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.
Suzi Quatro had been seeing diminishing returns in her popularity since her second album in Australia, mainly because she quickly drifted away from glam rock and into a more contemporary sound as the 70’s went on. Here she returned to her glam roots which got her one final hit here in Australia before she was once again seen as yesterday’s news as she failed to adapt to the MTV era of music.
1980 20 weeks
You’d think that the biggest hit from these guys would be their signature track “Everybody wants to work,” that song came from an E.P which underperformed on the singles chart which meant that these guys were likely going to be nothing more than relics of a bygone era. Their fortunes changed with this ballad, which was not only a huge hit for them, but also made the album it came from a success.
1985 20 weeks
This is where it all began for Craig David, it’s interesting to think that Usher would only have one hit by this point in his career in Australia and yet this guy would spawn three hits down under before his American counterpart would escape the one hit wonder bin here. That’s honestly the best way I can describe Craig as he really was doing the same thing that Usher was during this phase of his career.
2000 20 weeks
This was the biggest hit that the Cure were able to score here in Australia, it seems odd that they weren’t that successful here in the 80’s considering how many times they appeared on Countdown during its run. I think the video had something to do with this being a success as it successfully demonstrates the claustrophobia that the lyrics and Robert’s vocals paint out in the song, this being able to connect with stressed out audiences.
1985 20 weeks
OK as much flack as these guys received over the years, at least their earlier entry remains a classic on the dance floor to this day due to how much command and respect that Martha Walsh has on that track. Here she scores a second hit with a band that feels like it was tailor made to be a McDonalds commercial, indeed I’ve heard a remix of this track used in their ads over the years and it fits perfectly.
1991 20 weeks
Well, this might be a depressing fact if you’re a fan of Marvin Gaye, that being this was his only hit in Australia and NZ during his lifetime given how he was unfairly ignored in the southern hemisphere for some reason. The more depressing fact is this became a hit a little over a year prior to his untimely death, meaning there was a good chance he would go on to massive success this decade if he lived through it.
1983 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Big Country were able to achieve in most parts of the world, I’m glad it was as it’s easily one of the most passionate songs to become a hit this decade thanks to the killer instrumentation and Stuart Adamson’s vocals. They did try to get a second hit throughout their career, but it was to no avail which I think is a shame.
1983 20 weeks
There was a popular miniseries airing from Australia which starred Jon English known as Against the wind, from what I can gather it takes place during the colonisation of Australia in the early 1800’s which struck a chord with audiences back in the day. It came with a theme song which was a huge success for Jon and Mario Millo, so much so that it and the miniseries was also a success throughout Europe.
1978 20 weeks
This song was originally featured in Coyote ugly in a scene where the main lead realises she needed to perform the songs she wrote in order to land her dream job of being a professional songwriter, I guess enough people were impressed with a song that was meant to be little more than a jam session that the band in question the Calling were given a record deal where they were able to release it in the real world this year.
2002 20 weeks
This was one of only two hits that ABC scored in Australia, the other still being to come on this list meaning that their popularity down under was limited to this year. Admittedly their popularity in their native UK was also quite limited as they were much bigger in America throughout the decade, I’m guessing because they confused them with Devo as I certainly did when I was younger.
1982 20 weeks
Oh, wow is this song way too catchy for its own good, this was the only notable success that Renee Geyer was able to achieve in her career likely due to it being a cover of an Eddy Grant track from before he became a household name. This was an even bigger success over in NZ which no doubt inspired international interest in Renee that sadly never translated to actual worldwide success.
1981 20 weeks
This was the second single to be released from Don’t ask following the success of the lead single “Chains,” it was an immediate success for Tina proving that audiences wanted her more sedate material rather than her upbeat tracks from her first album from the start of the decade. Her next single would underperform, however the fourth single from the album was a success which we’ll look at in a bit.
1995 20 weeks
This was the final hit that Ciara had anywhere in the world, although it had a chorus provided to her from JT, so it was guaranteed to be a hit for her given that he was still considered a cheat code when it came to artists scoring hits this decade. That said, this would be the last time this would be the case as everything he touched once the new decade rolled around had a difficult time becoming a hit worldwide.
2009 20 weeks
This was the lead single to Marcia Hines third album in Australia, an album that spawned her biggest hit which we looked at earlier on this list. She would continue to have success here for the remainder of the 70’s, although she struggled to retain her popularity going into the 80’s once Diana Ross started having hits down under again.
1977 20 weeks
For most parts of the world, this was the only hit single that Robbie Nevil managed to achieve mainly due to the lyrics about how life shouldn’t be about doing things for the sake of doing them. It connected with audiences during what I’m told is the height of the era of greed, where everything was done through the incentive of money and little else. In Australia, he scored a second hit in the early 90’s with “Just like you,” which is a more contemporary love song.
1987 20 weeks
This was the third Billboard chart topper Britney Spears had in her career, it continues her streak of making blatantly sexual tracks to titillate audiences who find her attractive and offend those who claim that she’s ruining pop culture but really isn’t. The song sparked massive controversy due to its reference to Peter Paul and Mary in the chorus due to it coming out right after Mary from the folk trio tragically passed away.
2009 20 weeks
Well, this was certainly a surprise, we have this adult contemporary ballad from the Brothers Gibb which came out eight years after their last hit single “Tragedy” had topped the charts in America. Indeed, this was a chart topper in the UK for them which likely allowed it to become a success back home in Australia, although we wouldn’t hear from the trio again for another ten years after this.
1987 20 weeks
This was the debut single for one of the more popular bands to come out of the 80’s, although this was originally attached to a soundtrack to a film about a drug addict coping with their day-to-day struggles. It was an instant hit for the band likely due to how well Chrissie Amphlett sells the subject matter of the song and film on this track, it was even included on their debut album on its international release.
1981 20 weeks
This was the first of the Unforgiven trilogy, a group of songs that Metallica released over the next fifteen years which seem to have a theme of them being unable to forgive someone in their lives. This wasn’t even the biggest hit of the three songs as volume two from Reload wound up being a huge hit for them later in the decade.
1991 20 weeks
These two were already part of some of the biggest bands to come out of Australia throughout the 70’s, so it seems fitting that they would conclude the decade with a collaboration album which scored a massive hit with this ballad they made together. Their next hit wouldn’t come until 1982 when John Farnham replaced Glenn Shorrock as the lead singer of Little river band.
1979 20 weeks
Eight years prior to when she scored a massive hit with Don Henley with “Sometimes love just ain’t enough,” Patty Smyth was the lead singer of a short-lived band by the name of Scandal who scored their one and only hit this year with this track that’s often been confused for a Pat Benatar track. I’m guessing that’s why Patty returned with an adult contemporary ballad if she was often mistaken for her in her career.
1984 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Quiet riot was able to score even in their native America, although given it’s a heavy metal cover of a Slade track from a decade prior, there was little chance this was going to flop even though it came many years after they first formed and released an album. Rather coincidentally, Slade themselves had a comeback hit this year and even finally broke through to America with the song.
1983 20 weeks
This was the only noticeable success that De la soul managed to achieve in Australia, although given how hilarious this track is (in my opinion of course) it’s little wonder it managed to be a hit down under thanks to its sense of humour as well as how ridiculously catchy the melody is. As it turns out, it samples a track from Curiosity killed the cat which is perhaps why the melody is so irresistible.
1991 20 weeks
This was originally released in 1975 to deafening silence for MJ, likely due to his popularity being in the toilet in the mid 70’s as the world had moved on from the Jackson 5 to disco at the time. This was given a second chance when it randomly became a UK chart topper for him the previous year, this proves that even back in the day, no song was too old to find success in the mainstream.
1982 20 weeks
This was the second single from John’s latest album at the time, it continued his winning streak with his adult contemporary sound with its lyrics about how his love with his partner at the time was that of a honey to the bee (hence the album art.) There didn’t seem to be any signs of his career slowing down at the time.
1988 20 weeks
This was the final hit that Kim Wilde was able to score in Australia under her first label, she would return later in the decade with “You keep me hanging on” although that only became a hit for her once her contract with her first label ended in 1984. As such this was her final new wave hit in most parts of the world as she would change her sound when she switched labels for a more mainstream market.
1982 20 weeks
Shakaya was one of the very few Australian groups to have its members be of indigenous descent to make it big in Australia, even then this was their only massive hit as it’s about them being harassed by a stalker who they want nothing to do with and them telling this person to leave them alone. They did have buzz with their next two singles, however only “Cinderella” came close to recreating this song’s success.
2002 20 weeks
This was originally a hit for Simon and Garfunkel back in the mid 60’s, although it was never a hit here in Australia until the Bangles made it their own for the film Less than zero which has been described as one of the worst movies of the 80’s due to its bizarre depictions of drug culture as well as less than stellar performances from its cast. At least this cover was a huge success for the band and led to them finding success with their next album.
1988 20 weeks
These guys were on a roll as they managed to score a hit with this cover of a Jackie Deshannon track that was made popular by the Searchers in the early 60’s. Indeed, this would be another successful year for the band as they would score more success with their earlier entries, although their time in the spotlight wouldn’t extend to the 80’s.
1978 20 weeks
Following the success of her breakthrough single “Forever” from the previous year, Tina Cousins decided to rerelease her debut single from two years prior where it became a massive hit here in Australia for her. It was at its most popular here given how it was only a modest success for her upon its initial release in her native UK, likely because it got lost in the shuffle of all the other EDM at the time.
2000 20 weeks
This was the final hit that Racey were able to score in their career, although they could’ve at least tried to score another hit by recording a second album, but they never did for some reason. They did appear on Countdown in the new year which likely boosted the sales of Smash and grab despite it spawning three massive hits for them.
1979 20 weeks
It’s strange to think that this was released as the lead single of Songs from the big chair in America, almost as if the band wanted to make their big entrance on the Billboard charts with reassurance to their audience that while times were rough in the 80’s, it wasn’t going to last forever and that it was human nature that things were the way they were. Everywhere else in the world had this as the second single from the album where it was also a huge hit for them.
1985 20 weeks
This was the lead single to Peter Gabriel’s first album he didn’t name after himself, supposedly it’s about how horny he is but with how vague and (let’s be honest) nonsensical the lyrics are, it could honestly be about whatever you want. It was a huge success for him likely due to the video which rightfully pioneered stop motion not just in music videos but in media in general due to the popping visuals.
1986 20 weeks
This was the third single to come from the Real McCoy who now had removed the MC Sar from their name given how redundant that was making them look. I guess the third single is different depending on where in the world you’re from as their cover of “Come and get your love” was the third single in America and NZ, that was their fourth single which had underperformed here when it was released.
1995 20 weeks
This was the only hit to come from Lisa Edwards, even then this was a cover of a Godley and Crème track that was made famous here with Dragon’s rendition from the mid 80’s. Lisa gives the best vocal performance of the three versions as she was a really good singer, however her popularity evaporated after this became a hit for her this year for reasons I can’t seem to ascertain.
1992 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Jimmy and the boys managed to achieve during their time together, although they did so with by far their most normal sounding song as the band were known back in the day for being rather androgynous and no doubt a favourite among the Australian LGBT community. This is hands down the least queer track in their catalogue, which is perhaps why it was such a hit for them.
1981 20 weeks
Given that he had one of the biggest hits of the decade with his earlier entry, it only makes sense that Coolio was welcomed into the Australian music scene with open arms throughout the second half of the decade. Here he scores a massive hit with this track which is a return to his breakthrough hit worldwide “Fantastic voyage” with the bouncier hip hop and less serious lyrics to his rhymes.
1996 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Montell Jordan was able to score here in Australia, although considering how new jack swing and RNB in general weren’t that big here, it’s impressive that he managed to have a hit even if this was a huge Billboard chart topper for him this year. He would have a string of hits on Billboard during the second half of the decade, some of which even crossed over to NZ.
1995 20 weeks
This was a hit exclusively in Australia for Belinda Carlisle, it looked like Runaway horses would be yet another flop for her despite how big her earlier entry was here; however, this third single became a surprise success due to the bittersweet lyrics of her losing the love of her life after a summer fling. I’m guessing this was the song that convinced her label to release her next album here as it was never released in her native America.
1990 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Matthew Wilder was able to score worldwide, likely due to his strange vocals working for this one song as it’s about the weird thoughts he has whenever he’s singing about this woman he’s with. The song was a massive success at the time, although in Australia it’s been overshadowed by a cover from Unique II who flips the genders of the track and gives better vocals.
1984 20 weeks
Although Billy Idol had success here in Australia prior to this lead single from his second album of the same name, a memorable performance of the track on Countdown ensured that it would be a huge hit for him here which likely made the album a bigger hit than his previous album. It’s often considered to be the signature track from his catalogue despite his biggest hit being “To be a lover” from two years later.
1984 20 weeks
This was the only hit that British RNB boy band MN8 were able to achieve in Australia, although they did have better luck in NZ and their native UK as they scored a second hit in both countries with “If you only let me in.” I guess these guys tried to compete with the boy band wars of the decade by incorporating hip hop elements into their sound, a tactic many boy band used throughout the 90’s.
1995 20 weeks
Now that New order finally had a hit single to their name here in Australia, they no longer had any issues with finding success here which is how this timeless classic from them managed to be a huge success for them months after their earlier entry on this list became a huge success for them. The song is best known nowadays for its strange video which seems a typical of their filmography.
1987 20 weeks
Their big hit here might have been their cover of “Let’s groove” from the following year, however CDB managed to score a big hit prior to that with this song that was originally meant for the Rockmelons while Deni Hines was still a part of the group. They eventually donated this to the RNB group when Deni left the band to go on a solo career which did spawn a huge hit for her next year.
1994 20 weeks
This would’ve been Guy Sebastian’s final hit in his career given how his fourth album Memphis album failed to produce a hit single for him and that none of his albums were that successful (barring his debut of course.) He would score a massive comeback by the end of the decade which would extend his popularity well into the 2010’s.
2006 20 weeks
This was the lead single to Elton John’s least favourite album Leather jackets, mainly because of the bad memories he has of making the album as it was during its production that he had to have his polyps removed which prevented him from making his trademark falsetto that he was known for earlier in his career. We Aussies were there to support him by making this and the album a success, however that courtesy wasn’t matched anywhere else in the world.
1986 20 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2009 20 weeks
This was a song recorded specifically for the international version of James Reyne’s solo debut, a version that was released here in Australia likely to boost the popularity of his catalogue which worked out as this became a big hit for him here. Unfortunately, his international appeal didn’t amount to anything, although his next two albums were successful here, so I doubt he minded too much.
1988 20 weeks
You know that the Backstreet boys were the clear winners of the boy band wars when the young brother of one of its members was able to score a huge hit throughout Europe with his cover of an 80’s classic. The sad thing is that the Jets original never charted here in Australia, meaning most of us Aussies likely don’t realise this is even a cover to begin with. It’s a shame because the original is a ton of fun.
1998 20 weeks
This was the second cover that Whitney Houston recorded for her feature film debut; this time she’s covering Chaka Khan for reasons I can’t seem to fathom as I don’t remember this cover being in the film itself. It’s a noteworthy cover as it managed to be a bigger hit for her than for Chaka back in the late 70’s, no doubt helping people rediscover the RNB singer around the time this became a hit for her.
1993 20 weeks
I didn’t really have room to mention why “Who let the dogs out” was so low on my previous list, although it should be obvious by now as it was yet another song pulled from shelves in order to encourage album sales from the group. The second single from said album didn’t suffer such a fate as it was free to become a massive hit here in Australia due to it a fun party jam that wasn’t from a kid’s movie.
2001 20 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 20 weeks
I remember this song being way popular than its placement on this list would otherwise suggest, meaning that it’s possible this second single from Nickelback’s All the right reasons would’ve been even bigger had the digital charts been launched during the height of its popularity here in Australia. This was pushed back as one of the later singles in America from the band, likely due to it sounding different from the rest of their catalogue.
2006 20 weeks
This was the only hit from American boy band E.Y.C, even then it was only a minor success in the UK due to them wanting to compete in the first round of the boy band wars and only crossed over here due to how incessantly catchy the song is. This is one of the first hit singles to incorporate Panjabi influences in the production, no doubt leading to the genre exploding once the teen pop craze came to an end in the 00’s.
1994 20 weeks
The last time these two were able to score a hit anywhere in the world was from their debut album from five years prior, leave it to the producers of Pretty woman to commission them into writing a song that would appear in the opening scene of the film with a song about trying to get over a bad relationship with someone. This reignited their career over in America where they managed to score further success on the Billboard charts.
1990 20 weeks
This year Duran Duran split up into two bands, this being one of them which they replaced Simon Le Bon with Robert Palmer as the lead vocalist which helped him score a massive hit in most parts of the world due to his raunchy performance on a track that’s named after the Marilyn Monroe flick from 1959. The other half of the band went on to become Arcadia who scored a massive hit with “Election Day.”
1985 20 weeks
This was the title track to the Rolling Stone’s first album of the 80’s, so of course it was going to be a success regardless of the fact that the band was still trying to make disco hits despite the genre supposedly dying out this year. Yeah, I’m here to tell everyone that disco didn’t die out when the 70’s ended, sure it wasn’t as popular in the 80’s as it was in the 70’s but there were plenty of disco hits still to come.
1980 20 weeks
This was the second single from Delta Goodrem’s third album, here she incorporates new age into her sound which helps elevate the message of regaining one’s personal believes in something after it’s been destroyed. While it was a hit for her, it wasn’t as big as a lot of her other entries on this site so far, suggesting that people didn’t find it as inspiring as she had hoped.
2007 20 weeks
Well, he may not have had his partner in crime Bernie Taupin writing his big hits, however Elton John was able to continue having success during this dark period of his career which I’m sure was enough convincing that he didn’t need Bernie’s song writing chops until their reunion in 1983. This was the big hit off his first album without Bernie’s output which managed to be a modest success for him.
1978 20 weeks
Pablo Cruise sounds like the name of a lounge singer who would perform Barry Manilow covers as your local lounge bar, well they’re actually a band which wrote their own music that is admittedly similar to what Barry was releasing throughout the 70’s. This was their only hit worldwide which does indeed fit the theme of being on a cruise, perhaps it was big because of it being featured in a commercial for one.
1978 20 weeks
This was the final hit that Roxy music managed to score anywhere in the world, this is because they would break up once the album cycle for Avalon was done so that Bryan Ferry could focus on his solo career more permanently. Unfortunately, his solo career didn’t pan out in Australia this decade despite how big it was internationally, meaning this was the last song to become a hit for him overall.
1982 20 weeks
This will be one of only three appearances from the Sugababes on the Australian side of my site, although like most British groups (specifically the girl groups) they were much more successful over in NZ throughout the decade. The girls are best known for their multiple line-up changes throughout their career, to the point whereby the time the band was no more, none of the original members were a part of the group.
2002 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Matchbox had throughout the world, although here in Australia they were known as Major Matchbox due to there being a local band with that name and us needing to tell these two bands apart. Naturally we have another rockabilly throwback to become a hit this year, it was a very good year for rockabilly throwback tracks as we’ve seen throughout this list.
1980 20 weeks
This was the first solo hit that Tim Finn released, although it was his only solo hit in Australia despite him having multiple other hits by himself in his native NZ over the years. I’m guessing this was released to ease the blow that Split Enz were considering calling it quits around this time, indeed that’s exactly what happened the following year when they broke up due to creative differences between them.
1983 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Heavy D and the Boyz managed to score worldwide, likely due to it being a cover of the O’jays who were seeing a rise in popularity this year thanks to some endorsements from Kylie Minogue and Dee lite. I guess the song adds some hip-hop verses to help differentiate it from the original track, something that would become very common throughout the 90’s with hip hop.
1991 20 weeks
Given how Limp Bizkit was beginning to take the world by storm this year with their brand of nu metal, it was inevitable that we Aussies would have our own equivalent of that band in the form of 28 days who scored their one and only hit with this track that I’m sure most of us confused for the likes of Fred Durst. They would get side-lined once their American counterparts released their album Chocolate starfish and the hot dog flavoured water.
2000 20 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 20 weeks
This was the second hit that Yvonne Elliman was able to achieve worldwide following the success of her first single “Love me” from the previous year, although Kim Wilde would have a much bigger hit in Australia with her version fifteen years later. People like to rag on the lyrics of this track due to how depressing they are once you read them; however, I feel it matches the tone of the film very well.
1978 20 weeks
There are two versions of this title track from Whitney’s third album, the first was the one that topped the Billboard charts which is something akin to what Janet Jackson would release from around this time. The second version is the one that was released here and in Europe which is a more upbeat dance track that saved Whitney’s album from flopping here in Australia as it wasn’t received very well.
1990 20 weeks
Even though Madonna is often credited as the first artist to question the concept of religion in her album Like a prayer, these guys had beaten her to the punch by two years as they list a bunch of things that’s considered a sin in religion to showcase just how restrictive one’s life has to be in order to retain their faith. This naturally connected with audiences back in the day and was another easy hit for the British duo.
1987 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Skyhooks managed to have success with outside of Australia as this became a huge success for them over in NZ later in the year, although here it was the second single from their third album Straight in a gay gay world which wasn’t as big as their earlier releases (possibly due to the name of the album.) Indeed, their popularity would dwindle as the decade went on.
1976 20 weeks
You’d think that a song about complimenting a woman’s dancing would be set to a catchy disco beat, instead we have a soft rock track from American band Wha Koo (what is with these band names?) which became a hit here in Australia any nowhere else in the world. The lack of success these guys had led to them breaking up the following year, so much for having success down under meaning anything.
1978 20 weeks
From what I can gather, Michael Bow was a German singer who scored a massive hit here in Australia with this song that was used in a Countdown competition during the final months of the show’s existence. I consider this to be in the trilogy of queer anthems from this year, the other two songs being “Boom boom” and “Male stripper” due to how well loved they remain in our queer community.
1987 20 weeks
Given how the third single from Shannon Noll’s second album was a bit of a commercial disappointment here in Australia (it won’t be appearing on this list) this fourth single becoming a big hit was a bit of a surprise given how its placement on here was due to how well it did with its physical sales (as are all entries on this list.) I guess this goes to show that “Now I run” was more of a weak choice for a single than anything else.
2006 20 weeks
Well, this was a huge hit for both Technotronic and mashup singles, so why not have this song which essentially combines both aspects be a huge success here in Australia?
1990 20 weeks
I feel the title of this track tells you everything you need to know about it, it’s a novelty track about absolutely nothing made by a man who was likely just as surprised by its success as everyone else was back in the day. It was a massive hit in his native NZ early in the year and a big hit over here in Australia as well.
1983 20 weeks
This was the biggest hit that Paul Young was able to score in Australia, although it wasn’t his biggest hit anywhere else in the world as that widely changes depending on where you’re referring to. I guess we Aussies were into the Christmas sounds on this track as it was designed to be the Christmas chart topper of 1983 in his native UK, it didn’t quite get there but it came close so there’s that.
1984 20 weeks
While Eminem had success the previous year with “My name is,” it was this song that made him an overnight sensation due to it essentially being him calling out all of the double standards not just in the music industry but in pop culture in general whilst having a catchy beat and a hilarious video to go along with what he has to say. It was a massive hit for him whilst also reassuring people that his vulgar content wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously.
2000 20 weeks
This was the other big hit that Mental as anything were able to score this year, it’s not quite as silly as their earlier entry as it seems to be a role reversal of that situation which makes this a roundabout hit from the album both songs came from. The band would see a quiet period for a while as their next album underperformed on the charts, however they came back strong than ever in 1985.
1981 20 weeks
I get the feeling if we Aussies were more open to allowing British artists to make it big throughout the decade then this British trio would’ve had a ton of success here, after all they did have a minor hit with “One night stand” the previous year which sounded similar to their biggest hit. I guess the lyrical content is different as that’s about having a one-night stand whereas this is about wanting more out of a relationship.
2003 20 weeks
Bec Cartwright is best known for her role as Haley Smith on the soap opera Home and away, however during her stint on the show, she had a brief music career which spawned her a hit with this teen pop track that became a hit likely due to her popularity on the show. It regularly appears on many worst Australian songs lists likely due to her vocals not being up to the standards of most of her contemporaries.
2002 20 weeks
This was the third and final hit that Bros were able to score worldwide, although in their native UK they kept at it for two more albums before finally calling it quits in the early 90’s. Here they have a song about how they owe their exes nothing after the relationships had ended, although you can make the argument this is also meant for their haters as they no longer had anything to prove to them.
1988 20 weeks
This was the only other hit that Toni Pearen was able to score in her singing career, although like I said earlier, her acting career did lead to her becoming a popular TV host once the hits dried up later in the decade. Again, she never released anything as embarrassing as her E-Street co-star Melissa Tkautz, which means she hasn’t been relegated to a reality star over the years and is still respected in the industry.
1993 20 weeks
This is the final appearance that Bryan Adams will be making on this site, mainly because he scored a massive hit with the British DJ Chicane who felt he could make a dance track with the Canadian crooner providing vocals. He turned out to be correct as this was a massive worldwide hit for the duo, although it was also the DJ’s only hit as none of his other collaborations caught on anywhere.
2000 20 weeks
There was this weird trend in 2000 where a song would debut high and then retreat to the lower half of our charts soon after, this is one of those songs which is weird as it’s the third single from Killing Heidi’s debut album (technically fourth as “Leave me alone” was bundled with “Mascara.”) Although this was the band’s final hit here, they did achieve minor success with their next two albums.
2000 20 weeks
This was a bit of a comeback for the Cars given how their previous album was a massive flop here in Australia, although it’s worth noting that their overall popular down under was pitiful when compared to what they achieved in NZ and their native America. This is especially noticeable with their next album which was only a modest success here despite it being on the biggest hits of the decade in those countries.
1981 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Vicki Sue Robinson was able to score here in Australia, although American readers will be more familiar with her Billboard hit “Turn the beat around” from ten years prior which was made famous ten years later by Gloria Estefan’s cover. I’m guessing this was a hit here due to how much love we Aussies had for disco this far into the 80’s compared to her fellow Americans.
1984 20 weeks
This was the only hit that Player had worldwide, although it was one of two hits in Australia from an act named Player as “Space invaders” was from a local band called Player 1 in 1980. This has remained a favourite on oldies stations to this day due to this being an apology ballad about how awful the narrator is, it also shares its name with a reggae track from ten years prior by the British band Equals.
1978 20 weeks
Darryl Cotton was the lead singer of Zoot from a decade prior, so he seems to be a little late to the party when it comes to 60’s rockers finding it big on their own given how the likes of Glenn Shorrock and bandmate Rick Springfield already had massive success by this point in time. Even so, he got there eventually with this one and only hit about how a girl he used to date hasn’t changed over the years.
1980 20 weeks
These guys had already achieved minor success earlier in the decade as Kaylan, however they decided to rebrand themselves as Disco Montego where they released the first of two songs that featured fellow Australian singer Katie Underwood with this being the only hit of the two songs. The duo did score a second minor hit with “U talking to me” which was another disco throwback from their album.
2002 20 weeks
It’s a bit weird that “Me myself and I” flopped here in Australia and yet this sex jam from Beyonce’s debut album was a hit, then again, I don’t remember hearing the third single from the album much back in the day and yet remember this being inescapable. This samples “Love to love you” by Donna Summer and has an added flavour of middle eastern music to give it that erotic sound she was going for.
2004 20 weeks
Whereas her earlier entry on this list didn’t spark any controversy (well at least from anyone who didn’t despise teen pop with a passion) this on the other hand raised a few eyebrows due to it heavily sampling “Jack and Diane” from John Mellencamp where she takes on the role of Diane in the song. It was a massive hit here in Australia likely due to nostalgia, however fans of the heartland rocker weren’t too pleased about this.
2000 20 weeks
Well, this is awkward, mainly because I’m featuring a song from a trans woman years prior to her transition but also due to her involvement with Shawn Mendes a decade after her initial breakthrough. Nowadays Teddy is more famous for her work with Shawn than her own material.
2006 20 weeks
This is the final hit that Bon Jovi was able to achieve anywhere in the world, it was a bit of a surprise hit here in Australia given how they didn’t have one since the start of the decade with “It’s my life.” I guess the general public wanted to give them one more hit before they became a legacy band as everything they’ve released ever since has only been a success due to nostalgia for their older work.
2005 20 weeks
This came out around the time Fergie was finding massive success with her solo album, I guess this means the song’s success was more out of the novelty that the BEP members were finding success away from each other rather than genuine interest in Will I am’s solo career. Indeed, that interest would peter out when he released his own solo album in 2013.
2007 20 weeks
Even though he had appeared on Countdown almost a decade prior, Iggy Pop never had any success in Australia until this year where he scored a surprise worldwide hit with this new wave track of his. This made it big in the UK of all places, I know the Brits welcomed punk rockers worldwide with open arms, but surely, they could’ve given this guy success back in the day when he was with the stooges.
1987 20 weeks
Given how she left the 80’s with one of the biggest hits of all time here in Australia, it’s a bit surprising that the third single from Heart of stone wouldn’t be more of a success here were it not for the fact that said album was a massive success in its own right and thus would’ve eaten up most of its success here. Even so, that didn’t prevent this track which compares Cher’s relationship to that of an American outlaw from being a success here.
1989 20 weeks
Livie was on a roll when she released this title track to her album this year, it became her second Billboard chart topper in a row following the success of “I honestly love you” from the previous year. It would be her last hit here in Australia for a few years as we were growing tired of country music around this time, although she would return later in the decade in a more pop friendly direction.
1975 20 weeks
OK it turns out that Bernie Taupin might have still somewhat been active in Elton John’s career during the dark period that they two weren’t talking to each other, I’m guessing these were songs that Bernie gave to Elton for him to work on as Elton has a song writing credit on this instrumental as well as Bernie. I guess when I say they two reunited on Too low for zero, I mean they did so on a permanent basis.
1979 20 weeks
I’m not exactly sure how this song managed to become a hit here in Australia, mainly due to it being a huge flop for the band Missing persons in their native America and them never having a hit on Billboard during their career. I’m glad it was a hit here as it’s a unique song about how the singer feels like her partner isn’t listening to her and that she feels like communicating with them is a waste of time.
1982 20 weeks
