A 2-part countdown begins here. Concludes tomorrow.
Caffè Lattè looks back on:
The US No. 1 SINGLES by
AUSTRALIAN ACTS
ranked in order
31 LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT
Bee Gees
Following up the phenomenal success of ‘Saturday Night Fever' was never going to be easy, but the ‘Spirits Having Flown’ album spawned 3 US chart-toppers. This single spent a week at the summit and remains the Gibb brothers’ last American #1.
30 (LOVE IS) THICKER THAN WATER
Andy Gibb
Of all the acts that benefitted from his older brothers’ Midas touch, Andy Gibb enjoyed the greatest success. He scored three US No. 1 songs which were all the fruits of his collaboration with members of The Bee Gees. This single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks in 1978.
29 I KNEW I LOVED YOU
Savage Garden
This duo formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1993. Consisting of Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, they topped the American chart with two ballads. “I Knew I Loved You” spent 4 non-consecutive weeks at the top in 2000.
28 TRAGEDY
Bee Gees
In 1979, this mighty single ruled the US Chart for 2 weeks. In many ways, this took disco music to the extreme with its marriage of falsetto and effects.
27 HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John was born in England in 1948 but was raised in Melbourne, Australia. It was in her adopted home that her career as a performer began. She first tried to break through in England before relocating to America where her recordings were embraced by the public in the early 1970s. Her first forays there were mostly country songs. This 1975 single was the first #1 written by her producer and compatriot John Farrar.
26 TOO MUCH HEAVEN
Bee Gees
Written by all three members of the Bee Gees, this ballad spent 2 weeks at the top in 1979. Proceeds were donated to the ‘Music For UNICEF’ campaign. The trio were involved alongside ABBA, Rod Stewart, Donna Summer and others. The ballad was unleashed following the massive impact of ‘Saturday Night Fever’.
25 SHADOW DANCING
Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb was born in England in 1958. He relocated with his family to Australia at a young age. His fledgling musical career saw him make inroads there before he joined his famous brothers in America. “Shadow Dancing” was his third number one (reigning for 7 weeks) in the U.S. where Billboard named it the biggest hit of 1978.
24 ANGIE BABY
Helen Reddy
Starting in 1972, Helen Reddy scored a number one single in America for 3 consecutive years. The third was “Angie Baby”, penned by Alan O’Day. She was the first Australian-born singer to reach the top in America.
23 CHEAP THRILLS
Sia (featuring Sean Paul)
Sia was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1975. She has built up a strong fanbase that has kept her on the charts around the globe to the present day. “Cheap Thrills” ruled in America for 4 weeks in 2016.
22 WHO CAN IT BE NOW?
Men At Work
In the early 1980s, Australian acts were a regular presence on the US chart. This was the first of 2 Stateside #1s by Men At Work. The group formed in Melbourne in 1978. It was the single that helped propel ‘Business As Usual’ to the top, where it resided for a staggering 15 weeks. The group won the Best New Artist Grammy Award in 1982.
21 FANCY
Iggy Azalea (featuring Charli XCX)
The Sydney-born rapper teamed up with Charli XCX and sat at the top in America for 7 weeks in 2014 with “Fancy”.
20 MAGIC
Olivia Newton-John
Along with achieving success as a singer, Olivia Newton-John starred in some popular films, notably ‘Grease’ and ‘Xanadu’. The latter’s soundtrack featured “Magic”. In 1980, the song written and produced by John Farrar, remained at #1 for four weeks.
19 YOU SHOULD BE DANCING
Bee Gees
The trio recorded in Miami in an effort to find new musical direction. Barry Gibb had recently discovered how good his falsetto sounded and was by now employing it on songs such as “You Should Be Dancing”. The single reached #1 in the U.S. in 1976, becoming the Bee Gees’ second disco-flavoured single to do so. That genre and falsetto would soon be applied to a film soundtrack…
18 STAY
The Kid Laroi (featuring Justin Bieber)
The Kid LAROI was born in New South Wales, Australia in 2003. He is the youngest Aussie on this list. “Stay” stayed at number one in America for 7 non-consecutive weeks in 2021. He is the most recent Australian act to reach that pinnacle.
17 JESSIE’S GIRL
Rick Springfield
Born in Sydney in 1949, Richard Springthope started making inroads in Australia, eventually charting as a member of Zoot with a remake of “Eleanor Rigby”. He then launched his solo career with “Speak To The Sky” in 1972 which peaked at #14 in America. Rick Springfield toiled for years as a singer / songwriter before also dabbling in acting. This led to a role in TV soap “General Hospital” as Dr. Noah Drake. Around this time, “Jessie’s Girl” took off. It spent 2 weeks at the top in 1981. This revived his recording career which saw several hits follow it onto the US Chart.
16 TRULY MADLY DEEPLY
Savage Garden
There was a 10 year gap between Australian-made number ones when Savage Garden scored its first US chart leader. In 1998, “Truly Madly Deeply” ruled there for 2 weeks.
15 I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING
Andy Gibb
His older siblings were about to experience the peak of their chart success with ‘Saturday Night Fever’ when they helped younger brother Andy establish himself as a recording artist. He had previously dented the charts in Australia and New Zealand with “Words And Music” in 1975. Everything changed when “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” followed 2 years later. Written by eldest brother Barry, the song enjoyed 4 non-consecutive weeks at #1 in America.
14 SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW
Gotye (featuring Kimbra)
There hadn’t been an Aussie at number one in America for a dozen years until “Somebody That I Used To Know” moved into pole position for 8 weeks in 2012. Gotye was born in Belgium and moved with his family to Sydney and then Melbourne at the age of two in 1982. His collaboration with New Zealander Kimbra won 2 Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year. The disc not only topped the chart in America, but made #1 in Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Israel.
13 NEED YOU TONIGHT
INXS
Michael Hutchence met the Farris brothers while growing up in Perth, Western Australia. They formed a band and moved to Sydney and concentrated on breaking as INXS. They accomplished this with a bevy of singles that proved popular domestically and successful worldwide. This culminated in 1988 when “Need You Tonight” ascended the US chart.
12 HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
Bee Gees
One of the strengths of The Bee Gees’ material was the harmonies achieved by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. This is best exemplified on “How Deep Is Your Love”. The lush ballad spent 3 weeks at the top in 1977 and was the lead single from the ‘Saturday Night Fever’ film soundtrack.
11 DELTA DAWN
Helen Reddy
If Helen Reddy’s first #1 seemed a fluke, “Delta Dawn” proved this assumption to be inaccurate. When the single reached the top in America, it made the singer the first Aussie to accomplish a second US No. 1. She achieved this before even The Bee Gees. For an Australian act to climb to the summit in America was a rarity back then. The Melbourne-born singer would enjoy several chart entries and a total of 3 that went all the way to number one.
