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 solo debut single for Lisa Stansfield, although she was part of a band known as Bluezone who would technically go on to have a massive hit at the end of the decade with “Jackie” with Australian singer Joanne on lead vocals. Here she scores a massive hit worldwide with this song about what she did to lead to her boyfriend breaking up with her, it’s silly but enjoyable to listen to.
1989 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 23 weeks
This was the first big hit that Billy Idol had in Australia, although he did see minor success with his solo debut “Hot in the city” coming into the year which likely boosted the success of this classic of his. Apparently, this is meant to be a criticism of a traditional white wedding, likely due to this being released just after Princess Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles which was described as a fairy-tale wedding.
1983 23 weeks
This was originally released as the lead single of the trios album Break out; however, it was a huge flop worldwide likely due to them failing to shoot a music video for the song. It was given a second chance later in the year when “Automatic” became a surprise hit for them in the UK, but this stage they had filmed a music video which helped this song become a huge hit worldwide.
1984 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2008 23 weeks
Flo Rida was on a roll when he released his second big hit of the year, although given that it had a guest verse from Timabaland, I’m sure it would’ve been a success even if he didn’t have the biggest hit of the year with his entry from the start of this list. His fortunes would change for the worse when he released his third single with Will I am, although that’s mainly because “In the ayer” was poorly received by the internet.
2008 23 weeks
This was a surprise hit here in Australia, at least it would’ve been were it not for the fact that the American duo performed this on Countdown as part of some competition that the show had this year. You’d be amazed how many of these songs that history has forgotten about became big due to the show over the years.
1981 23 weeks
This was the big hit off of Bryan Adam’s breakthrough album Reckless, it’s the rare ballad he had this decade which seems odd for me to say considering how the 90’s would be filled with ballads from him. Indeed, the other two singles off the album “Run to you” and “Summer of 69” (stay tuned for that in a bit) would be a better representation of his 80’s material as they were more in line with arena rock.
1985 23 weeks
This was a surprise comeback for Little river band as it was the first song, they released that had Glenn Shorrock back on lead vocals, I’m guessing this was a hit here due to how well his temporary replacement John Farnham was doing around this time and fans wanting to thank these guys for giving him the platform to reboot his career.
1988 23 weeks
This was the lead single to Billy Joel’s biggest album An innocent man everywhere in the world except for the UK where his earlier entry was the lead single, indeed this was his second Billboard chart topper due to how instantly popular it was in his native America which prompted its success here in Australia. The album has a doo wop revival to it which explains why it’s so bouncy even after all these years.
1983 23 weeks
This was the big breakthrough that Green day had from their album Dookie, an album that began its cycle with a song about masturbation which no doubt initially turned people off from the duo. This was one of the first hits to not receive a physical release in America, which is why it never charted on Billboard despite it being one of their most popular songs even to this day.
1995 23 weeks
This was the only hit that the American trio Brownstone were able to achieve here in Australia, likely due to it being a huge success in the UK which admittedly seems to be how a lot of RNB jams managed to make it big throughout the 90’s down under. I feel that these girls were the more successful versions of SWV here as that trio never managed to find much success even with their worldwide hit “Right here.”
1995 23 weeks
It looked like Peter Gabriel would only score one hit from his album So with “Sledgehammer” from the previous year, however he then decided to release this duet with Kate Bush as a single where it became a surprise hit for the two of them this year. I’m guessing this was a hit due to the popularity of Kate given how she was still one of the biggest names in music this far into the 80’s.
1987 23 weeks
This was the last hit that Cyndi Lauper had in most parts of the world, although she would return five years later with a remix of her debut single in NZ and the UK so there’s that at least. This was originally written for and performed by Roy Orbison; however, he didn’t include it on his final album this year which technically means this version is the original version. Roy’s version came out in the early 90’s when word got out that it was meant for him.
1989 23 weeks
So, if you wanted to know why the Clout version of the Righteous brother’s track wasn’t as big a hit here in Australia as it was internationally, that’s because there’s this version from the short-lived Australian girl group Peaches who released their version of the ballad the exact same time the South African band gained waves with their version internationally.
1978 23 weeks
There didn’t seem to be any signs of Kenny Rogers slowing down in the mainstream as he had recruited Lionel Richie to write him his first Billboard chart topper from his second greatest hits package in a row. OK so it was his first greatest hits package in his native America as the first one he had was only released here in Australia as the 70’s was coming to an end. He would struggle to retain his popularity during the MTV era.
1980 23 weeks
This is a song that refused to die on our charts despite it failed to crack our top forty back in the day, I guess we Aussies didn’t know what to do with Marilyn Manson when he initially broke through as he was too bizarre and alternative to chart with the likes of the Spice girls, but we were still somewhat intrigued by what he had to offer regardless.
1997 23 weeks
This was the other big hit that Swanee was able to score here in Australia, this time we have an original track from the older brother of Jimmy Barnes which is perhaps why it didn’t do as well as his Bobby Darin cover from the previous year. Well, that and also the lyrics where he’s asking the girl of his dreams what her name is, that might’ve also turned people off.
1982 23 weeks
This was somewhat of a surprise hit in Australia, mainly because funk music wasn’t doing so well throughout the decade which is perhaps why it took a while for it to crossover here for the band Cameo. It was a huge hit the previous year in the UK and their native America, likely due to the funky groove as well as the ridiculous video which showcases the lead singer wearing a plastic codpiece.
1986 23 weeks
Given how Martha Walsh was no longer part of the group, it looked like C+C Music factory would struggle to find an audience with their second album which they did save for this lead single which was a huge hit for them. I guess Martha did help them stand out from all the other dance rap groups of the day, however they still brought enough to the table to help them find a respectable audience.
1994 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 23 weeks
Britney was on a roll with this third single from her second album worldwide as it was one of many songs to proclaim that she came out of a relationship stronger than she was before entering it to become a success this decade, indeed this set the template for the likes of “Fighter” by Christina Aguilera and “Thank you” by Jamelia as positive songs about a woman coming out on top after a breakup.
2000 23 weeks
The kung fu craze of the 70’s was inexplicably popular, as such we have this tribute from Carl Douglas which is surprisingly not racist in the slightest as this was back in the early days of political correctness preventing people from making caricatures of non-western culture such as the kung fu craze. The song has been covered and remixed several times of the years, which is why you still hear the original to this day.
1974 23 weeks
If you’re wondering how this third single from 2 unlimited debut album managed to be such a huge success here in Australia despite said album being far from the biggest of its time, that’s because this came bundled with a mega mix which makes this more of an E.P than a single even though most will say that the success of this bundle came from the song.
1992 23 weeks
Baby Spice was always my favourite from the Spice Girls, so it brings me great pleasure in presenting her one and only hit she had in her career away from her friends which sadly wasn’t as big here as it was in NZ and throughout Europe. She was the member of the group most affiliated with adult contemporary, which is perhaps why she didn’t find as much success as the likes of Ginger and Sporty.
2001 23 weeks
This was the final hit that the Veronicas had not just from their second album but for the decade here in Australia, it’s a song where they’re really cutting loose as it’s meant to be something you play on the dance floors without it necessarily being a dance track. The next time they would have a hit wouldn’t come for another six years as that’s how long it would take for them to release their third album.
2008 23 weeks
Although their previous album One hot minute was a huge commercial success for the band (regardless of what the A.V club will tell you) it didn’t spawn a hit for them which makes this lead single from their album Californication a comeback for them on the singles chart. This was a return to their sound from earlier in the decade now that John Frusciante was back in the band, and they weren’t political anymore.
1999 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 23 weeks
To date, this is the final hit that Darren Hayes has been able to achieve in his career, I’m guessing it was a hit because people felt it was enough like a Savage Garden track that they felt it was an unofficial reunion with him and Daniel Jones which it didn’t wind up being. Still the fact that it was a hit was proof that we Aussies was willing to give his solo career a chance this far after the band was no more.
2004 23 weeks
Given that “Stronger” was a defining moment in Britney Spears career when it comes to female empowerment, I guess it’s only fitting that Christina Aguilera would make a song of her own where she overcomes an abusive relationship only to thank her toxic partner for making her a stronger person in the process. It was as successful as her former rival’s track from earlier in the decade even though it was far better received by critics.
2003 23 weeks
Even though MJ wasn’t anywhere near as popular here in Australia as he was internationally (throughout his entire career the more I think about it) that didn’t prevent SWV from having a sleeper hit with this remix of their debut single thanks to the nostalgia we Aussies had for “Human nature” from his magnum opus Thriller. Sadly, this was the full extent of the trio’s success with us Aussies.
1993 23 weeks
It did seem weird that this failed to appear on this side of my site given how it made the cut of the NZ side, although this was because it was technically a hit twice here both upon its initial release and when it played during the finale of season one of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. It’s the only entry on here that became a hit twice during its run that failed to appear on this side of my site any sooner.
1994 23 weeks
The original version of this track was a massive flop worldwide for Kid Cudi, likely because of how unconventional it was even for the realms of emo rap. It was given a second chance this year when a group by the name of Crookers remixed the track to be more commercially viable where it became a massive hit for him here in Australia and his native America.
2009 23 weeks
If you’re wondering why this incessantly catchy song didn’t at least make one of my year end lists, that’s because Regurgitator made the strange decision in not having this be the lead single to their magnum opus Unit likely to avoid any accusations of them selling out as this is admittedly very different from the rest of their catalogue due to how bouncy it is. Also yes, the video is bizarre and a worthy candidate for my weirdest videos lists.
1998 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 23 weeks
Well, I did mention on the NZ side of my site that this required several attempts to take off here in Australia, it just so happens that each failed attempt contributed to this track’s placement on this list which resulted in confirming its status as a sleeper hit back in the day for the jazz musician Herbie Hancock. Believe me, this is a bad representation of the man’s otherwise down to earth work.
1984 23 weeks
This is the final new entry from the Divinyl’s I’ll be featuring on this site; it was the theme song to the theatrical release of Buffy the vampire slayer five years prior to when the TV series became a ratings juggernaut. It’s actually bizarre that the show has eclipsed the film given how said film was a critical and commercial failure upon its initial release.
1992 23 weeks
This was the only hit that British band Black were able to achieve, even then it came two years after its initial release as this took a while to take off in their native UK. I have to say that I’ve never liked this ballad, I know that it’s meant to be bittersweet and ironic but the fact that there’s such cheery lyrics set to depressing music has always rubbed me the wrong way.
1988 23 weeks
This is the song from Janis Ian that my American readers will be more familiar with given how it remains her only hit on Billboard as of this writing, it was the breakthrough single from her which even at the time, connected with young women thanks to how personal the lyrics are in the song. It was another example of a song that could’ve made an official list of mine had it not being pushed aside by Countdown back in the day.
1975 23 weeks
I’m a bit surprised this wasn’t a mainstream success here given how much the radio loved to flog this track back in the day, although the fact that it stuck around as long as it did is an indication it was somewhat a victim of digital piracy back in the day. Paul Mac is best known as being one half of the Dissociatives which was a project he had with Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns.
2001 23 weeks
Alanis’s second international album wasn’t as well received as Jagged little pill, likely because it didn’t have the same level of raw emotion as that juggernaut that still connects with audiences to this day. That said it was still a massive success and even has its fans nowadays, although this lead single was the only notable success to come from the album aside from its sales.
1998 23 weeks
I guess we Aussies had enough room for the occasional novelty track back in the day given how this managed to stick around for quite some time on our charts even if it wasn’t the inescapable hit here like it was in NZ or the UK. For what it’s worth, there were far more novelty tracks in this vein throughout Europe than what managed to crossover to the southern hemisphere.
1984 23 weeks
This is often considered to be the signature track from Bryan Adams, mainly because it’s one of his few songs that seems to be agreed upon as a classic even by those who seem to think he’s the worst thing to happen to music. It tells the story about how he got into music at the age of nine and how his first attempts at making music led to him falling in love and writing his earliest hit singles.
1985 23 weeks
This is another song whose tardiness at finding success here in Australia ensured it a high placement on this list given how it easily could’ve made the cut on one of my lists had it found an audience with us Aussies upon its initial release. It remains the only hit from the SOS band down under, although most people these days are likely more familiar with the Fatboy slim cover he made seven years later.
1984 23 weeks
This is another two for one deal as many people forget that RHCP’s cover of the Ohio players classic was bundled with a song from Engelbert Humperdinck back in the day (side note, the fact that a song called “Lesbian seagull” is from one of the most chased crooners of the 60’s boggles my mind.) This was of course taken from the theatrical film Beavis and Butthead released during the height of their popularity.
1997 23 weeks
It’s a bit understandable that this wasn’t as big a hit here in Australia for Evanescence as their earlier entry on this list, after all their album was a massive success already and this wasn’t as much of an earworm as their other big hit nor was it radically different like the third single from the album “My immortal” which was also a monstrous hit the following year here and throughout the world.
2003 23 weeks
Another victim of Countdown’s purge during the midpoint of the decade, this time it’s the one and only hit from the British duo Splinter who could’ve easily cracked our top ten like they did in NZ and their native UK but failed to do so due to the show pushing this aside in favour of what our local music scene had to offer. It’s a mixed blessing as despite its lack of popularity, it was a success here regardless.
1975 23 weeks
Yet another song that I’m surprised wasn’t an inescapable success here in Australia given how it’s still a favourite with ad execs for their commercials to this day, indeed I’m dumbstruck how little success that Sheryl Crow had internationally outside of her debut album given how massive her sophomore album was in her native America. Even so, this was at least a decent success with us Aussies albeit as a sleeper hit.
1996 23 weeks
This was the only hit that Tasmin Archer had in her career (fun fact, that’s her real birth name and not a stage name she chose for herself.) Despite it being a huge chart topper in her native UK, it took a while for this to take off here in Australia, hence why the RNB ballad failed to rack up the points to appear on one of my lists but was regardless a genuine hit with us Aussies back in the day.
1993 23 weeks
This was the only hit that the Patti Smith group ever achieved here in Australia, I feel that they only had a hit here due to it being written by Bruce Springsteen during the height of his creative output. The band would call it quits the following year due to their lack of success, however Patti has soldiered on over the years trying to recapture the success she had with this hit of hers.
1978 23 weeks
Although this was released following the surprise success of “Fly away” from earlier on this list, this was in fact the second single from the Austin Powers Spy who shagged me soundtrack following “Beautiful stranger” which we also looked at earlier in this list. I guess we Aussies had bought both the soundtrack and Lenny’s deluxe edition of 5 which both included this track to explain why it wasn’t a bigger hit here.
1999 23 weeks
This was technically the lead single to Living end’s debut album (their top entry on this list was its own E.P even though both tracks appear on the album) I’m not sure why this was only a sleeper hit given how the second single managed to appear on one of my official lists on this site, however it did find its audience in the long run regardless.
1998 23 weeks
I’m surprised this managed to find any sort of success here given how it was a flop even in the Fatback band’s native America back in the day, I guess we Aussies weren’t too averse to the idea of having a novelty disco track be a success here given how “Disco duck” proved to be one of the bigger hits of the decade down under.
1976 23 weeks
This feels more in line with Gary Moore’s brand of blues rock rather than his cover of the Easybeats classic which put his name on the map here in Australia, although it’s worth noting this was only a success down under due to the surprise success of that cover from three years prior even if it remains his signature track on oldies stations to this day due to its success back in the day.
1990 23 weeks
It looks like Brendan Urie and company were able to score a second hit off their debut album here in Australia, this also came close to appearing in the NZ side of my site but was too much of a sleeper hit over there to do so for the record.
2006 23 weeks
I’m willing to be that many of you are surprised to see this on my site rather than “Sandstorm” which is the song most people affiliate with Finish DJ Darude even to this day, that song was unfortunately a flop for him down under even though it seemed like a shoe in for success during the final months of the 90’s when it was released. I guess this being a sleeper hit here was our way of making up for our initial blunder with that song.
2000 23 weeks
Now looking at the title for this second hit that Ian Dury had here in Australia, you’d think it would be him wanting to be in a straight relationship. Don’t worry, that’s not what he means as “being straight” also refers to no longer taking drugs which is what the song is actually about, making this a PSA track against drugs and why it was a success but not a mainstream success down under.
1980 23 weeks
Nelly was on such a roll around the turn of the millennium that he managed to score a major sleeper hit here in Australia with his posse group St lunatics much like how Eminem propelled the popularity of his posse D12. I guess in order to let people know this was his group, he was given a featured credit on the track which did wonders for him down under and virtually nowhere else in the world.
2001 23 weeks
You’d think that one of the most iconic songs of the decade would’ve been a bigger hit here in Australia, admittedly it was a huge hit for Boston in their native America as it was a Billboard chart topper for them, but it was only a modest success here for some reason. Naturally the oldies stations have added this driving anthem to their playlists so there’s a good chance that you’ve heard this if you’ve ever tuned into their stations.
1976 23 weeks
This was the lead single to M people’s biggest album Bizarre fruit, it was a continuation of their blend of dance rock and RNB which was a winning formula for the band throughout the 90’s. While this and “Moving on up” where their only hits here in Australia, both albums were a massive success meaning there’s a good chance the average Australian will be familiar with one of their other UK hits.
1994 23 weeks
There weren’t many popular British girl groups who managed to find international success outside of their homeland throughout the 00’s, one of the lucky few was Girl thing who was able to translate the success of their one and only UK hit over here to Australia albeit as a sleeper hit at the start of the 00’s. Naturally they went their separate ways when they failed to score a second hit in either country.
2000 23 weeks
Given how this would eventually be a track on Meat Loaf’s second Bat out of hell album, it makes sense that this would be a success here in Australia for Jim Steinman even if many will agree that his rendition is far inferior to that of his partner in crime. Given this was around the time Meat Loaf released his own album Dead ringer, I think it’s safe to say Jim won the battle in terms of artistic merit around this time.
1981 23 weeks
This was more of a sleeper hit for Kanye here in Australia as opposed to being a more mainstream success over in NZ and his native America, I guess we Aussies were too busy vibing to his earlier entry on this list which sampled the Daft punk track to take notice of his collaboration with T pain back in the day.
2007 23 weeks
Robbie was on a roll when he released the second single from his album Intensive care given how this is another single that only barely failed to appear on one of my lists due to it being more of a sleeper hit for the British singer/songwriter here in Australia than a mainstream success. It would be all downhill from here for him as his next album would see him embarking with hip hop.
2005 23 weeks
It turns out that the British duo Shaft was able to have an appearance on the Australian side of my site after all given how this remix of the Rosemary Clooney classic managed to rack up just enough points to appear on this list. There’s really not much to say about this remix as the duo simply move the arrangements of the original to make it better suited for the dance floors of the turn of the millennium.
2000 23 weeks
If these guys seem familiar to you, that’s because they appeared on the chorus to Peter Andre’s cover of “Get down on it” as Past to present which meant they already had some form of recognition when they rebranded themselves as Ilanda (due to the departure of one of their original members.) This track did decently well going into the 00’s, although I doubt many people remember it these days.
1999 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 23 weeks
One more song to feature on this list that I vividly remember from back in the day, although considering this was the song that finally got Thirsty Merc’s album off the ground here, I guess it makes sense it was only a sleeper hit given how we Aussies likely would’ve passed up this radio favourite in favour of making the album a huge success for the band.
2004 23 weeks
I guess we Aussies weren’t really into this dance track from Janet’s magnum opus err…. Janet, either that or we were finally willing to give her RNB ballads more of a chance given how she hadn’t had success with any of them over here prior to “That’s the way love goes” from earlier in this list. Still, this did stick around for quite some time, hence why it appears on this list.
1993 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 23 weeks
I wasn’t expecting to feature the sixth single from the Pussycat dolls on this site given how it was barely a sleeper hit for the quintet back in the day, I guess having Timbaland provide a guest verse was what allowed this to become a hit for the girls even though the album was a proven success by the time it hit the store shelves.
2007 23 weeks
It’s hard to believe that we Aussies allowed for a genuine hip hop tracks to become a success (albeit a sleeper success) long before one ever did on Billboard, but that’s exactly what happened when this became a success here upon its initial release despite it sounding completely different from anything that had touched the charts here up until this point.
1983 23 weeks
Although it wasn’t an instant success here in Australia like it was over in NZ, we Aussies were intrigued enough with this lead single to the Spin doctor’s debut album that we allowed it to chart for quite some time on our charts back in the day. Heck, it didn’t even rebound when “Two princes” from earlier on this list was released and became an instant success for the band here.
1993 23 weeks
This was a minor hit for Jordin Sparks here in Australia as opposed to it being her second biggest hit over in NZ, it also means we’ve featured every song of hers to chart here in Australia on this side of my site given how she hasn’t charted since her collaboration with Guy Sebastian.
2008 23 weeks
I guess following their win on Eurovision, Brotherhood of man decided to become the British equivalent of Abba which admittedly worked out for them given how this was a huge chart topper in their native UK upon its initial release. We Aussies somewhat allowed this change in direction they took, however Bucks fizz proved to be more appealing to us with this experiment in the 80’s.
1977 23 weeks
This was such a commercial disappointment for Beyonce here in Australia, I’m not sure why as this lead single to her second solo album used the same formula as “Crazy in love” right down to it having her future husband Jay-Z on as a guest rapper. I guess her fans wanted her to embrace her feminist side of her music as she would find more success with her feminist (and sometimes misandrist) anthems from here on out.
2006 23 weeks
It seems natural that this would be a sleeper hit for Keith Sweat here in Australia given how “Twisted” from earlier did manage to connect with us Aussies, although it was VERY late to the party here, hence why it didn’t reach the dizzying heights of success it achieved in NZ or what his earlier entry achieved over here.
1997 23 weeks
This is a duo that has been active since the late 60’s, this was their only notable success anywhere in the world likely due to it fitting in that sweet spot between disco and new wave right when the former gave way to the latter in terms of mainstream success. Like many of these less conventional tracks, this is highly regarded in the online music community for its willingness to experiment with conventions.
1980 23 weeks
Well, this is definitely a song whose absence on this site has been felt up until now, it gives me great pleasure that I can finally feature the debut single from the Killers on this list given how I remember this being completely inescapable back in the day despite its failure to compete with the Australian idol phenomenon here in Australia. This also barely failed to appear on the NZ side of my site, proving it was in fact overlooked back in the day.
2004 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2009 23 weeks
It looks like Cat Stevens managed to score one final hit here in Australia years after his popularity had faded with his album Buddha and the chocolate box, although this is something completely different from his usual brand of folk rock as this is more in line with pop rock which is perhaps why A: it remains a staple on oldies stations to this day and B: his diehard fans like to cry sell-out over its existence.
1978 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 23 weeks
This is often considered to be “Kokomo” part II by many detractors of the latter-day Beach boys, it’s not hard to see why as this appeared in the Lethal weapon 2 soundtrack a year after their big comeback hit whilst having the same vibe. While this wasn’t as successful as “Kokomo,” it did set the boys up for a successful run in the 90’s which immediately crashed and burned with their album Summer in paradise.
1989 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 23 weeks
And the country entries just keep on coming on this list of mine, this time it’s the one and only hit from Michael Murphey who likely would’ve had a genuine hit with this here in Australia had Countdown not deemed it to be lame and outdated by the time it saw the light of day down under. Still, it remains a household name on oldies stations to this day.
1975 23 weeks
You better believe that the Ali G character created by Sacha Baron Cohen was a cultural phenomenon back in the day, here he is with Shaggy scoring a sleeper hit here in Australia with this novelty track about how awesome it is to be the viral sensation. Of course, nowadays Sacha is best known for his character Borat who would prove to be a massive box office success in his self-titled mockumentary from 2006.
2002 23 weeks
This is another song I’m convinced was harmed by illegal downloads as I have way more memories of this on the radio than many of the songs that made my official year end lists. Even so, this was a massive sleeper hit here in Australia for Basement Jaxx thanks to the vocals of Lisa Kekaula who saw some much-needed success due to the failure of her band the Bellrays.
2004 23 weeks
Although Yothu yindi had beaten her to the punch when it comes to Aboriginal (or first nations if you prefer) finding success in the music industry, she does have the distinction of having the first pop hit here in Australia from that community as this was a huge sleeper hit for her back in the day. She would have another sleeper hit in 2000 before she faded into obscurity forever.
1995 23 weeks
It’s hard to think that this was the big hit off of Rumours and not “Dreams” here in Australia (especially given that songs resurgence in popularity in recent years) however this was the big hit that Fleetwood Mac had with us Aussies due to it being the lead single from the album and thus the one that was least hampered by album sales.
1977 23 weeks
I guess we Aussies were fans of Cool Runnings after all as this managed to be a moderate success here in Australia even if it was a massive success over in NZ. I think it being a chart topper over there comes more from the fact that this is a reggae track from an artist who already had a massive hit over there more than anything else.
1994 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 23 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 23 weeks
This was the first Billboard chart topper for Olivia Newton John, although she had massive success in Australia and her native UK throughout the first half of the decade as a country star when female country singers were dominating the mainstream. This was written by Peter Allen around the time he came out as gay, meaning it’s possible this was about how he fell in love with a guy who was in a straight relationship that he gave to Livie to straightwash the scenario.
1974 23 weeks
In most parts of the world, this was the final hit that Ray Stevens had as “Misty” from the following year didn’t do very well due to it being one of his rare country ballads that was devoid of any humour or irony that connected with audiences in the places where it did become a success. Here we have him writing a comedy track about a streaker harassing a married couple that I’m sure audiences found hilarious at the time.
1974 23 weeks
This was the song that made Hot chocolate a household name outside their native UK as they had struggled to translate the success they had earlier in the decade internationally prior to its release, it’s one of their low tempo ballads dedicated to an Emma in Errol Brown’s life that naturally connected with audiences at a time where RNB struggled to find success here in Australia.
1974 23 weeks
Even without the assistance of Countdown, Sherbet were already one of the biggest Australian bands of the 70’s when they released their third album Slipstream. The title track was a huge hit earlier in the year for the band, however it was this second single from the album that made them a huge success due to it being one of the first songs to be performed on the show when it launched late this year.
1974 23 weeks
Linda George is best known for her role as the acid queen in the theatrical adaptation of the Who’s concept album Tommy, however she also had a hit this year as Miss Linda George (back when underage performers were referred to as Miss or Little) that became a hit for her this year. She mostly stuck to theatre after she became a one hit wonder, as did most female artists from the pre-Countdown era.
1974 23 weeks
This was originally released earlier in the decade in the aging duo’s native Spain to critical and commercial success, however when it was released to the English-speaking parts of the world, it was given a remix which includes additional verses from the titular Macarena which makes her out to be a bit of a diva that nonetheless connected with audiences thanks to the ridiculous dance attached to the song.
1996 22 weeks
When the Notorious B.I.G (or Biggie Smalls if you prefer) was tragically gunned down this year, Puff daddy (now known as P Diddy) released this track that was an obvious tribute to his fallen friend that tugged at the heartstrings of audiences worldwide. I would be more moved with this track if A: the Police sample wasn’t so egregious and B: if Diddy were on the same level as his former friend in terms of rapping.
1997 22 weeks
This is one of those songs I personally find to be irritating, namely because there’s only so many times I can hear the phrase shut up before I personally go insane. With that said, this was a massive follow up to “Where is the love” worldwide for the Black-eyed peas as it depicts Fergie telling the other three members to shut up in the chorus as they spit bars about how they treat her and her not putting up with it.
2003 22 weeks
