This was the only successful album that Bill and Boyd had in their homeland, it was originally released the previous year here in Australia following their touching tribute to the victims of Cyclone Tracy, however it was delayed a release over there for some reason and only became a success due to the surprise hit that had with a bonus track once it did come out there.
Peak position #1×1
Hit singles
Put another log on the fire #5
POPULAR IN 1975
Well, this is a surprise, out of all the albums to become a success from the Bay city rollers, it had to be the one which didn’t spawn a charting single for them which I suppose explains the absence of “Give a little love” on their charts at the time.
Peak position #5
POPULAR IN 1976
Although Eye in the sky was this duo’s most successful album in NZ as it was in Australia, their 70’s output gave it a run for its money likely due to how much more successful prog music was throughout the decade over there.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 1977
This was only a moderate success for ELO in NZ back in the day, at least here in Australia it was a massive success even if it also failed to spawn that big hit down under like it did in their native UK. At least their 70’s albums all managed to reappear on this side of my site unlike some of their singles and their 80’s material.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Turn to stone #21
POPULAR IN 1977
It may surprise you to learn that the Commodores only starting seeing success in NZ this year when this album became a surprise hit for them worldwide, I guess this means that they can join the likes of Earth wind and fire and the Emotions as soul acts that the world largely ignored until the Brits made them household names during the last stretch of the decade.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Three times a lady #2
POPULAR IN 1978
This was the first album that Roxy music released once they reunited the previous year, although I don’t think the kiwis even realised they had any material prior to this album given how much of a failure their music was throughout the 70’s over there. This led to them having massive success during the first stretch of the 80’s before they called it quits in 1983 for good.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
Dance away #10
Angel eyes #50
POPULAR IN 1979
Rod Stewart closed out the 70’s on top regardless of where in the world you’re from, although this was the last time he would trouble the charts in NZ until his next greatest hits album from ten years later.
Peak position #1×6
POPULAR IN 1979
While he wasn’t as inescapable in NZ as he was here in Australia throughout the 70’s, Leo Sayer was popular enough that it made sense that this greatest hits package closing out the decade would become a success for him over there this year.
Peak position #1×1
POPULAR IN 1979
This feels like a more appropriate position for this live album from David Bowie on this list compared to the Australian side of my site, it’s curious it was more successful over there considering this wasn’t the case for Bowie’s career overall save for the occasional hit here and there.
Peak position #1×6
POPULAR IN 1978
This was also a success in NZ due to it also being released over there like it was here in Australia, again I’m not sure why this album was released exclusively in the southern hemisphere as between both countries, he only had a total of three hits to his name by this point.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 1979
This was much more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia for the Band, again this was likely due to the lack of competition it had over there compared to over here due to the kiwis not having a strong local music scene like we Aussies did throughout the decade.
Peak position #8
POPULAR IN 1978
This was released two years prior for Elton John, although it was popular enough to last this far into the decade in NZ to chart this year and even become a massive hit for the piano player this year. It remains his most iconic work due to it having some of his biggest hits from the earliest parts of his career.
Peak position #9
POPULAR IN 1975
This was the last successful album that the Brothers Gibb had in NZ for nearly two decades, admittedly their next successful album in Australia was also Still waters, however they did have a mini comeback in 1987 when “You win again” became a surprise hit for them which isn’t what happened over in NZ.
Peak position #1×5
Hit singles
Too much heaven #1
Tragedy #1
Love you inside out #17
POPULAR IN 1979
I guess there was potential for Genesis to be a huge success with Peter Gabriel on lead vocals back in the day, that’s the best explanation I have for the first album with Phil Collins on the vocals to be a huge success in NZ as I’m sure the kiwis would’ve heard about them prior to the change in singers.
Peak position #4
POPULAR IN 1976
I’m not sure if the Doobie Brothers had successful albums during the first half of the decade in NZ, what I do know is that their success over there was equal to that of what they achieved here in Australia beginning with this final album from them to have Tom Johnson on lead vocals.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Take me in your arms #31
POPULAR IN 1975
This was another successful greatest hits package to bookend the 70’s, although it didn’t become a success in NZ until this year for Donna Summer likely because the lead single was included on Barbra Streisand’s album which the kiwis didn’t seem to like that much until this decade for some reason.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
No more tears #7
On the radio #32
POPULAR IN 1979
This was also a success for Linda Ronstadt in NZ like it was here in Australia, although like her earlier entry on this list, it wasn’t as huge over there as it was down under likely due to “Blue bayou” being such a juggernaut for her on their singles charts throughout the year.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Living in the USA #24
POPULAR IN 1978
It only seems fitting that this album from the Alan Parsons Project would be more popular over in NZ than it was here in Australia, mainly because the band was already a household name by the time they released this concept album based on the I robot books that were written over twenty years prior.
Peak position #4
POPULAR IN 1978
While this wasn’t her debut album, it was the album which got Joan Armatrading off the ground in NZ years before she got any buzz here in Australia. I’m not sure how the LGBT folk singer managed to connect with the kiwis (or indeed how the kiwis even came across this album) but it would explain her success over there throughout the 80’s.
Peak position #11
POPULAR IN 1977
Much like in Australia, these guys were a tad overexposed by the time they released their fifth album which is why it wasn’t as inescapable as their earlier work over there. It was still a massive success and proof that the band could withstand the overexposure unlike several other bands from the 70’s here in Australia.
Peak position #1×5
Hit singles
The name of the game #4
Take a chance on me #14
POPULAR IN 1978
Mario Lanza was an Italian American performer from the first half of the twentieth century, he died relatively young in life in 1959 (that was a bad year for musician now that I think about it) but leaving behind a rich recording history that the kiwis felt nostalgic for this year for some reason.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 1977
This was the final album that Led zeppelin released as a unit worldwide, naturally it would be a success in NZ given how they were one of the biggest bands of the decade over there despite not releasing an album since the midpoint of the decade.
Peak position #1×3
Hit singles
Fool in the rain #44
POPULAR IN 1979
Much like in Australia, this album from Art Garfunkel likely took off in NZ due to the success of his theme to the animated film Watership down becoming a huge success for him over there. It was his only successful album over there as far as I can tell, although it’s possible his solo efforts from earlier in the decade were also big hits over there.
Peak position #1×1
Hit singles
Bright eyes #2
Since I don’t have you #16
POPULAR IN 1979
This was way more successful over in NZ for the Carpenter than it was here in Australia, mainly due to there being now Countdown equivalent over there for this to be a victim of but also due to the singles being much bigger over there than they were over here for the duo.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Please Mr. postman #4 (#1 on the Listener charts)
Only yesterday #10
Solitaire #6
POPULAR IN 1975
Well unlike in Australia, Barbra Streisand was far from the most popular artists in NZ which does make the success this greatest hits package a bit more confusing over there. Still, it was a success, likely due to the bonus track also coming from Neil Diamond’s successful album of the same name which was also a success over there (stay tuned for it.)
Peak position #1×4
Hit singles
You don’t bring me flowers #3
POPULAR IN 1978
Whereas this was only a minor success here in Australia, it appears the kiwis were either massive fans of the film FM or simply viewed this as an excellent compilation album as it collects all the songs used throughout the film which feels like one of those seasonal compilation albums I’ve featured on the Australian side of my site.
Peak position #1×1
Hit singles
FM #19
POPULAR IN 1978
Much like here in Australia, the kiwis were initially sceptical with the thought of Elton John finding success without his partner in crime Bernie Taupin, although this album did win them over when they discovered that the second single was donated to Elton from Bernie, suggesting that they merely distanced themselves from each other rather than completely cutting ties.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Part time love #14
Song for guy #7
POPULAR IN 1978
Given how Jon English suddenly had two successful hits to his name in NZ, it only seems reasonable that the kiwis would educate themselves on his back catalogue which included a third minor hit from the midpoint of the 70’s that didn’t crossover here to Australia. This is why his greatest hits album did slightly better over there than it did over here.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Get your love right #3
POPULAR IN 1979
It’s clearly obvious the kiwis weren’t ready to say goodbye to the King of rock and roll this year given how this was one of two albums that look over his rock hits from his lifetime to become a success over there following his tragic death this year.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 1977
This is more guesswork on my part, although this third album from Rick Wakeman did quite well during the early months of the RIANZ chart’s existence so I’m guessing it was a massive success overall in NZ. Maybe this guy did really well over there with his first two albums, but I can’t be sure because the charts don’t go that far back.
Peak position #1×4
POPULAR IN 1975
This was another live album to inevitably find success in NZ this year, after all this was tied to their highly successful album Wings at the speed of sound which proved that Paul McCartney and company were still on top of the world during the second half of the decade.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 1976
Steely Dan was popular from the start in NZ it seems, this was another successful album they had over there that was only barely a hit here in Australia likely due to our local music scene pushing this album out of the competition down under.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 1976
While it wasn’t as big as his first live album this decade in NZ (impressive considering it came out two years prior to when the RIANZ charts launched) this album recorded as the Greek theatre was nonetheless a huge success over there for Neil Diamond back in the day.
Peak position #1×1
POPULAR IN 1977
Well, it appears the kiwis were more forgiving towards these guys providing more of the same as their earlier entry on this list than us Aussies were, the results were a slightly more successful album over there than it was here in Australia as well as it occasionally popping back into the charts whenever the band released a new album throughout the 80’s.
Peak position #1×2
Hit singles
Lady writer #39
POPULAR IN 1979
This was originally released earlier in the decade to deafening silence, I’m not sure why it wasn’t a hit upon its initial release given how Elvis was still able to find success with his singles throughout the world. This became a hit this year due to his tragic passing just like the second edition of this series.
Peak position #4
POPULAR IN 1977
Even though the Beach boys didn’t achieve a single hit in NZ throughout the 70’s (either on RIANZ or the Listener charts) that didn’t mean that they didn’t close out the decade without any success at all as this greatest hits album was a hit for them this year.
Peak position #5
POPULAR IN 1979
Well, this was another album to have an inevitable reappearance on this site, although Bob Dylan’s popularity in NZ was certainly a far cry from what it was here in Australia throughout the 70’s.
Peak position #7
POPULAR IN 1978
Well, you may have noticed a suspicious absence from Santana when going through this side of my site, that’s because the Californian band didn’t have much success in NZ over the years save for their 1999 comeback Supernatural and this effort from their original run in the mainstream. I don’t even know if they had any success prior to this album over there, meaning they were likely a one album wonder for many years.
Peak position #8
POPULAR IN 1976
It was a Beatles compilation, no matter how many of these that exist, they will always be a massive success upon their initial release worldwide proving how much audiences love their music years after their initial breakup.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 1976
Well, this had their reggae hit as the lead single, so naturally this was going to be a success for 10CC in NZ regardless of how the kiwis felt about the band by this point. Fortunately, their feelings seemed to be positive as they were able to close out the decade with a greatest hits package that did fairly well over there (it won’t be appearing on this site I’m afraid.)
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Dreadlock holiday #1
POPULAR IN 1978
Given how these guys weren’t as popular in NZ as they were in Australia throughout the 70’s, it’s fitting that this was less successful over there for ELO than it was over here at the start of the 80’s even if this was coming off a highly successful album.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 1979
This was the first album to go to number one in NZ, meaning that it’s possible that Bob Dylan had a ton of success over there during the first half of the decade. His popularity would’ve somewhat faded during the second half of the 70’s if that was the case, however he was still a household name over there until the end of the decade.
Peak position #1×3
POPULAR IN 1975
This was Donna Summer’s only successful album in NZ (not counting her greatest hits package of course) naturally it was the one which depicted her as a sex worker on the cover as well as some of the track referencing her as such including the two big hits from the album. While you could argue the pros and cons of marketing her as such (though not on this site if you don’t mind) it led to her becoming a devoted Christian in the 80’s because of the backlash she received from religious groups.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Hot stuff #7
Bad girls #6
Dim all the lights #14
POPULAR IN 1979
This was eventually a hit here in Australia for Steely Dan; however, it was one of those cases where it continuously charted in the lower half of our charts during the height of their popularity which prevented it from being appearing on the Australian side of my site. It was much more of an immediate success in NZ due to them being very popular over there as we’ll see the further back in the decade we go.
Peak position #10
POPULAR IN 1978
This was another success for Pink Floyd in NZ this year, the top entry on this list was their 1973 effort, so it was inevitable that this would make a reappearance on this side of my site.
Peak position #1×3
POPULAR IN 1977
I forgot to mention on the Australian side of this site that this was a live album for George Benson, meaning that it was a live album that allowed his earlier entry on this list to become a massive success in NZ this decade.
Peak position #8
POPULAR IN 1978
This is where it all began for the Alan Parsons Project, I guess the kiwis were on top of this group from the start if this managed to be a modest success for them this year given how it was a huge flop for them here in Australia.
Peak position #7
POPULAR IN 1976
You know the drill by this point, this was an album released from the previous year (albeit late) which means that this albums presence on this list is more a prediction on my part as to how big it was prior to the release of the first RIANZ charts.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Longfellow serenade #29
POPULAR IN 1975
Although this was a decent success for Elton John in NZ like it was here in Australia, I’m willing to bet that many audiences wished it wasn’t due to it containing one of the more divisive songs in his catalogue as its lead single.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Island girl #4
Grow some funk of your own #39
POPULAR IN 1975
To my knowledge this was the final country album that Livie released throughout her career before her pop makeover she underwent from her involvement in Grease later in the decade. We Aussies were done with her country image; however, the kiwis weren’t as this and the title track was a major hit for her over there.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Come on over #3
POPULAR IN 1976
This also had a bit of a delay to its release over in NZ, mainly because the previous entry was also delayed a release over there due to how long it took for the band to take off in their music scene due to there not being a Countdown equivalent to help introduce the kiwis to their music.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Money honey #11
Rock and roll love letter #34
POPULAR IN 1976
It may not have been as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, however this greatest hits package from the brothers Gibb was indeed a success coming into the 80’s over there due to how popular the trio was with their pivot towards disco in their catalogue.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 1979
Well, you know the kiwis have a love for classical music when even the London Symphony Orchestra could score a massive hit over there with an album where they make classical renditions of popular rock and roll hits of the 60’s and 70’s.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 1979
I guess the kiwis weren’t that fooled with the hype that went into this band back in the day, I’m not saying these guys were hacks by any means, but rather their popularity was only limited to this one album worldwide and it appears the kiwis didn’t love it as much as the rest of the world did.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
My Sharona #3
Good girls don’t #20
POPULAR IN 1979
I don’t know why this underperformed here in Australia given how much we Aussies loved Abba back in the day, it did much better over in NZ for the band likely at the expense of the new single to appear on the album which wasn’t a big hit over there like it was over here.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Gimme gimme gimme #15
POPULAR IN 1979
Much like here in Australia, this album was initially a huge flop for the brothers Gibb in NZ the previous year, thankfully it was a much bigger hit once it was given its second chance over there given how their earlier entry on this list encouraged the kiwis to check out what they were missing from this album.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
You should be dancing #10
Boogie child #13
POPULAR IN 1977
I’m not sure how the kiwis came across Steve Miller back in the day given how “The joker” was a massive flop over there during the first half of the decade (according to the Listener charts it was at least.) I’m guessing this was a success over there due to how big it was here in Australia as well as the kiwis wanting to see how this guy kept topping the Billboard charts throughout the decade.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Jet airliner #12
POPULAR IN 1977
Yet another album on here that I’m sort of cheating with on this list, although I don’t think anyone is going to dispute this album from Led zeppelin’s placement on here given how A: they were massively successful back in the day worldwide and B: how iconic the band has remained to this day.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 1975
This may shock you to read, but Shirley Bassey didn’t have much success with her singles on the Listener charts throughout the 60’s and early 70’s (save for “Something” which was a big hit for her at the start of the decade.) That didn’t prevent this greatest hits album from being a success for her this year over there despite it being a massive flop here in Australia.
Peak position #7
POPULAR IN 1975
This was less popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, or at least I assume it was given how it peaked during the summer period of 1976/1977 which is the longest time that the charts have ever been on hiatus since the Listener charts launched a decade prior over there.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Sorry seems to be the hardest word #7
POPULAR IN 1976
This felt like a good place to recap Neil Diamond’s success so far in his career, I’m sure this would’ve been a success here in Australia as well had we not pushed aside his catalogue in favour of local acts promoted by Countdown.
Peak position #6
POPULAR IN 1976
If you were looking for more representation from the Commodore on this side of my site, there will be that albeit to a much lesser scale than you would otherwise think given how Lionel Richie and company weren’t that much more popular in ZN than they were here in Australia. Indeed, this was their final successful album over there due to how ubiquitous it was with the times.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Sail on #6
Still #13
POPULAR IN 1979
This was a fantastic year for XTC in NZ given how they have two appearances on this list, this was their debut album which was a minor success upon its initial release the previous year but saw a massive spike in popularity when their second album became an instant success over there six months after its initial release.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Making plans for nigel #29
POPULAR IN 1979
The kiwis really seemed to like their classical music, didn’t they? Here we have British composer Ron Goodwin conducting the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (who already had a massive album over there two years prior) for this album which was a massive success this year for both parties.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 1978
I guess the kiwis allowed compilation albums to chart on their album charts back in the day, although I’m guessing these albums were given their own charts going into the 80’s as there weren’t any on there like there were in Australia. As the name implies, this was a collection of the biggest disco hits of the day that was originally released in the UK before finding its way over there.
Peak position #1×5
POPULAR IN 1979
From what I can gather, Kamahl was an Australian singer who found no success in here with this album released from the start of the decade. I’m guessing it was a hit in NZ due to him suddenly finding success internationally with some of his later material, but that doesn’t explain why the kiwis gravitated towards this and not his newer catalogue.
Peak position #1×1
POPULAR IN 1978
This was a compilation album from NZ collecting some of the most well-known classical pieces for the convenience of the kiwis discovering them on one convenient album.
Peak position #1×2
POPULAR IN 1977
I told you the popularity of these guys skyrocketed going into the 80’s, here we have the album that Earth wind and fire released after the success of their greatest hits package from earlier on the list. This managed to spawn two hit singles in NZ as opposed to just the one here in Australia, and likely kept the bands popularity going around the launch of MTV which certainly wasn’t the case down under.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Boogie wonderland #7
After the love has gone #8
In the stone #39
POPULAR IN 1979
This live album was a massive hit for Barry Manilow at the expense of his album this year Even now, I guess we Aussies and kiwis could only allow one album at a time to be a massive hit form the crooner and decided to split the difference between both countries for him as compensation for that.
Peak position #5
POPULAR IN 1978
It makes sense that this was more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia given how the singles from the album were actual hits over there as opposed to massive bombs over here back in the day, although it’s hard to say how much the kiwis loved this movie overall given how both reception to the film and its box office numbers have fallen into obscurity over the years as far as they’re concerned.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Thank god it’s Friday #11
Last dance #3
POPULAR IN 1978
This was a greatest hits package covering the works of all of the Osmond family, meaning this has the big hits from the band, Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond throughout the first half of the decade. It was a big success in NZ given how Donny and Marie were able to score hits over there as opposed to here in Australia, however those hits dried up after this became a success for the family.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 1976
This wasn’t quite as successful for Abba in NZ as it was here in Australia, I’m guessing because the lead single did eat up a bunch of its success over there as opposed to it being less successful here to allow the album to flourish. In any case, it was their final big hit over there as they band struggled for mainstream relevancy going into the 80’s which certainly wasn’t the case down under.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Chiquitita #1
Does your mother know #27
POPULAR IN 1979
Although these guys didn’t find any success with their albums following their reunion (at least not whilst Louisa Wisseling was the lead vocalist) here in Australia, they were able to score a massive hit in NZ with this entry likely suggesting the kiwis wanted to hear more form the Australian group even with the absence of Judith Durham.
Peak position #5
POPULAR IN 1976
They may have had less success in NZ overall than they did here in Australia, but at least the Police were able to have immediate success over there rather than having to wait until the new decade for this to take off after the success of their sophomore album. To be honest, I’m not even sure why this album initially failed here given how it not only had massive international success but fitted in perfectly with our music scene.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Roxanne #8
Can’t stand losing you #48
POPULAR IN 1979
If you’re wondering how this album from a Greek conductor managed to become a success over in NZ just as the decade was coming to an end, that’s due to it also serving as the soundtrack to the BBC series of the same name which proved to be quite popular throughout the world upon its initial release.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Who pays the ferryman #8
POPULAR IN 1979
This proved to be more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia for Elton John, I guess the news of him retiring by the end of the year must have compelled the kiwis to support him anyway they could back in the day which is as good an explanation as any for why this did so well over there.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 1976
This is another album that’s kind of cheating by being this high on this list, although as usual with these albums I’m merely guessing how well it did in NZ during its initial release given how massively successful the lead single to this album was on the Listener charts.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
You ain’t seen nothing yet #25
Roll on down the highway #20
POPULAR IN 1975
It’s a bit of a surprise that this wasn’t a success here in Australia for Elton John given how much we Aussies have loved the English piano man over the years, then again it wasn’t that huge in NZ either and only appears on this site due to the lack of competition it had back in the day.
Peak position #6
POPULAR IN 1977
I guess the trade-off of Peter’s earlier entry on this list being as successful as it was resulted in this follow up achieving half of the success in NZ that it did here in Australia, it could be because the big hit off the album down under wasn’t as such over there but it could also be overexposure from his live work.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
I’m in you #13
Signed sealed delivered #24
POPULAR IN 1977
This year was a huge breakthrough for the Commodores outside of their native America, as such it makes sense they would cap it off with a greatest hits album to help their new international audience discover their back catalogue off the success of their earlier entries.
Peak position #12
POPULAR IN 1978
Neil Diamond was one of the biggest names in music when he released this greatest hits album, even so, it was only popular in NZ as we Aussies had left him in the dust in favour of our local music scene and the rest of the world were only interested in his albums and not so much his singles.
Peak position #9
POPULAR IN 1975
Given the success of their concert at Budokan over in NZ (which we’ll be getting to in a bit) Cheap trick had little issue with finding success with this album over there like they did at first over here. It’s a bit of a shame that they would be a one album wonder over there given how much success they had over here, particularly with their sell-out album Lap of luxury almost a decade later.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Dream police #7
POPULAR IN 1979
At least this was also a moderate success for David Bowie in NZ back in the day, it was released right when the RIANZ charts launched so I’m confident that it wasn’t any bigger over there than if the charts were to go even further back.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Young Americans #7
POPULAR IN 1975
Unlike in Australia where Neil Diamond managed to score one more successful album with his contributions to the Jazz singer remake, this was the final successful album that he had over in NZ mainly due to the success of its title track he had with Barbra Streisand upon its initial release.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
You don’t bring me flowers #3
Forever in blue jeans #22
POPULAR IN 1979
It appears that Wings were seeing diminishing returns in NZ as the 70’s began to wind down, so much so that this was their final successful album over there as Back to the egg failed to make a second appearance on this site due to it being a flop for them the following year.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
With a little luck #14
POPULAR IN 1978
Well at least Bob Dylan still managed to have success in NZ during the 70’s, nothing he released this decade came close to what he achieved in 1985 over there, but it would be wrong for me to say that he was a no name prior to that album.
Peak position #1×2
POPULAR IN 1979
I’m guessing the reason why Bob Dylan had so much more success in Australia than he did in NZ was due to the success of the lead single from this album he had over here, I’m sure if it had of been a hit over there, he too would’ve been able to be considered one of the most inescapable artists of the decade there.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Hurricane #25
POPULAR IN 1976
Just like here in Australia, this was only a success in NZ following the success that Ian Dury and company had with the lead single from their next album “Hit me with your rhythm stick.” Again how this wasn’t a success upon its initial release is beyond me, but I guess its appeal was better late than never.
Peak position #7
POPULAR IN 1979
From what I can gather, Diana Ross didn’t have much success in NZ prior to this greatest hits package even during her time with the Supremes. This makes this album one of the rare examples of a greatest hits release boosting an artist’s popularity as opposed to harming it as she would of course go on to massive success in the 80’s over there.
Peak position #6
POPULAR IN 1979
I’m a bit surprised this concept album wasn’t as big in NZ as it was here in Australia, I’m guessing the kiwis only made it a success due to the standout track from Julie Covington being a chart topper over there like it was over here.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Don’t cry for me Argentina #1
POPULAR IN 1977
Here’s that live album from Cheap trick I mentioned earlier on this list, indeed it had a bit of a slow start to its success over there given how it became a surprise hit in their native America around the time Bob Dylan released his live album capturing his greatest moments of his performance at Budokan this year. It finally peaked in popularity when their earlier entry on this list became an instant success in NZ.
Peak position #10
Hit singles
I want you to want me #23
Ain’t a shame #24
POPULAR IN 1979
I’m technically cheating with this album’s ranking as by all accounts it didn’t last as long on the RIANZ charts as its placement here with otherwise suggest, however much like some of the other entries on this list, this came out the previous year for John Denver which suggests that it was more of a success in NZ in 1974 than it was this year.
Peak position #14
Hit singles
Thank god I’m a country boy #27
POPULAR IN 1975
It only makes sense that this was a moderate success in NZ given how the title track was a massive success over there, it may not have stuck around for very long compared to the other entries on this list, but at least I feel confident in saying it was a genuine success unlike many other albums that charted in the bottom ten of the charts for most of the decade.
Peak position #13
Hit singles
Newcastle song #1
POPULAR IN 1975
Following the success of their rock themed greatest hits package from 1976, the kiwis decided to make this love themed album from the fab four a success a year later which makes it the first of two love themed greatest hits albums to make it big over there.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 1977
This is the only other album that Kamahl had success within NZ following his self-titled breakthrough from the previous year, I have no idea why this was so big over there given how he was originally from Australia.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
What would I do without music #32
POPULAR IN 1979
From what I can gather, Waves were an NZ prog band who found moderate success with their one and only album this year before forever fading into obscurity. I guess their fellow kiwis were disappointed in their inability to translate their success over to Australia despite them being one of the earliest international artists to appear on Countdown.
Peak position #6
POPULAR IN 1975
This was the second volume of the Don’t walk boogie series to make it big in NZ, who’d thought a disco compilation series would be among the more popular sets of albums over there throughout the decade?
Peak position #1×4
POPULAR IN 1979
This was another successful compilation series to make it big in NZ back in the day, although it doesn’t escape my notice that all of these compilation albums centre around disco which should tell you the type of music the kiwis were supporting back in the day.
Peak position #1×1
POPULAR IN 1977
We have another disco compilation to make it big in NZ back in the day, the kiwis must have really loved the genre if we have this many albums that focused solely on disco hits of the 70’s making it big over there.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 1978
This was where it all began for Split enz in their homeland, it’s curious this didn’t crossover here in Australia even when they began appearing on Countdown later in the decade to promote their subsequent follow ups. This was their debut album as well as the first of two to not feature Neil Finn on vocals as he would’ve still been a teenager when this was released.
Peak position #7
POPULAR IN 1975
