What was Australia’s best-selling hit the year you were born?

Were you born during Beatlemania? Or back when Meatloaf could still sing? See what Australia’s biggest-selling hits and albums were in the year you were born.

What was Australia’s number one hit when you were born?

The Beatles reigned supreme before the rise of ABBA, Michael Jackson and Madonna.

The the likes of Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Adele have topped recent Aussie charts.

But whether you arrived in a time when Meatloaf could still sing, or will always wonder what your countrymen were thinking to make Achy Breaky Heart a hit, here are the biggest-selling albums and singles in the country year by year, dating back to 1964.

MADONNA’S SIXTY FINEST SONGS

GURU BEHIND LEGENDARY BEATLES ALBUM DIES

SPREADING MUSIC TO DISTANT PLACES

The Beatles in New York in 1966. Picture: AP

The band received Member of The Order of The British Empire medals in 1965. Picture: AP

1964

Best-selling album: A Hard Day’s Night — the Beatles

The name came about because Ringo Starr was very, very tired, saying he’d had “a hard day’s night”.

Best-selling single: I Saw Her Standing There — the Beatles

The band held the six top positions on the country’s Top 40 charts in 1964.

During the Australian leg of their world tour, the Beatles stopped to refuel in Darwin and were greeted by hundreds of fans in the middle of the night.

1965

Best-selling album: The Sound of Music — movie soundtrack

It spent 76 weeks at No. 1 in Australia, with iconic songs including Sixteen Going On Seventeen, Do-Re-Mi, the Sound of Music, and So Long, Farewell.

Best-selling single: Que Sera Sera/Shakin’ All Over — Normie Rowe

The Aussie pop legend went to Northcote High School and rocketed to fame before being drafted to serve in Vietnam in the late 1960s.

Rowe was later made a Member in the Order or Australia.

1966

Best-selling album: The Sound of Music — movie soundtrack

It became the best-selling album for the second year running.

The beloved movie was based on the book about Maria von Trapp’s family choir.

Best-selling single: These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ — Nancy Sinatra

Frank Sinatra’s daughter helped further popularise go-go boots after wearing them in her best-known music hit.

1967

Best-selling album: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club — the Beatles

The name came from a joke about salt and pepper packets.

No singles were released from the album, which spent 30 weeks at No. 1.

Best-selling single: The Last Waltz — Engelbert Humperdinck

The singer was born Arnold George Dorsey and a bout of tuberculosis in the early 1960s nearly ended his music career.

Dorsey later took up the stage name Engelbert Humperdinck, after the 19th century composer.

1968

Best-selling album: The Seekers’ Greatest Hits — the Seekers

About 10 per cent of Melbourne’s population attended to the Seekers’ Myer Music Bowl concert in 1967.

Best-selling single: Hey Jude/Revolution — the Beatles

The band went to India in 1968 to meditate for two months. Later that year, John Lennon was charged with cannabis possession.

1969

Best-selling album: Hair — Broadway Cast Album

It spent 28 weeks at No. 1, and included hits like Aquarius, Let the Sun Shine In and Easy to Be Hard.

Best-selling single: Something/Come Together — the Beatles

The Beatles’ impromptu London rooftop performance in January was their last together.

Their Abbey Road album spent 18 weeks at No. 1.

The 1970s

1970

Best-selling album: Bridge Over Troubled Water — Simon & Garfunkel

It took out the Grammys’ record and album of the year awards.

Best-selling single: Let It Be — the Beatles

Paul McCartney announced he was leaving the band and the Beatles broke up.

ABBA in the 1970s. Picture: Supplied

1971

Best-selling album: Cocker Happy — Joe Cocker

In 1972, the band members were charged with drug possession in Adelaide.

In Melburne, they refused to lead the Commodore Chateau Hotel and police had to forcibly remove them.

Best-selling single: Eagle Rock — Daddy Cool

The song inspired Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s Crocodile Rock.

Daddy Cool played their last show in 1975 and did not preform again until a 2005 tsunami benefit in Melbourne.

1972

Best-selling album: Teaser and the Firecat — Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens wrote an illustrated a children’s book with the same name.

He later converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam.

Best-selling single: Puppy Love — Donny Osmond

On Osmond’s websites, he writes: “I will forever be remembered for this song”.

“After all these years, I don’t mind either. It was a great song in 1972 and I still sing it in concert.”

1973

Best-selling album: Hot August Night — Neil Diamond

The album is a live recording of an August 1972 1972 concert.

Hot August Night is also the opener of Diamond X single Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show.

Best-selling single: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree — Dawn featuring Tory Orlando

The symbol of the ribbon around the tree is said to date back to the Civil War era.

The song is the perspective of a man returning from prison.

1974

Best-selling album: Band on the Run — Wings and Paul McCartney

It was McCartney’s fifth album since leaving the Beatles and spent seven weeks at No. 1

Best-selling single: My Coo Ca Choo — Alvin Stardust

Born Bernard Jewry, the singer went by the name Shane Fenton before becoming known as Alvin Stardust. He died in 2014 aged 72.

1975

Best-selling album: Living in the 70s — Skyhooks

The Melbourne’s band’s debut album spent four months at No. 1 and ended up selling 300,000 copies.

Skyhooks member Graeme “Shirley” Strachan died in a helicopter accident in Queensland in 2001.

Best-selling single: Fox on the Run — the Sweet

They were originally called Sweetshop.

Fox on the Run was the first song written by the band itself and not by their songwriters.

1976

Best-selling album: The Best of ABBA — ABBA

The Swedish pop group’s compilation album spent 16 weeks at No. 1.

It included hits like Dancing Queen, Waterloo, Fernando, The Winner Takes It All.

In 1977 the band toured Australia, doing 11 shows in two weeks.

Best-selling single: Fernando — ABBA

It spent 14 weeks at No. 1 at the time.

Cher and Andy Garcia covered the hit single for the 2018 Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again movie musical soundtrack.

Joe Cocker during a concert in Melbourne, 1972. Picture: Herald Sun

1977

Best-selling album: Silk Degrees — Boz Scaggs

Scaggs’ seventh album spent 18 weeks at No. 1.

Best-selling single: Don’t Cry For Me Argentina — Julie Covington

It was inspired by Argentinian First Lady Eva Peron, who died in 1952.

1978

Best-selling album: Saturday Night Fever — movie soundtrack

The album for the 1977 musical film won Album of the Year at the Grammys.

Best-selling single: You’re the One That I Want — Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta

Written for 1978 movie musical Grease, it sold more than 140,000 copies.

1979

Best-selling album: Breakfast in America — Supertramp

The band initially called themselves Daddy.

Breakfast in America’s hits included Goodbye Stranger, Take the Long Way Home and the Logical Song.

The album four million copies in the US, and reached platinum status in Canada, UK, France and Germany.

Best-selling single: Lay Your Love on Me — Racey

The band’s second single hit No. 1 in Australia and New Zealand.

It was followed by Some Girls and the album Smash and Grab.

The 1980s

1980

Best-selling album: The Wall — Pink Floyd

About life as a rock star, the album sold 20 million copies and has gone platinum 23 times.

Best-selling single: I Got You — Split Enz

I Got You was the New Zealand band’s most famous song.

It featured in their True Colours album, which spent 10 weeks at No. 1.

1981

Best-selling album: Double Fantasy — John Lennon and Yoko Ono

This was Lennon’s comeback album and his last to be released during his lifetime.

He was murdered aged 40 in December 1980, three weeks after Double Fantasy came out.

Best-selling single: Counting the Beat — The Swingers

It was the New Zealand band’s major hit, also featuring in their Practical Jokers album.

1982

Best-selling album: Business as Usual — Men at Work

Men at Work was the first Australian act to have a single reach No. 1 in the US, with the song Down Under.

Best-selling single: Eye of the Tiger — Survivor

Survivor created the classic hit after being asked provide the theme song for Rocky III.

The band released an album with the same name that year.

Michael Jackson performing in 1993. Picture: Roslan Rahman/AFP

Madonna on the set of the film Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985. Picture: Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images

1983

Best-selling album: Thriller — Michael Jackson

The follow-up to Jackson’s 1979 Off the Wall album helped the pop star win eight Grammys.

Thriller has sold more than 100 million copies across the work.

Its title track’s horror-themed video went for about 14 minutes and was a game-changer for the industry.

Best-selling single: Australiana — Austen Tayshus

The spoken-word comedy performance became eight weeks at No. 1 and became the highest-selling Australian single.

1984

Best-selling album: Can’t Slow Down — Lionel Richie

It’s Richie’s most successful album, selling more than 20 million copies.

Best-selling single: Dancing in the Dark — Bruce Springsteen

The hit was released with Springsteen’s Born in the U. S. A album, his most successful ever.

1985

Best-selling album: Brothers in Arms — Dire Straits

The closing track of Dire Straits’ album of the same name spent 34 weeks at No. 1.

It was written in 1982, the year of the Falklands War between the UK and Argentina.

Best-selling single: We Are the World — USA For Africa

The charity song for the United Support of Artists (USA) for Africa was released to raise money to fight famine.

It was followed by the Hands Across America event in 1986, with millions of people participating.

1986

Best-selling album: Whitney Houston — Whitney Houston

The singer’s 1895 debut album included songs like Saving All My Love for You and You Give Good Love.

Houston died in 2012 at the age of 48.

Best-selling single: Chain Reaction — Diana Ross

Ross was the Supremes’ lead singer in the 1960s.

Chain Reaction was written by the Bee Gees and released as part of Ross’ 1985 Eaten Alive album.

1987

Best-selling album: Whispering Jack — John Farnham

It beat Midnight Oil’s 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to become the best-selling Australian album.

Whispering Jack was also the first homegrown album to be released on Compact Disc in the country.

Best-selling single: Locomotion — Kylie Minogue

Locomotion was a cover of the 1962 hit by Little Eva, and helped Minogue to stardom.

She went onto win Gold Logie in 1988 for her role in Neighbours.

John Farnham performing in Queensland Townsville. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Kylie Minogue on stage in Sydney in 2006. Picture: Getty Images

1988

Best-selling album: Kick — INXS

The album included the hit singles Need You Tonight, Devil Inside, New Sensation and Never Tear Us Apart.

Best-selling single: (I’ve Had) the Time of My Life — Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

It was the theme song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing.

WHY 1988 WAS A YEAR FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

1989

Best-selling album: Volume One — Traveling Wilburys

George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty formed the group, which started as part of Harrison’s follow up to his Cloud Nine album.

Best-selling single: Like a Prayer — Madonna

The controversial music video — mixing race, religion and sexuality — earned the ire of the Vatican, which condemned Madonna’s performance as one of the most “satanic shows in the history of humanity”

The 1990s

1990

Best-selling album: Chain Reaction — John Farnham

It topped the Aria Album Chart.

Farnham was inducted into the Aria Hall of Fame of 2003.

Best-selling single: Nothing Compares 2 U — Sinead O’Connor

Prince originally recorded the breakup classic but didn’t release it at the time.

O’Connor’s 1990 cover made it famous.

1991

Best-selling album: Rise — Daryl Braithwaite

The album included Braithwaite’s classic cover of The Horses, written by Rickie Lee Jones and Walkter Becker in 1989.

Best-selling single: (Everything I Do) I Do It For You — Bryan Adams

The theme song for the Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves film also featured in Adam’s sixth album, Waking Up the Neighbours.

1992

Best-selling album: Jesus Christ Superstar — 1992 Australian Cast Album

Jesus Christ Superstar depicts the last week of Jesus’ life and debuted on Broadway in 1971.

The Australian cast featured John Farnham as Jesus and Kate Ceberano as Mary Magdalene

Best-selling single: Achy Breaky Heart — Billy Ray Cyrus

The song was written by Don Von Tress and originally known as Don’t Tell My Heart

Cyrus’ cover featured on his 1992 debut album, Some Gave All.

1993

Best-selling album: The Bodyguard — Soundtrack

Whitney Houston’s cover of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You was one of the soundtrack’s biggest hits.

Best-selling single: I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) — Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday’s stage name. I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) was the hit single from Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell album.

USA singer Meatloaf performing in Adelaide. Picture: News Limited

1994

Best-selling album: Music Box — Mariah Carey

The album spent 18 weeks at No. 1, with hits including Dreamlover and Hero.

Best-selling single: Love Is All Around — Wet Wet Wet

The band covered the Reg Presley-written song for the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral.

1995

Best-selling album: Don’t Ask — Tina Arena

The singer was born known as Filippina and known as Tiny Tina early in her singing career.

Don’t Ask and its lead single Chains together won Arena four Arias in 1995.

She performed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Best-selling single: Gangsta’s Paradise — Coolio

The song opens with a line from Psalm 23:4: “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”

It featured included in the soundtrack for the 1995 film Dangerous Minds.

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1996

Best-selling album: Jagged Little Pill — Alanis Morissette

Canadian-born Morissette’s third album, including the hit single You Oughta Know, skyrocketed her to international stardom.

Best-selling single: Macarena — Los del Rio

The Spanish dance tune was released in 1993 but did not become a world hit for several years, until after a Bayside Boys remix.

1997

Best-selling album: Savage Garden — Savage Garden

The Australian band won 10 ARIAs off the back of their debut album, which spent 19 weeks at No. 1.

Best-selling single: Candle in the Wind 1997 — Elton John

Elton John and Bernie Taupin originally wrote the song in the 1970s as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe.

It was later re-released as a tribute to Princess Diana of Wales.

1998

Best-selling album: Yourself Or Someone Like You — Matchbox 20

It featured the group’s hit singles including Push, 3am, Real World and Back 2 Good.

Best-selling single: La Copa De La Vida (the Cup Of Life) — Ricky Martin

It was the official song of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

1999

Best-selling album: Come On Over — Shania Twain

By the end of 1999, the album had sold tens of millions of copies.

It included hits like Man! I feel Like a

Best-selling single: Mambo No. 5 — Lou Bega

Woman and That Don’t Impress Me Much.

The song was originally recorded by Perez Prado in 1949.

The 2000s

2000

Best-selling album: 1 — the Beatles

The compilation album sold 3.6m copies a week, the equivilant of six per second.

It topped charges in 30 countries and was re-released in 2015.

Best-selling single: I’m Outta Love — Anastacia

The song was the lead single from her debut album, Not That Kind.

2001

Best-selling album: Moulin Rouge — movie soundtrack

Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Mya and Pink‘s rendition of Lady Marmalade was one of the soundtrack’s most iconic covers.

Best-selling single: Can’t Fight the Moonlight — LeAnn Rimes

The track was the theme for the 2000 film Coyote Ugly.

2002

Best-selling album: The Eminem Show — Eminem

The rapper was born Marshall Mathers.

His album includes the singles Without Me, Cleanin’ Out My Closet, Superman and Sing for the Moment.

Best-selling single: Without Me — Eminem

Eminen controversially dressed as Osama bin Laden in the track’s music video.

2003

Best-selling album: Innocent Eyes — Delta Goodrem

Goodram started her career on the TV show Neighbours.

Innocent Eyes, with singles including Born to Try and Lost Without You, spent 25 weeks at the top of the ARIA chart and sold more than one million copies in Australia.

Best-selling single: Angels Brought Me Here — Guy Sebastian

He beat Shannon Noll to win Australia’s first Australian Idol competition in 2003.

His debut album Just As I Am followed later that year and Angels Brought Me Here took out the ARIA’s Highest Selling Single in 2004.

Sebastian was also Australia’s contestant in the Eurovision song contest in 2015.

2004

Best-selling album: Get Born — Jet

The band took out six awards at the ARIAs off the back of the hugely successful 2003 debut album.

Best-selling single: What About Me — Shannon Noll

Fans still maintain he was robbed in Australian Idol.

What About Me was followed by his debut album That’s What I’m Talking About.

In early 2017, Noll was charged with assault in Adelaide before prosecutors dropped the case.

He was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond in October this year after pleading guilty in a Sydney court to cocaine possession.

Australian Idol’s Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll in 2003. Picture: Marc McCormack.

Delta Goodrem in 2004. Picture: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

2005

Best-selling album: The Sound of White — Missy Higgins

The singer-songwriter’s debut album included iconic tracks like Scar, Ten Days, The Special Two and The Sound of White.

Best-selling single: The Prayer — Anthony Callea

Callea came runner-up to Casey Donovan in the 2004 season of Australian Idol.

The Prayer first appeared on the soundtrack for the 1998 animation movie Quest for Camelot, with two versions.

2006

Best-selling album: Back to Bedlam — James Blunt

Some of Blunt’s best-known ballads, You’re Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover, are from this album.

Best-selling single: I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) — Sandi Thom

The catchy track first came out in 2005 before being re-released the year later.

Thom’s debut album, Smile … It Confuses People, followed soon after.

2007

Best-selling album: Call Me Irresponsible — Michael Buble

It reached No. 1 in seven countries, sold more than five million copies globally and earned Buble his first Grammy.

Best-selling single: Big Girls Don’t Cry — Fergie

The singer’s real name is Stacy Ann Ferguson.

Big Girls Don’t Cry features on her album the Dutchess, released in 2006.

2008

Best-selling album: Only By the Night — Kings of Leon

Included hits such as Sex On Fire and Closer.

The band took a hiatus in 2011. Their latest album, Walls, came out in 2016.

Best-selling single: Low — Flo Rida

The rapper’s real name is Tramar Lacel Dillard,

Low (feat. T-Pain) was the lead single on Flo Rida’s Mail On Sunday album.

2009

Best-selling album: I Dreamed a Dream — Susan Boyle

Boyle shot to fame after appearing on the 2008 season of Britain’s Got Talent.

I Dreamed a Dream is from the musical Les Misérables.

Best-selling single: I Gotta Feeling — Black Eyed Peas

The hit was a lead single from the band’s album, The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies).

2010

Best-selling album: Greatest Hits … So Far — Pink

The album included three previously unreleased songs, as well as hits like Get the Party Started, Stupid Girls, Who Knew, U + Ur Hand.

Pink played 50 shows in her Australian tour the previous year.

Best-selling single: Love the Way You Lie — Eminem feat. Rihanna

The collaboration with Rohanna was from Eminem’s album Recovery, following on from Relapse, released in 2009.

2011

Best-selling album: 21 — Adele

Her full name is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins.

The singer’s second album included some of her best-known hits, Rolling in the Deep and Someone Like You.

Adele released her debut album, 19, in 2008.

Best-selling single: Party Rock Anthem — LMFAO

The tune chopped charts in more than 10 countries, and was released ahead of LMFAO’s Sorry For Party Rocking album.

2012

Best-selling album: The Truth About Love — Pink

Blow Me (One Last Kiss) was the lead single from Pink’s sixth album.

Best-selling single: Call Me Maybe — Carly Rae Jepsen

The singer finished third in the 2007 season of Canadian Idol.

Call Me Maybe skyrocketed her to global success.

2013

Best-selling album: The Truth About Love — Pink

The pop star’s real name is Alecia Beth Moore.

Best-selling single: Roar — Katy Perry

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was raised by two Pentecostal pastors.

Some of her other hits include I Kissed a Girl, Dark Horse and Hot n Cold.

2014

Best-selling album: 1989 — Taylor Swift

Shake It Off was the lead single from Swift’s fifth album, alongside other hits like Blank Space and Style.

Best-selling single: Happy — Pharrell Williams

Happy was one of four Williams song on the Despicable Me 2 movie soundtrack released in 2013.

American singer Pink on her Beautiful Trauma World Tour in Sydney. Picture: AAP Image/Brendon Thorne

Taylor Swift won Artist of the Year at this year’s American Music Awards. Picture: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

2015

Best-selling album: 25 — Adele

25 came out nearly five years after 21.

Hello was its lead single, sitting alongside other tracks like When We Were Young and Send My Love (To Your New Lover).

Best-selling single: Uptown Funk — Mark Ronson feat Bruno Mars

The song won Record of the Year at the Grammys

2016

Best-selling album: 25 — Adele

Adele’s 2016 Grammys performance was hampered by technical issues, with the singer later tweeting: “The piano mics fell on to the piano strings, that’s what the guitar sound was. It made it sound out of tune. Shit happens”.

Best-selling single: Closer — Chainsmokers ft Halsey

The Chaismokers’ Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall teamed up with Hasley, whose real name is Ashley Frangipane, for this hit.

2017

Best-selling album: Divide — Ed Sheeran

It features songs including Shape of You, Castle on the Hill and Perfect.

Sheeran made a cameo appearance in the seventh season of Game of Thrones the same year.

Best-selling single: Shape of You — Ed Sheeran

Sheeran initially considered giving the song to Rihanna.

It went onto spent 14 weeks at No. 2.

*Sources include: For The Record: Australian Pop Culture 1964-2017