Well, this is a song that's impossible to take seriously, I don't think I've been able to get through this track once without cracking myself laughing which I feel is the point given how badly Ian wants you to hit him with your "rhythm stick" (look up what that means kids.) This song was a massive success worldwide and put the punk band on the map right when the punk scene had begun to lose its momentum.
The second half of the decade was a massive success for Hot chocolate who saw tons of worldwide success with their blend of RNB and disco, in fact they even became the multicultural band of choice in America over Kool and the gang who didn't score another hit on Billboard until the early 80's. Indeed, these guys also continued to see success well into the 80's, albeit mainly in their native UK.
We have one final entry from T Rex on this list, this time it's one of their most popular songs in their catalogue likely due to the Power station cover from 1985 that came dangerously close to making it on that list on this side of my site (it was a top ten hit that failed to stick around that year.) Naturally this continued the winning streak that the band had worldwide even if that streak wouldn’t last that long.
While we've already seen plenty of heavier tracks on this list, this is the first entry to be a full-on heavy metal track which comes to us from Deep purple of all bands. Something interesting about this song's success here in Australia is that it was quite delayed as it had almost been a full year since its international success before it finally took off on our charts.
This is the only other hit that the Kinks had this decade in most parts of the world, it's also (to my knowledge) the earliest hit single about a trans woman given that the titular woman is described as such. This has led to a polarising reception of the song in recent years as it's both praised for being ahead of its time for humanising these individuals and criticised for not going far enough (the latter usually by "woke" individuals.)
#34 for 1971
This was another successful ballad to come out of Rod Stewart this decade, one that I'm pretty sure led to a rather nasty rumour about him concerning sailors that I won't bother repeating on this entry.
This is a song that by all accounts should be seen as one of the laziest ever recorded and yet works so well despite its brutal minimalism, it's sort of like a trance track from the 90's with how well it works with how little it has and it appears the general public of this year agrees with that assessment as this became a huge success for Donna Summer worldwide.
This was the only hit single that prog trio Emerson Lake and Palmer were able to achieve anywhere in the world, this no doubt led to the success of their album the Works vol 1 here given how it had a genuine hit single to its name down under. If you thought Genesis gets a bad rep when it comes to prog fans, I'd advise asking them what they think of these guys unless you're prepared for a foul-mouthed rant.
These guys were all about giving us history lessons set to catchy music, weren't they? Here we have their history lesson on Ma Barker, one of the most notorious women in the American crime syndicate during the first half of the century (they misspelt her name for some reason.) This became an instant success for them throughout the world and no doubt led to their even better track about Rasputin.
This was the solo breakthrough for Gerry Rafferty who had minor success earlier in the decade as the lead singer of Stealer's wheel (of "Stuck in the middle with you" fame.) Let's face it, the main reason why this song is so popular to this day is for those sax solos that play at the end of every chorus, sure his vocals are nice too, but they would've have been enough to help this stand out from the crowd on their own.
This was the only hit that Blue mink had in Australia, likely due to it being a plea for world peace given how the titled the track after the phrase "melting pot of friendship." They were far more successful in their native UK as well as NZ likely due to them having a woman of colour as their main vocalist in a band otherwise consisting of white men, a lineup that helped them stand out from the crowd back in the day.
Although "You make me feel like dancing" is often regarded as the big hit from Leo Sayer's third album, it was actually this ballad that proved to be his biggest hit this decade and would've been his biggest hit overall were it not for his cover of "More than I can say" from the start of the following decade. Indeed, Leo's biggest hits are his ballads and not his more upbeat tracks.
There was no stopping Gary Glitter during the first half of the decade given how this was a huge hit from his second album Touch me despite failing to reach out top ten (the highest entry on this list to do so.) It's easy to see how he made it big in the glam scene given how energetic he is on record; let alone the energy he displayed on stage when performing these tracks.
This was the only notable hit single that Bob Geldof had with his band the Boomtown rats in Australia, granted they were close to inescapable in their native UK but here this track about a real-life school shooting was the best they could do. Nowadays Geldof is more well known for A: his performance in the theatrical adaptation of Pink Floyd's the wall and B: being the instigator of Live aid.
This was the debut single for Kate Bush, it's incredible to think that someone as young as she was managed to craft a song that's resonated with so many people over the years but there you go. Kate's popularity grew well into the 80's likely due to her fitting in really well with the MTV era, after all the visuals in her videos while bizarre at time, still strike a chord with visual media to this day.
If this sounds like a KC and the Sunshine band song to you, you're not far off as it was written by Harry Casey who was the lead singer of the disco band. This was George McCrae's only hit worldwide likely due to it arriving a little too early to the disco bandwagon to be seen as anything more than a novelty at the time, if it had of come out even a year later then he probably would've had a ton more success.
Both Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell were on a roll when they began the decade with this collaboration they made together worldwide, as such it was inevitable that they would find massive success with this ballad even if the former wouldn't have another hit after this collaboration moving forward.
This was the first big hit that Leo Sayer had in his career, naturally it was a decent success here in Australia even if this would've likely benefitted from Countdown's promotion given how big the rest of his catalogue was from the second half of the decade here. My American readers will likely be more familiar with the Three dog night version that became a hit on Billboard in lieu of this version.
#19 for 1972
This was originally released three years prior to deafening silence for Roger Whittaker, likely due to audiences not being interested in having yet another singer/songwriter to join the ranks of Don McLean and Cat Stevens in our mainstream. The song was given a second chance during the midpoint of the decade due to it becoming a surprise hit for him in his native UK for reasons I can't seem to ascertain.
This was the only notable success for the Spanish duo Baccara, mainly due to their unique vocals as well as the groovy disco beat which helped it stand out from many of their contemporaries this decade. There was little surprise this would be a hit in Australia given how inescapable it was in the UK, although I get the feeling this still would've been a hit here regardless because of how bit it was throughout Europe.
Behold the one and only hit that Pink Floyd were able to achieve during their time together (OK so "Learning to fly" also charted in Australia but still) there was little doubt this was going to become a huge hit for the band given how instantly relatable the lyrics have been to every generation of children since its initial release. Even the video is amazing as it brings these lyrics to life through stylised animation that was later used in the album's theatrical adaptation.
We have another two for one entry on this list, although this time we're looking at a song that's already appeared on my site given how "Castles in the air" became a hit on its own a decade after this was released. "Vincent" was the main reason for this entries success due to it feeling like a John Denver track, particularly with the opening lyrics being "starry starry night."
This was another RNB ballad that managed to become a huge success in NZ that was a massive flop here in Australia, this time it's from Johnny Nash who scored a massive worldwide hit with the final hit from his career following the success he had earlier in the decade with "I can see clearly now."
This was originally a hit single for the Spanish group Los bravos back in the mid 60's, although over a decade later, this French trio turned the garage rock track into a disco track which allowed it to become twice as success worldwide as the original. This took its sweet time crossing over to Australia, presumably because we Aussies needed a bit of convincing to allow these girls to disco fy an older track.
It's interesting that this almost made it to number one on our charts given how it wasn't a big hit in Glen's native America, then again, Glen Campbell in general seemed to have more success down under than he did on the Billboard charts until he sold out with "Rhinestone cowboy" in 1975 where his fortunes were reversed in both countries.
These guys were a two-hit wonder everywhere in the world except for America where this failed to become a hit for them, this was due to a cover from Bo Donaldson and the Heywood's charting over there instead of this version likely due to the American band being a better fit for these lyrics about a foolish young soldier who loses his life in a war despite being warned against it.
John Denver had been active in the music industry for the better part of a decade at this point, sure he had success in his native America, but it was when this lead single to his album Back home again became a surprise success in the UK that he finally saw massive international success. The song has become a bit of a meme over the years due to how overdramatic the ballad has remained since its initial release.
OK I try to avoid using album art that has any indication of a song being popular in a certain country, however this is the only album art I could find for this one and only hit from the British reggae duo Typically tropical that didn't have the cover model topless or in an otherwise sexually provocative stance (even this will probably be titillating to my audience if I'm being honest.) Suffice to say, this was a song meant to put audiences in the mindset of being in a tropical paradise which connected with the kiwis and their fellow Brits.
Well, I did say that Supercharge reminded me of a German disco band when I featured them on the Australian side of my site, here's an actual German disco band who managed to score a massive hit worldwide this year thanks to how catchy this track was. It makes you wonder why this wasn't a hit here in Australia as we had little issues with German disco making it big if Boney M is anything to go by.
This was the first hit that Roxy music had following their reformation the previous year, it's interesting to note that this was a massive hit over in NZ and not here in Australia given how lead singer Bryan Ferry was one of the biggest artists of the decade over here and was virtually a nobody over there with his solo material. Admittedly this was the only hit of theirs that was more popular in NZ than it was down under.
I get the feeling this song was originally meant for Elvis Presley due to the vocals heavily reminding me of the king of rock and roll on this track, it's instead the one and only hit from country legend Faron Young outside of his native America as this was a surprise hit both here and in the UK for him. Interestingly, this bombed on the Billboard charts, meaning I have no idea how we Aussies and Brits came across it.
Well, this might be the gimmickiest song to come from 10cc as it not only has a cod reggae beat to it, but also tells a bizarre story about how the narrator was mugged while on holidays. This allowed the song to become a massive success for the British band and even had that success translate to their album Bloody tourist, however this was also the last hit they had before they faded into obscurity.
This is the final entry from Slade on my list, it was their final hit on our charts as we Aussies were beginning to grow tired of their brand of glam rock by the time it came out. They would somewhat be replaced with Sweet moving forward given how big they got by the midpoint of the decade.
This was already a hit twice here in Australia and around the world, the first time was its initial version from Johnny Mathis in the 50's and the second was from Cliff Richard about a decade prior to this version from Donny Osmond. If I were to rank these three versions based on how well they did, it would go as Johnny, Donny and Cliff.
This was the first of several Billboard chart toppers for Deborah Harry and company, however it was far from their first big hit throughout the rest of the world as we Aussies allowed "In the flesh" to nearly top our charts two years prior whilst the Brits gave them a massive hit with "Denis" from the previous year. Still, it's good to know their experimentation with disco was what made them huge in their homeland.
If you think that ironic tracks meant to criticise the pop music of any given period is a recent phenomenon, allow me to introduce you to this one and only hit from Robin Scott AKA M who managed to take the world by storm with his critiques of the state of pop music in the late 70's. It was a huge chart topper for him in Australia and Billboard of all places despite it not getting to number one in his native UK.
This is often considered to be one of the worst songs of the decade, mainly because it has a rather upbeat tone despise the really depressing subject matter of coping with death which even at the time rubbed audiences the wrong way. It was the only hit for the Canadian folk singer Terry Jacks albeit a huge one likely because of the backlash it received back in the day.
This was the second single from Abba's fourth album Arrival, and one that seems oddly appropriate in this day and age given how frequently they proclaim this to be a "rich man's world" throughout the lyrics. It was an easy chart topper for the Swedish foursome and ensured that their popularity wasn't a fluke during the midpoint of the decade.
This was a reggae track that became a success here in Australia due to its massive popularity in the UK of all places, I'm not sure why it took off over there other than the Brits always seeming to have a soft spot for reggae over the years. It was Dave and Ansell Collins only hit down under; however, they did score a second hit in the UK after this.
#12 for 1971
I'm as surprised as you are that this wasn't a huge success here in Australia like it was over in the UK, it was the Brits first impressions of Blondie after all even if we Aussies were already familiar with them from "In the flesh" from earlier on this list. It was due to this song nearly topping the UK charts that finally caught them the attention of their fellow Americans in time for the release of their third album.
#44 for 1971
It took us a while to get to a second hit from the Rolling stones on this track, however we finally have one with this lead single to their album Sticky fingers which was a much bigger hit in America and in their native UK likely due to strong album sales eating up its success here in Australia. This is their last entry on this site of mine as they only had three hits in the 70's down under (their two entries on this list and "Miss you.")
It looks like the Abba phenomenon was beginning to die down with their latest album err.... the Album. With that said, these guys continued to have success here for the remainder of the decade and even into the 80's as their dip in popularity was more due to overexposure from their previous two albums, although it could also be this lead single not being the best choice to lead an album cycle.
This was the first hit that Gary Glitter had that didn't appear on one of his albums (that I'm aware of) naturally this allowed it and his top entry on this list to top the UK charts which remain as his only two chart toppers over there along with "I'm yours" which won't be appearing on this list.
We have our final appearance from 10cc on this site as this was their first major hit here in Australia, although in their native UK, "Donna" has the honour of being their first big hit as that was their debut single which became a massive success for them in their homeland. This also means we have a different genre to look at from these guys as this was a glam rock track during the height of that genre's popularity.
While these guys only had one inescapable hit here in Australia with "Hot love," their fortunes were much better in their homeland as this became yet another chart topper in the UK for the glam rock band as well as another staple on oldies stations to this day.
This is the other big hit that Perry Como had here in Australia throughout the decade, I guess this was proof of concept that 50's crooners were able to find success two decades later given how the rest of the decade would see the likes of his contemporaries such as Al Martino and Johnny Mathis charting throughout the world.
It appears we Aussies were amused enough with this bizarre track from the Floaters for it to be a huge sleeper hit for the band during the height of the Countdown era, this is impressive given how little RNB there was throughout the decade on our charts and yet this novelty track managed to beat out the likes of Earth wind and fire and the Manhattans as one of the bigger hits of the decade from that genre.
Even though he had released a solo album the year prior to this ballad, this was the first solo hit that Paul McCartney had anywhere in the world due to not releasing a single from that album at the start of the decade. This went straight to number one on our charts despite it not being among the bigger hits of the decade down under.
The kung fu craze of the 70's was inexplicably popular, as such we have this tribute from Carl Douglas which is surprisingly not racist in the slightest as this was back in the early days of political correctness preventing people from making caricatures of non-western culture such as the kung fu craze. The song has been covered and remixed several times of the years, which is why you still hear the original to this day.
Although this was a huge success in the band's native UK, it would up becoming even bigger here in Australia likely due to us Aussies loving the 50's throwback rock that was popular this decade more so than the Brits. Sadly, this was the lead single to their one and only album which despite being a huge success, didn't prompt the band to make a second album in their career.
This was another huge hit that Slade had throughout the world during their heyday, it was coincidentally their second UK chart topper given how it was their second biggest hit here in Australia for the glam rock band.
This song feels a little low on this list, this is because it had some of its success stolen here in Australia by a local band known as Peaches who also covered this ballad from the Righteous brothers. Clout was an all-girl group from South Africa who saw massive international success with this ballad, presumably due to their interpretation of the lyrics which are about them being a substitute for the listener's current partner.
Although these guys had massive success in their native America throughout the second half of the decade, it does pain me to report that this was their only success here in Australia as even the Brits and kiwis gave them more success with their other singles than we Aussies did. At least this disco classic was a huge success for them, and hey lead singer Nile Rodgers did become an in-demand producer after this.
Glen Campbell was on a roll during the first half of the decade given how this was another easy hit he had throughout the world, although curiously it wasn't a huge hit in his native America which was also the case for his other entries on this list.
#15 for 1971
This was the biggest hit that Gilbert O'Sullivan had in his native UK, it wasn't quite as inescapable throughout the rest of the world likely due to this song feeling like it was written about a dog rather than an overexcited partner of his. At least this isn't anywhere near as pessimistic as some of the other songs in his catalogue.
There weren't a lot of RNB groups to make it big in Australia back in the day, one of the lucky few who did was the Stylistics who scored a massive hit with this RNB ballad due to how inescapable it was throughout the rest of the world. Like many RNB groups of the day, they had more success over in NZ even during the second half of the decade, giving you an idea of how much they loved RNB.
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