NZ hits of 1992

This was the year I was born, so it's a bit of a disappointment with how there wasn't a strong trend this year in music, I guess this was due to how the American music scene drastically changed.

These guys were already well familiar to the kiwis by the time they released their theme to the Eddie Murphy flick Boomerang, as such this theme managed to break records in the 90's over there like it did in their native America and it also arguably became the biggest hit of the decade in both countries.

It was inevitable that Whitney Houston would find success with her cover of the Dolly Parton classic over in NZ, almost as much as me leading off this list with two songs that broke records on Billboard in such a short amount of time from each other.

One thing I'll say here that I didn't mention on the Australian side of this site is that this didn't get to number one in the duo's native UK, this was due to the song being blocked from the top spot from Bryan Adams mammoth sixteen week run at the top spot over there. It's a reason as to why people have come to despise that song over the years due to it blocking a fun joke song aimed at narcissists.

I have no idea how this managed to become one of the biggest hits of the decade in NZ, I guess they were charmed by how sincere these guys were on this track to the point where it was not only an inescapable hit there but also an incentive for them to check out the rest of the album which nowhere else in the world did.

This was a success in NZ slightly sooner than it was here in Australia, this means that it was the kiwis love for this ballad that allowed it to become one of the biggest hits of the decade for the American band Sonia dada. I still feel this is more of an Australian hit considering A: it wound up being bigger here in the long run and B: both the album and their second single were hits here when they weren't over there.

Well, this may have arrived a little too late to the party for its success this year to make any sense, however this acoustic guitar ballad from Mr. big was nonetheless a massive success in NZ as it was everywhere else in the world. Perhaps if the band had broken out at the start of the decade, then their other two singles from their album would've been massive hits for them as well.

This was the first solo single that Annie Crummer released, it was a huge success in her homeland given how she was coming off the success of her two bands Netherworld dancing toys and When the cats away (weird band names I just realised.) She would have some minor success with her album Language due to the lead singles success but that's about the full extent of her popularity over there.

Given how hip hop was more commercially viable in NZ this early in the 90's, it makes sense that Arrested development would not only score success with this track sooner over there than they did here but also for it to be a much bigger hit over there. This did catch on here in Australia; however, it was only a mere fraction as successful as it was in NZ.

This wound up being slightly more successful in NZ than the first song from the Use your illusions era, only slightly though as "You could be mine" was a strong start to this era for the band over there given how it was the theme to the second Terminator film initially.

Well, this song's success was inevitable in NZ, although it's worth noting that it almost could've been a hit over there even without the video as it was originally released as the fourth single from the Use your illusions era with a much more generic concert video to go with the track. Of course, it recharted once the music video was released from the band which continued the story that "Don't cry" had told.

MJ was on a roll when he released this track about how everyone deserves to be treated with respect regardless of the colour of their skin (a message that feels more poignant now than ever) from the positive message of the track to it being a bop to listen to, it remains an iconic track in his catalogue to this day.

This had a bit of a delay to its success in NZ, suggesting the kiwis weren't interested in handing success to this sequel band to the Clash Mick Jones formed following him getting fired from the band in the mid 80's. They quickly changed their minds when this became a huge success here in Australia which led to them and the Clash scoring further success around this time due to Mick's renewed popularity.

Even though this song about de stigmatising sex in the mainstream was still a massive hit for the hip hop trio in NZ, it curiously wasn't as big over there as it was over here where it was at its most popular. These girls were the rare exception to the rule where hip hop artists found more success in NZ than in Australia back in the day as it was the other way around for them.

Even though this never made it to number one on Billboard, that didn't prevent the line dance pioneer from becoming a massive worldwide success for Billy Ray Cyrus as this managed to also be an inescapable hit in NZ this year. At least this didn't last as long on the charts there as it did here, hence why it's slightly lower on this list.

This was naturally a much bigger hit in NZ for Mariah Carey given how she was more popular over there than she was here in Australia, this would remain the case for most of her career as she would only occasionally score a bigger hit here in Australia than she did in NZ or her native America.

Well, it would've been downright hilarious if this was a flop in NZ when you consider this was a hit in Australia who at this point was notoriously out of touch when it came to hip hop in the music scene. Indeed, Kris Kross were much bigger over there given how the two underage MC's managed to compete with their adult contemporaries in terms of their rhymes and flow.

This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, although I should point out that if Triple J did its annual rankings this early in the decade, this easily would've been voted number one for 1991 given how it was voted the best song of all time on its third all-time list. That's about the only new information I have for this iconic classic.

This was the first big hit that Boyz II Men had in NZ, it came a full year prior to when they broke chart records with "End of the road" which means they didn't come completely out of nowhere over there when they became the biggest musical act in the world. Here this is a ballad about how hard it is to move on from a situation, a song that's been played in various different scenarios to differing levels of success.

This was the biggest hit from the KLF over in NZ, likely due to the presence of Tammy Wynette who despite never scoring a hit in NZ (at least as far as I'm aware) did give a compelling enough performance to make this stand out from the rest of their catalogue. The duo would release one more single from the album before curiously calling it quits.

I told you this was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm not sure what Diesel did to earn so much success over there this year but whatever it was he got it. This led to his second single (which is still to come on this list) as well as his solo album becoming a massive success over there.

It had been eleven years since the tragic passing of Bob Marley, and yet the kiwis were still finding ways to hand him success with previously unreleased material in his catalogue. It turns out 2pac wasn't the first artist to continue having a success in their career from beyond the grace as Bob Marley managed to score other hits this decade.

While this wasn't quite as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia for Prince, it was still a massive success over there given how the kiwis didn't seem to realise he was even gone as he never quite dropped off their radar even during his worst material over the last decade. Indeed, his comeback period in Australia was just business as usual over there for the Purple one.

This was an even bigger success for Guns N Roses in NZ than it was in Australia, as were all of their singles given how rock music seemed to be more welcomed over there than it was over here at least for the most part. I wouldn't have thought these guys would hold Queen in high regard, however it turns out they did as this song had its proceeds donated to Freddie Mercury's estate following his tragic passing.

This was the big breakthrough for the Red hot chili peppers everywhere in the world, mainly because of the lyrics which details Anthony Kiedes' complications with drugs and living in California. They certainly connected with the kiwis given how this was slightly bigger in NZ than it was in Australia despite it charting higher here than it did over there.

This was one of two environmental songs that MJ released this decade, the other being "Earth song" which came from his next album that also peaked during the summer period here in Australia and NZ. Say what you will about Jacksons personal antics, at least he had a genuine concern for the environment and social issues as there are plenty of these types of songs in his catalogue.

This was an even bigger hit for Tom Cochrane in NZ, I'm guessing because heartland rock was still popular in NZ when it was beginning to lose its steam here in Australia by this point of the 90's. Then again, you've likely noticed that rock music in general seemed to be doing better in NZ this year, I guess we Aussies wanted to support our local music scene which was more about dance pop.

This was originally released to deafening silence worldwide a decade prior, however it was given a second chance in most parts of the world thanks to it being used in a Levi's commercial much like "The joker" was from the year prior. I guess the kiwis had access to these ads back in the day as this also managed to become a huge success over there despite it originally being a flop back in the day.

We looked at the big hit that L.S.O.B (Lighter shade of brown) had in Australia, so now let's look at the song which put the Hispanic rappers on the map in NZ which was a track about how they spent their Sunday afternoons before they made it big. This is effectively their equivalent of "Summertime" given how the premise on both songs are the same as each other.

This was the last hit that Jenny Morris was able to achieve in her career, at least she had a string of minor hits here in Australia throughout the 80's both solo and with her bands as opposed to NZ where she's a two-hit wonder with this and "She has to be loved" from two years prior. I guess the kiwis didn't have that much love for her after all despite how big both of these singles were over there.

The last time this guy troubled the charts anywhere in the world was during the first half of the 70's, basically the RIANZ charts hadn't even been established meaning he was well past his prime when it came to connecting with the youth of the day. This was the theme to a long-forgotten film Rush, although the real charge of this hit comes from it being the first thing he released since the death of his son.

I promised myself I would remain nice on this site no matter how I feel about the songs in questions, as such we have this collaboration from two artists I really enjoy otherwise which became a huge success in NZ for reasons I'm sure made sense at the time, but I don't get nowadays.

This was also a bit hit for Jimmy Nail in NZ this year, it wasn't quite as big there as it was here in Australia and especially his native UK, but the kiwis were able to appreciate this semi spoken word track about how toxic the woman he's in a relationship is with him. Like here in Australia, this was his only hit in NZ likely due to the kiwis also being unimpressed with the rest of his catalogue.

I guess the kiwis wanted to give a shout out to the Hispanic rappers this year as A.L.T managed to score a huge hit over there much sooner than he did here in Australia or anywhere else in the world. Admittedly this was a success largely due to the sample of the instrumental track from the 50's, however the rhymes are a lot better on here than you would otherwise expect.

Given how Riff already had a hit over in NZ with "My heart is failing me" from the previous year, it makes sense that they would have an even bigger hit over in NZ with the theme to the film White men can't jump regardless of the kiwis love for the Wesley Snipes flick where he teaches Woody Harrelson how to play basketball. I know that it was our love for the film that made it a success here in Australia.

While this didn't chart as high in NZ as it did in Australia, it was still a massive hit for Bobby Brown over there likely due to it being by far the raunchiest song in his discography which is odd because he was married to Whitney Houston when he released this as a single worldwide. This was the last hit he had in his career in the southern hemisphere, although he did score a few hits in the UK as the decade went on.

This was the final hit that MC Hammer had in NZ, although notice how he dropped the MC from his stage name which suggests that even at this point he was noticing that he was becoming a target from other rappers in the music industry. It was still relatively harmless even with the expensive as hell music video, certainly compared to his next album where he tried to become a gangster rapper.

Even though "The fly" was a massive hit for U2 back in the day, people tend to believe this was the lead single from Achtung baby given how much more popular it's become over the years for the band compared to the actual lead single.

It turns out that this was released as a limited edition single here in Australia, hence why it charted high but quickly existed out charts which prevented it from being eligible to appear on that side of my site. I guess the kiwis had an unlimited edition of the track as it became a massive hit over there without any signs of it being pulled from shelves of dropping out of the charts because of a lack of stock of the song.

This was released slightly sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because the label felt that this collaboration between Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson would be unsuccessful here due to neither artist having that big hit prior to its release on our charts. As fate would have it, it proved to be more successful down under than it was anywhere else in the world, although it was also quite huge in the UK.

This was the third time that the Anita Ward classic managed to be a success in NZ, or at least it was if we ignore the fact that DJ Jazzy Jeff merely sampled the chorus of the original to allow Will Smith to spit his own rhymes about him hitting on a person he has the hots for. It was a surprise success in NZ likely due to the success of "Summertime" which was their big breakthrough in their native America.

Well Tony Toni Tone already had success earlier in the decade, so why not have these guys follow in their footsteps in NZ and their native America? This is another band who combined hip hop with new jack swing who managed to score a bigger hit in NZ than anything that the other guys released over there, although they were a one hit wonder over there and also failed to score a hit in Australia.

You better believe that Kris Kross had more than one hit in NZ given how the kiwis seemed to be hungry for any kind of hip hop this decade, here's their second hit which was just as infectious as their earlier entry and yet was only a success over there and their native America likely due to international audiences finding the chorus to be too gimmicky for their liking.

You'd think that one of the big hits that En Vogue would have this year in NZ would either be "My loving" or "Free your mind," instead it was their cover of an obscure track that Aretha Franklin made in the mid 70's which of course means that they managed to have a bigger hit with this version over there than the queen of soul ever had even in her native America back in the day.

This was the only chart topper that Guns N Roses had not just during the Use your illusions era but overall in NZ, they were one of the biggest bands of all time in NZ and yet this cover of the Wings classic was the only song of theirs that made it further up the charts than number two. For what it's worth, they never made it to number one in Australia with any of their singles despite how big they were here.

This was all set to top the Billboard charts this year as it did in NZ, however due to the change of format with how they were calculated, it didn't end up becoming a number one hit in America. I thought I'd shared that here as I have nothing new to add to this song on this site and instead want to highlight just how unreliable the Billboard charts had becoming beginning with this year.

This was a modest success for Elton John in NZ on the Listener chart, meaning that the kiwis were already familiar with the original version of this ballad when it was released as a single for charity late the previous year. Naturally it was a big hit over there like it was worldwide, however it wasn't as huge as it was here in Australia and certainly not in America or the duo's native UK.

Well, it appears the kiwis could also appreciate this protest track about beauty standards disguised as a booty anthem just as much as we Aussies did back in the day, although this was a much bigger hit for Sir mix a lot in his native America given how it was a huge chart topper on Billboard for a song whose opening line is "I like big buts and I can not lie."

From what I can gather, Kid N Play were the hip hop duo of MC Hammer as they were kid friendly rappers who even had their own cartoon show similar to that of Hammerman (both of these shows look awful for the record.) I guess they also had an acting career which is perhaps how the kiwis managed to get their hands on this pop rap track this year.

This might have been a huge success for Bon Jovi this year in NZ, however it was the only hit they had from their album of the same name as both it and the other singles all flopped over there despite them being massive hits here in Australia. Admittedly this was the only single of theirs to retain the bombast they had from their 80's material.

There was little doubt that this would be a massive success over in NZ this year given how their cover of a Bill Withers classic was a huge hit for them the previous year over there, I guess this all comes down to the band incorporating reggae elements to their sound with their album with Deni Hines as their vocalist as that's the only explanation I can think of for their success around this time.

This was the second hit that Beats international managed to achieve in NZ back in the day, that's right, Fatboy slim managed to score a second hit over there before he embarked on a solo career later in the decade. This time we have a straighter forward cover of the Elvis Presley track as this doesn't have additional lyrics or samples like their earlier hit did which is perhaps why this didn't chart in Australia.

Although this wasn't as big a hit as their first two singles in NZ, this ballad was nonetheless quite huge over there likely due to it being their first Billboard chart topper as well as this type of ballad being ubiquitous over there at the time. It was a huge flop here in Australia, meaning that we Aussies didn't want to hear any more from these guys.

This wasn't as big for George Michael in NZ as it was here in Australia, mainly because we Aussies were very excited to see what the second volume for Listen without prejudice would look like as opposed to the kiwis who likely saw the writing on the wall when it was announced that George would become the new lead singer for Queen following the tragic death of Freddie Mercury.

Much like in Australia and the UK, this was the only hit that Jon Secada had in NZ likely due to the Latin elements connecting with audiences for this one and only song from the American singer. At least he was a lot more popular in his homeland throughout the decade which may have even led to the rise of the Latin craze from the second half of the 90's.

Well, it looks like the west coast of the hip hop wars already had a strong leg in with the kiwis given how this track from Brotherhood of Creed was a massive success over there and not in the duo's native America. I guess their fellow Americans initially felt they were the British novelty group Brotherhood of man given how the two groups share a similar name to each other even if they're from two different genres.

It's a bit curious this was merely equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia given how you'd think this would've been an easy chart topper for Natural selection over there with how similar it is to many of the other tracks on this list, alas it appears the kiwis didn't have as much love for this as their fellow Americans did.

Here's that other big hit that Diesel managed to score in NZ just like he did here in Australia, naturally the success of both songs was reversed over there to what they achieved here given how this was the second single from his album and thus, the song that would've had some of its success taken away from audiences who checked out the album because of its popularity.

This was the song that made the Mutton birds a household name given that it was their first hit in their homeland right around the time they dropped their highly successful debut album. They had potential to crossover to Australia as did many NZ bands from the 90's, however it was sadly never met as Triple J never promoted their music despite being a rock band.

It appears the kiwis were also feeling nostalgic for the Jim Henson preschool show which premiered twenty years prior and is still running to this day, that's the best explanation I have for how this remix of the show's theme song managed to become such a huge worldwide success back in the day except for in America as British artists didn't have as much luck in the 90's on Billboard as they had previously done.

I did mention the last time I featured Richard Marc on this site that this was the only other hit that he managed to achieve in NZ, this is rather coincidental as both of these songs were chart toppers here in Australia and yet this was what got him out of the one hit wonder bin over there despite being far less successful than it was over here. I guess the kiwis were a bit torn with the story telling on this particular track.

Well, this really wasn't as big in NZ than it was in Australia or especially their native UK, heck this was more popular in America months after its release which should tell you how bizarre the kiwis found this ballad from Shakespear's sister. That said, it was still a huge hit for the duo likely thanks to the strong vocals from both women involved, although Marcella Detroit didn't have a solo hit after this like she did down under.

This was the second single to be released from Nevermind worldwide, it managed to be a success in NZ likely because A: they had a stronger alternative scene at the time compared to us Aussies and B: the album was already a massive success here by the time this was released as a single. It remains one of their more iconic songs in their catalogue due to how surprisingly simplistic it is as a grunge track.

This is another song that could've made it on the Australian side of my site if I didn't place a cap on how many songs would appear on each of these lists, fortunately this was much bigger in NZ likely due to the kiwis being more impressed with this novelty hip hop track from American rapper Del tha funkee homosapien (man what a weird rap name.) I know this is meant to be conscious rap, however all I remember when listening to this is the repetition of the title on each chorus.

This was the third and final hit that the Exponents managed to achieve with this name as their subsequent material this decade failed to make it big in their homeland, this also came out around the time they released their first album since their name change which likely boosted the song's popularity at the time.

This was a minor hit in Australia this year, so minor that it failed to appear on the Australian side of my site for the Cure meaning that they're basically a two-hit wonder with their two appearances they made on that side of my site. In fact, this being their only appearance on this side of my site is a bit confusing given how they had plenty of success with their albums over there throughout the 80's.

Well at least this song didn't have to compete with "One word" by Baby animals in NZ given how the Australian band didn't have nearly the same level of success over there as they did over here this year. As such this third single from Achtung baby was able to become a much bigger hit for U2 over there which only fueled the success the band was having at the time.

Unlike in Australia where Sophie B Hawkins managed to achieve a second hit throughout the decade, this was the only hit she managed to achieve over in NZ likely due to this becoming a minor hit in the UK in addition to it being a massive hit here and in her native America this year. Admittedly none of her contemporaries managed to achieve much success with their singles over there like they did over here either.

This was another easy hit that MJ had in NZ this year, in fact much like U2, it seems like audiences were handing him success this year regardless of what the song was actually about given how it seemed like everything he would release would be a success worldwide.

From what I can gather, this is a charity song that NZ blues singer Hammond Gamble wrote for red nose day that became a hit twice in NZ. This was obviously the first time as it went straight to number one over there this year, however it went back to number one the following year likely due to a similar campaign shooting it back up the charts.

*Apologies for the lack of album art for this entry, there doesn't seem to be one in existence. The song is "You make the whole world smile" from Hammond Gamble if you couldn't tell from my commentary*

From what I can tell, Greg Johnson was a folk singer from NZ who managed to score a massive hit in his homeland this year with this folk track about the love of his life named Isabelle. It was enough of a success to spark interest in him from America of all places which is why he moved over there later in the decade despite failing to score any other hits in his catalogue in his homeland.

Disney's animated version of Beauty and the beast is my favourite movie of all time bar none (naturally we don't talk about the Emma Watson version) it's one of many films the company made in the 90's that holds up so well that Disney haters have to invent ridiculous claims to make it seem like it isn't a masterpiece when it clearly is. This Oscar winning duet was a hit here in Australia, however it was only a minor one as opposed to its genuine success worldwide.

This was originally released five years prior from Freddie's second solo album, it was a collaboration with Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe and was a flop for the duo back in the day. It became a hit this year for two reasons, the first was of course due to Freddie's passing and the second was due to Montserrat performing this at the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics this year.

It appears that Redhead kingpin was able to score one final hit over in NZ with the lead single to his second album, I guess the kiwis felt he was enough of a legit east coast rapper to give him further success even if there were unfavourable comparisons, they made between him and MC Hammer at the time.

*Apologies for lack of single art, this is "3 2 1 pump" if you couldn't tell from my commentary*

Given how inescapable their previous album was in NZ compared to what it achieved here in Australia, I would've been dumbstruck if the lead single to their first album of the 90's was a flop over there especially given how the kiwis likely would've also gawked at the bizarre visuals of its music video at the time like we Aussies did. Unfortunately, this was their final hit anywhere in the world likely due to said video.

Although Tevin Campbell did achieve massive success in NZ throughout the 90's, I should point out that this will be his only appearance on this side of my site as none of his other singles racked up enough points to make the cut for their respective lists. It seems odd that his biggest hit in NZ and his native America would be from his much younger years given how his later work was much better recieved.

It seems odd that R.E.M would go for this as the lead single to their biggest album Automatic for the people, in fact it's largely because of this coming off as a weak lead single that the album took so long to become a best seller in most parts of the world as it required the assistance of "Man on the moon" and "Everybody hurts" to connect with audiences in a way this track initially failed to do so with everyone except for the kiwis.

This barely missed the cut from appearing on the Australian side of my site, it's also one of the more painful cuts I made given how well remembered this new jack swing track is on oldies stations here. Fortunately, it was more of a success in NZ likely due to the kiwis finding this to be a cute and innocent track from a genre that's otherwise known for its raunchy sexual antics performed by older men.

I have no idea how the kiwis came across this house track from American DJ Lidell Townsell (really what's with that stage name?) however, they did as it became one of the bigger hits of the year over there which is odd as it's usually us Aussies that discover these otherwise obscure dance tracks in order to have them light up our dance floors especially from back then.

This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for the Purple one this year, I'm guessing because the kiwis in general were more apathetic to his comeback album this serves as the title track for than the rest of the world who were far more ecstatic to see the return of the funk legend.

It appears the kiwis were more touched initially of Eric Clapton's MTV unplugged performance of this track than we Aussies were given how it was an immediate success over there as opposed to it being needed to be bundled with an acoustic version of his earlier entry on this list like it was here in Australia.

Just a fair warning that all of Madonna's entries from here on out will appear much lower on these lists than they did on the Australian side of my site, I guess the kiwis wanted to leave her in the 80's but couldn't quite bring themselves to do so which would explain her mediocre success over there throughout the decade compared to the rest of the world.

In exchange for his earlier entry on this list not lasting as long on the NZ charts as it did here in Australia, Billy Ray Cyrus was able to score a second hit over there with this number which as far as I can tell, was far better received from critics back in the day even if nowadays it's been overshadowed by his line dance anthem.

These guys were on a roll when they released this fourth single from Woodface in their homeland this year, although was a flop here in Australia likely due to the album sales eating up this song's popularity here back in the day even though it's since become a staple on oldies stations due to how timeless it feels compared to many of the other entries on this list.

This is the only hit single that singer/songwriter Jan Hellriegel managed to achieve in her homeland throughout her career, although it wasn't through a lack of trying to make it big that she remained a one hit wonder as she had several other charting singles which failed to connect with her fellow kiwis the way this ballad did.

*Apologies for the terrible quality of this album art, images of this album cover are scarce on the internet. *

It's strange that this would fail to become a hit here in Australia upon its initial release back in 1979 considering how well remembered it remains to this day on oldies stations, I guess the kiwis wanted to make up for sleeping on the band until (at the time) very recently by having this live rendition of the track become a modest success for them this year off their live album.

It appears the kiwis were so much in love with Nirvana this year that Weird Al's parody of the band managed to become a moderate success over there this year. It remains the final taste of success he's achieved anywhere in the world throughout his career.

From what I can gather, this is an EDM cover of a track from the Gap band (of "Ooops upside your head" fame) that was a massive success in the UK the previous year, I guess the kiwis were impressed enough to make this a minor success this year even if they overlooked Kenny Thomas' other big hit "Thinking about your love."