Hey there, I thought I’d make a list ranking the longest charting singles from what I believe to be the most lucrative time in music history here in Australia. This list is fairly straight forward, each entry appears A: by how long they charted for and B: how well they did during their chart run. The only other thing is that the charts became somewhat redundant starting in 2007 where ARIA allowed for digital downloads which effectively removed the shelf life of each single. This means I’ve decided to include the chart runs of songs on the digital and single charts from this period to give an idea of how long a song would’ve lasted on the charts without this change whilst allowing songs that didn’t chart on the physical chart to appear on here as well.
This was the lead single to Eminem’s album the Eminem show, an album that’s meant to be a display for all of the rapper’s thought process given how his previous two albums had been criticised for the way it influenced the youth of the day. This is far more light-hearted compared to the rest of the album (complete with a wacky music video) however it does fit in the theme of him making art and not propaganda on the album.
2002 21 weeks
This seems completely out of place compared to everything else on this list, after all pub rock was a massive success throughout the 70’s and 80’s but by the 90’s it had fallen out of favour for whatever reason. I think the people who were most surprised by this being a success was the band itself who never particularly displayed any desire to have any mainstream appeal.
1997 21 weeks
I’m guessing this was an instant success in Australia despite it failing to be released as a single in the trio’s native America due to us Aussies having fond memories of the song this track sampled from 1973 of the same name. Of course, the three rappers take the song in a different direction which is more than I can say for many future hip hop tracks which relied on nostalgia for their success.
1996 21 weeks
One of the more sombre tracks in Prince’s catalogue was the original version of this track, even so it’s certainly more upbeat than Sinead O’Connor’s rendition who injected raw emotions she was going through at the time which tugged at the heartstrings of the general public of this year. This was her only major success worldwide given how she ruined her career in 1992 with her infamous SNL performance.
1990 21 weeks
It’s easy to forget that this was the second single from Men at work’s debut album Business as usual given how it’s overshadowed the actual lead single “Who can it be now” over the years, it’s easy to see how it did so given that it’s one of the first songs people think of when they think of an iconic Australian song. Another fun fact about this is that it helped the band become the first to top the Billboard and UK charts simultaneously with a song and album.
1981 21 weeks
It looked like Queen’s fortunes had run out as the 70’s was coming to an end given how they had failed to score any noticeable hit singles since the release of “We are the champions/We will rock you,” however their popularity was revived with this lead single from their album the Game. One thing I’ll point out about this track is how different Freddie sounds on here, almost like he was going for an Elvis impersonation.
1980 21 weeks
This is one of those songs that people mistake the meaning of what appears to be a song about lying to cover up getting caught cheating turns out to be a song denouncing these types of tracks in the third verse. The complaint people have about this track nowadays is that they consider it false advertising, after all, the featured artist Rikrok has far more presence on here than Shaggy does.
2001 21 weeks
This is one of many songs to never be released as a single in America and thus, wasn’t able to chart on Billboard back in the day. I’m guessing this was to promote the album Tragic kingdom which I feel was unnecessary as the song was a huge chart topper everywhere else in the world as well as the album itself still being one of the most successful of the decade. Admittedly the song is more sombre than everything else on the album.
1996 21 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2008 21 weeks
This song is slightly different from album to single given how the production is more pronounced on the single version, however that’s about the only main difference which was regardless enough for this to be the boy bands biggest hit in most parts of the world. I’m glad the music community has since come around on boy bands from this decade as even if they had a specific target demographic, their music was still enjoyable in its own right.
1997 21 weeks
Although Nelly had already demonstrated his desires to be a country artist from the start of the decade with songs such as “Ride wit me” and “Country grammar,” it was this collaboration with Tim McGraw that finally won him over with the country scene in his native America given how immensely popular this was on the Billboard country charts. It was also a massive international hit for the otherwise inner-city rapper.
2005 21 weeks
From what I can tell, Duets is a film that exists. It’s about Huey Lewis teaching Gwyneth Paltrow how to be a singer which led to this cover of the Smokey Robinson track that I personally don’t have much issue with, although how it became a huge success in the southern hemisphere and nowhere else in the world is beyond me.
2000 21 weeks
This was one of two hits that the Finnish group Bomfunk MC’s had here in Australia, we’ll get to their other hit in a bit, but for now we have their song which was able to have the F-bomb played on the radio due to listeners missing the “Who the f**k is Alice” reference in the lyrics. I’m guessing this means that the song was a hit mainly for the sound as this was a bit before songs became a hit due to being a meme for its lyrics.
2000 21 weeks
If you’re a fan of this collaboration between Bonnie Tyler and Jim Steinman (yes, this was originally meant for Meat loaf) then do yourself a favour and don’t check out the music video for this classic as it will ruin any and all fond memories you have of it. That out of the way, we have this comeback single for Bonnie who briefly went MIA following the success of “It’s a heartache” due to issues she had with her previous management.
1983 21 weeks
With a premise as arrogant as the one on display with this band’s signature track, you’d think they’d be all bark and no bite much like most modern indie artists. Fortunately, not only is this track one of the more iconic hit singles to emerge from this year, but the rest of their catalogue follows suit with them not conforming to the trends of early MTV (for the most part that is.) That didn’t stop these guys from calling it quits the following year so that Adam could pursue a solo career.
1981 21 weeks
This is another deeply personal ballad that came from Delta Goodrem’s debut album, this time it’s about her complicated feelings towards her partner which seems to go against “Lost without you” from earlier on this list which showcases the range of emotions she has throughout the album. It was her fourth consecutive chart topper, which meant that she already broke the record for most chart toppers from a single album in Australia with this entry.
2003 21 weeks
This was the biggest hit for Ace of base over in America, it seems fitting seeing as this song wasn’t on the original album Happy nation and that the American version was named after this track when it was shipped over there. For the rest of the world, their earlier entry on this list was their biggest hit, however this tale about self-empowerment was the big hit on Billboard and for good reason.
1994 21 weeks
If you think that ironic tracks meant to criticise the pop music of any given period is a recent phenomenon, allow me to introduce you to this one and only hit from Robin Scott AKA M who managed to take the world by storm with his critiques of the state of pop music in the late 70’s. It was a huge chart topper for him in Australia and Billboard of all places despite it not getting to number one in his native UK.
1979 21 weeks
Following the success of their Joshua tree album, U2 released a highly contemptuous documentary that did manage to produce a successful soundtrack which launched arguably their biggest hit in the form of this lead single of theirs. The album would spawn more future classics for them, proving that no amount of arrogance from Bono could dissuade their fans into supporting their music.
1988 21 weeks
This was originally a song from a guy, and as such the lyrics had a different meaning to what Cyndi gives them on her debut single as there the narrator was a player whereas here it’s a female empowerment anthem. The song rightfully launched her career worldwide and even had her as an early rival of Madonna given how both women struggled to find mainstream success prior to appearing on Countdown.
1984 21 weeks
Given that Janet Jackson was now a household name in Australia following her duet with Luther Vandross from the previous year, it makes sense that this lead single from her biggest album Janet would have no issue in finding an audience here like it did internationally. A bit of a fun fact is that the video features the first on screen appearance of Jennifer Lopez in pop culture.
1993 21 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2005 21 weeks
This was the third victory single to come out of Australian idol, although at least this time, the winner in question had more of a career than her predecessor as Kate scored a second solo hit after this as well as a ton of success as one of the members of Young divas.
2005 21 weeks
While this wasn’t the first hit single Bonnie Tyler had in her career (that honour goes to “Lost in France”) this was the first hit song of hers to use her iconic raspy vocals as previously she had sounded more like your typical lovestruck pop diva that obviously didn’t connect well with her audience. Here she makes such as splash on the international market that it even manages to crossover to Billboard for her.
1977 21 weeks
You’d think that a duet between a woman of colour that’s been active for almost as long as her much younger male partner who was a closeted gay man would be a recipe for disaster, you’d be wrong as the two somehow managed to find chemistry on this track about how they can always rely on each other being there when they need each other the most.
1987 21 weeks
This was the debut single for Culture club, a band who would become synonymous with wanting to creature racial harmony around the world with their instantly catchy music and charming personalities. They were off to a good start with this song as it conquered the world charts with its quirky video which details some of the discrimination people like Boy George have experienced over the years.
1982 21 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 21 weeks
Well, this was certainly a song that stirred up drama back in the day due to its title, true the word bitch has been stigmatised over the years as a derogatory term for a woman who’s perceived to be a horrible person, however over the years women have claimed the word as their own in order to destigmatise it. That’s clearly what Meredith is going for on this track whilst sounding like she’s the mother of Alanis Morissette, that’s me dunking on her age as she was pushing forty when this came out.
1997 21 weeks
Many people find this to be Billy’s most annoying song due to how the melody is structured, I don’t agree but can see where they’re coming from as it does seem like it was metered this way to accommodate for the lyrical structure which is just him shouting out a bunch of pop culture references that took place during his lifetime. This gimmick paid off for Billy commercially as this remains his biggest hit worldwide despite the backlash it’s received.
1989 21 weeks
This is one of two collaborations that J-Lo made with LL Cool J throughout the decade, the other was with “Control myself” three years later which was a hit in most parts of the world but not here in Australia. Here the duo is in a relationship that’s falling apart and how she feels like that her pride is all she has left, although in the chorus, he points out that she no longer has that either.
2003 21 weeks
So, this is another song that fits into the sub-genre I’ve dubbed as nursery pop as this sounds like it was built off the melody of a nursery rhyme before becoming a pop tune. Despite this I find myself enjoying this track due to how playful Sheena sounds on this track, and it appears most of the world shares this sentiment as it became a huge worldwide success albeit after having its name changed to avoid confusion with the Dolly Parton track.
1981 21 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 21 weeks
Although the Backstreet boys had been crowned the winner of the boy bands late 90’s edition by this point, Human nature still managed to make a case that they should’ve taken the crown (at least here in Australia) with this lead single to their third album which was a massive success for them going into the 21st century. Nowadays it’s lost its popularity due to it being seen as a “nice guy” anthem even though it avoids many of that type of songs pitfalls.
2000 21 weeks
Following the success of their Clunk E.P, Frente released their debut single which was another cutesy track that they had become known for during the first phase of their career. I bring this up because they did change with the times on their next album which resulted in them being more hardcore, an image that many people (me included) felt didn’t suit them very well.
1992 21 weeks
Well, this was a complete 180 from Steve Miller’s previous work, granted it’s always good to change with the times but I don’t think anyone was expecting to see these guys go in this direction with their music. Although it remains their biggest hit worldwide, it spelled the end for their relevancy as they haven’t had a hit single since this came out.
1982 21 weeks
If you can believe it, Carole King’s version of this classic was never released as a single as it was only ever the B-side to her biggest hit “It’s too late” from almost two decades prior to when Martika made it her own with this cover. I guess her fellow Americans didn’t appreciate this cover from her as this flopped hard on Billboard despite her previous single being a chart topper on there.
1989 21 weeks
Before it was chosen as the theme to the cult classic the Lost boys, it was a huge success for INXS and Jimmy Barnes who teamed up on this collaboration to combine their respective audiences from their most recent albums Listen like thieves and For the working-class man respectively.
1986 21 weeks
How is it that a song whose lyrics suggest that it’s a stalking anthem can come off as one of the most beautiful songs to ever become a success? That’s the power of this trio’s instrumentation and Sting’s vocals and a large reason as to why his song writing has been given a pass by audiences whenever they find themselves listening to one of their songs. This was their biggest hit in America and the UK due to how timeless if feels even to this day.
1983 21 weeks
While it wasn’t their debut single by any means, this was the song which launched Bananarama into the big leagues likely due to it telling a story about how the girls made a boy into a man that they collectively dated on this track. Even though their popularity in their native UK remained consistent throughout the decade, we Aussies wouldn’t hear from these three again until their cover of a Shocking blue track.
1982 21 weeks
This remains the biggest hit from the Eurythmics in Australia, primarily due to Annie arguably sounding her best on this track which admittedly is a bold claim considering how many powerful performances she’s given throughout her discography. This flopped in the duo’s native UK, however their next single was their biggest hit over there, so I guess it all worked out for them.
1985 21 weeks
Before Rage against the machine and even the commercial breakthrough of Red hot chili peppers, we had Faith no more bridging the gap between rock and hip hop which led to them having a massive hit with this lead single from their third album here in Australia. These guys are one of many American bands to see more success here than in their homeland, joining the ranks of P!nk, Suzi Quatro and the Offspring.
1990 21 weeks
This was the only hit from American RNB singer Mario Winans anywhere in the world, I’m guessing because it samples the Enya track “Boadicea” which is why she has a featuring credit on this track despite not having any vocals on here. Another featured artist was P Diddy who provides a guest verse to reinforce why Mario doesn’t want anything more to do with the person he’s singing about.
2004 21 weeks
“Jesus to a child” might’ve sparked initial curiosity towards George’s comeback album Older this year, however it was this track which confirmed it to be worth checking out given how it was a huge success for him and seemingly rewound his career back to 1992 when he was originally working on this album before he delayed it to briefly become the new lead singer for Queen following Freddie Mercury’s death.
1996 21 weeks
This was the biggest hit to come out of Belinda Carlisle worldwide, mainly due to the theme of finding heaven on earth (and more specifically how you define that word) resonating with audiences during a time where the world seems more interested in spreading chaos and madness over anything else. It led to her second album being a massive success everywhere except for Australia where it underperformed.
1988 21 weeks
This was meant to be Christina Aguilera’s self-empowerment anthem; it was a massive hit for her due to it coming from an album where she strips herself of the pop machine that made her a household name during her time with Disney and thus makes it more genuine from her than if she had of released it earlier in her career. I get the feeling this also would’ve been even bigger here if digital downloads were legal at the time.
2003 21 weeks
This was the lead single to the boy’s album of the same name, I’m sorry but I just always found it hilarious that the first hit singles these guys had in Australia was with a song proclaiming that they were back. Of course, as far as their core fanbase was concerned, this was appropriate and hey “Quit playing games with my heart” was a huge hit in their native America and throughout Europe for what it’s worth.
1997 21 weeks
This was meant to be a parody of the Beastie Boys classic “No sleep till Brooklyn” which these guys somehow knew about given how the hip hop trio were only successful in their native America at the time of this song’s release. Hip hop wasn’t even that popular when this song came out, making this feel like the trio is punching down as opposed to taking out a popular genre.
1988 21 weeks
Given how both of them were established singers at this point (debatable so for Jason) it makes sense that Scott and Charlene from Neighbours would collaborate in real life and make a ballad to cash in on their onscreen wedding which had just aired in the UK when they released this as a single. The duo would go on to have further success this year thanks to how popular they were with the Brits.
1988 21 weeks
There were no signs of INXS’s popularity slowing down when they released the lead single to their album Listen like thieves, in fact this would go on to be their first hit single in America the following year due to how popular it was here in Australia. This was the only hit to come from the album, however the album itself was a massive success so I don’t think they minded.
1985 21 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 21 weeks
While it was a little late to the party in the southern hemisphere, this debut single from Chris Brown was a massive success in Australia and NZ and ushered in one of the most divisive RNB singers of all time. This was even prior to his string of controversies as a person as even from the beginning, people felt he was little more than an Usher wannabe and later on would refer to him as a Justin Bieber of colour.
2006 21 weeks
The Bee gees are here to save the day once again as they were able to resurrect the dying career of Dionne Warwick by giving her this ballad to sing which allowed it to become a huge success throughout Europe and here in Australia. The last time Dionne had any success here was back in 1964 when “Anyone who had a heart” first broke her through onto the scene, and indeed this wouldn’t be the last time we hear from her.
1982 21 weeks
We’ve now entered a new decade where we have these guys making it big worldwide thanks to their kid friendly dance pop as well as their TV show which was taking the world by storm. With all of this success, you’d think that they would have massive crossover appeal in America, aside from a ballad that didn’t even chart here, you’d be wrong with that assessment.
1999 21 weeks
I’ve never particularly cared for this track from Blondie, mainly because I feel that Debbie is high while on this track which I’m guessing was the point given the nature of the lyrics. Naturally I’m in the minority as this was not only a massive success for the band back in the day but it’s also persisted on oldies stations to this day thanks to the reggae beat and for Debbie’s vocals.
1980 21 weeks
This was supposed to be the song which confirmed J-Lo as someone who was down to earth and not a spoilt rich diva, I guess it’s safe to say that she’s long given up on this endeavour as there is countless evidence to support the fact that she is a toxic celebrity who only ever thinks of herself in recent years. None of this stopped the song from being a huge success for her back in the day, likely due to how bouncy it is.
2002 21 weeks
This was the only hit single that Wilson Phillips managed to achieve outside of their native America, although considering how big they were on Billboard during the first half of the decade, I doubt they minded that their success was largely contained to America and little place else. Lead singer Chynna Phillips would make a comeback here in Australia later in the decade with her solo material.
1990 21 weeks
Well, this was the complete opposite of what “Friends forever” is, OK maybe not, as that would imply this sex jam has anything to do with graduation from high school and being friends forever with the people you met along the way. Evidently that song was pulled from shelves in order for this to thrive in Australia, it paid off as the song was a massive hit at the expense of the album which flopped.
2000 21 weeks
This is a song I don’t really remember from back in the day, likely because I remember “Over and over” being played on the radio while this song was charting which should give you an idea of where the radios priorities were back in the day. Still, this was a massive hit and one that finally convinced Christina Aguilera to realise her dream of making a double album of throwback hits from the forties.
2004 21 weeks
This was the first solo single to come from Phil Collins, it’s a song that’s had many theories to it as people believe this to be about Phil outing out a fan of his who allowed someone to drown when they had an opportunity to save that person. I think this is one of the more ridiculous fan theories in music as there’s been no proof that this even ever occurred, and people are basing it on very vague lyrics.
1981 21 weeks
Often considered to be one of the best songs from Mariah’s catalogue, this second single from Music box tugged at the heartstrings of listeners back in the day due to its message of empowerment against the odds during a time where uncertainty was all around the world. It no doubt helped out a lot of people get through a rough patch in their respective lives which is why it was such a huge success.
1993 21 weeks
After a bit of a stumble with her second album, Kate Bush was able to retain her popularity going into the 80’s with this lead single to her third album which has to have one of the most horrifying music videos I’ve ever seen. The song is a classic and one of her most recognisable in her catalogue, however I can’t get over the terrifying facial expressions she gives during the video’s runtime.
1980 21 weeks
This is another song on this list that’s much lower than it probably should be, although it had the similar fate to U2’s “Beautiful day” from the start of the decade where it had strong first week sales and then quickly dropped out of the charts as opposed to many entries that had their releases tampered with by our music industry. This was the lead single to Kylie’s album Body language, a mixed bag of a release that many fans will say was her last decent album.
2003 21 weeks
This was the biggest hit that Maxi Priest achieved in his career, mainly because it was a surprise Billboard chart topper for him this year and a good sign that reggae would be a huge success this decade. Maxi is one of many British artists to find more success outside of his homeland over the years, I’m guessing because of his connections with UB40 who were very popular in America around this time.
1990 21 weeks
And who says that feminist anthems are only a recent phenomenon? Here we have two of the most powerful women in the music industry to ever exist combining forces with this song about how they’ve had enough with being mistreated in this world. This comes after Donna realised that she was sending a dangerous message with her earlier material as well as Barbra wanting to appeal to Helen Reddy’s audience.
1979 21 weeks
Now that Cliff Richard’s comeback was well and truly established, it appears that he had little issues with retaining his fanbase despite being in his forties throughout the decade. Although I will say that his popularity in America didn’t survive past the launch of MTV like it did throughout the rest of the world.
1980 21 weeks
This wasn’t nearly as successful internationally as it was on Billboard where it became 50 cent’s second consecutive chart topper, and in case you were wondering, yes there are exactly 21 questions asked in this song (even if some of them were asked more than once.) I think the real appeal of this track was having Nate Dogg on the chorus who just like on “Regulate” nine years prior, delivers a killer chorus.
2003 21 weeks
Well, this is a song that music snobs love to make fun of, specifically how Alanis wrote an entire song about irony despite none of the situations she describes being ironic and more akin to simply bad luck. She’s since admitted that was the point of the song given how deliciously ironic that she wrote a song with that title with not one ironic lyric in the song. I’m guessing this was what made the song so big worldwide.
1996 21 weeks
This was the second big hit that Christie Allen achieved in Australia, and much like her earlier hit “Goosebumps,” this was a disco track that became a success during what was meant to be the dark age for disco which is further proof to me that the disco backlash was only a phenomenon in America and nowhere else in the world. Sadly, this would be the last we hear from Christie as her subsequent follow ups flopped.
1980 21 weeks
This was the third single from Celine’s magnum opus Falling into you, one that apparently was written for the Bat out of hell albums given how it was written by Jim Steinman and has the same bombast as the other tracks he’s written for Meat loaf and others over the years. Another factor towards this song’s success was the video which has gone down as one of the most expensive to ever be made.
1996 21 weeks
I hope you’re used to seeing RNB ballads become a success much later in Australia than the rest of the world because that was a trend here this decade. One of the earlier examples was this ballad from Toni Braxton where despite it being a huge success in NZ and her native America, didn’t crossover here until it became a huge hit for her in the UK. I’m not sure why she needed this circuitous route to find success here, but she did.
1994 21 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2009 21 weeks
Although this was always intended to be the second single from J-Lo’s debut album, the fact that it was marketed as the theme song to the new millennium (despite needing to come out the following year for that to happen) likely helped it become a huge hit for her despite the mediocre reception of her album. Indeed, it looked like her popularity would come to an end after this dropped off the charts, however as we all know, it didn’t.
1999 21 weeks
This is the only other hit that Eve had as a lead artist in her career, although she would score two more hits after his as the guest rapper with Gwen Stefani and Guy Sebastian of all people. In the meantime, we have this collaboration with Alicia Keys fresh off the success of her debut album who provides her a chorus about how even female thugs need love too, the male equivalent worked for Ja rule after all.
2002 21 weeks
We have another double entry to appear on this site, this time it’s from Anthony Callea who offered audiences a two for one deal with an original track from him along with a cover of a Simon and Garfunkel classic. It was an easy hit for the singer, and one that compelled him to come out as gay shortly after its success.
2005 21 weeks
This was the debut single from Tina Arena which was apparently released two years prior to deafening silence, well so much for this being a cheap knockoff of Paula Abdul if this came out before we Aussies knew anything about the American pop star. I’m not sure what took this so long to finally become a success here, however once it did it put Tina on the map despite her secretly hating the song at the time.
1990 21 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 21 weeks
Given the sudden rise in popularity of Kate Bush, it was only inevitable that there would be knockoffs in her wake. One of the more notable examples comes from Lene Lovich who copied the quirky nature of Kate on her big breakthrough single despite being nearly a decade older than the young singer/songwriter. This became almost as big as Kate’s debut single from the previous year for the record.
1979 21 weeks
This was the song that made John Paul Young into an international superstar given that it became a huge hit for him not just throughout Europe but also in America upon its initial release. What’s strange is that it isn’t among his more popular tracks in his catalogue, unless of course you include the more popular Ballroom mix from 1992 where it was chosen as the theme to the Baz Lurhman classic Strictly ballroom.
1978 21 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2005 21 weeks
For whatever reason, “Behind these hazel eyes” was a massive commercial disappointment here in Australia despite how well I remember hearing that song on the radio back in the day. Fortunately, the fourth single from Breakaway was a massive hit for Kelly Clarkson due to it being about her dealing with her parents’ divorce and how it left her emotionally scarred growing up.
2005 21 weeks
This was originally released two years prior to deafening silence, as was the rest of their catalogue from Pocket full of kryptonite as like many albums released this decade, the album was initially poorly marketed by their label and only became a success through sheer determination from the band. I don’t know how audiences took so long to gravitate towards this due to how incessantly catchy and memorably it is.
1993 21 weeks
This was a very good year for Jona Lewie as this was his second big hit following the success of his pseudo-Christmas track “Stop the Calvary” (which we’ll get to in a bit.) I always got this guy confused from Kevin Roland from Dexy’s midnight runners as the two men looked similar to me for some reason, although this guy was way cheesier than Kevin could ever hope to be.
1981 21 weeks
Here we have another contender for the best song of the 90’s according to public opinion (no arguments here) although this has been mired in controversy as while the band did have permission to sample “The last time” from the Rolling stones, it was only for a small part of the track and not the basis of the melody which resulted in a lengthy lawsuit between them and the Rolling stones former management.
1997 21 weeks
This is a song that was meant to be a tribute to Madonna who was quickly becoming less relevant in the mainstream by the time of its song’s release, to do this the Androids compared her favourably to other female pop stars of the moment and how they couldn’t hold a candle to the queen of pop’s legacy. It was a surprise hit for the Australian band likely due to the video where the members cosplay as the different pop stars.
2002 21 weeks
This is the first of two entries to come from Spanish DJ Sammy who took two tracks from 1985 specifically and made them into dance tracks for the (then) modern generation. Here he scoops up the Bryan Adams track which was already described as one of the cheesiest ballads of the 80’s and turns it into a dance track which connected with audiences around the world including in America.
2002 21 weeks
While this is more in line with new wave, the fact that punk band Squeeze (or UK Squeeze as they were known as here for some reason) were able to find success with this track proves that we Aussies were at least somewhat intrigued by the UK punk scene from around this time. I’m not sure why this scene wasn’t widely accepted here as it caused us to miss out on a lot of important tracks of the day.
1979 21 weeks
One of the happiest songs to come out of the decade, we have this half disco half RNB jam from Errol Brown and company which managed to be so joyous that it even crossed over to America for them. They often get compared to their American counterparts Kool and the gang since both groups have a predominantly black sound that still resonates with audiences to this day.
1976 21 weeks
This was the final hit that Barry Manilow managed to achieve in Australia, although it’s worth noting that his final hit seems to be different depending on where in the world you’re from as he had a different hit from around this time here, in the UK and his native America. In this case we have this cover of the Four seasons classic which likely helped keep nostalgia for Frankie Valli alive a little while longer.
1981 21 weeks
The lead single to their second album was a bit of a commercial disappointment here in Australia, however this second single from the album was a massive hit for them likely because of it being an honest display of Chester Bennington’s pain that definitively connected with audiences back in the day. It was so popular that it was mashed up with Jay-Z’s “Encore” where it became an even bigger hit.
2003 21 weeks
This feels like a song from Janet’s next album the Velvet rope, I’m guessing she released this as a single from her greatest hits album to test the waters to see if her audience would be interested in her going in this direction. It turns out that they were interested as this became one of her biggest hits worldwide, although it could be due to the music video which sees her dancing on several famous landmarks.
1995 21 weeks
This was the only notable success to come from Robert Miles, a Swiss DJ who managed to take the world by storm with this instrumental track that has become popular for soundtracking special moments in one’s life. Indeed, this was a modest success over in America, proving that even they could appreciate the beauty of this track during the height of its popularity.
1996 21 weeks
This was the final hit to come from No doubt before they went their separate ways to allow Gwen Stefani to embark on a solo career, although the real accomplishment this song achieved was it that it allowed people to discover the original from Talk talk as it wasn’t a hit anywhere in the world back in the 80’s. I don’t think the original even appeared on oldies stations until this version became a massive worldwide hit.
2003 21 weeks
Most people believe that “All-star” was the theme song to Shrek, though it does appear in the film (the first scene as a matter of fact) the honour of the theme song actually goes to Smash Mouth’s cover of the Monkees signature track which played in the final scene of the film before Eddie Murphy puts his spin on it (yeah, I’m a big Shrek fan, don’t @ me.) It remains the final hit single from the band to date.
2001 21 weeks
This may have been their only hit in Australia, however it’s obvious that we were touched by the band’s inspiring tale that the best was yet to come for them that we granted their wishes in making them a household name with the song and the album it came from. Indeed, these guys have a lot to be proud of as this remains a staple on oldies stations to this day.
1974 21 weeks
Yeah, I’m still not convinced that the disco backlash was a thing outside of America given how this managed to be a huge success for the Jackson 5, heck this was even a hit in their native America which really makes me wonder how much impact that fiasco had back in the day. This would be the family’s penultimate hit in Australia as they would score one more hit later in the decade with Mick Jagger.
1980 21 weeks
Well, this is a song that’s impossible to take seriously, I don’t think I’ve been able to get through this track once without cracking myself laughing which I feel is the point given how badly Ian wants you to hit him with your “rhythm stick” (look up what that means kids.) This song was a massive success worldwide and put the punk band on the map right when the punk scene had begun to lose its momentum.
1979 21 weeks
This was the only hit that Hootie and the Blowfish managed to score in Australia, although admittedly their album was one of the biggest of the decade worldwide so it’s not like their music went ignored here even if this was the best they could do on our singles chart. Darius Rucker is now known as a country singer, however back in the day he was the front man for a band that received backlash in their native America with how successful their album was.
1995 21 weeks
It’s hard to tell if Marilyn is trans or just a really androgynous male performer (I’ll be using they pronouns with this entry) either way they were able to score a massive hit in Australia with this song about their relationship with Boy George and how the two grew apart once their respective careers took off. It remains their only hit worldwide as their subsequent follow ups failed to make an impact in the music industry.
1984 21 weeks
This was always meant to be the third single from Break out, however it was delayed due to it being chosen as the lead single for the Beverly Hills cop soundtrack due to it being played during the first chase scene of the film. It remains the Pointer sister’s biggest hit in Australia due to how incessantly catchy it is as well as the lyrics connecting with audiences detailing how stressful their lives are.
1985 21 weeks
This was a huge hit for Boyzone largely due to it being a cover of a Cat Stevens number from 25 years prior, although it’s worth noting that the boys were songwriters themselves and yet most of their hits were covers of older classics. This was their only hit in Australia for two years before they scored a massive comeback later in the decade with “No matter what” being a huge success.
1996 21 weeks
