come out of the 80's, although this was back when UB40 was a halfway respected band as true to their name, they talked about more serious subject matter such as unemployment and living conditions of their day. The reggae beat was still there, but they weren't just covering older classics with that reggae beat and instead had something to say.
#25 for 1980 (#9 website)
While this wasn't the first single that Ardijah released in their career, it was the song that made them a household name given how it was such a huge hit over there and even sparked interest here in Australia which they never ended up translating to success. Indeed, they would tour extensively here until they gave up and returned home where they saw a surprise comeback a decade after this big hit.
#17 for 1988 (#7 website)
One of the most important political figures in history was Nelson Mandela, although his true achievements came after he was released from prison in 1989 where he led a campaign to put an end to apartheid which was an oppressive regime happening in Africa that I'm not going to get into on this site. Many protest songs were made during his imprisonment to have him released, this from the Special AKA being the biggest and most impactful of them all.
#14 for 1984 (#8 website)
I'm not sure how successful the original version of this song is for Cliff Richard in NZ given how there aren't any NZ charts that go back to the late 50's or early 60's, however I'm sure this "remix" of his debut single from the Young ones was a bigger hit over there regardless due to it being made for charity.
#10 for 1986 (#2 website)
Given how these guys already had success in NZ as part of their main band Talking heads, Chris Fantz and Tina Weymouth AKA the Tom tom club managed to score a huge hit over in NZ with their rendition of a Drifters track from nearly two decades prior but not here in Australia due to their lack of success here.
#17 for 1983 (#19 website)
While this wasn't the biggest hit from Thriller, this was the highest charting in NZ as this became a number one hit over there whilst MJ's earlier entry got stuck behind David Bowie's earlier entry on this list. This goes to show that the kiwis were really enamoured by MJ's venture towards rock and roll just like the rest of the world was.
#18 for 1983 (#3 website)
This was the second Oscar winning track from Irene Cara this decade, so naturally it would be a major hit for her in NZ albeit on time unlike her previous Oscar winning track. I wonder why they never made a sequel or TV show to Flashdance like they did with Fame, sure it wasn't a critical darling, but it was a huge box office success thanks to the chemistry Jennifer Beals has with the male co lead.
#19 for 1983 (#4 website)
Well, this is a site that's meant to be fun more than anything else, as such I won't be saying anything about this song other than it has good intentions and those intentions fueling its success back in the day.
#13 for 1985 (#1 website)
This was a massive hit for Duran Duran around the world back in the day, although I get the feeling that if they had of gone with "The reflex" as the lead single to their third album they would've had a song as inescapable as some of the earlier entries on this list worldwide given how popular that would become from the album. At least these guys would continue to have success well into the second half of the 80's in NZ as opposed to Australia.
#20 for 1983 (#42 website)
#15 for 1984
While this did chart here in Australia following the success of Bob Marley's greatest hits album, it was a massive success in NZ due to how much the kiwis loved his music in the mainstream even after his tragic death from earlier in the decade. Even after his demise, he never found success in America which is at least something the rest of the world can brag about when it comes to his catalogue.
#16 for 1984 (#3 website)
It's strange that these guys are best known for their disco classic "Shake your groove thing" and yet their two biggest hits were RNB ballads back in the day. This was their bigger hit in NZ likely due to the kiwis wanting to keep the 70's alive this year as opposed to everywhere else in the world which moved on to the likes of soft rock and new wave with the occasional sprinkle of disco and RNB here and there.
#26 for 1980 (#6 website)
This was the only hit that Men without hats had in most parts of the world, at least it was nearly a chart topper in NZ proving how much the kiwis loved this ode to dancing however you want to dance when at a show. They almost scored a second hit much later in the decade with "Pop goes the world," which goes to show they weren't always doomed to be a one hit wonder over there.
#21 for 1983 (#32 website)
#17 for 1984
File this in the increasing category of American women of colour failing to find success on the Billboard charts but finding success in the UK regardless, the success she found over there allowed this to become a chart topper in NZ likely due to the kiwis thinking she was someone like Natalie Cole or Chaka Khan from around this time. It certainly wouldn't feel out of place from either of their catalogues.
#11 for 1986
#17 for 1987 (#48 website)
Although this did rebound on the NZ charts when the girls earlier entry was released over there, it was noticeably a hit upon its initial release over there as opposed to here in Australia where it needed the endorsement of their earlier entry for it to be a success here. I'm not sure if this made it big over there because of the production, the theme of the lyrics or it being two women of colour singing with such an attitude, but it was a success regardless.
#18 for 1987 (#10 website)
Even without performing this on a Countdown equivalent in NZ (I forgot to mention this is how Cyndi got big here in Australia) this debut single from her was able to become a massive hit for her over there due to it being adopted as a feminist anthem given how we were years off from the likes of "I feel like a woman" and "Sisters are doing it for themselves."
#18 for 1984 (#7 website)
So, a funny story affiliated with this song, apparently the Bush Sr administration used it as a theme song for their campaign despite Bobby McFerrin being a firm supporter of the Democrat party which meant that he wasn't too thrilled at the lack of consent he had for having this song be used in a campaign for a party he didn't even support. This resulted in a lawsuit that was quickly settled out of court.
#18 for 1988 (#17 website)
#16 for 1989
Well, there would be little surprise that this was a hit earlier in NZ than it was here in Australia, however it may surprise you to learn this was an even bigger hit here in Australia for Womack and Womack likely due to the synth groove connecting better with us Aussies than it did for the kiwis back in the day. At least this was still a massive hit over there as opposed to their native America where this flopped badly.
#19 for 1988
#17 for 1989
This was a massive hit for Barbra Streisand in NZ just like it was throughout the rest of the world, although it wasn't her only solo hit in NZ that wasn't from a film or a show as her cover of "Memory" from the Cats musical would also be a success for her over there later in the decade (bearing in mind that said cover wasn't included on the Cats soundtrack.)
#27 for 1980 (#35 website)
#21 for 1981
Even though he saw massive success in NZ during his first two albums, Billy Idol had little issues with this being his biggest hit over there despite it being a more subdue track from his earlier entries and the album it served as the lead single for being less successful than his previous efforts. I guess comparatively speaking this was a step back for his popularity, but he was still bigger than most by this point.
#12 for 1986
#19 for 1987
It looks like Anne Murray wasn't a one hit wonder in NZ as she managed to score a second hit over there with this bonus track from her greatest hits album, although she apparently did score a few hits on the Listener charts so perhaps the kiwis were already well familiar with her work by this point in time. It would certainly explain why her greatest hits album was so big there compared to what it achieved here.
#22 for 1981 (#16 website)
I never understood why these guys underperformed in their native UK with their two albums, I guess their international success made up for that, but you'd think their brand of new wave soul would've connected with the Brits like it did internationally. Oh well, they still managed to score a massive hit in NZ with the lead single to their second and final album likely due to the lyrics and its hilarious video.
#18 for 1989 (#5 website)
Much like in Australia, this was the final solo hit that Phil Collins was able to score in NZ, although he didn't find much success with any of the singles from Genesis's new album in the 90's, so this was actually the last hit single that the kiwis cared about in his career. At least he still had plenty of love for his albums both solo and with Genesis throughout the decade.
#19 for 1989
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.
#28 for 1980
This was a massive hit in NZ considering that it was only decently successful in Australia and ABC's native UK, I guess the kiwis were invested in this story about how Martin Fry had his heart stomped by this person who he gave his love to. Out of all the two hit wonders in Australia from this year, these guys were the most successful over there as they would go on to have moderate success as the decade went on.
#23 for 1982 (#13 website)
This is one of those funk tracks that would've been inescapable in the 70's, I guess the usage of synthesisers allowed it to find an audience this decade for Midnight Star in NZ and virtually nowhere else in the world. They were basically Cameo before those guys stripped back their sound, Cameo being more in line with a funk band around this time before they too adopted synthesisers for their big hit.
#22 for 1983
#19 for 1984
This was almost the biggest hit from Billy Idol's career in NZ, only "To be a lover" outranks it which even then only by just meaning that these two songs were the most popular of his career over there. Admittedly this is a live rendition of a cover of a Tommy James track he made earlier in the decade, so the Whiplash smile track is his biggest original hit over there.
#20 for 1987
#20 for 1988
This was a massive hit for the Nolans in NZ and their native UK, likely due to it being more in line with disco than their novelty pop from the following year that crossed over to Australia. Given how that was a hit in NZ also, this makes the Irish family group a two-hit wonder over there with both of these tracks.
#29 for 1980 (#21 website)
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, mainly because both artists in question were seeing a ton of success around this time with songs that barely even touched the Australian charts. Although now that I think about it, that's probably why this wasn't even bigger given the other choices the kiwis had at their disposal from them at the time of its release.
#23 for 1981 (#42 website)
For whatever reason, Lionel Richie didn't have as much success in NZ as he did in Australia during his solo career, I'm guessing this was because the kiwis already made him a household name during his time with the Commodores throughout the 70's and even earlier in the 80's. Even so, he still saw massive success over there including with the lead single to his biggest album Can't slow down.
#23 for 1983
#20 for 1984
This had a bit of a head start in NZ when it came to its success, although it did need that extra push to become a hit at the start of the 90's which it got when it nearly topped the Billboard charts. This was the only massive hit that Technotronic had in NZ as their other singles while mildly successful, didn't bring in the numbers that they did here in Australia to make reappearances on this site.
#20 for 1989
There was no stopping MJ this year when it comes to him scoring hits, indeed this second single from his comeback album Off the wall was actually released on time in NZ given how the kiwis already made "Blame it on the boogie" a massive hit upon its initial release over there as opposed to us Aussies finally discovering the genius of the track this year.
#30 for 1980 (#49 website)
There will be three entries from Eddy Grant to appear on the NZ side of my site, none of which were his big hit in Australia and America "Electric Avenue" which should tell you what the kiwis wanted to hear from him compared to the rest of the world. Indeed, this was a more pop friend love ballad from the British singer, although it does still incorporate reggae into the mix which the kiwis would've loved.
#24 for 1981 (#22 website)
Much like in Australia and in America, this was the biggest hit in NZ from Bananarama given how it was a cover from a 60's one hit wonder that was produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman from the trio previously known as a new wave group. I'm not sure why "Shy boy" was their only international hit prior to this cover, although their switch towards dance pop did allow their popularity to explode.
#13 for 1986 (#6 website)
It looks like the kiwis were touched by this open love letter to Christine Brinkley as this easily remains Billy Joel's biggest hit over there, there was a bit of competition for that title here in Australia given how "River of dreams," "We didn't start the fire" and "A matter of trust" were all big hits here; however, this was still the big hit for him over here as well.
#24 for 1983
#21 for 1984
We already looked at the CDB cover from the Australian side of my site, so now let's look at the original version of that RNB jam from Earth wind and fire which was a minor hit here in Australia but a massive hit in NZ and the band's native America despite being yet another disco track released during the dark ages of disco. Both lead vocalists would go on to have a huge hit in NZ later in the decade.
#25 for 1981
#24 for 1982
I don't know how these guys did it, but their debut single managed to be an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia despite being an Australian band. The success of this track over there led to them having international success with their two Australian hits throughout Europe, although "Catch me I'm falling" failed to become a hit over there like it did here.
#25 for 1983 (#8 website)
This had the same amount of success in NZ as it did here in Australia, although it did chart lower over there in exchange for lasting longer on the charts overall as opposed to it going straight to number one over here. His popularity in the southern hemisphere while exceptional compared to most other artists on this list, was barely noteworthy compared to what he achieved in his native UK throughout the decade.
#26 for 1981 (#5 website)
This was a bit late to the party in NZ given how it was already a massive hit for Toni Basil in Australia and the UK by the time it became a hit over there, although at least it was a hit before it topped the Billboard charts which means the song only made it big in her homeland once it became a worldwide success for her.
#25 for 1982 (#15 website)
Murray Head had a hit in NZ fifteen years prior with "Superstar" as he did in Australia, meaning this theme to the concept album Chess from the two male members of Abba allowed him to escape the one hit wonder bin over there just like he did here. Chess was basically the 80's equivalent of Evita in that it was a concept album first before getting turned into a highly popular musical.
#14 for 1985 (#12 website)
Well, here we are ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, the first hip hop track to go to number one in NZ which should tell you how serious the kiwis were at making the genre a household name compared to America where it originated. It was also Run DMC's only hit outside their native America for many years, although they finally got out of the one hit wonder bin in the late 90's with a few remixes.
#14 for 1986 (#27 website)
#21 for 1987
This was the only charting single that Cold Chisel had in NZ, although this was likely the song which made their penultimate album a huge success for them given how it was twice as successful over there as it was over here due to being the lead single rather than the second single. Still, it feels weird this was their only hit over there given how popular Jimmy Barnes would become later in the decade.
#26 for 1982 (#12 website)
Well, this shouldn't come as a surprise given how Paul McCartney was indeed one of the biggest names in music when transitioning from the 70's to the 80's, his success throughout the 80's would more or less play out the same in NZ as it did here in Australia.
#31 for 1980 (#12 website)
It may have been heavily delayed in NZ like it was in Australia, however at least the signature track from Human league managed to be a huge number one hit over there as opposed to merely being a top ten hit here. I guess this came at the expense of the other singles from the album underperforming there where they at least became sleeper hits here.
#27 for 1982 (#8 website)
Given how the kiwis got the album cycle correct for Dire straits, it only seems fitting that this third single from the album would be a massive success over there due to it being an upbeat pop rock track about living your life to the fullest. This was a minor success in Australia around this time, however it was pushed back as the fourth single here due to the band unveiling the video for the title track of the album.
#15 for 1985
#15 for 1986 (#43 website)
Much like here in Australia, this was the only big hit that Whitney Houston had in NZ from her second album despite the album being a huge success over there and the kiwis rarely allowing album sales to affect the impact of a song's presence on their charts. I guess this means the rest of the world wasn't interested in the other singles from the album which all topped the Billboard charts for her.
#22 for 1987 (#9 website)
This was only one of two songs to chart in NZ for Foreigner, the other was "Waiting for a girl like you" which only charted on the lower half of their charts and thus won't be making a second appearance on this site. Even their albums didn't do so well over there, although I get the feeling they were so big here in Australia because of their appearance on Countdown during the early phases of their career.
#16 for 1985 (#17 website)
For some reason, this novelty track about a British guy wanting to be a cowboy was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia. I guess this became a big hit due to the spoken word lyrics which reminded us Aussies and kiwis of the Pet shop boys, they were both British bands with this gimmick after all.
#16 for 1986 (#11 website)
I just realised something, there haven't been many all-girl groups of colour that played their own instruments to find success over the years, normally girl bands of colour are merely vocal groups such as the Supremes and En vogue after all. Here we have Klymaxx who can best be described as the Bangles if they were black and specialised in RNB rather than jangle rock.
#17 for 1986 (#7 website)
This was the second chart topper that U2 had in NZ following "Pride" from three years prior, it blows my mind that each of the singles from the Joshua tree were more successful over there than they were over here considering how they each remain a household name on the oldie's stations here in Australia to this day.
#23 for 1987 (#38 website)
This was a massive hit for two men from the NZ music scene who didn't see much success outside of this duet, although Tex Pistol did score a minor chart topper the previous year with "The game of love" which perhaps made this a much more prominent chart topper this year for both men involved.
#21 for 1988 (#6 website)
Evidently the Commodores weren't just a soft rock band like their only two hits in Australia would otherwise suggest, instead they got their origins in funk and disco which would explain why their final hit in NZ was in the latter categories. I'm not sure why none of their more upbeat tracks became hits here in Australia, then again, it's not like their ballads were instants successes here either.
#27 for 1981 (#15 website)
I'm sure if their fellow Americans didn't blacklist disco by this point in the 80's, these guys would've found as much success on Billboard as they did in NZ and the UK. This was their only hit in NZ, although their album Tropical gangsters was a massive success over there which I'm guessing more than made up for the fact their other two UK hits weren't as such there.
#28 for 1982
#26 for 1983
Well, I don't think I can make this any easier when I say that Marvin Gaye was also a one hit wonder in NZ just like he was in Australia, it makes you wonder why we slept on him in the southern hemisphere throughout the 70's as he was indeed one of the biggest artists of that decade in his native America.
#27 for 1983 (#20 website)
This was a huge hit here in Australia, although it failed to reach our top twenty which is why it didn't appear on that side of my site. It charted much higher in NZ which finally allows it to appear on the site which is good because I want to talk about as many popular songs from back in the day as I can. This was the only hit single that Greek composer Vangelis was able to score in most parts of the world.
#29 for 1982 (#37 website)
Much like here in Australia, this lead single to the band's biggest album Fore was their biggest hit in NZ, I'm guessing because they now had plenty of hype going into the album over there following success of their previous album Sports and their contributions to the Back to the future soundtrack.
#18 for 1986 (#16 website)
This was Kenny Loggins only hit in NZ, for some reason "Danger zone" was a complete flop over there from the Top gun soundtrack meaning the kiwis will only know him from his theme to Footloose from this year. At least it managed to match the success it had here in Australia and his native America.
#22 for 1984 (#9 website)
The hits kept on coming from U2 in NZ as this second single from Rattle and hum also managed to go straight to number one over there despite it not being a huge hit here in Australia at the time. This was their fourth number one single in a row over there, proving just how inescapable the band was during the late 80's.
#21 for 1989 (#23 website)
Although he would have a moderate success in NZ ten years later with "For your love," as far as the rest of the world is concerned, this is the final hit that Stevie Wonder had in his career. It was a huge chart topper for him in NZ and his native America this year, likely due to him being immensely popular this year thanks to his Oscar winning ballad from earlier on this list as well as his affiliation with USA for Africa.
#17 for 1985 (#34 website)
This was the third big hit that Eddy Grant managed to achieve in NZ throughout the 80's, it's a protest song against apartheid with Joanna referring to Johannesburg as a desperate plea to put an end to what is widely regarded as one of the worst displays of racial segregation the world has ever known. Joanna eventually came through in the 90's when apartheid came to an end thanks to Nelson Mandela.
#22 for 1988 (#14 website)
Were it not for their disco classic "Heart of glass," this cover of the obscure band Paragons track where Debbie gives an (in my opinion) strange performance as if she's high would be her and Blondie's biggest hit of their entire catalogue regardless of where you are in the world. It's admittedly a happy track where she feels intoxicated with this relationship, so there's little wonder why it remains a classic.
#28 for 1981 (#14 website)
Well, this didn't last over a year on the NZ charts, I'm guessing because it wasn't bundled with "Pink Cadillac" midway through its chart run in order to triple its time on their charts like it did down under. Either way, this lead single to Born in the U.S.A was nonetheless the biggest hit that Bruce Springsteen was able to score over there, likely due to how incessantly catchy it is compared to the rest of his catalogue.
#23 for 1984 (#4 website)
While this was far from as big a success in NZ as it was in Australia and especially their native America, this was nonetheless a huge hit for the J Geils band this year likely due to the music video which while problematic by today's standards (and I would argue even for its time) was a shoe in for MTV which finally got the band noticed after a decade of obscurity in the music scene.
#30 for 1982 (#29 website)
This wasn't quite as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, I don't even know where to speculate what caused this to not bring in the numbers over there that it did over here as that would take up too much space for this entry. Instead, I'll also bring up that the other big Oscar winning ballad from Jennifer Warnes also wasn't as big a hit over there as it was over here.
#28 for 1983
It turns out this was the biggest hit from Madonna's album of the same name, admittedly this might be due to it being the title track of an album she dedicated to her (then) husband Sean Penn which means the kiwis likely saw this as her love letter to him at the time. That would likely explain why she omitted this from her Immaculate collection album despite how much of a hit it was worldwide.
#19 for 1986 (#39 website)
This video can count itself lucky that I only included videos from hit singles from Australia on my weirdest videos of the 80's list, it would've been a shoe in for that list had it been a bigger hit down under which is odd because that's exactly how it became a success for Jackie Wilson in NZ and the UK. Admittedly this was a minor hit down under upon its initial release thirty years prior for what it's worth.
#24 for 1987 (#12 website)
Want to hear a song that can be best described as Jamaican disco? Well Dan I did just that on this track where he managed to score a massive hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world with this formula. I think at this point, the kiwis were willing to reward anything that was either from Jamaica or in the disco genre, giving out bonus points if they somehow managed to intersect with each other.
#32 for 1980 (#20 website)
This wasn't a sleeper hit in NZ like it was here in Australia, it's release was delayed because for some reason, being a hit in their native UK wasn't enough incentive to crossover internationally this year, but it was released when it became a surprise hit in America as well as it crossing over down under due to it being the final song to be performed on Countdown.
#25 for 1987 (#15 website)
Well, these guys weren't nearly as successful in NZ as they were internationally, heck this was their only hit from their sophomore album over there which didn't even become a success until the new decade. I guess the kiwis felt the story of how these two made it internationally was too much of a novelty and thus unfairly treated them as such until we got to the 90's.
#22 for 1989 (#2 website)
Much like the rest of the world, Sheena Easton changed the name of this song from "9 to 5" to "Morning train" as to avoid confusion with the Dolly Parton track of the same name (which won't be making another appearance on this site I'm afraid.) Unlike in Australia, this was her only major success over there likely due to the kiwi's inability to take her seriously after this track.
#29 for 1981 (#12 website)
This was the only hit that Marcia Hines had over in NZ, it's curious it was with this track and not one of her many other hits throughout the 70's over there which were all much more popular here in Australia than this was. That said it was likely due to this crossing over to NZ for the Australian musician of colour that allowed her to finally have international interest in her career.
#33 for 1980 (#45 website)
This was the only hit that Don Williams was able to achieve in his entire career, although at least it was a massive success in NZ this year likely due to this being a strangely good year for country music given how it was also a good year for disco during its supposed dark age period.
#30 for 1981 (#38 website)
This was the bigger hit for Tone loc in NZ, not by much though as his bigger hit here in Australia was also quite big over there likely due to it not relying on nostalgia like this does with the Troggs classic of the same name from 1966. This was the full extent of Tone loc's success in the southern hemisphere as he never scored another hit in his career even in his native America.
#23 for 1989 (#3 website)
Whilst we Aussies only started handing success to Prince on his third album Controversy, the kiwis were there for him at the very start of his career as this funk track from the Purple one managed to be a massive hit over there even though it underperformed for him on the Billboard charts this year. Of course, this was merely the beginning when it came to the rich and expansive catalogue he had to offer.
#34 for 1980 (#24 website)
Well, I did mention on the Australian side that this was a hit for Chas and Dave in NZ this year rather than the following year like it was down under. The duo did manage to make it big in their native UK with this track, although I doubt many people realise this was made in the early 80's given how out of place it feels with many of the other songs on this list.
#31 for 1982 (#20 website)
The hits kept on coming for Billy Idol in NZ this year as the title track to his second album proved to be an even bigger success over there than it was here for him. He was still yet to have any success in the northern hemisphere during this phase of his career, however that came the following year when he suddenly scored a string of hits in his native NZ with all the entries I've featured on these lists.
#24 for 1984 (#17 website)
This was an even bigger hit for Iggy Pop in NZ than it was here in Australia, likely because it was a surprise hit for him over in the UK as well as it being a cover of a Johnny O'Keefe song from the 50's. Unlike in Australia and the UK, this was his only hit over there albeit one that was twice as popular there as it was in either country.
#26 for 1987 (#18 website)
This was the second chart topper that Smokey Robinson had in NZ, although in this case it was due to this being a huge hit in the UK given how he had finally broken through to the British charts at the start of the decade. He wouldn't find any further success after this both solo or with the Miracles anywhere in the world.
#31 for 1981 (#7 website)
Who needs to listen to a song in English when you have the original? That seemed to be the mindset of us Aussies and kiwis this year as we passed up the English version of this track from After the fire in favour of the original from Falco from two years prior. Whereas this was his biggest hit here in Australia, the kiwis allowed him to have an even bigger hit over there with his tribute to Mozart.
#29 for 1983 (#25 website)
This was a much bigger hit for U2 in NZ, likely because this is in fact a protest song for Martin Luther King and that this was an excellent time to pay tribute to historical leaders of colour if the protest song for Nelson Mandela from earlier on this list is anything to go by. Like everywhere else in the world, it was the first big hit that the band was able to achieve, although it certainly wouldn't be the last.
#25 for 1984 (#14 website)
You thought I was kidding when I said this was a bigger hit in NZ for the Australian band didn't you? Well, I wasn't as this was a much bigger hit over there than it was over here likely due to how catchy the song is as well as them technically being based in the UK even though they comprised of Australian singers.
#23 for 1988 (#12 website)
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