This is my biggest project yet! I've decided to rank all the biggest songs and albums to make it big here in Australia by how well they did on our charts from 1970 to 2009. The reason I'm not including the 2010's and beyond is because let's face it, I want this list to be a celebration of all the biggest and best songs to appeal to us Aussies and I feel that the vast majority of songs and albums that made it big after 2009 won't have the lasting cultural impact that even amid level hit from 1973 still has decades later. I'll be including stats from both the ARIA AND AMR charts meaning that all singles from mid-1988 onwards as well as albums that charted between mid-1988 and late 1998 will have two entries on this list to showcase how well they did on each chart (you'll know the difference when an entry has THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY rather than my commentary on it.) One final thing, this will be presented as a countdown, meaning that I'm breaking tradition by having each entry be more successful than the last as opposed to the opposite like every other list on this site.
#5600
This was the only hit that ZZ Top managed to achieve in Australia, I'm guessing it was due to it being about how much the trio likes the legs of a woman they were singing about on this track. Whatever the reason was for this being a hit, it allowed their album Eliminator to be a huge success this year after sitting on shelves ignored for over a year, making this a very happy ending for the band.
#5599
This is the last big hit that RHCP had here in Australia, although internationally that honour would go to "Snow" from the same album as this served as the lead single for which either way should tell you that this was the last album that they would be superstars with before their popularity evaporated going into the 2010's. This song would've done alright with its physical sales; however, its success largely came from digital sales.
#5598
This was another song that was impacted by Sony tampering with the release schedule, trust me, this one and only hit from the Hoobastank was inescapable here in Australia as I'm sure it was throughout the rest of the world back in the day. I'm not sure why this was the song to catch on worldwide as the rest of their catalogue would've fitted in nicely with the rock scene equally as well as this did.
#5597
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5596
Years before she scored a minor hit with "It's only the beginning" which continues to be a favourite on oldies stations to this day, Deborah Conway was the lead singer of this band who named themselves after the song from the Sound of music. They scored their one and only hit with this song that's about pubic hair, that's right, a song about pubic hair was one of the biggest hits of the year in Australia.
#5595
For eight years, this was the final hit that the Brothers Gibb had in most parts of the world, it's a pity because it remains a disco classic to this day thanks to the frenetic energy of the track as well as the Bee Gees themselves. They would eventually return with "You win again" in 1987, and indeed they would score another comeback ten years after that when their album Still waters became a surprise success.
#5594
This was a song recorded specifically for the international version of James Reyne's solo debut, a version that was released here in Australia likely to boost the popularity of his catalogue which worked out as this became a big hit for him here. Unfortunately, his international appeal didn't amount to anything, although his next two albums were successful here, so I doubt he minded too much.
#5593
For most parts of the world, this was the only hit single that Robbie Nevil managed to achieve mainly due to the lyrics about how life shouldn't be about doing things for the sake of doing them. It connected with audiences during what I'm told is the height of the era of greed, where everything was done through the incentive of money and little else. In Australia, he scored a second hit in the early 90's with "Just like you," which is a more contemporary love song.
#5592
We've already looked at this song on the NZ side of my site when it was rereleased in the early 90's due to it being featured in a jean commercial in the UK, time now to look at its original release where it became the big breakthrough for the Steve Miller band due to it topping the Billboard charts for them. It was a huge hit here in Australia as well, hence why it managed to appear on this list of mine.
#5591
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.
#5590
Well, this was a comeback that came out of nowhere this year, the last anyone had heard from the Pretenders was their 1986 album where Chrissie Hynde scored two hits with "Don't get me wrong" and "Hymn to her" which made the album her most successful in her career. Here she is seven years later with a ballad that sounds like it would fit on that album that gave her one final hit for her career.
#5589
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.
#5588
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5587
It's strange to think that this was released as the lead single of Songs from the big chair in America, almost as if the band wanted to make their big entrance on the Billboard charts with reassurance to their audience that while times were rough in the 80's, it wasn't going to last forever and that it was human nature that things were the way they were. Everywhere else in the world had this as the second single from the album where it was also a huge hit for them.
#5586
From here in out (until 1998 where the AMR charts ceased to exist) we'll be looking at every entry from the 100% hits franchise given how every entry from the franchise was a success including the third entry which looks over the summer period of 91/92.
#5585
Autumn of 1989 was a hectic time in the Australian music scene if this album is anything to go by, rather than repeat myself on this entry like I do with each of these releases, I'll bring up that this was the last compilation album to chart on ARIA before they were moved to their own charts, so this being a success is based on how well it did on the AMR charts.
#5584
This is the third and final album that Adam and the Ants released before they called it quits the following year to allow Adam Ant to embark on a solo career, it was a huge success here in Australia and their native UK largely due to how much quirkier the band had become, however it was noticeably less successful than their earlier effort.
#5583
Given how Dragon had called it quits this year due to Marc Hunter wanting to embark on a solo career (as well as the behind the scenes tension they were going through) they decided to cap off their initial run together with a greatest hits package that was a decent success for them here in Australia.
#5582
One of the grittiest films to come out of the 90's was Trainspotting, a film which depicted the brutal conditions of living in the Scottish drug scene of the day and is led by a captivating performance from Ewan McGregor who found international success from this film. The soundtrack helps drive home the themes of the film, which is why it was a massive success back in the day worldwide.
#5581
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5580
This was a bit of a comeback for Live here in Australia, mainly due to the lead single becoming a massive success on our radios which likely meant that it was also a huge hit through digital piracy as many songs that were overplayed back in the day were usually popular with those unwilling to legally purchase songs at the time.
#5579
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5578
This was U2's venture towards pop music, or more specifically pop music as dictated by the 90's alternative scene as there was a lot of distortion on this album that is atypical of U2 albums. It wasn't well received at the time and to this day remains one of their worst albums according to their fans, although its success means that at least there was some love for this album back then.
#5577
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5576
Given that the lead single from this album was a huge success here in Australia, it makes sense that it was able to also be a huge success for Pablo Cruise which makes the failure of the rest of their catalogue here and in their native America that much more confusing in retrospect.
#5575
Speaking of that falling out that Jim Steinman had with Meat loaf, this was Jim's only album he release which I'm guessing was originally meant to be the second volume of the Bat out of hell series given how some of the tracks would later be covered by Meat loaf on that album twelve years later. Jim isn't a particularly great singer, at least compared to Meat loaf which is perhaps why this wasn't as successful.
#5574
From what I can gather, Juno was a popular coming of age film where a young woman (played by Elliot Page before he transitioned) gets knocked up and needs to navigate the burdens of life that comes with unplanned pregnancy. The film doesn't interest me in the slightest (its casting has nothing to do with this disinterest) however it did appeal to a lot of people back in the day as did the soundtrack which is indie fans dream playlists.
#5573
Given how inescapably popular the first season of Australian idol was this year, it only makes sense that an album collecting all of the best moments on the show would be a massive hit right before it came to an end.
#5572
Starting with this album, the creators of the Smash hits series compile a list of the biggest hits of any given year to one release which they release to varying degrees of success depending on which year we're referring to, the big hits of 1987 were something to behold which explains the success of this first entry in the series.
#5571
Given how his onscreen wife had taken the music industry by storm this year, it only seems fitting that Jason Donovan would follow suit by releasing this album which was a massive success despite people questioning his musical abilities when listening to the album. It may have been a hit at the time; however, few will claim that he was a vocal talent unlike his onscreen wife Kylie Minogue.
#5570
This was the final successful album that Mondo rock had in their career, it's curious because they were gaining international buzz with their discography, but they ruined their popularity with their next album by changing their sound to accommodate for an international market. I guess in the meantime they were enjoying their biggest success in the form of the lead single which made this album's success inevitable.
#5569
Even though this has been panned by just about everyone who's ever listened to it, this album from Metallica was a massive success regardless back in the day thanks to the promise of it being a return to their metal roots which initially pleased fans who felt that they had sold out with their material from the 90's. The band eventually realised this direction was a mistake and went back to their roots on their next album.
#5568
Well, this album might have left a bad taste in people's mouths back in the day, mainly for its lead single which while it was a massive hit, has been left forgotten in Elton's catalogue for being one of the more insensitive tracks in his catalogue. This would be the start of a very dark period for him as he ran into troubles with his partner in crime Bernie Taupin.
#5567
There were no signs of AC/DC slowing down in the music industry, in fact this album managed to give them their fourth hit of the decade proving that they were still able to score a hit this far into their career on the singles charts. Indeed, their next album would return them to the success they had at the start of the decade, proving they were able to find an audience all of this time after their breakthrough.
#5566
This is an RNB album that comes from the Soul deep projects that Jimmy Barnes was making throughout his career, it proved to be a success because there's a dedicated fanbase to this type of music that the pub rocker makes throughout his career.
#5565
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5564
Following his star making performance at the Barcelona Olympics this year as well as the concert he gave with Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti earlier in the decade, Jose Carreras was able to make a name for himself with this album that collects all of his most memorable songs for the convenience of everyone who had fallen in love with his shows throughout the decade.
#5563
This was a bit of a last hurrah for John Mellencamp given how this was the last successful album of his career here in Australia, although it did follow up his biggest album the Lonesome jubilee so perhaps it was bound to be successful regardless. He did retain success in his native America throughout the 90's, he even scored a massive hit in 1994 with "Wild night" proving how much his fellow Americans still loved him.
#5562
Autumn of this year was a hectic time in the music industry in Australia, as such this compilation album managed to be a huge success during our winter to showcase how many great tracks that made it big this year so far.
#5561
It may have nearly been a decade since he last troubled the charts in Australia, but again we have a greatest hits package from an older artist to see massive success this decade due to their fans loving their older material but not having much love for their newer material. I do like the name he gave this album, implying that he felt like he deserved better and that he gave it his all.
#5560
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5559
These were the big hits of summer in Australia during the 86/87 period, as such this album was able to achieve massive success thanks to audiences feeling that there was a good selection of bangers to be found on the album.
#5558
The summer of 88/89 was a hectic time in music if this album is anything go by, it had a good selection of music to choose from which ensured its success here.
#5557
The opening ceremony of the Australian Olympics this year was such a highlight that the organisers decided to release this live album capturing the best moments which of course was a massive hit here in Australia.
#5556
While this song wasn't pulled from shelves given how Sony had little incentive to continue that practice during the age of digital downloads, it certainly seemed like that was the case given how this managed to stick around for much longer on that format than it did on our main charts for Britney.
#5555
This was the big hit off of Icehouse's second album Primitive man, so much so that it was chosen as the lead single for their international release where it became a minor hit in the UK for them. This would be their last hit in Australia and NZ until their comeback album Man of colours, mainly due to them experimenting with their sound throughout the midpoint of the 80's to varying results.
#5554
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5553
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.)
#5552
From what I can gather, Tex Morton was an aging NZ country singer who scored a surprise hit with this track about a horse here in Australia during the first half of the decade. The horse in question was one of the most valuable in horse racing (a sport which I'm heavily against) much like that of Phar lap.
#5551
This was the fourth single that Savage Garden released from their self-titled debut album, as such it was an instant success here thanks to the production once again living up to their namesake and being savage compared to everything else that was popular around the time of its release. They would release one more single from the album with "Universe" before going back to make their second album.
#5550
I guess this was a return to form for David Essex given how this feels more in line with his debut single "Rock on" than his previous two hits he had throughout the decade. I guess this did please his original fans as this became a huge hit for him this year, however his popularity would die out as the decade went on in Australia.
#5549
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5548
This year Duran Duran split up into two bands, this being one of them which they replaced Simon Le Bon with Robert Palmer as the lead vocalist which helped him score a massive hit in most parts of the world due to his raunchy performance on a track that's named after the Marilyn Monroe flick from 1959. The other half of the band went on to become Arcadia who scored a massive hit with "Election Day."
#5547
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.
#5546
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5545
If you didn't know, Cher is in fact biracial or as she puts it, a half breed (half Native American and half Italian to be precise.) I guess this was a strong enough premise for her second Billboard chart topper as a solo artist given how the song is about how both sides of her family rejected her very existence due to the nature she was conceived (which she doesn't go into detail about as it's NSFW.)
#5544
I remember this song being way popular than its placement on this list would otherwise suggest, meaning that it's possible this second single from Nickelback's All the right reasons would've been even bigger had the digital charts been launched during the height of its popularity here in Australia. This was pushed back as one of the later singles in America from the band, likely due to it sounding different from the rest of their catalogue.
#5543
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5542
The last time Heart saw any success in Australia was ten years prior when "Magic man" became a huge hit for them, here they are ten years later with their biggest hit on Billboard which (to me at least) sounds like a prototype of Roxette's "Listen to your heart" which makes it a favourite of mine. They would have one more hit in 1990 with "All I wanna do is make love to you" worldwide.
#5541
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5540
It looked like their second album was going to be a complete flop when it was released towards the end of last year, however these guys managed to score a surprise hit with this ballad which gave them success outside of their debut album from the start of the decade. This didn't do anything to turn the album's reception around, but it at least helped them find success in a year their contemporaries were struggling in.
#5539
This was the only hit that Joe Jackson was able to score here in Australia, although given its subject matter about what it's like to be a real man (something that was up for debate even back then) it was a surefire hit for him as he challenges the very notion of toxic masculinity on this track which connected with audiences this year. This led to his album being a massive success for him which put him on the map.
#5538
We have one final entry from Sherbet for this site, again it was a huge success for them due to how well loved they were on Countdown during the first few years of its existence.
#5537
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.
#5536
This served as not only the lead single to J-Lo's second album, but also as the theme for her film the Wedding planner which co-stars Matthew McConaughey as her love interest. It was panned by critics mainly for the writing as not even the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman could make the story of the film work, indeed it's best that this song remains the lead single to an album and nothing more.
#5535
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.
#5534
This was the only hit that K.C and the Sunshine band were able to score in Australia throughout the 70's, although they would score another two hits going into the 80's meaning that they weren't one hit wonders with this classic for long here. I guess a common complaint with their 70's material is that they all sounded the same to each other, after all try telling this apart from "Shake your booty," Keep it coming love" and "Get down tonight." Unless you're a fan of disco, you won't be able to do it.
#5533
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5532
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5531
Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone decided to make an EDM remix of the Charleston this decade, enter this novelty act who would go on to score a massive hit the following year with a remix of that famous Jack Nicholson quote from the Shining. At least this was a massive success in the UK which more than explains how both of these songs found an audience here in Australia.
#5530
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5529
Another woman to score massive success this year for the female singer/songwriters of the world, this time it's Tracy Chapman who scored a massive worldwide success with this ballad about how her partner was weighing her down and how she eventually told them to as she puts it "take your fast car and keep on driving" when she realised they were no good for her. It became an inspiring tale about self-preservation that still resonates with audiences to this day.
#5528
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5527
Riff were a short-lived hip hop group who failed to score any success in their native America with their songs, they had better luck in the southern hemisphere where they scored two hits in NZ and one hit in Australia with this theme to the Wesley Snipes flick White men can't jump. I'm guessing this made it in the southern hemisphere due to our love of the film which sees Woody Harrelson learning to play basketball from Wesley.
#5526
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.
#5525
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.")
#5524
This is the only other hit that Eve had as a lead artist in her career, although she would score two more hits after his as the guest rapper with Gwen Stefani and Guy Sebastian of all people. In the meantime, we have this collaboration with Alicia Keys fresh off the success of her debut album who provides her a chorus about how even female thugs need love too, the male equivalent worked for Ja rule after all.
#5523
This was the lead single to the latest album that Bay city rollers released this year, given how they released two new albums every year since their initial breakthrough (that's not even counting their album they released exclusively in America) I think it's safe to say that the band was a tad overexposed by this point. It doesn't help that their latest single was a cover of a Dusty Springfield classic.
#5522
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5521
This was the theme to the film With honours, a film where Brendan Fraser takes pity on Joe Pesci who seems to be down on his luck and.... OK I haven't seen the film and nor do I ever have any intentions of watching it as I've heard nothing but terrible things about it. One positive thing I can say about it is that it has a really good theme courtesy of Madonna who gives a truly compelling performance on this track.
#5520
This was originally a hit for Maxine Nightingale back in the mid 70's, indeed it was a bigger hit for her back in the day even though Sinitta scored a massive hit with her cover thirteen years later. Sinitta is best known for two things, being the longtime girlfriend of Simon Cowell and the niece of Amii Stewart. The former is why she had a career in the first place and the latter explains her overall popularity.
#5519
This was the only hit that Yellow dog managed to achieve in Australia and their native UK, I'm guessing because their brand of pop rock was invigorating for one hit during a time where more complex music was dominating the charts worldwide. Even so, it did better than many other pop rock tracks from the time, meaning that it did have a sizeable audience back in the day for the British band.
#5518
This was the big hit off of Chris Isaak's biggest album in Australia, as you can tell it's very different from the songs he's generally known for as he's ditched his Roy Orbison impersonation in favour of something more tender for the 90's folk scene. The second single from the album was "Baby did a bad bad thing," a song that would become a hit much later in the decade due to its inclusion in Eyes wide shut.
#5517
This was the second Billboard chart topper that REO Speedwagon was able to score this decade, this of course meant that this ballad about not realising what you have until it's gone would be a huge hit for them here in Australia due to the lyrics connecting with audiences of the day. This would be the last anyone would hear from the band as they would fade into irrelevancy after this fell off the charts.
#5516
Shark tale is a film that seems to divide audiences, it all comes down to whether or not they appreciate this parody of the Pixar formula the same way that Shrek 2 (which also came out this year) parodies the Disney formula or if they feel that the film is nothing more than a collection of pop culture references strung together to try and form an incoherent plot. At least people like the theme song from Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott.
#5515
This was the song from Soundgarden's breakthrough album Superunknown to make them a huge household name in Australia and most parts of the world, likely due to its nightmare inducing video which depicts a suburban neighbourhood from the 50's filtered with the sense of irony that permeated this decade. It was a massive success for the band down under, although it would be their only hit.
#5514
Well, this is a song that showcases a more immature side of Outkast, or at least it does for Andre 3000 as while Big boi is on this track, it's still primarily his song given that it appears on his side of their album. As silly as the lyrics are on the radio edit, the album version is something else as it has an outro of him finding different ways to call his ex a bitch, it's absolutely hilarious and likely why this was a hit.
#5513
This was a massive hit in Tom's native Canada towards the end of the previous year, even so there was no guarantee that this song would crossover given how he had been active in his homeland for almost two decades at this point without seeing any international success. His patience was rewarded when this became a huge international success likely due to heartland rock still being one of the most popular genres of the moment.
#5512
These guys had been active since the late 60's, meaning they didn't find any success in their career until this year when they released this bouncy country ballad that got them their Billboard chart topper in their native America. This was a good time for country music with a groove to it, so of course it was going to succeed internationally for the two brothers, and hey they scored another hit later in the decade.
#5511
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5510
This was the second hit that Rocky Burnette was able to score in Australia this year, likely because he appeared on Countdown to perform his two big hits on this list as this didn't chart anywhere else in the world from what I can gather. The rockabilly revival was huge throughout the 70's and early 80's, so much so that I'm sure it would've continued had MTV not launched the following year.
#5509
It took him a while to release a new album following the demise of his band Simon and Garfunkel, however Paul Simon found instant success once he did release new music on his own given how much of an instant success said album and its lead single was throughout the world. True to the title, this is a song about a mother reuniting with her son after a long time apart which naturally connected with audiences.
#5508
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.
#5507
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.
#5506
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5505
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#5504
This is likely the first hip hop song that many people heard of back in the day, after all it was technically the first song to top the Billboard charts that has rapping in it even though I've heard versions of this song which takes out Debbie's rap verse. If nothing else, at least America can take comfort in the fact that a woman became the first person to have a number one hit there with this genre.
#5503
This was a song that Shaun Cassidy released exclusively in Australia, likely because he felt he could get away with covering Ruby and the Romantics given that they never had any success here in Australia. In America, the second single he had was his Billboard chart topper "Da doo ron ron," proving how he was able to score success throughout his career.
#5502
There was no shortage of underage performers who made it big in the 70's, our latest entry comes from the Moir sisters who were a family trio of young women who scored their one and only hit with a song they wrote. I guess the fact they wrote this did put them on a higher league than the likes of the Osmonds and the teen idols from the second half of the decade, although they sadly remain a one hit wonder regardless.
#5501
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
