Biggest hits of the 70's NZ II (alternative list)

I've also decided to cover the 70's with a list I made for the 80's, mainly because a lot of the entries on there had been boosted by the holiday seasons which didn't have actual charts back in the day, meaning this ranking will be more favourable to songs that didn't chart during these seasons rather than those that did.

This wasn't quite as big a hit for Amii Stewart in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm not even sure why as you'd think if anything this disco rendition of an RNB classic from the 60's would've been even more inescapable over there given the circumstances of how it came to be. Much like Australia, she would remain a one hit wonder in NZ with this disco classic.

#27 for 1979 (#12 website)

I guess the kiwis needed a bit of convincing to allow these guys to be inescapable like they were here in Australia back in the day, however they were eventually won over with the band's breakthrough single as it refused to drop out of their charts suggesting this was a success as a guilty pleasure for them.

#70 for 1978 (#40 website)

While it wasn't released as a single in NZ until almost a full year after it was released here in Australia, this Australian and NZ exclusive track from Abba did eventually become a massive hit over there this year around the time of their two earlier entries on this list, proving that the Abba phenomenon was still strong over there during this phase of their career.

#56 for 1977 (#41 website)

This was one of only two hits that A taste of honey managed to have any success with worldwide, the other was a cover of "Sukiyaki" from Kyo Sakamoto which was meant to be a thank you to their Japanese fans for making them a household name over there. I'm surprised this wasn't a bigger hit here in Australia considering A: it's a disco hit that went to number one on Billboard and B: how it permeates on oldies stations here to this day.

#39 for 1978 (#16 website)

This was another successful American all-girl RNB trio of colour to make it big in NZ, although unlike the Emotions, they only had the one hit in both countries likely due to the kiwis and their fellow Americans only confusing them the one time for the women who brought us "Best of my love" this year. If it's any consolation, this was far bigger over there than that Billboard chart topper.

#47 for 1977 (#24 website)

Peter Brown was normally a folk singer, however he managed to score his one and only hit this year with a disco track in NZ and his native America. I think this is the type of disco people point to when they say that the genre got out of hand, not that it was bad but rather it was made by someone who only made it to cash in on the popularity of the trend.

#51 for 1978 (#19 website)

This was the first big international hit that Dr Hook had that wasn't a hit here in Australia, I guess we Aussies only wanted to hear soft rock from these guys if you weren't able to dance to it as this wasn't able to become a hit here despite its massive international popularity. This would be the case for the rest of their catalogue save for "Girls can get it" which was that one bouncy track of theirs to make it big here.

#31 for 1979 (#17 website)

Well at least this song was a success much sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, that would probably explain how it was such a huge hit over there given how Robert John was able to connect with audiences with his sad breakup song.

#22 for 1979 (#10 website)

This was the only hit that Rita Coolidge had in NZ, like Australia it was a cover of a song that was a complete flop over there back in the day (at least according to the Listener charts) however unlike Australia, the kiwis atoned for this by giving Jackie Wilson a genuine hit ten years after this albeit due to a creepy Claymation music video.

#48 for 1977 (#22 website)

You'd think with everything going into this song that it would be a massive success in NZ like it was here in Australia, admittedly it was quite popular this year because it's a reggae track with a children's choir singing a love song, but it wasn't a number one hit for weeks on end over there or even a number one hit at all like you would otherwise expect based on what tends to get popular over there.

#55 for 1978 (#25 website)

It looks like the kiwis were just as into the idea of Rod Stewart becoming a disco icon as the rest of the world was, although it was curiously the least successful of his big hits over there which means they ultimately wanted him as a pop crooner rather than him flaunting his sexuality.

#7 for 1979 (#26 website)

We have another successful ballad from Lionel Richie and company to appear on this site of mine, in fact there'll be a few more entries from these guys as we go further back in the 70's including a song that showcases their funky side of their catalogue. This was the lead single from their seventh album which spawned them a second Billboard chart topper with its second single "Still" which underperformed in NZ.

#51 for 1979 (#48 website)

It looks like the kiwis were more on board with the Brothers Gibb switching over to disco this year than we Aussies were, then again it wasn't until the Saturday night fever soundtrack when we Aussies were finally OK with them hopping on the disco bandwagon considering how their first two disco albums underperformed here back in the day.

#26 for 1975 (#20 website)

So, you remember that melody from "I wanna sex you up" from Color me badd right? Well, it turns out the boy band got that melody from this track from the Brothers Johnson who scored a massive hit with this RNB ballad produced by Quincy Jones before he met the future king of pop on the set of the Wiz. These guys would score a second hit with "Stomp" at the start of the 80's before fading into obscurity.

#21 for 1977 (#47 website)

#11 for 1978

I guess this was a hit for Gerry Rafferty as penance for the world sleeping on his hit with Stealers Wheels from earlier in the decade, although it wasn't as popular in NZ as it was in Australia, America or his native UK this year. I guess the kiwis weren't as in love with that iconic sax solo as the rest of the world was, either that or they didn't feel as obligated in making up for the lack of success his band had.

#43 for 1978 (#21 website)

If we were going by the Listener charts, this would've been a number one hit for Elton John, instead it only made it to number two in NZ which should give you an idea of the different demographics that the Listener charts and RIANZ had back in the day. Either way, this was still a massive hit for the British piano man this year, definitely much more so than it was here in Australia.

#22 for 1975 (#14 website)

Unlike in Australia where there was more than one track celebrating what a lovely place Rio is (whatever you say guys) in NZ it was only Michael Nesmith's endorsement of the capital of Brazil that was a success over there. This was his third hit in the southern hemisphere as both "Joanne" and "Silver moon" where huge hits in both countries from the start of the decade.

#40 for 1977 (#18 website)

Well at least we get to look at a new David Bowie track on this side of my site one last time, this time it's the lead single to his album Low which is considered one of his best albums by afficionados. If I were to look over the Listener charts, Bowie would have a ton of other entries on this site as he was quite popular in NZ during the first half of the decade.

#55 for 1977 (#28 website)

This was the only hit from Sammy Johns, an American folk singer who scored a hit in NZ and his native America with this ballad that remains a staple on oldies stations to this day. I wish I could say more about this guy but he's honestly not that interesting outside of his one and only hit.

#18 for 1975 (#10 website)

Again, I can't say definitively that Leo's earlier entry on this list was his biggest hit as I'm ranking these songs based on their chart performance, it's possible this song did quite well during the summer of 1976/1977 in NZ, but we'll never know since the charts went on a two-month hiatus during that time which was the peak of its popularity here in Australia.

#42 for 1977 (#27 website)

Some of these new entries on this list only barely missed the cut on making it on the Australian side of my site, I can tell you now that I can extend these lists to a top 500 and this iconic entry from the Eagles still wouldn't make the cut because that's how much of a failure it was here in Australia back in the day. Fortunately, it was a massive hit in NZ, which is why it gets its day in court on my site.

#52 for 1977 (#30 website)

Not only was this Barry Manilow's biggest hit on the RIANZ charts, it was also his only hit over there as he didn't score a hit with any of his other ballads according to their charts. I mention RIANZ because he did score a hit on the Listener charts earlier in the decade with "Mandy," so perhaps he may have racked up more hits in the 70's if those charts had of kept going.

#56 for 1978 (#43 website)

For whatever reason, this breakup song from Rose Royce was slightly delayed with its release here in Australia, that wasn't the case in NZ where it was released on time for the band that gave us "Car wash" two years prior. As such, it became an even bigger success over there likely because the kiwis had already made them a huge success earlier in the decade with more than one hit.

#22 for 1978

#15 for 1979 (#28 website)

At least this song was popular in NZ on time as opposed to here in Australia where it had a slight delay to its success, although it was more successful down under than it was over there so perhaps the delay was worth it in the end. Either way, this was the only hit that the Boomtown rats had in the southern hemisphere despite how inescapably popular they were in their native UK.

#33 for 1979 (#25 website)

This was a massive hit for Jim Gilstrap in NZ, Jim is perhaps best known for singing TV themes such as the Good times theme which was one of the highest rated sitcoms at the time (as well as the first to feature a predominantly black cast.) This was a huge flop in his native America, which is perhaps why he stuck to singing TV themes rather than pursuing any further hits on the Billboard charts.

#25 for 1975 (#21 website)

Well Jon English managed to have a huge music career by appearing in Jesus Christ superstar, so it seems natural that someone who played the titular character in the original west end version also managed to have a massive success in NZ with a song of his own. This was Paul Nicholas who scored his one and only hit worldwide with this pop tune before returning to the world of theatre.

#20 for 1977 (#19 website)

#10 for 1978

This was a massive success for Patrick Hernandez in NZ likely due to it being a goofy disco track at a time where disco was all over the place worldwide, although it still blows my mind that a random backup singer would go on to have more success than the main artist as Patrick would remain a one hit wonder worldwide with this.

#28 for 1979 (#23 website)

This wasn't quite as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing Robin Scott performed this on Countdown on one of those lost episodes which boosted its popularity here back in the day (it would explain the success of many tracks on the Australian side of my site.) Even so, this was too catchy to be ignored back in the day given how it was still a massive hit over there at the time.

#34 for 1979 (#16 website)

Much like here in Australia, this title track to the third album from the band to have Stevie and Lindsey among their lineup was the biggest hit that the band were able to achieve in NZ. The band would score one more hit later in the 80's over there as opposed to the two that they scored over here.

#42 for 1979

This was more of an immediate success in NZ than it was in Australia, likely because the kiwis were more accepting of disco music initially than us Aussies but likely because they were instantly heartfelt by the tale of perseverance in the song. They would score a second minor hit with "Hot to trot" before they faded into obscurity just like everywhere else in the world.

#19 for 1976 (#15 website)

#18 for 1977

I guess the song that became a success in NZ for KC and the sunshine band was different compared to the one that made it big here in Australia, well that and the song in question being twice as successful over there is the only other difference between their careers in both countries as the band was big in the southern hemisphere just not as big as they were in their homeland.

#26 for 1976 (#30 website)

#26 for 1977

To think this was the song that convinced the kiwis into making Boz Scaggs into a household name this year, after all, he really struggled for success over there despite how inescapable he was here in Australia with his previous album Silk degrees. Indeed, that album along with the album this serves as the lead single for both skyrocketed up their charts when it became a hit for the blues singer.

#52 for 1978

Given how this managed to become a hit in America this year, it only seems fitting that this would be a huge success for Bonnie Tyler in NZ even if it didn't quite make it to number one over there like it did here in Australia. She was all set to become a one hit wonder in most parts of the world with this track, however she had other ideas which involved firing her management and working with Jim Steinman.

#50 for 1978 (#37 website)

This was an even bigger success in NZ for Peter McCann, you'd think this would mean that singer/songwriters would dominate the charts in lieu of all the Australians that clogged up our charts but alas, that wasn't the case given what did end up appearing on each of these lists in NZ.

#46 for 1977 (#17 website)

Well, this was a genuine hit back in the day around the world, meaning that there's a good chance that this song still has its fans to this day even if it's mainly through nostalgia at this point. If you're one of those people, I won't say anything in this entry that will prevent you liking this song.

#47 for 1976 (#28 website)

This is one of those disco tracks that most 70's afficionados like to pretend never existed, mainly because of the bizarre chanting that goes "ooh ooh ooh" throughout the verses as well as it being a sex song that many people (me included) don't find the least bit sexy (side note, I didn't get my online tag from this band either.) It was their only hit in NZ and their native America likely due to how much of a novelty it is.

#47 for 1978

#35 for 1979

Well, this guy was a one hit wonder in NZ like he was everywhere else in the world with this Billboard chart topper given how "Skinny girls" wasn't a hit over there like it was over here back in the day. At least this was much bigger over there to compensate for him not having a second hit.

#49 for 1977 (#23 website)

Well, if you're into a spoken word RNB track about guys hitting on you by introducing themselves with their horoscopes, then this is the song for you as the Floaters (wow that band name) managed to score a massive worldwide hit with this ballad likely due to the novelty of the track that I've just described.

#14 for 1977 (#13 website)

#7 for 1978

Given how there wasn't a local band in NZ to steal the success of this cover of an obscure Righteous brothers track from the African all girl group Clout, this managed to become a massive success for them over there and is a more accurate representation as to how well it did back in the day in the southern hemisphere.

#14 for 1978 (#15 website)

#9 for 1979

This was the only hit that the Welsh band Racing cars managed to have worldwide, I'm guessing it was through the title which makes it seem like it's a novelty track when really, it's your typical soft rock ballad that was popular throughout the 70's. It seemed to only be a hit in NZ as the rest of the world was likely put off from the title of the song.

#51 for 1977 (#36 website)

Well, this was 10cc's foray into reggae, so naturally it would be their biggest hit in NZ given how the kiwis have always had a soft spot for reggae over the years. Granted this was also their biggest hit here in Australia, however that was more due to their other songs coming from highly successful albums as well as possibly due to the story being told in the lyrics about the lead singer getting mugged.

#19 for 1978 (#22 website)

#13 for 1979

Well at least this managed to be an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia, that and it came from a highly successful album over there that was only barely a hit down under back in the day. Of course, all of this was inevitable over there given how both groups on the track already had sound success up until this point, actually the Emotions had a very big hit the previous year over there.

#48 for 1979 (#30 website)

This was originally meant to be John Lennon's final hit single as he would announce his retirement after he released it from his album Rock n roll, it's a cover of the Ben E King classic which I'm guessing was meant to be reassurance to his audience that he was simply stepping out of the spotlight rather than becoming blacklisted from fame.

#35 for 1975 (#29 website)

This was a husband-and-wife duo who began their careers as the lead vocalists from the band the Fifth dimension a decade prior, they had massive success with the band including here in Australia where they scored three hit singles. They left the band to start their own career which only had this Billboard chart topper as its only success, still they did better than most singers from highly successful bands.

#50 for 1977 (#37 website)

Well at least these guys were able to go out on a bigger bang in NZ given how this was at least twice as successful over there as it was over here for Sweet, I think this was because it was among their bigger hits on Billboard which was something considering it was released on time in America. There'll only be one more entry from the band as we go further back in the decade on this side of my site.

#61 for 1978 (#29 website)

I guess the kiwis really didn't like the Streets of fire theme that Dan Hartman had a hit within Australia five years after he first broke through with this disco classic, although it doesn't escape my notice that this was a much bigger hit for him over there than it was over here which should tell you what the kiwis were looking for from the closeted LGBT singer.

#43 for 1979 (#36 website)

I'm a bit surprised that Donna Summer didn't have as much success in NZ as she did here in Australia back in the day, although I'm slowly discovering that women of colour from the disco scene did much better here in Australia overall, I guess we Aussies weren't completely biased against musicians of colour in the 70's like I originally thought.

#41 for 1977 (#20 website)

We have another reappearance of Hot chocolate on this side of my site, this time it's this RNB classic which the kiwis appeared to love just as much as we Aussies did back in the day even though it had far fewer competition over there than it did over here. Indeed, this was the only track from the band to have equal amounts of success in both countries despite it being among their less catchy numbers.

#67 for 1977 (#33 website)

This was another winner for Hot Chocolate in NZ throughout the 70's, in fact their popularity throughout the decade over there was more or less the same as it was here in Australia as the British RNB band racked up the hits regardless of where in the world you're from thanks to their upbeat instrumentation and Errol's soulful delivery.

#58 for 1978 (#26 website)

For whatever reason, this song always reminds me of "Band on the run" whenever I hear it on the radio (likely due to Paul's similar vocal melody in different parts of both songs) which is perhaps why it was a bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia as we Aussies would've passed this up back in the day in favour of the many fresh offerings from our local music scene which the kiwis didn't have access to.

#57 for 1976 (#35 website)

This was a much bigger hit in NZ this year than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because the kiwis were all on board with the disco trend that was exploding around this time worldwide and that we Aussies needed a big more convincing before we were completely on board with it. Even though this was a much bigger hit over there, it wasn't enough to get Van out of the one hit wonder bin with his big UK hit "The shuffle."

#23 for 1975 (#19 website)

This barely missed the cut on my official list for 1976 on this side of my site due to being too much of a sleeper hit to do so, although it makes sense it would be a hit over in NZ given how "Only sixteen" managed to be a huge success shortly prior to its release over there.

Hit in 1976 (#43 website)

This was the only success that country singer Billie Jo Spears had anywhere in the world, although like most country legends, she had a ton of success on the Billboard country charts further proving how detached from the mainstream that the country scene has always been.

#32 for 1975 (#35 website)

Anne Murray did achieve moderate success in NZ on the Listener charts during the first half of the decade, so it makes sense that this was a success over there much sooner than it was here in Australia even if it wound up being the bigger hit down under than it was over there in the long run. This may have been her only hit on our charts, however she scored one more hit over there going into the 80's.

#44 for 1978 (#34 website)

There were no signs of Neil Diamond's popularity slowing down in NZ given how this track from the album of the same name managed to be a massive success for him over there this year. Indeed, he wouldn't start to become yesterday's news over there until the start of the 80's.

#49 for 1978

Stargard were another rival to the Emotions back in the day who managed to score a massive hit in NZ during the second half of the decade, I'm guessing the success of all of these disco girl groups of colour back in the day were meant to be a way of them becoming the (then) new equivalent of the Supremes which is odd because Diana Ross didn't have any success over there around this time. At least we Aussies had Marcia Hines as the big successful woman of colour in our music scene.

#63 for 1978 (#27 website)

Much like here in Australia, this was the first big hit that the Pointer sisters had in NZ again likely due to the track being written by Bruce Springsteen despite the heartland rocker being unable to score any success of his own over there by this point in time. The girls went on to have massive success over there in the 80's much like they did in Australia.

#24 for 1979 (#20 website)

This may very well have been the first time the kiwis had heard from Chicago, after all the Listener charts suggest that they didn't have any success over there during the first half of the decade whereas they at least had a hit here in Australia with "25 of 6 to 4" from the start of the 70's.

#18 for 1976 (#24 website)

#17 for 1977

This was the lead single from Rod Stewart's album Foot loose and fancy free, and like his other songs and albums this decade, it was a massive success for him worldwide. Sorry but I don't have anything new to add to this entry.

#28 for 1977 (#32 website)

#20 for 1978

Donna Summer didn't have as much success in NZ as she did in Australia throughout the decade, I bring this up because you're going to see much more women of colour appear on these lists the further back we go in the 70's compared to the Australian side of my site. This huge chart topper she had in Australia and her native America was only a mere big top ten hit for here over there for some reason.

#45 for 1979 (#32 website)

I guess the kiwis weren't as invested in this former Fleetwood Mac frontman's solo material given how this song was far less successful over there than it was over here, heck his album didn't even chart over there despite it being a huge success down under for him. I would say it was due to an appearance on Countdown which led to this being so successful, he did perform it on the show albeit the following year.

#69 for 1978 (#49 website)

This was also a success for Frankie Millier in NZ like it was here in Australia and his native UK, I guess there was still plenty of room for singer/songwriters in the mainstream in NZ even with all the additional disco and RNB that was making it big over there that failed to do so over here.

#46 for 1979 (#33 website)

Well at least Natalie Cole was able to achieve a genuine hit in NZ this decade with this number, although I would've thought the kiwis would've gone with "This will be" given how that seems to be the song from this era that's survived the test of time for her over the years.

#50 for 1976 (#31 website)

This was yet another big hit that the Eagles had in NZ this decade, it was the second single from their breakthrough album One of these nights (at least in the southern hemisphere it was) where it became a massive hit over there despite it flopping here in Australia. As I said, all of these songs I've featured on this site from the band remain staples on oldies stations to this day.

#21 for 1975

#44 for 1976

Unlike here in Australia where this needed several attempts to make it big, it appears the kiwis were able to instantly recognise this as a classic given how it immediately rose up their charts upon its initial release over there. I'm willing to be this only became a hit down under once we Aussies saw how well this was doing over there and it finally clicking with us.

#45 for 1977 (#34 website)

Unlike here in Australia where the hits dried up for the Carpenters once Countdown launched this year, they kept on coming for them over in NZ likely due to the lack of competition the duo had over there with up-and-coming artists from the southern hemisphere. For what it's worth, they dominated both our charts during the first half of the decade with their ballads.

#40 for 1975 (#33 website)

You better believe this was a huge sleeper hit in NZ upon its initial release, this means that I've now featured both popular versions of this track on this site even though the Faith no more version was more successful in the southern hemisphere than this ever was. Still, it remains a huge staple on oldies stations likely due to it being the first taste of success Lionel Richie had in his career.

Hit in 1977 (#38 website)

It seems odd that this was Boney M's big breakthrough over in NZ, at least we Aussies had given them a hit with "Daddy cool" before rewarding them with success for a dance track history lesson about one of the evilest women from the first half of the twentieth century. The kiwis either appreciated the history lesson or simply found this track to be catchy in a way they didn't find their earlier work to be.

#29 for 1977 (#21 website)

#21 for 1978

From what I can gather, Ray Stevens didn't have as much success in NZ as he did in Australia as this saw considerably less success over there than it did over here this year. That said, his two big comedy tracks "Gitarzan" and "The streak" were very big on the Listener charts, so perhaps the kiwis were simply more interested in his brand of comedy rather than his more serious ballads.

#38 for 1975 (#28 website)

Well, it appears that the kiwis didn't completely buy into the hype that went into the Knack like the rest of the world did, either that or there were only so many times they could listen to this (admittedly fairly repetitive) song before they grew tired of the band. Still, this was a huge success for them over there this year, although just not to the same degree that it was here or in their native America.

#41 for 1979 (#24 website)

It appears the kiwis were also into the trucker crazy of the 70's as this novelty track from ad executive turn country singer CW McCall managed to become a huge success over there because of the craze. He remains a one hit wonder to this day even in his native America due to how hard it was to take his music seriously.

#41 for 1976 (#18 website)

This was an RNB ballad that managed to last for quite some time on the NZ charts back in the day, granted it was on the lower half of their charts, however it was quite lengthy which is how it managed to appear on this special list of mine. As far as I can tell, this was the only hit from the American soul singer anywhere in the world.

Hit in 1976 (#45 website)

There was no escaping this disco jam throughout the world upon its initial release, so much so that's it being a success in NZ like it was here in Australia was inevitable back in the day despite the fact that the official soundtrack from the film it was paying homage to was a massive flop over there.

#37 for 1977

#34 for 1978

Well, I did mention that this was Air supply's first big hit internationally on the Australian side of my site, I don't think anyone could've predicted how much bigger this was over in NZ compared to here in Australia as this managed to not only crack our top ten (failing to do so on our charts) but also be a huge success in the final months of the 70's over there.

#47 for 1979 (#47 website)

I'm guessing the film Car wash was a massive success over in NZ given how the soundtrack managed to give Rose Royce a second hit over there this year with this number. This sees the band's male vocalists take centre stage as opposed to their other two big hits which had their female vocalists in the lead, making them a hybrid of Earth wind and fire and the Emotions with these releases.

#58 for 1977 (#44 website)

As it turns out, the part where it sounds like there's someone playing two saxophones at once was exactly what happened during the recording of this song, so much so that even in live shows the saxophonists repeats this feat which is usually the highlight of one of their concerts. While it wasn't as big in NZ as it was here in Australia, the kiwis were still clearly amused by this track enough to make it a hit.

#36 for 1979 (#31 website)

While I'm not sure if this was the first hit single that had synthesisers on the track (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong for thinking it is) it was the song which popularised the usage of synths which would eventually explode in the 80's as more bands and artists got on board with the technology as the decade went on. Indeed, this one and only hit from Kraftwerk (at least in NZ) was a pioneer for everything great about 80's music.

#24 for 1975 (#16 website)

OK to everyone who thought the Teletubbies were bizarre, allow me to present to you the 70's equivalent known as the Wombles who were massively popular in the UK and also in NZ if the success of their theme song is anything to go by. Then again, this was an excellent time for TV themes over there given how many we've looked at on this side of my site already.

#67 for 1976 (#42 website)

We looked at the spiritual successor to these guys Coup D'etate on the 80's rendition of this list, now let's look at Hello sailor who were a pop punk band who achieved massive success with this sleeper hit in their homeland back in the day. They had a bunch of other minor hits over there, making them the NZ equivalent of Flash and the pan.

Hit in 1977 (#42 website)

Well, this wasn't quite as big in NZ as it was here in Australia, let alone the massive chart topper it was in her native America. Still, this did quite well over there likely due to it winning an academy award which helped it tread water over there months after it peak outside their top ten for the Christian singer.

Hit in 1977

Hit in 1978

The hits kept on coming for the Carpenters in NZ during the second half of the decade, I get the feeling that these two would've been equally as successful here in Australia if Countdown hadn't of deemed them to be uncool to help promote our local music scene.

#55 for 1976 (#46 website)

OK so I may have a theory for why Donna's earlier entry on this list wasn't as big as it was here in Australia, it turns out her label issued the title track of her final disco album as a single so soon after "Hot stuff" that her previous entry hadn't even reached number one on Billboard when it entered the charts. Naturally we Aussies ignored the title track (hence why it didn't appear on the Australian side of this list) whereas the kiwis made both of them a hit at the same time.

#52 for 1979 (#35 website)

OK I try to avoid using album art that has any indication of a song being popular in a certain country, however this is the only album art I could find for this one and only hit from the British reggae duo Typically tropical that didn't have the cover model topless or in an otherwise sexually provocative stance (even this will probably be titillating to my audience if I'm being honest.) Suffice to say, this was a song meant to put audiences in the mindset of being in a tropical paradise which connected with the kiwis and their fellow Brits.

#28 for 1975 (#24 website)

This was one of several disco hits to be a success in the UK despite being a massive flop in the band's native America, although Tavares didn't have much success on Billboard this decade as all of their success came from how popular they were with the Brits back in the day. This was their only hit over in NZ, so perhaps this was the case of the Brits being over the moon for what they world considered an unremarkable band.

#53 for 1977 (#25 website)

With all of the shout outs that these guys have gotten over the years, you'd think that the O'jays would've had more success back in the day than this one and only hit they had in NZ. Granted they did have a string of other hits in their native American throughout the decade, however this was the only hit that managed to crossover there which is still one more hit they ever had here in Australia.

#65 for 1978 (#30 website)

This will be the only appearance from Donny and Marie Osmond on this site of mine, although I could've featured several of their own hits had I gone further back in the decade given how popular they were (well he was at least) during the first half of the 70's. This is their take on a ballad from the 30's that they updated for a (then) modern audience which would explain its success in NZ and not in Australia.

#63 for 1976

It looks like this was the least successful hit to come from the Saturday night fever soundtrack, although I guess this was more due to it being sung by someone who wasn't a member of the Bee gees as Yvonne Elliman did have success in NZ earlier in the decade with "Love me." Like most parts of the world, she remains a two-hit wonder with these two songs over there.

#67 for 1978

Here we are once again with the biggest hit that Graham Bonnet managed to score here in Australia, although it was considerably less successful over in NZ likely due to the kiwis not jiving as well with the prospect of him working with the brothers Gibb as we Aussies did this year. Still, it was enough of a success to convince him to return to his native UK where he found success in his homeland in the 80's.

#64 for 1978 (#32 website)

Well at least these guys were a two-hit wonder over in NZ even if neither of their hits was with their signature track "Shake your groove thang" over there (although it did briefly crack their top ten this year.) This was by far the most successful rendition of the duet given how Herb Fame has gone through enough Peaches over the years to fill an entire auditioning studio.

#40 for 1979 (#18 website)

I guess the kiwis were a little bit more resistant to allowing Cliff Richard a second go in the mainstream going into the 80's, granted this was still a massive success for the crooner given that it appears on this site for a second time, however going through the 80's, you can tell that the kiwis love for his music was noticeably lower than our love for his catalogue.

#50 for 1979 (#46 website)

Whereas these guys remain a one hit wonder in most parts of the world including in their native America, they were able to score a second hit over in NZ with this ballad proving that they were able to find an audience with their music even if that audience was largely with the kiwis back in the day.

#64 for 1979

I did mention these guys being able to score a second hit in NZ, didn't I? Well, here we are with that hit which was a huge flop in their native America which means this was only a success in NZ due to the good will that their earlier entry managed to give them with the kiwis back in the day.

Hit in 1977 (#50 website)

This was another massive hit for Pussycat in NZ back in the day, it's staggering to think these guys were so successful over in NZ despite them being one hit wonders here in Australia, but this is the reality we live in.

#28 for 1976 (#29 website)

#27 for 1977

Well at least these guys were simply known as Jigsaw in NZ, likely because the Australian Jigsaw never had any success over there thus negating any incentive for the kiwis to change the name of these guys. This was a bit late to the party over there for some reason, I'm guessing they needed to have a hit here as British Jigsaw before they could conquer the NZ charts as Jigsaw.

#35 for 1976 (#41 website)

This guy also had more than just the one hit in NZ, although "Going in with my eyes open" wasn't quite as big over there as it was here or in the UK, so it won't be making a second appearance on this site like his other two entries.

#33 for 1977 (#29 website)

#30 for 1978

Hey, does anyone want to hear a disco rendition of Beethoven's "Symphony no 5?" Well Walter Murphy did just that as he got his orchestra the Big apple band to rearrange the classical piece to make it fit with the disco craze which resulted in it becoming a massive worldwide hit for him. This was a modest hit here in Australia, but nowhere near as popular as it was internationally.

#34 for 1976 (#25 website)

#32 for 1977

Well, we looked at the remix of this track on my 1986 list on this side of my site, so why not look at the original version which I did say was a hit upon its initial release this year. I'm not sure why this didn't crossover here in Australia given how many of the other disco tracks from musicians of colour were able to back in the day.

#68 for 1976 (#44 website)

This was inevitably going to be a bigger hit for Bob Marley in NZ than it was here in Australia, although you'd think this would be one of the biggest songs of the decade over there given how immensely popular he was throughout the 80's over there. Still, this was a massive hit for the Jamaican singer during his lifetime, it's far more impressive he found any success at all considering his failure in America.

#54 for 1978 (#44 website)

The last time Herb Alpert troubled the charts anywhere in the world was with his hit single "This guy's in love with you" back in the late 60's, here he is with a disco instrumental that managed to become a hit in NZ and his native America right as the decade was coming to an end. This is further proof I have that the disco backlash wasn't as immediate even in America as people would otherwise have you believe.

#49 for 1979

This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia for Billy Joel, again mainly due to the lack of competition as the 70's had less to offer the kiwis than us Aussies given how weak their local music scene was back in the day. Still, this was a huge success worldwide for Billy Joel due to it being a self-empowerment anthem that can easily apply to anyone despite how personal this feels from the piano man.

#38 for 1979