I wanted to do a follow up to my OZ Media list by covering the thirteen years prior to when those charts were calculated, the problem of course is that no such alternate charts exist which combines the ARIA and AMR charts of 1988-1992 (as well as there being no alternate charts here prior to that since the Go-set charts ended in 1974.) As such, I've decided to rank the biggest hits of the 80's and early 90's based on how long they charted here back in the day, this means I'll be including several songs which were sleeper hits here during that time that failed to make my official lists due to charting mostly outside of the top twenty here back in the day. As usual, any commentary from returning entries on this list have been unaltered as I feel the change of their placements on this list compared to my earlier lists should speak volumes as to how their success played out here upon their initial releases.
It seemed like these guys were accused of being frauds much like Milli Vanilli this year, as such they gave a live concert proving that they sung on their songs which got them in the clear in the music industry. Before all of this went down, they released the title track to their third album which became a massive hit for them worldwide, although it would be their final hit due to those allegations.
There's a really touching quote that I want to share that Cyndi gave when she was asked about why she was the way she was when her second single from her debut album went to number one on Billboard, "I'm not trying to be different, I'm just saying it's OK to be yourself, and if you have a few quirky things, that's OK too." This is more or less the message she tries to convey in the video to this track about being there for an ex-lover if they want to resume a relationship with her.
This was the debut single for one of the more popular Australian bands for the next ten years, although it was their only massive hit as their popularity came more from their albums as well as their overplay on the radio. I've never quite been clear about what this song is about, I know metaphorically it's about diving up society but I'm not sure what wall they're referring to as there were a lot of walls back in the day that did that.
This was a very impressive year for Rick Price as he was able to score two hit singles from his debut album despite already being in his thirties when he released said album, although he was a popular session musician throughout the 80's which explains why it took him so long to release said album. He did score minor success with his second album later in the decade, proving there was potential for him to be even bigger.
Well, this is a song that's bound to get stuck in your head after repeated listens, Haysi fantayzee scored their one and only hit with this psychedelia throwback both in Australia and their native UK before calling it quits for some reason. They even performed this on Countdown mere months before they broke up, so I'm not sure why they gave up on their careers so quickly.
It had been four years since these guys had a hit anywhere in the world, although at this point this was more of a Chrissie Hynde solo project as the other original members of the band had left for various different reasons. This meant that she went in a more pop friendly direction as opposed to her new wave roots from earlier in the decade which would explain how she was able to score hits from Get close.
This is arguably my favourite song from John Farnham, everything to admired about him can be found on this second single from Chain reaction from the passionate vocals to the inspiring lyrics to the melody and then some. It remains a staple on oldies stations to this day as do a lot of the songs on this list, although it wasn't the biggest hit of his career as you've likely noticed on this list alone.
This was the lead single to Cold Chisel's biggest album East; it was also the final song they released in the 70's as it found its success during the first months of the 80's thanks to the sentiment of the lyrics and Jimmy's performance. Their earlier entry on this list was the bit hit from the album, although both of these songs do remain popular in their discography regardless of which one was bigger.
This was the final hit single to be release from True blue, an album that had five out of five chart toppers if you were to combine the Billboard and UK charts. Here we have a Latin flavoured track from the queen of pop which was very different to everything else coming out at the time, no doubt this and a later entry on this list led to the likes of the Gipsy kings finding success as the end of the decade.
There were no signs of Guns n Roses slowing down this year as they released the third single from the Use your illusions era which was this cover of the James Bond classic. I guess the original remains one of the best remembered Bond themes due to how bombastic it is (it's my personal favourite despite not being a Wings fan) so it makes sense that these guys would take a stab at it and find success.
You know a film has connected with an audience when even its main character's theme song manages to become one of the biggest hits of the year worldwide, that's exactly what happened here as Axel Foley was so well liked by audiences that his theme was a huge success for composer Harold Faltermeyer. It's perhaps best known for the Crazy frog remix two decades later, a remix that's best left in the 00's.
This was the only hit either artist involved was able to achieve in Australia, although Stevie Nicks did see a ton more success with her albums and during her time with Fleetwood mac, so we at least knew who she was. Tom Petty on the other hand had less success here back in the day, sure his songs have popped up on oldies stations, but none of them found much success and his albums weren't big either.
This was the last hit that Roxette had over in America, although the rest of the world would keep them around a little while longer given how well they had aged into the 90's from their 80's material on their album Joyride. Here we have Marie trying to cope with a breakup she went through and how that person makes her have conflicting emotions about how it ended, it was a surefire hit for the duo thanks to the complicated feelings she provides in the lyrics.
Sheila E was the on again off again girlfriend of Prince, so it only makes sense that she was able to score a massive hit with a song that he wrote for her during the height of his popularity. She was another vocalist to achieve massive success by playing the drums on her songs, although I think she's the first solo female drummer/vocalist to achieve a hit in the music industry and second after Phil Collins.
This was the other big hit that Midge Ure had this year worldwide, and it's the song that was blocked from the UK top spot with Joe Dolce's hit from the start of the list which angered a lot of people back in the day. It seems appropriate that it would be a hit down under, although it wasn't nearly as successful as you'd think given how it's endured over the years as well as Midge Ure's reputation in music.
This was the lead single from the Eurythmics album Revenge, an album that proved to be the biggest for the duo despite never making clear what they wanted vengeance against. Here they have a song about the possibilities of the future which might have one of Annie's best performances in her career, in fact the album in general has her at her best vocally which is perhaps why it was their biggest album.
This was the big hit off of Cold Chisel's breakthrough album East, a song about how Jimmy Barnes gets day drunk to help him cope with the loss of his girlfriend (who may or may not be the mother of his son David Campbell.) The song remains a classic to this day as does the majority of the tracks from East, it makes you wonder why it wasn't a bigger hit until you remember it coming from a highly successful album.
There haven't been that many Asian pop stars to make it big over the years in Australia, one of the select few was Seiko who scored a hit here with her duet with Donnie Wahlberg during the height of his popularity with NKOTB. Evidently this was the full extent of his solo career as he would go on to produce his younger brothers work while he fancied himself as a rapper.
This was the debut single for Go West, a band who would see massive success this year with their debut album throughout Europe and would return five years later with a song that made it big off the Pretty woman soundtrack. Here they have a song about taking a chance in a relationship, this can be an obvious metaphor about the music industry taking a chance on their music which it did sporadically.
Here's the other big hit that ABC were able to achieve this year, although instead of it being a song about how Martin Fry was bitter at his ex-girlfriend's success, it's about how he's falling in love with another person and that they should take a chance on him. This was the band's biggest hit in their native UK likely due to how bouncy it is, and it even sparked their crossover success over in America.
This was the last big hit that Icehouse managed to achieve in their career, although they did achieve one more minor hit the following year with "Miss divine" from their album Code blue. This came from their greatest hits package named after their signature track from eight years prior, an album that seemed appropriate to close out the decade as they broke through at the start of the decade to massive success.
This was the last hit Paul McCartney had for three decades anywhere in the world, he did eventually score a hit when he was credited for his contributions to "Fourfiveseconds" in 2015 with Rihanna and Kanye West even if he only provided the instrumentation on that track. Here he scores a hit with the lead single to the soundtrack to his film Give my regards to Broad Street, a film that was panned by critics.
Although his earlier entry on this list was the big hit off of Billy's second RNB album Love zone, it was this song that was meant to promote the album as that track came from the Jewel of the Nile soundtrack and was later included on the album. Here Billy scores his biggest hit with and RNB ballad as the rest of his hits in his catalogue are more fast paced and more in line with his disco hits from the 70's.
This was the lead single to No jacket required, an album which many felt was the turning point for Phil Collins given how it was more in line with adult contemporary rather than the pop prog from his earlier hits. This song in particular has received criticism due to the melody sounding similar to "1999" from Prince, perhaps it's this comparison that caused the song to not be as successful here in Australia as it was internationally.
This was the only hit that Little river band scored in Australia to have John Farnham on lead vocals, although they would score a huge hit internationally the following year with "The other guy" proving that people were open to the idea of John having replaced Glenn Shorrock as the lead vocalist at least for a little while. They changed their minds as the band didn't find any further success with this line up.
Even though Lionel Richie had long since left the band by this point in time, that didn't mean the Commodores couldn't still find success without him as they had replaced him with British vocalist JD Nichols and soldiered on. They scored their one and only hit without Richie with this tribute to both Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye who died the previous year, making it an emotional ballad that resonated with audiences.
This was the second hit that Jimmy Barnes was able to score from his album Two fires, it continues his winning streak from his earlier entry proving yet again that he was one of the most popular artists to transition from the 80's to the 90's down under. The third single from the album bombed, however he would return the following year with "When your love is gone" became a surprise hit for him.
These guys were on a roll this year as this became their second hit around the world likely due to how irresistibly catchy it is, although it has been used in sports themes like their earlier entry on this list. They would score two more hits in Australia the following year from their second album, although throughout Europe they were one of the most popular bands of the decade from any genre.
Given how many artists from highly successful bands were finding solo success around this time, it only makes sense that the Who's Pete Townshend would throw his hat in the ring with this solo entry from him. It became his only success both solo and with the band following their 1971 album Who's next, likely due to how bouncy it is as well as having his daughter on backing vocals.
Bet you didn't know that the Royal philharmonic orchestra had a hit single back in the day, did you? They did and it was with a song that was similar to what Stars on 45 released earlier on this list except instead of songs from the 50's and 60's, the orchestra recorded renditions of classical pieces. It was a surprise hit for them and allowed them to have a highly successful album which had more mashups from them.
If this vocalist sounds familiar to you, you likely recognise her for her performance throughout Meat loaf's Bat out of hell album where she is most prominently featured on the title track of the album. Here she scores a hit of her own due to her involvement with the album as well as performing it on Countdown during the start of the decade, although this would sadly be the last we hear from her.
Devo was on a roll when they released the lead single to their second album here in Australia given how it came off the success of their live E.P from earlier on this list, although it appears we Aussies largely passed up this classic in favour of the album itself given how it was only a sleeper hit here, hence why it failed to appear on this site up until now.
It looked like Rick's popularity in the music scene would be more permanent this time around as he scored a second hit in the decade with this track that often serves as a stranger danger lesson in music form. I guess his popularity mainly stemmed from his role in General hospital which is why he didn't have another hit in Australia, although he scored a few more hits over in America this decade.
Well, I hope you're in the mood for more rapping from George Michael as the second single in his career was a song dedicated to how skilled he is as an MC which proved to be a huge hit for the duo this year. The pair would have two more hits in their native UK this year, proving how well loved their style of hip hop was at the time.
Prince was on a roll this year when he released the title track to his comeback album, it proved to be the second biggest hit off the album in his native America due to it being a much dreamier track which was unusual for him throughout his discography. He would release one more single from the album before releasing his next album which had him sporting his new name as an unpronounceable symbol.
This was the one and only hit for the Little heroes, an Australian band looking to make it big along the likes of other stripped back bands such as Goanna and the Reels but only managed to do so with one of their songs. That said, this song has endured over the years more so than many of the entries on this list, likely due to the fond memories people have of watching this be performed on Countdown this year.
This was the last hit that Marcia Hines had here in Australia, although interestingly enough it was also her one and only hit throughout Europe likely due to the success that she had in NZ with "Something's missing" from the start of the decade. I guess she was all geared to take the world by storm but then MTV happened, and everyone wanted to support Diana Ross instead including her fellow Aussies.
Well, I didn't say that this song was a flop for the band even if it was their earlier entry on this list which made them a household name, indeed this second single from the Southern sons was a huge success for them likely due to audiences being charmed by their love of John Farnham in their music.
This was the second single to come from Culture club, although curiously it wasn't included on their debut album which is odd because the song was a huge success for them even over in America. It was eventually included on later issues of the album, although by that stage the band had well and truly broken up due to all of the drama they would find themselves in over the decade.
It appears that Big Pig were a two hit wonder here in Australia given how this managed to appear on this list for the British based Australian band, again we can blame this peaking during the Christmas period throughout the 80's as to why it failed to appear on one of my lists given how Christmas of 1986 was a particularly stacked season down under like the other Christmas seasons were.
Your eyes don't deceive you, Divine really did have a singing career in the 80's with this being their one and only hit anywhere in the world due to them performing the song on Countdown (I apologise if I'm using the wrong pronouns as I was never made clear what they were.) This was also the first hit to be produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman, making this a first for everyone involved with the track. Sadly, Divine would pass away four years later.
This is another entry I'm surprised wasn't a huge success here in Australia back in the day, although at least it was a Billboard chart topper for Yes even though I'm sure many of their older fanbase cried sellout given how this is a far cry from the prog rock that made them a household name from a decade prior. I'm guessing this was as bit as it was down under due to the success Jon Anderson had with Vangelis around this time.
This was the only hit that Gregory Abbot managed to achieve worldwide, mainly because he seems to be confused as to what the term shake down is as he interprets the phrase which is otherwise affiliated with extortion as a romantic gesture. This is in complete contrast with the tone of the song, which is obviously meant to be romantic, making this an unintentionally hilarious song.
This was a massive hit for CCR back in the day, so it's fitting that the Reels would find success with their stamp on it seventeen years after the original's success. It got them out of the one hit wonder bin here given how their only other hit was their cover of Herb Alpert's "This guy's in love with you" from four years prior.
While this wasn't their debut single or even the lead single from their biggest album, this was the song which made Midnight oil a household name given how we Aussies connected with the lyrics about how the political system was corrupt at the time (unfortunately it's always been corrupt here in Australia.) This was a bigger hit in NZ given how it was the lead single to their album over there.
This is the only hit that Mental as anything had from their album Creatures of leisure, an album that was sandwiched between two of their most popular throughout their career and is thus often forgotten even exists due to the tepid reception it received back in the day.
Contrary to popular belief, Nik Kershaw isn't a one hit wonder as he managed to score four hits during his brief time in the mainstream with this being his third hit overall. True to its title, the song is a riddle in song form that Nik presents to the object of his affections which proved to be a massive draw to audiences at the time, although in Australia it did get sidelined with all of the competition on this list.
We have another new entry from Huey Lewis on this list, this time it's the second single from his biggest album Sports which is best known nowadays for its bizarre music video which includes close ups of him and his bands faces. I guess this was amusing enough for us Aussies to make it a modest success despite the album already selling like hotcakes here by the time it was released as a single.
This is another entry on this list that had the unfortunate bad luck of peaking during the Christmas period of the year it was released in, in this case it peaked during the Christmas of 1981 which is a shame as this ballad feels perfect for the holiday season (at least musically it does) as well as continuing the winning streak that the trio had here in Australia.
This was the second single from Lenny Kravitz's sophomore album Mama said, a song that's quite different from the rest of the album as it feels more like a Prince track rather than him attempting to be the (then) new Jimi Hendrix. It became a huge hit for him likely due to the goodwill he had from writing "Justify my love" for Madonna and this being a horny sex jam like that track.
This was the final hit that Tears for fears had anywhere in the world, it was the lead single to their third album which came almost half a decade after their second album following a bunch of behind-the-scenes drama that had reduced the quartet back to a duo during this albums production. It was a massive hit for them in NZ and America, although it was only a minor success in Australia and their native UK.
I guess this was the big hit off of Talking heads magnum opus Little creatures here in Australia after all given how "And she was" still fails to appear on this site despite it cracking our top ten following the success of this staple in the band's discography. It blows my mind how much we Aussies ignored these guys back in the day; however, you can consider their success in NZ an accurate reflection of their legacy.
While this wasn't the final song to be released from Born in the U.S.A, it was the final hit that Bruce Springsteen had from the album outside his native America due to the rest of the world passing up the other singles on there in favour of making the album itself a massive hit. This is one of the shortest songs to become a hit since the early 70's, clocking in at two and half minutes even on the album.
Following the massive success of their (then) most recent album, Talking heads decided to allow their frontman David Byrne to make a theatrical film where they composed the soundtrack for which resulted in this lead single being the theme to said film which resulted in its success worldwide. It's best known for its music video where several 80's celebrities lip sync to the track which helped out with its success.
It looks like Dr Hook wanted to return to their roots with this entry which I'm guessing we Aussies were against for the most part given how this was likely only a hit here thanks to them performing it on Countdown this year. Although this was a much bigger hit over in NZ, it appears that the lack of positive reception this track received left a bad taste in their mouths as they would break up later in the decade.
We finally have a song from the Eurhythmics’ second album to feature on this site of mine, although I'm not sure why we Aussies gravitated towards this second single from said album given how it's very different from the new wave they were offering at the time and even the synth pop they would offer later in their catalogue. I guess the uniqueness of this track is what clicked with us back in the day.
This was the second advanced single to be released from Kids in the kitchen's debut album, it was released a full year prior to said album which must've been seen as a risky move back in the day given how already it appeared that interest in the album had faded when it came out. The risk paid off as the album went on to be a massive success when it did finally drop the following year.
This will be the only appearance that Malcolm McLaren will be making on this side of my site, I'm guessing we Aussies finally gave into his quirky brand of music enough to make this a success even if its success here pales in comparison to what he achieved over in NZ. At least this was a hit here as opposed to the UK where it was a complete failure for him.
This barely missed making the cut for my 1983 list (in fact it would've been a shoe in had I went with the wonky Countdown charts that were presented on their weekly segments) however the fact that this was a massive hit in the duo's homeland ensured that we Aussies would at least check out was all the fuss was about with this debut single of theirs.
Now I was only an infant when this song came out, however I could've sworn this was a massive hit here in Australia for Shanice Wilson just like it was internationally and yet here it is barely making the list. I'm guessing we Aussies were put off by this combination of new jack swing and for a lack of a better term, Sesame Street vibes in a way the rest of the world wasn't.
I guess we Aussies were beginning to feel the effects of the disco backlash when this iconic hit from Earth wind and fire saw the light of day on our music scene, heck it was even delayed here as it was already a massive hit in NZ by the time it touched our airwaves. At least its minimal success here inspired CDB to make an RNB cover out of it over a decade after its release.
It's strange to think that this E.P is what would bring the Reels mainstream success here in Australia, although it does contain fan favourite "According to my heart" so perhaps it was the strength of that song that helped it reach a wider audience than the likes of "Quasimodo's dream" and "Love will find a way."
This was a bit of a sleeper hit here in Australia, although at least these guys had this one hit over here as they otherwise would've gone on unnoticed as opposed to the rest of the world where they had a string of hits. I'm guessing we Aussies gave them a chance due to the rise of the rockabilly revival that was taking place this year.
It's easy to think that their earlier entry was the lead single to their magnum opus Fundamental as anything, however that honour goes to this track which only barely made the cut for this list despite being quite a fun and happy number which compliments the strength of the narrator's lover in this song. Despite the massive success they had, it would unfortunately all be downhill from here for the band.
Well, it looks like Sam Brown's popularity here in Australia was the complete inverse of what she achieved in NZ given how this was the sleeper hit for her here as opposed to her earlier entry being the case over there. This does mean that she has equal representation on both sides of my site now as both her hit singles as well as her debut album is now fully accounted for.
If you're wondering where the heck this power ballad from this American hard rock band came from, apparently it was a surprise hit in their native America which was convincing enough for us Aussies to follow suit in making it a hit over here. I guess it does fit in with all the hair metal that was coming out around this time, although it's noticeably more successful than what Def Leppard was releasing.
This is the last hit single that Elton John had here in Australia that had no external reason for being as such, I bring this up because he owes his future success to Disney (specifically the Lion king) and Diana Spencer (specifically her death) as opposed to this being a hit purely through his name recognition. It would've been a good note to end on given how bouncy and upbeat it is.
It's a bit of a shame that the Hoodoo gurus 1989 album Magnum cum louder bombed here in Australia, however they bounced back with their 1991 effort Kinky thanks to this being its lead single which restored the band's popularity after a turbulent release. True to its title, this is a nostalgia laden song that harkens back to the glory days of hippy culture from the late 60's.
This is a bit of a surprise entry as this wasn't a hit for Isaac Hayes anywhere else in the world, then again this was only a minor hit for him here in Australia at the start of the 80's, meaning that we Aussies must have had some nostalgia for his "Shaft" days by making this a hit eight years after his initial breakthrough.
17 Weeks
If you need proof that Tina Turner was always a welcomed presence in Australia, consider the fact that she starred opposite Mel Gibson in the third Mad Max film as well as providing the theme song to the film which went on to be one of her more iconic songs in her catalogue. The film was a critical and commercial success despite it being the final film in the franchise for thirty years.
Following the massive success they had with their second album, Wham released this track which has a cool video which starts out with George's supposed frustration at performing in a low-capacity venue despite selling out arenas. This was obviously done to show the band (more specifically George) wasn't going to abandon their core fanbase and indeed he never did even after cutting ties with Andrew Ridgely.
Following the success of his last album with Mental as anything, Martin Plaza decided to briefly embark on a solo career which began with this cover of an obscure track from the 60's that was able to rival the success of "Live it up" from the previous year. He rejoined the band shortly after releasing his solo album so that they could release a new album to cash in on their sudden rise in popularity worldwide.
This was the big hit off Split enz's album Time and tide, although it wasn't the lead single which is perhaps why it wasn't as big a hit as you'd otherwise expect from the band. You'd think that a band who seemed tailor made for MTV would find more international success with their material from around this time, they did chart in the lower half of international charts but didn't find much success outside of Australia and NZ.
I don't think anyone was expecting to see Bobby Brown achieve such a massive hit with the lead single of his second album outside of America given how he didn't find that much success internationally with his debut album. I'm guessing New jack swing had become less stigmatised by international audiences by this point, either that or they really wanted to hear a song about his sexual escapades with his new wife Whitney Houston.
I wouldn't have thought that a hip hop track from two underage rappers would be among the bigger hits of the year in Australia, boy did these two prove me wrong as their infectious flow combined with as they put it the "smooth groove melody" helped them find an audience in a country that seemed to be very picky with which hip hop tracks made it big. Indeed, the rest of their catalogue didn't find much success down under.
The 90's were here, which means it was time to get our love for the 70's into gear which Kylie was here to do with the second single to her third album Rhythm of love. Indeed, this was a huge hit for her due to everyone's love for the 70's, specifically the O'jays despite them not having any success here back in the day. The decade would have many highs and lows for her as she would experiment with her sound.
Given how the Rolling Stones were back on top of the charts here in Australia, I guess it makes sense that the bassist Bill Wyman would score a massive hit here with this track about how he's a rock star which he curiously sings in French about during each chorus. I guess the novelty of him wanting to be as recognisable as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards allowed this to be a success here and in NZ.
This was the other big hit that Livie managed to achieve worldwide from the Xanadu soundtrack, although this time she has the assistance of Electric light orchestra who were also present on the soundtrack as this play's during the final dance sequence of the film. As a bit of a trivia, her earlier entry was her big chart topper in Billboard this year whereas this was her big chart topper in the UK.
Given the success of their E.P from earlier on this list, we have the debut single from Ratcat which promised them a ton of success this decade that ended up being restricted to their debut album which admittedly was a huge hit for them this year. There was a ton of hype for these guys when the album dropped, so there was little chance that it was going to fail which is more than I can say for their later material.
Years before it was featured in the first Shrek film as a montage of Shrek and Donkey's journey to save Princess Fiona, this was a huge hit for the Proclaimers in the southern hemisphere following the massive success they had with their earlier entry on this list. This helped the album be a massive success as it proved they were more than just a novelty act and were able to sustain an audience with their pop rock.
This was the second single to come from Be yourself tonight here in Australia, and one that was a success likely due to how well it did in their native UK where it remains their biggest hit in their catalogue. I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of this track from them, I prefer their less opulent songs overall and the video admittedly was always strange for me to watch.
This was the only hit that Michael Sembello was able to score throughout his career, to think this was originally written as a horror song before he had to rework it as a theme to Flashdance. I guess he didn't do much to the song as the lyrics do seem to describe a serial killer more than a dancer working at a seedy night club, although I'm guessing that's why it's endured over the years like the film itself.
This was the first big hit that the Angels were able to score in their career, mainly due to how Doc Neeson describes the woman in question as someone who usually keeps her guard up except for the person he's talking to. It's a compelling performance he gives and a large reason as to why it remains one of their biggest hits in their catalogue, although there would be a huge quiet period for them after this.
It appears that Donna Summer hadn't completely transitioned into being a feminist with this track as while it's more in line with new wave than disco, it's still a sexually charged track largely thanks to her performance. Her feminist tracks would come later in the decade and would culminate with her next hit "She works hard for the money" which seems to be her finally disowning her previous album Bad girls.
I guess we Aussies were willing to give these guys a chance once they won the Grammy for best new artist this year, as such we have probably their best song as it was written by Diane Warren who is best known for writing power ballads for many artists over the years. No sooner did this become a hit for the German duo that the scandal was revealed that they didn't in fact sing a note on any of their songs.
This was the only other solo success that Jon Bon Jovi was able to achieve in his career, once again we have the second Young guns film to thank for this as this was also taken from the soundtrack which may as well serve as his solo debut album. He would release his first official solo album later in the decade when he received backlash for his band's album These days due to it abandoning their glam rock roots.
This was a remix of New order's breakthrough single from five years prior, in fact it was no coincidence this came out when it did as it was released on the fifth anniversary of the original version of this track. Curiously, this version was more successful in Australia than the original, mainly because we knew who the band was by this stage.
This is one of those songs that is way too catchy for its own good, the chanting throughout the track will get stuck in your head after more than one listen to this cover of Redbone's track from the early 70's. The Chantoozies consisted of four models turned singers supported by a backing band of four guys, one of them being the young brother of James Reyne during the height of his popularity.
This was the debut single for Depeche mode, and while it was a huge success here in Australia (even more so than their native UK) it would also be their only hit despite them having massive success worldwide throughout the rest of the decade. Indeed, I'm personally more familiar with "Enjoy the silence" from 1990, likely because that was their big hit in America a decade into their career.
This was the only hit that Austrian band Bingoboys were able to achieve worldwide, likely due to the presence of American rapper Princessa giving out (admittedly awful) dance instructions to help people bust a groove on the dance floors of the 90's. The song is notable for its sample of an old dance routine from the 40's, perhaps as a way of juxtaposing the old dance routines with the (then) modern routines.
This was the only song to be found in Dick Tracy that was a hit in the real world, likely due to the songs in the film being sung by Madonna's character who was a vaudeville singer during a time where women's rights were non-existent. As such we have this track that can very easily be seen as sexist even when it first came out, however the context of the film allowed it to be a huge worldwide success for her.
Well, here we are with the only song that Donna Summer managed to score on her own with a female empowerment anthem, although admittedly I would've been dumbstruck if this had of failed here like it did in some countries considering how much sympathy she allows for the protagonist of this song. She wants to reassure listeners that women give their dues to society, and she does it in a very humanising way.
So, there's this resort in South Africa known as Sun city which was once notorious for having relocated people of colour as hotel staff against their will, more notoriously is that they offered financial incentives to bands and artists to perform at the hotel despite there being an international band from westerners visiting the region. This was a protest song made in defiance of those who broke the law to perform as the venue.
If you're a fan of Hi 5, then you'll likely recognise Kelly Haggart on here as this was the band she was with before she joined the children's band later in the decade. I guess you can consider this the female equivalent of the Wiggles in that regard even though the other two members has since faded into obscurity, indeed their biggest hit while a cover, is about how they want you to as they put it "be their baby."
This was the only hit from NZ singer Kim Hart, likely due to it being a disco record which means she was perhaps a little bit late to the party given how disco was supposedly beginning to lose its popularity this year. Admittedly it could also have been that she was only barely in her twenties when she broke through, after all there weren't that many younger female pop stars during the days of Shaun Cassidy and Leif Garrett.
This was the other hit that Feargal Sharkey had this year, as I said earlier this was written by the ex-partner of the person who wrote his biggest hit which makes his two hits a back and forward between the two during their breakup. Something I forgot to mention earlier is that "A good heart" had Boy George on backing vocals, which likely further boosted the popularity of Feargal's career this year.
This was the only hit that Debarge were able to score outside of their native America, likely because this was the theme to The last dragon which was a Motown produced film that was panned by critics. The family band scored other hits in their native America over the years, as did lead singer El Debarge who wrote the theme to Short circuit which was a huge box office success the following year.
This was the last hit that Pseudo echo had here in Australia before they sold out with their earlier entry on this list, indeed we have another song that some may say is overproduced but to good effect as it's about how the band love thrills and excitements in their lives which is captured in the production on this track. They would release one more single from their second album which sadly wasn't a hit for them.
We have another comedy routine to become a hit this year, this was the final one to do so on the singles charts as comedians restricted themselves to only releasing albums from here on out in Australia. This was a comedy sketch about how George Smilovici felt he was tough, the joke being that he was a redneck how was about as threatening as say, an underweight rock rapper from the 90's on TRL.
This was the first solo hit that Annie Lennox had, OK technically it isn't as this was a duet between her and Al Green which was made for the Bill Murray flick Scrooged which was a modern take of the Ebeneezer Scrooge fable. From what I can gather, the film was a critical and commercial success thanks to Bill's performance as the titular character, thus enabling this to be a huge success for the pair.
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