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.
It appears the kiwis were as enamoured by this breakthrough single from Enya as her fellow Brits were, although it didn't quite get to number one over there like it did in her homeland likely due to there being more fierce competition by the time it was released in NZ. This opened up many doors for the new age crowd for the 90's including the likes of Enigma and Deep Forest.
#24 for 1989 (#34 website)
This had a bit of a delay to its success in Australia given how it was already a huge hit in NZ by the time it was released as a single down under, indeed the kiwis and the Brits were the reasons why this was a hit for Fat Larry's band as this was a massive flop in his native America likely due to it sounding like it belonged in the previous decade.
#32 for 1982
#30 for 1983
Timex social club are known for being the sister band for Club Nouveau, I bring this up because the success of this song no doubt led to the success of the latter band's cover of "Lean on me" the following year worldwide. I know the two songs have very little in common with each other, this being a fast-paced track about the dangers of spreading rumours whilst the other being a reggae cover of a song about putting your trust in the narrator.
#20 for 1986 (#38 website)
This was the big hit that Devo had in NZ back in the day, evidently, it's a cover of some obscure track from the 60's that was used for a film known as Heavy metal that came out around this time. As this was a big hit in NZ and the band performed it on Countdown shortly after its release, it was included as a bonus track from their New traditionalist album which likely boosted that album's sales.
#32 for 1981
#33 for 1982
This was the Models only success in NZ, well that and the album of the same name doing reasonably well which would explain why they're a one hit wonder over there. This did chart on the lower end of the Billboard charts following its success in NZ; however, they weren't able to rise to the ranks of INXS or even Pseudo echo internationally.
#18 for 1985
This was one of only two notable hits from Richard Marx over in NZ, the other was "Hazard" from the early 90's which both have the distinction of being chart topper here in Australia. This was also a chart topper for him in NZ, likely due to the kiwis thinking he was Bryan Adams who admittedly had yet to have that huge crossover with one of his singles.
#25 for 1989 (#35 website)
I guess the kiwis were a bit pressured into making this title track from Madonna's fourth album any bigger than it already was following the controversy caused from its music video, it was still a massive worldwide hit for the queen of pop regardless of the controversy, but many religious audiences did turn against her back in the day and are still yet to come full circle on her all these years later.
#26 for 1989 (#8 website)
OK I think we've gawked at this cover enough on this site already, so let's just focus on the song itself which was indeed a massive hit for Loverboy in NZ like it was here in Australia this year. Whereas at least the band had a minor follow up in Australia with "Working for the weekend" the following year, they remain a one hit wonder with this track about being in a crazy relationship.
#33 for 1981 (#11 website)
What was is with aging performers around this time being introduced as the wrong person? First there was John Farnham being introduced as Jack which resulted in his comeback album being called Whispering Jack, and now we have this comeback single from Paul Simon about how people are referring to him as Al instead of Paul. Naturally this was also a huge hit in NZ, although nowhere near as big as it was in Australia.
#21 for 1986
#27 for 1987
This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Tears for fears, admittedly they did have more success over there overall as the third single from their sophomore album as well as the album itself proved to both be a bigger hit for them in NZ than they were down under and the band's native UK.
#19 for 1985 (#7 website)
Well at least this song received its own entry in NZ even if it meant that Madonna had clogged up the charts over there the same way that Abba did ten years prior and the Beatles twenty years prior. "Angel" was a huge hit over there (it won't be making this list I'm afraid) proving how much the kiwis loved Madonna around this time.
#20 for 1985 (#4 website)
This was slightly more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis were more opened to the idea of hearing a Kate Bush rendition of the Lesley Gore classic but as envisioned by one of the people inspired by her rather than the genuine article. Apparently, this wasn't the only song they covered in this vein as both artists here made a career out of these sorts of covers over the decade.
#34 for 1982 (#47 website)
While Genesis did have hits with the two songs I featured on the Australian side of this site in NZ, this was their biggest hit over there which is odd because it came from their self-titled album from three years prior and only became a success this year due to their (then) most recent album Invisible touch. The success of this track over there encouraged the kiwis to bring further success to the album it came from.
#22 for 1986
#28 for 1987
Natalie Cole already had a hit in NZ over a decade prior with "Sophisticated lady," so the kiwis were already familiar with the daughter of Nat King Cole when she released her cover of the Bruce Springsteen track that was the B side to "Dancing in the dark" from earlier in the decade. This cover proved to be a bigger hit for her outside her native America, although it was decently big on Billboard.
#24 for 1988 (#18 website)
This was almost as big as Tone loc's earlier entry on this list in NZ, naturally it was his bigger hit here in Australia, so the appeal was there for both songs in the southern hemisphere. I guess this was the first signs of west coast hip hop taking over the NZ charts as Tone loc was from California, not that it really mattered as hardly anyone affiliates him with the hip hop wars of the 90's.
#27 for 1989 (#32 website)
This was the only hit that Alice Cooper had in NZ throughout his career, in fact aside from the album this came from (and possibly some of his earlier albums) this was the full extent of his popularity over there as hardly any of his work from the second half of the 70's found any success back in the day. I guess this was only a hit there due to it fitting in really well with the hair metal scene of the day.
#28 for 1989 (#43 website)
This was the only hit that Chris De Burgh had in NZ, heck I'm willing to bet this likely wouldn't have even been a hit over there if it weren't for the fact that it was such a huge success here and in his native UK. An interesting fact I have about its success in the southern hemisphere is that it was exactly the same over there as it was for Paul Simon's earlier entry in both countries, I just found that interesting.
#23 for 1986
#29 for 1987
I'm surprised this wasn't a hit here in Australia back in the day considering how often you still hear it on our oldie's stations to this day, then again, I wouldn't be sure how it crossed over here considering it was only a hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world including the band's native UK. True to their name, this is a psychedelic track that incorporates new wave into its sound which naturally appealed to the kiwis this year.
#35 for 1982 (#41 website)
This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing there were more kiwis who appreciated the story of a closeted gay man being outed as such and thus needing to make it on his own in a homophobic world than there were Aussies back in the day. While this was a big hit here in Australia, the fact it was even bigger over there and came from a highly successful album shows you how much the kiwis appreciated this.
#26 for 1984 (#20 website)
Well, if you wanted to hear a new jack swing cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic, here's your chance as this became a huge hit in NZ for the American duo Times two over there and not in their native America for some reason. I guess the kiwis were more open to the idea of a dance remix of a folk classic than their fellow Americans, either that or they were poorly promoted in their homeland.
#25 for 1988 (#8 website)
You'd think that "Buffalo stance" would be the big hit from Neneh Cherry this year in NZ, while that was a huge sleeper hit for her over there, it was this second single from her debut album that convinced the kiwis that the Swedish rapper was worth handing success to. Naturally she didn't have any success here in Australia until she moved more towards new age music in the 90's.
#29 for 1989 (#26 website)
Much like in Australia, Bonnie Tyler was doomed to become a one hit wonder in NZ with "It's a heartache" before she made the smart decision to collaborate with Jim Steinman for this track that was originally meant for the second Bat out of hell album from earlier in the decade. This comeback was a bit more substantial for her over there as she scored a hit the following year with Shaking Stevens.
#31 for 1983 (#5 website)
I've checked the Listener charts and I can confirm with a heavy heart that Aretha Franklin never had a hit in NZ prior to this comeback she had this year, at least it was much bigger over there than it was over here likely suggesting this was the kiwis attempts to make up for sleeping on her discography all those years ago.
#21 for 1985 (#16 website)
There were no signs of Kenny Rogers slowing down anywhere in the world as this ballad of his managed to be a huge hit for him regardless of where in the world you're from. His popularity would die out later in the decade due to him being unable to adapt to the trends of MTV, although he lasted longer in the mainstream then you would otherwise expect.
#35 for 1980 (#33 website)
For whatever reason, this was pushed back as the second single in NZ given how "White wedding" was released first over there (which is still to come on this list.) This was slightly bigger than that track over there likely due to it becoming a hit in the lead up to the summer of this year, which admittedly was the logic behind releasing this song the previous year here in Australia for the punk rocker.
#32 for 1983 (#50 website)
It looked like Kylie wouldn't have as much success in NZ as she did in Australia early in her career, that's perfectly normal considering that patriotism has always been a fact when it comes to artists making it big in their own countries. While none of her songs were ever as big there as they were here, she did find massive success over there with her debut album to make up for that.
#26 for 1988 (#27 website)
For whatever reason, these guys were known as Major Matchbox in NZ as well as in Australia despite there not being a Matchbox over there that was also receiving buzz (that I'm aware of that is.) Other than that, there's no surprises here as the kiwis were all about the rockabilly revival craze which resulted in this being a chart topper for the British band over there.
#36 for 1980 (#15 website)
Well, I'm not going to bore you with a history lesson on how this song came to be like I did on the Australian side of my site, instead I'll bring up that the song was curiously pulled from shelves back in the day likely to encourage album sales form the band that obviously didn't end up happening for them.
#27 for 1984 (#18 website)
OK so it appears the kiwis weren't as invested in the life of Ritchie Valens as this cover of his signature tune from Los Lobos was only half as successful over there as it was here in Australia. Heck the soundtrack didn't even do that well over there which is further proof that the biopic didn't interest them that much.
#30 for 1987 (#2 website)
This was still the biggest hit that Icehouse had in NZ like it was here in Australia, although it wasn't as successful over there due to patriotism making it a bigger hit here in Australia even if it was still a massive success for the band. This song allowed the lead single to eventually climb up the charts over there and become a sleeper success (I sadly won't be making another appearance on this list.)
#31 for 1987
#27 for 1988
I guess the kiwis weren't as touched by this tribute from Roxy music to John Lennon as we Aussies were this year, mind you this was a huge chart topper here due to the band performing it on Countdown during their Australian tour this year. It was still the band's biggest hit over there, although considering how big their albums were, that's not really much of an endorsement.
#34 for 1981 (#29 website)
I guess by this time this magnum opus was released in NZ, the kiwis had already begun to fall out of love with the Purple one given how it wasn't as big a hit over there as it was worldwide. That said, his popularity only dwindled ever so slightly as he would remain popular over there consistently for the next ten years, not like here in Australia where the next decade would be a rollercoaster for his success.
#28 for 1984 (#15 website)
To think that this becoming a surprise hit in Australia was what it took for NKOTB to find success outside their native America this year, granted this was a minor hit in NZ at first when it was initially released over there, however it skyrocketed up their charts when it became a number one hit here which encouraged the kiwis to almost have it repeat that success over there.
#30 for 1989 (#39 website)
This was just another hit that Dr Hook had in NZ given how this was around the peak of their popularity over there, indeed this was even released slightly earlier over there than it was here despite it being equally as popular in both countries this year likely due to how much of a bop it remains to this day.
#35 for 1981 (#36 website)
This was one of only three hits that Captain and Tennille had in NZ, it was also their biggest hit as the kiwis didn't seem particularly interested in making them a household name throughout the 70's for whatever reason. I guess they changed their mind for their only 80's hit but changed it back once MTV rolled around.
#37 for 1980 (#25 website)
Well at least we Aussies allowed Stevie Nicks to have a highly successful solo career with her albums, none of them were a success in NZ save perhaps her debut album which was more of a sleeper hit than anything. I guess I bring this up because the kiwis were clearly on team Lindsey as he managed to score a giant hit with this ballad over his on again off again partner.
#36 for 1982
This was the only chart topper that Wham had in NZ throughout their career, it's further proof that number one isn't everything over there as though it was a success for the duo, it wasn't their biggest hit as their earlier hits lasted longer on their charts despite not charting as high as this did. Still, it was a massive hit for the duo thanks to how popular they were upon its initial release.
#24 for 1986 (#10 website)
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.
#38 for 1980
This was a bigger hit for both Paul and Michael in NZ, likely because of the star power of this lead single to Thriller being more of a selling point over there than it was here in Australia. This star power wasn't as palpable with their second collaboration "Say say say" as while that was a hit over there, it paled in comparison to what this achieved.
#37 for 1982
#33 for 1983
As it turns out, this wasn't the biggest hit Madonna had from True blue in NZ given how her earlier entry on this list managed to be the biggest hit she had over there from the album. I guess the kiwis wanted to hear her love of Sean Penn (wow does that sound wrong) more than this poignant track about teenage pregnancy back in the day, heck this was the only hit from the album that was a bigger hit here in Australia.
#25 for 1986 (#13 website)
I'm not even sure if Dionne Warwick had any success in NZ prior to this ballad, although at least it was a hit over in NZ slightly before it crossed over in Australia where she did have prior success to this ballad. Even though she's a woman of colour and this was the 80's, Dionne found more success here in Australia back in the day than she did in NZ for some reason.
#38 for 1982
#34 for 1983
Although he had yet to have that runaway hit in NZ, he did have slightly more success overall in the 70's over there which means this is still a huge comeback for him this far into the 80's. It didn't last as long on their charts; however, it was a number one hit during the summer of 1984/1985 which I feel more than makes up for that.
#29 for 1984
#22 for 1985
This was the only notable hit from the husband-and-wife duo Ashford and Simpson, the name being a reference to their surnames as it comprised of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. I think it underperformed in Australia due to us Aussies still not being that into contemporary RNB (which we never really were now that I think about it) however it was a shoe in for success in NZ.
#23 for 1985 (#27 website)
Well, it appears that we Aussies and kiwis knew exactly what this song was about upon its initial release given how there wasn't a coming to Jesus moment in the southern hemisphere when it was revealed that the song is actually a criticism about the American life of the 80's. I think we just enjoyed it for what it was from the very beginning, a well-constructed critique of American culture from someone who wanted to see change.
#24 for 1985 (#22 website)
Well, you don't have one of the biggest hits of all time in your homeland and remain a one hit wonder there like Dave Dobbyn was here in Australia with his earlier entry, so here's the second solo hit of his career which threatened to repeat the success of "Slice of heaven" but didn't quite live up to its dizzying success at the time. Both of these songs had fallen off the charts over there by the time his first hit was finally released down under.
#32 for 1987 (#46 website)
Well, this guy's popularity here in Australia did come from him appearing on Countdown, as such this wasn't as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia even though this was still a shoe in for success over there due to it being a rockabilly revival track. I can't tell if his father had any success over there back in the day, but I'm guessing that was also a factor for why this was a hit for him as well.
#39 for 1980 (#13 website)
And here's yet more proof I have that disco wasn't dead this year even in America, this was a huge success on the Billboard charts for Shalamar despite it being a disco track, meaning that even their fellow Americans had some love left for the dance floors even if it admittedly did quickly evaporate as the 80's shaped up to be more about MTV and the second British invasion.
#40 for 1980 (#28 website)
There was this popular band from the early 70's in NZ known as the Hogsnort Rupert's band, they were a big deal at the time due to being a novelty band that managed to humour the kiwis with their brand of comedy. The lead singer of that band Dave Luther would form a new band for the 80's known as Dave and the Dynamos who scored a massive hit over there with this comedy track about how fun it is to be middle aged.
#35 for 1983 (#12 website)
Much like the rest of the world, this was the final hit that the Rolling stones was able to achieve in NZ, likely for the music video which has some pretty stilted animation from future Nickelodeon animater John Kricfalusi which likely gave Disney some ideas with their film Who framed roger rabbit two years later.
#26 for 1986 (#18 website)
Given how the Irish family managed to find success in NZ the previous year, this big hit they had in Australia managed to become an even bigger hit for them much earlier this year given how the girls didn't need to perform the track on Countdown in order for it to be a success over there. This was their last hit anywhere in the world, meaning that the general public had grown tired of their novelty pop.
#36 for 1981 (#25 website)
This was the first big hit that Dire Straits had in NZ, OK so they made it big with an E.P which contains their most divisive track in their catalogue (more so than "Money for nothing") due to people being torn with how they feel about this being an homage or parody to the songs of the early to mid 60's.
#36 for 1983 (#17 website)
The absence of this classic on the Australian side of my site must have shocked my readers given how iconic it's remained over the years; it turns out it wasn't promoted here due to fears that it would eat up the success of both men's albums which I doubt was the case as these albums did fairly well over in NZ and yet this was a massive hit over there regardless. It remains the biggest hit from both men likely due to the strong chemistry they have on this track.
#25 for 1985 (#42 website)
Well, this managed to be an even bigger hit for Martika in NZ this year, although it was the only hit of hers to be more successful there than it was here as her other two big worldwide hits were far bigger here in Australia after this. I guess the kiwis made this a huge hit due to it being her only Billboard chart topper but kept her around due to how well she did down under and throughout Europe.
#31 for 1989 (#29 website)
This was a little late to the party in NZ, likely because it was released here in Australia mere weeks after it became a chart topper for Feargal Sharkey in his native UK. Indeed "You little thief" (which wasn't a hit over there) was also a hit here in Australia fairly soon after it was as such in the UK, which is normally an unusual phenomenon from back in the day where songs needed that gap between international releases.
#27 for 1986 (#9 website)
This was the only hit that either artist involved had without the bands they were a part of worldwide, Patti Labelle scoring a hit over a decade prior as a member of her group Labelle with "Lady marmalade" whilst Michael McDonald was a member of the Doobie Brothers who also saw massive success throughout the 70's worldwide. This is also a bad representation of their respective discographies as it's an adult contemporary ballad rather than a soul number for the former and soft rock for the latter.
#28 for 1986 (#24 website)
Whereas at least these guys had a second hit here in Australia the following year with "Land of make believe," this was Bucks Fizz's only hit over in NZ and one that came slightly later than it did down under likely due to the kiwis needing some convincing before allowing them to overtake Abba as the quartet of choice consisting of two guys and two girls.
#37 for 1981 (#33 website)
Given how "Just like you" was a flop over in NZ, this means that Robbie Nevil was a one hit wonder over there despite this being a bigger hit there than it was here in Australia. I'm not even sure how he scored a second hit down under back in the day as from what I can tell, "Just like you" wasn't a hit anywhere else in the world.
#33 for 1987 (#23 website)
Well, she didn't have a string of chart toppers in NZ like she did here in Australia (in fact she only ever had one number one hit over there with "Can't get you out of my head" in 2001) however that didn't seem to matter as Kylie was massive success internationally with the third single from her debut album. All this means is that it doesn't have that much cultural significance over there like it does here.
#28 for 1988 (#21 website)
This was the only other hit that the Manhattans were able to achieve in NZ and their native America, although given how it shares its name with a more upbeat track from Earth wind and fire, I get the feeling it often gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to big hits from musicians of colour from back in the day. Indeed, this is more of a slow jam from the group much like their other big hit "Kiss and say goodbye."
#41 for 1980 (#17 website)
Due to how the charts used to work back in the day in NZ, this Christmas staple didn't even touch the charts over there until the start of this year meaning that this only became a hit over there after the holiday season. I'm guessing because of USA for Africa's entry from earlier on this list, this rebounded on the charts over there which I don't think happened anywhere else in the world this year.
#26 for 1985 (#10 website)
I told you this third single from Tears for fears' sophomore album was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, although by this point, it should be obvious that songs from highly successful albums over there rarely have their popularity impacted by said albums. They would score one more hit in NZ four years later with "Sowing the seeds of love" before calling it quits as a band.
#27 for 1985 (#9 website)
I've gone over the Listener charts (the charts that existed for NZ prior to the launch of the RIANZ charts) and it's with a heavy heart that I report that the original version of this track from Bob Dylan was a massive flop over there back in the day. Three years prior to when Guns N Roses scored a massive hit with their version, it was originally a hit for Randy Crawford and Eric Clapton as an RNB jam.
#32 for 1989
Remember, this site isn't one where hate is tolerated, this of course puts me at a disadvantage when talking about this misguided ballad between Stevie and Paul, but they of course had good intentions with its creation that the general public of the day acknowledged by making it a hit.
#39 for 1982 (#17 website)
This was a very busy year for Tina Turner given how she managed to score a massive comeback with her album, although this wasn't the only hit she had in NZ as there's still another entry to come further down this list from her. While this didn't quite get to number one over there, it was nonetheless equally as successful there as it was here in Australia.
#30 for 1984 (#13 website)
This was the biggest hit that Alison Moyet had over in NZ, I'm guessing because it was her take on a Billie Holiday classic from the 40's back when music from the first half of the twentieth century was still nostalgic to audiences (I wonder why that's no longer the case?) She would continue to have success in NZ and her native UK with her second album which would come out two years later.
#28 for 1985 (#8 website)
This was also a massive hit in NZ like it was here in Australia, although it was a huge flop on Billboard likely due to supergroups rarely doing well in America unless it's for charity. With the exception of Jeff Lynne who had a bigger hit over there with "Telephone line" with ELO, this was the biggest hit any of the members had on the RIANZ charts, although George did have bigger success on the Listener charts with the Beatles.
#33 for 1989
It was inevitable that this solo debut from Tim Finn would be a massive success in NZ given how much more popular Split enz was in their homeland than they were here in Australia, in fact this was far from his only hit over there as he would continue to score hits from his solo material well into the 90's.
#37 for 1983 (#13 website)
While they already had moderate success in NZ with their album Eliminator from the previous year, it certainly received a boost in popularity over there when this became a massive success for the trio around the time it was a worldwide success for them. Although they're a one hit wonder over there like they were everywhere else in the world, at least the kiwis tried to give them a second hit later in the decade.
#31 for 1984 (#22 website)
This needed some convincing from the kiwis to become a hit given how slow it was to reach the upper echelons of the charts over there, I guess once they saw it would be one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia, they capitulated and allowed this bombastic track from one of the shorter-lived new wave bands to become a success there. This was their one and only hit over there for the record.
#38 for 1981 (#27 website)
This was a bit delayed in NZ given how there seemed to be this unwritten rule throughout the 80's that Bananarama wasn't going to crossover until they began collaborating with Stock Aitken and Waterman on their fourth album, we Aussies broke this rule by having this nearly top our charts which allowed the kiwis to follow suit by making this a hit for the trio shortly after it became a big hit here.
#40 for 1982
#38 for 1983
It took a while to take off in NZ, however once this became a surprise hit in America for the Clash, the kiwis followed suit by making this song about anti-censorship a huge hit over there this year. Their next single would be a huge success over there, albeit nearly a decade later when it was used in a popular commercial in the early 90's in their native UK.
#39 for 1983 (#34 website)
Well, I did mention when I talked about this on the Australian side of my site that this was a hit in NZ a good six months prior to it crossing over here in Australia, this is because it came from the Dutch band Time bandits who had the fortune of being from the Netherlands which made it a show in for success over there. Curiously their other big hit in Australia "Endless road" wasn't a hit over there for some reason.
#32 for 1984 (#19 website)
There's debate about whether this version or the Art of noise cover is the definitive version of this track, Prince of course wrote it for his second feature film Under the cherry moon, however Tom Jones is so much more sexually provocative on the cover that it puts this version to shame. For what it's worth, this is the bigger version of the two tracks worldwide likely because it was the theme to an overhyped film.
#29 for 1986 (#14 website)
This was a huge hit for both parties involved in NZ, although it was strangely Aaron Neville who would benefit from this collaboration over there as he would score a string of hits throughout the first half of the 90's whilst this would remain Linda Ronstadt's final hit worldwide. It was also released slightly earlier over there, possibly suggesting that the kiwis were more on board with her comeback initially than us Aussies.
#34 for 1989
It appears the kiwis were also impressed with this art pop cover of a 50's track, although it was only after it climbed the charts here in Australia given how it was only released this year and not the tail end of the previous year like it was down under. As this had novelty written all over it, the band were unable to find further success with their subsequent follow ups in either country.
#42 for 1980 (#32 website)
It pains me to say that the Four tops didn't have any success in NZ during the Listener charts (they may have had success earlier than 1966 but I can't say because I don't have any information on charts prior to that over there.) I bring this up because this makes it their only hit over there during their entire career that I'm aware of, which of course is yet another disco track during the height of the disco backlash.
#39 for 1981
#41 for 1982
This was the only hit that Little river band managed to achieve in NZ, it came from the first of three highly successful greatest hits packages which is perhaps why it was a big hit over there (that and having John Farnham on lead vocals might have played a part as well.) They wouldn't touch the charts again anywhere in the world until Glenn Shorrock rejoined the band later in the decade.
#40 for 1983 (#43 website)
Even without the flashy music video, this still managed to be an even bigger success for Duran Duran over in NZ than it was here in Australia, then again, they were more popular over there overall with some very few exceptions so I shouldn't be surprised what was bigger over there compared to here and vice versa. I would've thought this would be a shoe in for their third album, however it was a track from the American release of their debut album.
#41 for 1983 (#30 website)
I still don't know how this managed to become an even bigger success in NZ this year than it did here in Australia the previous year, I guess these guys must have appeared on a popular music show over there which encouraged the kiwis to make this one of the biggest hits of the year for the band. Admittedly it does blow my mind that this bop of a track wasn't as big here as it was over there back in the day.
#29 for 1985 (#15 website)
This was equally as successful in NZ for Frankie Goes to Hollywood as it was here in Australia despite it charting higher over there, I guess the kiwis were also impressed with this more politically charged track that was reportedly inspired by the Mad Max films of the day. We'll be looking at their debut single again in a bit, but it's odd that this was their biggest hit back in the day in the southern hemisphere.
#33 for 1984 (#12 website)
Prior to discovering this was a real hit single back in the day, my first exposure to this track was when Eminem sampled it for the opening like for "Without me" two decades later. I'm not sure how he discovered this track as it was a massive flop for Malcolm McLaren worldwide except for in NZ where it became a surprise hit over there likely due to the kiwis somehow recognising him as the manager for the Sex pistols.
#42 for 1983 (#23 website)
This was a more popular hit in NZ than their signature tune "Wake me up before you go go," not that that wasn't a hit over there (it was) but it just wasn't as successful as some of the other songs from their catalogue back in the day. Another song this was more successful than over there was the George Michael track of the same name, although to be fair it was a much bigger hit than that here in Australia as well.
#34 for 1984
#30 for 1985
Given how they had a successful album the previous year in NZ, it only makes sense that the Style Council had an even bigger hit with their signature tune over there than they did over here back in the day. I'm surprised that "Walls come tumbling down" wasn't a big hit in the southern hemisphere considering how often you can still hear it on oldies stations to this day in Australia.
#31 for 1985
The hits kept on coming for Prince in NZ as this almost managed to top their charts despite it only being a top twenty hit here in Australia, it feels weird this wasn't among his bigger hits down under considering how much love this track still receives on our oldie's stations to this day.
#32 for 1985 (#23 website)
This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, in fact I think Australia was the only country in the world where this theme song to Madonna's third film of the same name wasn't at least a top three hit given that we Aussies for some reason weren't that keen on supporting the film (it looks terrible admittedly.) I'm guessing this is why neither song on the soundtrack appeared on the Immaculate collection.
#34 for 1987 (#14 website)
Although he already scored his two biggest hits in NZ with INXS from earlier on this list and "Forever now" with his old band Cold chisel, Jimmy Barnes was still able to find massive success with the lead single to his second album (or third depending on your point of view with Bodyswerve/For the working class man) which was indeed the biggest hit of his solo career over there just like it was here.
#35 for 1987
#29 for 1988
This was Jason Donovan's only hit over in NZ, even then it was a duet with the much more popular Kylie Minogue, meaning this was more of a package deal in NZ rather than them wanting to hear the actor try his hand at singing. Indeed, he didn't find much love over there at all as his album was a flop as where all of its singles.
#35 for 1989 (#14 website)
This was a hit in NZ slightly earlier than it was here in Australia for Princess, I'm guessing because this was an RNB track from a woman of colour which seemed to be a theme for songs that made it big in the southern hemisphere back in the day. Princess did score a second hit with "After the love has gone," a song that was also produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman like her big international hit was.
#33 for 1985
#30 for 1986
This was a massive hit for Alison Moyet this year in NZ as well as the previous year in her native UK, it appears the kiwis and her fellow Brits were still in love with her vocals as she continued in her sophistopop direction with her second album. She managed to score a second hit later in the year with "Weak in the presence of beauty" which we'll be looking at much later on this list.
#36 for 1987 (#22 website)
While I'm not sure if there was an A Capella track to become a success prior to this UK chart topper for the Housemartins (correct me if I'm wrong because I'm currently drawing a blank) this song likely popularised it for the remainder of the twentieth century as there would be a ton of songs to make it big in the genre including from the likes of Bobby McFerrin, Shai and of course Boyz II Men.
#37 for 1987 (#13 website)
I get the feeling it was due to this theme song from the second Ghostbusters film that finally gave Bobby Brown a hit in Australia, after all this was released here around the same time "Every little step" finally caught on down under. Given how that was already a hit in NZ (stay tuned for it) this was free to become Bobby's biggest hit over there likely due to how well the kiwis liked the film.
#36 for 1989 (#44 website)
Well, we were leaving the 80's and entering the 90's, so what better way to make this transition than having Billy Joel score one of his biggest hits of his career with this lead single to his (then) latest album? Interestingly, this took its sweet time in finding an audience over in NZ and his native America as opposed to here in Australia where it was a hit upon its initial release.
#37 for 1989
This was the second hit that Jon Stevens was able to score in NZ, this being a cover of the Bobby Bloom track from a decade prior which wasn't even a success over there (at least according to the Listener charts it wasn't.) He would have one more minor hit this year with Sharon O'Neill before fading into obscurity only to return later in the decade as the lead singer of Australian band Noiseworks.
#43 for 1980 (#43 website)
This was an excellent year for TV themes in NZ as this was the first of three to make it big over there, it was also the biggest likely due to it coming from a highly popular British crime show at the time known as Minder. This appeared on my 1983 list on the Australian side of my site, I guess we Aussies were slow in making this a success for the shows star Dennis Waterman.
#40 for 1981 (#24 website)
Even ignoring the fact that this was a hit twice in NZ back in the day, this was still the biggest hit that Simple minds had over there likely due to it being the lead single to their breakthrough album in America following the success of their theme to the Breakfast club earlier in the year (which is still to come on this list.) That said, this was the last hit they had over there as their popularity dwindled after this became a hit again the following year.
#34 for 1985
Well at least this wasn't the biggest hit that Crowded house had in NZ as that honour goes to "Don't dream it's over" from the previous year, although it did come pretty close given how popular it was for the trio at the time of its release in the southern hemisphere. Indeed, their second album in general wasn't as big over there as it was over here, suggesting they would need to change their sound going into the 90's.
#30 for 1988 (#20 website)
This was another huge hit that the Pointer sisters had in NZ, although it's worth noting that it was equally as successful over there as it was over here this year, meaning that the kiwis no longer had an advantage over us when it came to making these women popular back in the day. Indeed only "Jump" and maybe "Automatic" would be more successful over there in their catalogue after this year.
#41 for 1981 (#20 website)
This was an E.P to come from the Clean, a NZ rock band who was massively popular at the time if the chart run of this E.P is anything to go by as it charted like it belonged on the albums chart on their singles chart.
#42 for 1981
#42 for 1982
Interestingly, this was Bette Midler's biggest hit in NZ until "From a distance" claimed that title in the early 90's, meaning that this cover of the Rolling stones track from their 1978 album Some girls was bigger than some of her more iconic songs over there including "The rose" and even "Wind beneath my wings." I guess the kiwis really liked her take on the Rolling Stones track if this was the case.
#35 for 1984 (#26 website)
In a bit of a weird reversal of his success here in Australia, the kiwis passed up the lead single to his first solo album "Truly" in favour of this more upbeat track from Lionel Richie which in turn allowed the album to reach the upper echelons of their charts this year. The third single from the album "My love" wouldn't even chart in the southern hemisphere, meaning his next hit was his earlier entry on this list.
#43 for 1983 (#29 website)
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