1983
Oz Hits:
Send Me An Angel – Real Life
Bop Girl – Pat Wilson
Reckless – Australian Crawl
I Was Only 19 – Redgum
Fraction Too Much Friction – Tim Finn
My Girl – Hoodoo Gurus
Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler
King Of Pain – The Police
Maneater – Hall & Oates
She Works Hard For The Money – Donna Summer
Electric Avenue – Eddie Grant
She Blinded Me With Science – Thomas Dolby
Back In The Chain Gang – The Pretenders
Putting On The Ritz – Taco
Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye
Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
You Can’t Hurry Love – Phil Collins
Always Something There To Remind Me – Naked Eyes
Big Log – Robert Plant
Too Shy- Kajagoogoo
Rock The Casbah – The Clash
Family Man – Hall & Oates
I’m Still Standing – Elton John
Tonight I Celebrate My Love – Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
Breaking Us In Two – Joe Jackson
Wherever I Lay My Hat – Paul Young
1984
Oz Hits:
Original Sin/I Send A Message – INXS
Come Said The Boy – Mondo Rock
Heaven (Must Be There) – Eurogliders
Soul Kind Of Feeling – Dynamic Hepnotics
Listening/A Beat For You – Pseudo Echo
I Can Dream About You – Dan Hartman
Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr
I Just Called To Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder
Love Is A Battlefield – Pat Benatar
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
99 Luftballoons – Nena
When Doves Cry – Prince
Freedom – Wham!
Relax/Two Tribes – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
What’s Love Got To Do With It? – Tina Turner
Jump – Van Halen
Missing You – John Waite
Let’s Hear It For The Boy – Denise Williams
Dancing In The Dark – Bruce Springsteen
Jump – Pointers Sisters
Hold Me Now – Thompson Twins
Self Control – Laura Branigan
Borderline – Madonna
Pride (In The Name Of Love) – U2
Like To Get To Know You Well – Howard Jones
Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat
1985
Oz Hits:
Live It Up – Mental As Anything
Out of Mind, Out Of Sight /Barbados- Models
What You Need – INXS
I’d Die To Be With You Tonight – Jimmy Barnes
We Will Together – Eurogliders
Too Young For Promises – Koo De Tah
Into The Groove/Crazy For You/Like A Virgin – Madonna
I Should Have Known Better – Jim Diamond
Take On Me – A-ha
Would I Lie To You? – Eurythmics
Shout – Tears For Fears
You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) – Dead Or Alive
Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves
The Heat Is On – Glen Frey
Out Of Touch – Hall & Oates
I Feel For You – Chaka Khan
Every Time You Go Away – Paul Young
Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
Saving All My Love For You – Whitney Houston
West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys
Sea Of Love – The Honeydrippers
Wild Boys – Duran Duran
We Belong – Pat Benatar
Sussudio – Phil Collins
The Boys Of Summer – Don Henley
Some Like It Hot – The Power Station
Life In A Northern Town – Dream Academy
Respect Yourself – The Kane Gang
1986
Oz Hits:
Stimulation – Wa Wa Nee (I have to say, I don’t remember this, but it was the biggest Oz hit of 1986)
You’re The Voice – John Farnham
Concrete & Clay – Martin Plaza
Injustice – Spy vs. Spy (this didn’t actually chart, but was released as a single in this year – my personal choice)
Sledgehammer – Peter Gabriel
All The Things She Said – Simple Minds
Look Away – Big Country
Spirit In The Sky – Doctor & The Medics
Holding Back The Years – Simply Red
That’s What Friends Are For – Dionne Warwick & Friends
Broken Wings – Mr Mister
Addicted To Love – Robert Palmer
Greatest Love Of All – Whitney Houston
Higher Love – Steve Winwood
Rock Me Amadeus – Falco
Papa Don’t Preach/True Blue – Madonna
No One Is To Blame – Howard Jones
Manic Monday – The Bangles
We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off – Jermaine Stewart
Living In America – James Brown
Living Doll – Cliff Richard & The Young Ones
Chain Reaction – Diana Ross
I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You) – Grace Jones
Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) – Mel & Kim
1987
Oz Hits:
Slice Of Heaven – Dave Dobbyn
Crazy – Icehouse
Funky Town – Pseudo Echo
Good Times – INXS & Jimmy Barnes
Beds Are Burning – Midnight Oil
Credit Cards/Don’t Tear It Down – Spy vs Spy
Star Trekkin’ – The Firm
Walk Like A Egyptian – The Bangles
Respectable – Mel & Kim
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
With Or Without You – U2
I Want Your Sex – George Michael
Keep Your Hands To Yourself – Georgia Satellites
Who’s That Girl/Causing A Commotion? – Madonna
Hip To Be Square – Huey Lewis & The News
Luka – Suzanna Vega
Sign ‘O’ The Times – Prince
Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
Big Time – Peter Gabriel
Don’t Get Me Wrong – The Pretenders
(You Gotta)Fight for Your Right To Party – Beastie Boys
Barcelona – Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Cabelle
Pump Up The Volume – M.A.R.R.S
This one’s for Bec.
1988
(this might change a bit now because I have been going by UK dates for most chart singles – but now I am using the official Oz chart so some release dates will vary – but these will be the hits in Australia of the said year)
Oz Hits:
Better Be Home Soon – Crowded House
Age Of Reason – John Farnham
Run To Paradise – Choirboys
That’s When I Think Of You – 1927
I Should Be So Lucky – Kylie Minogue
Need You Tonight/New Sensation – INXS
Simply Irresistible – Robert Palmer
Perfect – Fairground Attraction
Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
Doctorin The Tardis – The Timelords
Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison
Faith/Father Figure – George Michael
Stutter Rap – Morris Minor & The Majors
The Only Way Is Up – Yazz & The Plastic Population
Fast Car – Tracey Chapman
Shattered Dreams – Johnny Hates Jazz
Desire – U2
We’ll Be Together – Sting
Valerie – Steve Winwood
Wishing Well – Terence Tent D’arby
For the Brits out there that only know “weather with you”.
1989
Oz Hits:
She Has To Be Loved – Jenny Morris
Looking for Love – Johnny Diesel & The Injectors
Chained To The Wheel – The Black Sorrows
Like A Prayer/Cherish – Madonna
I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) – The Proclaimers
Eternal Flame – The Bangles
She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals
Teardrops – Womack & Womack
If You Don’t Know Me By Now – Simply Red
All I want Is You/Everlasting Love – U2
You Got It – Roy Orbison
Handle With Care – The Traveling Wilburys
Stop – Sam Brown
I Don’t Want A Lover – Texas
Funky Cold Medina – Tone Loc
Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry
Sewing The Seeds Of Love – Tears For Fears
Back To Life – Soul II Soul
A Little Respect – Erasure
