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

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

This was the first of two big hits that Jimmy Cliff had in NZ, the other was his cover of the Johnny Nash track "I can see clearly now" from the Cool running's soundtrack exactly a decade after this was a hit for him. Given how reggae music was massively popular in NZ (especially songs from Jamaican artists) it seems fitting that this hit from Jimmy Cliff would be as such over there.

#46 for 1984 (#31 website)

This was the first big hit that Herbs had in their homeland, Herbs of course being the band who collaborated with Dave Dobbyn's one and only hit here in Australia later in the decade. They were much more popular over there for two reasons, the first was they were a Maoris band and the second was that they used reggae in their sound.

#73 for 1982 (#43 website)

This had a bit of a delay to its success in Australia given how it was already a huge hit in NZ by the time it was released as a single down under, indeed the kiwis and the Brits were the reasons why this was a hit for Fat Larry's band as this was a massive flop in his native America likely due to it sounding like it belonged in the previous decade.

#32 for 1982

#30 for 1983

We didn't have any of Talking heads songs on the Australian side of my site, did we? Well let's rectify that with the first of two entries on this list which is this lead single to their biggest album Little creatures which was a huge hit for the band over there despite it being a huge flop here in Australia. The success of their singles from this album was inverted over there as "And she was" was the big hit here despite it flopping over there.

#65 for 1985 (#37 website)

Considering how well-loved Talking Heads were in NZ back in the day, I'm surprised that this had a slight delay to its release over there as it was already a modest success here in Australia by the time it saw the light of day over there. I guess this explains why the song was merely equally as successful in both countries as opposed to it being a much bigger success over there as you would expect.

#53 for 1988 (#40 website)

It looks like these guys were a one hit wonder depending on which country you're from in the southern hemisphere, in Australia it was with "Love rears its ugly head" whereas in NZ it was this lead single to their debut album Vivid which was also a huge success over there this year for the funk rock band. I'm not sure why their success wasn't more in harmony in the southern hemisphere, but that's how it panned out for them.

#49 for 1989 (#11 website)

I guess this was meant to be NZ's rendition of the Cars track of the same name from the previous year (well similar if you discount the parenthesis) here we have the band's third and final hit they had in their homeland before they called it quits to allow Dave Dobbyn to embark on a highly successful solo career.

#57 for 1985

This is the only hit single to come from German singer Drafi Deutscher, it was originally released two years prior to massive success throughout Europe before finally seeing the light of day late the previous year here in Australia. It was too much of a sleeper hit to make it on that side of my site, however the kiwis made it more of an immediate success once it finally saw the light of day over there.

#61 for 1985 (#47 website)

This was equally as successful for Joan Armatrading in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because it was due to it being released at a time where musicians of colour were able to find success with the new wave genre given how their bread and butter up until this point was with either RNB or disco. The album this serves as a lead single to wasn't her biggest album in NZ as that honour went to My myself I from the start of the decade.

#63 for 1983 (#46 website)

The original from Norman Greenbaum wasn't even a hit in NZ back in the day, meaning that it's likely the kiwis won't even realise this is a cover of a song that was released around the time of the Jesus Christ superstar phenomenon. This perhaps explains why it was slightly bigger over there than it was here in Australia as we would've been torn if we appreciated a hair metal cover of a hippy track or not.

#45 for 1986 (#48 website)

I'm not sure why "Bizarre love triangle" was a flop for New order in NZ and their native UK, I guess the kiwis and Brits were becoming tired of their brand of alternative dance music which is likely why they felt the need to make the video for this track as bizarre as they possibly could to reinvigorate interest in their music in both countries. Needless to say, this tactic paid off for them.

#49 for 1987 (#42 website)

You know this song was inescapable in NZ throughout the 80's when you consider the fact that even with the original being the longest running song of the decade, this still managed to go to number one five years after its initial release over there. Unfortunately for the band, this is where their popularity over there began to dwindle likely due to how overexposed they felt at the time.

#39 for 1988 (#11 website)

This was the third single for the Pet shop boys in NZ, naturally since the kiwis got the album cycle for their debut correct, it proved to be a massive hit for them as opposed to here in Australia where I'm pretty sure it didn't even chart (and if it did it was only barely.) This proved the duo were here to stay as their second single "Love comes quickly" wasn't as big over there (although it's still to come on this list.)

#47 for 1986 (#30 website)

I guess Chicago had a harder time adapting to the MTV era as far as the kiwis were concerned given how much less popular this was over there compared to the rest of the world, once again it was a sleeper hit there which is why it's only taken until now for it to appear on this side of my site.

Hit in 1982 (#48 website)

You better believe that a song with this as it's cover art managed to become a hit in NZ back in the day, in fact I don't know how the kiwis allowed this to be a hit given how it came oh so close to appearing on my 1981 list due to how well it did over there back in the day. Suffice to say, this was the Dead Kennedy's only hit anywhere in the world due to the vulgarity of their music not being well received in the mainstream.

Hit in 1981

This is another song that came oh so close to appearing on a main list on this side of my site, alas this got lost in the shuffle during the early months of 1985 to do so even if it lasted long enough for it to become a sleeper hit for Sheena Easton over there like it was internationally.

Hit in 1985

This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia for Paul Young, I'm guessing because the kiwis were suddenly more interested in the works of Marvin Gaye given how much more popular Marvin's entry from earlier was over there compared to over here. Aside from "Love of the common people," everything Paul released was more successful in NZ during his career.

#69 for 1983

This almost made it to number one in NZ, in fact were it not for U2's fourth single from the Joshua tree, this would've been the second number one hit for a rapper which would've been a massive achievement considering how Eric B and Rakim never had much success in their native America during their time together. If you couldn't tell from the title of the album cover, this is a song about the struggles of wealth and fame.

#35 for 1988 (#30 website)

This was far less popular in NZ than it was internationally, in fact it didn't even begin to become popular until the early months of this year as opposed to it already being a top ten hit over here the previous year and a chart topper in his native America. Either the kiwis were quickly becoming fed up with his brand of RNB or they really didn't like the film this was attached to (which won him an Oscar no less.)

#88 for 1986

This was the only hit that Jonathan Butler had in NZ, he was an African performer who had a bit of success in the UK around this time but no one who was inescapable in the 80's. Ruby Turner on the other hand was very much popular in NZ as this was the first of several big hits she had over there, it would even be the advanced single to her debut album which was also a massive hit for her there.

#46 for 1986 (#32 website)

This was the other big hit that Willie Nelson had in NZ following the success of his collaboration with Julio Iglesias the previous year, although he's completely overshadowed here by his duet partner on this track as this was the final hit that Ray Charles was able to achieve in his career. Ray was still very much active in the music industry in the 80's as he would frequently collaborate with younger artists of the day.

#71 for 1985 (#43 website)

I bet you were wondering if this was a hit over in NZ given how I've featured "Secret lovers" on this side of my site from Atlantic Starr on my 1986 list, indeed this was a hit for the band albeit a sleeper hit even though it was massively popular in the northern hemisphere likely due to it being the perfect RNB ballad of the moment that sums up the cheesy ballads of the decade perfectly.

Hit in 1987 (#47 website)

Unlike here in Australia where this was Billy Ocean's biggest hit, in NZ it was one of his weaker hits as the kiwis didn't seem to be as impressed with this theme to the Jewel of the Nile as we Aussies were back in the day. Still, it was a huge hit for the British crooner over there, meaning they just felt there were other more worthy songs back then to make a huge hit which we've looked at on this list.

#48 for 1986 (#23 website)

I did mention when I talked about the album this came from that this title track of said album was a huge hit in NZ, here it is proving that fact even though it was more of a sleeper hit despite it having a rather decent peak position which it achieved when the album dropped. It will be the duo's only appearance with one of their singles on this site due to none of their other songs charting in the southern hemisphere.

Hit in 1982 (#45 website)

This was equally as successful for Mike Oldfield in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing it was because of the vocals from Maggie Reilly who gives a compelling performance on this song about the narrator losing the love of their life to a drug overdose. There were a number of songs like this to make it big over the years, although I think this was the first of its kind to become a success.

#64 for 1983 (#44 website)

Well, this is a surprise, mainly because not only was this less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia or even America, but it wasn't even among Wham's most popular songs over there as several of their other hits back in the day were more popular over there than this signature track from the duo.

#42 for 1984 (#23 website)

Well, here we are ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, the first hip hop track to go to number one in NZ which should tell you how serious the kiwis were at making the genre a household name compared to America where it originated. It was also Run DMC's only hit outside their native America for many years, although they finally got out of the one hit wonder bin in the late 90's with a few remixes.

#14 for 1986 (#27 website)

#21 for 1987

This was the only hit that British singer Haywoode was able to achieve anywhere in the world, although how it became a hit in NZ is anyone's guess as it flopped on the British charts upon its initial release. I'm guessing the kiwis were really on board with making Stock Aiken Waterman a commercial success as this was another song to be produced by the trio which also happens to have a woman of colour performing on it.

#50 for 1986 (#33 website)

Although this charted higher in NZ than it did here in Australia, it wound up being equally as successful in both countries thanks to how quirky the song is from the unconventional singer Matthew Wilder. Also, something both countries have in common is that the cover version from the 90's wound up being more successful, possibly due to nostalgia we Aussies and kiwis had of this track over a decade after its release.

#58 for 1984 (#42 website)

So, a funny story affiliated with this song, apparently the Bush Sr administration used it as a theme song for their campaign despite Bobby McFerrin being a firm supporter of the Democrat party which meant that he wasn't too thrilled at the lack of consent he had for having this song be used in a campaign for a party he didn't even support. This resulted in a lawsuit that was quickly settled out of court.

#18 for 1988 (#17 website)

#16 for 1989

Not only was this far less popular in NZ than it was here in Australia this year, but it also appears that it needed to be a success here in order for it to be a success over there given how much later it charted over there compared to over here. I guess the kiwis were a bit put off by the Japanese riff the song uses, that or they didn't appreciate the masturbation metaphors which the band insists were unintentional to this day.

#79 for 1980

Given how inescapable Talking heads were over in NZ this decade, it only makes sense that their theme to the film True stories would be more of a success over there than it was over here for them even if the soundtrack itself was only equally successful in both countries. I'm guessing the film was poorly received by us Aussies and kiwis back in the day as this was the last success they had in either country.

#57 for 1986 (#44 website)

Well, the kiwis didn't seem to be as impressed with this love letter to the Shandi's of the world as we Aussies were, then again Kiss in general wasn't that successful over there as this and "I was made for loving you" will be their only songs to appear on this side of my site as well as the two albums these songs respectively came from.

#69 for 1980 (#47 website)

This is another entry that only barely missed the cut from appearing on one of my lists due to how much of a sleeper hit it was over in NZ, indeed it appears the kiwis were nowhere near as impressed with this sellout from Steve Miller as the rest of the world was given how it only managed to become a success by charting for quite some time in the lower half of their charts.

Hit in 1982 (#50 website)

This proved to be an even bigger success for Debarge in NZ this year than it was here in Australia, it's no surprise why as this is a Motown track made by a Motown band which means it's more of a surprise it made it big down under than anything else. That said, these guys are still a one hit wonder in NZ as none of their other hits on Billboard managed to crossover internationally.

#50 for 1985 (#28 website)

Well, this is a song I wasn't expecting to feature this low on this list, I honestly would've thought the kiwis would be more on board with Diana Ross collaborating with the Brothers Gibb more than they were back in the day considering A: their support for their collaboration with Dionne Warwick earlier in the decade and B: the staggering success Diana had over there with her hits.

#53 for 1986 (#36 website)

This was another song that could've made the cut on the Australian side of my site had I allowed myself to include as many minor hits in Australia throughout the years as there were, as such it missed the cut but was fortunately a much bigger hit in NZ for David Bowie likely due to how inescapably popular he was over there throughout the 80's.

#78 for 1984

While as far as the rest of the world is concerned, "Hold me now" was where it all began for the Thompson twins, in NZ this was the beginning of their popularity likely due to the presence of Alannah Currie who was a former NZ journalist before joining the band shortly before this was released as a single. That said, it was another sleeper hit hence its absence on this site up until this point.

Hit in 1983

It's little surprise that this was more of an immediate hit in NZ than it was here in Australia given how the acid house sub-genre had reigned supreme over there and throughout Europe this year, it also explains how Sonique would eventually find more success over there when she embarked on her solo career than she did over here given that the kiwis clearly had fond memories of this track when that happened over us Aussies.

#62 for 1988

This was originally recorded back in 1978 and likely meant to appear on Bob Marley's Kaya album, it does sound similar to the big hit from that album "Is this love" musically even if lyrically it's a song about American soldiers of colour forced to fight for a country that had little to know respect for them. It was a minor to huge success for the Jamaican icon posthumously everywhere in the world except of course America where it didn't even chart.

#62 for 1983 (#31 website)

Given how Dave Dobbyn managed to achieve massive success following the release of the theme to Footrot flats from earlier on this list, it only makes sense that Herbs would also capitalise off that song's success by releasing their new album which contained their biggest hit in the form of its lead single.

#80 for 1987 (#35 website)

Well, this also proved to be a big hit for Fine Young Cannibals in NZ, it was equally as successful over there as it was over here for the quirky trio given how the song also managed to top the Billboard charts like their earlier entry did. It's a shame that their first album from earlier in the decade didn't do so well over there considering how it put them on the map in most parts of the world.

#68 for 1989 (#24 website)

This wasn't as big for Madonna in NZ as it was here in Australia, in fact Madonna's popularity overall wasn't as big in NZ as it was internationally despite her still being very popular over there as the decade was coming to an end. Still, this was an inevitable success for her given that it's an empowerment anthem about not settling for superficial cues in a relationship and demanding the absolute best from one's partner.

#48 for 1989 (#33 website)

This will be the only song from Nik Kershaw that will appear on this side of my site as he unfortunately didn't have much success in NZ like he did here in Australia and his native UK, although it's worth noting that this at least did far better over there than it did over here likely due to them being amused by the music video where the director predicts Jim Carrey's performance as the Riddler a decade before it happened.

#75 for 1985

There will only be two entries from John Cougar Mellencamp on the NZ side of my site, although at least they'll be two new entries to this site as he was unable to score any further hits in Australia after the lead single to his biggest album the Lonesome jubilee. This was that album's second single which became his first hit over there as well as the song that finally allowed him to have mainstream success in NZ.

#63 for 1988

This was only a minor success here in Australia for Paul Hardcastle, I guess we Aussies were already becoming fed up with songs about the Vietnam war and so didn't need a spoken word rendition of "I was only 19" from Redgum but with original lyrics from the British musician. It was a much bigger hit in NZ given how the kiwis were likely unfamiliar with the Australian classic from two years prior.

#47 for 1985 (#6 website)

Well, this is a surprise, mainly because I wasn't expecting to have this E.P perform better in NZ than it did here in Australia. I guess this was marketed as the debut entry from the Reels which would explain how it managed to achieve much bigger success over there than it did over here, although it wouldn't do them any favours for their later catalogue.

#69 for 1981 (#44 website)

Well, you normally shouldn't judge a song by its cover art, however looking at the cover art to this breakthrough single from the Fat boys, were you really expecting anything other than a fun throwback to a more innocent time in surf rock? Somehow the hip hop trio managed to recruit the Beach boys to recreate the instrumental they sampled for this track which is perhaps why it succeeded in NZ this year.

#59 for 1987

I guess the kiwis were also fans of this one and only hit from Pete Shelley back in the day, although it was noticeably less successful over there than it was over here likely through a combination of them finding it more annoying than us Aussies and not getting into the bizarre music video like we did.

#75 for 1982

It looks like the kiwis gave J Geils band a similar road to success as we Aussies did as this second single managed to become a hit for the band over there just like it did over here following the success of their earlier single on this list. Given how this had less competition over there than it did over here, it allowed it to become a bigger hit and thus, score a higher placement on this side of my site.

#68 for 1982

I guess the kiwis were a bit intrigued with this debut single from Whitney Houston when it initially came out given how it did chart for a little while upon its initial release over there, this would explain why it didn't chart very well when it was released with a music video a year after its release there which would've made it impossible to appear on this side of my site were it not for this list of mine.

Hit in 1986

I'm flabbergasted that this wasn't a bigger hit in NZ than it wound up being considering how inescapable their earlier entry was this year over there, I guess the kiwis felt these guys were more suited to being an albums band given how both of their albums from this year saw way more success over there than any of theirs singles again save for their earlier entry on this list.

#79 for 1982 (#49 website)

Well, this didn't fly straight up to number one in NZ like it did here in Australia, although it nearly did as the kiwis were also looking forward to seeing Tina Turner's acting debut in the film, she was commissioned to write a theme song to Mad Max beyond ThunderDome. Although she would score two more hits over there in her career, this would be the last hit of hers to really take their music scene by storm.

#44 for 1985 (#24 website)

Considering how inescapable this was here in Australia as well as the rest of the world for Kim Wilde, it's a bit surprising to see that this was only a sleeper hit at best for her over there even if this was what ultimately got her out of the one hit wonder bin following her earlier appearance on this list. For what it's worth, the original was a bigger hit in NZ according to the Listener charts.

Hit in 1987

Given how popular Sister Sledge were in NZ with their earlier material, it only makes sense that this nursery pop ballad would be a bigger hit over there than it was over here in Australia for them. The interesting think about this song is that its biggest success came from the UK where this topped the British charts, I'm guessing the Brits really appreciated the girls venturing into nursery pop with this number.

#53 for 1985 (#35 website)

Well, it might have been about six months late to it being a success in NZ, however this second single from Wet wet wet's discography did become a success over there likely due to it being released at the height of the sophistopop craze that was taking over the world in the mid to late 80's. Their popularity in Australia was nonexistent until the 90's when "Sweet surrender" became a surprise success for the band.

#55 for 1988 (#38 website)

You may recognise Marc Almond as the vocalist from Soft cell from earlier in the decade, well here he is covering another obscure track from yesteryear by recruiting Gene Pitney who also covered this song from an obscure 60's group back in the day to massive success in NZ and Marc's native UK. This was one more hit that Gene Pitney managed to score after the 60's following "Blue angel" from 1975.

#73 for 1989 (#42 website)

We had several entries from my 1988 list that I would consider "fan singles," so it's little surprise that we have a genuine hit from that year over in NZ that sailed to appear on this side of my site so far due to it being pushed aside by many of the songs that did make the cut for that list. Here we are with the only hit that Robert Cray had given how he was more of an album’s artist than a singles artist.

Hit in 1988 (#48 website)

We have a second appearance from Joan Armatrading on this list, this time it's with her breakthrough single which promised her a healthy amount of success going into the 80's given how the album of the same name remains her most successful in her homeland. Alas she only had one more hit with her earlier entry on this list which failed to become as such in her homeland.

Hit in 1980

This was the only hit that Bob Dylan managed to achieve over in NZ, even taking into account the Listener charts, he never had another hit over there as the kiwis considered him to be more of an album artist as he had tons of success with his albums over there. I'm guessing they made an exception for this ballad due to it being the most pop friendly of his singles in his catalogue.

#63 for 1985 (#40 website)

Well, I guess the kiwis were more neutral to Mondays than the rest of the world was, not so much that this would be a flop for the Bangles but just enough that it would underperform over there compared to here, the UK and their native America. It could also be the kiwis not being that into the girl band as their popularity overall was considerably less so over there than it was internationally.

#59 for 1986 (#46 website)

I didn't realise just how popular the Nolans were back in the day given how they're a one hit wonder here in Australia, this was sandwiched between their two earlier entries from their release schedule and was destined to be a flop until "Gotta pull myself together" nearly topped the NZ charts which helped this become a sleeper hit for the girls over there.

Hit in 1981

This was a massive hit for Duran Duran around the world back in the day, although I get the feeling that if they had of gone with "The reflex" as the lead single to their third album they would've had a song as inescapable as some of the earlier entries on this list worldwide given how popular that would become from the album. At least these guys would continue to have success well into the second half of the 80's in NZ as opposed to Australia.

#20 for 1983 (#42 website)

#15 for 1984

This was the only success that the NZ band the Mockers managed to achieve in their homeland, it was a massive success for them but not enough to grant them any other hits there or a crossover success in Australia.

#13 for 1984

#12 for 1985

This is where it all began for Pat Benatar as it was the lead single to her debut album, it for some reason was a massive flop in her native America which would explain why it was only a sleeper hit for her over in NZ as well as a flop here in Australia. I'm a bit surprised that she didn't find more success in the southern hemisphere given how well beloved she remains on oldies stations to this day.

Hit in 1980

This was released fairly soon in Australia after it became a UK chart topper for Dead or alive, as a result, it was also a big hit here due to it being the second track to be produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman for an LGBT act. This was released on time in NZ where it didn't end up being a big a hit over there, although it was big enough that it was the first hit over there to be produced by the trio.

#73 for 1985 (#36 website)

This proved to be equally as successful for both parties involved in NZ as it did here in Australia, although it did take a bit longer to reach its peak over there than it did over here likely because it came from an otherwise underwhelming album from Queen. Both parties would continue to see massive success as the decade moved along due to them adapting to the MTV era very well.

#47 for 1981

#45 for 1982

This was the first of only two hits that Heart achieved in NZ as "All I wanna do is make love to you" was the only other hit they had over there almost a decade later, although this was one of many songs they had that failed to make it big down under for whatever reason. As it turns out, this is a cover of an early Aaron Neville track who's best known for his duet with Linda Ronstadt later in the decade.

#65 for 1981

Unlike in Australia where this was the only hit that David Bowie had this year, the kiwis were willing to give him two hits over in NZ with this theme to the critically panned film of the same name being the first of these two hits he scored over there. From what I can gather, the film's backlash came mostly from its convoluted plot rather than any acting faults from Bowie, meaning his involvement had nothing to do with its failure.

#73 for 1986 (#37 website)

This was a bit delayed in NZ given how there seemed to be this unwritten rule throughout the 80's that Bananarama wasn't going to crossover until they began collaborating with Stock Aitken and Waterman on their fourth album, we Aussies broke this rule by having this nearly top our charts which allowed the kiwis to follow suit by making this a hit for the trio shortly after it became a big hit here.

#40 for 1982

#38 for 1983

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this song's success given how it was a Pet shop boys track during the 80's, however I am mainly because it has Dusty Springfield on vocals which makes this the first hit she had anywhere in the world since "Son of a preacher man" back in the late 60's. I guess you can say that this was the trio's response to "I knew you were waiting" from earlier on this list due to it thematically being the opposite of that track.

#64 for 1987 (#45 website)

From what I can gather, Teri Desario was one of the backup singers for KC and the Sunshine band who scored her one and only hit as a lead artist with this rendition of an obscure 60's track. It was produced by Harry Casey which suggests it was originally meant for the band but given to her in order to boost her career.

#65 for 1980

Although he already scored his two biggest hits in NZ with INXS from earlier on this list and "Forever now" with his old band Cold chisel, Jimmy Barnes was still able to find massive success with the lead single to his second album (or third depending on your point of view with Bodyswerve/For the working class man) which was indeed the biggest hit of his solo career over there just like it was here.

#35 for 1987

#29 for 1988

Grace Jones was on a roll around this time given how she not only scored yet another hit in NZ with this title track from her (then) latest album, but she also received critical acclaim for her performance in the James Bond flick A view to a kill and is generally considered to be the highlight of an otherwise critically panned film in the franchise.

#35 for 1985

#31 for 1986

This was the only song that Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam (what a stupid band name) managed to achieve outside of their native America, it's a song I've seen be frequently compared to Motown due to its throwback style in the production as well as Lisa's vocals being reminiscent of the likes of Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick. Naturally this caught on with the kiwis, however we Aussies were clearly unimpressed.

#75 for 1987 (#41 website)

This was one of the biggest hits of the decade in Australia, so to see it appear this low on this list should give you an idea of how different the music landscape was here and in NZ around this time. I guess the kiwis didn't find this to be a groovy cover of the Mindbenders original, or rather they just felt that it wasn't good enough to be worth making it one of the defining hits of the 80's over there.

#33 for 1988 (#31 website)

I still can't believe how much less successful the Police were in NZ compared to Australia, at least three of their songs will be making a second appearance on this site with this lead single from their penultimate album Ghost in the machine being the second of those three entries.

#56 for 1981

#56 for 1982

I did mention earlier that the release schedule for Prince's album 1999 was slightly different in NZ than it was here in Australia, meaning that this was pushed as the lead single over there whilst the title track was the follow up even though this came out the same time in both countries. As a result, it lasted quite a while longer over there, hence why it qualified for this list despite being a sleeper hit.

Hit in 1983

This was the slightly bigger hit for the Eurythmics in NZ, likely because it was their biggest hit in their native UK due to how opulent the song is in their catalogue. We'll be revisiting their big hit in Australia this year in a bit, but it's worth noting that their popularity overall in NZ was quickly dwindling with their singles despite it growing exponentially with their albums.

#58 for 1985 (#39 website)

Much like in Australia, only the original version of this cover from Kylie Minogue managed to become a success over in NZ this year, likely because the kiwis were intrigued by how Charlene from Neighbours was able to score a massive hit this year with this cover and decided to check it out. This makes it the second cover of the Little Eva track to make it big over there following the disco rendition from the start of the decade.

#67 for 1987

Given how he had one of the biggest albums of the decade in NZ (even if it was far from THE biggest album of the decade over there) it makes sense that the lead single to John Farnham's follow-up to Whispering jack would also be a massive success over there even if its low placement on this list was due to most of its success being confided to the lower half of their charts.

#71 for 1988 (#41 website)

It's odd that these guys would be far more successful international than they were in their native America even if they were the type of rockabilly band that would appeal to the fans of Shaking Stevens and Racey from around this time, this was their only notable hit in NZ even though "Runaway boys" was the big hit that they had here in Australia (well it was a sleeper hit at least.)

#76 for 1981

I guess the kiwis really weren't that big of fans of Phil Collins as we Aussies were as this was another one of his big hits this decade to find less success over there than it did over here, it could also be that the kiwis felt precious about the Supremes back catalogue as Kim Wilde noticeably saw far less success over there with her cover of "You keep me hanging on" from later in the decade than she did internationally as well.

#66 for 1983

We have another sleeper hit to make it onto this list, this time it's the debut single from Fine young cannibals which was a huge hit in NZ upon its initial release and likely would've made the cut for my 1985 list had there not been so much competition which shoved it to the lower half of their charts for as long as it did. At least this means that their debut album had some form of success over there.

Hit in 1985 (#46 website)

Given how this track was delayed worldwide to allow "Always on my mind" to be a success following the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, it was a massive flop everywhere in the world except for NZ where it was one of their biggest hits in their catalogue over there. This might have something to do with collectors wanting two copies of the song as there's a different cover featuring each of the members available.

#40 for 1988 (#23 website)

I wasn't expecting to feature a track from Love over gold on this list, however it turns out this was a decent hit in NZ likely due to it being a massive hit for Dire straits in their homeland. This was the only single the band released from the album as they released "Twisting by the pool" as their next single which obviously came with its own E.P.

Hit in 1982

It's a bit weird that Mental as anything saw massive success in NZ prior to their earlier entry given how they weren't among the most successful Aussie bands here in their homeland, however they saw a lot of success with their third album over there likely due to how the lead single managed to stick around for quite some time on the lower half of their charts.

Hit in 1981

Well, it appears that the film this ballad was named after didn't appeal as much to the kiwis as it did internationally, then again Phil's solo career over there has been noticeably less successful given how this was one of his highest charting singles over there despite it not getting to number one. In fact, he never had a number one hit over there both solo and with Genesis, unless of course you count that ad jingle from 2008.

#54 for 1984 (#41 website)

This song is known for two things nowadays, the first is for the music video which has the same style of CGI animation that was a success for Dire straits around this time and the second is that the lead vocalist of the band was Margaret Urlich who would go on to have massive success as a solo artist in the 90's.

#9 for 1985

#7 for 1986

This was the lead single to MJ's album Bad; it was only barely a hit in Australia likely due to it being another duet that led off a highly successful album which didn't go over very well the last time that happened. Fortunately, the kiwis were more open to this duet as he recruits unknown singer Sediah Garrett to make a romantic love ballad to lead off the album.

#61 for 1987 (#29 website)

If you were surprised by the Cult's entry from my 1987 list on this side of my site, you'll be dumbstruck to learn that this actually topped the NZ charts this year which goes to show you how hip the kiwis were to what the internet would describe as the cool side of the decade back in the day. Sadly, they didn't have much success going into the 90's despite them fitting in perfectly with that scene.

#45 for 1989 (#13 website)

This came so close to appearing on my 1989 list; however, it got lost in the shuffle with all the fan singles that did make it on that list which should give you an idea of how getting to number one meant absolutely nothing by the late 80's in NZ just like it was here in Australia. For whatever reason, this was credited as "Belfast child" here in Australia and their native UK but was properly credited as the Ballad of the streets E.P in NZ.

Hit in 1989 (#49 website)

This was the last hit that the Eagles managed to score before their infamous concert at the start of the decade, I guess they were on a roll over in NZ given how this managed to be a sleeper hit over there. It somewhat boosted the sales of their album the Long run given how the title track was a huge flop over there despite it receiving tons of airplay on oldies stations to this day.

Hit in 1980

This was another successful song from an Australian band in NZ this year, I guess the kiwis found this bouncy enough for it to be a success for the Eurogliders given how it was this bounciness and the lyrics about if heaven really does exist or not were the reasons why it nearly topped the Australian charts this year. They're sadly a one hit wonder over there as none of their other singles or albums charted.

#59 for 1984

Given how songs from highly successful albums weren't impacted by said albums success over in NZ like they were here in Australia, this allowed the second single from Born in the U.S.A to become a massive hit over there where it was only a minor hit over here this year for Bruce Springsteen. That said, this was the only song from the album to benefit from this arrangement over there for him.

#84 for 1984

Jody Watley was the sole female member of Shalamar who already had a massive hit from the start of the decade with "The second time around" in NZ, here she is seven years later with this solo single which became a big hit over there likely due to the success of Janet Jackson boosting the popularity of this type of song worldwide. It was a minor hit for her here in Australia, but too minor to be noteworthy for this site.

#65 for 1987

I'm a bit surprised that this proved to be the big hit off of Whispering jack in NZ for John Farnham, granted "You're the voice" did eventually become a hit over there, however it was only a sleeper hit that would've still missed out on this list had its success been more compacted over there like this was. The only conclusion to this is that the kiwis genuinely preferred this track over that back in the day.

#70 for 1987 (#49 website)

Well Star Trek fans, I hope you can stomach the appearance of this novelty track from the band the Firm once more as it managed to become a hit in NZ in addition to here in Australia and their native UK this year. At least it wasn't quite as big over there as it was in either country, although I'm not sure if that's because the kiwis didn't find the song as funny as we did or if they didn't even realise what Star Trek was at the time.

#52 for 1987 (#20 website)

Although he would have a moderate success in NZ ten years later with "For your love," as far as the rest of the world is concerned, this is the final hit that Stevie Wonder had in his career. It was a huge chart topper for him in NZ and his native America this year, likely due to him being immensely popular this year thanks to his Oscar winning ballad from earlier on this list as well as his affiliation with USA for Africa.

#17 for 1985 (#34 website)

In a strange coincidence, this managed to be a success in NZ and even fell off their charts before "Ghostbusters" from Ray Parker Jr ever touched their charts, meaning that the kiwis were fully aware of how that song ripped this off musically as opposed to the rest of the world where this song underperformed in their mainstream. This only barely missed the cut for my official year end list for the record.

Hit in 1984

Well, this managed to be a hit for Steve Perry in NZ as well despite his band Journey also failing to score a single hit over there back in the day, in fact I'm surprised Journey didn't have any success outside their native America given how their arena rock would've fitted in perfectly with the MTV generation.

#65 for 1984

The legends are true people, Freddie Mercury did have a solo career away from Queen (although his decision to do so was done amicably with his band) with this cover of the Platter's track from the 50's being his biggest hit in NZ and his native UK during his lifetime. I'm not sure why this flopped here in Australia back in the day, although I can say the same thing about Queen's discography from the late 80's.

#58 for 1987

Well, it looks like the kiwis were also fans of the Joel Schumaker film this serves as the theme song to, either that or they really liked the theme song enough to make it equally as successful over there as it was over here. This was a number one hit on Billboard despite John Parr being British, although most people likely didn't realise he was from the UK given how he sounds like an American singer on here.

#62 for 1985

This was the final hit that the Carpenters had anywhere in the world, mainly because Karen would tragically die of anorexia the following year due to having an unhealthy eating lifestyle forced upon her which she was unable to recover from. It was another cover from the Marvelettes that the siblings made following their huge chart topper "Please Mr. postman" from almost a decade prior.

#72 for 1982

Well, this seemed like it should've been a shoe in for the Australian side of my site given how it was pushed as the third single here as opposed to their earlier entry, I guess the kiwis were impressed with the pencil styled animation in the video as well as this being a stripped back ballad from the band that they allowed it to be a hit over there even after all the success the album already had.

#71 for 1986 (#35 website)

This was a big hit in NZ likely due to "Who can it be now" being a massive failure over there from the previous year, I guess the kiwis were a bit slow in making these guys a household name and felt this would be the perfect way to atone for their tardy success they handed the band. This would unfortunately be their only other hit over there as their next album didn't produce a hit single for them.

#70 for 1982

Given how this was now the second single from Crowded house's debut album internationally, it was able to be a huge success in NZ and America meaning that they had a second hit in both countries before they did here in Australia back in the day. Admittedly this was a minor success here likely because of its international popularity, however it wasn't bigger due to being the fourth single from the album down under.

#60 for 1987

This was the second single to come from Prince's Sign ☮ the times album, this was far more conventional than his earlier entry due to the presence of Sheena Easton who is curiously uncredited on this track despite this clearly being a duet between the two singers.

#87 for 1987

Although Neil was the one to score a massive hit from the Young ones in their native UK, in NZ it was actually Alexei Sayle from the show that managed to have the big music career in NZ as he scored two hits over there with this being the bigger of the two. This is the type of humour you'd expect from 80's British comedy, which is perhaps why it managed to click with the kiwis, makes you wonder why we Aussies passed this up.

#64 for 1986 (#41 website)

Well, here's that third single from David Bowie's Let's dance that became a hit over in NZ this year, it may not have racked up the numbers like his other three hits did, however it was still a massive success for him likely due to it being a song originally written for and with Iggy Pop for his 70's output. Bowie took the punk track and made it more mainstream which resulted in its success.

#70 for 1983 (#38 website)

Well, it looks like the kiwis weren't as impressed with this pop friendly version of the trio's sound this year given how much less successful it was not only compared to what it achieved here in Australia, but also compared to both their earlier entry as well as Peter Gabriel's entry on this list. Still, it was inevitable that this would be a big hit for them over there given how popular they were at the time.

#68 for 1986

While it's not that surprising to see this reappear on this side of my site given how Shona Laing is a NZ artist who previously found success with "1905" in her homeland, what's surprising is that she had to find success over here in Australia before her fellow kiwis realised the beauty of this ballad given how it was a success over there long after it was over here this year.

#68 for 1987 (#36 website)

This was another hit that Wet wet wet managed to score in NZ this year, although at least their earlier entry did chart here in Australia which is more than I can say for this third single from their debut album (which also came out the previous year in their native UK.) They wouldn't score another hit over there until "Love is all around" from the Four weddings and a funeral soundtrack.

#68 for 1988

This is a bit of a surprise entry given how this flopped here in Australia for Jo Jo Zep, I'm guessing this was supposed to be the success that "Taxi Mary" was to receive over there given how that was his big solo hit following the demise of his backing band the Falcons the previous year which did chart prior to this song over there. This was around the time he would form his new band the Black Sorrows who didn't have any success over there.

#85 for 1983

Given how their earlier entry on this list finally broke these guys through to a mainstream audience in NZ, they no longer had any issues with finding success with their more traditional hair metal tracks such as this cover of the Loggins and Messina track that wasn't even a hit here in Australia due to how successful the album was over here by the time it was released as a single.

#70 for 1989 (#30 website)

Following the success of their E.P from earlier in the decade, the Chills were able to score a massive hit with this track from their debut album which helped said album climb up the charts this year after having a weak start to its success the previous year. Indeed, this was the full extent of their popularity from the project, however they would come back stronger than ever in the 90's with a chart-topping album.

#77 for 1987

I don't think I can understate just how overblown the disco backlash was in music history given how many 80's disco hits I've featured on this site, here's our latest new entry which comes to us from Leon Haywood who managed to chart around the same time as George Benson from earlier on this list with his one and only hit.

Hit in 1980

These guys were so popular over in NZ that they managed to achieve a second hit over there with this disco track, further proving that the genre was far from over as far as the kiwis were concerned. That said, I should point out that both of their hits this year did crossover in their native America even if neither of them saw the level of success on Billboard that they did internationally.

#73 for 1980

You'd think with all of the country making it big in NZ this year that this would've been an even bigger hit for Juice Newton over there, alas it wasn't as it only managed to be half as successful over there as it was over here. At least she was able to have both of her big hits here in Australia reappear on this side of my site as we'll be revisiting "Queen of hearts" later down this list.

#73 for 1981 (#50 website)

I would've thought this second single from Footloose would be even bigger in NZ considering A: the kiwis not allowing successful albums to impact the success of popular songs back in the day like we Aussies did and B: Deniece Williams already having a massive solo hit over there with "It's gonna take a miracle" from two years prior. I guess they weren't as invested in that scene in the movie where Kevin Bacon teaches that other kid how to dance as the rest of the world was.

#68 for 1984 (#43 website)

This was only a minor hit here in Australia this year, although at least it charted for a while here where it became a sleeper hit which is more than I can say for the likes of "Long hot summer" and "Walls come tumbling down" which have both surpassed this song as the signature tracks for the band. It was more of a success in NZ likely due to how the kiwis were quick in making them a household name over there.

#74 for 1984

There haven't been as many entries from the Eurythmics on this side of my as there have been on the Australian side, so it gives me great pleasure to finally feature the second single from Revenge on this site even if it was more of a sleeper hit over there back in the day. This did crack the Australian top ten upon its release; however, it was too much of a "fan single" as it quickly dropped of our charts after the fact.

Hit in 1986

This was one of only two hits that Orchestral manoeuvres in the dark (OMD for short) were able to achieve in NZ and indeed the southern hemisphere back in the day, this is curious considering how many hits they racked up in their native UK and that their brand of new wave would've been a shoe in for success during the height of MTV.

#82 for 1982

Much like the rest of the world, this was the final hit that Wham had in NZ before they called it quits as a duo so that George can become a solo artist and Andrew could pursue a career as a racecar driver. There's nothing more I can add to this entry that wouldn't just be me repeating what I said on the Australian side of my site.

#60 for 1986 (#47 website)

This was another easy hit from New order in NZ, it came right before their remix from earlier on this list which means that at this point, the kiwis were willing to make anything from the band a hit in their catalogue (except for "Bizarre love triangle" it seems.) This was a minor hit here in Australia, although I don't think we Aussies wanted to hear religious songs on the charts until Madonna released her next album.

#51 for 1988

Even though this song is in Spanish, it became the first hit from Julio Iglesias in the English-speaking parts of the world as it led to his first UK chart topper "Begin the beguine" later in the year. Of course, we Aussies didn't allow for him to have a hit in Australia until he learned English later in the decade which resulted in his first English speaking album, 1100 bel air place.

#75 for 1981

Even though their biggest hit is a remix of a track from their infamous 1997 album with the Wu tang clan in NZ, they did have a decent hit with their debut single over there likely due to how well it was received here in Australia as well as their native UK upon its initial release. As such, they remain a two-hit wonder over there like they do throughout the rest of the world with these two songs.

Hit in 1989

Before Janet Jackson became the most successful female member of the Jackson dynasty, Rebbie Jackson was a fairly decent singer herself which makes sense given how she's the oldest of the Jackson siblings. This was her one and only hit she had in NZ which was written by her younger brother Michael at the height of his fame and popularity.

#59 for 1985

Although this charted much higher in NZ than it did in Australia, it wound up only being equally as successful for Cameo over there as it was here likely due to it being even more delayed over there despite it being a funk track and the kiwis being into funk throughout the decade. I guess they felt this was a rip-off of Midnight Star's "Freak a zoid" from a few years prior.

#55 for 1987 (#30 website)

I guess the kiwis were able to hand Donna Summer one more hit in her career before completely turning their backs on her, admittedly this was close enough to disco that it could fit on her previous album Bad girls, so maybe they felt her foray towards feminism and Christianity was for only one song with Barbra Streisand but were then proving wrong with what she did throughout the 80's.

#66 for 1980

I get the feeling this song was originally recorded around the time "Candy girl" was released as a single, that's the best explanation I have for why Ralph Tresvant has such a high-pitched voice on this track despite him supposedly hitting puberty by the time the song was released. Naturally this flopped here in Australia due this criticism, however it was the group's first hit in their native America.

#60 for 1985

This nearly made the cut for appearing on one of my official yearend lists given how much the Thompson twins were on a roll in NZ when they released the lead single to their third album, indeed this continued their doctor theme from their debut likely in an attempt to get fans excited for said album which worked wonders for them with the kiwis but not so much with us Aussies.

Hit in 1985