NZ hits of 1993

This was the year where the 90's became its own in the music industry, although for whatever reason reggae was quite popular this year as well as all the other trends affiliated with the decade.

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.

This remains the most successful song in UB40's career regardless of where in the world you're from, although in NZ this was up against some stiff competition given how much the kiwis loved their music and reggae overall over the years. Even so, I don't think even they would realise that this was one of the biggest hits of the 90's over there given how it's a cover of an Elvis classic for a long-forgotten film.

It appears we Aussies got the release schedule for Inner circle wrong as this was meant to be the second single to crossover internationally for the Jamaican band and yet we had it as their first hit single. As a result, it not only wasn't as big here as it could've been, but they also remain a one hit wonder despite them scoring multiple hits over in NZ throughout the 90's.

Much like in Australia, this collaboration between MJ and Slash reignited the popularity of the former's album Dangerous in NZ, unlike in Australia, the album managed to continue to spawn hit singles over there for the king of pop which we'll look at later down this list.

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.

Well, this would've been completely out of leftfield in NZ considering how successful his earlier family friendly hip hop was over there, at least we Aussies could pretend this was simply the Fresh prince scoring his first hit as a gangster rapper to help audiences mature with him in the show. This didn't prevent the song from being a massive worldwide hit for him and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Even though this was an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia, this debut single from Ace of base had a bit of a delay to its release over there likely due to it being a dance track more so than a reggae track. Indeed, once it was released over there, it quickly became a massive success for the band due to the reggae groove as well as the story about a woman wanting to fall pregnant with a lover.

Well, this was a hit that was bound to be a massive success in NZ, it was a reggae cover of a Fats Domino track from the early 60's that was already a massive success in Bitty McLean's native UK around this time. This is one of the first songs to be pulled from shelves over there as it randomly stopped charting despite it still being in the top ten, I'm guessing to promote his album this came from.

All the world needed for this title track from Lenny Kravitz's biggest album was an infectious guitar lick to permeate throughout the track, that is except for America where this wasn't even released as a single for some reason which means that it never charted on Billboard for him. It did the album no favours as the second single (which is still to come on this list) and the album also bombed in America.

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.

This was released on time in NZ likely due to RNB being well embraced over there compared to here in Australia where it needed some incentive to be a success from us Aussies. That incentive came for Toni's second single from her debut album when it became a hit here and in the UK of all places which finally allowed us to check this ballad out to see what all the fuss was about.

While the first Bat out of hell album wasn't as inescapable in NZ as it was in Australia, that didn't prevent the second edition from being a massive success over there given how the lead single became one of the biggest hits of the decade for Meat loaf like it did everywhere else in the world.

Well, this was that rare hip hop track that incorporated reggae into its sound, so this was an inevitable hit for Snow in NZ given how both of those genres would permeate in their music scene throughout the decade. Interestingly this wasn't a huge success for Snow in his native Canada, likely due to Canadians having a hard time supporting their local talent at the best of times and that they were less into hip hop than us Aussies at the time.

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.

It was inevitable that this self-empowerment anthem would be a massive worldwide success for Mariah Carey, after all it came from a highly successful album and its message of self-love is poignant even to this day and arguably more so back in the day. It was strangely the final Billboard chart topper for her on Music box as her next two singles didn't quite get to number one in her native America.

Regardless of what your thoughts are on this song, there's no denying it was a massive success back in the day meaning that many people felt comfort in hearing Linda Perry sing about her heartbreak in order to make it a huge worldwide success. Interestingly this song was only a modest success in the band's native America, meaning it was bigger in the southern hemisphere and throughout Europe back in the day.

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.

Just like in Australia, this was a two for one deal in NZ for Arrested development likely because their label wanted them to have that number one hit over there that they never wound up getting anywhere in the world. They came close admittedly as this did nearly top the NZ charts with these two tracks.

This was where Mariah Carey was able to finally distinguish herself from all of the other pop divas of her time, so naturally it would be a huge success for her in NZ like it was everywhere else in the world due to how incessantly catchy it is without compromising her vocal talent. Her earlier entry on this list would be the big hit from Music box, however this was still a solid introduction to the album.

Much like here in Australia, this was the debut single for Shaggy which of course was an even bigger hit over there due to it being a reggae cover of an old doo wop track from the early 60's. Unlike in Australia, Shaggy would go on to have massive success throughout the 90's in NZ with a bunch of other hits that made it big over there that failed to do so over here.

Although this wasn't as big as "Uptown girl" for Billy Joel in NZ, it was a decent second place given how it was released exactly ten years after that track as well as it being his final hit single anywhere in the world to date. I still don't know why he called it quits after this track other than perhaps wanting to end his recording career on a high note.

Well, I'm hoping that the band managed to achieve what they set out to do in their song and music video they released this year, after all there were a lot of people who felt touched by their genuine concern for those who had been brought up in the video which were able to bring to life the lyrics about how running away from your problems will only cause pain and heartache in the long run.

This was Janet's biggest hit in NZ just like it was here in Australia, mainly because there wasn't much competition for her this year from either country given how she normally had to compete with a bunch of pop divas in any other given year. It was the first song she released following her (then) record breaking record deal with Sony.

Well, these guys were more successful in NZ this year than they were here in Australia, mainly because they still have another entry to come on this list which was the song that finally got them into the mainstream after a long two year wait they had to make in obscurity from the release of their debut album.

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.

Although this wasn't the debut single from Supergroove (that honour goes to "Here comes the supergroove") this was the first big hit that the funk rock band from NZ had in their homeland which began the hype for their debut album which was effortlessly met once they released it the following year.

To think that the only hit that Naughty by Nature had in Australia was with "Holiday" in 2000, a song that didn't even touch the charts in NZ or their native America. Seven years prior, they had a massive hit in both countries with this bop of a track, finally putting the east coast hip hop on the map as they would be major representatives of what the New Jersey scene would have to offer this decade.

One surprising fact I have for you is that throughout most of the 90's, the biggest names in music didn't manage to achieve a number on hit in NZ. I bring that up here because aside from his theme to the Kevin Costner adaptation of Robin Hood, Bryan Adams never had a chart topper in NZ despite having massive success over there with his ballads this decade.

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.

Somehow this managed to be an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, if this isn't proof that the kiwis had a vast indie scene back in the day then I don't know what is as I can't imagine this being a success in the southern hemisphere with any assistance from MTV like it was in their native America. If nothing else, we Aussies and kiwis were ahead of the curve in making Tool and A perfect circle household names in the alternative scene.

Well, this is going to be a fun entry, we have the one and only hit from the all-white hip hop group Young black teenagers. You've noticed that with some very few exceptions, music throughout the twentieth century was unproblematic in Australia and NZ. This is one of those rare exceptions for reasons that should be obvious.

Apparently, this track was originally released as the theme song to some cop show in America I've never even heard of, I doubt this is why it became a worldwide hit this year as that show premiered at the start of the decade and it didn't do Inner circle any favours crossing over internationally. It became a hit this year in NZ because it was a reggae track about being bad boys, it was a surefire hit in the making over there.

I don't know what's stranger about the success of this cover in NZ, the fact that it was Ugly Kid Joe's only hit over there or that the original by Harry Chapin wasn't a hit over there during the mid 70's. Either way, it was a mammoth success for the band this year and even allowed their debut album to briefly chart before it dropped off for reasons I can't seem to fathom.

This was a hit twice for John Paul Young in NZ just like it was here in Australia, although in this case this made him a two-hit wonder with both versions of this track as none of his other songs became a hit for him over in NZ throughout the 70's. Still, this was only a hit over there due to the ballroom mix which was commissioned for the Strictly ballroom soundtrack that came out around this time.

This was a great year for MJ when even a remix of a song that flopped the previous year managed to become a massive worldwide success thanks to it sampling one of his earlier singles, yes we have the "Human nature" remix of this track which was a massive success for Sisters with voices (SWV for short) and was even a mild sleeper hit here in Australia for the RNB girl group of colour.

So, I bet you're wondering how this managed to become such a huge success for MJ despite coming from an album that was released nearly two years prior to its release, it turns out this was selected as the theme song to the film Free willy which is about a boy befriending a whale that was a box office success at the time. I guess we Aussies didn't like the film very much as it did nothing to allow this to chart over here.

Well, here's that other big hit from the Spin doctors from their debut album that they had in NZ this year, it's just as catchy as the big international hit that had but is instead about a woman that the narrator finds to be a bit too condescending to be around (presumably an ex-girlfriend.) It was one more hit they had in NZ than they did everywhere else in the world, meaning they were most successful over there.

This was a huge success for Frente over in NZ this year, likely because there were a ton of Australian bands and artists making it big around this time and that there was bound to be some crossover appeal for some of the bigger artists over there. Indeed, this was a shoe in for crossover success due to how cute and fun the track remains to this day, although they would change this image with their later material.

It seems odd that the two big hits these guys had in Australia would flop in NZ, mainly because they managed to score two big hits over there this decade that didn't exactly light up our charts back in the day. This was the first of those two big hits which was the lead single to their second album Vs, an album which would be the band's biggest in the southern hemisphere despite their debut being their signature release.

Given how even we Aussies were able to make this a hit for Boyz II Men this year, it only seems logical that it would be even bigger in NZ to the point where it was the second of four chart toppers they had over there this decade. This was even after they had another hit between this and their earlier entry on this list, that entry is still to come further down the list by the way.

Well, here's the second single from Lenny Kravitz's third album, it was much bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia hence it's higher placement on this list for the rock and roller of colour. His popularity over in NZ throughout the rest of the 90's panned out the same way it did in Australia as he didn't have another hit over there until "Fly away" from his fifth album at the end of the decade.

These guys were on a roll this year as they managed to achieve their second big hit following their earlier entry on this list, I don't know if they managed to become the new RHCP in the eyes of the kiwis, however it would explain why that band's next album wasn't as successful over there as it was over here.

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

So, we all know that song "An Englishman in New York" from Sting, right? Well, what if we did that again but instead, we have a musician of colour from Jamaica (or in this case a British musician of colour claiming to be from Jamaica.) That was the premise of this pseudo cover of the 1987 track from Nothing like the sun which only the kiwis seemed to appreciate as it was only a hit in NZ this year.

Given how much more popular Boyz II Men were in NZ compared to Australia, it would've been inconceivable that this debut single from Shai was a flop over there given how it was a huge success for the group here in Australia. Indeed, the A Capella ballad proved just as successful in both countries, much like how the group remains a one hit wonder in both countries with the ballad.

This was equally as successful for Rage against the machine in NZ as it was here in Australia, although this was the only thing they released in their career where it proved to be as popular with us Aussies as the kiwis as the rest of their catalogue saw much more success over there throughout the 90's than it did here. I feel that these guys were more popular in NZ than anywhere else in the world which was the case for Faith no more down under.

This became a hit twice in NZ, the first time was upon its initial release where it was a minor hit for the German band whilst the second was when it randomly rebounded on their charts at the beginning of 1994 likely due to the minor success of their second single "Got to get it" (which sadly won't be reappearing on this side of my site.)

This was sandwiched between the RNB group's two chart toppers in NZ, so it often gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to discussing their catalogue outside of their obvious hits. It could also be due to this song (which isn't a cover of the KC and the Sunshine band classic) being released before "End of the road" in their native America and also being a flop for the group on the Billboard charts.

This was one of many other hits that Shaggy managed to achieve in NZ that wasn't a success here in Australia, it's an original track from him which perhaps explains its failure in most parts of the world given how his earlier entry on this list was an update of an early 60's track run through the reggae filter. I'm actually surprised his debut album was a flop over there given how big both of these singles were.

This was the final hit that AC/DC had anywhere in the world, mainly because it was the theme to the Arnold Schwarzenegger flick Last action hero where he stars in a film that involves him traveling from film universe to film universe with hilarity ensuing. I haven't seen the film (shocking I know) but it looks pretty terrible from the videos I've seen on YouTube.

I guess this was less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia due to the original from the Commodores already being a hit in the 70's over there, as such the kiwis really didn't need this almost note for note cover of the track to become a hit this year and yet it was likely due to their nostalgia of the original.

This was a predictably repeat entry for this list given how well-beloved Aladdin remains to this day, although I have seen people criticise these adult contemporary renditions of the showstoppers from the Disney films as little more than a soulless attempt to milk money from their respective films. I disagree as it would be weird to see the original versions of these songs on the charts especially back then.

This was the second big hit that Annie Crummer had over in NZ this year, it was the title track to her solo debut which was also a massive success for the former vocalist for a band known as Netherworld dancing toys.

Ever want to know why Jason Priestly from 90210 ever took Hollywood by storm outside of his starring role in the TV series? Well, it may have something to do with his first feature length film which was so poorly received that history has done its best to try and erase its existence. I bring this up because there's no information on who provided the theme song to the film other than it being a cover of a Diana Ross classic.

It was only inevitable that the kiwis would also welcome back Terence Trent D'arby with open arms this year given how much more successful his debut album was over there compared to here, in fact he would go on to have moderate success over there throughout the decade as he scored several minor hits over there that failed to make an impression over here.

This was the final hit that Midnight oil had anywhere in the world, and it's a return to them standing up for Australian aboriginals as this is a song dedicated to an elder by the name of Truganini who was one of the last traditional owners of Tasmania before it was taken off them by the Australian government. Yeah, the Australian government are notorious for how they treat the local community throughout history, which is perhaps why this underperformed here and was a big hit in NZ.

Well, I bet you were wondering if me saying this duo's album was more popular over there than anywhere else in the world meant that they managed to score a second hit in NZ, it turns out they did as they scored a massive hit over there with this song about how awful it is to live in New York City at the time the duo had made it big. Naturally this criticism of the big apple didn't go over very well in their native America.

Much like in Australia, this was the only hit that U2 managed to score from Zooropa in NZ, I'm guessing to allow the album itself to be a massive success there due to it being their foray towards industrial rock which was slowly starting to take over the music industry at the time of its release.

This is the only notable hit from American RNB singer Trey Lorenz, likely due to it being written by Mariah Carey around the time she proved herself as the real deal on MTV unplugged but also due to the success of Boyz II men and other RNB groups of the moment.

Shihad is a metal band who made it big this year with this breakthrough single of theirs in their homeland, they had plenty of buzz on the alternative rock scene to the point where some of their tracks managed to appear on the Triple J going into the new millennium. That would explain why their popularity exploded in the 00's and how they even managed to have minor success in Australia that decade.

It looks like the kiwis gave Guns n Roses one more hit for the road during the Use your illusions era, although it's worth noting that "November rain" was still one of the biggest hits here in Australia during the entire chart run this song had on our charts as opposed to it finally dropping out of the charts over there when it was released.

This was a big hit for the Headless chickens this year in their homeland, it wasn't a huge success here in Australia, but it did catch the attention of Triple J listeners who voted it on their first annual year end list. I'm guessing it was because of this attention that their first hit in their homeland was bundled with their biggest hit over there the following year.

It had been a while since Tina Turner last troubled the charts in NZ, indeed it wasn't since "Typical male" from 1986 since she reached the upper echelons of the charts which is strange because that means that "The best" was a massive flop over there for her. Fortunately, she scored one more hit over there with this track from her biopic What's love got to do with it even though it flopped here in Australia.

This was a big hit in Australia this year, so naturally it would also be a big hit in NZ even if it was only slightly bigger over there for some reason. The trio would score one more hit much later in the decade over there with "Let's get down" which would be a complete departure from the new jack swing that made them a household name worldwide during the first half of the decade.

We have one final entry from Kris Kross to feature on this site, this time it's the lead single to their second album which managed to become a decent hit in NZ as well as their native America this year. Naturally this saw the duo mature from their previous material as they went through their puberty, which likely explains why it wasn't as big as "Jump" or "Warm it up" as the change in direction was noticeable.

It only seems natural that this second cover that Whitney Houston made for the soundtrack to her theatrical debut would be a huge hit in NZ like it was here in Australia this year, in fact the only surprise here is that the original from Chaka Khan was also a flop over there despite that version superseding this take over the years as the definitive version on oldies stations.

This was SWV's first big hit anywhere in the world, in fact it was a number one hit on Billboard for the trio which perhaps explains how it managed to be a big hit over in NZ for the RNB group. Their earlier entry was what made them an international household name; however, it was this track which first put them on the map in their homeland and led them to having a bunch of hits around the world.

From what I can gather, this was a fictious band from the NZ soap opera Shortland Street who managed to score a hit this year with this track likely due to the storyline that involved their creation in universe. It could also be due to them having Annie Crummer as one of their members which makes this the third band she was a part of after Netherworld dancing toys and When the cats away.

This is the final hit that Crowded house was able to achieve in their career given how they would struggle with the other singles from their fourth album Together alone in Australia and NZ in exchange for said album being a massive success in both countries, it's one of their more recognisable tracks in their catalogue which makes its success less surprising over there than its failure over here.

This was the final hit that Tim Finn was able to achieve in his homeland, considering how this year saw a massive purge of older artists in the mainstream, it's quite impressive he was able to score this hit when he did.

This was the third big hit that Charles and Eddie had in NZ this year alone, although it would be their final hit anywhere in the world as their second album would be a massive flop for the duo later in the decade even with the kiwis.

I don't know how this track even came to be, let alone how it became a massive hit throughout Europe and even a minor hit over in NZ for the literal toddler Jordy, but here we are talking about a dance track where the French minor spouts off about how being a baby is hard and how he deserves respect for it. At least him being a minor gives him a pass for having this attitude unlike most adults who would sing these lyrics.

Although UB40 had two more minor hits from their album Promises and lies in NZ, this will be their final entry on this side of mine given how those singles were too minor to appear on these lists. Indeed, this second single only barely scrapped on here due to how much love the kiwis had for the reggae band even this far into the 90's.

This is the last hit that Aaron Neville had anywhere in the world, although he would continue to chart in NZ for the rest of the decade to give you an idea of how well loved he was over there. I'm guessing his subsequent follow ups would've been successful at least with the kiwis had this year not been so vicious towards older artists.

This was the only hit that Queen managed to achieve with George Michael as their lead singer, admittedly he only took over from the band following the death of Freddie Mercury as someone who could complete their touring obligations given how much of a shock his death was earlier in the decade.

There's a reason why people don't like to talk about Billy Idol's 90's catalogue (at least anything he released after 1990) that's because this year he released a concept album revolving around his fascination of everything becoming "cyber" (basically the 90's equivalent of the 00's "we're in the future" phenomenon.) The album was a critical and commercial disaster save for this lead single which did receive some love here and there.

This was meant to be a throwaway single from Metallica given how it had been well over a year since the black album was released from the band, it turns out it was quite the fan favourite back in the day given how it not only managed to make an appearance on this list, but also only barely failed to do so on the Australian side of my site.

This was a bit of a comeback for Duran Duran, although it was merely a modest success at best in NZ which is a far cry from its massive success in America where this was among the biggest hits of the year on Billboard for the new wave band. What's truly remarkable is that these guys were considered yesterday's news before the 80's ended and yet here they are whilst their contemporaries struggled to keep up.

This was originally released on RHCP's 1987 album the Uplift mofo party plan; however, it was finally given the light of day as a single when it was released as such on the band's greatest hits package What hits which allowed it to become a minor success over in NZ this year.

I did mention on the previous list that this became a hit twice in NZ, here we are again looking at this single from Hammond Gamble thankfully for the last time given how it didn't re-enter their charts after this year.

*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*