Friday, May 3, 2024

Biggest hits of the 80's NZ II (alternate list)

I've also decided to release an alternate list for the biggest hits of the 80's in NZ like I have with the 90's and 00's, although this time I had to create this list from scratch even though it has the same formula as those two lists. This one I found particularly interesting for two reasons, the first is that several songs recharted throughout the decade for whatever reason (I'll point out when I'm including a song's chart run outside of their peak success) and the second is that several songs that did well during the Christmas/new year's period will appear much lower on this list due to those charts technically not being published back in the day. Also like the 90's list, I'll be including songs that have yet to appear on this side of my site even if once again, many of them have appeared on the Australian side of this site.

There was no stopping MJ this year when it comes to him scoring hits, indeed this second single from his comeback album Off the wall was actually released on time in NZ given how the kiwis already made "Blame it on the boogie" a massive hit upon its initial release over there as opposed to us Aussies finally discovering the genius of the track this year.

#30 for 1980 (#49 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)

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)

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)

I'm sure if their fellow Americans didn't blacklist disco by this point in the 80's, these guys would've found as much success on Billboard as they did in NZ and the UK. This was their only hit in NZ, although their album Tropical gangsters was a massive success over there which I'm guessing more than made up for the fact their other two UK hits weren't as such there.

#28 for 1982

#26 for 1983

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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 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)

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)

Well, this was instantly one of the biggest hits of all time in Australia, so naturally it would crossover to NZ for Joe Dolce given how catchy the song remains to this day. I honestly didn't realise this was a real song growing up, I heard people singing it over the years thinking it was from an old kids show from the mid twentieth century rather than it being a huge worldwide chart topper from around this time.

#20 for 1980

#15 for 1981

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)

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 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)

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)

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)

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 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)

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 a huge success for Hot Chocolate throughout the world, heck it only didn't appear on the Australian side of my site due to not charting long enough in the upper echelons of the charts back in the day to qualify for my rankings. It was the band's final hit single outside of their native UK likely due to audiences wanting to move on to other multi racial RNB groups of the day, however they kept scoring success in their native UK.

#12 for 1982 (#16 website)

#7 for 1983

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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 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)

What was is with aging performers around this time being introduced as the wrong person? First there was John Farnham being introduced as Jack which resulted in his comeback album being called Whispering Jack, and now we have this comeback single from Paul Simon about how people are referring to him as Al instead of Paul. Naturally this was also a huge hit in NZ, although nowhere near as big as it was in Australia.

#21 for 1986

#27 for 1987

This wasn't quite as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, I don't even know where to speculate what caused this to not bring in the numbers over there that it did over here as that would take up too much space for this entry. Instead, I'll also bring up that the other big Oscar winning ballad from Jennifer Warnes also wasn't as big a hit over there as it was over here.

#28 for 1983

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)

This was also a cover from Paul Young even if it came from an obscure artist that no one's likely heard of, I guess it was due to the obscurity of the original track that this became his biggest hit in NZ as it flew up to number one in the early months of the year for the English crooner. Interestingly, "Love of the common people" would be less successful over there than it was over here even if it's still to come on this list.

#66 for 1984 (#50 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)

Even though he saw massive success in NZ during his first two albums, Billy Idol had little issues with this being his biggest hit over there despite it being a more subdue track from his earlier entries and the album it served as the lead single for being less successful than his previous efforts. I guess comparatively speaking this was a step back for his popularity, but he was still bigger than most by this point.

#12 for 1986

#19 for 1987

Given how the kiwis got the album cycle correct for Dire straits, it only seems fitting that this third single from the album would be a massive success over there due to it being an upbeat pop rock track about living your life to the fullest. This was a minor success in Australia around this time, however it was pushed back as the fourth single here due to the band unveiling the video for the title track of the album.

#15 for 1985

#15 for 1986 (#43 website)

This was a massive hit for Barbra Streisand in NZ just like it was throughout the rest of the world, although it wasn't her only solo hit in NZ that wasn't from a film or a show as her cover of "Memory" from the Cats musical would also be a success for her over there later in the decade (bearing in mind that said cover wasn't included on the Cats soundtrack.)

#27 for 1980 (#35 website)

#21 for 1981

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 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 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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

This was the only hit single to come from Scottish singer Natasha England, it was a modest success in her native UK and a monstrous hit in NZ likely due to her take on the old nursery rhyme connecting with the kiwis. It remains the most popular version of the track, however the Belle stars did score a hit with their version from the Rain man soundtrack.

#20 for 1982 (#25 website)

#11 for 1983


While this wasn't as bit a hit for MJ in NZ as it was here in Australia, it was still a massive hit for the king of pop likely due to the horror influences of the track standing out from the surprising number of horror pop that was coming out throughout the decade. In fact, he really should've released this around the Halloween period as then it would've been an easy worldwide chart topper for him.

#44 for 1984 (#38 website)

This 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)

This was only one of two songs to chart in NZ for Foreigner, the other was "Waiting for a girl like you" which only charted on the lower half of their charts and thus won't be making a second appearance on this site. Even their albums didn't do so well over there, although I get the feeling they were so big here in Australia because of their appearance on Countdown during the early phases of their career.

#16 for 1985 (#17 website)

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)

We already looked at the CDB cover from the Australian side of my site, so now let's look at the original version of that RNB jam from Earth wind and fire which was a minor hit here in Australia but a massive hit in NZ and the band's native America despite being yet another disco track released during the dark ages of disco. Both lead vocalists would go on to have a huge hit in NZ later in the decade.

#25 for 1981

#24 for 1982

This was slightly more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis were more opened to the idea of hearing a Kate Bush rendition of the Lesley Gore classic but as envisioned by one of the people inspired by her rather than the genuine article. Apparently, this wasn't the only song they covered in this vein as both artists here made a career out of these sorts of covers over the decade.

#34 for 1982 (#47 website)

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

#71 for 1980

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)

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, 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 they had a successful album the previous year in NZ, it only makes sense that the Style Council had an even bigger hit with their signature tune over there than they did over here back in the day. I'm surprised that "Walls come tumbling down" wasn't a big hit in the southern hemisphere considering how often you can still hear it on oldies stations to this day in Australia.

#31 for 1985

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 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)

Were it not for their disco classic "Heart of glass," this cover of the obscure band Paragons track where Debbie gives an (in my opinion) strange performance as if she's high would be her and Blondie's biggest hit of their entire catalogue regardless of where you are in the world. It's admittedly a happy track where she feels intoxicated with this relationship, so there's little wonder why it remains a classic.

#28 for 1981 (#14 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)

Even though both of their entries this year from the Australian side of my site will be reappearing on this list, it's worth noting that Split Enz weren't as successful over there as they were over here with their singles even though the album they came from was a big deal at the time. Indeed, this was a bit more of a sleeper hit over there likely due to the lack of promotion they had compared to here.

#72 for 1981 (#45 website)

File this in the increasing category of American women of colour failing to find success on the Billboard charts but finding success in the UK regardless, the success she found over there allowed this to become a chart topper in NZ likely due to the kiwis thinking she was someone like Natalie Cole or Chaka Khan from around this time. It certainly wouldn't feel out of place from either of their catalogues.

#11 for 1986

#17 for 1987 (#48 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 is a bit of a curious entry given how A: this failed to reach the top twenty in NZ and B: this wasn't even the big hit that Goombay dance band had in the UK as that song "Seven tears" was a complete dud for the German band with the kiwis. I guess they only had enough love in their hearts for one bizarre novelty disco track from these guys and they already wasted it on this track about a Jamaican kid.

Hit in 1980

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)

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)

There's this rule of thumb where any and all Dutch acts seem to have more success in NZ than they do in Australia throughout the 70's and 80's, as such we have this cover of the showtime number from Gene Kelly by Indonesian born Dutch singer Taco who scored a massive hit over there with this cover despite having an (even at the time) problematic music video which depicts children in blackface.

#51 for 1983 (#22 website)

This was a bit of a return to form for George Benson given how this is more in line with his 70's material rather than his pivot towards disco from his previous album, as such, it was more of a sleeper success in NZ hence its low placement on this list despite how long it lasted on their charts over there.

#80 for 1982

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 the only hit that Laura Branigan managed to achieve in NZ, it feels weird that she is a one hit wonder over there considering how she managed to score three additional hits here in Australia and her one hit wasn't even the big hit she had in the UK. Still, this was a good choice to make her a one hit wonder with given how it's a song about calling out someone's own vanity in the most satisfying way possible.

#54 for 1983 (#49 website)

Well fans of Grace Jones can rejoice as the Jamaican singer/songwriter managed to achieve multiple hit singles over in NZ with this being the first of them. It was such a big success over there that it lead to the album it served as the lead single for to become a huge hit over there as well as her previous album which had been hovering in and out of the charts up until this point.

#50 for 1983

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)

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)

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)

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)

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 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

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, this is a site that's meant to be fun more than anything else, as such I won't be saying anything about this song other than it has good intentions and those intentions fueling its success back in the day.

#13 for 1985 (#1 website)

Well, this was a song from NZ, so naturally it would be an even bigger success over there if it was good enough to crossover to Australia. This came out late the previous year and peaked rather early this year, I'm guessing it was due to a large post-Christmas rush of the comedy track.

#52 for 1983 (#47 website)

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)

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)

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