Much like with the 80's, I've also decided to do a list of the biggest hits of the 90's in Australia which includes entries based on both their AMR and ARIA stats. Just like before, I'll only make a mention for which entries are the ARIA entries as I feel their placement on this list will speak for themselves rather than me delivering redundant commentary that will highlight how well/poorly they did compared to the AMR charts.
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#50 for 1993
For some reason (most likely a joke) this track about Denis Leary being a nuisance in the Hollywood scene managed to be voted as the best song of 1993 on the first annual Triple J list. This allowed the song to become a genuine hit for the Hollywood actor and even sparked interest in his music career due to how big it was down under, although thankfully this was the only hit he had anywhere in the world.
#47 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#52 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#53 for 1998
Delerium was a Canadian EDM duo who scored massive international success with this track featuring the vocals of Sarah McLaughlin, Sarah herself was a popular Canadian artist who made adult contemporary ballads that helped her stand out in her native Canada. Neither artist saw any international success outside of this dance track, in fact this mainly became a success due to the multiple remixes that were floating around at the time it its release.
#50 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#48 for 1990
#46 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#47 for 1991
Given that he served in the American military earlier in the decade, it's a bit surprising that Shaggy's debut single was a flop on Billboard and needed to find success in the UK and throughout Europe to kick start his music career. I'm guessing Americans weren't too thrilled with this reggae cover of an early 60's hit, either that or they didn't realise that this man would go on to rule over both hip hop and reggae throughout the 90's.
#51 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#50 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#49 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#50 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#48 for 1991
This was the one and only hit from white female rapper Icy blue, an underage MC who made it big with a song about how good she is in bed err.... I mean on the dancefloor given how many guys fail to keep up with her until she comes across this seeming dweeb who outdoes her at the end of the night. The song is notable for sampling "Push it" from Salt n Pepa, which is perhaps why it was a flop in her native America.
#44 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#44 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#45 for 1995
This was the lead single to the boy's album of the same name, I'm sorry but I just always found it hilarious that the first hit singles these guys had in Australia was with a song proclaiming that they were back. Of course, as far as their core fanbase was concerned, this was appropriate and hey "Quit playing games with my heart" was a huge hit in their native America and throughout Europe for what it's worth.
#51 for 1997
This was the second single from Backstreet boy's third album Millennium, and it's a song that's notable for two reasons. The first is the guitar solo which was a more common troupe in teen pop from around this time (likely to spark outrage from rock snobs) and the second is for its music video which was one of the most expensive to ever be created, the price tag certainly shows with its high budget CGI.
#51 for 1999
Given that I'm well familiar with Night at the Roxbury (more than I care to admit) it took me by surprise that this song wasn't originally written for the film and was instead a huge hit earlier in the decade for this singer of colour. It turns out he had a bunch of other hits throughout Europe that also fitted in the EDM trends, meaning he was one of the few dance artists to be underrepresented in Australia.
#52 for 1993
#48 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#48 for 1994
There was a popular sub-genre from the 70's that I've dubbed as late-night rock, this is the type of rock music I picture myself listening to whenever I'm at a cocktail bar late at night or driving home alone on a dark lonely highway. Here we have Edwyn Collins score a hit in this sub-genre I invented with his one and only hit which is about how he's dumbfounded by this woman he's talking to and how abnormal she seems to him.
#47 for 1995
This was the only hit that Biggie Smalls had here in Australia, at least his rival 2pac managed to score one hit here during his lifetime with "California love." Indeed, I question if this even is a Notorious B.I.G track as this feels like more of a posse cut due to how much time both Diddy and Ma$e get on the track, although I get the feeling this song was only a hit due to the Diana Ross sample.
#52 for 1997
There seemed to be two lanes this year with popular music, the kiddie pop which dominated the first half of this list and the alternative scene which will dominate the second half of this list. Marcy Playground managed to appeal to those in the middle ground as this became a huge success for them in the alternative scene and also while charting along the likes of the Spice girls and Backstreet boys.
#55 for 1998
This was the biggest hit from Poison in Australia, I'm guessing because they were coming off the overwhelming success of their second album Open up and say ahh which was one of the biggest here in Australia of the 80's. From what I can tell, this is a song about nothing which admittedly is a far cry from their earlier work which at least had individual messages for each song.
#51 for 1990
This was the debut album for one of the most popular EDM artists of the decade, although people will think that these guys are a one hit wonder with this song due to how prevalent it remains in sporting events due to the line "yall ready for this." This wasn't even their biggest hit as that honour goes to "No limit" from the following year, although this was a close second here in Australia.
#42 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#53 for 1996
#51 for 1997
We almost went through the entire decade without there being a "Girls just want to have fun" equivalent, so here's Shania Twain filling in that void with this track which became her fourth hit from Come on over during the height of its popularity worldwide. It comes complete with a video that is the reverse of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to love" as we have her as the lead vocalist with guys as her backing band.
#52 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#49 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#43 for 1992
This was originally a hit for John Paul Young way back in 1978 where it became his big international breakthrough and thus made him a one hit wonder outside of Australia. Fast forward to this year and we have Baz Lurhman commissioning a remix of this track to be used in his film debut Strictly ballroom where this updated version managed to become a hit for John all over again.
#43 for 1992
It took this song three times to find success in N trance's native UK, given how it was originally released three years prior and was given a second chance the previous year both to little avail. It looked like third time was the charm as this track managed to become a huge success for them in their homeland this year which allowed it to crossover here in Australia where they saw massive success.
#48 for 1995
Here we have another contender for the best song of the 90's according to public opinion (no arguments here) although this has been mired in controversy as while the band did have permission to sample "The last time" from the Rolling stones, it was only for a small part of the track and not the basis of the melody which resulted in a lengthy lawsuit between them and the Rolling stones former management.
#53 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#52 for 1997
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#53 for 1997
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#54 for 1998
This was meant to be a farewell track to Ginger Spice following her departure from the band during their Spiceworld tour, although given the behind-the-scenes drama, I doubt the girls had much love for her when they originally recorded this track even though they do sound heartfelt on this track. This is often considered to be the final song in their catalogue that displays any sort of personality from any of them.
#53 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#51 for 1993
#49 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#50 for 1994
Well, if the Grid were able to show us how to marry EDM with country music, then Rednex found a way to irritate audiences with their one and only hit worldwide with this track. Apparently, this was a remix of an old folk song that has been sung over the years by American outlaws that the Swedish group somehow got their hands on, although they did write the verses sung by the female vocalist.
#49 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#55 for 1998
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#50 for 1999
Well, they may have switched from standing up for aboriginal rights to fighting for the Australian miners and their rights, however that's the only change that Midnight Oil made for their first album of the 90's as music wise it's the same rock and roll that made them a household name throughout the 80's. This was their final hit in their career in Australia, although they did score one more hit in NZ with "Truganini" in 1993.
#52 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#51 for 1990
Yeah, as far as the music industry is concerned, the 80's didn't officially end until around the time where Nirvana took the world by storm by introducing grunge to a wider audience later in the decade. In the meantime, we have this lead single to INXS's album X which details the type of woman that Michael Hutchence is into by describing her as a "suicide blonde," whatever that's meant to mean.
#53 for 1990
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#52 for 1990
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#44 for 1992
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#45 for 1992
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#51 for 1994
Here's a song that causes minor controversy in rock circles, mainly due to how this relationship never had any legs to stand on due to the only thing that the narrator has in common with their partner is that they kind of liked the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's the ultimate song about a mediocre romance which is no doubt what led to it being a massive success during what was meant to be the height of irony in pop culture.
#51 for 1996
The last time Maxi Priest had troubled the charts anywhere in the world was at the start of the decade when "Close to you" became a massive success in America and in the southern hemisphere. Fast forward six years and he's back with a collaboration with Shaggy during the height of the rapper's career which no doubt elevated the success of this reggae track much higher than it otherwise would've achieved.
#52 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#53 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#54 for 1990
The 90's were here, which means it was time to get our love for the 70's into gear which Kylie was here to do with the second single to her third album Rhythm of love. Indeed, this was a huge hit for her due to everyone's love for the 70's, specifically the O'jays despite them not having any success here back in the day. The decade would have many highs and lows for her as she would experiment with her sound.
#54 for 1990
#45 for 1991
While there's no denying that this is a silly hair metal track that was clearly meant for the ladies, it's still a ton of fun to listen to thanks to the killer instrumentation and how much fun the band is having while recording this track. Strangely this was their only hit in Australia despite it not being their biggest hit in their native America, although their other songs are nowhere near as fun as this track.
#55 for 1990
#46 for 1991
This was a flop in 2 in a room's native America, likely because dance tracks in general don't do well on Billboard especially if they're from local artists over there. This didn't prevent the track from being a huge success throughout Europe which had its success translate here in Australia where dance music was often welcomed with open arms. Like many American dance acts this decade, they were a one hit wonder.
#47 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#52 for 1993
#52 for 1994
If you can believe it, the original version of this track from Kool and the gang was never a hit here in Australia, meaning that Peter Andre's version is likely the only version that most Aussies are familiar with. The backing band on here would go on to have minor success later in the decade as Ilanda, however this was the last his that Peter had here before he migrated to the UK and never looked back.
#53 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#54 for 1997
While it's not exactly a cover of the Bob Marley classic, the fact that Warren G sampled the chorus of the original (more specifically the Eric Clapton version) does leave people to believe this is a cover when in fact it's like his earlier hit on this list where it's just nostalgia baiting to connect his rhymes together. It appears we Aussies became fed up with this trend of nostalgia baiting as there weren't many hits like this after this year.
#54 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#46 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#46 for 1995
Given that he had one of the biggest hits of the decade with his earlier entry, it only makes sense that Coolio was welcomed into the Australian music scene with open arms throughout the second half of the decade. Here he scores a massive hit with this track which is a return to his breakthrough hit worldwide "Fantastic voyage" with the bouncier hip hop and less serious lyrics to his rhymes.
#54 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#55 for 1990
If this song sounds familiar to you, that's because you likely recognise the melody from the Gap band's "Oops upside your head" which was a hit for the RNB trio exactly a decade prior to when this became Snap's second hit single worldwide. Their first hit was what put them on the map (which we'll get to) however it was this song that confirmed them to be one of the big names of EDM this decade.
#56 for 1990
This was the only hit that the German band Scorpions were able to achieve in the English language market, although they are one of the most popular bands throughout Europe so it's more our loss that the best they could do internationally was this ballad about how things were changing. This was inspired by the fall of the Berlin wall, making it an anthem to the end of the Cold war which happened this year.
#48 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#49 for 1991
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#47 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#54 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#55 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#53 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#54 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#56 for 1996
It's hard to think that this woman began the decade as a member of Wilson Phillips, one of the most successful artists of the early 90's in their native America that only managed a single hit song internationally with their debut single "Hold on." Fast forward six years and we have the second of two hit singles she had in Australia and seemingly nowhere else in the world.
#55 for 1996
This was the third single to come from John Farnham's album Chain reaction, it's a song that's a lot more subdue than most of his other catalogue which is perhaps why it was able to find an audience from around this time. Although he would see massive success as the decade went on with his albums, he would only have one more solo hit and two more hits with as duets with Jimmy Barnes and Human nature.
#57 for 1990
#49 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#47 for 1992
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#56 for 1998
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#56 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#50 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#48 for 1992
This is primarily known for its "no no no" phrase throughout the track, as such it's become a popular choice for commercials which promise a lack of negative downsides from a product of service as well as a popular club banger over the years. This was the Dutch group's biggest success in the UK likely for similar reasons, and indeed they would continue to have success throughout Europe as the decade went on.
#53 for 1993
This was the first of three big hits that Chaka Demus and Pliers had in the UK, proving that it was the Brits which led the reggae trend that would permeate throughout the decade. Here in Australia, this was their only massive success, although they did score a second hit the following year with their cover of "Twist and shout" likely to score points from Beatles fans who were also into reggae.
#54 for 1993
This took a while for it to find success here in Australia, again because RNB wasn't that big here in Australia until the second half of the decade. This song was likely a success thanks to the angelic chorus from an RNB group known as Kut Klose, a group that I and many others feel deserves better than to play second fiddle to Keith Sweat given how much better their vocals are than his on here.
#55 for 1997
With the popularity of John Farnham being at its peak around this time, it only makes sense that a band clearly inspired by his comeback would follow in his footsteps and find massive success in their own right. Enter Southern sons, an Australian band who wanted to lead of the decade with their album which many have mistaken for one of Farnham's, it's a large reason why they were a huge success this year.
#58 for 1990
From what I've researched, this has gone down as one of the greatest TV themes of all time which makes its success here in Australia has gone down as one our biggest victories as far as the online music community is concerned. It's definitely a song that's more suited to the indie sphere of the music industry, and indeed it wasn't always intended for the show as it first appeared on Julee Cruise's 1989 album.
#50 for 1991
The legends are true people, Mark Wahlberg did indeed have a career as a rapper before he took Hollywood by storm as one of the better actors to emerge this decade. Here he recruits soul singer Loleatta Holloway to provide a chorus for him while he flexes how awesome he is in the hip hop game; it went about as well as when his older brother flexed how tough he was on "Hanging tough."
#51 for 1991
This was the only notable success that Utah saints had outside of their native UK, I'm guessing because of the samples throughout the track which made it appealing to the Australian EDM scene that was quickly growing this decade. We'll be looking at plenty of other dance tracks from one hit wonders, so I hope you're in the mood for more of this type of music.
#44 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#55 for 1993
Black box were on a roll when they released their first single of the 90's which helped them become established as the hottest EDM group of the moment, although there's still the issue of Martha Davis not being promoted as their lead singer in their marketing despite her clearly distinct vocals and people having fond memories of her hit single "It's raining men" during her time with the Weather girls.
#59 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#48 for 1995
The original version of this track was a fun dance pop number about how a boy that Britney's into is driving her crazy due to having conflicting emotions about these feelings, naturally this wasn't a strong enough premise for this to be a huge hit, so it was given the remix treatment to help it achieve the success her earlier entries on this list had. Suffice to say I'm not a huge fan of this remix as it kills the groove for me.
#54 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#49 for 1992
Err.... how did this novelty track about the famous nursey rhyme connect with so many people this year? Oh, that's right, the video which features Claymation of the nursery rhyme which strangely compliments the song's campy tone which no doubt amused people back in the day. Evidentially this was a side project of Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan before his band saw mainstream success with their album Aenima.
#55 for 1993
These guys claimed that they always wanted to be throwback artists and only went the teen pop direction in order to build their audience so that they could find success with the music they wanted to make. I guess this was the best proof people had for this claim as this feels like a throwback song rather than something to compete with the boy bands of the era, although it makes you wonder why they waited nine years to finally make that transition in their career.
#56 for 1997
A word of caution when going through the lyrics of this seemingly upbeat track from Third eye blind, this is a song about a crystal meth addiction and the band has made little to no effort to hide the serious subject matter of the song other than putting it in one of the catchiest pop rock tracks to come out of the decade. This left them a one hit wonder in Australia, although they saw massive success in their native America.
#57 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#51 for 1999
Given that she was now the face of Technotronic, it only makes sense that Ya Kid K would appear in the video for the group's second single which helped it become a massive success worldwide. Apparently, the woman in the video from their earlier entry wasn't part of the group which annoyed the rapper, making this a surprisingly good time for models of colour to appear in videos over much less photogenic musicians.
#60 for 1990
This was one of two new tracks to be found on Madonna's Immaculate collection, and it's a song that came with a highly provocative video meant specifically to shock audiences back in the day. Because of this, the song has been criticised for being little more than a cheap porno track meant to shock bible bashers, although it also has its defenders (including me) who claim there's more to the track than its video.
#61 for 1990
#52 for 1991
This was the third single to come from the Real McCoy who now had removed the MC Sar from their name given how redundant that was making them look. I guess the third single is different depending on where in the world you're from as their cover of "Come and get your love" was the third single in America and NZ, that was their fourth single which had underperformed here when it was released.
#50 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#49 for 1995
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