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.
These guys were on a roll this year as this became their second hit around the world likely due to how irresistibly catchy it is, although it has been used in sports themes like their earlier entry on this list. They would score two more hits in Australia the following year from their second album, although throughout Europe they were one of the most popular bands of the decade from any genre.
1992 18 weeks
Given how many artists from highly successful bands were finding solo success around this time, it only makes sense that the Who’s Pete Townshend would throw his hat in the ring with this solo entry from him. It became his only success both solo and with the band following their 1971 album Who’s next, likely due to how bouncy it is as well as having his daughter on backing vocals.
1986 18 weeks
This was the third single to come from Culture beat’s one and only album, although it was released around the time Serenity hit shelves, so it likely boosted the success of the album for the band this year. They would metaphorically pass the baton to Corona who would also score three hits from their one and only album (albeit without any rapping) before they passed the baton to La Bouche the following year.
1994 18 weeks
Bet you didn’t know that the Royal philharmonic orchestra had a hit single back in the day, did you? They did and it was with a song that was similar to what Stars on 45 released earlier on this list except instead of songs from the 50’s and 60’s, the orchestra recorded renditions of classical pieces. It was a surprise hit for them and allowed them to have a highly successful album which had more mashups from them.
1981 18 weeks
This will be the final appearance from Mandy Moore on my site as the teen idol didn’t have any hits as an adult later in the decade, it’s a pity because her voice didn’t deteriorate transitioning to adulthood and she shifted from teen pop to adult contemporary with her later material. Here she incorporates middle eastern production which was a surprisingly common troupe throughout the decade in western music.
2002 18 weeks
If this vocalist sounds familiar to you, you likely recognise her for her performance throughout Meat loaf’s Bat out of hell album where she is most prominently featured on the title track of the album. Here she scores a hit of her own due to her involvement with the album as well as performing it on Countdown during the start of the decade, although this would sadly be the last we hear from her.
1979 18 weeks
Devo was on a roll when they released the lead single to their second album here in Australia given how it came off the success of their live E.P from earlier on this list, although it appears we Aussies largely passed up this classic in favour of the album itself given how it was only a sleeper hit here, hence why it failed to appear on this site up until now.
1981 18 weeks
It looked like Rick’s popularity in the music scene would be more permanent this time around as he scored a second hit in the decade with this track that often serves as a stranger danger lesson in music form. I guess his popularity mainly stemmed from his role in General hospital which is why he didn’t have another hit in Australia, although he scored a few more hits over in America this decade.
1982 18 weeks
Following the success of their debut single from earlier on this list, the Corrs released the title track to their album which also became a success for them in Australia and nowhere else in the world. The album did eventually see success internationally once their sophomore album took off, however we Aussies were the only ones initially that could appreciate the band’s blending of adult contemporary and Celtic music.
1996 18 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2006 18 weeks
Well, I hope you’re in the mood for more rapping from George Michael as the second single in his career was a song dedicated to how skilled he is as an MC which proved to be a huge hit for the duo this year. The pair would have two more hits in their native UK this year, proving how well loved their style of hip hop was at the time.
1983 18 weeks
It looked like Anastacia’s second album was going to become a complete flop for her around the world given how its lead single “Paid my dues” failed to become a hit for her, in order to prevent that from happening, the second single was given a remix which people pointed out made it seem like it was “I’m outta love” 2.0 which regardless proved to be a hit for the American pop star here in Australia at least.
2002 18 weeks
Well, here’s that big hit that Nick Lowe scored this year that I mentioned earlier on this list, it’s interesting that both of these men appeared on Countdown this year performing their two big hits in Australia and yet the band they were a part of were a no show. I guess this is why they both found success with their solo tracks while the band remained in obscurity down under.
1979 18 weeks
This was the first big hit that Air supply had internationally, I’m not sure how that happened except perhaps due to this being much bigger over in NZ this year as this was far from their biggest hit here in Australia in their catalogue. Whatever the reason was, this made them a household name the following year in America and set the band up for great success throughout the early 80’s.
1979 18 weeks
It looks like Maxine Nightingale was able to score a second hit here in Australia, although it hasn’t been as well remembered as her earlier entry which is perhaps why people tend to think she’s a one hit wonder to this day. She would score a second hit in NZ as well, although that would’ve come until the end of the decade.
1976 18 weeks
This was the second hit to come from D:ream this year, it was also released the previous year to deafening silence likely due to the Irish band needing that extra promotion to ensure their bright and happy dance tracks would find an audience for them. Indeed, they did as the band were able to find massive success with these songs and their album they came from, although their popularity faded soon after.
1994 18 weeks
This was the one and only hit for the Little heroes, an Australian band looking to make it big along the likes of other stripped back bands such as Goanna and the Reels but only managed to do so with one of their songs. That said, this song has endured over the years more so than many of the entries on this list, likely due to the fond memories people have of watching this be performed on Countdown this year.
1982 18 weeks
Prince was on a roll this year when he released the title track to his comeback album, it proved to be the second biggest hit off the album in his native America due to it being a much dreamier track which was unusual for him throughout his discography. He would release one more single from the album before releasing his next album which had him sporting his new name as an unpronounceable symbol.
1992 18 weeks
This was the last hit that Marcia Hines had here in Australia, although interestingly enough it was also her one and only hit throughout Europe likely due to the success that she had in NZ with “Something’s missing” from the start of the decade. I guess she was all geared to take the world by storm but then MTV happened, and everyone wanted to support Diana Ross instead including her fellow Aussies.
1981 18 weeks
Well, I didn’t say that this song was a flop for the band even if it was their earlier entry on this list which made them a household name, indeed this second single from the Southern sons was a huge success for them likely due to audiences being charmed by their love of John Farnham in their music.
1990 18 weeks
This was the only hit that Van McCoy was able to achieve in his lifetime in most parts of the world, although the Brits did give him a second hit later in the decade with “The shuffle” which is a less conventional disco record due to it being in a 6/4-time signature as opposed to the more conventional 4/4-time signature like this and many other dance tracks are. Sadly, Van would die of a drug overdose by the end of the decade.
1975 18 weeks
This was the last song that Ted Mulry gang released before they stylised themselves as T.M.G, I’m guessing because they wanted to be taken more seriously going forward in the decade given how their biggest hit was a joke song about picking up a girl walking down the street.
1976 18 weeks
This was the second single to come from Culture club, although curiously it wasn’t included on their debut album which is odd because the song was a huge success for them even over in America. It was eventually included on later issues of the album, although by that stage the band had well and truly broken up due to all of the drama they would find themselves in over the decade.
1983 18 weeks
You may be forgiven into thinking that this is a song explicitly about 9/11 given how the music video depicts a relationship which ends where a guy ends up fighting in Iraq, however it was actually about Billie Joe Armstrong has to cope with the death of his father every year which happened in September when he was a child. I guess he didn’t want to make the ballad too personal when he released it as a single, hence the video.
2005 18 weeks
It appears that Big Pig were a two hit wonder here in Australia given how this managed to appear on this list for the British based Australian band, again we can blame this peaking during the Christmas period throughout the 80’s as to why it failed to appear on one of my lists given how Christmas of 1986 was a particularly stacked season down under like the other Christmas seasons were.
1986 18 weeks
Your eyes don’t deceive you, Divine really did have a singing career in the 80’s with this being their one and only hit anywhere in the world due to them performing the song on Countdown (I apologise if I’m using the wrong pronouns as I was never made clear what they were.) This was also the first hit to be produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman, making this a first for everyone involved with the track. Sadly, Divine would pass away four years later.
1984 18 weeks
This is another entry I’m surprised wasn’t a huge success here in Australia back in the day, although at least it was a Billboard chart topper for Yes even though I’m sure many of their older fanbase cried sell-out given how this is a far cry from the prog rock that made them a household name from a decade prior. I’m guessing this was as bit as it was down under due to the success Jon Anderson had with Vangelis around this time.
1983 18 weeks
This was the only hit that Gregory Abbot managed to achieve worldwide, mainly because he seems to be confused as to what the term shake down is as he interprets the phrase which is otherwise affiliated with extortion as a romantic gesture. This is in complete contrast with the tone of the song, which is obviously meant to be romantic, making this an unintentionally hilarious song.
1987 18 weeks
This was the only hit single that Bob Marley was able to achieve in his lifetime in Australia, hey at least it’s one more hit he had here than over in America where he never even charted even posthumously. He had much better success in NZ and the UK over the years, likely because they were able to get on board with his reggae beats regardless of if they were attached to lovestruck ballads such as this or politically charged protests.
1978 18 weeks
This was a massive hit for CCR back in the day, so it’s fitting that the Reels would find success with their stamp on it seventeen years after the original’s success. It got them out of the one hit wonder bin here given how their only other hit was their cover of Herb Alpert’s “This guy’s in love with you” from four years prior.
1986 18 weeks
While this wasn’t their debut single or even the lead single from their biggest album, this was the song which made Midnight oil a household name given how we Aussies connected with the lyrics about how the political system was corrupt at the time (unfortunately it’s always been corrupt here in Australia.) This was a bigger hit in NZ given how it was the lead single to their album over there.
1983 18 weeks
This is the last that Britney Spears had before her infamous meltdown from 2007, as this site is meant to be a safe space, I won’t go into the details of what caused it to happen, however fans feel that it was when the quality of her music began to take a noticeable downward turn again for reasons I won’t discuss here. One thing I will bring up is that this song does feel like a precursor to her next hit “Gimme more.”
2005 18 weeks
This is the only hit that Mental as anything had from their album Creatures of leisure, an album that was sandwiched between two of their most popular throughout their career and is thus often forgotten even exists due to the tepid reception it received back in the day.
1983 18 weeks
This was the only hit to come from Jeff St John, likely due to it being the lead single to his only album as he curiously called it quits when the album didn’t become a massive success this year. I’m guessing he was dropped from his label even though he had at least one big hit to his name, there were a ton of Australian bands and artists who had a longer career despite not even having this level of success.
1977 18 weeks
Contrary to popular belief, Nik Kershaw isn’t a one hit wonder as he managed to score four hits during his brief time in the mainstream with this being his third hit overall. True to its title, the song is a riddle in song form that Nik presents to the object of his affections which proved to be a massive draw to audiences at the time, although in Australia it did get side-lined with all of the competition on this list.
1984 18 weeks
It only seems fitting that this would be a sleeper hit here in Australia given how inescapable the Trisha Yearwood version was down under from way earlier on this list, this also managed to get Leann Rimes out of our one hit wonder bin that “Blue” threatened to trap her in to boot. In her native America, this was one of the biggest hits of the decade likely due to Billboard unofficially bundling this with Trisha’s version.
1997 18 weeks
We have another new entry from Huey Lewis on this list, this time it’s the second single from his biggest album Sports which is best known nowadays for its bizarre music video which includes close ups of him and his bands faces. I guess this was amusing enough for us Aussies to make it a modest success despite the album already selling like hotcakes here by the time it was released as a single.
1986 18 weeks
This is another entry on this list that had the unfortunate bad luck of peaking during the Christmas period of the year it was released in, in this case it peaked during the Christmas of 1981 which is a shame as this ballad feels perfect for the holiday season (at least musically it does) as well as continuing the winning streak that the trio had here in Australia.
1981 18 weeks
This feels more in line with Jewel’s 90’s material following the bizarre turn she made with “Intuition” from earlier on this list, although we Aussies were on board with her venture towards pop music at least with the album’s singles as this too managed to linger around for quite some time on our charts due to strong radio play. Sadly, this would be the final hit she had anywhere in the world due to alienating her fanbase.
2003 18 weeks
This was the second single from Lenny Kravitz’s sophomore album Mama said, a song that’s quite different from the rest of the album as it feels more like a Prince track rather than him attempting to be the (then) new Jimi Hendrix. It became a huge hit for him likely due to the goodwill he had from writing “Justify my love” for Madonna and this being a horny sex jam like that track.
1991 18 weeks
This was the final hit that Tears for fears had anywhere in the world, it was the lead single to their third album which came almost half a decade after their second album following a bunch of behind-the-scenes drama that had reduced the quartet back to a duo during this albums production. It was a massive hit for them in NZ and America, although it was only a minor success in Australia and their native UK.
1989 18 weeks
I guess this was the big hit off of Talking heads magnum opus Little creatures here in Australia after all given how “And she was” still fails to appear on this site despite it cracking our top ten following the success of this staple in the band’s discography. It blows my mind how much we Aussies ignored these guys back in the day; however, you can consider their success in NZ an accurate reflection of their legacy.
1985 18 weeks
Much like 3oh!3 from earlier on this list, the Lonely Island were another group to find success in the music industry thanks to their presence on YouTube back in the day. This was their first song they released as a single which became a smash hit thanks to their brand of humour connecting well with audiences back then.
2009 18 weeks
This was the only success that Company of strangers were able to achieve here in Australia, it’s another case of an Australian band that I’m sure were destined for great things only to have that reality taken away from them due to our music scene pivoting away from Australian artists when they first broke through. This is strange due to having both James Reyne and Daryl Braithwaite on vocals.
1992 18 weeks
Before he became the face of new wave with his solo hit “Cars,” Gary Numan was the lead singer of this short-lived new wave band Tubeway army who scored a massive hit in their native UK with this track about wondering who the real friends are of the narrator of these lyrics. Its legacy has since been overshadowed by “Cars” over the years, however it still remains a pioneer of early 80’s music to this day.
1979 18 weeks
This was originally an album track from Vagabond heart that wasn’t released as a single anywhere in the world, however it finally saw the light of day as a single two years after the album’s release due to Rod performing it on MTV unplugged which compelled audiences to check out the cover of the Van Morrison track this year and make it a huge success.
1993 18 weeks
I’m surprised this was one of the big hits off of Escapology here in Australia given how I don’t remember hearing this song much on the radio at the time, I guess this song’s success was due to it coming out around the time Robbie released his live album recorded at Knebworth.
2003 18 weeks
To answer your first question, no this isn’t the theme song to the 80’s cartoon adaptation of the Belgian comics, this is instead a theme song for a cancelled film adaptation of said comics that never came to be but was inexplicably released as a single regardless. To answer your second question, yes this was composed by a man of the cloth, hence why he’s referred to as a father on the cover.
1979 18 weeks
This is the final new entry for this list, it comes to us from Wes Carr who managed to score a second single following his victory track from earlier on this list. For what it’s worth, I have better memories of this track than of “You” which goes to show how much more popular this was at the time.
2009 18 weeks
Janet Jackson was on a roll here in Australia when she released this track from her Janet album, I say this because this came out a year after “Again” meaning that the album still had life in it even with us Aussies a year and a half after its initial release.
1994 18 weeks
Oh look, another song that debuted high on our charts but only became a success due to lingering on the lower half of our charts for quite some time. This time it’s the first of two songs Kylie released from her greatest hits package from 2004 which remains the final project she’s released to date to find any sort of success, although this does feel like a missing track from her (then) most recent album Body language.
2004 18 weeks
This was the first hit single that Split Enz achieved here in Australia back in the day, granted it would be a far cry of what they would achieve throughout the 80’s, however a strong Countdown performance was able to ensure its success even with the high amounts of pub rock from Aussies and kiwis that were making it big back in the day in our music scene.
1977 18 weeks
These guys didn’t have a lot of success with their singles in Australia, this was mainly due to how huge their albums were and that album artists generally didn’t spawn a lot of hits here in Australia with rare exceptions such as Abba and Sherbet. They did have success during the second half of the 70’s given how they had the second biggest hit of the decade with “Mull of Kintyre” from two years later.
1974 18 weeks
While this wasn’t the final song to be released from Born in the U.S.A, it was the final hit that Bruce Springsteen had from the album outside his native America due to the rest of the world passing up the other singles on there in favour of making the album itself a massive hit. This is one of the shortest songs to become a hit since the early 70’s, clocking in at two and half minutes even on the album.
1985 18 weeks
Following the massive success of their (then) most recent album, Talking heads decided to allow their frontman David Byrne to make a theatrical film where they composed the soundtrack for which resulted in this lead single being the theme to said film which resulted in its success worldwide. It’s best known for its music video where several 80’s celebrities lip sync to the track which helped out with its success.
1986 18 weeks
It looks like Dr Hook wanted to return to their roots with this entry which I’m guessing we Aussies were against for the most part given how this was likely only a hit here thanks to them performing it on Countdown this year. Although this was a much bigger hit over in NZ, it appears that the lack of positive reception this track received left a bad taste in their mouths as they would break up later in the decade.
1982 18 weeks
We finally have a song from the Eurhythmics’ second album to feature on this site of mine, although I’m not sure why we Aussies gravitated towards this second single from said album given how it’s very different from the new wave they were offering at the time and even the synth pop they would offer later in their catalogue. I guess the uniqueness of this track is what clicked with us back in the day.
1983 18 weeks
It was a new decade, so naturally Aqua felt it would be the perfect opportunity to drop the lead single to their second album which was a modest success worldwide thanks to a video which saw a massive improvement in the budget compared to their earlier work. It was more of the same fun bubble-gum pop mixed with EDM that they had offered before, however this formula didn’t work out for them on their second album overall.
2000 18 weeks
This was the second advanced single to be released from Kids in the kitchen’s debut album, it was released a full year prior to said album which must’ve been seen as a risky move back in the day given how already it appeared that interest in the album had faded when it came out. The risk paid off as the album went on to be a massive success when it did finally drop the following year.
1984 18 weeks
This will be the only appearance that Malcolm McLaren will be making on this side of my site, I’m guessing we Aussies finally gave into his quirky brand of music enough to make this a success even if its success here pales in comparison to what he achieved over in NZ. At least this was a hit here as opposed to the UK where it was a complete failure for him.
1991 18 weeks
This barely missed making the cut for my 1983 list (in fact it would’ve been a shoe in had I went with the wonky Countdown charts that were presented on their weekly segments) however the fact that this was a massive hit in the duo’s homeland ensured that we Aussies would at least check out was all the fuss was about with this debut single of theirs.
1983 18 weeks
Now I was only an infant when this song came out, however I could’ve sworn this was a massive hit here in Australia for Shanice Wilson just like it was internationally and yet here it is barely making the list. I’m guessing we Aussies were put off by this combination of new jack swing and for a lack of a better term, Sesame Street vibes in a way the rest of the world wasn’t.
1992 18 weeks
I guess we Aussies were beginning to feel the effects of the disco backlash when this iconic hit from Earth wind and fire saw the light of day on our music scene, heck it was even delayed here as it was already a massive hit in NZ by the time it touched our airwaves. At least its minimal success here inspired CDB to make an RNB cover out of it over a decade after its release.
1982 18 weeks
It’s strange to think that this E.P is what would bring the Reels mainstream success here in Australia, although it does contain fan favourite “According to my heart” so perhaps it was the strength of that song that helped it reach a wider audience than the likes of “Quasimodo’s dream” and “Love will find a way.”
1981 18 weeks
This was a bit of a sleeper hit here in Australia, although at least these guys had this one hit over here as they otherwise would’ve gone on unnoticed as opposed to the rest of the world where they had a string of hits. I’m guessing we Aussies gave them a chance due to the rise of the rockabilly revival that was taking place this year.
1981 18 weeks
Like many songs from this year, this somewhat got lost in the shuffle due to the tragic passing of MJ when it was released as a single. I’m not sure how much bigger this would’ve been for Lily Allen given how it was the fourth singles from her second album, however the fact it did as well as it did prove that we Aussies were in love with her music.
2009 18 weeks
It’s easy to think that their earlier entry was the lead single to their magnum opus Fundamental as anything, however that honour goes to this track which only barely made the cut for this list despite being quite a fun and happy number which compliments the strength of the narrator’s lover in this song. Despite the massive success they had, it would unfortunately all be downhill from here for the band.
1985 18 weeks
It’s easy to forget that Human nature found more success with their albums back in the day rather than their singles given how they were a boy band, however that was the case as this advanced single from their second album was only a moderate success for them despite coming off the massive success of their debut from two years prior.
1998 18 weeks
We have another entry from my Countdown list, this time it’s the second single from Jo Jo Zep’s breakthrough album which managed to stick around for quite some time on the lower half of our charts to qualify for this list of mine. Sadly, there won’t be any more entries from these guys as the rest of their catalogue were true bombs back in the day.
1979 18 weeks
This was originally Mark Morrison’s debut single in his homeland as it was released to deafening silence the previous year, naturally it was given a second chance this year due to the success of his earlier entry on this list which helped it become a modest success here in Australia as well as his native UK. This was all before he was given a chance over in America for the record.
1996 18 weeks
From what I can gather, Riva is an alias for the Dutch duo Chocolate puma who only scored success under this pseudonym with this collaboration with Dannii Minogue. This was sort of a comeback for Dannii given how she hadn’t troubled the charts since “All I wanna do” from four years prior and would go on to have a string of minor hits off her next album worldwide.
2001 18 weeks
Well, it looks like Sam Brown’s popularity here in Australia was the complete inverse of what she achieved in NZ given how this was the sleeper hit for her here as opposed to her earlier entry being the case over there. This does mean that she has equal representation on both sides of my site now as both her hit singles as well as her debut album is now fully accounted for.
1989 18 weeks
I don’t know why we Aussies passed up on this disco classic back in the day, however it did linger on our charts long enough for it to qualify on this bonus list of mine so it’s not like we didn’t know about it or anything. Admittedly I get the feeling this only became a classic with us Aussies when it was featured on Saturday night fever as that’s where its cultural imprint seems to stem from.
1976 18 weeks
This has a bit of an odd backstory as this was marketed as the theme to Spider man 2 here in Australia and nowhere else in the world, as a result, it was a modest hit for Killing Heidi and even sparked interest for their third album here but was omitted from every version of the soundtrack outside of Australia. Despite the love they received from Triple J on for their debut album, that love was nowhere to be found around this time.
2004 18 weeks
Before he became a throwback artist in the swing jazz revival, David Campbell fancied himself as a teen heartthrob and began his music career with this track that did decently well here in Australia. Even though he’s quite a good-looking man (certainly more so than his father Jimmy Barnes) he didn’t win over a teenage audience and wouldn’t win over their mothers until he rebranded himself in 2006.
2003 18 weeks
If you’re wondering where the heck this power ballad from this American hard rock band came from, apparently it was a surprise hit in their native America which was convincing enough for us Aussies to follow suit in making it a hit over here. I guess it does fit in with all the hair metal that was coming out around this time, although it’s noticeably more successful than what Def Leppard was releasing.
1989 18 weeks
This is the only other hit that Tammin Sursok achieved in Australia throughout her music career, it was a bit of a commercial disappointment compared to her earlier entry on this list which is perhaps why she only ever realised one album in her catalogue. Like I said, she’s far more well known for her acting roles rather than her music.
2005 18 weeks
We have one more entry from Daryl Braithwaite’s solo career for this list, this was his final hit single in his career for many years as the 80’s proved to be very unkind to the Sherbet frontman for thge longest time. Of course he would eventually come back in 1988, however he was a very different man when he came out of his exile from the mainstream.
1978 18 weeks
You know that South Park was a cultural phenomenon when a joke song from one of its episodes manages to be a massive worldwide hit, although it appears we Aussies mostly passed up on this track from Chef in favour of making the soundtrack a massive hit. Still, this does mean that Isaac Hayes was able to have a second hit almost three decades after his first from his “Shaft” days.
1999 18 weeks
This is the last hit single that Elton John had here in Australia that had no external reason for being as such, I bring this up because he owes his future success to Disney (specifically the Lion king) and Diana Spencer (specifically her death) as opposed to this being a hit purely through his name recognition. It would’ve been a good note to end on given how bouncy and upbeat it is.
1990 18 weeks
It’s a bit of a shame that the Hoodoo gurus 1989 album Magnum cum louder bombed here in Australia, however they bounced back with their 1991 effort Kinky thanks to this being its lead single which restored the band’s popularity after a turbulent release. True to its title, this is a nostalgia laden song that harkens back to the glory days of hippy culture from the late 60’s.
1991 18 weeks
This is a bit of a surprise entry as this wasn’t a hit for Isaac Hayes anywhere else in the world, then again this was only a minor hit for him here in Australia at the start of the 80’s, meaning that we Aussies must have had some nostalgia for his “Shaft” days by making this a hit eight years after his initial breakthrough.
1980 18 weeks
While this wasn’t their debut single, this was the song that put Abba on the map thanks to the song winning Eurovision for this year with its upbeat instrumentation and lyrics about the historical surrender of Waterloo used to compare to the love the two couples shared for each other. It’s a song that’s endured throughout the decades thanks to its unique premise as well as how cheerful it is.
1974 18 weeks
This is a song many people like to label as problematic due to all of the ladies Lou Bega mentions throughout the song, personally I feel that this song is too harmless to find any offense with as the charisma and catchiness of the production more than make up for any problematic nature of the lyrics here.
1999 17 weeks
Wow is this song so much more over hated than it has any right to be, granted the meaning of the lyrics is lost as Lene’s delivery fails to highlight just how sarcastic these lyrics clearly are (this is a diss track towards Mattel in case you didn’t know) however it’s just so much innocent fun for people to get mad at. It could’ve easily appeared much higher on this list were it not pulled from the shelves in order to promote the band’s debut album.
1997 17 weeks
(This is from the physical charts)
2007 17 weeks
This is another song that was way bigger here in Australia than its placement on this list otherwise suggests, this time it’s the victory single from the second and final band to win Popstars Australia before the series switched to having solo contestants on the show rather than groups like its first two seasons.
2001 17 weeks
Another hit single that Bryan Adams managed to achieve this decade that was the theme to a popular Hollywood film, this time we have his contributions to the Mirror has two faces which happens to be a duet with the film’s director and star Barbra Streisand to boot. The success of this duet led to her collaborating with Celine Dion on “Tell him” that served as the lead singer to Celine’s next album.
1997 17 weeks
I used to like this song, granted I was only nine years old when it came out, but there’s a certain innocence to it that makes its popularity back in the day make sense to me. I do feel bad for it as it’s often considered one of the worst songs of all time from an Australian artist, likely due to it being the rare, manufactured teen pop track from Australia in comparison to the rock and roll audiences are used to.
2001 17 weeks
If you need proof that Tina Turner was always a welcomed presence in Australia, consider the fact that she starred opposite Mel Gibson in the third Mad Max film as well as providing the theme song to the film which went on to be one of her more iconic songs in her catalogue. The film was a critical and commercial success despite it being the final film in the franchise for thirty years.
1985 17 weeks
Following the massive success they had with their second album, Wham released this track which has a cool video which starts out with George’s supposed frustration at performing in a low-capacity venue despite selling out arenas. This was obviously done to show the band (more specifically George) wasn’t going to abandon their core fanbase and indeed he never did even after cutting ties with Andrew Ridgely.
1985 17 weeks
This was a surprisingly good year for music to appeal to lesbians, wasn’t it? Although I should point out that this Russian duo isn’t a gay couple or even gay themselves and were only showing their support for the queer community (a bold stance for them considering Russia’s stance on said community) with this song and music video which has the clever spin of having the homophobes be prisoners instead of them.
2003 17 weeks
Well, I guess the second round of the boy band wars officially begun this year given how these guys were able to compete with the Backstreet boys for the affection of the teenage girls of the late 90’s. Here they incorporate hip hop elements to their sound as opposed to their American counterparts who settled with RNB elements, I guess this did create a contrast between the two discographies.
1998 17 weeks
Following the success of his last album with Mental as anything, Martin Plaza decided to briefly embark on a solo career which began with this cover of an obscure track from the 60’s that was able to rival the success of “Live it up” from the previous year. He re-joined the band shortly after releasing his solo album so that they could release a new album to cash in on their sudden rise in popularity worldwide.
1986 17 weeks
This is often cited as the song where fans of No doubt officially gave up on Gwen Stefani, I’m guessing because it remains her biggest hit in her native America even though there are plenty of other contenders for that honour throughout the rest of the world. It may also be because this is a diss track towards Courtney Love of all people who called her a cheerleader, I guess her revenge was to act like one on this track and video.
2005 17 weeks
Batman forever is a film that divides audiences to this day, mainly because it has the same campy tone as the 60’s TV series despite it being a sequel to the more serious Tim Burton flicks from earlier in the decade. The soundtrack was at least a huge success thanks to Seal’s earlier entry on this list; however, the actual theme song was this contribution from U2 which was nominated for a Razzie for worst song.
1995 17 weeks
This was the big hit off Split enz’s album Time and tide, although it wasn’t the lead single which is perhaps why it wasn’t as big a hit as you’d otherwise expect from the band. You’d think that a band who seemed tailor made for MTV would find more international success with their material from around this time, they did chart in the lower half of international charts but didn’t find much success outside of Australia and NZ.
1982 17 weeks
Much like her earlier entry, this second single from Avril Lavigne was much more successful here in Australia than its placement would otherwise suggest, however I’ve already gone over why that’s the case, so I won’t repeat myself here. Instead, I’ll talk about the songs which are both iconic to this day due to them showcasing the complicated feelings that Avril has during throughout her life at this point.
2002 17 weeks
I think this was the first sign of JT maturing into the sex symbol he would become on his second album Futuresex/Lovesounds the following year, although here he’s playing second fiddle to Snoop Dogg who would score one of his last hits as a lead artist with this track even though he remained quite popular as a featured artist for many years after this came out.
2005 17 weeks
I don’t think anyone was expecting to see Bobby Brown achieve such a massive hit with the lead single of his second album outside of America given how he didn’t find that much success internationally with his debut album. I’m guessing New jack swing had become less stigmatised by international audiences by this point, either that or they really wanted to hear a song about his sexual escapades with his new wife Whitney Houston.
1992 17 weeks
