This was the highest charting song from Guns n Roses's debut album in NZ, although it was an instant success over there as opposed to their earlier entry floating in and out of the top ten which explains why it was so inescapable for such a long time back in the day. This is another song of theirs that remains a staple on oldies stations to this day thanks to it being a song about getting away from the stress of the world.
#47 for 1989 (#25 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)
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)
This is the first big hit that Hall and Oates had in NZ, this is surprising given how it barely qualified to be on the Australian side of my site making it one of their less popular hits back in the day down under. I guess the kiwis liked how bouncy this was without it coming off as too bombastic like some of their other hit singles.
#48 for 1982
This was the only hit that Robert Plant was able to score as a solo artist throughout his career, although it's worth noting that he achieved massive success as the lead singer of Led zeppelin during their heyday and would even score another hit as the main front man of the Honeydrippers two years later.
#81 for 1983
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)
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)
I guess the kiwis wanted to imagine Cliff Richard as their daddy this year (OK I'll stop with that) as this was a much bigger hit over there than it was here in Australia and especially "Wired for sound" which remains his biggest hit down under to this day and yet was only a mild sleeper hit for him over there.
#52 for 1982
This was the only hit that Little river band managed to achieve in NZ, it came from the first of three highly successful greatest hits packages which is perhaps why it was a big hit over there (that and having John Farnham on lead vocals might have played a part as well.) They wouldn't touch the charts again anywhere in the world until Glenn Shorrock rejoined the band later in the decade.
#40 for 1983 (#43 website)
This was originally released on Lulu's 1979 album as an album track, although for some reason, her label felt there was potential for this to be released as a single which is why it was also included on her next album as the lead single. It was a massive flop everywhere in the world except for NZ where it became a surprise hit for the Scottish singer for some reason.
#55 for 1982
Technically this was a chart topper here in Australia as it appeared on the Devo Live E.P that the band released back in the day, however it appears the kiwis were more on board with their signature track upon its initial release than we were given how it managed to be a sleeper hit over there without the assistance of the E.P. It was a sleeper hit, but a hit nonetheless likely thanks to its bizarre music video.
Hit in 1981
From what I can gather, Michael Zagar was a disco musician who tried to hop on board the genre back in its heyday to very little success. Indeed, this seemed like a doomed prospect for him and his band given how it was released during the supposed disco backlash, however it appears the kiwis were on board with having him collaborate with Deniece Williams for this track given how it was a sleeper hit over there.
Hit in 1981
Well, I'm not going to bore you with a history lesson on how this song came to be like I did on the Australian side of my site, instead I'll bring up that the song was curiously pulled from shelves back in the day likely to encourage album sales form the band that obviously didn't end up happening for them.
#27 for 1984 (#18 website)
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)
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)
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)
Well, this is shocking, this song which many has defined as the quintessential song of the 80's was only a moderate success in NZ this year despite it being a massive success throughout the rest of the world for the Danish trio. Admittedly their album was a massive success over there the following year, so perhaps the kiwis were simply being contrarians in making that a success over this lead single.
#56 for 1985
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)
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
This was also a huge hit for Roy Orbison in NZ, not quite as big as it was here in Australia but still a massive hit for him which goes to show you how bittersweet this song's success was given how he was already no longer with us when it was released as a single worldwide. Heck even the Brits made this a huge hit for him, and it was even a hit in his native America even if it wasn't to this scale on Billboard.
#39 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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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)
The legends are true people, Eddie Murphy did indeed have a singing career back in the day which was off to a good start when this nearly became a Billboard chart topper for the Comedian upon its initial release (it was held off by Lionel Richie.) I can see this song working if it were performed by someone who had been in the music industry much longer than Eddie had been when he first released it.
#36 for 1986 (#20 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
Well at least I can finally feature the signature track from Miami sound machine on this site, I'm not sure why this flopped here in Australia but was a success in NZ considering A: "Dr beat" was a huge hit for them the previous year and B: this is less of a novelty than that track was. Indeed, this is a straightforward party jam from Gloria Estefan and company that continues to light up dance floors to this day.
#32 for 1986 (#15 website)
This was another hit that Dr Hook managed to achieve in NZ that wasn't a success here in Australia at the start of the decade, again it was a sleeper hit over there, but it did briefly crack their top ten which means that there was plenty of love for their brand of country pop coming into the decade over there that was quickly pushed aside in favour of the new wave that quickly took over their charts.
Hit in 1980
Unlike here in Australia where this disco track from French singer FR David needed two attempts to make it big, it was a hit upon its initial release in NZ from the start of the year likely due to the kiwis still allowing songs that sound like they belong in the 70's to make it big over there during the height of MTV.
#71 for 1983
I'm not sure why this wasn't released the previous year in NZ like it was here in Australia, I'm guessing it's because of this tardy release that costed the song its success over there given how it was twice as big here for Hall and Oates. You can't even say it's to improve the popularity of their album as it was equally as successful in both countries as well.
#74 for 1983
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
This is another song that I'm surprised wasn't a genuine hit back in the day given how much you hear it on oldies stations to this day, although at least it did pop up briefly in the upper echelons of the NZ charts to become a hit as well as lasting on their charts overall long enough to qualify for this list. Admittedly it was heavily delayed over there likely due to it flopping multiple times here in Australia.
Hit in 1984
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)
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)
Not only was this a huge sleeper hit in NZ back in the day for Echo and the Bunnymen, but it was yet another song on this list that only barely failed to appear on my official lists due to being pushed aside by many of the other entries on this list from 1984. Between this and "Love will tear us apart" being a success over there that year, I think it's safe to say the kiwis were very hip with the indie scene of the day.
Hit in 1984 (#46 website)
Whereas this was only barely a hit for Boy George here in Australia this year, it was more of a hit over in NZ despite the fact that Culture club didn't have as much success over there as they did over here back in the day. I guess the kiwis liked the reggae beat on here as I can't imagine this being a success for him due to nostalgia of the original given how that version was a flop (at least according to the Listener charts.)
#41 for 1987 (#27 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 a solid year for Australian artists finding international success, although I guess these guys were a mix of Australian musicians with international musicians that happened to be based here in Australia more than anything. In any case, they found enough success in NZ this year that this was given a UK release where it unfortunately bombed for the supergroup with the Brits.
#85 for 1987
Sting didn't have as much success over in NZ as he did in Australia both solo and with the Police, so it's interesting to see him with a new entry on this site given how this was an instant success over there while his big hit from his solo debut here in Australia would be with "Russians" from the following year. This and his debut album with the Police were the only things from his catalogue to find more success over there than they did over here.
#78 for 1985 (#38 website)
Given how No doubt made these guys cool when they covered what many consider to be their signature track "It's my life" in 2003, you'd think that would've been the bit hit that Talk talk had back in the day. Alas it wasn't as this was their only hit over in NZ and even then, it was only a sleeper hit hence why it failed to appear on this site until now.
Hit in 1983
Well, this was something different from Prince alright, namely that it was a combination of funk and RNB as well as several trends that would come to define the 90's which resulted in it being arguably his least conventional hit throughout his entire career. Honestly, I would've been stunned if this had of caught on in Australia given how off the walls this was for its time.
#50 for 1987 (#37 website)
Tina was certainly on a roll in NZ when she released the lead single to her second album of the decade, while it didn't reach the dizzying heights of success like her earlier entries, it was enough of a hit to appear on this side of my site and even made the album an instant success over there to boot. I guess this was why "The best" flopped later in the decade over there given how this was a flop here in Australia.
#82 for 1986
This was about as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, you'd think it would've been even bigger over there given how it remains their most popular song in American and their native UK, but I suppose the kiwis found it a bit too ridiculous for that to be the case back in the day. Still, it was a massive hit for the band regardless of where in the world you're from.
#63 for 1984 (#37 website)
This is the signature track from Bobby Brown both solo and with his time with New edition, I'm guessing because it remains his only Billboard chart topper despite "Humping around" being by far his biggest hit even in his native America. This song is about how he felt the need to break apart from his group in order to be who he wanted to be, a theme that Britney Spears would find inspiration in with her own version in 2004.
#53 for 1989 (#27 website)
Although they ultimately found more success here in Australia than they did over in NZ, the Eurythmics had a better start over there given how the lead single to their second album was a sleeper hit for them there where it bombed here. That said, their popularity would skyrocket amongst us Aussies with their third album given how inescapable the singles were in the midpoint of the decade.
Hit in 1983
I should warn my readers that are fans of ELO that they didn't have nearly the level of success in NZ that they did in Australia back in the day, heck this was one of their bigger hits over there and yet you can see it didn't do as well over there as it did over here around this time. Still, they did manage to impress the kiwis from time to time with their orchestral arrangements and vocal harmonies.
#67 for 1981 (#49 website)
This was the actual debut single from Sade Adu and company given how it came out before "Smooth operator" which remains their signature track to this day in most parts of the world. For the most part, the band didn't have any success with their singles in NZ as they were more of an albums band just like here in Australia, the exception was this song about how much Sade approves of her partners love.
#50 for 1984 (#21 website)
Well at least this managed to be a hit for Jona Lewie in NZ, although I'm guessing it was only once the kiwis ignored the fact this was meant to be a Christmas song given how it only crossed over there several months into the new year as opposed to Australia where it was still summer when it became a hit. His big hit in Australia flopped over there, I guess because it was deemed too silly for the kiwis.
#63 for 1981 (#48 website)
By all accounts this should be even higher on this list as this also refused to die on the NZ charts back in the day, alas it was only the case on the lower half of their charts hence why it isn't towards the top of this list like their earlier entry is. Aside from that, it had a similar run of success over there proving how much the kiwis loved these guys back in the day.
#73 for 1983
#60 for 1984
One of the more popular TV shows of the decade was Hill Street blues, it was a detective series about a pair of cops solving crimes that was a big hit with audiences back in the day. Nowadays it's best known for its theme song which was a huge hit over in NZ this year likely due to how iconic the kiwis felt it was back in the day.
#76 for 1982
This was the second single that UB40 scored a hit in NZ with, although here we have a cover of a Randy Newman track from the 60's which perhaps explains why it was only a hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world as only the kiwis would allow a reggae cover of a children's song to be a massive success.
#47 for 1980
#46 for 1981
This was the only hit that Men without hats had in most parts of the world, at least it was nearly a chart topper in NZ proving how much the kiwis loved this ode to dancing however you want to dance when at a show. They almost scored a second hit much later in the decade with "Pop goes the world," which goes to show they weren't always doomed to be a one hit wonder over there.
#21 for 1983 (#32 website)
#17 for 1984
This was the one and only hit for the Netherworld dancing toys, a NZ band who had a few minor hits throughout the decade and only made it big with this song months prior to calling it quits. The song is best known for being the launching pad for Annie Crummer who would go on to have massive success later in the decade and even in the 90's thanks to her unique vocals.
#52 for 1985 (#32 website)
This was a success for Stacey Q much sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm not sure why some of the biggest hits in Australia were songs that had their release and/or success delayed but that was certainly the case for Stacey as this wasn't as successful over there as it was over here. She's also a one hit wonder over there and her native America as "We connect" failed to become a hit in both countries.
#58 for 1986 (#42 website)
This proved to be an even bigger hit in NZ for Naked eyes, I'm guessing because the original from Sandie Shaw was a big hit over there even though I don't know for sure if that was the case or not. Either way, it put the duo on the map even in America which is impressive considering that this was huge flop for the duo in their native UK.
#56 for 1983 (#21 website)
This was the only hit that the Angels managed to achieve in NZ throughout their career, they achieved this likely due to it being pushed as the lead single over there instead being pushed as the third single like it was here in Australia. The album also did decently well over there, suggesting that the band finally got their big break with the kiwis which unfortunately didn't last for very long.
Hit in 1987 (#40 website)
Contrary to popular belief, Spandau Ballet's earlier entry on this list wasn't the lead single to their album True as that honour goes to this track which was largely ignored in most parts of the world save for NZ where it became the band's first big hit. I feel like this can go hand in hand with their other entry on this list as it shares the same lyrical content as that track does, which would explain both songs popularity over there.
#79 for 1983
For whatever reason, Lionel Richie didn't have as much success in NZ as he did in Australia during his solo career, I'm guessing this was because the kiwis already made him a household name during his time with the Commodores throughout the 70's and even earlier in the 80's. Even so, he still saw massive success over there including with the lead single to his biggest album Can't slow down.
#23 for 1983
#20 for 1984
Given that he had a surprise breakthrough the previous year with his previous album On the beach, it seems to make sense that this lead single to his biggest album in Australia Dancing with strangers was a massive hit over there. Although it peaked much higher over there than it did here, it wound up being equally as successful in both countries for the British singer/songwriter.
#53 for 1987 (#28 website)
This is another song that wasn't as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia this year, although in this case it might be due to the stiff competition Bon Jovi had with the likes of Def Leppard and the other hair metal tracks that were becoming big over there around this time. Keep in mind that a lot of these hair metal tracks I've featured on this side of my site failed to appear on the Australian side of the site.
#41 for 1988 (#35 website)
As I said earlier on this list, all songs with this title were a success in NZ as they were hit in Australia this year even if their respective levels of success couldn't be further apart in both countries. I guess the kiwis weren't too impressed with this theme to Back to the future given how much less successful it was over there than it was over here, perhaps they felt this could've been improved with Ray Parker Jr.
#54 for 1985 (#29 website)
From what I can gather, Patti Austin was a client of Quincy Jones (you can tell if you look closely enough at the cover of her big hit) that managed to score a Billboard chart topper with this collaboration with James Ingram who was another artist who found much more success in his native America than he did internationally. This came close to making my official lists, hence why it deserves to be here.
Hit in 1983
I'm not even sure if this was released as a single in NZ prior to when "Automatic" became a surprise hit for the girls in the UK, if it was then it didn't even chart over there unlike here where it at least got in a few weeks towards the start of the year before fading into obscurity. Naturally it was a hit this year once their second single from Break out managed to almost top the British charts.
#53 for 1984 (#40 website)
This was where it all began for Simply red as they chose this cover of an obscure funk track from earlier in the decade as their debut single, it was a big hit over in NZ but nowhere else in the world despite it being one of their funkier tracks in their catalogue. I guess their fanbase was more interested in their slow ballads as both of their Billboard chart toppers were the type of music some would describe as music for our mothers.
#72 for 1985 (#41 website)
This was the Models only success in NZ, well that and the album of the same name doing reasonably well which would explain why they're a one hit wonder over there. This did chart on the lower end of the Billboard charts following its success in NZ; however, they weren't able to rise to the ranks of INXS or even Pseudo echo internationally.
#18 for 1985
Well at least this wasn't just the same song from the mid 70's charting again for some arbitrary reason such as appearing in a TV commercial, that was a disturbingly common trend in the UK throughout the 80's and 90's that really does make going through their charts rather tedious to this day. Instead, this was a remix from Dutch DJ Ben Liebrand which nearly took the song to number one in NZ this year.
#51 for 1987 (#31 website)
Well, this is a surprise, mainly because it wound up being the least successful song that U2 had in NZ from the Joshua Tree despite it being their biggest hit here in Australia. For what it's worth, it was still a bigger hit over there than it was over here, meaning that the kiwis in general had allowed them to have more success over there than they did over here during this phase of their career.
#57 for 1987 (#32 website)
This was a medley of two covers from 70's staples that Will to Power made that became a number one hit in their native America, those two songs being "Baby I love your way" from Peter Frampton and "Freebird" from Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was a flop in most parts of the world except for NZ where it became a big hit for the band likely due to the kiwis nostalgia for the two tracks this year.
#52 for 1989
This was a moderate success here in Australia; however, it charted too low to appear on this list as it took its sweet time in finding an audience here from the end of the previous year. It was also slow in finding an audience in NZ, however once it did, it lingered in the upper half of their charts long enough to qualify for this list of mine, which allows me to feature one of the more seductive RNB tracks of the decade.
#88 for 1984 (#45 website)
I told you we'd revisit this one and only hit from Visage didn't I? here we are with that big hit from the band which like I said earlier, the kiwis mostly passed up in favour of the Ultravox entry we looked at. Midge would find success over there with his solo hit "If I was" before he faded into obscurity like he did everywhere else in the world.
#84 for 1981
These guys were on a roll as they released the lead single to their third and final album this year, it wouldn't be the biggest hit from said album as that would come the following year with "Magic" but this was nonetheless big enough to convince Dave Dobbyn to embark on a solo career once the album cycle came to an end.
#82 for 1984
These guys appeared on the Australian side of my site thanks to the success of their second album from the 90's, now they appear with their debut single which managed to become a huge success in NZ this year as well as their native UK likely thanks to Celtic music still being in vogue in both countries this far into the 80's. I get the feeling if these guys broke through earlier in the decade, this would've also been a hit down under.
#46 for 1988 (#39 website)
Well not even their stalking anthem was able to become that big of a success for the Police in NZ, it was still a hit hence its placement on this list, however they certainly weren't too keen on making it a number one hit over there like it was in America and their native UK. I know people have made jokes about this song for decades now, but it really does seem like the sweetest song in the world if you don't read into the lyrics.
#72 for 1983 (#35 website)
This was one of two big hits that the Blow monkeys had in NZ, indeed this was also a minor hit here in Australia this year but too minor to appear on that side of my site like it does here. This is further proof that the kiwis had welcomed sophistopop with open arms this year given how it had no trouble finding an audience with all of the competition we've looked at so far on this list.
#72 for 1986
This was the only hit that Ray Goodman and Brown were able to achieve throughout their career in NZ and their native America, I'm guessing they would've had better luck if black music supposedly wasn't facing backlash at the height of their popularity, however as we've established on this list alone that wasn't the case, I think it's more the kiwis and their fellow Americans only liked this one and only song from them.
#70 for 1980
They may not have been as successful in NZ as they were here in Australia, however the Village people were still able to find success with their final Australian hit over there which also happens to be the title track of their autobiographical film of how they came to be in the first place. Also, it's yet another disco hit that came about this year in several parts of the world, although not in their native America.
#63 for 1980
This was another big hit in Australia that wasn't quite as big in NZ this year, although this time I think it's more due to the fact the kiwis didn't want older songs that already had their chance at making it big to mingle with the first hits of MTV but capitulated on this track due to how popular it was everywhere else in the world for Charlene.
#58 for 1982 (#40 website)
I'm guessing the kiwis were only as big of fans of the Bill Murray flick Scrooged as we Aussies were given how this theme song from Annie Lennox and Al Green appeared to be equally as successful in both countries (taking into account it had stiffer competition over there than it did over here.) This would be the final hit either of them would have in their careers regardless of what they released afterwards.
#82 for 1989
Well, I'm unsure if the original from Martha and the Vandellas was a success or not in NZ, if it was then this was merely a misguided cover of that classic made for charity over there. If it wasn't as the case here in Australia, then this was likely the kiwis introducing to that classic from two of the biggest names in rock and roll history.
#37 for 1985 (#13 website)
Well, this was a song that was far less successful for Cyndi Lauper in NZ than it was here in Australia, then again, Cyndi's popularity was much bigger here overall given how only her debut single and album were able to match the success over there they had down under. Considering Madonna's dominance over there over the last few lists, I think it's safe to say the kiwis were already ready to discard Cyndi at this point.
#63 for 1986 (#50 website)
Well, it remains a classic to this day and was the third single from Reckless, so naturally this song from Bryan Adams was bound to reappear on this list on a much higher position than it appeared on the Australian side of my site. That said, it's curious how this was the only hit that he had in NZ throughout the 80's as "Heaven" was a massive flop over there and "Run to you" was only a minor hit.
#69 for 1985 (#48 website)
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