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.
There were two versions of this song floating around the charts this year, there's the English cover from British band After the fire which was a bit hit in America and the original from Austrian rapper Falco who scored the bigger international hit. I guess we Aussies had brushed up on our German throughout the decade as there were a few German language songs to make it big throughout the 80's here.
I guess Genesis also wanted to get in on the irony of the decade before we realised irony would be the word to describe the 90's, here they have a song about how they can't dance, despite them not being a dance act and thus no one really caring if they can or not. It was their final hit in the world as well as Phil Collin's final hit here in Australia as his subsequent follow ups flopped here in the decade.
This was the lead single to Split Enz's album Time and tide, although it wasn't as memorable as their earlier entry on this list which is why it wasn't as big a hit here. It did do considerably better in NZ, proving that the band were catering more to their local scene rather than us Aussies with this entry, although it was a huge hit regardless and did lead to the album being a massive success.
You knew there had to be a newer version of Pseudo echo at some point, so here we are with Indecent obsession who were a younger version of the band who managed to score their one and only hit this year with their debut single. Even though the marketing depicts them as the Australian equivalent of NKOTB, they were a proper band who played their own instruments who just happen to be conventionally good looking.
One of the few movies that Madonna starred in to be critically acclaimed was A league of their own, mainly because she's more of a supporting character as the film focuses on Geena Davis and Laurie Petty as sisters who become rivals in the women's baseball league of the forties in what's based on a true story. She also wrote and performed the film's theme song which many feel is the worst part of the film due to how bland and lifeless they feel it is.
This was the only other hit that these girls were able to achieve in their career, at least it was an original track meaning they weren't among the dozens of artists I've featured on this site so far to only find success with a cover or two over the years. Like I said earlier, one of the members would return at the end of the decade as a member of Hi 5, meaning that this was a mere steppingstone for her future success.
This was the lead single to Janet's breakthrough album Control, an album that didn't see much success here in Australia save for this track likely due to it being a display of female empowerment during a time where that was becoming popular in the mainstream. She wouldn't have another hit down under until the lead single of her next album, even then her popularity wouldn't explode here until the 90's.
This song was released here in Australia when Laura Branigan performed it and her earlier entry on Countdown this year, so it was a shoe in for being a huge hit for her down under. Australia was where she was the most successful because of her appeal this year, that appeal comes from her killer vocals as well as her songs mostly being covers of foreign language tracks made popular throughout Europe.
Less than a year after the final album to come from his father, Julian Lennon released his debut album Valotte which was a huge worldwide success for him likely due to him being the son of one of the most famous musicians of the twentieth century. This was the big hit from the album which sounds similar to what his father would've released if he had lived to see the 80's, I guess this was better than nothing.
This was the only solo hit that Steve Winwood was able to achieve in his career in Australia, yes, he had other hits with his bands Spencer Davis group and Traffic as well as having a huge album earlier in the decade with Arc of a diver, however this was the only hit he had to himself here. It's surprising to me it wasn't a bigger hit considering A: how passionate he sounds on the track and B: it being a huge Billboard chart topper for him.
This was the other big hit that the Hooters managed to score here in Australia, it was actually the lead single to their debut album which became a hit exclusively here in Australia likely due to the religious lyrics connecting with us in a way that they failed to do so internationally. Even though they saw massive success with both of these songs and their album here, they would fade into obscurity after this year.
This was the first of three Billboard chart toppers Billy Joel had this decade, it was the second single from his Glass house album which was less a throwback to the music of the 50's and more him wondering why we should glamourise newer music when the older stuff holds up. It's a rather poignant track that seems to be more relevant now that it was back then.
While she hadn't had a hit since the start of the decade, Kate Bush was able to slip her way into the mainstream this year with this track about how she felt she made a deal with God in finding happiness with the person she's singing to. It became a surprise hit for her this year given how out of place it felt compared to everything else on this list, although it's par for the course when it comes to her discography.
This was the lead single to Australian crawl's biggest album Sirocco, it's a good representation of their music as while the music continues to captivate audiences to this day, people feel that James Reyne needed to learn to enunciate his vocals as they tend to have a hard time trying to figure out what he's trying to say. For what it's worth, the song is about how the person he's singing to is in denial with things going good for them.
This was the debut single for Paul Young (not to be confused with Australia's John Paul Young) it was a cover of a Marvin Gaye song which technically means the Motown icon had two hits in Australia this year. In any case, Paul would score a second hit here the following year with his Christmas track "Love of the common people" which in turn would allow his album to be a success here.
Well, if you wanted to imagine Cliff Richard as your daddy, I guess this is the song for you as that's essentially what he's doing here on this cover of an obscure track from the early 60's. It was a big hit for the aging pop crooner following the success of his earlier entry, although he wouldn't trouble our charts gain for another four years before he teamed up with the Young ones to remake his debut single for charity.
These guys were on a roll this year as they managed to score a second hit here in Australia as well as their second Billboard chart topper in their native America. As the name of the song implies, this is a song dedicated to a Sara who was the ex-girlfriend of the lead singer of the group. They would have one more hit the following year with the theme from the film Mannequin.
This was one of only five hits that Fleetwood Mac managed to score in Australia, that should give you an idea of how our music scene works as artists who dominate our albums charts rarely do so for our singles charts. In any case, we have the lead single to their album Mirage which was their way of adjusting to the MTV era, they somewhat struggled compared to their previous work, but they pulled it off.
This was the lead single to Noisework's second album, an album that didn't live up to the hype set up by their debut album likely due to there being plenty of pub rock coming out from around this time. The band would come back in the early 90's with their third and final album where they added some bombast to their sound which helped them stand out from their contemporaries and made them a success.
This is the only other hit that Boom crash opera was able to achieve with their singles, although their popularity was more from the album this served as the lead single for as it went on to achieve massive success the following year. I'm a bit surprised these guys didn't achieve further success in the 90's, sure this might be too bombastic for that decade, but they did adapt with the times unlike their contemporaries.
This was the third hit that Johnny Diesel and the Injectors were able to score from their debut album, proving that they were one of the hottest Australian bands of the day right when the 80's was beginning to come to an end. Their popularity was so huge this year that they scored buzz over in the UK which likely explains why their music occasionally pops up in international media throughout the 90's.
There was simply no stopping U2 from dominating our charts this year given how well they had adapted into the new decade with their album Achtung baby; indeed, this was the first album where the singles managed to truly dominate our charts here in Australia as opposed to their 80's output where they only had the one big hit.
It had been several years since Martha Davis had troubled the charts anywhere in the world with her band the Motels, however it appears we Aussies had enough nostalgia for her work following the news that they had called it quits to allow her to embark on a solo career that this solo entry became a hit for her here. Sadly, this was her only hit here despite it fitting in perfectly with the likes of Melissa Etheridge and Tracy Chapman.
Well, I did mention this track when we looked at the second single from Clues from earlier on this list didn't I? It turns out it was also a decent success here in Australia back in the day, proving how much of a roll Robert Palmer was on down under following the breakthrough he had with his performance on Countdown with "Bad case of loving you" as well as his appeal over in America.
Following his departure from Van Halen, David Lee Roth decided to embark on a solo career which was off to a good start with this cover of the Beach boys classic that became a huge hit for him back in the day. It's interesting to note that the original was never much of a hit for the boys here in Australia, meaning this is likely the only version most of us Aussies are familiar with these days.
This was a good indication of the type of music making it big in America this year given how disco and other more interesting genres seemed to be excluded on Billboard around this time for some reason, I guess we Aussies found this one and only hit from Steve Forbert interesting enough for it to also be a hit here even though we didn't extend this love for the likes of Robbie Dupree and Billy Preston.
Although it came close to appearing on this list, "The big l" ultimately didn't stick around long enough to be considered a sleeper hit here in Australia as opposed to the fourth single from Roxette's third album Joyride which had the misfortune of peaking during the Christmas period of 1991 to appear on one of my lists proper up until this point. This was their penultimate hit they had here before they released "How do you do."
This was the first hit that Billy Idol had in the northern hemisphere, in this case it was a big hit for him in America given how he was living in New York when he launched his solo career and that the Americans likely took interest in what he Aussies and kiwis were listening to from him back in the day. This is one of his more sombre songs that wouldn't feel out of place on his third album from two years later.
This is the only hit that British band the Korgis had anywhere in the world including their native UK, I feel this is a bit ahead of its time given how this is in line with what Spandau ballet or ABC would release later in the decade. This is perhaps why it wasn't that big in their homeland, although it was big enough for us Aussies to notice its presence.
This nearly missed out on appearing on my list, mainly because it was the second single from the duo's album Private eyes with the title track being the big hit despite it being a sleeper hit and thus not eligible for this list of mine. The duo did have massive success in the 70's with "Rich girl," however it was this year where their popularity truly took off down under.
I'm a bit surprised to see this so low on the list given how much oldies stations love to reminisce on these guys, I guess we Aussies did pass up on their singles in favour of their albums which all did fairly well back in the day. Although they would have to wait a whole decade before they reached their peak in popularity, they managed to retain their popularity down under until that happened.
"The love cats" might've been the song that put the Cure on the map here in Australia, however this was the first time the goth band managed to achieve some success after several failed attempts to catch out attention by appearing on Countdown as semi regulars. Indeed, none of the songs they performed on the show managed to cross over here in Australia, making their appearances pointless in the long run (at least as far as success was concerned.)
We have one more entry to come from the Rockmelons on this list as they indeed had an excellent year thanks to the presence of Deni Hines as their (temporary) lead singer. Here they score a moderate hit with the third single from their second album, proving that they were a force to be reckoned with during this lineup. Sadly, Deni would leave the band for her own solo career, a move which they never recovered from.
We have one more entry to come from Australian crawl on this list, this was technically their first mainstream crossover as it very nearly cracked our top ten upon its initial release (it actually did according to the Countdown charts.) Alas it didn't rack up the points to appear on my 1980 list, however it did last long enough to appear on this bonus list of mine.
This is the final hit that Split Enz had in their career before they went their separate ways, it was the lead single to their penultimate album which continues to see airplay on oldies stations to this day despite the lukewarm reception it received back in the day. Indeed, this feels a little out of place with many of the entries on this list due to their success stemming from the pre-MTV era.
Well, the absence of this single has certainly been felt on this site, here we are with the breakthrough single from Sade which remains a household name on oldies stations to this day thanks to how smooth it feels compared to most of the bombastic tracks of its time. I get the feeling this would've been a massive chart topper in NZ had this been their debut single as opposed to "Your love is king."
Given how she found massive success with "The glamorous life" from the previous year here in Australia, it only makes sense that we Aussies would continue Sheila E's winning streak with her second single this year even if it was less popular here than her earlier hit. This courtesy wasn't extended by her fellow Americans as she remains a one hit wonder in her homeland with her other hit.
Of all the hits that Hazell Dean scored in her native UK, this is the only one that crossed over here in Australia which even then struggled to find its footing during the midpoint of the 80's. This is one of many camp classics which showcases a woman looking for a man from back in the day, something that of course appeals heavily to gay men hence the target audience for this type of music.
My American readers will perhaps be a bit shocked to see this song on this list given how it became a hit on Billboard during a period not covered on this list, indeed this was a hit for Melissa Etheridge here in Australia upon its initial release given how it was the follow up to her earlier entry on this list as well as coming off a highly successful album that did eat up a bunch of its success here.
Remember that scene in the Blues brothers where Jake and Elwood are singing that country song in the cowboy bar? It turns out that this Scottish band decided to make it their own this year which led to it becoming a surprise hit for them here in Australia. I can't say for certain, however I get the feeling this is what led to the success of the Blues brothers soundtrack this year.
We've had quite a lot of representation from George Michael on this site, time now to give some attention to his former partner in crime Andrew Ridley who scored a moderate success at the start of the 90's with this gem. Admittedly this was only a success due to the novelty of that other guy from Wham finding success on his own, however it's still enough proof to discredit the A.V club declaring his album as inessential.
It turns out we Aussies were also somewhat interested in this track from David Bowie back in the day, not too interested mind you as this only makes it on this side of my site due to it being a sleeper hit as opposed to a chart topper like it was in NZ, but the interest was there regardless. It's hard to say how big the film was in the southern hemisphere as box office numbers for Australia and NZ are sadly limited.
This is the fourth and final single from INXS's magnum opus Kick, it's a slower ballad that many believe to be their signature tune which is perhaps how it became a hit despite coming from an already highly successful album. It was their final hit of the 80's as their next hit would be "Suicide blonde" from their next album X.
16 Weeks
Well, if you wanted to hear what a Sam and Dave track would sound like if you replaced their vocals with Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham then knock yourself out with this duet between the two pub rockers. It was a huge hit for them off of Jimmy's Soul deep album so I'm guessing there are people out there who like this.
This was the lead single to U2's first album of the decade Achtung baby, although I get the feeling they went with the most normal track on the album as the lead single in order to hook fans in with their change in sound which happened throughout the album. Indeed, their next single "Mysterious ways" was the obvious choice for the lead single given how well remembered it remains in their catalogue.
This is technically the biggest hit from Duran Duran, mainly because it was released as the bonus track from their live album which from what I can gather, helps boost a songs popularity if a band or artist released a sole studio track from a live album. This is also one of the most contentious songs from the bands catalogue due to how strange Simon Le Bon sounds on the track compared to their other songs.
This was one of two new tracks to be found on Madonna's Immaculate collection, and it's a song that came with a highly provocative video meant specifically to shock audiences back in the day. Because of this, the song has been criticised for being little more than a cheap porno track meant to shock bible bashers, although it also has its defenders (including me) who claim there's more to the track than its video.
This was the third single to come from John Farnham's album Chain reaction, it's a song that's a lot more subdue than most of his other catalogue which is perhaps why it was able to find an audience from around this time. Although he would see massive success as the decade went on with his albums, he would only have one more solo hit and two more hits with as duets with Jimmy Barnes and Human nature.
This was the lead single to Duran Duran's third album, an album that was all set to flop likely due to the band feeling overexposed by this point with their flashy music videos but was rescued the following year when "The reflex" became their biggest hit in America and their native UK. Indeed, that song has long since overshadowed this lead single despite this being their bigger hit here in Australia.
Well, here's what I and many others consider to be the true first single that U2 released this decade as it signifies a change in their sound that was radically different to what they had released up until this point. While their previous single was the big hit off of Achtung baby on a technical level, it was this song which helped the album thrive while many albums from their contemporaries crashed and burned.
From what I've researched, this has gone down as one of the greatest TV themes of all time which makes its success here in Australia has gone down as one our biggest victories as far as the online music community is concerned. It's definitely a song that's more suited to the indie sphere of the music industry, and indeed it wasn't always intended for the show as it first appeared on Julee Cruise's 1989 album.
Given how Enya managed to score a massive hit with "Orinoco flow" as the 80's was coming to an end, it seemed inevitable that the new age trend would explode this decade which it did beginning with this track from the German duo Enigma. Something this adds over what Enya released prior was Gregorian chanting, making this feel like it belongs in a monk temple despite it being a huge success worldwide.
This was the other big hit that John Lennon was able to score from Double fantasy this year, although I reckon it has a similar melody to another track from a few years prior called "We do it" from R and J Stone that was a massive hit here in Australia. Naturally no one seemed to care about the similarities given how this was the first song released posthumously from the former Beatle.
This was a stellar year for Shaking Stevens who managed to score a third hit throughout the world, although this time it's with a cover of a very well-known staple of the 50's given how the original was one of the biggest hits of the decade for Jim Lowe in 1956. Shaky would have one more hit the following year with "Oh Julie" before his time in the spotlight came to an end here in Australia.
This was the second hit that Michael Bolton scored off his breakthrough album, it's a more upbeat track about him telling his partner that they can't hook up unless they're friends, making this a pseudo-Spice girls track as that was effectively the message of their biggest hit "Wannabe" later in the decade. I think because of these two factors, this ranks as one of his better hits in his catalogue.
This was the second single from MJ's dangerous album, and while the song itself remains a classic thanks to its laid-back production and performance from him, the real star of the show is the video which has him performing for the amusement of pharaoh Eddie Murphy. Apparently, this was done as a favour as MJ would appear on one of Eddie's songs the following year with an infinitely lamer video.
This was the second single to be released from Diesel's solo album Hepfidelity, it proved to be a bigger hit for him than his first single (which we'll get to in a bit) likely due to it being a more stripped back number than anything he released up until this point. For some reason, he had more success in NZ this year with this album, although that did result in him gaining international interest in his music.
This was the only hit that Supertramp were able to score here in Australia, it makes sense because it's by far their catchiest song and it's about how the narrator is losing a friend and how it makes him feel like there's rainy weather to come from the fall out. This helped them survive into the MTV era longer than many of their contemporaries who struggled for success once the program launched in 1981.
This was the first song that Icehouse released once they changed their name to match that of their debut album, indeed this feels like a bonus track from their now self-titled album as they released this purely to tie fans over to their second album which is where their international appeal was finally met.
Here's that song from the Human league that I and many others reckon Culture club built their lead single off Colour by numbers off from earlier on this list, I swear the melody to both of these tracks seem identical to me the more I listen to both songs. This was one of two hits the band had this year from their E.P Fascination, an E.P that flopped here despite it producing two of the band's bigger hits.
Well, this song had a very lengthy delay to its release outside of the band's native UK, it had been six months since it topped the UK charts before it touched the Australian or NZ charts. I'm guessing the band wanted their album to be a huge success in both countries which to be fair it was, however, this tale about how Phil Oakey made a star out of Joanne Catherall wasn't as big a hit here as it likely should've been.
This was the final hit that Shaking Stevens managed to achieve in Australia, likely due to him performing all of his biggest hits he had here barring "This ole house" on Countdown around the time of its release. Much like "You drive me crazy," this is an original track from the throwback artist which could be another reason why it was a success here, although it would be his last despite his popularity growing in the UK.
This was the only other hit that Glenn Medeiros was able to achieve in his career, mainly because it has a guest verse from Bobby Brown during the height of the former New edition rapper's popularity. This is a song about how an ex-partner of Glenn Medeiros is now going out with the listener and how as he puts it "she ain't worth it" because of all of the heartbreak she brought him during his relationship.
This was released following the tragic death of Freddie Mercury where it became a number one hit in his native UK all over again, in Australia it wasn't quite as huge, however had it been delayed by a few months it likely would've been given that it almost topped the Billboard charts this year due to its inclusion in the Wayne's world soundtrack.
I guess if there was a song that could tan gently be about the rights of first nation people, this would be it as while the lyrics are directly about coming out of a bad relationship, they can easily refer to how history has been unkind to these minority groups and how they don't have to worry about it repeating itself. It was a huge hit for the band regardless of what the meaning of the lyrics are.
This was the final hit that David Bowie managed to achieve anywhere in the world, likely due to it being the theme to the critically panned film of the same name which he also happened to star in. He did have another starring vehicle this year with the cult classic Labyrinth, where he also provided the soundtrack to in addition to giving a memorably performance as its antagonist Jareth.
This was the second single to come out of the Swing, although it wasn't quite as big as their two earlier entries on this list likely due to it not being as catchy as those tracks. Still, it was a huge hit for the band and likely strengthened their international interest which became a success the following year when they released their next album Listen like thieves.
This was the second single from Johnny Diesel's debut album, while it wasn't as big as their earlier entry (likely due to it not being as catchy) it did continue their winning streak here in Australia as it fuelled the popularity of the album thanks to Diesel's strong passionate vocals. They would score one more hit this year (which we'll get to) before contributing to the Delinquents soundtrack in 1990.
This was the second single that these guys scored this year, proving that they were in it for the long haul as both of their entries on this list were released before they dropped their debut album by the end of the year. It looks like the novelty had worn off by the time the album cycle ended as their next album was a huge flop for them which caused them to call it quits by the end of the decade.
Even though this was a huge Billboard chart topper for Stevie B, it wasn't until it became a surprise hit in the UK that it was able to crossover to Australia this year. From what I can gather, this guy got his start in the Latin freestyle genre of the 80's, although that genre saw little to no success even in America which perhaps explains why he felt the need to switch over to adult contemporary with this ballad.
This is often considered to be the signature tune of the show for Jesus Christ superstar, although I don't think anyone was expecting this rendition from the three leads of the Australian revival this year John Farnham, Kate Ceberano and Jon Stevens to be a huge success. Indeed, it was which no doubt led to the success of the soundtrack which was indeed one of the biggest albums of the year.
This was the last hit that Elton John had without his partner in crime Bernie Taupin, I should point out that there were tracks on these albums which did have Bernie as a songwriter, however he obviously wasn't the main creative force behind him which is why his reunion with Elton John the following year was a welcomed one. That said, this was a hit for Elton due to a compelling performance he gave on Countdown.
This was the other big hit that FYC had throughout the world this year, although it was curiously a flop in their native UK despite it being their second Billboard chart topper. This and several of the tracks on the album was recorded two years prior, which means there was possibly behind the scenes drama which led to them calling it quits the following year despite how well their album did.
This wasn't Nik Kershaw's debut single in his native UK, that honour goes to "I won't let the sun go down on me" which was given a second chance after this became a massive hit for him worldwide (sadly it won't appear on this list.) People like to compare him to Howard Jones as both men had massive American appeal back in the day, although only Howard managed to score any success on Billboard.
I never quite understood how George felt about being tied to the pop machine on Faith as there's plenty of artistic merit on his solo debut as evidence by his third single from the album, although it does have a similar issue to "Daddy's home" in that it can be taken the wrong way by bad faith music critics. It clearly wasn't back in the day as it was his second solo chart topper on Billboard and sixth overall.
This was the lead single to Icehouse's second album Primitive man, an album which gave them massive success in the southern hemisphere and even moderate success worldwide making them one of the more popular Australian bands of the 80's in the process. This is probably their most well-known song despite it being far from their biggest hit, mainly due to the mixing which makes it sound like it was made in a spiritual world.
This was originally a flop for the Angels upon its initial release over a decade prior, however when they went on tour around this time, they performed this live with the crowd shouting "no way get f**ked f**k off" which made it become a staple in their career. This live version was so popular that they released it as a single where it finally allowed the song to become a huge hit for them.
Madonna was all about shocking the general public during the first stretch of the 90's, so much so that the same time she released her lead single to Erotica, she released a book called Sex which is nothing more than scandalous pictures of her in sexually compromising positions. As such, this title track from the album was more interested in provoking controversy than being a hit, although it was a huge hit for her regardless.
This was the final hit that Kate Bush managed to score in her career, it's an Avant Garde cover of the Elton John classic that came from a covers album where many British artists paid tribute to the English piano man. Considering she began her career almost fifteen years prior, it's impressive that Kate was able to have success as recently as this year even if it was with an unconventional cover of a classic.
The was the other hit that Yazoo managed to score this year, it was their bigger hit in their native UK due to being a far catchier song than their earlier entry. They would have one more hit in their homeland the following year with "Nobody's diary" before they called it quits so that they could pursue their own ventures. Alison would find success with her debut album the year after that while Vince would rule the EDM scene.
People have criticised this song for its lyrics about how Madonna enjoys a spoilt lifestyle or as she puts it "living in a material world," I guess they don't realise that this song is meant to be ironic given how they also claim her delivery is beyond irritating and that the production sounds sarcastic. A lot of people either got the joke back in the day or more likely, didn't care given how this was a huge hit regardless.
This was the most successful version of this standards track here in Australia, it's fitting that Rick Astley's version would be a success given it was his third UK hit in a row as well as the song being well know even at the time. This is the first song where Stock Aiken and Waterman tried their hands at standards track in terms of their production, they would make these types of songs with Kylie Minogue on her second album.
This ballad was nominated for an Oscar this year, I just thought I'd throw that out there as there are many people who don't like Peter Cetera's solo material due to him being schmaltzy in both his vocals and songwriting. This comes from the second Karate Kid flick which has been described as a sequel that repeated the big hits from the original film, although it's still considered better than the next two films.
D Generation were a comedy troupe that were very popular in the late 80's in Australia, similar to the Comedy club but not quite as successful. Like the Comedy club, they found moderate success in the music industry with this mashup of five popular songs from Jimmy Barnes, Kylie Minogue, John Farnham, Little river band and James Reyne with them inserting their comedy throughout the runtime.
Wang Chung were a British band who were all set to fail in the music industry given how their debut single was a flop on the British charts the previous year, fortunately it somehow caught on in America which allowed it to find an audience here in Australia several months after its initial release. The band would return three years later with "Everybody have fun tonight" which was their biggest hit.
This was the second and final hit that Ian Moss managed to achieve in his career, although this did come out around the time his album was release meaning it helped him score massive success with the album. This doesn't have as complicated a narrative as his earlier entry on this list, I'm guessing that's the only reason why it wasn't as successful as the sound is the same on both tracks.
These guys were on a roll this year as this became their third hit in a row thanks to it being a story about how Colin Hay takes an interest in a young boy and his ambitions (mind's out of the gutter please.) It connected with audiences this year (again in an innocent way) thus making it a huge hit for the band, although they wouldn't trouble the charts again until the lead single of their second album.
This was the only hit to come from Billy Joel's greatest hits package from this year, it's a song about gaining your second wind after you've been shot down by someone in a relationship. There weren't any signs of him slowing down in the industry as his next album would be a huge success for him, that is only in Australia it was as it underperformed throughout the rest of the world for some reason.
This was originally the theme to the Sean Penn film At close range, a film that was critically acclaimed by flopped at the box office this year. It was then the lead single for her third album due to it topping the Billboard charts, making it her third chart topper in America despite it not being among her bigger hits here in Australia. It's a departure from her earlier work due to it being a haunting ballad rather than innocent dance pop.
Even though "Always and ever" was a modest success for the band, it was this third single which confirmed them to be the real deal as it became a huge success for them and allowed their debut album to be a huge success this year. They were pipped for greatness for the 90's as were a lot of Australian acts on this list, unfortunately the 90's became hostile towards local artists in 1993 for some reason.
This is a song that I feel has too much brass in it (or rather synthesisers pretending that they're brass) as a result I feel that the song is a bit too annoying for my liking which puts me in the minority as this remains one of the band's most iconic songs to this day. This would be their last hit in Australia as their second Billboard chart topper "Human" would flop here, possibly due to the band being reduced to a trio by that point.
This was the only notable hit that the Venetians managed to have here in Australia, although they did spark international interest in their catalogue despite them being far from the most successful Australian band of the decade. They would try to find a second hit here throughout the rest of the decade before they called it quits and broke up in 1989, much like many bands from the 80's now that I think about it.
This was the first big hit that the Cure were able to achieve here in Australia, it's curious because they had appeared on Countdown multiple times prior to getting their big breakthrough with a song that's unlike most of the rest of their catalogue. The song's success likely comes from the video where lead singer Robert Smith does indeed share his love of cats in a way that I'm sure audiences found endearing.
This was the final hit that Simple minds were able to achieve in Australia, it also stands as their biggest hit in their native UK as it was their only chart topper over there. I guess these guys were a bit ahead of the curve when it came to the Celtic revival of the 90's as this ballad has plenty of Celtic influences on here that wouldn't feel out of place on a Corrs album or the Riverdance soundtrack.
This was the second hit that Pseudo echo was able to score here in Australia, it's more in line with what their earlier entry originally sounded like proving they weren't always about being bombastic for the sake of it. This was actually their big hit over in NZ from their debut album, likely suggesting the kiwis were also in agreement that these guys were at their best when they would dial things back.
Just a heads up that I'll be having a bunch of two for one deal entries on this site as there were quite a few singles that were bundled together here in Australia to help boost their popularity. In any case we have our first entry which was the second and third singles from Back in black which managed to become the band's second top ten hit in the decade due to how well fondly remembered both tracks are to this day.
This was the final hit that Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons had here in Australia (although they were now simply going by Jo Jo Zep) it seems odd they would achieve their highest charting single before they went their separate ways but that was a surprisingly common trend in the music industry over the years. Lead singer Joe Camilleri would form a new band after this known as the Black sorrows.
This was the only hit that British band Voice of the beehive were able to achieve in Australia, likely due to it being a cover of the biggest hit that the Partridge family had two decades prior albeit as a pop rock tune in an attempt to modernise the wholesome original. I will say that I do prefer this track even if it's admittedly more dated than the original, I think it's due to how "radical" they were trying to be on here.
You'd think that the big hit from the Rock steady crew would be their signature track "Hey you," it was their big hit over in the UK for the American breakdance band after all. Instead, it was their second single that was the big hit here, likely due to them performing both tracks on Countdown and their performance of their big UK hit being little more than a breakdance whereas this was sung by the members.
As with every fad in the music industry, it was only a matter of time before there would be a parody song about the rockabilly revival that would be a success. That came in the form of this track from the Belgian group the Veterans who made a joke song about how the rockabilly revival was flooding the mainstream over newer and more exciting music.
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