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)
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 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)
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)
Murray Head had a hit in NZ fifteen years prior with "Superstar" as he did in Australia, meaning this theme to the concept album Chess from the two male members of Abba allowed him to escape the one hit wonder bin over there just like he did here. Chess was basically the 80's equivalent of Evita in that it was a concept album first before getting turned into a highly popular musical.
#14 for 1985 (#12 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)
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)
We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel to fill out this list as this only makes the cut due to how long it lasted in the NZ top twenty this year, even so, this was a huge sleeper hit for Toni Childs as was many songs that had a low peak position over there I've featured on this side of my site. This did crack the Australian top twenty due to how catchy it is; however, it got eaten up by album sales to appear prior to this point.
#105 for 1989
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 one of only three hits that Captain and Tennille had in NZ, it was also their biggest hit as the kiwis didn't seem particularly interested in making them a household name throughout the 70's for whatever reason. I guess they changed their mind for their only 80's hit but changed it back once MTV rolled around.
#37 for 1980 (#25 website)
Black Slate were a British reggae group who scored their only success this year with this track and "Boom boom" which unfortunately failed to rack up enough points to appear on this list, this was success that was translated from their native UK given how popular reggae music was (particularly ska reggae) as well as their fellow Brits supporting their music when they broke through the previous year.
#72 for 1981 (#34 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)
Given how the Irish family managed to find success in NZ the previous year, this big hit they had in Australia managed to become an even bigger hit for them much earlier this year given how the girls didn't need to perform the track on Countdown in order for it to be a success over there. This was their last hit anywhere in the world, meaning that the general public had grown tired of their novelty pop.
#36 for 1981 (#25 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)
Well, it appears that we Aussies and kiwis knew exactly what this song was about upon its initial release given how there wasn't a coming to Jesus moment in the southern hemisphere when it was revealed that the song is actually a criticism about the American life of the 80's. I think we just enjoyed it for what it was from the very beginning, a well-constructed critique of American culture from someone who wanted to see change.
#24 for 1985 (#22 website)
Whilst we Aussies only started handing success to Prince on his third album Controversy, the kiwis were there for him at the very start of his career as this funk track from the Purple one managed to be a massive hit over there even though it underperformed for him on the Billboard charts this year. Of course, this was merely the beginning when it came to the rich and expansive catalogue he had to offer.
#34 for 1980 (#24 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)
This was only a minor hit here in Australia this year, as such it failed to appear on the Australian side of my site despite it being a perfect shoe in for that list for being a mashup of the Beach boys back catalogue. It was a much bigger hit for the band over in NZ again due to it fitting in perfectly with the trends of the year.
#59 for 1981 (#43 website)
The kiwis were a bit less invested in the return of Leo Sayer this year, possibly due to him coming back with a cover of a Buddy Holly track and turning the rockabilly tune into an adult contemporary ballad. Still, it was enough of a hit that you can qualify it as a comeback for one of the biggest names in music throughout the 70's.
#48 for 1980
This was the bigger hit for Tone loc in NZ, not by much though as his bigger hit here in Australia was also quite big over there likely due to it not relying on nostalgia like this does with the Troggs classic of the same name from 1966. This was the full extent of Tone loc's success in the southern hemisphere as he never scored another hit in his career even in his native America.
#23 for 1989 (#3 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
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 technically the biggest hit that Simple minds had in NZ, I say technically as it was indeed their highest charting single even though they would have bigger hits as the decade went on over there. This was a sleeper hit here in Australia, meaning it could've made the cut on this list on the Australian side of my site if I didn't prioritise songs that charted longer in the upper echelons of the charts here.
#56 for 1984
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)
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)
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)
The hits kept on coming from U2 in NZ as this second single from Rattle and hum also managed to go straight to number one over there despite it not being a huge hit here in Australia at the time. This was their fourth number one single in a row over there, proving just how inescapable the band was during the late 80's.
#21 for 1989 (#23 website)
This was a much bigger hit for U2 in NZ, likely because this is in fact a protest song for Martin Luther King and that this was an excellent time to pay tribute to historical leaders of colour if the protest song for Nelson Mandela from earlier on this list is anything to go by. Like everywhere else in the world, it was the first big hit that the band was able to achieve, although it certainly wouldn't be the last.
#25 for 1984 (#14 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*
Not only was this delayed in NZ despite it instantly becoming Cliff's biggest success here in Australia upon its initial release, but it only became a success over there when his earlier entry on this list became an instant success with the kiwis. I guess this goes to show that they vastly prefer the crooner's ballads than they do his more upbeat material even if "Devil woman" was a considerable hit for him over there.
#90 for 1982
This was the first big hit that Dire Straits had in NZ, OK so they made it big with an E.P which contains their most divisive track in their catalogue (more so than "Money for nothing") due to people being torn with how they feel about this being an homage or parody to the songs of the early to mid 60's.
#36 for 1983 (#17 website)
*This includes the original version and the 1986 rerelease*
This was the second hit that Jon Stevens was able to score in NZ, this being a cover of the Bobby Bloom track from a decade prior which wasn't even a success over there (at least according to the Listener charts it wasn't.) He would have one more minor hit this year with Sharon O'Neill before fading into obscurity only to return later in the decade as the lead singer of Australian band Noiseworks.
#43 for 1980 (#43 website)
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 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)
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)
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)
Not only was this song a bigger hit for Tiffany in NZ (albeit only slightly bigger as it was still a huge hit here in Australia) it was also released on time over there given the instant success of her earlier entry on this list. She scored one more hit in both countries with a gender flipped cover of the Beatles "I saw her standing there" before she faded into obscurity, presumably due to upsetting Beatles fans with the cover.
#47 for 1988 (#28 website)
The hits kept on coming for Billy Idol in NZ this year as the title track to his second album proved to be an even bigger success over there than it was here for him. He was still yet to have any success in the northern hemisphere during this phase of his career, however that came the following year when he suddenly scored a string of hits in his native NZ with all the entries I've featured on these lists.
#24 for 1984 (#17 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 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.
#104 for 1981
This was an even bigger hit for Iggy Pop in NZ than it was here in Australia, likely because it was a surprise hit for him over in the UK as well as it being a cover of a Johnny O'Keefe song from the 50's. Unlike in Australia and the UK, this was his only hit over there albeit one that was twice as popular there as it was in either country.
#26 for 1987 (#18 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)
I have no idea why this song from Tom Petty flopped here in Australia back in the day, heck the album did alright down under so it's not like we Aussies didn't know who he was when it was first released as a single. Fortunately, the kiwis made it a huge hit for the heartland rocker which allows me to include one of his most iconic songs on this site of mine.
#49 for 1980 (#29 website)
I told you Princess wasn't a one hit wonder in NZ, this was her second hit over there which was also produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman which goes to show how much the kiwis were willing to accept anything from the production trio this early on with their catalogue. She would have one more single chart over there with "I'll keep on loving you" which underperformed on their charts.
#52 for 1986 (#25 website)
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)
This was also a massive hit in NZ like it was here in Australia, although it was a huge flop on Billboard likely due to supergroups rarely doing well in America unless it's for charity. With the exception of Jeff Lynne who had a bigger hit over there with "Telephone line" with ELO, this was the biggest hit any of the members had on the RIANZ charts, although George did have bigger success on the Listener charts with the Beatles.
#33 for 1989
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)
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)
This was Kenny Loggins only hit in NZ, for some reason "Danger zone" was a complete flop over there from the Top gun soundtrack meaning the kiwis will only know him from his theme to Footloose from this year. At least it managed to match the success it had here in Australia and his native America.
#22 for 1984 (#9 website)
This was the first of three hits that Jona Lewie scored anywhere in the world, this was a minor hit here in Australia for the British new wave singer, but it wasn't until the following year where we made him a household name down under. Indeed, this was his biggest hit in NZ with his biggest hit here "Louise" being a flop over there the following year.
#52 for 1980 (#41 website)
This was also a success for Rupert Holmes in NZ at the start of the 80's, I guess the kiwis were also amused by the story he told about him wanting to cheat on his girlfriend only to find his mistress he's seeing is his girlfriend who wanted to do the same thing to him. I guess it's a cute story about how the couple was always meant to be even if the relationship clearly needs some work.
#74 for 1980
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)
Well, this is a song I definitely felt the absence for given how it manages to permeate on oldies stations in Australia to this day, at least it was a success in NZ as it was everywhere else in the world for Paula Abdul. Prior to this becoming the first of multiple Billboard chart toppers for her, Paula was an in-demand choreographer for the likes of Janet Jackson and even the king of pop himself.
#50 for 1989 (#9 website)
Well, this is the one big hit that Milli Vanilli had worldwide that I had yet to feature on this site, admittedly we Aussies were very sceptical of this duo from the start only to be briefly won over by them in the new year which is why only their earlier entry on this list appeared on the 1989 list on the Australian side of this site. Everyone else made this debut single from the duo a success upon its initial release.
#44 for 1989 (#20 website)
I just realised something, there haven't been many all-girl groups of colour that played their own instruments to find success over the years, normally girl bands of colour are merely vocal groups such as the Supremes and En vogue after all. Here we have Klymaxx who can best be described as the Bangles if they were black and specialised in RNB rather than jangle rock.
#17 for 1986 (#7 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)
Although this didn't quite reach the upper echelons of the NZ charts like it did on the Australian charts, this second single from Bros nonetheless managed to last quite a while on their charts to the point where it wound up becoming a bigger hit over there than it was over here due to its refusal to die on their charts. I guess this is fitting considering the legitimate failure of their debut single "When will I be famous."
Hit in 1988 (#24 website)
It took a while to take off in NZ, however once this became a surprise hit in America for the Clash, the kiwis followed suit by making this song about anti-censorship a huge hit over there this year. Their next single would be a huge success over there, albeit nearly a decade later when it was used in a popular commercial in the early 90's in their native UK.
#39 for 1983 (#34 website)
This proved to be an even bigger hit for Nu Shooz in NZ, in fact I think Australia was one of the only places in the world where this didn't crack the top five as this was also a massive hit in the UK and their native America. These guys did have a minor hit after this over there, however I'm sure even the kiwis would regard them as a one hit wonder given how much bigger this was over there.
#34 for 1986 (#17 website)
I guess the kiwis were a bit pressured into making this title track from Madonna's fourth album any bigger than it already was following the controversy caused from its music video, it was still a massive worldwide hit for the queen of pop regardless of the controversy, but many religious audiences did turn against her back in the day and are still yet to come full circle on her all these years later.
#26 for 1989 (#8 website)
Much like in Australia, all three songs with this title was a massive success over in NZ which all began with the third single from Frankie goes to Hollywood's debut album Welcome to the pleasuredome. This was also a bigger hit over there as was most popular songs from highly successful albums back in the day, although it wasn't as inescapable as it was in their native UK during their Christmas season of 1984.
#41 for 1985 (#33 website)
Well, these guys weren't nearly as successful in NZ as they were internationally, heck this was their only hit from their sophomore album over there which didn't even become a success until the new decade. I guess the kiwis felt the story of how these two made it internationally was too much of a novelty and thus unfairly treated them as such until we got to the 90's.
#22 for 1989 (#2 website)
Interestingly, this was Bette Midler's biggest hit in NZ until "From a distance" claimed that title in the early 90's, meaning that this cover of the Rolling stones track from their 1978 album Some girls was bigger than some of her more iconic songs over there including "The rose" and even "Wind beneath my wings." I guess the kiwis really liked her take on the Rolling Stones track if this was the case.
#35 for 1984 (#26 website)
This was the only hit from the NZ band Coconut Rough, it was a song about the African country which was a massive success in their homeland and even sparked interest here in Australia back in the day for them. This interest didn't translate to success for the band which led to them breaking up the following year.
#65 for 1983 (#39 website)
This was the only hit that the Cars were able to score in NZ, admittedly they were more of an albums band over there which is perhaps why their weakest hit here in Australia became their biggest hit over there in lieu of "Let's go" and "Shake it up." I would've gone for any number of other songs in their catalogue for their biggest hit, but I suppose this isn't a bad representation for their talents.
#37 for 1984 (#35 website)
This was a little late to the party in NZ, likely because it was released here in Australia mere weeks after it became a chart topper for Feargal Sharkey in his native UK. Indeed "You little thief" (which wasn't a hit over there) was also a hit here in Australia fairly soon after it was as such in the UK, which is normally an unusual phenomenon from back in the day where songs needed that gap between international releases.
#27 for 1986 (#9 website)
Well, you don't have one of the biggest hits of all time in your homeland and remain a one hit wonder there like Dave Dobbyn was here in Australia with his earlier entry, so here's the second solo hit of his career which threatened to repeat the success of "Slice of heaven" but didn't quite live up to its dizzying success at the time. Both of these songs had fallen off the charts over there by the time his first hit was finally released down under.
#32 for 1987 (#46 website)
I told you this third single from Tears for fears' sophomore album was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, although by this point, it should be obvious that songs from highly successful albums over there rarely have their popularity impacted by said albums. They would score one more hit in NZ four years later with "Sowing the seeds of love" before calling it quits as a band.
#27 for 1985 (#9 website)
There were no signs of Kenny Rogers slowing down anywhere in the world as this ballad of his managed to be a huge hit for him regardless of where in the world you're from. His popularity would die out later in the decade due to him being unable to adapt to the trends of MTV, although he lasted longer in the mainstream then you would otherwise expect.
#35 for 1980 (#33 website)
This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Tears for fears, admittedly they did have more success over there overall as the third single from their sophomore album as well as the album itself proved to both be a bigger hit for them in NZ than they were down under and the band's native UK.
#19 for 1985 (#7 website)
For the most part, David Bowie saw more success in NZ than he did here in Australia throughout his career, I bring this up as this is one of the very few exceptions to this rule where this was more of a success here in Australia than it was over in NZ for some reason. I guess the kiwis felt his appreciation for the Wizard of Oz was a bit too strange to make it a bigger success for him over there.
#50 for 1980
This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia despite having the same peak position in both countries, I guess the kiwis weren't as bothered by the shaky songwriting that has gotten it on many worst songs of all time lists as we Aussies were (side note, why it this song so hated by the internet compared to most modern songs?) It was their biggest hit in NZ due to it being their signature tune.
#53 for 1983 (#28 website)
I guess by this time this magnum opus was released in NZ, the kiwis had already begun to fall out of love with the Purple one given how it wasn't as big a hit over there as it was worldwide. That said, his popularity only dwindled ever so slightly as he would remain popular over there consistently for the next ten years, not like here in Australia where the next decade would be a rollercoaster for his success.
#28 for 1984 (#15 website)
This was still the biggest hit that Icehouse had in NZ like it was here in Australia, although it wasn't as successful over there due to patriotism making it a bigger hit here in Australia even if it was still a massive success for the band. This song allowed the lead single to eventually climb up the charts over there and become a sleeper success (which we'll be looking at later down this list.)
#31 for 1987
#27 for 1988
At least this was a much bigger hit for Janet Jackson in NZ than it was here in Australia, although that might have doomed the rest of the singles from the album as she wouldn't score another hit from Rhythm nation 1814 over there like she did over there in the new decade. It's a bit disappointing that she wasn't more popular throughout the 80's in the southern hemisphere like she was in her native America.
#61 for 1989
This was the only success that Australian crawl had over in NZ with both their singles and albums, I'm guessing this was because the kiwis felt that their inability to understand what James Reyne was singing on their other tracks was a hinderance to their enjoyability with their catalogue given how this was one of the rare songs that sees the frontman enunciating the lyrics in his performance.
#86 for 1984
Well, this proved to be much less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess her having all of this success with her albums over there prevented her from having a giant hit on their singles charts like she did here in Australia. I didn't mention the video on the Australian side of this site which no doubt was a large reason why it was such a huge hit for her back in the day, mainly because of it contextualising this as a female empowerment anthem.
#68 for 1984
OK so it appears the kiwis weren't as invested in the life of Ritchie Valens as this cover of his signature tune from Los Lobos was only half as successful over there as it was here in Australia. Heck the soundtrack didn't even do that well over there which is further proof that the biopic didn't interest them that much.
#30 for 1987 (#2 website)
This was the penultimate big hit that Billy Idol had in NZ, naturally his previous entry on this list was his last big hit over there, although I would've thought he would've had more success going into the 90's considering that "Cradle of love" was a massive success for him in Australia and America.
#38 for 1987 (#21 website)
For whatever reason, these guys were known as Major Matchbox in NZ as well as in Australia despite there not being a Matchbox over there that was also receiving buzz (that I'm aware of that is.) Other than that, there's no surprises here as the kiwis were all about the rockabilly revival craze which resulted in this being a chart topper for the British band over there.
#36 for 1980 (#15 website)
Even without the flashy music video, this still managed to be an even bigger success for Duran Duran over in NZ than it was here in Australia, then again, they were more popular over there overall with some very few exceptions so I shouldn't be surprised what was bigger over there compared to here and vice versa. I would've thought this would be a shoe in for their third album, however it was a track from the American release of their debut album.
#41 for 1983 (#30 website)
This guy had a huge success in Australia seven years prior with "My coo ca choo" during the height of the glam rock era, he returned this year to score a hit with this update of a rockabilly track from the 50's which proved to be a massive success in NZ and his native UK but not here in Australia funnily enough. What's really bizarre is that he's a one hit wonder in the southern hemisphere but with a different song in both countries.
#14 for 1981 (#47 website)
#17 for 1982
It may have been heavily delayed in NZ like it was in Australia, however at least the signature track from Human league managed to be a huge number one hit over there as opposed to merely being a top ten hit here. I guess this came at the expense of the other singles from the album underperforming there where they at least became sleeper hits here.
#27 for 1982 (#8 website)
It appears the kiwis were also impressed with this art pop cover of a 50's track, although it was only after it climbed the charts here in Australia given how it was only released this year and not the tail end of the previous year like it was down under. As this had novelty written all over it, the band were unable to find further success with their subsequent follow ups in either country.
#42 for 1980 (#32 website)
Well, I did mention when I talked about this on the Australian side of my site that this was a hit in NZ a good six months prior to it crossing over here in Australia, this is because it came from the Dutch band Time bandits who had the fortune of being from the Netherlands which made it a show in for success over there. Curiously their other big hit in Australia "Endless road" wasn't a hit over there for some reason.
#32 for 1984 (#19 website)
I should mention that this was more successful here in Australia than anywhere else in the world, this should explain why the song is so much lower on this list than it was on the Australian side of my site as the kiwis likely didn't find this as titillating as us Aussies upon its initial release. It also wasn't as big in her native UK as it was here either, meaning it's success on Billboard was likely due to its success down under.
#42 for 1986 (#26 website)
You better believe that these guys were more popular in NZ than they were here in Australia this year, this was the first of two hits that they had over there given how both of these songs were massive hits in the UK of all places which resulted in their success internationally after two decades of that success being confined to their native America.
#61 for 1980 (#37 website)
This was also the first major hit that INXS had over in NZ, although it was also the first song that charted over there given how the band had no success with their earlier material in the 80's. This will be one of only five singles of theirs to appear on this side of my side, I bring this up because they weren't as successful over there as you might think given how big they became internationally.
#57 for 1984 (#28 website)
These guys didn't have any better luck in NZ when it came to their success than they did here in Australia, in fact their success was identical in both countries which gives you an idea of how similar our music scenes were back in the day. One final bit of trivia I have is the woman on the album cover and who Kevin Rowland hits on in the video is Siobahn Fahey of Bananarama fame.
#10 for 1982 (#5 website)
#5 for 1983
Well, if you wanted to hear a new jack swing cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic, here's your chance as this became a huge hit in NZ for the American duo Times two over there and not in their native America for some reason. I guess the kiwis were more open to the idea of a dance remix of a folk classic than their fellow Americans, either that or they were poorly promoted in their homeland.
#25 for 1988 (#8 website)
This is another example of a song that managed to appear on this list despite it failing to crack the NZ top twenty, it goes to show just how uneventful their charts were in their early years as this only managed to make the cut due to its refusal to die on their charts and not so much because it was a genuine hit for Air supply like it was in Australia and in America.
Hit in 1980
While this was still the biggest hit off of Time and tide in NZ like it was here in Australia, it's worth noting that the other hit from the album wasn't that less successful over there like it was here (as we'll see in a minute.) This was the band's final hit single in either country as they would struggle for relevancy on their final two albums in the southern hemisphere.
#46 for 1982 (#33 website)
Given how the kiwis were already familiar with Mental as anything from earlier in the decade, this second single from their biggest album managed to become a success over there this year without the requirement of it becoming the theme to the Crocodile Dundee films which was how it became popular throughout Europe later in the decade for the band.
#36 for 1985 (#25 website)
Much like here in Australia, this was the only big hit that Whitney Houston had in NZ from her second album despite the album being a huge success over there and the kiwis rarely allowing album sales to affect the impact of a song's presence on their charts. I guess this means the rest of the world wasn't interested in the other singles from the album which all topped the Billboard charts for her.
#22 for 1987 (#9 website)
I've checked the Listener charts and I can confirm with a heavy heart that Aretha Franklin never had a hit in NZ prior to this comeback she had this year, at least it was much bigger over there than it was over here likely suggesting this was the kiwis attempts to make up for sleeping on her discography all those years ago.
#21 for 1985 (#16 website)
It appears the kiwis were as enamoured by this breakthrough single from Enya as her fellow Brits were, although it didn't quite get to number one over there like it did in her homeland likely due to there being more fierce competition by the time it was released in NZ. This opened up many doors for the new age crowd for the 90's including the likes of Enigma and Deep Forest.
#24 for 1989 (#34 website)
I'm going to interpret this ballad's success in NZ and Gregory's native America as audiences finding it hilarious that he didn't realise what the term "shake you down" meant when he wrote this track, it's as good as explanation as to how this managed to become such as major hit back in the day and have no staying power on oldies stations anymore.
#47 for 1987 (#24 website)
It turns out the kiwis also wanted to hear a mashup of classical music this year just like the rest of the world did as this became a huge hit over there like it did internationally, in fact the album this comes from was far more popular over there than it was over here, proving that they were more into what RPO had to offer at the time.
#77 for 1981
This was an even bigger hit for Billy Field over in NZ, I'm not sure why this was the big hit there and not "You weren't in love with me" as this was a chart topper over there around the same time the other song was a chart topper here. All of this led to him having international appeal with his album that sadly took him nowhere.
#43 for 1981 (#23 website)
No comments:
Post a Comment