I know this feels a little reductive considering every entry on this list appeared on my biggest hits of 1980-1992 lists, however I love the 80's and I'm sure the 80's aficionados in my audience would want a list like this given how I've already done one for the 90's and 70's on this site. The same rules I applied to the 90's list apply here, I'll only add commentary to songs that didn't appear on one of my official year end lists and will be ranking them based on how long they lasted on our charts.
64 weeks
#1 for 1984
Two entries in and we already have a new appearance on this list as this also managed to stick around for a staggering 64 weeks on our charts even if it failed to appear in our top twenty back in the day. I'm guessing this was due to it the song being a success twice given how it charted around the time the film first came out and then rebounded once it won an academy award months later.
48 weeks
#2 for 1984
#1 for 1985
44 weeks
#3 for 1984
41 weeks
#1 for 1988
#1 for 1989
This was all set to flop here in Australia upon its initial release given how we Aussies were a bit slow when it came to the hair metal craze of the late 80's, naturally this rebounded once the album took off here thanks to the success of its second single which allowed it a very high placement on this list of mine due to how long it stuck around for.
40 weeks
#4 for 1984
#2 for 1988
This is one of many songs throughout the 80's that didn't get much of a look in here in Australia but nonetheless had massive legs on our charts, this is a new wave track from the obscure Canadian band Rough Trade who charted for quite some time on the lower half of our charts likely due to it being a favourite on late night MTV.
39 weeks
#1 for 1987
38 weeks
#1 for 1981
It felt weird to me that this song wasn't a huge instant success and instead a sleeper hit here in Australia back in the day given how much airplay it continues to receive on oldies stations to this day, alas it appears we largely passed up this single in favour of its album and the second single for said album given how "Waiting for a girl like you" proved to be the song which broke these guys into our mainstream.
37 weeks
#3 for 1990
This is meant to be the big showstopper of Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of Phantom of the opera, although curiously he replaces Michael Crawford on this single for Cliff Richard likely to try and have it become a mainstream success which it admittedly was in the UK for him and Sarah Brightman. Sarah of course got her big break with this duet as well as her performance as Christine Daae in the show.
If you can believe it, famous Hollywood composer Danny Elfman began his career as the lead singer of the new wave band Oingo boingo who's best known for their theme song to the 80's classic Weird science (a film that holds up fairly well despite its problematic premise of making a real-life woman out of a barbie doll.) Here in Australia, this was the big hit they had albeit only after months of charting in the lower half of our charts.
36 weeks
#1 for 1983
#5 for 1984
#2 for 1987
#3 for 1988
#2 for 1989
35 weeks
#2 for 1983
#3 for 1987
#4 for 1988
#4 for 1987
#5 for 1988
#6 for 1988
34 weeks
#3 for 1989
#4 for 1990
#5 for 1987
It feels odd this was a hit considering it was released not long after the launch of MTV, although considering that one half of this duo had just won an academy award when it became a success throughout Europe, its success isn't as surprising as you might think. Jon Anderson is of course best known as the lead singer of Yes, although he briefly left the group to form this project with the Greek composer.
Not only did this song achieve all of its success upon its initial release here in Australia, but it also came out much sooner here which is odd considering this feel like a shoe in for instant success over in NZ like I'm sure it seemed like at the time when the kiwis nearly made it a chart topper over there. I guess this was a sleeper hit here due to us Aussies vaguely remembering his first hit "Patches" from eighteen years prior.
We have another example of a song appearing on here due to it rebounding on our charts once a much more popular song became as such here in Australia, this time it was when "Electric Avenue" nearly topped our charts like it did in America that compelled us Aussies to check out what the fuss was about with this big chart-topping hit Eddy Grant had in NZ and his native UK.
33 weeks
#3 for 1983
#4 for 1983
#7 for 1988
#8 for 1988
#5 for 1983
#6 for 1983
#7 for 1983
Ever wanted to hear a disco rendition of a signature track from Frankie Valli? You're in luck as this track from the 80's disco band Boys Town Gang (yes there were 80's disco groups) managed to find success here in Australia albeit as a sleeper hit due to how much of a surprise hit this was in the UK for the American band. Naturally this was a huge flop on Billboard due to the disco backlash in their homeland.
I've yet to see St Elmo's fire the movie, although I've heard nothing but terrible things about it even from diehard 80's afficionados so I'm in no hurry to watch it anytime soon. This was the theme song to the movie which was a bit of a surprise hit here in Australia likely due to how well received the film was here back in the day, it was basically the quintessential brat pack flick after all.
Well MC Hammer didn't have one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia out of nowhere, here we are with the song his signature track heavily samples which was indeed a massive sleeper hit here nine years prior to when that song saw the light of day. Interestingly enough, this was released on time here in Australia as opposed to almost a year late over in NZ where it was a much bigger success.
32 weeks
#6 for 1984
#2 for 1985
#9 for 1988
#4 for 1989
#3 for 1985
#4 for 1985
I have no idea what took us Aussies so long to make this a success back in the day given how effortless it was for the other two hits from Wow to become a hit here, heck this only barely missed the cut on appearing on the NZ side of my site given how it briefly cracked their top ten upon its initial release. I guess audiences felt it was a retreat of "Venus" right down to the music video being very similar to that classic.
31 weeks
#6 for 1987
#1 for 1986
#10 for 1988
#8 for 1979
#1 for 1980
#5 for 1989
#2 for 1980
#2 for 1986
#7 for 1987
#11 for 1988
#6 for 1989
#2 for 1981
#12 for 1988
#3 for 1980
#7 for 1989
#4 for 1980
#13 for 1988
This is one of those melodramatic songs that's received a ton of backlash over the years due to its podophilic storytelling, I guess this is why it was only a sleeper hit here in Australia as there's been very few tracks to make it big with such a problematic premise to them. Still its success in Benny's native America was undeniable which was enough for us to check it out likely as a guilty pleasure.
This wasn't Robert Palmer's first hit single here in Australia (that of course was "Bad case of loving you") however this was a huge sleeper hit for him years before he joined forces with members of Duran Duran to become the Power station which gives you an idea of how his sound shifted throughout his career. This was the second single he released in the 80's after "Johnny and Mary" which remains a favourite on oldies stations.
Gary Moore is best known as the guitarist from Thin Lizzy who curiously never had much success here in Australia back in the day, heck he had more success with his solo outing than his band ever did which began with this cover of the Easybeats classic two decades after its success in the UK. I wouldn't say this replaced the original given how it only became a success due to its refusal to die on our charts.
30 weeks
#8 for 1987
#14 for 1988
#3 for 1981
#1 for 1982
#8 for 1989
#15 for 1988
#9 for 1989
#6 for 1990
#16 for 1988
#10 for 1989
#9 for 1987
#11 for 1989
#8 for 1983
#3 for 1986
#17 for 1988
#5 for 1980
This was the final hit single that Ol'55 managed to achieve in Australia, it makes sense as they were one of the biggest rockabilly throwback bands of the 70's down under scoring a string of hits with their rockabilly tracks throughout the decade. They would breakup not long after this became their final hit.
#6 for 1980
#18 for 1988
#10 for 1987
There'll be plenty of disco tracks on this amended list of mine that were only sleeper hits here in Australia back in the day, although this was far more of an immediate success in NZ given how it was easily one of the biggest hits of the decade over there for the German band Ottawan. Interestingly none of their other songs managed to crossover in the southern hemisphere for whatever reason.
For some reason, this took two attempts to become a success here in Australia which is why it failed to appear on this side of my site up until now despite it being a huge chart topper everywhere else in the world. I guess in a way this was Falco's biggest hit here in Australia like it was internationally given how "Der Kommissar" was more of an immediate success and thus didn't chart as long here.
It turns out Kim Carnes isn't a one hit wonder after all as she managed to gain a second hit outside of her native America with this hidden gem that got pushed aside back in the day in favour of all the Live aid promotion. I guess this charted around the time she provided backup vocals for "I'd die to be with you tonight" on Jimmy Barnes big hit which would explain its success here in Australia.
29 weeks
#12 for 1989
#7 for 1990
#5 for 1985
#4 for 1986
#7 for 1980
#4 for 1981
#9 for 1983
#8 for 1990
#9 for 1990
#19 for 1988
#20 for 1988
#10 for 1990
#21 for 1988
#13 for 1989
#5 for 1986
#11 for 1987
#14 for 1989
#8 for 1980
#5 for 1981
#22 for 1988
#23 for 1988
#24 for 1988
#25 for 1988
This was a sleeper hit here in Australia for Def Leppard, in fact you can make the argument that this eventually becoming a success here was what helped the album take off over a year after its initial release despite how much of an instant success it was internationally for the British hair metal band. They did have a minor hit with "Rocket" from the album, however it won't be appearing on this list.
#10 for 1983
I'm not sure why this wasn't an instant success here in Australia like it was internationally for Whitney Houston, although it did stick around for quite some time on our charts likely due to her winning us Aussies over once "How will I know" was given a music video shortly after its release. It may have been a humble beginning to her career, but it's one that people look back on fondly to this day.
#9 for 1980
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