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
There was little doubt that this second single from Culture Club's biggest album would be a success in NZ like it was throughout the rest of the world, even taking into consideration that they weren't as big over there as they were in Australia, this was a song that was too catchy for it to fail and came complete with a video that's still fun to watch even to this day.
#6 for 1983 (#7 website)
#8 for 1984
Well, this is Dr Hook looking to change with the times yet again as they added back some of their bouncier instrumentation from their earlier phase of their career on this ballad about how sexy they feel their collective partner's eyes are. It was a massive hit in NZ and throughout most of the world, although it didn't do so well here in Australia likely due to us either wanting comedy or a downtempo ballad from the band.
#57 for 1980 (#37 website)
This was the first of two big hits that the Scottish band Altered images managed to have in NZ during their short time in the spotlight, as you can see they were another band that was all male except for the lead vocalist who was a woman which was pretty common for new wave bands back in the day as Blondie, the Pretenders and the Divinyls also had massive success with this approach.
#65 for 1982 (#32 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)
This was the only hit that Chris De Burgh had in NZ, heck I'm willing to bet this likely wouldn't have even been a hit over there if it weren't for the fact that it was such a huge success here and in his native UK. An interesting fact I have about its success in the southern hemisphere is that it was exactly the same over there as it was for Paul Simon's earlier entry in both countries, I just found that interesting.
#23 for 1986
#29 for 1987
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
Well at least this wasn't the biggest hit that Crowded house had in NZ as that honour goes to "Don't dream it's over" from the previous year, although it did come pretty close given how popular it was for the trio at the time of its release in the southern hemisphere. Indeed, their second album in general wasn't as big over there as it was over here, suggesting they would need to change their sound going into the 90's.
#30 for 1988 (#20 website)
This proved to be an even bigger success for Sinitta over in NZ than it did here in Australia, this is interesting because A: this was Sinitta's only hit over there as she at least had a minor hit here three years prior with "So macho" and B: the original from Maxine Nightingale wasn't a big success over there back in the 70's despite it being released at a time where female musicians of colour were dominating their charts.
#43 for 1989 (#38 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)
These guys were a one hit wonder everywhere in the world with what appears to be a different track depending on where in the world you're from, in NZ and their native America, this was their big hit which is a doo wop track about a boy from New York city. In Australia and throughout Europe, their big hit was "Chanson d'amour" from 1977 which was a cover of a popular French track from the 50's.
#50 for 1981 (#28 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 so much less successful for MJ in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because it didn't linger on their charts like it did here even though it did rebound on the charts in the new year when the third single from the album of the same name was released. For what it's worth, the Weird Al parody "Fat" became a genuine success for him the following year over there.
#54 for 1987
Well at least this song received its own entry in NZ even if it meant that Madonna had clogged up the charts over there the same way that Abba did ten years prior and the Beatles twenty years prior. "Angel" was a huge hit over there (it won't be making this list I'm afraid) proving how much the kiwis loved Madonna around this time.
#20 for 1985 (#4 website)
Unlike here in Australia where this was the first we Aussies heard about this cover the 50's staple, this briefly charted earlier in the decade in NZ for the Belle stars while they were still together despite the girl group not having a hit over there during their time together. It became a success there the same way it did here, by appearing in the Oscar winning flick Rain man starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman.
#58 for 1989 (#31 website)
*This includes the original release as well as when it became popular in 1989*
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 a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, in fact I think Australia was the only country in the world where this theme song to Madonna's third film of the same name wasn't at least a top three hit given that we Aussies for some reason weren't that keen on supporting the film (it looks terrible admittedly.) I'm guessing this is why neither song on the soundtrack appeared on the Immaculate collection.
#34 for 1987 (#14 website)
Well at least this song's success was punctual in NZ, likely because the kiwis were in love with Bobby's solo debut album this year thanks to the success of "My prerogative" (which is still to come on this list.) I guess I should talk about the song itself given how it's one of the catchiest songs in Bobby's career, it also comes with a rap verse depending on which version of the song you're looking at.
#46 for 1989 (#21 website)
This was a bigger hit for Blondie in NZ, likely because their fourth album Eat to the beat was much more successful over there back in the day than it was over here for the band. I guess this was the kiwi's way of atoning for the lack of success they gave the band with their debut album, although in fairness it's not like they could've known about it given how it was only a hit here due to them appearing on Countdown.
#68 for 1980 (#46 website)
It's a bit odd that this wasn't as popular in NZ as it was throughout the rest of the world given how it was the song that finally brought Phil Collins and to a lesser extent Genesis into the mainstream worldwide, at least it was a hit over there likely due to the kiwis also connecting with the lyrics that many have misinterpreted over the years to be about him calling out someone who prevented someone from drowning.
#62 for 1981 (#35 website)
This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia for Madonna, I'm guessing because the kiwis were more OK with her marriage to Sean Penn given how this was the theme to his film At close range which wasn't even a critical or commercial success back in the day. It was better received than the movie they did together which was Shanghai surprise, a film that looks terrible even by 80's standards.
#56 for 1986 (#31 website)
This was almost the biggest hit from Billy Idol's career in NZ, only "To be a lover" outranks it which even then only by just meaning that these two songs were the most popular of his career over there. Admittedly this is a live rendition of a cover of a Tommy James track he made earlier in the decade, so the Whiplash smile track is his biggest original hit over there.
#20 for 1987
#20 for 1988
This is another song that technically became a hit twice in NZ, once upon its initial release likely due to its success in the UK (despite this being yet another EDM track from an American group which bombed on Billboard) and the second was a few months later for some random reason as I can't figure out why it saw a surge in popularity so late into its chart run over there.
Hit in 1989 (#41 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)
Remember, this site isn't one where hate is tolerated, this of course puts me at a disadvantage when talking about this misguided ballad between Stevie and Paul, but they of course had good intentions with its creation that the general public of the day acknowledged by making it a hit.
#39 for 1982 (#17 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)
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)
Well, this managed to be an even bigger hit for Martika in NZ this year, although it was the only hit of hers to be more successful there than it was here as her other two big worldwide hits were far bigger here in Australia after this. I guess the kiwis made this a huge hit due to it being her only Billboard chart topper but kept her around due to how well she did down under and throughout Europe.
#31 for 1989 (#29 website)
Even though this was released slightly later in NZ than it was here in Australia, the kiwis were quick to make this a success over there following its success over here due to the band performing it on Countdown and the performance going over very well with us Aussies this year. As it turns out, these guys had far more success over there this year as their second album was also a hit for them with the kiwis.
#67 for 1980 (#50 website)
This was the song that brought Tina Turner's career back from the dead given how it was a massive hit in the UK the previous year due to it being produced by the members of Heaven 17 during the height of their popularity in their homeland. Naturally this was a massive flop for her in her native America as her fellow Americans would only allow her to come back with her earlier entry on this list.
#39 for 1984 (#30 website)
I guess it's fitting this managed to be a massive sleeper hit over in NZ given how this was another example of a song technically being a hit twice on this list, it of course rebounding on their charts when Neneh's earlier entry on this list was released and became a more instant success for the Swedish rapper over there. This was a minor success here in Australia, however her first major hit came in 1994 with "7 seconds."
Hit in 1989 (#10 website)
These guys did achieve a moderate hit in NZ the previous year with "Digging your scene" however this proved to be the big hit for the sophistopop band over there given how the sub-genre managed to explode in popularity this year both there and in the band's native UK where this was also a decent success. Naturally the Blow monkeys didn't achieve any success here in Australia due to the genre's lack of popularity.
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 would say this was also a huge hit for Culture club from their debut album in NZ, except for whatever reason it wasn't included as a track on Kissing to be clever and was meant to be a standalone single despite it coming out around the same time the album came out. I guess it makes its lack of popularity in Australia make even less sense as you can't even say it was because of album sales eating up its success.
#68 for 1983 (#33 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)
Timex social club are known for being the sister band for Club Nouveau, I bring this up because the success of this song no doubt led to the success of the latter band's cover of "Lean on me" the following year worldwide. I know the two songs have very little in common with each other, this being a fast-paced track about the dangers of spreading rumours whilst the other being a reggae cover of a song about putting your trust in the narrator.
#20 for 1986 (#38 website)
It was hard to find information about this guy, although from what I've discovered, it's best that he's been lost to the sands of time as he's been in prison since 1993 for several crimes he committed during his short time in the music industry that I won't get into here (trust me, it's not safe for work.) Before this came to light, he had a hit in NZ with this cover of the Temptations classic which was much bigger there than it was on Billboard.
#54 for 1988 (#33 website)
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)
This was the last big hit that the Human league were able to score as a band as they would be reduced to a trio when they scored their final hit in most parts of the world with "Human" later in the decade. This was a much bigger hit in NZ likely due to the kiwis not being as deterred by the wall of noise with the synths posing as brass as we Aussies were at the time of its release.
#57 for 1983 (#26 website)
Even though these guys are best known for their earlier entry on this list, this ballad from the Miami sound machine is a better representation of their music given how they were more in line with adult contemporary which perhaps explains Gloria Estefan's musical direction once she left the band later in the decade. It was their third and final hit over there after the success of "Conga" and "Bad boy."
#37 for 1986 (#40 website)
These guys did achieve a moderate hit in NZ the previous year with "Digging your scene" however this proved to be the big hit for the sophistopop band over there given how the sub-genre managed to explode in popularity this year both there and in the band's native UK where this was also a decent success. Naturally the Blow monkeys didn't achieve any success here in Australia due to the genre's lack of popularity.
#71 for 1987 (#26 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)
Most musicians of colour tended to have more success in NZ than they did in Australia, Ray Parker Jr wasn't one of them as the former Raydio lead singer didn't have nearly the level of success with his solo breakthrough over there that he did over here likely due to the kiwis finding it to be too gimmicky compared to his earlier work with his former band.
#53 for 1982 (#27 website)
I mentioned in an earlier list that this duet between Shaking Stevens and Bonnie Tyler was a success in NZ back in the day, so here we are with their collaboration which is a rockabilly cover of a Priscilla Bowman track from the 50's which was a continuation of the trends the two Welsh performers were making in their respective careers. For him it was rockabilly covers and for her it was getting established as a rock star.
#64 for 1984 (#33 website)
This proved to be far more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia for Midge Ure and company, I'm guessing because the kiwis largely passed up "Fade to grey" from his other band Visage (which we'll revisit later down this list) in favour of this track which infamously was blocked from the top spot in the UK by Joe Dolce's earlier entry on this list.
#48 for 1981 (#30 website)
I'm not exactly sure how this managed to be a huge hit for Pseudo Echo in NZ and not their debut single "Listening," perhaps the kiwis felt that the official version of that track was too overproduced (compared to the stripped back original version) and passed that up in favour of this more stripped back follow up which was much less successful here in Australia.
#61 for 1984 (#36 website)
Well, this was an RNB ballad from a group of musicians of colour, so naturally it was going to be an even bigger success for the Commodores over in NZ regardless of how well it did here in Australia this year. I don't think there's anywhere in the world where this ballad failed as the back-to-back deaths of Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson from the previous year was still fresh in everyone's minds at the time of its release.
#43 for 1985 (#20 website)
Well, this proved to be less successful for Bette Midler in NZ than it was here in Australia, it wasn't because the kiwis weren't as emotionally invested in the film Beaches as that soundtrack proved to be equally successful over there as it was over here. I guess they didn't like that they cried during the scene that this song plays in the film, or more accurately they felt this song doesn't work outside of that context.
#60 for 1989 (#45 website)
Well, we've looked at the Stars on 45 and getting hooked on classics, so now let's look at this formula applied to local music from the NZ music scene, specifically that of Maoris which managed to become a huge success over there this year due to how popular the mashup craze was at the time.
#44 for 1982 (#39 website)
This was the biggest hit that Alison Moyet had over in NZ, I'm guessing because it was her take on a Billie Holiday classic from the 40's back when music from the first half of the twentieth century was still nostalgic to audiences (I wonder why that's no longer the case?) She would continue to have success in NZ and her native UK with her second album which would come out two years later.
#28 for 1985 (#8 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 one of those rare occasions where the kiwis got the album cycle wrong as though the album was a massive success over there, the title track was noticeably less successful than it was here in Australia despite the kiwis already being well acquainted with the Purple one by the time he released his album this year. As such, this will be his only appearance on this list as "Little red corvette" underperformed there.
#60 for 1983 (#37 website)
Given that their first collaboration from three years prior was a massive success worldwide (except for America of course) it only makes sense that UB40 would reunite with Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders to make another reggae cover of a 60's track, in this case an obscure track from Dusty Springfield from her final successful album (the one with "Son of a preacher" on it.)
#57 for 1988 (#43 website)
While this did float around in the lower half of the charts in NZ prior to its surprise success in the UK, it wasn't until their earlier entry was released that it skyrocketed towards the top half of the charts over there which confirmed that the Pointer sisters were a household name there like they were over here throughout the decade. It still blows my mind how much less popular the trio were over there compared to over here.
#75 for 1984 (#34 website)
The hits kept on coming for Prince in NZ as this almost managed to top their charts despite it only being a top twenty hit here in Australia, it feels weird this wasn't among his bigger hits down under considering how much love this track still receives on our oldie's stations to this day.
#32 for 1985 (#23 website)
Well, it was the biggest hit of the 80's in the UK for a female vocalist, so naturally this one and only hit from American born German singer Jennifer Rush would also be a massive hit over in NZ around this time. I guess for nearly a decade, this was the definitive version of this love ballad until Celine Dion made it her own in 1994.
#6 for 1985 (#19 website)
#6 for 1986
This was the only hit to come from the Beverly Hills cop II soundtrack in NZ, although I get the feeling this was more a hit due to it being a George Michael track given how even in the film, this song has very little place in its soundtrack (I guess that's why it won worst original song at the Razzies.)
#42 for 1987 (#16 website)
Well, if you wanted to hear the origins of "Somebody dance with me" from 1993, this Austrian band has you covered as they took Abba's "SOS" and mixed it in with a bunch of production from the late 80's whilst also referencing the tender ballad from the Sound of music that they then named themselves after. Now I know why DJ Bobo didn't have a hit over there if the kiwis already had a hit like that this year.
#38 for 1989 (#28 website)
This was almost a chart topper for Stevie Wonder in NZ, meaning that the first two hits he finally scored over there were so popular that it more or less confirmed him as a major hit maker as far as the kiwis were concerned. It's hard to say if this is more of a country track or a disco as Stevie seems to be walking that line on this second single from his album Hotter than July.
#58 for 1981
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 the second hit that A taste of honey managed to score in NZ, their first being their disco classic "Boogie oogie oogie" which remains a staple on oldies stations in Australia despite that being a flop here at the time. Evidently this cover of the Kyo Sakamoto track (in which they didn't bother using the correct name of the song for its title) was a tribute to their Japanese fans as they were allegedly more popular there than they were in the western world.
#57 for 1981 (#31 website)
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 "Daddy's home" 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.
Hit in 1982
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)
It was inevitable that this solo debut from Tim Finn would be a massive success in NZ given how much more popular Split enz was in their homeland than they were here in Australia, in fact this was far from his only hit over there as he would continue to score hits from his solo material well into the 90's.
#37 for 1983 (#13 website)
I get the feeling it was due to this theme song from the second Ghostbusters film that finally gave Bobby Brown a hit in Australia, after all this was released here around the same time "Every little step" finally caught on down under. Given how that was already a hit in NZ (stay tuned for it) this was free to become Bobby's biggest hit over there likely due to how well the kiwis liked the film.
#36 for 1989 (#44 website)
If the production on this track sounds familiar to you, that's because it was used as a sample for Will Smith's Men in black theme from fifteen years later. It was a massive hit in NZ and the UK for the American soul singer, although it flopped on Billboard back in the day which means her fellow Americans likely don't even realise that the Will Smith theme sampled a song like this.
#69 for 1982 (#38 website)
OK so I stretched the truth a bit when I said that this was the only song that Willie Nelson bothered the international charts with, he did have a second hit in NZ the following year with Ray Charles, meaning that it's possible that he was trying to crossover to the crooner scene with these two men back in the day. It obviously didn't work as Willie is best known for his country ballads rather than being the white Julio Iglesias.
#41 for 1984 (#24 website)
Although this almost went to number one in NZ, it didn't mean that it was the same level of success over there as it was here for Robert Palmer which is a shame because it remains his signature tune to this day for a good reason. I guess the kiwis didn't want to have him be a success over there as this and "I'll be your baby tonight" were the only big hits he had with his singles and even his albums.
#43 for 1986 (#22 website)
This was an excellent year for TV themes in NZ as this was the first of three to make it big over there, it was also the biggest likely due to it coming from a highly popular British crime show at the time known as Minder. This appeared on my 1983 list on the Australian side of my site, I guess we Aussies were slow in making this a success for the shows star Dennis Waterman.
#40 for 1981 (#24 website)
It looks like Lionel Richie's popular was quickly dwindling over in NZ given how this title track to his third solo album was the only success he managed to achieve over there following the success of his second album Can't slowdown from two years prior. I guess the kiwis preferred having Billy Ocean over this guy in their mainstream as his British counterpart managed to rack up the hits over there as the decade went on.
#61 for 1986 (#45 website)
Well, there would be little surprise that this was a hit earlier in NZ than it was here in Australia, however it may surprise you to learn this was an even bigger hit here in Australia for Womack and Womack likely due to the synth groove connecting better with us Aussies than it did for the kiwis back in the day. At least this was still a massive hit over there as opposed to their native America where this flopped badly.
#19 for 1988
#17 for 1989
Well, this wasn't anywhere near as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm not sure why other than perhaps the kiwis being a bit colder to the duo initially going more mainstream with their third album but eventually warming up to the idea as the album grew more and more successful over there. It would explain the success of their earlier entry on this list there and in their native UK a lot better.
#66 for 1985 (#30 website)
These guys had several charting singles from earlier in the decade in their homeland, some of which were even minor hits for the throwback band likely due to 60's nostalgia kicking in over there. It was the success of this E.P which allowed them to score a massive hit for the first time in their career, although the best was yet to come as their 1990 album went on to be a huge hit for them.
#67 for 1985 (#31 website)
Much like the rest of the world, this was the final hit that the Rolling stones was able to achieve in NZ, likely for the music video which has some pretty stilted animation from future Nickelodeon animater John Kricfalusi which likely gave Disney some ideas with their film Who framed roger rabbit two years later.
#26 for 1986 (#18 website)
It appears that the two big hits Billy Ocean had in Australia this year had their success reversed in NZ, then again that was also the case in America as this was the bigger hit for Billy on Billboard than his theme to Jewel of the Nile (which is still to come on this list.) Billy would have one more hit after this year worldwide before he faded into obscurity in time for the 90's.
#41 for 1986 (#34 website)
This was a massive hit for Def Leppard in NZ this year, likely due to it topping the Billboard charts for the British band which seemed to be a pattern during the second half of the 80's where British hair metal bands found more success in America than they did in their native UK. This did eventually become a sleeper hit in Australia, although it was months after it was already a big success in NZ.
#37 for 1988 (#25 website)
This was the only hit from the disco band Lakeside in NZ, it wasn't a big hit anywhere else in the world which leads me to believe that the kiwis were simply making any disco song a hit around this time that they were aware of. Still, it must have had a cult following in America back in the day as Coolio would sample this track for his breakthrough single of the same name over a decade later.
#66 for 1981 (#40 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)
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 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
Well at least Bob Marley was one of the most popular artists in NZ even after his tragic passing, as such this kiddie version of one of his songs doesn't feel too out of left field for becoming a success over there like I'm sure it does in retrospect in America. Still, it feels weird that there was a huge hit coming from a bunch of kids who wanted to legalise marijuana in the music video.
#15 for 1982 (#9 website)
#8 for 1983
Even though these guys already had success from the previous year in NZ with their debut album, this lead single to their sophomore album wasn't any more or less successful over there than it was over here this year for the trio. In fact, the success of their second album was more or less the same in both countries in the southern hemisphere unlike their other two albums where they were much bigger over there.
#49 for 1984 (#29 website)
Given how Simple minds already had massive success in NZ throughout the decade, it shouldn't surprise you that this wasn't their biggest hit over there given how we already had an appearance from them on this list alone. Still, this was their biggest hit in America and what led to them having a huge success with their next album in most parts of the world.
#46 for 1985 (#26 website)
This was the third TV theme to make it big over in NZ this year, again we have a TV theme that became a success in Australia long after it was a hit over there. This time it's from Joey Scarbury who scored a huge number one hit there with this theme to the Greatest American hero, a show that likely took inspiration from the 1980 film Hero at large with its everyday man becoming a superhero.
#45 for 1981 (#21 website)
This was the only chart topper that Wham had in NZ throughout their career, it's further proof that number one isn't everything over there as though it was a success for the duo, it wasn't their biggest hit as their earlier hits lasted longer on their charts despite not charting as high as this did. Still, it was a massive hit for the duo thanks to how popular they were upon its initial release.
#24 for 1986 (#10 website)
Although it wasn't that huge chart topper in NZ like it was in most other parts of the world, this second single from the Bangles third and final album Everything was still a huge success in NZ for the girl band this year proving that their two biggest hits over there were the ones that saved their two big albums from flopping as was the case throughout the rest of the world.
#41 for 1989 (#15 website)
The hits kept on coming for Prince in NZ during the second half of the decade, I'm not even sure why any of these flopped here in Australia as he was already a well-established artist and funk was a success for other artists during the second half of the 80's down under. I guess he did close out the decade over here with his contributions to the Batman soundtrack the following year.
#31 for 1988 (#22 website)
Chaka Khan was a one hit wonder in NZ like she was here in Australia, I'm not sure why as some of her work from the 70's does find its way into oldies stations in both countries, but I guess she needed to cover a Prince track and have a guest verse from Grandmaster Melle in order to make it big in the southern hemisphere. I'm not sure why Grandmaster Melle isn't credited on this track other than perhaps rap features not getting credits back in the day.
#12 for 1984
#11 for 1985
This was the only major solo hit that Deborah Harry was able to achieve in NZ, although she did score a minor hit over there with "I want that man" given how big it was here in Australia in 1990. This has a slightly different name depending on where in the world you're from, it was simply "French kissing" in her native America and "French kissing in the USA" everywhere else in the world (I couldn't find a cover with the latter's title for this site.)
#43 for 1987 (#34 website)
This barely missed the cut for appearing on both sides of my site due to it being too much of a sleeper hit in Australia and NZ to rack up the points necessary to do so, however it was quite the sleeper hit in NZ likely due to the album Tusk not eating up its success over there like it did over here back in the day. This means that the band now has three entries on both sides of my site given how "Hold me" was a flop over there.
Hit in 1980
MJ was able to score one more hit in NZ this year with this fourth and final single from his comeback album Off the wall, this is a bittersweet ballad about how he lost the love of his life and how he was going to cope with the loss that clearly connected with audiences back in the day given its success. Heck it was even a minor success here in Australia and likely would've been a genuine hit had it been released as the lead single.
Well, this was a song that was tailor made for the wackiness that the 80's would become synonymous with, as such it was an even bigger success in NZ given how the kiwis were more in tune with what the rest of the world was making popular as opposed to us Aussies who were still relying on our local music scene as well as whatever else managed to appear on Countdown.
#57 for 1982 (#35 website)
Given how "Just like you" was a flop over in NZ, this means that Robbie Nevil was a one hit wonder over there despite this being a bigger hit there than it was here in Australia. I'm not even sure how he scored a second hit down under back in the day as from what I can tell, "Just like you" wasn't a hit anywhere else in the world.
#33 for 1987 (#23 website)
This was another successful hit that Ruby Turner had in NZ, in fact thought she charted in her native UK with all of her singles, none of them managed to become a hit over there despite how big she was here in NZ. I'm guessing this is why she's mostly fallen into obscurity in the music industry given how it's likely on the kiwis would remember anything about her music career.
#56 for 1987 (#44 website)
The kiwis were just as open to the idea of a band against discrimination of any kind back in the day as the rest of the world (I wonder how modern audiences would take to these guys) as such their debut single was a massive success over there just like it was over here and in every country that it charted in.
#22 for 1982 (#21 website)
#14 for 1983
MJ was able to score one more hit in NZ this year with this fourth and final single from his comeback album Off the wall, this is a bittersweet ballad about how he lost the love of his life and how he was going to cope with the loss that clearly connected with audiences back in the day given its success. Heck it was even a minor success here in Australia and likely would've been a genuine hit had it been released as the lead single.
#75 for 1980 (#48 website)
This was so much less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because it was released slightly later over there than it was here meaning that the kiwis weren't as ready to make Kim Wilde a success as we Aussies were. Admittedly this song did have its popularity boosted here when she performed it on Countdown, so perhaps if she did the same thing over there it would be much bigger.
#61 for 1981 (#37 website)
Well, this is a massive disappointment for my site, even the Brits managed to make this an inescapable hit this year and yet it was only a moderate success for Survivor in NZ. I guess the kiwis didn't enjoy Rocky III as much as the rest of the world did, either that or they weren't interested in having this be one of the biggest hits of the decade for whatever reason.
#59 for 1982 (#30 website)
This was the second chart topper that U2 had in NZ following "Pride" from three years prior, it blows my mind that each of the singles from the Joshua tree were more successful over there than they were over here considering how they each remain a household name on the oldie's stations here in Australia to this day.
#23 for 1987 (#38 website)
This was an EDM track that came from the Canadian duo Kon Kan, they managed to score a surprise hit with this entry throughout Europe including in the UK which would explain its success in NZ this year. There's honestly not much to say about this other than this would be the type of song that dominated the Australian airwaves had it been released in the 90's.
#85 for 1989 (#22 website)
Well, this was an inevitable success in NZ, not only was this back in the day where picking on nerds was a popular thing to do in the mainstream, but it also samples a Gary Glitter track before we all found out the truth about him. I guess a final bit of trivia I have about this track is that this song was meant to be from the perspective of the car that's featured in the video.
#32 for 1988 (#10 website)
This was meant to be on the second Bat out of hell album from Meat loaf, in fact it eventually did find its way onto that album twelve years later when Jim Steinman was finally able to patch things up with the troubled rock singer and release the long-awaited sequel to what many will tell you is the greatest album of the 70's (no arguments here.) In the meantime, Jim used this track to launch his own solo career to minimal success.
#68 for 1981 (#46 website)
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