It's strange that these guys are best known for their disco classic "Shake your groove thing" and yet their two biggest hits were RNB ballads back in the day. This was their bigger hit in NZ likely due to the kiwis wanting to keep the 70's alive this year as opposed to everywhere else in the world which moved on to the likes of soft rock and new wave with the occasional sprinkle of disco and RNB here and there.
#26 for 1980 (#6 website)
This was the second Oscar winning track from Irene Cara this decade, so naturally it would be a major hit for her in NZ albeit on time unlike her previous Oscar winning track. I wonder why they never made a sequel or TV show to Flashdance like they did with Fame, sure it wasn't a critical darling, but it was a huge box office success thanks to the chemistry Jennifer Beals has with the male co lead.
#19 for 1983 (#4 website)
This was Belinda Carlisle's one and only hit over in NZ, this is even taking into account her band the Go go's who also never scored a hit over there likely due to them not being promoted there due to them lacking a Countdown equivalent. At least this song led to the success of her second solo album over there, however her next album was a massive flop there despite it being a huge success here.
#11 for 1988 (#9 website)
While this wasn't the biggest hit from Thriller, this was the highest charting in NZ as this became a number one hit over there whilst MJ's earlier entry got stuck behind David Bowie's earlier entry on this list. This goes to show that the kiwis were really enamoured by MJ's venture towards rock and roll just like the rest of the world was.
#18 for 1983 (#3 website)
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)
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)
This had a bit of a delay to its release in NZ, likely because the kiwis hadn't heard of Billy Idol until he scored a moderate success here in Australia with this track that I'm guessing was written about the royal wedding from two years prior. It proved to be an even bigger success over there, and even led to his solo debut from earlier on this list becoming a hit by the end of the year over there.
#46 for 1983 (#11 website)
Although they had success earlier in the year with "Keep on moving" in NZ and their native UK, this was the song that made Soul II Soul a household name worldwide thanks to how catchy this soul number is as well as the vocal performance from Caron Wheeler. It even managed to become a hit on Billboard just before the decade ended, although it wasn't a success here in Australia.
#56 for 1989
This was another huge hit that the Pointer sisters had in NZ, although it's worth noting that it was equally as successful over there as it was over here this year, meaning that the kiwis no longer had an advantage over us when it came to making these women popular back in the day. Indeed only "Jump" and maybe "Automatic" would be more successful over there in their catalogue after this year.
#41 for 1981 (#20 website)
This was an E.P to come from the Clean, a NZ rock band who was massively popular at the time if the chart run of this E.P is anything to go by as it charted like it belonged on the albums chart on their singles chart.
#42 for 1981
#42 for 1982
One of the most important political figures in history was Nelson Mandela, although his true achievements came after he was released from prison in 1989 where he led a campaign to put an end to apartheid which was an oppressive regime happening in Africa that I'm not going to get into on this site. Many protest songs were made during his imprisonment to have him released, this from the Special AKA being the biggest and most impactful of them all.
#14 for 1984 (#8 website)
Well, there's no surprise that this was a huge success for Stevie Wonder in NZ, it won the Oscar for best original song for a movie I doubt even 80's afficionados care about these days which made it one of the biggest hits of the decade worldwide.
#5 for 1984 (#2 website)
#2 for 1985
Mel and Kim were much more popular in NZ than they were here in Australia, mainly because they were immediately welcomed into the mainstream over there as opposed to here where they had to earn their popularity which is why their debut single had such a low placement on the Australian side of my site. Of course, their second single was the real success they had in the southern hemisphere regardless.
#13 for 1987 (#5 website)
This was a very busy year for Tina Turner given how she managed to score a massive comeback with her album, although this wasn't the only hit she had in NZ as there's still another entry to come further down this list from her. While this didn't quite get to number one over there, it was nonetheless equally as successful there as it was here in Australia.
#30 for 1984 (#13 website)
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)
Well, this was the first time the kiwis had heard from Cher the singer since her hit single "Half breed" back in 1973 (it was big on the Listener charts) that was sixteen years of silence from her as far as they were concerned even though she was popular with her films throughout the 80's. I guess this is why her big comeback wasn't as big over there as it was here where it was welcomed with open arms.
#14 for 1989
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)
There was this popular band from the early 70's in NZ known as the Hogsnort Rupert's band, they were a big deal at the time due to being a novelty band that managed to humour the kiwis with their brand of comedy. The lead singer of that band Dave Luther would form a new band for the 80's known as Dave and the Dynamos who scored a massive hit over there with this comedy track about how fun it is to be middle aged.
#35 for 1983 (#12 website)
While I'm not sure if there was an A Capella track to become a success prior to this UK chart topper for the Housemartins (correct me if I'm wrong because I'm currently drawing a blank) this song likely popularised it for the remainder of the twentieth century as there would be a ton of songs to make it big in the genre including from the likes of Bobby McFerrin, Shai and of course Boyz II Men.
#37 for 1987 (#13 website)
This is a song whose absence on my site has certainly been felt by yours truly, unfortunately this disco classic from Kool and the gang was never a hit here in Australia despite Dragon scoring a moderate hit later in the decade with their rendition. The kiwis were able to recognise this as the feel-good classic that it is despite this being yet another disco track that was released during the supposed dark age of disco.
#18 for 1981 (#9 website)
This was a cover of an Eddy Grant track; Eddy of course would go on to have massive success in NZ meaning that this was likely twice as successful for Renee Geyer in NZ than it was here in Australia because of that fact. This didn't do her career any favours in either country as she failed to score a second hit anywhere in the world.
#5 for 1981 (#13 website)
#4 for 1982
While this did chart here in Australia following the success of Bob Marley's greatest hits album, it was a massive success in NZ due to how much the kiwis loved his music in the mainstream even after his tragic death from earlier in the decade. Even after his demise, he never found success in America which is at least something the rest of the world can brag about when it comes to his catalogue.
#16 for 1984 (#3 website)
Now that I'm including the full chart run for every song on this list, I can finally include the lead single to Icehouse's Man of colours album which indeed had a lengthy chart run in NZ due to how long it took to become a success over there. It was a mild success upon its initial release much like many of their singles over there, however it rebounded when "Electric blue" was released and became a smash hit for them.
Hit in 1987 (#33 website)
This was the only charting single that Cold Chisel had in NZ, although this was likely the song which made their penultimate album a huge success for them given how it was twice as successful over there as it was over here due to being the lead single rather than the second single. Still, it feels weird this was their only hit over there given how popular Jimmy Barnes would become later in the decade.
#26 for 1982 (#12 website)
This was the only hit that Aswad was able to achieve outside their native UK, it's a reggae cover of a Tina Turner track that was the B-side to her hit single "Typical male" from two years prior. This likely inspired Ace of base to cover this track in the mid 90's given how successful it was in NZ and their native UK.
#16 for 1988 (#13 website)
This needed some convincing from the kiwis to become a hit given how slow it was to reach the upper echelons of the charts over there, I guess once they saw it would be one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia, they capitulated and allowed this bombastic track from one of the shorter-lived new wave bands to become a success there. This was their one and only hit over there for the record.
#38 for 1981 (#27 website)
There were a few Jamaican artists to make it big in NZ throughout the 80's, granted there were a few to do so in the 90's as well, but at least those guys had international success whereas these guys only had minor success outside of NZ and their native Jamaica. This was one of the lucky few to make it big in the UK around this time likely due to their big hit being a cover of a pre-teen MJ track.
#16 for 1982 (#22 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)
It looks like Michael Nesmith was able to score a fourth single in NZ as this track managed to become a hit for him over there and nowhere else in the world. That was the case with his other three hits except they at least were big hits here in Australia, this wasn't the case for his fourth hit as we Aussies completely ignored this track this year.
#44 for 1980 (#23 website)
This wasn't a sleeper hit in NZ like it was here in Australia, it's release was delayed because for some reason, being a hit in their native UK wasn't enough incentive to crossover internationally this year, but it was released when it became a surprise hit in America as well as it crossing over down under due to it being the final song to be performed on Countdown.
#25 for 1987 (#15 website)
This was originally a hit for Blue mink in the early 70's, so it seems to make sense that supergroup When the cats away would cover it and find more success in their homeland nearly two decades after the original came out for the British group. This group is best known for having Annie Crummer and Margaret Urlich in their lineup, both women would go on to have massive solo success each in the 90's.
#5 for 1988 (#32 website)
#5 for 1989
This was the only other hit that the Manhattans were able to achieve in NZ and their native America, although given how it shares its name with a more upbeat track from Earth wind and fire, I get the feeling it often gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to big hits from musicians of colour from back in the day. Indeed, this is more of a slow jam from the group much like their other big hit "Kiss and say goodbye."
#41 for 1980 (#17 website)
I'm surprised this wasn't a hit here in Australia back in the day considering how often you still hear it on our oldie's stations to this day, then again, I wouldn't be sure how it crossed over here considering it was only a hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world including the band's native UK. True to their name, this is a psychedelic track that incorporates new wave into its sound which naturally appealed to the kiwis this year.
#35 for 1982 (#41 website)
This was also a success for Freeez over in NZ like it was here in Australia, true this song didn't become as successful in the southern hemisphere as it did in their native UK, but at least it was a hit in both countries as opposed to their other British hit "Southern Freeez" from two years prior. For some reason, I keep thinking this is an early Wham track, likely because of how androdynous it sounds to me.
#48 for 1983 (#27 website)
This was the last hit that John Rowles had in NZ, oh yeah, John Rowles managed to have multiple hits in his native NZ after his one and only international hit "If I only had time" from the late 60's. This is a cover of a Harry Belafonte track which means he was going for that reggae crowd which worked out for this song.
#12 for 1981
#14 for 1982
This might seem a bit low on this list given how inescapably popular it was upon its initial release back in the day, alas it was only inescapable in the UK as the rest of the world was a bit wary of making this duet between opera singers Elaine Paige and Barbrara Dickson a huge success back in the day. It was a huge hit in NZ, although it was a sleeper hit hence why it's so low on this list.
#80 for 1985 (#14 website)
This was the only hit that Alice Cooper had in NZ throughout his career, in fact aside from the album this came from (and possibly some of his earlier albums) this was the full extent of his popularity over there as hardly any of his work from the second half of the 70's found any success back in the day. I guess this was only a hit there due to it fitting in really well with the hair metal scene of the day.
#28 for 1989 (#43 website)
Want to hear a song that can be best described as Jamaican disco? Well Dan I did just that on this track where he managed to score a massive hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world with this formula. I think at this point, the kiwis were willing to reward anything that was either from Jamaica or in the disco genre, giving out bonus points if they somehow managed to intersect with each other.
#32 for 1980 (#20 website)
This was blocked from the top spot in NZ by David Bowie's earlier entry, I guess this was simple karma as "Let's dance" failed to reach the top spot in Australia due to this blocking it from that spot here. It's information like this that led me to looking over the NZ charts to compare and contrast with the Australian charts.
#15 for 1983 (#9 website)
I'm not sure how successful the original version of this song is for Cliff Richard in NZ given how there aren't any NZ charts that go back to the late 50's or early 60's, however I'm sure this "remix" of his debut single from the Young ones was a bigger hit over there regardless due to it being made for charity.
#10 for 1986 (#2 website)
Whereas at least these guys had a second hit here in Australia the following year with "Land of make believe," this was Bucks Fizz's only hit over in NZ and one that came slightly later than it did down under likely due to the kiwis needing some convincing before allowing them to overtake Abba as the quartet of choice consisting of two guys and two girls.
#37 for 1981 (#33 website)
While it wasn't their biggest hit over in NZ (that honour goes to "Good times" with Jimmy Barnes) this is considered to be INXS's signature track given how it was their biggest hit in America as it topped the Billboard charts. They would have massive success with their album Kick the following year as it spawned three additional hits worldwide to varying degrees of success depending on where in the world you're from.
#15 for 1987 (#43 website)
#15 for 1988
This was a hit in NZ and the Real thing's native UK ten years prior, so it makes sense that an anniversary remix would be issued in both countries where it would become a success all over again for the band. This is another example of a two-hit wonder who became as such with the same song as they never had any success with their other material over there.
#33 for 1986 (#12 website)
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
This was a bit late to the party in NZ given how it was already a massive hit for Toni Basil in Australia and the UK by the time it became a hit over there, although at least it was a hit before it topped the Billboard charts which means the song only made it big in her homeland once it became a worldwide success for her.
#25 for 1982 (#15 website)
Even without performing this on a Countdown equivalent in NZ (I forgot to mention this is how Cyndi got big here in Australia) this debut single from her was able to become a massive hit for her over there due to it being adopted as a feminist anthem given how we were years off from the likes of "I feel like a woman" and "Sisters are doing it for themselves."
#18 for 1984 (#7 website)
Much like here in Australia, this lead single to the band's biggest album Fore was their biggest hit in NZ, I'm guessing because they now had plenty of hype going into the album over there following success of their previous album Sports and their contributions to the Back to the future soundtrack.
#18 for 1986 (#16 website)
This was the second TV theme to make it big in NZ this year, this time it was for the Australian series Prisoner which had begun airing over there this year hence why this ballad from Lynne Hamilton became a huge success this year two years after its initial release down under.
#44 for 1981 (#17 website)
Unlike here in Australia where these guys struggled to find a mainstream audience, Simple minds had no such issues in NZ where the kiwis accepted them with open arms beginning with this breakthrough of theirs. This just goes to show how much the kiwis loved new romanticism over us Aussies given how much bigger the genre is over there compared to over here.
#62 for 1982 (#23 website)
Well, I guess it's time to talk about the song itself given how the kiwis got the release order correctly resulting in the band's instant success over there, this is a song originally released two years prior to deafening silence from the duo but became a worldwide success this year due to them reworking the original to be more in line with the popular trends of the moment.
#9 for 1986 (#5 website)
This was the lead single from Terence Trent D'arby's debut album, an album that was an instant success in NZ due to the kiwis having a strong appreciation for RNB during a time where we Aussies didn't as the album was only a success the following year for the former American soldier. This was a huge flop upon its initial release here, and it was a flop again the following year when it was given a second chance.
#46 for 1987 (#19 website)
This was the first hit that Poison had in NZ, it was a minor hit here in Australia, but it appears we Aussies preferred their more bombastic hair metal tracks over this Billboard chart topper where the band dials it back for the easy listening crowd. This ballad helped their album finally become a success over there given how "Nothing but a good time" didn't even chart there in the previous year.
#55 for 1989 (#18 website)
Well given how A: "We do it" was a massive flop in NZ back in the day and B: album sales didn't seem to affect the success of a single over there, this second single from John Lennon's final album from his lifetime managed to be an even bigger success over there than it was over here. This was always meant as his second single from the album, although it's possible its success was due to his tragic passing.
#17 for 1981 (#10 website)
Well, this shouldn't come as a surprise given how Paul McCartney was indeed one of the biggest names in music when transitioning from the 70's to the 80's, his success throughout the 80's would more or less play out the same in NZ as it did here in Australia.
#31 for 1980 (#12 website)
You thought I was kidding when I said this was a bigger hit in NZ for the Australian band didn't you? Well, I wasn't as this was a much bigger hit over there than it was over here likely due to how catchy the song is as well as them technically being based in the UK even though they comprised of Australian singers.
#23 for 1988 (#12 website)
For some reason, this novelty track about a British guy wanting to be a cowboy was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia. I guess this became a big hit due to the spoken word lyrics which reminded us Aussies and kiwis of the Pet shop boys, they were both British bands with this gimmick after all.
#16 for 1986 (#11 website)
This was the only hit that Don Williams was able to achieve in his entire career, although at least it was a massive success in NZ this year likely due to this being a strangely good year for country music given how it was also a good year for disco during its supposed dark age period.
#30 for 1981 (#38 website)
While this was still not as big as their earlier entry in NZ, it was a much bigger hit over there compared to what it was here in Australia, meaning that these guys were still able to find massive success over there with whatever they released. Indeed, the album Time and tide was overall more successful in NZ despite their earlier entry not being as big there as it was here.
#54 for 1982 (#26 website)
Unlike here in Australia where this wasn't among the biggest hits of the year, this was indeed a massive success over in NZ likely due to how incessantly catchy the track is as well as Limahl wanting to get with a girl but finding her to be too shy to be his type. The track was even bouncy enough to become a hit for them over in America this year, making this an international one hit wonder for the band.
#16 for 1983 (#16 website)
As it turns out, this wasn't the biggest hit Madonna had from True blue in NZ given how her earlier entry on this list managed to be the biggest hit she had over there from the album. I guess the kiwis wanted to hear her love of Sean Penn (wow does that sound wrong) more than this poignant track about teenage pregnancy back in the day, heck this was the only hit from the album that was a bigger hit here in Australia.
#25 for 1986 (#13 website)
It appears that a little controversy didn't prevent this song from being a success in NZ like it did in the UK, to be clear the video to this classic was controversial due to it glorifying fat shaming as well as a possible nod that the song was about two male gym instructors getting physical with each other. This was Livie's final hit single in NZ as none of her other songs managed to become a success for her over there after this.
#8 for 1981
#9 for 1982
Who needs to listen to a song in English when you have the original? That seemed to be the mindset of us Aussies and kiwis this year as we passed up the English version of this track from After the fire in favour of the original from Falco from two years prior. Whereas this was his biggest hit here in Australia, the kiwis allowed him to have an even bigger hit over there with his tribute to Mozart.
#29 for 1983 (#25 website)
Given that the Timex Social Club did score a massive success in NZ the previous year, it's only fitting that their sister group Club Nouveau would find even more success in NZ this year with their cover of the Bill Withers track. Of course, being a pseudo reggae track was also a huge point in its favour over there given how much the kiwis love any form of reggae over the years.
#12 for 1987 (#3 website)
You'd think that "Buffalo stance" would be the big hit from Neneh Cherry this year in NZ, while that was a huge sleeper hit for her over there, it was this second single from her debut album that convinced the kiwis that the Swedish rapper was worth handing success to. Naturally she didn't have any success here in Australia until she moved more towards new age music in the 90's.
#29 for 1989 (#26 website)
This was just another hit that Dr Hook had in NZ given how this was around the peak of their popularity over there, indeed this was even released slightly earlier over there than it was here despite it being equally as popular in both countries this year likely due to how much of a bop it remains to this day.
#35 for 1981 (#36 website)
This was the biggest hit that Shaking Stevens had in NZ, it's curious because it was the weakest of the four hits he had here in Australia and yet his popularity over there wasn't an inverse of what it was over here. Another curious fact is that he never made it to number one over there despite arguably being bigger than he was here where he had two chart toppers.
#20 for 1981 (#18 website)
Although this was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia (specifically over "Radio gaga" which is still to reappear on this list) I have to point out this was more of a sleeper hit as it was one a few songs on this list to hang around the lower half of their charts for most of the year for some reason. In any case, the band was able to retain their popularity that their previous single threatened to take away from them.
#48 for 1984 (#25 website)
This is where most of the world comes in when it comes to UB40's mainstream success, although they already had success in NZ and their native UK from the start of the decade and with their own material to boot. Still at least this was a hit this year worldwide and the following year in Canada, not like in America where it sat on shelves for five years before finally becoming a success for them.
#4 for 1983 (#6 website)
Even ignoring the fact that this was a hit twice in NZ back in the day, this was still the biggest hit that Simple minds had over there likely due to it being the lead single to their breakthrough album in America following the success of their theme to the Breakfast club earlier in the year (which is still to come on this list.) That said, this was the last hit they had over there as their popularity dwindled after this became a hit again the following year.
#34 for 1985
*This includes both the original release and its surprise one year anniversary rereelase*
This had a similar story to its success in NZ that it did here in Australia, the main difference being that it managed to capture all of its success over there this year as opposed to it being spread out here this year and the following year. Other than that, this was the song that saved the album from being a flop worldwide.
#22 for 1980 (#38 website)
Well, I did mention on the Australian side that this was a hit for Chas and Dave in NZ this year rather than the following year like it was down under. The duo did manage to make it big in their native UK with this track, although I doubt many people realise this was made in the early 80's given how out of place it feels with many of the other songs on this list.
#31 for 1982 (#20 website)
Well at least we Aussies allowed Stevie Nicks to have a highly successful solo career with her albums, none of them were a success in NZ save perhaps her debut album which was more of a sleeper hit than anything. I guess I bring this up because the kiwis were clearly on team Lindsey as he managed to score a giant hit with this ballad over his on again off again partner.
#36 for 1982
I still don't know how this managed to become an even bigger success in NZ this year than it did here in Australia the previous year, I guess these guys must have appeared on a popular music show over there which encouraged the kiwis to make this one of the biggest hits of the year for the band. Admittedly it does blow my mind that this bop of a track wasn't as big here as it was over there back in the day.
#29 for 1985 (#15 website)
This was a massive hit for Alison Moyet this year in NZ as well as the previous year in her native UK, it appears the kiwis and her fellow Brits were still in love with her vocals as she continued in her sophistopop direction with her second album. She managed to score a second hit later in the year with "Weak in the presence of beauty" which we'll be looking at much later on this list.
#36 for 1987 (#22 website)
This was Jason Donovan's only hit over in NZ, even then it was a duet with the much more popular Kylie Minogue, meaning this was more of a package deal in NZ rather than them wanting to hear the actor try his hand at singing. Indeed, he didn't find much love over there at all as his album was a flop as where all of its singles.
#35 for 1989 (#14 website)
This was one of only two notable hits from Richard Marx over in NZ, the other was "Hazard" from the early 90's which both have the distinction of being chart topper here in Australia. This was also a chart topper for him in NZ, likely due to the kiwis thinking he was Bryan Adams who admittedly had yet to have that huge crossover with one of his singles.
#25 for 1989 (#35 website)
It's obvious that while this was much more of a sleeper hit for Stephanie Mills in NZ than it was here in Australia, it was nonetheless a much bigger success overall given how it refused to drop out of the lower half of their charts following its initial release. Indeed, the kiwis also seemed to have pity for what Diana Ross did to her role as Dorothy Gale in the theatrical adaptation of the Wiz by making this a success for her like we Aussies did.
Hit in 1981 (#41 website)
I never understood why these guys underperformed in their native UK with their two albums, I guess their international success made up for that, but you'd think their brand of new wave soul would've connected with the Brits like it did internationally. Oh well, they still managed to score a massive hit in NZ with the lead single to their second and final album likely due to the lyrics and its hilarious video.
#18 for 1989 (#5 website)
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
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
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, mainly because both artists in question were seeing a ton of success around this time with songs that barely even touched the Australian charts. Although now that I think about it, that's probably why this wasn't even bigger given the other choices the kiwis had at their disposal from them at the time of its release.
#23 for 1981 (#42 website)
This wasn't even released as a single here in Australia and yet it was a huge number one hit for U2 in NZ, that should give you an idea of how inescapably popular the band was over there during the Joshua tree era of their catalogue. This popularity would continue onto their next album which spawned them an additional three mega hits over there to close out the 80's.
#14 for 1988 (#2 website)
To think that this becoming a surprise hit in Australia was what it took for NKOTB to find success outside their native America this year, granted this was a minor hit in NZ at first when it was initially released over there, however it skyrocketed up their charts when it became a number one hit here which encouraged the kiwis to almost have it repeat that success over there.
#30 for 1989 (#39 website)
This was another big disco hit from this year, although at least this one wasn't a hit in America as it was due to it being popular in the UK that it was a success in NZ for the American band the Whispers. This song shares its name with the Sonny and Cher track from the mid 60's, I just thought I'd bring that up with this entry.
#62 for 1980 (#34 website)
While this charted higher in NZ than it did here in Australia, it overall wasn't as big a hit over there for Yazz as it was down under, proving that even early on, we Aussies would turn out to love the dance floors more than the kiwis. This is a cover of an obscure track from the start of the decade, although I don't think many people would realise that given how infectious this is over the original.
#13 for 1988 (#19 website)
#13 for 1989
This may have charted higher in NZ due to the kiwis being more enamoured by the alien concept of this track, however it was ultimately as successful over there as it was over here as we Aussies were also eventually won over by their alien concept from this track and the album it was pulled from.
#53 for 1980 (#26 website)
This was the second chart topper in a row for Joy Division following the news that they had reformed as New order this year, just like their earlier entry, this also recharted many times throughout the decade over there likely to keep the memory of Ian Curtis alive as the rest of the members saw massive worldwide success with their new endeavours.
#91 for 1981
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
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
Much like in Australia and in America, this was the biggest hit in NZ from Bananarama given how it was a cover from a 60's one hit wonder that was produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman from the trio previously known as a new wave group. I'm not sure why "Shy boy" was their only international hit prior to this cover, although their switch towards dance pop did allow their popularity to explode.
#13 for 1986 (#6 website)
Given that these guys didn't have a hit at the start of the decade as the Tourists, this means that this was the first hit that they had in NZ meaning that this was the kiwis introduction to two of the most prominent artists of the decade in the form of Annie Lennox and David Stewart. This was competing with their debut single over there which also began charting when this was released, however this was obviously the bigger hit in NZ.
#49 for 1983 (#15 website)
This was the second chart topper that Smokey Robinson had in NZ, although in this case it was due to this being a huge hit in the UK given how he had finally broken through to the British charts at the start of the decade. He wouldn't find any further success after this both solo or with the Miracles anywhere in the world.
#31 for 1981 (#7 website)
There's little surprise that this was a success for New Edition in NZ this year, after all it was a bubblegum pop track from a group of young singers of colour looking to become the (then) modern equivalent of the Jackson 5. In a weird way, these guys were the world's warm up to New kids on the block given how their manager was Maurice Starr who would go on to create them as the white equivalent of these kids.
#55 for 1983 (#24 website)
Natalie Cole already had a hit in NZ over a decade prior with "Sophisticated lady," so the kiwis were already familiar with the daughter of Nat King Cole when she released her cover of the Bruce Springsteen track that was the B side to "Dancing in the dark" from earlier in the decade. This cover proved to be a bigger hit for her outside her native America, although it was decently big on Billboard.
#24 for 1988 (#18 website)
This was a massive hit for two men from the NZ music scene who didn't see much success outside of this duet, although Tex Pistol did score a minor chart topper the previous year with "The game of love" which perhaps made this a much more prominent chart topper this year for both men involved.
#21 for 1988 (#6 website)
While this was far from the first hip hop track to find any sort of success anywhere in the world ("Rappers delight" has that honour from the start of the decade.) This was the first song where hip hop started to be taken seriously by audiences as it details the rough upbringing of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious five as they were living on the streets of New York. I guess this means that an east coast rapper was the first to make it big in NZ.
#44 for 1983 (#45 website)
Well, this guy's popularity here in Australia did come from him appearing on Countdown, as such this wasn't as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia even though this was still a shoe in for success over there due to it being a rockabilly revival track. I can't tell if his father had any success over there back in the day, but I'm guessing that was also a factor for why this was a hit for him as well.
#39 for 1980 (#13 website)
I guess the kiwis weren't as touched by this tribute from Roxy music to John Lennon as we Aussies were this year, mind you this was a huge chart topper here due to the band performing it on Countdown during their Australian tour this year. It was still the band's biggest hit over there, although considering how big their albums were, that's not really much of an endorsement.
#34 for 1981 (#29 website)
Prior to discovering this was a real hit single back in the day, my first exposure to this track was when Eminem sampled it for the opening like for "Without me" two decades later. I'm not sure how he discovered this track as it was a massive flop for Malcolm McLaren worldwide except for in NZ where it became a surprise hit over there likely due to the kiwis somehow recognising him as the manager for the Sex pistols.
#42 for 1983 (#23 website)
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)
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