Unlike in Australia where this was only a moderate success for New order, this was arguably the biggest hit of the decade due to its refusal to die on their charts for such a long time. Indeed, this song was so popular that it lasted well over two years on the singles charts which was unheard of by the 80's over there.
#1 for 1983 (#1 website)
#1 for 1984 (#11 website)
One of the biggest hits of all time in NZ was a charity single that was commissioned following NZ's victory at the Caswell cup three years after we Aussies won the boat race against America. It was a one-off project for the supergroup which comprised of many of the biggest NZ celebrities and musicians including Dave Dobbyn who arguably got the biggest push from this release in his career.
#1 for 1986 (#1 website)
#1 for 1987
This was the debut single from Duran Duran as far as the kiwis were concerned, true they had a bit hit in Australia the previous year with their actual debut single "Planet earth," however that flopped over there likely due to it lacking that flashy music video that came with this song. This actually charted again later in the decade for some reason, I'm guessing due to the whole 1984 doomsday that was a thing.
#19 for 1982 (#24 website)
*This includes the original and the 1984 rerelease*
This was a good year for country artists, wasn't it? Here we have Cristy Lane scoring her one and only hit in NZ with this ballad that wasn't a hit anywhere else in the world for her except of course for the Billboard country charts which didn't seem to have any relevancy by this point (I can't imagine them having any relevancy now.)
#6 for 1981 (#8 website)
If you couldn't tell from the title of this track, this is a gospel tune from an aging pop crooner by the name of Howard Morrison which became a massive success in his homeland this year over any other song.
#1 for 1981
#1 for 1982 (#10 website)
Speaking of Dave Dobbyn, here's his first solo single which was so inescapable over in NZ that it even managed to become a massive success here in Australia for the former D.D Smash lead vocalist. Unlike here in Australia where he and Herbs remain a one hit wonder, they both went on to massive success later in their respective careers in their homeland thanks to how irresistibly catchy this song is.
#2 for 1986 (#3 website)
#2 for 1987
They already had three big hits from Rattle and hum in NZ, that did nothing to prevent this from being a massive success for U2 over there as they would close out the 80's with a sombre ballad after having a string of hits with some of their more bombastic material in their catalogue.
#6 for 1989 (#7 website)
Given how disco seemed to all the rage this year over in NZ, it makes sense that this title track from George Benson's disco album was more of a success over there than it was over here so much so that the album spawned him a second hit over there that we'll be looking at later down this list. While he thrived over there during disco's supposed dark age, he didn't last too long during the MTV era unfortunately.
#19 for 1980 (#16 website)
And I thought Inner Circle was the most persistent Jamaican band of the twentieth century, enter Toots and the Maytals who scored a massive hit in NZ with this reggae track a good two decades into their existence. They remain a one hit wonder over there which makes them the 80's equivalent of Inner circle if you consider that band's success here in Australia.
#3 for 1982 (#1 website)
This was the final hit that Bob Marley had in his lifetime in NZ, although considering he was able to score two gigantic hits over there as opposed to just the one here in Australia, I think it's safe to say the kiwis were on board with what he had to offer in his catalogue during his lifetime. This recharted later in the decade for some reason, I don't know why because it wasn't when he released his greatest hits album.
#17 for 1980 (#22 website)
*This includes the original and the 1985 rerelease*
This was a massive hit for Elvis Presley in the early 60's, so it kind of makes sense that Ry Cooder didn't have any success with his rendition of this ballad anywhere in the world except for NZ who didn't even have a chart when the original was popular. Because this was a massive hit for the rockabilly throwback artist, it allowed the album to be a massive success over there were it was only moderately successful here.
#3 for 1980 (#4 website)
It appears that even the kiwis weren't able to resist the charms of Kenny and Dolly on this bit hit of theirs, I bring this up because neither of them had that much success over there prior to this point which makes this duet's success all the more heartwarming for them.
#2 for 1983 (#40 website)
#2 for 1984 (#32 website)
This was a huge hit for the Marois born Deane Waretini, apparently, he was the son of a first nations person in NZ who was massively successful during the first half of the century over there.
#10 for 1981 (#2 website)
For whatever reason, we Aussies were a bit slow when it came to allowing MJ and the Jackson five back into the spotlight as adults as they were able to achieve massive success in NZ months prior to when they crossed over here. In any case, this solo disco track from MJ was a massive success in both countries and ushered him into the 80's where he would go on to take the world by storm.
#1 for 1980
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)
This was a huge success for the short-lived NZ band the Holidaymakers, I'm guessing because it was yet another cover of a Bill Withers track from around this time given how many of these entries on these last few lists of mine were originally from the RNB legend.
#3 for 1988 (#1 website)
This guy was also a two-hit wonder in NZ with this and "Baby don't get hooked on me," although from what I can gather, this was a bigger hit over there as his earlier hit didn't do as well on the Listener charts over there as it did here in Australia.
#18 for 1980 (#14 website)
This had the same amount of success in NZ as it did here in Australia, although it did chart lower over there in exchange for lasting longer on the charts overall as opposed to it going straight to number one over here. His popularity in the southern hemisphere while exceptional compared to most other artists on this list, was barely noteworthy compared to what he achieved in his native UK throughout the decade.
#26 for 1981 (#5 website)
Again, this wasn't the lead single to Diesel and dust in NZ as "The dead heart" did become a minor hit over there; however, this may as well have been as it was not only much bigger over there than it was over here, but it became one of the biggest hits of the decade as well.
#3 for 1987 (#11 website)
#4 for 1988
Well now that I've defended this song's legacy on this site, let's talk about how it made Dire straits a huge phenomenon as the song remains their biggest hit in their career regardless of where in the world you're from. It was a massive hit (homophobic lyrics notwithstanding) thanks to the smooth melody as well as the message about not living in the past and embracing the new trends offered in the world.
#3 for 1985 (#5 website)
When I first discovered this track from David Bowie, I thought he had written a song for the Andrew Lloyd Webber production Cats as that had premiered shortly before this was released as a single from him. It turns out this is the theme to a long-forgotten horror film Cat people which was loosely based on a book of poetry that the Broadway show is based on, although I really mean loosely based.
#8 for 1982 (#4 website)
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)
Well so much for disco being dead around the launch of MTV, we have this French duo who scored a massive hit throughout the world with this English version of their big hit from their native France. This was a minor hit in Australia this year, although we Aussies did move on from euro disco to the likes of new wave and pub rock around this time, so it was only a sleeper success here at best.
#2 for 1982 (#3 website)
Well, if you thought these guys were too low in my rankings on the Australian side of my site, you're in luck as the kiwis were much more lenient towards making them a success over there that all of their singles were much bigger hits and they also managed to score more hits over there as well. Their debut single in particular was indeed one of the biggest hits of the decade over there because of this.
#6 for 1988 (#16 website)
#7 for 1989
Although the lead single to their album "Who can it be now" was a massive flop for these guys in NZ, there was little doubt this second single would be a huge success given how incessantly catchy the song is as well as it being a distinctly Australian track during a time where that was a selling point in pop culture. The song's success would eventually allow the band to crossover internationally later in the year.
#7 for 1982 (#19 website)
You better believe I was dumbstruck when I first discovered this second single from the Joshua tree was a flop here in Australia, I can't stress enough how albums sales affected the popularity of songs down under back in the day. In any case, we have this iconic track from U2 which continues the theme of the lead single (which is still to come on this list) of the band's poetry which resulted in their second Billboard chart topper.
#14 for 1987 (#7 website)
Given how these guys were among the most successful bands of the decade in NZ, it stands to reason that their first Australian chart topper would be their biggest hit over there given how their popularity was twice that it was here back in the day. This is one of the last hits they had to have that 80's bombast as they would strip things back from here on out to better fit with the 90's.
#2 for 1988 (#3 website)
#4 for 1989
Much like the rest of the world, there was a good chance that this ballad from John Lennon would have been a success in NZ if he had lived to see its full chart run, it was meant to be a symbolic comeback as well as a literal one given how he had rekindled his love for Yoko Ono around this time and had dedicated it to her.
#4 for 1980
#2 for 1981 (#32 website)
Given how I've decided to include the full chart runs of each entry on this list throughout the decade, this means I have to say something new about this breakthrough single from Joy division. I guess it's interesting how even with these two entries combined as well as the song periodically recharting throughout the decade that it's still far from the biggest hit of the decade in NZ as at no point did it chart during the Christmas period over there to explain its lower placement on this list.
#80 for 1984 (#48 website)
#79 for 1981 (#19 website)
Like in Australia, these guys are a one hit wonder in NZ with this cover of the Gloria Jones track, it's a shame none of their other songs managed to become a success outside of their native UK, however they at least did score a string of other hits at home meaning they did fine over there during their heyday.
#5 for 1982 (#14 website)
This was a bit of a sleeper hit in NZ given how long it took for this to become a success over there, however once it did it was just as popular there as it was at least in America. I'm sure many NZ detractors of this track can breathe a sigh of relief knowing this wasn't the biggest hit of the decade over there like it was in Australia.
#4 for 1987
#7 for 1988 (#15 website)
It may surprise you to learn that this was actually a hit slightly earlier in NZ than it was in Australia, as such the hierarchy of where this song was a success is as follows, NZ, Australia and America albeit five years later in the latter country. One place this wasn't a success in at all was the brothers native UK.
#1 for 1988
#2 for 1989 (#6 website)
This was a massive success for Patea Maori club back in the day, so much so that it became a success again nearly thirty years later in 2010 proving how much the kiwis love this hybrid of new wave and traditional Maoris music. It remains their only hit over there, although given it was a hit twice, I don't think the band minds.
#4 for 1984 (#1 website)
Two decades prior to when Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow made this ballad their own for their film Duets, it was originally a hit for Smokey Robinson who finally managed to score a hit outside of his native America following years of failed attempts at international success with his band the Miracles. He never managed to score a hit in Australia, I'll let my readers decide what to do with that information.
#6 for 1980 (#3 website)
This was only a mild sleeper hit here in Australia, I'm guessing because we Aussies found the idea of a hip hop track about Wolfgang Amadeus in German a bit too silly to make a huge success back in the day even if it came from Falco who scored a hit three years prior with "Der komissar" over here. Fortunately, the kiwis were able to instantly fall in love with this track which allows me to include it on this site.
#3 for 1986 (#4 website)
Well at least this song was inescapable in NZ back in the day, in fact David Bowie in general had a ton of success over there that was noticeably absent here in Australia from around this time as the kiwis seemed to be more on board with him changing with the times than we Aussies were.
#3 for 1983 (#2 website)
Before he was the lead singer of Noiseworks, Jon Stevens was a teen pop idol in his native NZ who managed to score two massive hits over there with his earlier work. This was the bigger of the two hits which he scored during the transition of the 70's to the 80's.
#2 for 1980
This was a massive hit in NZ considering that it was only decently successful in Australia and ABC's native UK, I guess the kiwis were invested in this story about how Martin Fry had his heart stomped by this person who he gave his love to. Out of all the two hit wonders in Australia from this year, these guys were the most successful over there as they would go on to have moderate success as the decade went on.
#23 for 1982 (#13 website)
Well, there shouldn't be any surprises as to how this managed to be a hit in NZ this year, Boris Gardiner did score a massive hit with this over in the UK and it was even popular enough to be a huge success here in Australia whilst also being a pop reggae track from the musician of colour.
#5 for 1987 (#8 website)
This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, meaning that the kiwis were more into mashup singles back in the day than we were which is evident by the fact that there will be another mashup single to come later down this list (stay tuned for it.) In the meantime, this was still the only hit from Stars on 45 (or Starsound if you're from the UK) over in NZ leaving them a one hit wonder there.
#3 for 1981 (#1 website)
Well at least these guys were able to have one inescapable hit on the charts in NZ, oh don't get me wrong, these guys were very successful over there just not to the degree they were here in Australia and especially their native UK. I guess the kiwis had their limits to great music if there was such shaky songwriting for it to carry.
#21 for 1980
#16 for 1981
*this includes the original release and the 1986 remix*
This is further proof that disco was far from dead this year as the Brothers Johnson managed to score a massive worldwide hit with this track, although it was most popular in NZ likely due to musicians of colour in general not having much pushback from the kiwis around this time.
#13 for 1980 (#2 website)
Although this did rebound on the NZ charts when the girls earlier entry was released over there, it was noticeably a hit upon its initial release over there as opposed to here in Australia where it needed the endorsement of their earlier entry for it to be a success here. I'm not sure if this made it big over there because of the production, the theme of the lyrics or it being two women of colour singing with such an attitude, but it was a success regardless.
#18 for 1987 (#10 website)
This was somehow an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis wanted to give their love to Europeans throughout the 80's any way they could, and this was one of the best ways they could think of doing so. I know it wasn't always meant for ad jingles, but that's all I hear whenever I listen to this song.
#6 for 1982 (#2 website)
This was both the final number one single of the 80's and the first number one of the 90's in NZ, meaning that Margaret Urlich was poised for great things to happen in the latter decade which did at first as this song and the album it came from became a massive success over here in Australia for her.
#3 for 1989 (#46 website)
Although these guys had a bit more success with their singles over in NZ than they did here in Australia, this will still be their only single to appear on this site as it was the only one that was a massive success over there as it was throughout the rest of the world.
#8 for 1980 (#5 website)
This was the biggest version of the Little Eva classic over in NZ, mainly because Kylie Minogue's version from later in the decade was only a moderate success over there and the original and Grand funk versions both flopped in NZ (from what I can gather at least.) This means that the kiwis only wanted to hear this classic if it was set to a disco beat and maybe if it was covered by a pop diva.
#7 for 1980 (#1 website)
This was a massive comeback for Diana Ross in NZ given how the only hits she had over there by this point were with the Supremes over a decade prior, at least here in Australia she had a couple of solo hits in the form of "Rhythm of life" and "Touch me in the morning" throughout the 70's. This was a more permanent comeback for her in NZ as she scored a string of hits over there that weren't as such here.
#9 for 1980 (#18 website)
Well as far as the rest of the world is concerned, this is the debut single from Crowded house which means it was the first song that they promoted which resulted in it being a massive worldwide success for the band despite it only being a moderate success here in Australia due to it being the fourth single from their album here.
#9 for 1987 (#4 website)
Well, this songs controversy would've been much more pronounced in NZ as "I want a new drug" was actually a moderate success over there shortly before the song's release (it won't be appearing on this site I'm afraid.) The two men settled out of court over a decade later despite it being obvious that the two melodies were almost identical to each other.
#3 for 1984 (#5 website)
#1 for 1985
It looks like Anne Murray wasn't a one hit wonder in NZ as she managed to score a second hit over there with this bonus track from her greatest hits album, although she apparently did score a few hits on the Listener charts so perhaps the kiwis were already well familiar with her work by this point in time. It would certainly explain why her greatest hits album was so big there compared to what it achieved here.
#22 for 1981 (#16 website)
Although these guys did achieve moderate success throughout the decade in NZ, it was this cover of the Lipps inc classic that made them a household name over there which led to them scoring massive success internationally with this cover. Much like here in Australia, they wouldn't find any further success over in NZ with this cover, meaning that it did kill their career regardless of what you think of it.
#11 for 1987 (#1 website)
This was a massive hit for D.D Smash, these guys being best known nowadays as the band which made Dave Dobbyn a household name before he went solo during the second half of the decade. Evidently the D.D in the band name stands for Dave Dobbyn, meaning the full name of this band is Dave Dobbyn Smash which seems like he was NZ's equivalent of the Hulk.
#13 for 1983 (#10 website)
This may be depressing to learn but as far as the RIANZ charts are concerned, this was the first hit that Stevie Wonder had in NZ as he didn't even have much success on the Listener charts early on in his career. At least he made it big over there with one of his more iconic tracks which of course fueled the success of his album Hotter than July.
#5 for 1980 (#19 website)
#4 for 1981
Well, this was a NZ band who achieved massive success here in Australia, so of course their one and only hit here would be a massive success in their homeland as well. They did achieve a second minor hit over there with another song of theirs which is still to come much later on this list, proving that the kiwis did look after their own whenever they could.
#7 for 1981 (#3 website)
This was the only hit that Marcia Hines had over in NZ, it's curious it was with this track and not one of her many other hits throughout the 70's over there which were all much more popular here in Australia than this was. That said it was likely due to this crossing over to NZ for the Australian musician of colour that allowed her to finally have international interest in her career.
#33 for 1980 (#45 website)
This was the biggest hit of Madonna's career in NZ, it's curious that it was considering that it was released late over there due to her not having much success over there from the previous year like she did here. I guess the kiwis were intrigued about how she felt like a virgin on this track despite being in the headlines about her promiscuous lifestyle during the height of her popularity.
#4 for 1985 (#11 website)
Well, it looks like disco was still a thing this far into the 80's, even America acknowledged this as a classic at the time as it was a hit on Billboard (albeit only a modest one.) It was a much bigger hit in the UK where disco continued to thrive this year, although strangely it was a flop here in Australia where disco also seemed to be welcomed with open arms.
#13 for 1981 (#4 website)
This was the only hit that Prince Tui Teka had in his homeland, although he was part of two bands who I guess did alright in the 50's and 60's so this was merely his only solo hit in his career. He would pass away later in the decade which would explain why he didn't have any further success after this.
#11 for 1982 (#6 website)
Unlike here in Australia where these guys had a ton of hits, this was the only big hit that the Pretenders were able to score in NZ likely due to how iconic the melody has become since its initial release. At least they would have success with their fourth album later in the decade in lieu of its singles.
#23 for 1980 (#11 website)
Well, this didn't last over a year on the NZ charts, I'm guessing because it wasn't bundled with "Pink Cadillac" midway through its chart run in order to triple its time on their charts like it did down under. Either way, this lead single to Born in the U.S.A was nonetheless the biggest hit that Bruce Springsteen was able to score over there, likely due to how incessantly catchy it is compared to the rest of his catalogue.
#23 for 1984 (#4 website)
This wasn't quite as big in NZ as it was here in Australia, likely due to how much of an obvious novelty it was given that it was a song about playing computer games was the hot new thing to do going into the 80's. Then again, the gaming industry has only grown since this song was released as a single, meaning that it's arguably more popular now than it was back in the day.
#14 for 1980
This was the debut single from one of the most popular bands to come out of the 80's, although this was back when UB40 was a halfway respected band as true to their name, they talked about more serious subject matter such as unemployment and living conditions of their day. The reggae beat was still there, but they weren't just covering older classics with that reggae beat and instead had something to say.
#25 for 1980 (#9 website)
This was less of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia, at least at first it was as I included the stats from its remix on this ranking given how the remix was slightly more popular over there than it was over here in Australia where it didn't affect this song's ranking on that side of my site. I guess it's safe to say that queer music from queer folk was very welcomed in the mainstream in the southern hemisphere.
#52 for 1984 (#16 website)
This was the main theme to Tim Burton's Batman film of this year, although calling it a theme is stretching it as it's really a collage of quotes from the film set to a backing beat with Prince occasionally singing over the instrumental. It was a massive hit for the Purple one likely due to the popularity of the film.
#10 for 1989 (#4 website)
Much like here in Australia, Kim Carnes was a one hit wonder in NZ with this iconic track about how this woman she's singing about is as promiscuous as Bette Davis herself. Reportedly she wrote a letter of gratification to everyone involved with this track thanking them for making her relevant to (then) modern society, although I doubt she would've done so if she knew what the song was actually about.
#19 for 1981 (#6 website)
If we're only taking into account songs that charted during the year of 1985, this was the biggest hit in NZ despite it not hitting number one. I felt I should bring that up because even in NZ where the charts are much tighter than here in Australia, number one wasn't always everything as evidence by the biggest hit being from Madonna who only had one chart topper this year with an entry we'll get to.
#7 for 1985 (#3 website)
This was the showstopper from Elaine Paige for the show Cats, somehow the kiwis preferred Barbra Streisand's version of the track which suggests there was a possibility that she would play the role of Grizabella at some point which as far as I'm aware, never wound up happening. This must have encouraged the kiwis to make her greatest hits package of the same name a success over there.
#13 for 1982 (#18 website)
So, disco died this year huh? Well given how this was a Billboard chart topper, I'm going to say that it didn't and was merely quick to lose its grip on the mainstream due to overexposure from the late 70's. This is often considered to be the bridge between disco and post disco which is a trend that would permeate throughout the 80's everywhere outside of America.
#12 for 1980 (#7 website)
This was a little late to the party in NZ given how it was released here in Australia at the start of the decade (albeit to deafening silence) however once it took off over there, it was a massive hit for Viola Wills who scored a massive success with this disco rendition of an old 50's song (early 50's at that) this year when disco was supposed to be dead.
#10 for 1980 (#30 website)
#9 for 1981
It appears the kiwis were also in love with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts this year, although they did score success later in the decade over there with "I hate myself for loving you" unlike here in Australia where all of their success was confided to this one year. They broke down a lot of barriers for women in rock given how at this point they were mostly confided to the alternative scene.
#21 for 1982 (#7 website)
It looks like Jenny Morris had a similar trajectory for success in NZ as she did here in Australia, the only difference I can think of is that her solo debut was a huge flop for here over there as opposed to being a moderate success here a few years prior to this becoming her first hit in both countries. It was a good way for her to not only end the 80's but also begin the 90's due to how successful it was.
#8 for 1989
While this wasn't the first single that Ardijah released in their career, it was the song that made them a household name given how it was such a huge hit over there and even sparked interest here in Australia which they never ended up translating to success. Indeed, they would tour extensively here until they gave up and returned home where they saw a surprise comeback a decade after this big hit.
#17 for 1988 (#7 website)
This was a massive hit in NZ this year, although it was only due to it being a sleeper hit here in Australia from the previous year as this was a flop in the duo's native UK upon its initial release two years prior. This was the last big hit over there to come from the Celtic subculture for the rest of the 80's.
#7 for 1984 (#6 website)
This was an even bigger hit for both INXS and Jimmy Barnes back in the day in NZ than it was here in Australia, this was even before the song was chosen as the theme song to the cult classic the Lost boys as that film wouldn't come out until much later in the year. Both parties would continue to have success later in the year with their next respective albums.
#8 for 1987 (#6 website)
This was a massive success in NZ for the short lived EDM group M/A/R/R/S (I have no idea why they stylised themselves with this name) I'm guessing because EDM in general was much bigger in NZ during the 80's which is weird because that was the genre of choice in Australia throughout the 90's.
#10 for 1988 (#4 website)
This was a hit twice in NZ, the first time was upon its initial release where it became the first taste of success that Grace Jones had which led to the success of her album Nightclubbing. The second time was five years later when it was rereleased from her greatest hits package Island life where it became a modest hit again for her over there despite it never charting here in Australia.
Hit in 1981
Hit in 1986
*This includes both the original and the remix*
This was a massive hit for the Nolans in NZ and their native UK, likely due to it being more in line with disco than their novelty pop from the following year that crossed over to Australia. Given how that was a hit in NZ also, this makes the Irish family group a two-hit wonder over there with both of these tracks.
#29 for 1980 (#21 website)
Even though they had success with their albums throughout the 70's in their homeland, this was still the first major hit single that Split enz managed to achieve over there just like they did here in Australia. It was an amazing start to the 80's given how their popularity exploded thanks to the video and their performance on Countdown, both of which helped spark international interest in them.
#15 for 1980 (#8 website)
There was no surprise this duet between UB40 and Chrissie Hynde would be a huge success in NZ this year, both artists were among the most popular of the decade and it was a reggae cover of a 60's classic from Sonny and Cher made for Live aid after all.
#8 for 1985 (#2 website)
Much like in Australia, this was technically the first solo single from George Michael as it curiously wasn't credited to Wham despite it appearing on their second album as the final track. It was credited to Wham on the American release, likely to not confuse American fans due to this only being the duo's second single over there.
#6 for 1984 (#10 website)
So, this is a surprise entry, mainly because it was a massive hit here in Australia upon its initial release two years prior and yet it only became a success in NZ this year following the premiere of the TV show. This was also the case in the UK, so perhaps this was an international thing where audiences were ambivalent on the film but fell in love with the TV series.
#18 for 1982 (#11 website)
I don't know how these guys did it, but their debut single managed to be an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia despite being an Australian band. The success of this track over there led to them having international success with their two Australian hits throughout Europe, although "Catch me I'm falling" failed to become a hit over there like it did here.
#25 for 1983 (#8 website)
We Aussies were a little late to the party when it came to making this ballad from KC and the Sunshine band a success, likely because it was the rare ballad in their catalogue of otherwise upbeat disco jams. The kiwis were more punctual in making this a success over there proving they were on board with whatever these guys had to offer from the get-go.
#16 for 1980
While this was far from as big a success in NZ as it was in Australia and especially their native America, this was nonetheless a huge hit for the J Geils band this year likely due to the music video which while problematic by today's standards (and I would argue even for its time) was a shoe in for MTV which finally got the band noticed after a decade of obscurity in the music scene.
#30 for 1982 (#29 website)
This was a huge success for Queen entering the 80's in NZ, not quite as big as it was here in Australia or even in America but big enough to be among their most successful songs. I guess Freddie's Elvis impersonation was enough to help the band comeback from the brink of obscurity given how their last few albums weren't that big anywhere in the world.
#24 for 1980 (#10 website)
This video can count itself lucky that I only included videos from hit singles from Australia on my weirdest videos of the 80's list, it would've been a shoe in for that list had it been a bigger hit down under which is odd because that's exactly how it became a success for Jackie Wilson in NZ and the UK. Admittedly this was a minor hit down under upon its initial release thirty years prior for what it's worth.
#24 for 1987 (#12 website)
Well, there were several mashup singles to become popular in NZ throughout the 80's just like there was here in Australia, so it only makes sense that this hit from Jive Bunny would become a success over there right when the decade was coming to an end. That said they remain a one hit wonder over there despite them having multiple hits in their native UK as well as a second hit here in Australia.
#9 for 1989 (#12 website)
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
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 was a huge hit here in Australia, although it failed to reach our top twenty which is why it didn't appear on that side of my site. It charted much higher in NZ which finally allows it to appear on the site which is good because I want to talk about as many popular songs from back in the day as I can. This was the only hit single that Greek composer Vangelis was able to score in most parts of the world.
#29 for 1982 (#37 website)
Given how these guys already had success in NZ as part of their main band Talking heads, Chris Fantz and Tina Weymouth AKA the Tom tom club managed to score a huge hit over in NZ with their rendition of a Drifters track from nearly two decades prior but not here in Australia due to their lack of success here.
#17 for 1983 (#19 website)
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)
*This includes the original and 1988 remix*
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)
This was an even bigger success in NZ likely due to the kiwis allowing these guys to have massive success with their singles throughout the 80's which was something we Aussies didn't allow for them until this became a hit here in Australia this year. Indeed, this was the band's biggest hit in the southern hemisphere and even in America, however that honour went to "Fairground" in their native UK.
#11 for 1989 (#1 website)
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 will be three entries from Eddy Grant to appear on the NZ side of my site, none of which were his big hit in Australia and America "Electric Avenue" which should tell you what the kiwis wanted to hear from him compared to the rest of the world. Indeed, this was a more pop friend love ballad from the British singer, although it does still incorporate reggae into the mix which the kiwis would've loved.
#24 for 1981 (#22 website)
Evidently the Commodores weren't just a soft rock band like their only two hits in Australia would otherwise suggest, instead they got their origins in funk and disco which would explain why their final hit in NZ was in the latter categories. I'm not sure why none of their more upbeat tracks became hits here in Australia, then again, it's not like their ballads were instants successes here either.
#27 for 1981 (#15 website)
This was the third big hit that Eddy Grant managed to achieve in NZ throughout the 80's, it's a protest song against apartheid with Joanna referring to Johannesburg as a desperate plea to put an end to what is widely regarded as one of the worst displays of racial segregation the world has ever known. Joanna eventually came through in the 90's when apartheid came to an end thanks to Nelson Mandela.
#22 for 1988 (#14 website)
This was the biggest hit that Billy Ocean had in NZ, curious that it came from his least successful album of the decade given how his previous two albums were successful worldwide even if they weren't so much in NZ for the English crooner. He would successfully close out the decade over there with his greatest hits package in a way he failed to do so here in Australia.
#12 for 1988 (#5 website)
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