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
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)
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*
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
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 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)
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)
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)
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
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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
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 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)
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)
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
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
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)
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)
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)
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, 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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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
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
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 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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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)
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 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)
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
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)
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)
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)
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
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 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)
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
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)
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)
Well at least this was an instant success over in NZ upon its initial release, meaning that this song has a much more accurate placement on this list than on the Australian side of my site. Indeed, Tiffany had more success in general over there as not only were the singles much bigger but so was her album.
#6 for 1987
#8 for 1988 (#26 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*
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)
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 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
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)
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)
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 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)
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)
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*
So, Eddy Grant was able to score three hit singles in NZ throughout the 80's, none of them was the song he scored a huge hit with here in Australia or over in America which should give you an idea of what the kiwis wanted from this guy compared to us Aussies and Americans. Still, this was his biggest hit in his native UK even taking into account his work with his old band the Equals.
#10 for 1983 (#14 website)
There wasn't any deviation from what I said about the Bangles on the Australian side of my site, except maybe the fact that they weren't quite as inescapable over there as they were here due to their singles not being as bit for some reason. In any case, this novelty track about err.... I never understood the point of this track, however I think we can all agree it's a ton of fun even to this day regardless.
#5 for 1986
#10 for 1987 (#39 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)
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)
This was an E.P to come from the Clean, a NZ rock band who was massively popular at the time if the chart run of this E.P is anything to go by as it charted like it belonged on the albums chart on their singles chart.
#42 for 1981
#42 for 1982
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)
While this was a bit late to the party in NZ for KC and the Sunshine Band, it was still a massive success for the band which was further proof that disco was still yet to be dead everywhere in the world except for America. There's a bit of minor controversy with the lyrics as they do seem a bit forward even with the implications of the person KC is hitting on wanting to be with someone for themselves.
#12 for 1983
#11 for 1984
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 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 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)
Well I don't think anyone was expecting me to declare this as the biggest hit from Elton John of the 80's on the Australian side of this site, I get the feeling I'll get fewer objections on this side of the site given how this was such a massive hit for him upon its initial release over there as well as it being one of only three chart toppers he had over there throughout his entire career (at least on the RIANZ charts.)
#5 for 1985
#4 for 1986 (#8 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)
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)
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 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 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)
Well, I don't think I can make this any easier when I say that Marvin Gaye was also a one hit wonder in NZ just like he was in Australia, it makes you wonder why we slept on him in the southern hemisphere throughout the 70's as he was indeed one of the biggest artists of that decade in his native America.
#27 for 1983 (#20 website)
This is one of those funk tracks that would've been inescapable in the 70's, I guess the usage of synthesisers allowed it to find an audience this decade for Midnight Star in NZ and virtually nowhere else in the world. They were basically Cameo before those guys stripped back their sound, Cameo being more in line with a funk band around this time before they too adopted synthesisers for their big hit.
#22 for 1983
#19 for 1984
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
Much like in Australia, this title track to George Michael's solo debut was the biggest hit he had in NZ throughout his career, it's a song that I feel sums up his entire career as he could be both insightful with his lyrics whilst fun with his production. Audiences obviously agreed as this was the template for most of his discography for the rest of his career.
#7 for 1987
#9 for 1988
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)
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)
I'm surprised this wasn't a hit here in Australia back in the day considering how often you still hear it on our oldie's stations to this day, then again, I wouldn't be sure how it crossed over here considering it was only a hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world including the band's native UK. True to their name, this is a psychedelic track that incorporates new wave into its sound which naturally appealed to the kiwis this year.
#35 for 1982 (#41 website)
Due to how the charts used to work back in the day in NZ, this Christmas staple didn't even touch the charts over there until the start of this year meaning that this only became a hit over there after the holiday season. I'm guessing because of USA for Africa's entry from earlier on this list, this rebounded on the charts over there which I don't think happened anywhere else in the world this year.
#26 for 1985 (#10 website)
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)
From what I can gather, Audrey Landers was a failed American actress who scored a hit in NZ and throughout Europe with this European pop track in an attempt to launch her singing career. The song was a massive success for her; however, she remains a one hit wonder everywhere where this charted given how she wasn't much of a vocalist either.
#9 for 1983 (#18 website)
#9 for 1984
Well, the Pointer sisters were a Motown act, therefore it makes sense that they had even more success in NZ back in the day than they did here in Australia. All things considered I'm surprised they had any success here in Australia given how many of their contemporaries, including those way more popular in their native America had failed to score any success here or even in NZ back in the day.
#11 for 1980 (#31 website)
#11 for 1981
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)
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)
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 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)
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)
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