While it was among the most successful albums of its day internationally, MJ’s previous album Bad didn’t quite live up to its hype in Australia despite it arguably being better than Thriller on an artistic level. I guess the takeaway he got from it was that the videos weren’t as flashy, because the videos to this album are some of the highest budgets to ever come out of a music artist.
It’s a bit of a shock to see how long it took for Prince to recapture the success he had with the soundtrack to his first theatrical film Purple rain in Australia, in fact this comeback of his remains his most successful album down under which should tell you how done dirty he was in our mainstream back in the day. This is the last album he released until he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol as well as the first with his new band the New power generation.
From what I can gather, the this is a soundtrack to a film that’s based on a book which depicts the struggles of Irish immigrants looking to make it big into the music industry in America. The film must have been a massive success here in Australia (it flopped in America) given how its first soundtrack (yes there was more than one) managed to become one of the biggest of the decade here and spawn a single that permeates on oldies stations to this day.
This was the debut album from a band who by all accounts deserved far more than what they ended up achieving this decade given how the music scene shifted away from Australian artists this decade. Led by the powerful presence of frontwoman Suze Demarch, this album was initially a moderate success due to her strong vocals and the bands catchy instrumentation only for it to explode in popularity once “One word” was released as a single.
The legends are true people, this was the first of many Soul deep project from Jimmy Barnes, Soul deep being what he refers to his style of music where he attempts to recreate the success of many Motown records from the height of the label’s popularity. This side project has achieved massive success over the years which means there’s people out there who appreciate this side of his catalogue.
It looked like that Bryan Adams was going to become a one album wonder given the commercial failure of his 1987 effort Heat of the night, however following his contributions to the Robin hood soundtrack, he was able to bounce back more successful than ever with this album which led to him having a highly productive decade despite only putting out two more albums in the 90’s.
So, the Use your illusions era, it’s referred to the time where Guns n Roses put out two long albums simultaneously and saw massive success with both of them both as albums and with the singles they released. The second volume proved to be more popular than the first likely due to having the bigger singles on the charts, although volume one did contain the Illusions trilogy which made them iconic.
This was the third album to be released from Roxette and the second album to find massive worldwide success for them. Like many artists who made it big as the 80’s was coming to an end, these guys were able to adapt with the changing times which allowed them to thrive when some of their contemporaries struggled to do so, although their popularity came to a halt when they appeared on the Super Mario brother’s soundtrack.
The last time Rod Stewart had an album this successful was when he dabbled with disco with his 1978 effort Blondes have more fun, so to see him return to this level of success with his first album of the decade can only mean that fans decided to boycott him throughout the 80’s and lifted the boycott once the 90’s began. That’s the best explanation I have for why there was such a long absence of his popularity.
Surprised to see this album so low on the list? I should point out that I’m only ranking these albums based on their original chart runs and while this was a huge success upon its initial release, it wasn’t as inescapable as its reputation would have you believe. That said, this album is responsible for why many artists from the 70’s and 80’s struggled to retain their popularity as the decade went on due to how it revolutionised the rock scene.
It took them five albums to find a mainstream audience, heck it looked like this album was going to fail as well given how much of a failure its lead single was for the band. Fortunately for them, the second single proved to be one of the biggest hits of the early 90’s which allowed the album to find massive worldwide success for them. This of course led to a bunch of band fights resulting in the temporary departure of John Frusciante.
This was the first volume of the Guns n Roses Use your illusions era, it wasn’t as successful as their earlier entry despite it having the songs that would make up the Illusions trilogy which showcased a storyline that was paired with high budget music videos for the singles on the album. Even though it wasn’t quite as successful as their earlier entry, it was still one of the biggest albums of the decade.
This album set records for Simply red over in their native UK, namely it became the first album to top the year end album charts there for two years in a row which should give you an idea of how inescapable they were back in the day. It wasn’t quite that big here in Australia, although it was riding off the success of their first three albums, so its success was notable regardless.
Although these guys have been on the cusp of mainstream success since the late 80’s, it wasn’t until this album that they finally achieved that success worldwide thanks to how well this both fit in with the trends of this year and also how it contrasted with some of the more popular hits making it big. This would lead the band to having huge success this decade all around the world.
This was the breakthrough album of one of the heaviest bands in the metal scene Metallica, although given how this wasn’t as heavy as their earlier work, one would be excused for thinking that this was a sell-out album even though it’s still much heavier than most of what was coming out at the time. Their true sell-out period came later in the decade when they released Load and its sequel Reload, both of which were meant to cash in on the adult contemporary of the 90’s.
Her debut album Union was one of the most successful of the decade in Australia and NZ, so it only makes sense that Toni Child’s second album would also be a success given how female singer/songwriters were among the more popular artists during the transition from the 80’s to the 90’s. Her popularity would come to an end with her third album, although it would explode later in the decade with her greatest hits package.
This was released just before Freddie Mercury’s death, while it was always going to be a huge success since it came out exactly a decade after their first greatest hits package, the fact this is forever tied into the death of the legendary frontman likely factored into its huge success back in the day.
This was originally released in 1985 to deafening silence, likely because we didn’t need another greatest hits package from the Doors since they were well and truly broken up since 1971. It regained some popularity in 1991 following the release of the biopic named after them, although it was only two years later that it became a huge success here likely because it was released on CD for the first time.
Due to the success of a mashup which combines three of the best tracks from the film, the soundtrack to this cult classic managed to become a success all over again at the start of the decade several years prior to it becoming a hit once more to commemorate the films 20th anniversary.
This was the second greatest hits album that Cold chisel released following their breakup from seven years prior to its release, I never understood why labels would release greatest hits albums from bands and artist who haven’t released any new material since their previous greatest hits album. I guess this was a success so here we are talking about it.
This was the last album to have Phil Collins as part of the band as he wouldn’t reunite with the band later in the decade when they put out their final album to deafening silence. This album’s success likely came from its main theme of religion which was becoming an increasingly popular topic for artists this decade ever since Madonna destigmatised criticisms of the church with her album Like a prayer.
When word got out for when the Beach boys would be releasing a new album, fans became excited despite the mediocre reception of their previous album Still cruising from the start of the decade. They rediscovered their back catalogue with this greatest hits album in preparation for the new album, said album was Summer in paradise which is considered to be their worst album.
For the longest time, this was the only album from an aboriginal artist to find success here in Australia, in recent years Jessica Mauboy has found success with her albums but she only started doing so in the late 00’s. Indeed, this album struggled to become a best seller initially due to audiences missing the point of its lead single, however it eventually won people over when it spawned another hit for the band.
It was only inevitable that John Farnham would release a live album that would see massive success for him, it comes around the time he had his collaboration with Jimmy Barnes on his Soul deep project from earlier on this list to remind audiences of what a phenomenal talent he was this far into his career.
This is an album that saw a ton of backlash upon its initial release, mostly for its lead single which was a virtual duet with Natalie’s father Nat King Cole from beyond the grave which many felt she was being disrespectful towards. I feel that she had nothing but love and affection for her father’s work and that this was the best compromise she had of fulfilling her dream of making a song with him. The Grammys agreed and awarded this album of the year.
This is often considered to be the magnum opus from Enya’s discography, although it wasn’t her most successful album as that honour goes to her next album she released later in the decade. This confirmed the new age trend to be legitimate as there were a ton of albums in this vein to make it big throughout the 90’s.
There was little doubt that U2 would find success with this album regardless of what direction they took their sound in, however the fact that they went with ironic rockstars certainly helped it find an audience who were likely becoming fed up with how sincere their 80’s work had become as well as it spawning multiple hit singles which lasted over a year after its initial release.
The duo may have called it quits following the mediocre reception of their album We too are one, however that didn’t that fans were ready to say goodbye to them as this greatest hits package they released was a huge success for them. They would eventually reform by the end of the decade when their fans had long moved on from their music.
Although these guys didn’t achieve much success here in Australia with their albums or indeed their singles save for the three big hits I’ve already featured on this site so far, that didn’t prevent them from finding success with this greatest hits package which no doubt led to them having a resurgence in popularity later in the decade with their next album.
This was an album released exclusively in Australia likely due to how much love and support we Aussies gave Billy Joel; OK it was because of how big his previous two albums were here compared to the rest of the world that he released this exclusively for us. It’s a reissue of his greatest hits package from five years earlier plus a live album as well as having a bonus disco containing interviews he gave here.
It looked like this third album from Richard Marx was going to be a massive flop for him given how the lead single failed to find any sort of audience outside his native America from the previous year, fortunately the second single managed to become a massive worldwide hit albeit rather slowly as I’m sure most people didn’t realise the dark subject matter of the ballad and thus not realise the true potential this guy had on here.
This was the final album to be released from Dire straits before they broke up for good later in the decade, heck this was only made due to them needing to fulfil their contractual obligation as they needed to release one more album in their career. Even with this in mind, the album was still a massive critical and commercial success proving that they were still professionals when making their music.
Given that their E.P from earlier on this list was a huge success (regardless of if it was charting as a single or album) it’s fitting that the band’s debut album would be a huge success for them as they were given a lot of hype in the leadup to its release. The hype was of course effortlessly met; however, it didn’t translate to their second album where it became a massive flop for the alternative rock band.
One of the most prominent shows of the early 90’s was Twin peaks, even with the cliff-hanger ending it was well beloved by critics and audiences alike to the point where the soundtrack became a massive success around the world. The true surprise is that the theme song was a number one hit here in Australia (at least on the ARIA charts) which further secured the shows legacy down under.
This was the debut album from German duo Enigma, an album they named after the year they released it in albeit in roman numerals in order to make it come off as an intellectual album. This was the first of many successful new age albums to be released this decade, and it was the second to be released period following Enya’s landmark album Watermark from two years prior.
For whatever reason, the title track to this greatest hits album became a huge success worldwide despite it coming from an album from 1989 for Chris Isaak. I want to say it was due to his resemblance of Roy Orbison, except that Roy had died only a few months prior to when the song was released. In any case, this helped audiences discover his back catalogue so that he could be a household name in the 90’s.
This was originally released in 1987 to deafening silence here, in fact I’m not even sure why this greatest hits package managed to become a hit in Australia four years later as it’s not like there was any special occasion for his legacy in this particular year.
This was a highly successful decade for Lenny Kravitz who saw massive success with his second and third albums throughout the world, although it’s worth noting that only this album was a success for him in his native America as his next album bombed there for some reason. This initially struggled to become a success here in Australia, however once his second single made him a household name on Billboard the album flew up the charts here.
This feels like a greatest hits collection from the KLF given how it collected all of their big hits during the early 90’s, indeed it likely launched the EDM craze here in Australia given how huge each of these songs were in Australia in comparison to the album itself. Despite how much success they had with this album, the duo decided to go their separate ways after the album cycle was done the following year.
Harry Connick Jr was always a crooner in the music industry; however, his career received a massive boost when he appeared in the film Little man Tate which compelled audiences to check out his music catalogue with this greatest hits package he had conveniently released around the time the movie came out. It was a slow rise to success here in Australia, however we were eventually won over.
It was a new decade, so Crowded house decided to dial back the bombast of their previous material to help them fit in with the calmer music scene which provided them their third big hit in a row with their albums. This managed to break them through into the UK where they scored massive success with this album, I’m guessing the Brits were looking to make them a success but couldn’t get into their 80’s material.
These guys were also able to successfully make the transition from the 80’s to the 90’s as their third album proved to be more successful than their second from three years prior. Admittedly they didn’t dial back their bombast on here so perhaps that had little to do with who was making it big during the first stretch of the decade and who wasn’t. They called it quits the following year so that Jon Stevens can become a theatre actor.
I guess Hoodoo gurus were in danger of not being able to transition from the 80’s to the 90’s given how their last album Magnum cum louder was a huge flop at the end of the previous decade. Fortunately, they were able to bounce back this year with this album lead by a song that was built on 60’s nostalgia which was still a popular trend of the early 90’s. This second wind didn’t last long for the band I’m afraid.
Following her recovery from her potentially life-threatening injury, Gloria Estefan wanted to make it clear that she didn’t want to dwell over that part of her life by releasing this album whose title seems to drive that message home. She was coming out of a very dark place in her life and as such wanted to live the rest of her life without thinking about it.
As if her involvement with Black box wasn’t enough of a controversy, we have another group where Martha Walsh had provided vocals for and yet she was nowhere to be found on the promotion of the album and its singles. I’m not sure what everyone’s fascination was for hiding her behind attractive models who lip synched to her music, however she grew tired of this and sued these bands for damages.
It looked like these guys wouldn’t be able to have a career going into the 90’s given how their previous album Temperamental suggested they would be an 80’s band and no more, however thanks to the success of its lead single worldwide, they were able to extend their popularity past the 80’s and even acquire a worldwide audience. This was a brief comeback as the band would struggle for relevancy later in the decade.
This was meant to be rereleased simply as the tenth anniversary of its existence, it became a success all over again due to the tragic passing of Freddie Mercury which even allowed their signature track to chart again this year.
This was the last taste of success that Stevie Nicks had here in Australia both solo and with Fleetwood mac, admittedly this was a greatest hits album which is usually a sign of an artist acknowledging the end of their peak period. It’s interesting this underperformed here given how successful her four solo albums were throughout the 80’s.
This was the debut album for Screaming jets, an Australian band who made it big with a song that wouldn’t feel out of place with the rising grunge movement that would take over the world by the end of the year. While this album was an immediate success for the band, their second album would have to wait a year and a half to become a success likely suggesting Nirvana stole their success from them.
Following the eventual success of her debut album, Paula Abdul was able to find instant success with her second album here in Australia which was off to a good start thanks to it spawning her biggest hit in her native America that was also a very big hit here in Australia. Unfortunately, it didn’t become a best seller due to the presence of Mariah Carey’s album from earlier on this list that made Mariah a household name worldwide.
I’m guessing this recharted this year due to it being released on CD for the first time, this was the case for many older albums throughout the decade finding success this decade especially if they were from the 70’s as they benefitted from nostalgia that the 90’s had for it.
I’m not sure how this album managed to become a success here in Australia, mainly because Edith Piaf had been dead for close to thirty years by the time it was released here this year. I’m guessing there was a rise in demand for Chanson music from the first half of the century, maybe to commemorate the end of the cold war or something.
Given how their previous album managed to spawn a huge hit for Skid row the previous year, it seems fitting that this album would be more of a mainstream success even if it was among many albums during the decade that quickly fell from our charts despite entering them at a high position.
This was a modest success for James Reyne, meaning he too was able to successfully make the transition from the 80’s to the 90’s with this entry which eventually led to him being the lead vocalist for the supergroup Company of strangers later in the decade. Of course, he would be seen as yesterday’s news once that group went their separate ways which coincided with the decline of popular Australian music in the 90’s.
This was the only noticeable success that Debbie Byrne was able to achieve throughout her career, for the uninitiated, she was a former member of Young talent time from its initial inception, meaning she got her first break as a child star along the likes of Tina Arena and Karen Knowles.
The Highwaymen was a supergroup consisting of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson who released three albums together with this second entry being the only one to be a success for them. For what it’s worth, their first entry from six years prior did rechart here in Australia due to the success of this album, so it’s not like they went completely ignored outside of this album.
This is the soundtrack to the biopic of the Doors, the film was a massive critical and commercial success due to it coming out on the twentieth anniversary of the death of Jim Morrison as well as treating the trials and tribulations that he and the band experienced with the upmost care, making it far ahead of its time.
While this wasn’t as inescapable for Mariah Carey as her earlier entry on this list was even in her native America, it was a nice tie over for her fans while she gained the confidence to develop her own personality on her albums which she would use to great effect on her later material. This was also the album where she was accused of lip synching in her music, accusations that went away once she appeared on MTV unplugged.
This was a greatest hits package that was meant to overlook Deborah Harry’s entire discography both solo and with Blondie, it’s a bit of a surprise it wasn’t more of a success here in Australia given how inescapable Blondie was during the late 70’s and early 80’s was well as her solo career recently peaking with her third album the previous year.
It was inevitable that this would be a moderate success here in Australia given how it managed to spawn one of the biggest hits of the year with its lead single, indeed Londonbeat had better success here in Australia than you might think given how they achieved a surprise hit later in the decade with “Come back” likely out of nostalgia from their success on this album.
This is the only album from Amy Grant to achieve any sort of success outside of her native America, mainly because (to my knowledge) it’s her only album which isn’t made specifically for her contemporary Christian audience given how rarely that type of music connects with a larger market throughout history. Even though this was a huge international smash for her, she quickly reverted back to her Christian audience afterwards.
This is the last taste of success that former Eurogliders vocalist Grace Knight managed to achieve in her career, even then it was more due to the success of her collaboration album with Vince Jones from the previous year which even briefly recharted this year when this first hit stores. It feels a little out of place on this list as it’s a jazz standards album, although it did have company with Natalie Cole’s entry on here.
Given how well the Divinyls did with their (then) most recent album, it makes sense that they would released their greatest hits album which was used to promote their back catalogue internationally. It was a decent hit here in Australia even if it bombed everywhere else in the world for them.
