Hey there, I thought I’d make a list ranking the longest charting singles from what I believe to be the most lucrative time in music history here in Australia. This list is fairly straight forward, each entry appears A: by how long they charted for and B: how well they did during their chart run. The only other thing is that the charts became somewhat redundant starting in 2007 where ARIA allowed for digital downloads which effectively removed the shelf life of each single. This means I’ve decided to include the chart runs of songs on the digital and single charts from this period to give an idea of how long a song would’ve lasted on the charts without this change whilst allowing songs that didn’t chart on the physical chart to appear on here as well.
This was the last hit to come from Evanescence, mainly because it serves as the lead single for an album that many people will tell you was more of the same from their debut album three years prior. Indeed, while the album was a massive success, it was panned by critics for failing to innovate their sound which resulted in their subsequent material failing to find much of an audience.
2006 30 weeks
My UK readers will likely recognise this track as credited to Puretone, I’m not sure why this song was rebranded as such, but it ended up working out as this became a huge success for Josh Abrahams and vocalist Amiel Daemon. Amiel is perhaps best known for her hit single “Love song” from 2003, a hit she scored a year after this became a hit for her and Josh throughout Europe.
1998 30 weeks
With a name like the one these guys gave themselves; you’d think that they would have politically charged lyrics in their music. While they did occasionally get political in their music, their main schtick was novelty tracks such as this that were obviously meant to be played on shows like Beavis and Butthead rather than have any critical analysis applied to them. Indeed, this was a huge hit for the band whose acronym reads POT USA.
1995 30 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 30 weeks
This is the final hit to come from 50 cent before he became yesterday’s news in the realms of hip hop, I think he already was by this stage but still scored a hit due to having JT on the chorus during the height of the RNB singer’s own popularity. Nowadays 50 cent is best known for his problematic social media where he constantly says inappropriate things online to further justify him getting cancelled.
2007 30 weeks
This is one of those cheesy duets which has endeared over the years due to how sincere both performers are on the track, although it’s worth noting that neither Gloria Loring nor Carl Anderson saw much success in their respective careers outside of this duet even in their native America.
1986 30 weeks
This was originally written by Michael Bolton for Laura Branigan, that would explain his earlier entry on this list as Cher made this ballad her own following the success of her performance in Moonstruck which got her an academy award for best actress. Although this was a massive worldwide success for her, it would be her next album where she would truly be welcomed back in the music scene.
1988 30 weeks
There were plenty of boy bands competing in the boy band wars this decade, these guys stood out because they played their own instruments which even then wasn’t a unique requirement as we had Hanson and our own Taxiride that also filled this bill. This was the British band’s only hit single in Australia, which I feel was only the case to give them a shoutout among the other contestants.
1999 30 weeks
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.
1978 30 weeks
This was the second single from Missy Higgin’s debut album, although it’s worth noting that this wasn’t released as an E.P which explains why it wasn’t as big as the other two songs from the album which did come with their own E.P as well as them receiving plenty of airplay just like this song did.
2004 30 weeks
This was the first hit that Eternal had since the departure of their one white member Louise, I’m not sure why she decided to leave these three behind for a solo career nor do I plan to speculate the reason. It appears that we Aussies preferred the group as a trio as they managed to see huge success down under during the second half of the decade with their powerful voices.
1995 30 weeks
This was the second version of the Little Eva track to become a hit in Australia, although considering that the original was a flop here back in the 60’s, I feel that these covers being a success was our way of atoning for sleeping on the original. Here we have a disco cover of the song which proved to be a huge hit for Ritz this year, although it was an even bigger hit over in NZ where it was the biggest hit of the year according to RIANZ.
1979 30 weeks
If you want to know why this song wasn’t as successful here in Australia as it was internationally, that’s likely because it was released roughly around the same time as T.I’s earlier entry on this list which quickly overshadowed this lead single to his album Paper trails down under. It could also be a very late entry into the “thugs need love too” troupe (minus the chorus from a female vocalist) given how it’s him rapping about being the perfect gentleman.
2008 30 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 30 weeks
This had a bit of a delay to its release here in Australia, possibly because we didn’t like the possibility of having a booty anthem being a huge success here without realising that “Baby got back” had opened the possibilities of booty anthems being acceptable in the mainstream. It was released here and sure enough, it became a massive hit partially due to it being a booty anthem but mostly due to its catchiness.
1993 30 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 30 weeks
Well, I didn’t think I’d be including this divisive song on this list given how it struggled to crack the top twenty on ARIA upon its initial release, such is the advantage of the Oz music charts as they combined took into account how this nearly cracked the AMR top ten which allowed it a placement on this list of mine. The only other thing I have to say about this debut single from Jet is that contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t created specifically to sell iPods as it existed a year prior to when Apple used this as its theme song.
2003 30 weeks
It appears that P Diddy was still trying to find the next teen idol for his label as he signed (then) teenage model Cassie Ventura to his label where she scored a massive worldwide hit with this RNB track before fading into obscurity. There were a lot of female RNB stars in this vein who were likely trying to become the next Ashanti or Ciara, although Cassie was by far the most successful in this vein.
2006 30 weeks
The best way I can describe these guys is if Good Charlotte were from Canada, actually that’s not fair as these guys were more in line with nu metal with their earlier material and only shifted towards emo rock with the album this serves as the lead single for. It was their first hit outside of their native Canada likely due to the similarities they had with Good Charlotte at the time much to the chagrin of their long-time fans.
2008 30 weeks
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.
1980 30 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 30 weeks
This is a bit of a surprise to me, mainly because we have a Jamaican artist scoring a sleeper hit with a reggae track here in Australia and in the UK but not over in NZ for whatever reason. I’m not sure why the kiwis passed this up considering how they allowed Inner circle to be one of the biggest names of the decade over there, however they did despite the enjoyment we Aussies had for this track.
1994 30 weeks
I debated about including this entry as the original version of this track was a huge flop here in Australia and the remix is what I would consider to be a “fan single,” I guess I allowed both versions to appear on here as one entry given how I’ve since combined both versions of “I’m real” for these lists and felt it was necessary to do the same here.
2001 30 weeks
People like to say that Nimrod was a flop for Green day as it only became a best seller when two of its singles were bundled together to promote the series finale of Seinfeld a year after its release, for the most part that’s true, however the lead single was a huge sleeper hit for the band here in Australia which was more success that their previous album Insomniac achieved upon its initial release.
1997 30 weeks
This was the only hit for British DJ Blue boy, an EDM track that was a shoe in to become a success in Australia due to EDM still being at the height of its popularity during the late 90’s. There’s not much I could find out about the person behind this track, apparently their birth name is Alexis Blackmore, and they identify as a man, apparently that can be a male name even though I always thought it was a female one.
1997 30 weeks
This was the final hit that Cliff Richard managed to score in Australia for the rest of the twentieth century, although he did return in 1999 with “The millennium prayer” which was the last time anyone had heard from him in the mainstream. Even though this was a big hit for him in his native UK the previous year, it took a while for this to become a success here likely due to us Aussies not wanting to make him relevant but changing our minds several months later.
1987 30 weeks
This is the other big hit that Dizzee rascal had here in Australia, although this time he teams up with Calvin Harris who managed to score his first hit not just as the producer but also as a featured artist who provide the chorus for the British rapper. Needless to say, that Calvin was the one who benefitted the most from this collaboration.
2008 30 weeks
This was a big hit in Swing out sister’s native UK the previous year, however it didn’t end up crossing over to Australia or NZ until the band became the final act to perform a song on Countdown during the final episode of the show. It was a big enough success in the southern hemisphere for it to crossover to America, making this a rather circuitous route for the band to make it big worldwide.
1987 30 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 30 weeks
This is the other hit that Muse had from their breakthrough album The resistance, it nearly cracked our top ten due to performing well on Triple J’s year end list for 2009 at the start of the 2010’s. This set up massive expectations for the band throughout the decade which they unfortunately failed to live up to.
2009 30 weeks
It appears that Mike Oldfield managed to achieve a third hit throughout his career here in Australia with this instrumental, although it appears we Aussies were a bit turned off by his medieval influences on the track as opposed to his fellow Brits who allowed this to be a mainstream success in his homeland.
1977 30 weeks
It took five years to follow up their politically charged album American idiot, however once they did, Green day found that while they weren’t as popular as they were earlier in the decade, they still had a massive fanbase that made the lead single to their album a massive worldwide success for them. Unfortunately, most of this fanbase wouldn’t stick around for the 2010’s where their popularity died out.
2009 30 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 30 weeks
This is the closest we’ll get to having the Dolly Parton classic on my site as her version unfortunately never charted here in Australia like it did in her native America, I guess we Aussies caught wind of Livie’s cover she initially released exclusively in Japan as it became a huge sleeper hit for her two years after its release over there. After this, she would appear in Grease which would overhaul the direction her music career from here on out.
1978 30 weeks
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.
1982 30 weeks
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.
1986 30 weeks
This was a modest sleeper hit here in Australia for Nickelback, mainly because it didn’t benefit from digital sales when it was released but also due to it being the third single from a highly successful album.
2006 30 weeks
I guess we Aussies were familiar with this breakthrough single from Queen after all given how long it lingered in our charts back in the day, indeed you can make the argument these guys were among the first to be negatively affected by Countdown considering how successful this was internationally for the iconic band.
1975 30 weeks
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.
1985 30 weeks
This is the final hit that Jet scored in their career, admittedly it was a bit of a comeback for them due to their second album failing to spawn a hit for the band three years prior. For whatever reason, they’ve yet to release a fourth album as of this writing despite how popular they were during their heyday.
2009 30 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 30 weeks
Well, here’s a nostalgia bomb for everyone who grew up during the late 90’s, we have the breakthrough single for the Italian trio Eiffel 65 as well as one of the first hit singles to incorporate egregious usage of autotune which even at the time seems to have driven people up the wall. Then there’s the strange music video complete with the awful CGI used for the aliens.
1999 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2009 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2008 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2008 29 weeks
Although she had already seen massive success with her song “I found someone,” this was the comeback that Cher needed to reinvigorate her career following a long absence in the music industry. Admittedly this absence was due to her involvement in Hollywood where she starred in a string of some of the more memorable flicks of the decade such as Silkwood, Mask and the Witches of Eastwick.
1989 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 29 weeks
This fifth single from Innocent eyes sort of cheated in becoming a chart topper for Delta Goodrem as it came bundled with her cover of “Happy X mas” given how it was released during the Christmas period of 2003. Even so, it allowed her to become the only artist to score five chart toppers from a single album in Australia as no other album has spawned more than three chart toppers down under over the years.
2003 29 weeks
This was the only noticeable success from Jennifer Paige throughout the world, which I find to be a shame because this was such a breath of fresh air from all of the kiddie pop of the day that I’m sure that was the reason why it was so big for her. I’m guessing this made it big due to an endorsement from the Lilith Fair crowd given how popular music made by women was around this time.
1998 29 weeks
Most people will be familiar with the Celine Dion version of this track from eight years later, however this was originally a hit for American born German pop star Jennifer Rush who took the world by storm with her strong vocals (though not as strong as Celine’s) as well as the lyrics of devotion that struck a chord with audiences.
1985 29 weeks
This is widely considered to be Sherbet’s signature tune and rightfully so, it’s by far their most mature work as they incorporate cricket metaphors in order to describe the infidelity of their partner in this song. Sadly, the rest of their catalogue wasn’t nearly this ambitious as it was mainly used to appeal to teenage girls.
1976 29 weeks
Well, this was certainly a different side of Will Smith we weren’t used to seeing prior to this songs release, apparently this was recorded in an attempt for him to adapt into the gangster rap which was quickly taking over the mainstream around this time to mixed results. Somehow this became his biggest hit with his partner in crime DJ Jazzy Jeff in Australia and NZ, likely due to the hilarity factor back then.
1993 29 weeks
This was the third hit single to come out of Abba’s self-titled album, although technically this was the second song released from the album as “Mamma Mia” was released very early in Australia likely due to how much we Aussies loved that track. This likely resulted in the Swedish quartet’s complete monopoly on our charts during the midpoint of the decade, although thankfully for their nonfans, this monopoly didn’t last that long.
1975 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 29 weeks
This was the second single from Prince’s Diamonds and pearls album, although given how it was the runaway success from the album, you’d be forgiven into thinking it was the lead single. I don’t think he’s ever sounded hornier on any other track than he does on here, which is perhaps why this remains his most successful single even if it’s not one of his more iconic.
1991 29 weeks
Well, this is something else entirely, that famous quote from Stanley Kubrick’s the Shining from 1980 received a dance remix from the duo who brought us a dance remix of the Charleston the previous year. This became one of the biggest hits not just of the year but of the entire decade in Australia, I guess we really had a lot of nostalgia for the Jack Nicholson flick.
1995 29 weeks
I have no idea why this signature track from the Rocky horror picture show became a hit five years after the success of the theatrical adaptation, I’m guessing it was due to the scene in Fame where the characters referenced the scene that this song takes place in the film which reminded us Aussies about how awesome the song was. It became one of the biggest hits of the decade as a result, and to be fair it’s not the only time and older album found success much later here than it did internationally.
1980 29 weeks
One of the more poignant films of the decade was An officer and a gentleman, mainly because it depicts the blooming romance of a renegade navy soldier and a working-class woman who both bring out the best in each other. To highlight this steaming romance, Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes were commissioned to record this duet which played over the ending scene of the film and led to it winning an academy award.
1982 29 weeks
Several years after David Cassidy’s popularity dwindled out in the music scene, his younger brother Shaun Cassidy stepped in and was able to achieve massive success along the likes of other conventionally attractive young men who didn’t necessarily have the best vocals of their generation. Shaun’s popularity peaked here with his rendition of an Eric Carmen staple.
1976 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 29 weeks
This is another song on this site that I’m going to have a hard time being nice to, mainly because it repeats the word suicidal a disturbing number of times (fifteen to be exact) despite it not being a song about that subject matter and instead about how in love Sean Kingston is with the girl he’s singing to. I guess there’s also the Ben E King sample from JR Rottem, however that’s not really why people dislike this song.
2007 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 29 weeks
This was the final hit that S club 7 managed to score outside their native UK, it was hailed as their “coolest yet” thanks to it having a rap verse during a time where a rap verse from a non-rapper was still considered a selling point. The song is also known as the band’s one and only foray into disco as they were clearly cashing in on 70’s nostalgia on this track the same way their other hits were cashing in on 50’s nostalgia.
2001 29 weeks
Following the massive success she had from the start of the decade with Italian DJ Spiller, Sophie Ellis Bextor released her debut album which was off to a slow start given how she chose her cover of Cher’s “Take me home” as its lead single which unfortunately flopped for her everywhere except her native UK. This was the second single from the album which did much better due to its hilarious video to bring these lyrics to life.
2002 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2008 29 weeks
This was the first song Ronan Keating released when Boyzone announced they were going their separate ways, it was written for the film Notting hill starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts and is one of the better romantic comedies of the decade to boot. This was also included as the advanced single from Ronan’s solo album and strangely enough, also as a bonus track on Boyzone’s greatest hits package.
1999 29 weeks
This was the only noticeable hit for Max Merritt and the Meteors both in Australia and their native NZ, although it’s worth noting that they did make a splash here at the start of the decade with their self-titled album. I’m not sure why this managed to be a success other than maybe the band performing it on Countdown and getting a huge reaction out of it.
1975 29 weeks
At first this seems like another contender for claiming the prince of RNB crown from Chris Brown given how it was one of the first new hits of the decade for Iyaz, however it turns out that the Jamaican singer was a protegee of Sean Kingston (despite being older than him) meaning this was more of a passing the torch moment between the two stars even though this was the former’s only big hit.
2009 29 weeks
This was the debut single from one of the more promising RNB stars to emerge from the UK this decade, heck this even managed to crossover to America, that’s how much crossover appeal Gabrielle had with this number. While I can see her voice annoying people with how raspy it is, I have to say that I’m in love with it on this track as it works wonders with the production and especially the lyrics.
1993 29 weeks
One of the more promising Australian artists from the EDM scene was this trio, although they were mired with behind-the-scenes drama as the vocalist on this track Keren Minshull didn’t appear in the video which had future vocalist Holly Garnett lip synching to her vocals. The trio patched things up on their next single which featured both women singing on the track as well as appearing in the video.
1991 29 weeks
This is a song that reminds me of “Antmusic” from over two decades prior, mainly because it was a song boasting about how awesome the act in question was and how they were going to shape the culture of the music industry only to turn out to be a flash in the pan in the long run. In this case it’s the British RNB group Big brovaz who did indeed make a huge splash with this track and two other songs much like Adam and the Ants did in the 80’s.
2003 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2008 29 weeks
Well, this certainly took its sweet time in finding success here in Australia, heck even in NZ it was a hit upon its initial release the previous year due to it being among the last rock tracks to top the Billboard charts. I guess the consolation for its tardy success was that it was arguably bigger here than it was anywhere else in the world, after all it’s the kind of Christian rock that while cheesy, can still comfort audiences.
2001 29 weeks
This was another RNB track that was released fairly late here in Australia compared to the rest of the world, again it was for the best as it proved to be a bigger hit here for Debelah Morgan than even her native America likely due to it having Latin elements to the track that appeased those who wanted more of the Latin craze down under. She’s a one hit wonder with this track which is a shame because she was a good singer.
2000 29 weeks
There were many popular EDM acts to make it big in Australia throughout the decade, one of the more popular being Urban Cookie Collective who achieved massive success both here and their native UK thanks to the dulcet vocals of Diane Charlemagne set to some pretty timeless production that connected with audiences back in the day. They would have one more hit after this before fading into obscurity.
1993 29 weeks
It looked like the Counting crows would only be known for their debut album from 1993, however their fortunes changed when this cover of the Joni Mitchell classic was chosen to be the theme to the rom com Two weeks’ notice which stars Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. The film isn’t very good as it hinges on the premise that they’ll end up together despite him being a thorn in her side.
2003 29 weeks
This is another song I don’t particularly care for, mainly for the vocals as Ann Lee seems to be completely devoid of any joy or happiness on this track which would be fine if it wasn’t for the fact that this is meant to be a dance track presumably meant for the dance floors. Obviously, I’m in the minority here as this remains a classic to this day even if it’s Ann’s only hit single anywhere in the world.
1999 29 weeks
Following the success of their Billboard chart topper “TSOP” with MFSB, this RNB girl group managed to score a massive hit worldwide with this ballad which seemed to confirm them as the hottest new act of the moment. Heck this was a huge hit when Countdown launched, so it’s obvious even we Aussies were interested in what these girls had to offer for a while. Alas their popularity died out even in their native America after this.
1974 29 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 29 weeks
It’s a shame that Alannah Myles remains a one album wonder outside of her native Canada considering how rich and dynamic her vocals are throughout her debut, indeed we Aussies were quick to recognise how special she was given that this was released shortly before it saw the light of day in America. This songs success encouraged us to give her debut single “Love is” a second chance which allowed both songs to chart in the top twenty for a while simultaneously.
1989 29 weeks
This was one of two tracks to be included on the deluxe edition of Sophie’s debut album, it was a massive success around the world likely due to the bizarre music video where she pays homage to the film Mannequin by portraying herself as one. It could also be due to the message of perseverance in the lyrics as while she’s not over the breakup she’s going through, she assures the listener that she will be.
2002 29 weeks
This was originally released the previous year worldwide for Monifah; however, it appears we Aussies were interested in this sex jam from the RNB singer and thus allowed it to become a massive hit when it finally hit our shores this year. It was such as success down under that she even scored a minor hit with her next release which is a double A-side of “Bad girl” and “Suga suga” before she faded into obscurity.
1999 29 weeks
Can you believe that Alanis Morissette began her career making teen pop in her native Canada? Going from that to an album that won album of the year at the Grammys must have been a bit of a shock for her at the time, however that’s what happened when she signed onto Madonna’s Maverick label and became an international superstar with her album Jagged little pill. This was the song to kick off that album cycle which showcases a raw and emotional side of her.
1995 29 weeks
You know that a trend is omnipresent in pop culture when there’s more than one song promoting it becoming a massive success, such was the case for this Canadian group Los Del Mar who rode on the success of the Macarena and made their own song which became a success here in Australia.
1996 29 weeks
This was the first of many hits from the house sub-genre of EDM music, as I mentioned earlier, this is where the emphasis of the track is placed on the groove rather than the vocals or lyrics and that’s a description that perfectly describes Technotronic despite them having a pretty good vocalist to sing over these beats. This was a surprise hit over in America which no doubt led to EDM exploding in popularity worldwide.
1989 29 weeks
Although “Breakaway” was the first song from Kelly Clarkson to showcase a more personal side of her, that was also the theme to the second Princess diaries flick which obviously didn’t convince anyone that she was anything more than the winner of a reality series. Those preconceptions were shattered when she released the second single from the album of the same name which has become an anthem for breakups.
2005 29 weeks
I don’t think anyone was expecting these guys to see as much success here in Australia as they ended up getting, true they made it big here with the second single thanks to it sampling a Sly and the family stone track, however it’s not like the original was that big down under either. In any case, we have this fun track with its political lyrics making it big which resulted in the album also being a success.
1992 29 weeks
I always thought that the lyrics to this classic were “play that f**king music,” I guess it goes to show you show closely I’m paying attention to lyrics whenever I hear songs on the radio casually. Named after a box of cough drops, these guys score a massive hit with their autobiographical song about how they came to record music predominantly made by musicians of colour only to score massive success with the tale.
1976 29 weeks
Well, this is a song that’s sparked a bunch of controversy since its initial release, mainly because it details Rihanna in what appears to be a perfect relationship with someone and yet she still feels the need to cheat on him and yet realises that her admitting this to him would be devastating to him which leaves her conflicted in what she needs to do. I guess this dilemma connected with audiences back in the day to make it a hit.
2006 29 weeks
For some reason, the lead single to Bananarama’s fourth album Wow flopped here in Australia, or more accurately it was a minor sleeper hit as it failed to reach the upper echelons of the charts. Fortunately, this second single (which incidentally was the album’s lead single in their native UK) was a massive hit here likely due to how much cheesy fun it is, although it also stands as the final song they released before Sioban Fahey left the group.
1988 29 weeks
This was the debut single for one of the most well-beloved bands from around this time, to think this sat on shelves for an entire year largely ignored due to their debut album having original album art that was completely horrifying. This has become a staple in hair metal from the late 80’s, to the point where I don’t think I can add anything to the conversation that hasn’t been said a thousand times over.
1988 29 weeks
It blows my mind when people say that teen pop was dead once the turn of the millennium happened at the start of the decade, it’s true that the boy band wars had died off (for the most part) however teen pop still had its place in the mainstream as evidence by the two entries that Stacie Orrico has on this list alone. This was the bigger of the two hits due to how she was in a complicated relationship with her partner.
2003 29 weeks
Well, we saw massive success here with the Gipsy kings the previous year, so why not have this track from French group Kaoma find success with their Spanish influenced pop music? I guess you can say that the Latin craze began much earlier than you otherwise thought given how many Latin influenced tracks there were to make it big, however it saw a large dry spell this decade before regaining its popularity.
1989 29 weeks
From what I can gather, there are two versions of this song as there’s the original which was released in the duo’s native America which flopped and then there’s the dance remix which became a massive success here and throughout Europe for the duo. This led to them having even more success with their earlier entry throughout the world, although they didn’t find any further success with their other songs.
1995 29 weeks
My NZ readers will recognise this guy for several of his hits from the 70’s, indeed how he was able to find a huge crossover hit with this track here in Australia when he hadn’t troubled his local charts in over a decade is a bit of a mystery to me but here we are. This sadly didn’t lead to him having much success after this even in his homeland, proving this to be a fluke hit for the aging pop star.
1990 29 weeks
This was the debut single for Johnny Diesel and the Injectors, an Australian pub rock band who took our music scene by storm with their debut album the released the following year which sparked international interest in the band. Indeed, this lead single became a surprise hit over in NZ, proving that the kiwis were all about our rock scene even if they were inconsistent with what they made popular there.
1988 29 weeks
Now if I were going by the ARIA charts, this song would be much lower on this list as this lead single to Beyonce’s first (and to date only) album as her alter ego Sasha Fierce wasn’t nearly as successful here in Australia according to those charts, however I’m using the AMR charts for these rankings where this was bundle with “Single ladies” which allowed both songs to be a massive success here as a result.
2008 29 weeks
For everyone who reckons that body positivity songs are only a recent phenomenon, allow me to acquaint you with this hip hop track from Sir mix a lot who made the brave decision to attack Cosmopolitan magazine for promoting unhealthy standards for women and how he prefers women who as he puts it “have big butts.” The song was a massive success for him worldwide as it takes a positive stance towards inner beauty.
1992 29 weeks
With the popularity of John Farnham being at its peak around this time, it only makes sense that a band clearly inspired by his comeback would follow in his footsteps and find massive success in their own right. Enter Southern sons, an Australian band who wanted to lead of the decade with their album which many have mistaken for one of Farnham’s, it’s a large reason why they were a huge success this year.
1990 29 weeks
