This is a song from Miley Cyrus that greatly benefitted from digital sales on our charts considering how much more successful it was on our storefront than it was as a physical release, not bad for a song that was initially released as a bonus track from her second Hannah Montana album.
#142 on physical list
Although it was rather late in crossing over here in Australia, at least this one and only hit from Colbie Caillat managed to be more of a success on our digital charts than as a physical single, likely because it was a song whose popularity initially stemmed from Myspace like so many other entries on this list.
#136 on physical list
I'm sorry to say that Lily Allen didn't have much success with her first album here in Australia regardless of what format we're referring to, that's a shame considering how much more popular her second album was given that this remains equally as popular as both a physical release and a digital single.
#94 on physical list
Although this was more of a success on our digital charts likely due to the presence of Kanye West, I'm surprised it wasn't even bigger considering that as far as I can tell, there isn't a version of this song that omits his guest verse and even if there was, it certainly didn't chart on there back in the day.
#120 on physical list
Taylor Swift was always going to dominate our charts with this second single from her breakthrough album regardless of which format it was charting in, this is further proof that she was the star of tomorrow once the decade came to an end which of course she effortlessly lived up to throughout the 2010's.
#101 on physical list
As the club boom was beginning to rise in popularity during the final stretch of the decade, it seems natural that it would flourish on the digital charts given how it was seen as the hip and new genre to get into. As such, this collaboration between David Guetta and Kelly Rowland was bound to be more popular on that format than as a physical release.
#129 on physical list
If this feels a little low on this list, I should remind my readers then that there is indeed two versions of this song even if it was the version with Snoop Dogg on it that became a success on our digital charts back in the day. Still, this did quite well given how any version of a track was fair game for becoming a success during the chart's infancy.
#87 on physical list
Sara Barelles as another artist who I'm surprised didn't find more success on the digital charts during its run, although at least her debut single was more popular on the format than as a physical release likely due to it having sharper lyrics about label disputes that can easily be interpreted as her not justifying a bad relationship as a good one.
#156 on physical list
This saw a massive improvement in the rankings due to it being more of a sleeper hit here in Australia despite initially debuting high on our charts, I think this was the point where Good Charlotte was able to be taken more seriously in the mainstream which suggests their earlier catalogue may not have benefitted that much from digital sales unlike most other rock bands of the decade.
#181 on physical list
I don't think there's a version of this track without T.I on it, even if there was, that certainly didn't have any appeal on our digital charts back in the day which means this second single from Futuresex/Lovesounds was far less successful on there than it was as a physical release.
#74 on physical list
There's little surprise this was more popular as a digital track than it was as a physical single given how it seemed like the perfect anthem for the club boom coming from a rock band, two elements that seemed to go against the popular trend of songs that were bigger on our physical charts.
#134 on physical list
Pretty much all of Lady Gaga's repeat entries on this list saw equal amounts of success on our digital charts as they did as a physical release, like I said, her popularity was unavoidable back in the day regardless of which format we're referring to.
#105 on physical list
Given this second single from Good girl gone bad had more of a rock edge to it, it's natural that it would be more of a success on our digital charts as it also had the benefit of not having its success eaten up by how popular the album was on that format which is why it wasn't as big as a physical release down under.
#191 on physical list
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't a bigger hit for T.I on our digital charts considering A: it had Rihanna on the chorus and B: it was built around one of the earliest memes to come from the internet. I guess there was a certain sector of the digital storefront that considered this to be a bit lame which prevented it becoming as popular as it arguably should've been on there.
#114 on physical list
It feels a little weird that this was so much less successful on the digital charts than it was as a physical release, although this wouldn't feel too out of place as a single from Nelly's debut album which suggests that she wouldn't have had much success on that format had it existed earlier in the decade here in Australia.
#49 on physical list
Britney's popularity on our digital charts was about the same as it was on our main charts (barring her earlier entry on this list of course) which means that regardless of what format we're looking at, she was further proof that pop divas were still very much welcome in the mainstream during the final stretch of the decade.
#123 on physical list
Well, this was certainly an improvement on this ranking, especially considering how Ricki Lee began her career on Australian Idol which makes this the second highest entry from a former Australian idol contestant behind Guy Sebastian's earlier entry on this list.
#189 on physical list
This is another song that had more than one entry on our digital charts back in the day, meaning that once again we have a song that should be much higher on this list but wasn't due to ARIA's strange decision in not bundling all versions of a song into one entry on their digital charts back in the day.
#107 on physical list
I always did wonder if anyone cared much for Jay-Z's verse on this track, it turns out many didn't as it was the version of this song without the verse that managed to be successful on our digital charts with the rap version only barely scraping the top twenty just as this version was dropping out of our charts.
#42 on physical list
If there's a version of this song without T-Pain's guest verse, then it clearly had little impact on the main song as this is the only version to become a hit on our digital charts back in the day. It was far more popular on our storefront than it was as a physical release as was the case for just about all of Chris Brown's songs throughout his career down under.
#171 on physical list
I'm not sure if there's a version of this song without Flo Rida's guest verse, if there is, then it likely explains why this song wasn't as big on our digital charts as it was as a physical release despite the no rap version not charting on our digital charts back in the day. It could also be that Jessica Mauboy was simply more popular with her physical releases than she was on our storefront.
#91 on physical list
Out of the three entries on this list, this is the one whose success on the digital charts here is the closest to what it achieved on our physical charts, you'd think it would be bigger on our digital charts though considering it was the second single from his magnum opus Exclusive.
#128 on physical list
There's little surprise that this was more of a hit on our digital charts than it was on our physical charts considering how these guys got their start as a YouTube act, although it's impressive they were able to appeal to those who preferred to consume their music through physical media back in the day.
#137 on physical list
I'm not sure if there's a version of this song without Will.I.Am's involvement, however even if there was, it it's obvious that this song was far less popular as a digital single here in Australia than it was as a physical release back in the day.
#67 on physical list
It's strange how people have labeled the Script as music for our mothers considering how much more successful they were on our digital charts than they were on physical media, although it's possible that the mothers of the world were hip to the format given how popular the likes of Leona Lewis and P!nk were early on from its inception.
#165 on physical list
I have a feeling that Linkin Park would've greatly benefitted from digital sales during the first half of the decade here considering how both of their big hits during the second half of the decade did considerably better on our digital charts than they did as physical releases.
#154 on physical list
There's little surprise that this would be more of a hit on our digital charts than as a physical release given how it seems to tick all of the boxes that allows a song to become a hit in that format during the second half of the decade, so much so that it makes you wonder why none of their other singles were big on that format.
#167 on physical list
I'm sure if the digital charts were introduced when this song was initially released here in Australia that this would've matched its success on that format that it achieved as a physical release, as is, it still did rather well on the storefront which is to be expected given the presence of Will.I.Am on the track.
#100 on physical list
Much like the majority of P!nk's songs even since her fourth album, this managed to be far more popular on our digital charts than it was on our physical charts, further proving that Australia's love for her came mostly from our digital storefront as opposed to physical sales. It's also proof that she would've greatly benefitted from the storefront had it existed during the first half of the decade.
#145 on physical list
This was a hit twice on our digital charts as it became a success upon its initial release as the theme to the first Transformers film and a second time when Linkin Park released their third album where it also serves as its lead single. Sadly, they didn't find much success with any of the other singles from the album regardless of which format we're referring to.
#229 on physical list
This proved to be slightly more popular for Lily Allen on our digital charts likely due to it skyrocketing on there once the video dropped as opposed to our main charts where it already had some of its success prior to the release of the video due to it being released here sooner than it was in her native UK for some reason.
#138 on physical list
This is the oldest song on this list, suffice to say that even though it does appear lower on here than it would on my hypothetical physical list, the fact that it retains a high position on here despite how long it charted on our main charts easily suggests that it was far more popular on our digital storefront than it was as a physical single here in Australia.
#95 on physical list
Jordin Sparks was certainly on a roll during the second half of the decade when it came to both formats of our charts, so much so that it's bizarre that the hits would dry up for her going into the 2010's even though she began on a strong foot with her collaboration with Guy Sebastian (which is still to reappear on this list.)
#141 on physical list
It's entirely possible that James Blunt would've had even further success with the first two singles from his debut album had the digital charts launched when they were initially released, as is, the third single from the album was far more popular on our storefront likely due to it being unaffected by the albums success on there as opposed to how its success as a physical release was impacted by it.
#261 on physical list
This proved to be equally as popular on our digital charts as it was on our physical charts, I'm guessing she won over those who were put off by her third album on the digital storefront given how much less popular "Never again" was earlier in the decade on there (it's still to reappear on this list regardless.)
#131 on physical list
This was equally as popular on our digital charts than it was on our main charts, this is despite the fact that from what I can gather, the censored version of this track never charted on our digital charts meaning that we Aussies certainly loved our profanity in these types of songs.
#139 on physical list
It's a bit bizarre that this would be slightly less popular on our digital charts than it was on our physical charts given how well Pitbull would perform throughout the 2010's here in Australia, I guess those who consumed music through digital downloads were a bit more sceptical of him initially and grew to love him as the club boom raged on.
#118 on physical list
Given that this had a much higher peak on our digital charts compared to our main charts, it only makes sense that this title track from Britney's album Circus managed to be more popular from our digital storefront than it was as a physical release.
#150 on physical list
This is easily the most successful entry from an Australian Idol contestant following their victory from the reality series, although I get the feeling this was popular on our digital charts mainly due to the widespread appeal it had in Stan's native NZ following its release.
#124 on physical list
Much like her former partner in crime Beyonce, Kelly Rowland obviously had a more loyal fanbase when it came to her physical media as opposed to those who consumed her music through digital downloads, of course that didn't prevent her final solo hit from being a flop on that format but still.
#106 on physical list
I honestly would've thought this was a success through digital downloads and not physical sales, alas it appears to be the other way around as Ne-Yo was far more popular with his physical entries here in Australia than he was on our digital storefront.
#103 on physical list
While this was mostly a sleeper hit even on our digital charts, the fact that it has a much more respectable placement on this list compared to my hypothetical physical list should tell you how much we Aussies loved Evermore on our digital storefront as opposed to their physical media.
#236 on physical list
This is another rock track to see a massive improvement on the rankings of this list compared to the hypothetical physical list, as such it's safe to assume that Maroon 5 would've greatly benefitted on our charts on their first album had digital sales been tracked during the first half of the decade here in Australia.
#197 on physical list
As far as I can tell, this is the only version of this track that exists meaning that it was less popular on our digital charts as it was as a physical release despite being the perfect candidate for a song that would've done better on the former's format given how it was a rock track with an in-demand rapper.
#130 on physical list
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't even higher on this list given how the likes of Fall out boy and especially Panic! at the disco saw a massive improvement on this list with their entries, still the fact this was more of a genuine hit on our digital charts for My chemical romance does prove where the bulk of their fanbase came from in our music scene.
#241 on physical list
While this was equally as successful on our main charts as it was on our digital charts, the fact that it was such a success on the latter suggests that Michael Bublé would've achieved far greatest success throughout the decade (despite being considered music for our mothers) had the digital storefront existed during the album cycle of his first two albums.
#135 on physical list
Given how Mika's other two entries on this list saw a massive improvement in the rankings compared to my hypothetical physical list, it only makes sense that the third single from his debut album would follow suit even if once again it was a massive flop in NZ where the kiwis had fully incorporated their digital data onto their main charts when it was released.
#162 on physical list
I guess this song suffering in the rankings of this list is the best proof anyone has that Delta's popularity during the first half of the decade was a tad exaggerated according to the charts, it was still a hit on our digital charts but noticeably less so compared to its physical sales.
#77 on physical list
This is one of the only new entries to this site on this list as well as the second new entry to the Australian equivalent side of this site following "Chasing cars" from earlier on this list. It's a duet between Mary J Blige and U2 which is a cover of one of the latter's more popular songs from the 90's that sadly was never released as a single here in Australia but was popular enough on our digital storefront to be a success regardless.
not eligible for physical list
I told you we'd be getting to this song eventually, again it had more than one version become popular on our digital charts back in the day as there is indeed a version of this track without Timbaland's guest verse on it that did moderately well in addition to the version with his verse which is the version that earned this a spot on my list.
#63 on physical list
This was slightly bigger on our digital charts than it was on our physical charts, suggesting that TV rock were enjoyed more from those who consumed music through digital downloads rather than an audience that bought physical copies of their music.
#163 on physical list
Given how this was a victory single from a reality show (even if it wasn't from an Australian series) it makes sense that it wouldn't be as popular on our digital charts and was more of a hit through physical sales even if Jordin Sparks would go on to have more success in the former format with her subsequent follow ups.
#117 on physical list
It's odd how this song that was only released in certain parts of the world wouldn't be as successful on our digital charts as it was as a physical release, I'm guessing her fanbase considered this as a collector's item which would explain why it did better on our physical charts than on our storefront.
#125 on physical list
While this was a decent success as a physical release here in Australia, this might be because it was a huge success on our digital charts which is the best proof I have for the Foo fighters being another candidate as a band who would've greatly benefitted with their singles had digital downloads been tracked during the first half of the decade here in Australia.
#279 on physical list
Given how this was a mere bonus entry on my 2006 list specifically for how well it did on our digital charts whilst still receiving a physical release so that it can chart on ARIA, it goes without saying that it would appear on this special list of mine in a respectable placement given how the band's previous single proved to be the most successful song on the format throughout the decade.
not eligible for physical list
This was more of a hit on our digital charts than it was on our physical charts, although considering how Evanescence were often regarded as an emo band (despite being more in line with nu metal) it makes sense that they would achieve most of their success on our digital storefront with this lead single to their second album.
#166 on physical list
This will be Lady Gaga's final entry on this list given how "Eh eh" failed to make much of an impression in our music scene back in the day, I guess we Aussies preferred her the most eccentric her music was regardless of the music videos.
#161 on physical list
This was a bit more of a hit on our digital charts than it was as a physical release for Rob Thomas, this makes sense given how his band scored one of the biggest hits of the decade on that format despite them not having a huge physical hit single their debut single from 1997.
#172 on physical list
This was only equally as successful on our digital charts as it was as a physical release for P!nk, I guess the success of her fourth album didn't impact the success of either of these two entries here in Australia despite it being the second bestselling album of the decade down under.
#164 on physical list
This feels like a more sensible placement for this lead single to I am Sasha fierce given how the song it was bundled with here in Australia proved to be far more popular back in the day, although there was little chance that this was going to flop regardless of which format we're referring to despite its lyrics some find to be contentious.
#25 on physical list
I guess it makes sense that the final hit that Evermore had in their career proved to be a bigger hit on our digital charts than as a physical release given how much bigger their earlier entries were on this format, in fact I'd be curious to see how much bigger the singles from their first album would be had ARIA bothered to track digital sales during the first half of the decade.
#183 on physical list
Much like their earlier entry on this list, this also saw a massive improvement on our digital charts compared to how well it did as a physical release which goes to show that these guys always had appeal on our digital storefront regardless of which phase of their career we're referring to.
#234 on physical list
Much like his earlier entry on this list, I'm a bit surprised that this wasn't more of a hit for T.I on our digital charts especially considering how it had JT as a guest feature, although their other collaboration from earlier on this list also didn't do as well on our digital charts as it did as a physical release.
#151 on physical list
Much like his top entry on this list, this was more of a hit on our digital charts for JT suggesting that we Aussies simply weren't interested in making T.I a hit through our digital storefront given how his only solo entry won't be making an appearance on this list.
#174 on physical list
I guess it's safe to say that Jessica Mauboy just wasn't as appealing to those who consumed music through digital downloads comparted to those who still bought physical copies of songs given how this also managed to have a lower placement on this list than it would had I made a list based on physical sales.
#148 on physical list
I guess this song from Happy feet really connected with those who consumed music from digital downloads considering how much more successful it was on our digital charts than it was as a physical release, although I'm sure this would've been an even bigger hit on the latter format if anyone knew who Gia Farrell was outside of the film's soundtrack.
#200 on physical list
This is another new entry onto this list which comes to us from the soundtrack of Eragon of all things, although most people likely consider this more an advanced single from Avril's third album given how it was later included on Best damn thing due to how well it did on our digital charts as well as on Billboard.
not eligible for physical list
While it's hard to say how much more or less success Ciara would've had during her initial breakthrough in Australia had digital downloads been a factor onto our charts, this collaboration she had with JT would suggest that it would've made little difference overall given how it was equally as popular regardless of which format we're referring to.
#168 on physical list
While this wasn't as big on our digital charts as it was as a physical release, the fact that it still comfortably makes this list does suggest that it's possible Sean Paul would've had bigger success down under had ARIA bothered to track digital sales during the first half of the decade.
#115 on physical list
While her previous two entries proved to be more successful as physical releases than they were on our storefront, the same definitely isn't the case with the singles from Funhouse as this was far more popular as a digital release than it was on our physical charts.
#220 on physical list
While this was late to the party here in Australia even on our digital charts, the fact that it fitted in nicely with the likes of Good Charlotte and Fall out boy allowed it to be far more popular on our storefront than it was as a physical release for the former nu metal band.
#246 on physical list
This was also released just before ARIA began tracking digital sales, meaning that this could've easily outranked itself on my hypothetical physical list were I more confident in how popular it was during the first few weeks of its existence on that format here in Australia.
#153 on physical list
This was equally as popular on our digital charts as it was as a physical release, the only reason why this wasn't the case for her previous single "Perfect" was due to that having more than one version charting on our digital charts during the peak of its popularity. As such, that song won't be appearing on this list despite the main version coming close to making the cut.
#178 on physical list
I guess this song's success largely comes from fans of Packed to the rafters being those who preferred to buy their music through digital downloads rather than physical copies given how much bigger it was on our digital charts compared to our main charts.
#203 on physical list
This will be Fergie's final appearance on this list, although she did come close to have "London Bridge" make the cut as both of these songs were a success on our digital storefront even if their success pales in comparison to how well they sold as physical releases.
#102 on physical list
This was another song from 2008 that actually began charting on our digital charts in late 2007, meaning that it was bound to be more of a success on our digital charts than it was on our physical charts even though there's little indication that the Rogue traders would've done better on our main charts if ARIA tracked digital downloads for their earliest hits.
#222 on physical list
I guess Akon was able to score one more entry on this list after all given how his remix of MJ's 1983 classic managed to be more of a success on our digital charts than it was as a physical single upon its release. I did notice while combing through our digital charts that older songs did pop up in the lower half of those charts quite often throughout the decade which would explain this remixes success.
#231 on physical list
It makes sense this would be more of a hit in our digital charts than as a physical release given how 80's nostalgia seemed to be more prevalent on our digital storefront than it was among those who still bought physical copies of songs, although the duo would still remain a one hit wonder worldwide with this track regardless of which format we're looking at.
#184 on physical list
This was a mere bonus entry on my 2008 list, which goes to show how much OneRepublic owe their success here in Australia to our digital storefront even if their earlier entry that Timbaland "presented" was a massive success as a physical release here.
not eligible for physical list
There's a good chance the Rogue Traders would've found more success on our digital storefront after all given how much more successful this solo debut from Natalie Bassingwaighte was on there compared to its physical release, although it's worth noting that this wasn't the case with her duet with Shannon Noll which won't be making a reappearance on this list.
#187 on physical list
Here we are with the fourth and final entry from Jordin Sparks on this list as well as Guy Sebastian's second and final entry on here, it was a bit more successful as a digital release likely through the former's appeal given how the latter didn't have much like on the format like he did with his physical releases.
#190 on physical list
This is the final entry on this list that charted before ARIA began tracking digital downloads, as such it had the potential to appear much higher on this list and might one day do so if ARIA were to ever retroactively track down what was popular on our digital storefront each week from the first half of the decade.
#157 on physical list
I did mention that this one and only hit from Wolfmother greatly benefitted from digital downloads upon its initial release, as such we have it appear on this list which goes to show how much we Aussies loved indie music from local artist during the second half of the decade.
not eligible for physical list
While this was far less successful as a digital release than as a physical single here in Australia, the fact that it still lingered in the top twenty of that format should give you an idea of how well-loved Kelly Clarkson was even if fans were admittedly weary about the direction she was taking her career in with this track and the album it came from.
#149 on physical list
While this duet between Beyonce and Shakira was more of a success as a physical release than on our digital storefront, it was still a huge hit regardless of which format we're looking at which makes the failure of the latter's third English album here all the more puzzling later in the decade.
#169 on physical list
This is the final entry to have multiple versions of it chart on our digital charts back in the day, although I can't imagine how the other version of this song goes that took a good chunk of the main version of this track's success back in the day, it was apparently enough that it diminished its chances of appearing higher on this list.
#93 on physical list
This is our final new entry on this list as well as the final new entry for my blog until I come up with new ideas for it in the future, it's the debut single from the Fray which was too much of a sleeper hit to qualify for my 2006 list and indeed only made the cut for this list due to lingering in the top twenty for the digital charts for quite some time due to the success of their top entry on this list.
not eligible for physical list
I guess Nelly Furtado wasn't considered to be as hip an artist on our digital charts as she was with people who bought physical copies of their music given how this also managed to achieve less success from our storefront than it did on our main charts.
#175 on physical list
It's little surprise this debut single from the Ting Tings achieved more success through digital downloads than as a physical single considering A: it was from a rock band and B: it seemed to be tailor made for commercial fodder which explains the success of the few rock tracks from the 2010's worldwide.
#250 on physical list
This was equally as popular on our digital charts as it was on our main charts, although the fact that her earlier entry finally outranks this on a list on my site is an accurate representation of how successful her solo career was during the final stretch of the decade.
#180 on physical list
This is the only appearance from Fedde Le Grand on this list of mine, I guess the absence of the Dutch DJ on this list is why I was surprised with the entries that achieved their success through YouTube thanks to their wacky music videos given how that was the bread and butter of his success here in Australia.
#251 on physical list
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.
#208 on physical list
This is another track to have Kanye West on it, meaning it being more popular on our digital charts than it was on our main charts was to be expected. This is especially the case considering that Rihanna is also on here who was another artist that had more appeal on our digital storefront than she did with those who still bought physical copies of their music.
#213 on physical list
This also saw a massive improvement on this ranking compared to my hypothetical physical list, although perhaps not as much as some of the other entries on this list as its success on there is much closer to what it achieved through its physical sales here in Australia.
#225 on physical list
This was also a massive hit on our digital charts for the Veronicas, in fact "Take me on the floor" only barely missed the cut for this list, which means that also did far better on our digital charts than it did on our physical charts much like this third single from their second album.
#235 on physical list
This is the fourth and final time I'll be featuring this second single from Pitbull on this site, it was slightly more successful as a digital release than a physical single which goes to show how quickly our digital storefront were in changing its mind about his mass appeal.
#188 on physical list
This was far less popular on our digital charts than it was as a physical release, I'm guessing because Nick Lachey's only claim to fame here in Australia was that he was the ex-husband of Jessica Simpson, meaning that the bulk of his audience here were likely those who bought physical singles as they were fans of several songs that didn't make the cut for this list.
#158 on physical list
This barely made the cut for this list, once again due to how much of a sleeper hit it was on our digital charts like it was on our main charts for Ladyhawke. At least its success on our storefront was more mainstream than it was in the real world given that it beat out several other songs that would've comfortably made my hypothetical physical list.
#247 on physical list
To think this almost didn't make this list of mine, this should tell you how niche Gwen's audience was when it came to the internet as while she was a massive deal in the real world, those online had a harder time accepting the direction she took her music in following the demise of her band No doubt.
#144 on physical list
Last but not least, we have this bonus track that came from Britney Spear's second greatest hits album she released at the end of the decade, this goes to show how much hype she had for her first album of the 2010's which naturally wasn't met when she released it in 2011.
#193 on physical list
