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.
It looked like Paula Abdul no longer had any issues with finding success here in Australia as this lead single to her second album proved to be a huge success for her here, that is until the rest of the album came out and flopped here. For what it's worth, Paula did see a surprise hit later in the decade down under with "My love is for real," so it's not like we always unfairly ignored her music.
#22 for 1991
Much like in their native America, this was the bigger hit for Color me Badd in Australia likely due to it being catchier than their debut single from the New jack city soundtrack. It's impressive to think that these guys were as successful as they were considering how few people fondly remember their music, sure it was upbeat, but it didn't win a ton of critical praise for the quartet.
#23 for 1991
#27 for 1992
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#25 for 1992
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#26 for 1992
#33 for 1993
I'm just going to say it, Jeremy Jordan is an actor that really should stay away from music because the vocal performance he gives on this track is the type you'd expect from a reality show contestant who fails to make it past the first round of said competition. Apparently, this was taken from the Beverly Hills 90210 soundtrack which would explain its success given how that show was one of the most popular to air on TV this decade.
#32 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#34 for 1996
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#27 for 1990
In most parts of the world, Robbie Nevil is a one hit wonder with "C'est la vie" likely due to audiences only connecting with the one song from him and none of his other tracks. In Australia, he scored a second hit with this track where he expresses a desire to be with someone he finds inspirational, this helping him escape the one hit wonder bin down under with a song twice as big as his previous entry to boot.
#24 for 1991
Well, if you wanted to hear what a Sam and Dave track would sound like if you replaced their vocals with Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham then knock yourself out with this duet between the two pub rockers. It was a huge hit for them off of Jimmy's Soul deep album so I'm guessing there are people out there who like this.
#25 for 1991
#28 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#34 for 1993
So, you all know the song from Smokie "Living next door to Alice" right? Well, this EDM group decided to make a remix to the 70's classic which ponders the question as to who the f**k she actually is, which really connected with audiences back in the day. This isn't even the only remix to use this formula this year as Smokie themselves got on board with the joke and had an authorised remix of their track become a success in the native UK.
#28 for 1995
This was the lead single to the girls second album Spiceworld, it was clearly meant to signify that the girls were bigger than ever complete with a video that in all honesty was better than anything found in their trainwreck of a film of the same name. Here they infused Latin influences onto the production in an attempt to appeal to the rising popularity of the Latin craze which no doubt added to the song's success.
#36 for 1997
#42 for 1998
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#40 for 1998
It looked like Roxette were also able to survive the transition from the 80's to the 90's as this title track from their third album became a huge hit throughout the world, although admittedly they did tweak their sound to have less synthesizers compared to their earlier work so perhaps, they did make more of an effort to change with the times than many of their peers. Their time would come to an end when they appeared on the Super Mario brother's soundtrack two years later.
#26 for 1991
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#35 for 1993
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#29 for 1995
He already saw success with his cover of "Sky high" from the previous year, now we have this firefighter turned pop star covering another 70's classic in the form of this update of the Dan Hill track from 1977. Newton's version proved to be more successful than the original here in Australia, likely due to the campy nature of this cover as well as it being a danceable track compared to the original which was a soft rock track.
#36 for 1996
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#31 for 1994
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#28 for 1990
This was originally released the previous year to deafening silence in Australia, I'm guessing because we hadn't got on board with the hip hop trend despite it being a hit for Young MC in his native America. It became a surprise hit this year likely due to the success of MC Hammer's classic from the start of the list, which allowed it to become the second hip hop track to top the Australian charts.
#30 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#27 for 1992
The last time Kim Wilde had any impact on the Australian charts was with her cover of the Supremes "You keep me hanging on," so to see her return to the mainstream with a cover of the Yvonne Elliman classic from the Saturday night fever soundtrack was a welcome surprise for her fans. This was released in conjunction with her greatest hits package which was also a decently huge success for her here.
#33 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#30 for 1995
#35 for 1996
This was the lead single to Silverchair's second album Freak show, admittedly this album is a bit more mature than their last mainly due to the boys being closer to adults during its production.
#37 for 1997
Deborah Harry saw plenty of ups and downs throughout the previous decade, so to see her come out of it with the biggest hit of her solo career (in Australia at least) must have been reassuring for her that she would still be popular throughout the 90's. Alas that wasn't to be as while the album this came from was successful, her popularity dwindled out once the album cycle was done.
#31 for 1990
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#29 for 1990
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#30 for 1990
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#43 for 1997
Natalie was certainly on a roll this year as she was able to find massive success with the second single from her album Left of the middle, this has a much more abrasive tone to her earlier entry which was a sign that she was channelling her inner angst in a way that was very common from around this time. While she didn't have any more hit singles here, she did find success internationally with her subsequent albums.
#43 for 1998
This was the biggest hit that Maxi Priest achieved in his career, mainly because it was a surprise Billboard chart topper for him this year and a good sign that reggae would be a huge success this decade. Maxi is one of many British artists to find more success outside of his homeland over the years, I'm guessing because of his connections with UB40 who were very popular in America around this time.
#32 for 1990
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#41 for 1998
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#42 for 1998
#34 for 1999
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#35 for 1999
This was originally released the previous year to deafening silence for the Irish band, I'm not even sure why it failed because it's such a fun and upbeat number that it feels like it would've been a shoe in for instant success upon its initial release. It was given a remix this year which allowed the track to gain a second wind here and in their native UK, this allowing their album to be a huge success as well.
#32 for 1994
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#36 for 1996
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#44 for 1997
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#31 for 1990
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#25 for 1991
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#26 for 1991
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#37 for 1996
This was the second single to come from Bryan Adam's album 18 till I die, OK technically the third as "Have you ever really loved a woman" was included on the album despite being written for the Don Juan De Marco soundtrack. This was the last hit single that he had as a solo artist as the remaining hits he had this decade were with another person.
#37 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#45 for 1997
Well so much for these kids being one hit wonders, this was the second single from Middle of nowhere and it's commonly accepted to be the best song from the album as it's neither juvenile nor a slow ballad which is commonly agreed upon as two major flaws from the album. Even so the trio are still regarded as a one hit wonder with their early entry to this day by modern music fans.
#38 for 1997
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#36 for 1999
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#36 for 1993
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#32 for 1994
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#33 for 1994
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#34 for 1994
Much like the original from Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, this duet between Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey was a huge success this year even though I'm not sure why as it's not like it was attached to anything like the original was. Perhaps it was through the artistic momentum that Mariah had given how she could release anything this year and it would be a huge success for her worldwide.
#33 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#31 for 1995
If you think that Australians being in Eurovision is a recent phenomenon, then think again as Gina G was based in Australia before she was approached by the UK comity of Eurovision to have her represent them this year with this EDM track of hers. While this didn't win the competition (it only came in eighth) it was by far the biggest hit from the show and even allowed her to crossover to America.
#38 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#38 for 1996
This was the only hit single to come from the Tony Rich project, an RNB group named after its lead singer who scored their one and only hit with this ballad that became a surprise hit here in Australia considering how uncommon it was for RNB hits to be successful this decade. No doubt this was one of the first signs of us Aussies becoming more tolerant of black music during the second half of the 90's.
#39 for 1996
This was supposed to come out the previous year for the Spice girls here in Australia like it did in NZ and throughout Europe, I don't know why it was delayed as it ended up being a huge success once it was released here but that's what happened back in the day. This is one of the more recognisable tracks from their catalogue, again likely due to how catchy it is and how it expands on their theme of friendship.
#39 for 1997
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#43 for 1998
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#32 for 1990
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#27 for 1991
#28 for 1992
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#37 for 1993
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#32 for 1995
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#37 for 1999
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#38 for 1999
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#33 for 1990
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#28 for 1991
#29 for 1992
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#39 for 1996
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#40 for 1996
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#30 for 1992
This was the only noticeable hit single that Deni Hines managed to score in Australia without the assistance of the Rockmelons, it's a bit of a shame she didn't find more success on her own as this RNB jam it catchy as hell as well as how it displays her vocal range really well. There was international interest in her following the success of this track, however much like her mother, that interest didn't translate to success for her.
#29 for 1995
#40 for 1996
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#46 for 1997
#44 for 1998
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#34 for 1990
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#35 for 1990
I don't think anyone was expecting to see Bobby Brown achieve such a massive hit with the lead single of his second album outside of America given how he didn't find that much success internationally with his debut album. I'm guessing New jack swing had become less stigmatised by international audiences by this point, either that or they really wanted to hear a song about his sexual escapades with his new wife Whitney Houston.
#29 for 1992
Often considered to be one of the best songs from Mariah's catalogue, this second single from Music box tugged at the heartstrings of listeners back in the day due to its message of empowerment against the odds during a time where uncertainty was all around the world. It no doubt helped out a lot of people get through a rough patch in their respective lives which is why it was such a huge success.
#34 for 1993
#34 for 1994
Boy was this a pain to do research on, apparently this is from an Italian trio whose initials make up the name of the project. It was a massive flop throughout Europe; however, it became a surprise hit here in Australia thanks to a popular remix from Nick Skitz as did many obscure dance tracks from this decade. Naturally I'm judging the songs by their original mixes, however I can't in this case because I don't know where to find the original.
#30 for 1995
This was the third and final hit to come from Backstreet boy's second album Backstreet's back, it's a ballad that showcases what the boys were about which was being a white equivalent of Boyz II men as many of their tracks throughout their career were indeed RNB ballads rather than the teen pop we've been affiliating them with. For some reason, this took its sweet time in becoming a hit in their native America.
#44 for 1998
Well, here's the debut single for one of my least favourite groups to find success this decade, I know the Corrs get flack for having Celtic influences in their music but at least it enhances their songs rather than it being a gimmick like it is on B*witched's music. Remove the Celtic sound and you're left with an ordinary teen pop group who were competing with the likes of the Spice girls and Cleopatra for success.
#45 for 1998
Much like James Blunt after him, Shawn Mullins was a singer/songwriter who began his career serving his country before making music that would appeal to the more pacifist leaning music lovers. Here we have his one and only hit made for people who seem to be down in the dumps, it's a song that like "Bad day" has been criticised for its faux positivity in the lyrics.
#37 for 1999
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#31 for 1992
Following her departure from Bananarama, Siobahn Fahay formed a new group with Marcella Detroit who scored initial success with their debut single "You're history" from the start of the decade. Their second album was where their popularity exploded as this lead single became a huge worldwide smash for the duo, although it led to them struggling with mental health issues which resulted in their breakup.
#30 for 1992
This was the third mega hit in a row that Hanson were able to score in several parts of the world, although it's worth pointing out that this ballad was their second biggest hit in their native America as "Where's the love" sadly didn't do as well over there as it did internationally. I feel this was the song which sparked the backlash against these kids as the other two songs are at least a ton of fun to listen to.
#40 for 1997
#46 for 1998
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#45 for 1998
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#32 for 1992
Can you believe that Alanis Morissette began her career making teen pop in her native Canada? Going from that to an album that won album of the year at the Grammys must have been a bit of a shock for her at the time, however that's what happened when she signed onto Madonna's Maverick label and became an international superstar with her album Jagged little pill. This was the song to kick off that album cycle which showcases a raw and emotional side of her.
#31 for 1995
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#41 for 1996
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#46 for 1998
This was the debut single from Tina Arena which was apparently released two years prior to deafening silence, well so much for this being a cheap knockoff of Paula Abdul if this came out before we Aussies knew anything about the American pop star. I'm not sure what took this so long to finally become a success here, however once it did it put Tina on the map despite her secretly hating the song at the time.
#33 for 1990
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#29 for 1991
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#33 for 1992
This was the only hit that country star James Blundell managed to achieve in his career, even then this was largely due to the involvement of James Reyne who was still one of the hottest Australian singers around this time. Admittedly this allowed Blundell's third album to be a huge success following the success of this cover of the Dingoes track, however neither of them found any success after this.
#31 for 1992
This was the first of two big hits that Sophie B Hawkins was able to achieve worldwide, I feel that she deserved so much more success than what she got considering how sharply written and well performed both songs were back in the day. This is another song which caused speculation towards an artist's sexuality as there's lyrics in here which suggest that Sophie is talking to a woman throughout the song.
#32 for 1992
This might seem odd to my UK readers as the big hit from the Swedish rapper was "It's my life" from two years prior, indeed I'm not sure how this managed to become a hit for Dr Alban down under two years later but it did. I guess this was a massive success throughout Europe the previous year and that we Aussies had only just realised how incessantly catchy the song was.
#35 for 1994
Well, this is a song that music snobs love to make fun of, specifically how Alanis wrote an entire song about irony despite none of the situations she describes being ironic and more akin to simply bad luck. She's since admitted that was the point of the song given how deliciously ironic that she wrote a song with that title with not one ironic lyric in the song. I'm guessing this was what made the song so big worldwide.
#41 for 1996
This was the other big hit that Diana King managed to achieve in her career that was tied to a Hollywood film, this time we have the theme to My best friend's wedding which is a film about how Julia Roberts has to fight over Cameron Diaz over a guy she's known since childhood and was hoping to be the man of her dreams (it's much better than I'm making it sound.) Of course, this was going to be a hit regardless due to it being a cover of a Dionne Warwick staple.
#41 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#47 for 1997
So, there was a phase one for the boy band wars of the decade, I don't blame my American readers for not knowing that as it largely took place in the UK between these guys and Take that. Even though Take that won the first round of the boy band wars in their homeland, these guys took home the prize in Australia likely due to the majority of their discography being more upbeat than their rivals.
#35 for 1993
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#35 for 1994
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#36 for 1994
This was originally a minor hit for Elton John from his 1974 album Caribou here in Australia, however it was given its full due when George Michael agreed to perform it with him at a concert which was so well received that it became a chart topper for them both in America and their native UK. I'm guessing this was meant to be included on George's second Listen without prejudice album just like his earlier entry.
#33 for 1992
This was billed as a Christmas single from East 17, meaning it was always meant to be a UK chart topper for them during the Christmas of 94 even though it remains their only chart topper in their homeland. As we Aussies were already well familiar with these guys from their previous album, they had very little issue with finding success here albeit well into the new year as it wasn't a Christmas track here.
#32 for 1995
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