Top 20 Australian Pop Songs – #’s 13 & 14

#14 – Another Day in the Big World by Eurogliders

Eurogliders are the first Perth-based band to appear on this list, and they came together in 1980. After releasing a first album that didn’t do much for them, their second album, This Island, exploded, peaking at #4 in Australia, and hitting #140 on the Billboard Top 200 albums. It spawned their first Australian Top 10 single, Heaven (Must Be There), which climbed all the way to #2. It reached #65 on the Billboard Hot 100. I saw Eurogliders live at a club in Boston, and had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with keyboard player Amanda Vincent and drummer John Bennetts at a ’til Tuesday show the night before. I think they were surprised anyone knew who they were, and even knew their names!

There are a lot of Eurogliders songs that I loved, and could have chosen for this list but the update single, Another Day in the Big World is definitely one of my favorites. This was the second of four singles released in Australia off This Island, and it peaked at #66.

And I’m sure many of you remember their single, Heaven (Must Be There)

#13 – Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain) by Inxs

Certainly the most well-known band to appear on this list, Inxs were an international sensation. Forming in 1977 as The Farris Brothers, Inxs released their first, self-titled album in 1980. The band hit it big in Australia and made some waves on the alternative scene in the U.S. with their next two albums, Shabooh Shoobah and The Swing. But it was with their fifth album, Listen Like Thieves that they achieved true international success with the single What You Need hitting #2 in Australia, and climbing into the Top 5 in the U.S. They would go on to even greater success with their follow-up album, Kick, and their #1 U.S. hit, Need You Tonight.

For my list, I’ve included their fourth single off the Listen Like Thieves album, Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain). The song becaome their 10th Australian To 20 hit, peaking at #15, but it failed to chart in the U.S. It did however climb to #24 on Billboard’s Album Rock Tracks. The accompanying video was shot in Coober Pedy in South Austrlia. The flew direct form the U.S. to shoot the video overnight, then returned to the U.S. the following day.