After years of struggle and setbacks, the Finn brothers and their band Split Enz topped the charts with their album True Colours.
A single from the album, I Got You, topped the charts in Canada and Australia as well as New Zealand.
The band produced a string of hits and were among the pioneers of using video clips to promote their music.
But the real driving force was the great songwriting talent of Tim and Neil Finn. Fifteen of their songs feature in the Apra top 100 list of songs in the 20th century, seven with Split Enz.
For their originality and contribution to popular culture, Tim and Neil Finn are our New Zealanders of the Year for 1980.
