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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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.
#70 for 1981 (#34 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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 (I sadly won't be making another appearance on this list.)
#31 for 1987
#27 for 1988
I guess the kiwis were much more on board with Dr Hook returning to their roots as a comedy band than we Aussies were as even without a memorable performance over there (that I'm aware of) this managed to be a much bigger hit for the band there than it was over here back in the day.
#43 for 1982 (#34 website)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 is one of those funk tracks that would've been inescapable in the 70's, I guess the usage of synthesisers allowed it to find an audience this decade for Midnight Star in NZ and virtually nowhere else in the world. They were basically Cameo before those guys stripped back their sound, Cameo being more in line with a funk band around this time before they too adopted synthesisers for their big hit.
#22 for 1983
#19 for 1984
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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)
Well I don't think anyone was expecting me to declare this as the biggest hit from Elton John of the 80's on the Australian side of this site, I get the feeling I'll get fewer objections on this side of the site given how this was such a massive hit for him upon its initial release over there as well as it being one of only three chart toppers he had over there throughout his entire career (at least on the RIANZ charts.)
#5 for 1985
#4 for 1986 (#8 website)
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)
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)
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 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
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'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 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
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)
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)
Well, this was far less popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, although this might be due to the album this came from being far more popular over there than it was over here despite album sales rarely affecting the success of a single over there like it does over here. In any case, we have the one and only hit that this British band had outside of their native UK making its second appearance on this site.
#77 for 1982 (#31 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)
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)
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
Much like the rest of the world, Sheena Easton changed the name of this song from "9 to 5" to "Morning train" as to avoid confusion with the Dolly Parton track of the same name (which won't be making another appearance on this site I'm afraid.) Unlike in Australia, this was her only major success over there likely due to the kiwi's inability to take her seriously after this track.
#29 for 1981 (#12 website)
This was the second hit that Altered images had in NZ, although it was a bittersweet hit for them as they would call it quits shortly after this came out likely due to them failing to compete with the likes of the Pretenders and even the Divinyls here in Australia. Much like those two bands, they remain quite popular in the music scene even to this day, at least they do internationally as they flopped here in Australia.
#78 for 1983 (#36 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)
This was almost as big as Tone loc's earlier entry on this list in NZ, naturally it was his bigger hit here in Australia, so the appeal was there for both songs in the southern hemisphere. I guess this was the first signs of west coast hip hop taking over the NZ charts as Tone loc was from California, not that it really mattered as hardly anyone affiliates him with the hip hop wars of the 90's.
#27 for 1989 (#32 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)
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 had a somewhat delayed release in NZ, the kiwis more than made up for this by having it be a far bigger hit over there than it was here in Australia. In fact, the band was even able to score a second minor hit around this time with "I wanna rock," a song you may recognise if you're a SpongeBob fan as it was parodied in the first SpongeBob squarepants film.
#10 for 1984
#10 for 1985
Given how it wasn't bundled with "Into the groove" from earlier on this list, this meant that the third single from Like a virgin had to stand on its own in NZ which for the most part it did as it proved to be a huge success over there. Although "Material girl" was a bit of a stumble in the album's cycle, it's still to come on this list as that too was a huge hit for the future queen of pop.
#49 for 1985 (#21 website)
This proved to be an even bigger success for the Art of Noise in NZ than it was here in Australia, mainly because for some reason, the Blues brothers soundtrack became a success over there this year which allowed it to rebound on the charts once it was a hit initially as the original instrumental from Duanne Eddy was heavily used in the film.
#44 for 1986 (#19 website)
It turns out this was the biggest hit from Madonna's album of the same name, admittedly this might be due to it being the title track of an album she dedicated to her (then) husband Sean Penn which means the kiwis likely saw this as her love letter to him at the time. That would likely explain why she omitted this from her Immaculate collection album despite how much of a hit it was worldwide.
#19 for 1986 (#39 website)
Unlike in Australia where we Aussies made both of Livie's big hits across the transatlantic a success, the kiwis were only interested in having her Billboard chart topper be a hit over there as they ignored her UK chart topper from Xanadu for the most part. I'm guessing because it was a collaboration with ELO which the kiwis didn't seem that fond over at the time, again at least compared to us Aussies.
#45 for 1980 (#36 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
It brings me great joy in informing my audience that while it did start to lose its popularity this year, it was in a more natural way as we have yet another disco track that was a success in America to make it big in NZ this year. This time it's from the S.O.S band who had another big hit later in the decade with "Just be good to me," the song that would become a hit for Beats international ten years after this made it big.
#51 for 1980 (#42 website)
Much like in Australia, Bonnie Tyler was doomed to become a one hit wonder in NZ with "It's a heartache" before she made the smart decision to collaborate with Jim Steinman for this track that was originally meant for the second Bat out of hell album from earlier in the decade. This comeback was a bit more substantial for her over there as she scored a hit the following year with Shaking Stevens.
#31 for 1983 (#5 website)
Genesis might have had the more popular hit in NZ this year, however their earlier entry came from an album from three years prior and their actual new single (which is still to come on this list) wasn't nearly as big as Peter Gabriel's pop breakthrough over there. This proved to be equally successful in both countries in the southern hemisphere, likely because of the music video and the strange and quirky lyrics.
#39 for 1986 (#21 website)
I think the kiwis were tuning into Countdown from around this time as this is one of several hits they had over there that only became as such here because of the artist in question appearing on the show, I wouldn't know how else Janis Ian managed to score a hit with this track over there as her performing it on the show was how it managed to become a success down under.
#55 for 1980 (#39 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)
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
You'd think this would've been an even bigger hit in NZ considering A: it charted higher than it did here and B: it was marketed as the lead single to Slippery when wet given how the kiwis followed the Brits lead in having this lead off the album instead of "You give love a bad name" like us Aussies and their fellow Americans. Alas, it was only a big success over there rather than an inescapable one.
#39 for 1987 (#17 website)
This is another huge hit in Australia that wasn't nearly as successful in NZ, I guess the kiwis felt that there wasn't much room for a lounge track this year given how there were plenty of other competing genres and sub genres trying to make it big over there this year. They did eventually allow this to be a hit over there likely because it was so inescapable down under.
#38 for 1988 (#29 website)
This was a big hit over in NZ for Elton John this year even without the magic touch that Bernie Taupin gave all of his endearing hits over the years, in fact Elton's popularity in general remained consistent throughout the 80's in NZ as his reunion with Bernie didn't improve the success of his singles while they were separated over there and his time without Bernie was reasonably successful as well over there.
#59 for 1980 (#40 website)
This was the big hit that Stray cats had from their debut album over in NZ, although it was a hit mainly through its refusal to die on the lower half of their charts which is why it failed to appear on my official lists whilst "Stray cat strut" qualified for my 1981 list despite it being far less successful over there.
Hit in 1981 (#39 website)
It appears the kiwis were only into Bronski beat purely for Jimmy Somerville as the band flopped over there with "Hit that perfect beat" and yet Jimmy scored a massive hit with his new band the Communards. Granted this was a bit late to the party over there as it was already one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia by the time it saw the light of day, but it didn't impact its overall success.
#8 for 1986
#16 for 1987
Although their earlier entry was a bigger success thank this debut single from Soul II soul was in NZ, it's worth noting that songs success did carry over to the 90's hence why it still has a much higher placement on this list even though this was mainly a success as a sleeper hit over there. It's also worth noting this song's popularity skyrocketed over there once their earlier entry was released as a single there.
Hit in 1989 (#19 website)
Much like their earlier entry on this list, this was also much bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia and their native UK. In fact, this song's success over there matches the success that "Poison arrow" had here, meaning that the kiwis were especially in love with what these guys had to offer this year, perhaps this is why they occasionally charted as the decade went on over there while they didn't over here.
#50 for 1982 (#28 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)
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 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)
Whereas this was only barely a hit here in Australia, the rest of the world was more than impressed with this collaboration between Patti Labelle and Doobie brother’s frontman Michael McDonald back in the day. Admittedly this feels like something that would've been big down under during the first half of the decade as it does feel completely out of place on this list compared to the other entries on here.
#28 for 1986 (#24 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 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 equally as successful in NZ for Frankie Goes to Hollywood as it was here in Australia despite it charting higher over there, I guess the kiwis were also impressed with this more politically charged track that was reportedly inspired by the Mad Max films of the day. We'll be looking at their debut single again in a bit, but it's odd that this was their biggest hit back in the day in the southern hemisphere.
#33 for 1984 (#12 website)
We looked at the Peter Andre version of this track on the Australian side of this site, so now let's look at the original version from Kool and the Gang who managed to score a second hit in NZ and the UK with this disco classic as well as having another hit on Billboard despite it being a disco song during the disco backlash era. Their popularity would dwindle after this, however they would still score the occassional hit.
#63 for 1982 (#36 website)
While Genesis did have hits with the two songs I featured on the Australian side of this site in NZ, this was their biggest hit over there which is odd because it came from their self-titled album from three years prior and only became a success this year due to their (then) most recent album Invisible touch. The success of this track over there encouraged the kiwis to bring further success to the album it came from.
#22 for 1986
#28 for 1987
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)
Well, she didn't have a string of chart toppers in NZ like she did here in Australia (in fact she only ever had one number one hit over there with "Can't get you out of my head" in 2001) however that didn't seem to matter as Kylie was massive success internationally with the third single from her debut album. All this means is that it doesn't have that much cultural significance over there like it does here.
#28 for 1988 (#21 website)
This didn't quite make it to number one in NZ like it did here in Australia, meaning it doesn't have the distinction of either being the last chart topper over there of the 70's or the first of the 80's like it does here in Australia. Still, it was a mammoth hit from the duo who correctly predicted the deaths of many of a rock stars career thanks to the rise of MTV two years prior to its launch.
#28 for 1980
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 the Welsh crooner's first UK chart topper as "This ole house" didn't quite make it to number one in his homeland like it did here in Australia, I bring this up because this wasn't a chart topper in NZ meaning that he never had a number one hit in all three countries throughout his career. There's nothing else I can add about this guy or his discography at this point, so I thought I'd bring that up.
#53 for 1981 (#26 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)
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)
There's debate about whether this version or the Art of noise cover is the definitive version of this track, Prince of course wrote it for his second feature film Under the cherry moon, however Tom Jones is so much more sexually provocative on the cover that it puts this version to shame. For what it's worth, this is the bigger version of the two tracks worldwide likely because it was the theme to an overhyped film.
#29 for 1986 (#14 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)
This was an even bigger hit for Go West in NZ this year, in fact it was arguably bigger over there than the duo's native America which no doubt led to the success of their debut album during the midpoint of the 80's. I guess this early success for the band came at a cost for them over there as "King of wishful thinking" was a huge flop for them in 1990 where it was a big succes worldwide.
#48 for 1985 (#18 website)
In a way, I'm kind of shocked that this managed to become a sleeper hit in NZ and a massive hit in the UK given how no one in America knew about this genre until Blondie's "Rapture" became a huge chart topper on Billboard months after this was a huge success in both countries. It's often regarded as the true introduction to hip hop given how well it holds up in the scene to this day.
Hit in 1980 (#44 website)
This was another sleeper hit in NZ at the start of the decade, this time it was the surprise hit that Don Mclean had worldwide eight years after his magnum opus American Pie. Even though this was a minor success in his native America, it was a huge chart topper in the UK which is perhaps why it managed to be a massive sleeper hit over in NZ.
Hit in 1980
This was the biggest hit that Berlin had in NZ, granted "Take my breath away" did chart over there, but it wasn't the big inescapable success that it was internationally likely due to the kiwis feeling that the band sold out with that ballad from Top gun. This did chart here in Australia due to the band performing it on Countdown this year, however only the kiwis got on board with this new wave dance track.
#45 for 1984 (#27 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)
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)
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