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 looks like Michael Nesmith was able to score a fourth single in NZ as this track managed to become a hit for him over there and nowhere else in the world. That was the case with his other three hits except they at least were big hits here in Australia, this wasn't the case for his fourth hit as we Aussies completely ignored this track this year.
#44 for 1980 (#23 website)
Unlike in Australia where we Aussies made both of Livie's big hits across the transatlantic a success, the kiwis were only interested in having her Billboard chart topper be a hit over there as they ignored her UK chart topper from Xanadu for the most part. I'm guessing because it was a collaboration with ELO which the kiwis didn't seem that fond over at the time, again at least compared to us Aussies.
#45 for 1980 (#36 website)
I guess the kiwis were much more on board with Dr Hook returning to their roots as a comedy band than we Aussies were as even without a memorable performance over there (that I'm aware of) this managed to be a much bigger hit for the band there than it was over here back in the day.
#43 for 1982 (#34 website)
While this was far from the first hip hop track to find any sort of success anywhere in the world ("Rappers delight" has that honour from the start of the decade.) This was the first song where hip hop started to be taken seriously by audiences as it details the rough upbringing of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious five as they were living on the streets of New York. I guess this means that an east coast rapper was the first to make it big in NZ.
#44 for 1983 (#45 website)
This had a bit of a delay to its success in NZ, almost as if the kiwis didn't want to make a hit with a song that featured a twenty something year old white British guy rapping given how the previous entry was from an established hip hop artist from America who grew up in the culture that birthed the genre. Alas the kiwis were eventually won over with this track as were us Aussies and the duo's fellow Brits before them.
#45 for 1983 (#41 website)
Grace Jones was on a roll around this time given how she not only scored yet another hit in NZ with this title track from her (then) latest album, but she also received critical acclaim for her performance in the James Bond flick A view to a kill and is generally considered to be the highlight of an otherwise critically panned film in the franchise.
#35 for 1985
#31 for 1986
This was an even bigger hit for Billy Field over in NZ, I'm not sure why this was the big hit there and not "You weren't in love with me" as this was a chart topper over there around the same time the other song was a chart topper here. All of this led to him having international appeal with his album that sadly took him nowhere.
#43 for 1981 (#23 website)
Given how the kiwis were already familiar with Mental as anything from earlier in the decade, this second single from their biggest album managed to become a success over there this year without the requirement of it becoming the theme to the Crocodile Dundee films which was how it became popular throughout Europe later in the decade for the band.
#36 for 1985 (#25 website)
Well at least I can finally feature the signature track from Miami sound machine on this site, I'm not sure why this flopped here in Australia but was a success in NZ considering A: "Dr beat" was a huge hit for them the previous year and B: this is less of a novelty than that track was. Indeed, this is a straightforward party jam from Gloria Estefan and company that continues to light up dance floors to this day.
#32 for 1986 (#15 website)
This was the second TV theme to make it big in NZ this year, this time it was for the Australian series Prisoner which had begun airing over there this year hence why this ballad from Lynne Hamilton became a huge success this year two years after its initial release down under.
#44 for 1981 (#17 website)
This was the third TV theme to make it big over in NZ this year, again we have a TV theme that became a success in Australia long after it was a hit over there. This time it's from Joey Scarbury who scored a huge number one hit there with this theme to the Greatest American hero, a show that likely took inspiration from the 1980 film Hero at large with its everyday man becoming a superhero.
#45 for 1981 (#21 website)
This had a bit of a delay to its release in NZ, likely because the kiwis hadn't heard of Billy Idol until he scored a moderate success here in Australia with this track that I'm guessing was written about the royal wedding from two years prior. It proved to be an even bigger success over there, and even led to his solo debut from earlier on this list becoming a hit by the end of the year over there.
#46 for 1983 (#11 website)
Well, I'm unsure if the original from Martha and the Vandellas was a success or not in NZ, if it was then this was merely a misguided cover of that classic made for charity over there. If it wasn't as the case here in Australia, then this was likely the kiwis introducing to that classic from two of the biggest names in rock and roll history.
#37 for 1985 (#13 website)
This was a hit in NZ and the Real thing's native UK ten years prior, so it makes sense that an anniversary remix would be issued in both countries where it would become a success all over again for the band. This is another example of a two-hit wonder who became as such with the same song as they never had any success with their other material over there.
#33 for 1986 (#12 website)
This was the penultimate big hit that Billy Idol had in NZ, naturally his previous entry on this list was his last big hit over there, although I would've thought he would've had more success going into the 90's considering that "Cradle of love" was a massive success for him in Australia and America.
#38 for 1987 (#21 website)
The hits kept on coming for Prince in NZ during the second half of the decade, I'm not even sure why any of these flopped here in Australia as he was already a well-established artist and funk was a success for other artists during the second half of the 80's down under. I guess he did close out the decade over here with his contributions to the Batman soundtrack the following year.
#31 for 1988 (#22 website)
Well, if you wanted to hear the origins of "Somebody dance with me" from 1993, this Austrian band has you covered as they took Abba's "SOS" and mixed it in with a bunch of production from the late 80's whilst also referencing the tender ballad from the Sound of music that they then named themselves after. Now I know why DJ Bobo didn't have a hit over there if the kiwis already had a hit like that this year.
#38 for 1989 (#28 website)
Much like here in Australia, this title track to the third album from the band to have Stevie and Lindsey among their lineup was the biggest hit that the band were able to achieve in NZ. The band would score one more hit later in the 80's over there as opposed to the two that they scored over here.
#46 for 1980
Well, we've looked at the Stars on 45 and getting hooked on classics, so now let's look at this formula applied to local music from the NZ music scene, specifically that of Maoris which managed to become a huge success over there this year due to how popular the mashup craze was at the time.
#44 for 1982 (#39 website)
Unlike in Australia where it was clear we Aussies preferred the Power station over these guys, it appears that the inverse was the case for NZ where the kiwis wanted Duran Duran to have vocals from Simon Le Bon and no one else if they were to be a success in the mainstream. In fact, Robert Palmer in general didn't have much success over there save for his collaboration with UB40 because they kiwis loved UB40.
#38 for 1985
Well, this was an inevitable success in NZ, not only was this back in the day where picking on nerds was a popular thing to do in the mainstream, but it also samples a Gary Glitter track before we all found out the truth about him. I guess a final bit of trivia I have about this track is that this song was meant to be from the perspective of the car that's featured in the video.
#32 for 1988 (#10 website)
This was the second single that UB40 scored a hit in NZ with, although here we have a cover of a Randy Newman track from the 60's which perhaps explains why it was only a hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world as only the kiwis would allow a reggae cover of a children's song to be a massive success.
#47 for 1980
#46 for 1981
There was still room for country music in NZ if this ballad from Sylvia is anything to go by, Sylvia was yet another country singer who scored a ton of success on the Billboard country charts but only managed one pop hit in her career with this ballad.
#47 for 1983
This proved to be equally as successful for both parties involved in NZ as it did here in Australia, although it did take a bit longer to reach its peak over there than it did over here likely because it came from an otherwise underwhelming album from Queen. Both parties would continue to see massive success as the decade moved along due to them adapting to the MTV era very well.
#47 for 1981
#45 for 1982
This was also a success for Freeez over in NZ like it was here in Australia, true this song didn't become as successful in the southern hemisphere as it did in their native UK, but at least it was a hit in both countries as opposed to their other British hit "Southern Freeez" from two years prior. For some reason, I keep thinking this is an early Wham track, likely because of how androdynous it sounds to me.
#48 for 1983 (#27 website)
You'd think this would've been an even bigger hit in NZ considering A: it charted higher than it did here and B: it was marketed as the lead single to Slippery when wet given how the kiwis followed the Brits lead in having this lead off the album instead of "You give love a bad name" like us Aussies and their fellow Americans. Alas, it was only a big success over there rather than an inescapable one.
#39 for 1987 (#17 website)
This was one of the biggest hits of the decade in Australia, so to see it appear this low on this list should give you an idea of how different the music landscape was here and in NZ around this time. I guess the kiwis didn't find this to be a groovy cover of the Mindbenders original, or rather they just felt that it wasn't good enough to be worth making it one of the defining hits of the 80's over there.
#33 for 1988 (#31 website)
The kiwis were a bit less invested in the return of Leo Sayer this year, possibly due to him coming back with a cover of a Buddy Holly track and turning the rockabilly tune into an adult contemporary ballad. Still, it was enough of a hit that you can qualify it as a comeback for one of the biggest names in music throughout the 70's.
#48 for 1980
This proved to be an even bigger hit for Nu Shooz in NZ, in fact I think Australia was one of the only places in the world where this didn't crack the top five as this was also a massive hit in the UK and their native America. These guys did have a minor hit after this over there, however I'm sure even the kiwis would regard them as a one hit wonder given how much bigger this was over there.
#34 for 1986 (#17 website)
I have no idea why this song from Tom Petty flopped here in Australia back in the day, heck the album did alright down under so it's not like we Aussies didn't know who he was when it was first released as a single. Fortunately, the kiwis made it a huge hit for the heartland rocker which allows me to include one of his most iconic songs on this site of mine.
#49 for 1980 (#29 website)
Given that these guys didn't have a hit at the start of the decade as the Tourists, this means that this was the first hit that they had in NZ meaning that this was the kiwis introduction to two of the most prominent artists of the decade in the form of Annie Lennox and David Stewart. This was competing with their debut single over there which also began charting when this was released, however this was obviously the bigger hit in NZ.
#49 for 1983 (#15 website)
Well, this wasn't a chart topper in NZ like it was in most parts of the world, although that didn't mean the kiwis didn't like this duet between Aretha Franklin and George Michael given how it still has a respectable placement on this list of mine. This was Aretha's final hit anywhere in the world, although things would continue to go up for George as he would find further success with his solo material.
#40 for 1987 (#25 website)
Even though this did crack the Australian top ten for Boy George, it was only barely a hit here and thus was ineligible to qualify for that side of my site (I need these rules to keep myself sane when constructing these lists.) Fortunately, it was a massive success over in NZ likely due to the dozens of remixes there are for this track, each of them retaining the reggae beat of this cover of the Bread classic.
#41 for 1987 (#27 website)
This was also a huge hit for Roy Orbison in NZ, not quite as big as it was here in Australia but still a massive hit for him which goes to show you how bittersweet this song's success was given how he was already no longer with us when it was released as a single worldwide. Heck even the Brits made this a huge hit for him, and it was even a hit in his native America even if it wasn't to this scale on Billboard.
#39 for 1989
I guess the kiwis were able to instantly buy into the hype that went towards this German duo, they were managed by the former frontman of Boney M after all and his band's music from the 70's is still played on oldies stations to this day. That said, this was more of a sleeper hit over there like it was over here, although it did chart much higher over there which is how it appears higher on this list.
#40 for 1989 (#16 website)
For the most part, David Bowie saw more success in NZ than he did here in Australia throughout his career, I bring this up as this is one of the very few exceptions to this rule where this was more of a success here in Australia than it was over in NZ for some reason. I guess the kiwis felt his appreciation for the Wizard of Oz was a bit too strange to make it a bigger success for him over there.
#50 for 1980
Well fans of Grace Jones can rejoice as the Jamaican singer/songwriter managed to achieve multiple hit singles over in NZ with this being the first of them. It was such a big success over there that it lead to the album it served as the lead single for to become a huge hit over there as well as her previous album which had been hovering in and out of the charts up until this point.
#50 for 1983
This is only one of two new appearances from Whitney Houston on the NZ side of my site, it was a hit here in Australia but only a sleeper hit likely because I doubt we Aussies wanted to hear an unknown singer of colour sing a cheating anthem that was originally performed by a married couple. This revelation didn't bother the kiwis as it became her first hit over there as it did in the UK.
#39 for 1985
#35 for 1986
This proved to be far more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia for Midge Ure and company, I'm guessing because the kiwis largely passed up "Fade to grey" from his other band Visage (which we'll revisit later down this list) in favour of this track which infamously was blocked from the top spot in the UK by Joe Dolce's earlier entry on this list.
#48 for 1981 (#30 website)
Given how this was the lead single to Midnight oil's breakthrough album in NZ, it makes sense that it would be a much bigger hit over there given how "U.S forces" failed to become a huge success here in Australia which was the album's lead single the year prior. These guys would overall find more success over there than they did over here with their music, pretty impressive for such a politically charged band.
#36 for 1984 (#39 website)
This was the only hit to come from the Beverly Hills cop II soundtrack in NZ, although I get the feeling this was more a hit due to it being a George Michael track given how even in the film, this song has very little place in its soundtrack (I guess that's why it won worst original song at the Razzies.)
#42 for 1987 (#16 website)
While this was still the biggest hit off of Time and tide in NZ like it was here in Australia, it's worth noting that the other hit from the album wasn't that less successful over there like it was here (as we'll see in a minute.) This was the band's final hit single in either country as they would struggle for relevancy on their final two albums in the southern hemisphere.
#46 for 1982 (#33 website)
There's this rule of thumb where any and all Dutch acts seem to have more success in NZ than they do in Australia throughout the 70's and 80's, as such we have this cover of the showtime number from Gene Kelly by Indonesian born Dutch singer Taco who scored a massive hit over there with this cover despite having an (even at the time) problematic music video which depicts children in blackface.
#51 for 1983 (#22 website)
Patsy Riggir was a country artist who scored a massive hit in her native homeland with this ballad before fading into obscurity in her local music scene, I'm guessing she was meant to be the NZ equivalent for the likes of Cristy Lane or Anne Murray.
#49 for 1981
This was the only hit that the Cars were able to score in NZ, admittedly they were more of an albums band over there which is perhaps why their weakest hit here in Australia became their biggest hit over there in lieu of "Let's go" and "Shake it up." I would've gone for any number of other songs in their catalogue for their biggest hit, but I suppose this isn't a bad representation for their talents.
#37 for 1984 (#35 website)
The legends are true people, Eddie Murphy did indeed have a singing career back in the day which was off to a good start when this nearly became a Billboard chart topper for the Comedian upon its initial release (it was held off by Lionel Richie.) I can see this song working if it were performed by someone who had been in the music industry much longer than Eddie had been when he first released it.
#36 for 1986 (#20 website)
This was the only major solo hit that Deborah Harry was able to achieve in NZ, although she did score a minor hit over there with "I want that man" given how big it was here in Australia in 1990. This has a slightly different name depending on where in the world you're from, it was simply "French kissing" in her native America and "French kissing in the USA" everywhere else in the world (I couldn't find a cover with the latter's title for this site.)
#43 for 1987 (#34 website)
These guys were a one hit wonder everywhere in the world with what appears to be a different track depending on where in the world you're from, in NZ and their native America, this was their big hit which is a doo wop track about a boy from New York city. In Australia and throughout Europe, their big hit was "Chanson d'amour" from 1977 which was a cover of a popular French track from the 50's.
#50 for 1981 (#28 website)
This was a success slightly sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess because the kiwis held off in making Band aid a success over there to allow this supergroup to become the big success story of the summer period of 1984/1985 over there.
#38 for 1984
#40 for 1985
Much like in Australia, all three songs with this title was a massive success over in NZ which all began with the third single from Frankie goes to Hollywood's debut album Welcome to the pleasuredome. This was also a bigger hit over there as was most popular songs from highly successful albums back in the day, although it wasn't as inescapable as it was in their native UK during their Christmas season of 1984.
#41 for 1985 (#33 website)
This proved to be the biggest hit from MJ's album Bad over in NZ, although the title track and its lead single were also big hits for the king of pop meaning the kiwis simply liked this love ballad to his (then) partner at the time. He would continue to score minor hits over there for the remainder of the decade including one bigger hit with "Man in the mirror."
#44 for 1987
#34 for 1988
Although it wasn't that huge chart topper in NZ like it was in most other parts of the world, this second single from the Bangles third and final album Everything was still a huge success in NZ for the girl band this year proving that their two biggest hits over there were the ones that saved their two big albums from flopping as was the case throughout the rest of the world.
#41 for 1989 (#15 website)
In a strange move, this was selected as the second single in NZ as opposed to "I'll be loving you" likely to try and sell the boys as much tougher than they actually were to the kiwis who had discovered the likes of Run DMC and LL Cool J by this point in time. The kiwis made this a hit for them, although it's hard to say if it was because they genuinely liked this or if they felt it too hilarious not to give this attention.
#42 for 1989
OK you're probably going to have strong emotions when I say this, but this being a hit for Bill Wyman in NZ is likely the reason why that the Rolling stones didn't have a hit with "Start me up" around this time over there like they did over here. Admittedly this did nothing to affect the success of their album, in fact you can make the argument this track from bassist Bill Wyman is why that album was a success over there.
#51 for 1981
#47 for 1982
I was a bit disappointed when I realised this didn't qualify for the Australian side of my site, mainly because it was a modest hit down under this year and that it's one of my favourite songs from the duo from their catalogue. Fortunately, it was a much bigger hit over in NZ as well as their first hit over there likely due to how catchy it is whilst not being as bombastic as some of their other big hits.
#48 for 1982
Well, this was a song from NZ, so naturally it would be an even bigger success over there if it was good enough to crossover to Australia. This came out late the previous year and peaked rather early this year, I'm guessing it was due to a large post-Christmas rush of the comedy track.
#52 for 1983 (#47 website)
This was the song that brought Tina Turner's career back from the dead given how it was a massive hit in the UK the previous year due to it being produced by the members of Heaven 17 during the height of their popularity in their homeland. Naturally this was a massive flop for her in her native America as her fellow Americans would only allow her to come back with her earlier entry on this list.
#39 for 1984 (#30 website)
While we Aussies were certainly familiar with this novelty track from the British duo Black lace, we didn't allow to become too big of a hit for them here like it was in NZ and especially their native UK likely due to it being one of those novelty tracks that music afficionados love to hate on even before the existence of the internet.
#40 for 1984
#42 for 1985
Even though these guys are best known for their earlier entry on this list, this ballad from the Miami sound machine is a better representation of their music given how they were more in line with adult contemporary which perhaps explains Gloria Estefan's musical direction once she left the band later in the decade. It was their third and final hit over there after the success of "Conga" and "Bad boy."
#37 for 1986 (#40 website)
This was Duran Duran's final hit in NZ, although considering it only barely charted here in Australia, I think it's safe to say that the kiwis still had plenty of love for these guys long after we Aussies lost our love for them. This may be as bombastic as their earlier work; however, it appears the band were no longer relying on flashy imagery for their videos as this song's video is rather mundane.
#38 for 1986
#45 for 1987
This was the lead single from Terence Trent D'arby's debut album, an album that was an instant success in NZ due to the kiwis having a strong appreciation for RNB during a time where we Aussies didn't as the album was only a success the following year for the former American soldier. This was a huge flop upon its initial release here, and it was a flop again the following year when it was given a second chance.
#46 for 1987 (#19 website)
It brings me great joy in informing my audience that while it did start to lose its popularity this year, it was in a more natural way as we have yet another disco track that was a success in America to make it big in NZ this year. This time it's from the S.O.S band who had another big hit later in the decade with "Just be good to me," the song that would become a hit for Beats international ten years after this made it big.
#51 for 1980 (#42 website)
There's been a suspicious absence from Sister Sledge on this site hasn't there? Well let's rectify that by featuring their biggest hit they had in NZ which was this cover of the Mary Wells track from almost two decades prior that wasn't a hit anywhere else in the world. We'll be looking at the two big international hits they had as we go through these lists but suffice to say they were at their most popular over there.
#49 for 1982
Much like their earlier entry on this list, this was also much bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia and their native UK. In fact, this song's success over there matches the success that "Poison arrow" had here, meaning that the kiwis were especially in love with what these guys had to offer this year, perhaps this is why they occasionally charted as the decade went on over there while they didn't over here.
#50 for 1982 (#28 website)
This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia despite having the same peak position in both countries, I guess the kiwis weren't as bothered by the shaky songwriting that has gotten it on many worst songs of all time lists as we Aussies were (side note, why it this song so hated by the internet compared to most modern songs?) It was their biggest hit in NZ due to it being their signature tune.
#53 for 1983 (#28 website)
Genesis might have had the more popular hit in NZ this year, however their earlier entry came from an album from three years prior and their actual new single (which is still to come on this list) wasn't nearly as big as Peter Gabriel's pop breakthrough over there. This proved to be equally successful in both countries in the southern hemisphere, likely because of the music video and the strange and quirky lyrics.
#39 for 1986 (#21 website)
This proved to be an even bigger success for Sinitta over in NZ than it did here in Australia, this is interesting because A: this was Sinitta's only hit over there as she at least had a minor hit here three years prior with "So macho" and B: the original from Maxine Nightingale wasn't a big success over there back in the 70's despite it being released at a time where female musicians of colour were dominating their charts.
#43 for 1989 (#38 website)
This almost made it to number one in NZ, in fact were it not for U2's fourth single from the Joshua tree, this would've been the second number one hit for a rapper which would've been a massive achievement considering how Eric B and Rakim never had much success in their native America during their time together. If you couldn't tell from the title of the album cover, this is a song about the struggles of wealth and fame.
#35 for 1988 (#30 website)
This was another big hit that Diana Ross had worldwide that failed to appear on the Australian side of my site, I'm guessing because we Aussies weren't interested in hearing her take on a 50's staple like she does on this track. Naturally this was a big hit over in NZ due to her popularity at the time, although it's worth noting her next big hit in either country was much bigger here than it was over there.
#52 for 1981
#51 for 1982
Well, this was an RNB ballad from a group of musicians of colour, so naturally it was going to be an even bigger success for the Commodores over in NZ regardless of how well it did here in Australia this year. I don't think there's anywhere in the world where this ballad failed as the back-to-back deaths of Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson from the previous year was still fresh in everyone's minds at the time of its release.
#43 for 1985 (#20 website)
Well, this didn't fly straight up to number one in NZ like it did here in Australia, although it nearly did as the kiwis were also looking forward to seeing Tina Turner's acting debut in the film, she was commissioned to write a theme song to Mad Max beyond ThunderDome. Although she would score two more hits over there in her career, this would be the last hit of hers to really take their music scene by storm.
#44 for 1985 (#24 website)
This was a hit in NZ slightly sooner than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing so that the kiwis could show their support to those who wanted to see an end to apartheid if the big protest anthems from a few years prior becoming huge over there was anything to go by. On a slightly more depressing note, this was written in response to Queen performing at the titular Sun city despite there being laws against doing so at the time.
#45 for 1985
#40 for 1986
This was the first of three hits that Jona Lewie scored anywhere in the world, this was a minor hit here in Australia for the British new wave singer, but it wasn't until the following year where we made him a household name down under. Indeed, this was his biggest hit in NZ with his biggest hit here "Louise" being a flop over there the following year.
#52 for 1980 (#41 website)
This was the Welsh crooner's first UK chart topper as "This ole house" didn't quite make it to number one in his homeland like it did here in Australia, I bring this up because this wasn't a chart topper in NZ meaning that he never had a number one hit in all three countries throughout his career. There's nothing else I can add about this guy or his discography at this point, so I thought I'd bring that up.
#53 for 1981 (#26 website)
I guess the kiwis wanted to imagine Cliff Richard as their daddy this year (OK I'll stop with that) as this was a much bigger hit over there than it was here in Australia and especially "Wired for sound" which remains his biggest hit down under to this day and yet was only a mild sleeper hit for him over there.
#52 for 1982
Most musicians of colour tended to have more success in NZ than they did in Australia, Ray Parker Jr wasn't one of them as the former Raydio lead singer didn't have nearly the level of success with his solo breakthrough over there that he did over here likely due to the kiwis finding it to be too gimmicky compared to his earlier work with his former band.
#53 for 1982 (#27 website)
This was the only hit that Laura Branigan managed to achieve in NZ, it feels weird that she is a one hit wonder over there considering how she managed to score three additional hits here in Australia and her one hit wasn't even the big hit she had in the UK. Still, this was a good choice to make her a one hit wonder with given how it's a song about calling out someone's own vanity in the most satisfying way possible.
#54 for 1983 (#49 website)
OK so I stretched the truth a bit when I said that this was the only song that Willie Nelson bothered the international charts with, he did have a second hit in NZ the following year with Ray Charles, meaning that it's possible that he was trying to crossover to the crooner scene with these two men back in the day. It obviously didn't work as Willie is best known for his country ballads rather than being the white Julio Iglesias.
#41 for 1984 (#24 website)
I'm going to interpret this ballad's success in NZ and Gregory's native America as audiences finding it hilarious that he didn't realise what the term "shake you down" meant when he wrote this track, it's as good as explanation as to how this managed to become such as major hit back in the day and have no staying power on oldies stations anymore.
#47 for 1987 (#24 website)
With this entry, I've now featured all four of Mr. D'arby's singles from his debut album on this site, it does feel strange that he had so much more success over in NZ compared to here in Australia even if that success does make sense considering he was an American RNB singer (even if he was stationed in Germany when he began his singing career.)
#48 for 1987
#36 for 1988
This may have charted higher in NZ due to the kiwis being more enamoured by the alien concept of this track, however it was ultimately as successful over there as it was over here as we Aussies were also eventually won over by their alien concept from this track and the album it was pulled from.
#53 for 1980 (#26 website)
This was a massive hit for Def Leppard in NZ this year, likely due to it topping the Billboard charts for the British band which seemed to be a pattern during the second half of the 80's where British hair metal bands found more success in America than they did in their native UK. This did eventually become a sleeper hit in Australia, although it was months after it was already a big success in NZ.
#37 for 1988 (#25 website)
If you can believe it, there was a time that this wasn't considered an LGBT anthem as this was made back in the days where it was mostly frowned upon to be openly queer in the world (thankfully that's no longer the case.) Instead, this was meant as Diana Ross stepping out of her comfort zone and embracing with the changing of times, although the lyrics can easily suggest she was coming out of the closet.
#54 for 1980
#54 for 1981
While this was still not as big as their earlier entry in NZ, it was a much bigger hit over there compared to what it was here in Australia, meaning that these guys were still able to find massive success over there with whatever they released. Indeed, the album Time and tide was overall more successful in NZ despite their earlier entry not being as big there as it was here.
#54 for 1982 (#26 website)
Well, this is a surprise, mainly because not only was this less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia or even America, but it wasn't even among Wham's most popular songs over there as several of their other hits back in the day were more popular over there than this signature track from the duo.
#42 for 1984 (#23 website)
It appears that the two big hits Billy Ocean had in Australia this year had their success reversed in NZ, then again that was also the case in America as this was the bigger hit for Billy on Billboard than his theme to Jewel of the Nile (which is still to come on this list.) Billy would have one more hit after this year worldwide before he faded into obscurity in time for the 90's.
#41 for 1986 (#34 website)
I think the kiwis were tuning into Countdown from around this time as this is one of several hits they had over there that only became as such here because of the artist in question appearing on the show, I wouldn't know how else Janis Ian managed to score a hit with this track over there as her performing it on the show was how it managed to become a success down under.
#55 for 1980 (#39 website)
There's little surprise that this was a success for New Edition in NZ this year, after all it was a bubblegum pop track from a group of young singers of colour looking to become the (then) modern equivalent of the Jackson 5. In a weird way, these guys were the world's warm up to New kids on the block given how their manager was Maurice Starr who would go on to create them as the white equivalent of these kids.
#55 for 1983 (#24 website)
Well at least this bonus track from Duran Duran's live album was far from their biggest hit over in NZ, indeed this was only a hit for them over there due to their artist momentum which was arguably even more inescapable over there than it was here in Australia back in the day. Their next hit wouldn't come for another two years; however, they did score a big hit over there with "Notorious" which they didn't down under.
#43 for 1984
Given how Simple minds already had massive success in NZ throughout the decade, it shouldn't surprise you that this wasn't their biggest hit over there given how we already had an appearance from them on this list alone. Still, this was their biggest hit in America and what led to them having a huge success with their next album in most parts of the world.
#46 for 1985 (#26 website)
I should mention that this was more successful here in Australia than anywhere else in the world, this should explain why the song is so much lower on this list than it was on the Australian side of my site as the kiwis likely didn't find this as titillating as us Aussies upon its initial release. It also wasn't as big in her native UK as it was here either, meaning it's success on Billboard was likely due to its success down under.
#42 for 1986 (#26 website)
I'm not sure why "Bizarre love triangle" was a flop for New order in NZ and their native UK, I guess the kiwis and Brits were becoming tired of their brand of alternative dance music which is likely why they felt the need to make the video for this track as bizarre as they possibly could to reinvigorate interest in their music in both countries. Needless to say, this tactic paid off for them.
#49 for 1987 (#42 website)
This was originally released on Lulu's 1979 album as an album track, although for some reason, her label felt there was potential for this to be released as a single which is why it was also included on her next album as the lead single. It was a massive flop everywhere in the world except for NZ where it became a surprise hit for the Scottish singer for some reason.
#55 for 1982
While this wasn't as bit a hit for MJ in NZ as it was here in Australia, it was still a massive hit for the king of pop likely due to the horror influences of the track standing out from the surprising number of horror pop that was coming out throughout the decade. In fact, he really should've released this around the Halloween period as then it would've been an easy worldwide chart topper for him.
#44 for 1984 (#38 website)
This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, or more specifically, it charted much higher over there likely due to it being written by Lionel Richie and likely given to Kenny to try and help him crossover to the pop sphere in their native America. It worked out for them if that was the case as both men scored a number one hit with this ballad on Billboard.
#56 for 1980
#55 for 1981
I still can't believe how much less successful the Police were in NZ compared to Australia, at least three of their songs will be making a second appearance on this site with this lead single from their penultimate album Ghost in the machine being the second of those three entries.
#56 for 1981
#56 for 1982
This was the biggest hit that Berlin had in NZ, granted "Take my breath away" did chart over there, but it wasn't the big inescapable success that it was internationally likely due to the kiwis feeling that the band sold out with that ballad from Top gun. This did chart here in Australia due to the band performing it on Countdown this year, however only the kiwis got on board with this new wave dance track.
#45 for 1984 (#27 website)
This was only a minor success here in Australia for Paul Hardcastle, I guess we Aussies were already becoming fed up with songs about the Vietnam war and so didn't need a spoken word rendition of "I was only 19" from Redgum but with original lyrics from the British musician. It was a much bigger hit in NZ given how the kiwis were likely unfamiliar with the Australian classic from two years prior.
#47 for 1985 (#6 website)
This was the second hit that A taste of honey managed to score in NZ, their first being their disco classic "Boogie oogie oogie" which remains a staple on oldies stations in Australia despite that being a flop here at the time. Evidently this cover of the Kyo Sakamoto track (in which they didn't bother using the correct name of the song for its title) was a tribute to their Japanese fans as they were allegedly more popular there than they were in the western world.
#57 for 1981 (#31 website)
This was the first of two big hits that Jimmy Cliff had in NZ, the other was his cover of the Johnny Nash track "I can see clearly now" from the Cool running's soundtrack exactly a decade after this was a hit for him. Given how reggae music was massively popular in NZ (especially songs from Jamaican artists) it seems fitting that this hit from Jimmy Cliff would be as such over there.
#46 for 1984 (#31 website)
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