May 28 marks Kylie Minogue's 51st birthday. The Australian-British singer marked her 50th year with album Golden, but Minogue's career has dominated charts globally since the 80s.
Born Kylie Ann Minogue in 1968, she became a child actress and later teen actress for Austrailian soap opera Neighbours. Playing character Charlene, Minogue became famous in the U.K, where the soap was popular.
Her wedding to character Scott, played by fellow singer and actor Jason Donovan, aired in November 1988, attracting an audience of 19.6 million, making it one of the most watched episodes of the soap.
Leaving the soap in 1988, she began her career as a singer with her debut album Kylie. Her first single, "I Should Be So Lucky" became a No. 1 followed by her rendition of Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion," which introduced her to American audiences.
Leaving her record label in the early 90s, Minogue started taking on an edgier look and working with rock musicians. Unfortunately, this gained her limited success, so she returned to dance-pop with album Light Years (2000). The album had hits such as "Spinning Around" which bolstered her image as a pop princess and one of the "sexiest" women on the planet, and "On a Night Like This."
Her next success was with album Fever (2001), and with hits such as "Can't Get You Out of My Head", which went to No. 1 in multiple countries and No. 7 in the U.S. Other songs such as "In Your Eyes" and "Love At First Sight" also had success in the U.K. and Canadian charts. The release of Body Language (2003) and her Grammy win for "Come into My World" in 2004 for best dance recording added to her popularity and success.
In 2005, Minogue went public with her diagnosis of breast cancer and put her career on hold. She underwent surgery and recovery, resting for over a year. She began touring again in 2006 and released an album, X, in 2007.
Her move into disco and electro-pop remained with album Aphrodite, which had hits such as "All The Lovers" and "Get Out Of Way." Her next album, Kiss Me Once, released in 2014, featured songs written and produced by Pharrell Williams and Sia.
To mark her 50th birthday, Minogue released album Golden (2018). The album was recorded in Nashville and carried country music vibes. It peaked at No. 64 in the Billboard 200, marking the singer's return to the American charts.
Minogue has an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), which she received in 2008, and was inducted into the Australia Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2011.
Her latest album, Step Back In Time - The Definitive Collection, is set to release on June 28, 2019, with songs such as "New York City."
To celebrate her birthday and bring some Minogue magic into American readers' lives, Newsweek has analyzed data from the U.S, U.K and Canadian music charts to bring you the best 10 Kylie Minogue songs of all time.
10. "Slow", peaked at No. 91 on February 28, 2004 and remained in the U.S. charts for three weeks
9. "Come Into My World", peaked at No. 91 on January 4, 2003 and remained in the U.S. charts for eight weeks
This song won Minogue her first Grammy win in 2004.
= 8. "Speakerphone", peaked at No. 56 on December 15, 2007 in the Canadian Digital Charts and remained in the charts for one week
Considered one of the best 'non-singles' on the album X, it charted in Canada based on digital downloads. It was so loved by singer Madonna that she added it to her celebrity playlist for iTunes, bringing it to American audiences.
= 8. "All The Lovers", peaked at No. 56 on July 3, 2010 in the Canadian Digital Charts and remained in the charts for one week
The lead song from album Aphrodite, "All The Lovers" is a euphoric song that talks about past love and how it doesn't compare to current love.
6. "Timebomb", peaked at No. 40 on June 16, 2012 in the Canadian Digital Charts and remained in the charts for one week
Minogue's move into electro and synth-pop was encapsulated in "Timebomb" and it performed well across the world, apart from the U.S.
5. "It's No Secret", peaked at No. 37 on February 11, 1989 and remained in the U.S. charts for 13 weeks
From her LP, Kylie, this song did better in the U.S. than in New Zealand. It was only released in four countries worldwide.
4. "I Should Be So Lucky", peaked at No. 28 on July 16, 1988 and remained there for 14 weeks
Her first single after leaving Neighbours, it's probably one of the most famous songs released by Minogue globally.
3. "Love At First Sight", peaked at No. 23 on September 7, 2002 in the U.S. charts and remained there for 16 weeks
From album Fever, this song was a commercial success in the U.S. and U.K.
2. "Higher", peaked at No. 8 on February 19, 2011 in the U.K. Singles Chart and remained in the charts for three weeks
This song is a duet with British singer and rapper Taio Cruz, who is famous for songs such as "Dirty Picture" and "Break Your Heart."
1. "Can't Get You Out Of My Head", peaked at No. 7 on March 23, 2002 and remained in the U.S. charts for 20 weeks
That bassline. Enough said.
Minogue also re-recorded a lot of her songs in Abbey Road Studios releasing album The Abbey Road Sessions. She transformed many of them in slower-tempo numbers such as "I Should Be So Lucky." The album peaked at No. 120 in the Billboard 200.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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