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)
#73 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#69 for 1996
This was bundled with Jewel's earlier entry on this list in America, presumably to allow these songs to break records on Billboard which seems to be the reason for why the Billboard charts panned out the way they did throughout the 90's. Here in Australia, this was given a separate release where it managed to become a hit in its own right proving that we Aussies would've made Jewel a household name if we knew about her two years prior.
#72 for 1997
This was the lead single to the Velvet rope, although I wouldn't blame you for thinking her earlier entry was considering how that completely overshadowed this cover of the Joni Mitchell classic. OK so it's not really a cover as Janet only samples the chorus to the original while she and Q tip have original verses, much like a bunch of other songs throughout the decade that managed to get big with this formula.
#73 for 1997
This is my personal favourite track from the Spice girls, mainly because of how happy they are on here as well as them promoting a positive message about not getting too worked up over stuff that ultimately doesn't matter in the long run. Despite this being a huge success for them, tensions from the girls grew to the point where Ginger Spice could no longer handle the pressure and as such called it quits from the group.
#67 for 1998
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#74 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#75 for 1990
This was the debut single from Mariah Carey, a song that was a massive hit in NZ and her native America but only a moderate hit everywhere else in the world due to it being little more than a showcase for her powerful vocals. Her later material in the decade is where she would find the balance between her vocals and her personality which would find her the success worldwide she had at home.
#79 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#73 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#72 for 1992
This was a very impressive year for Rick Price as he was able to score two hit singles from his debut album despite already being in his thirties when he released said album, although he was a popular session musician throughout the 80's which explains why it took him so long to release said album. He did score minor success with his second album later in the decade, proving there was potential for him to be even bigger.
#74 for 1992
This was originally released as the B-side to "Give it away now" which was a massive flop for the band worldwide, it was given a second chance when it was released as a lead single given that it found its way onto the Coneheads soundtrack likely due to having a music video which has imagery similar to what is found in the SNL movie. I guess we Aussies loved the flick as this became a huge success for them here.
#77 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#68 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#69 for 1994
#66 for 1995
This was the only hit that Montell Jordan was able to score here in Australia, although considering how new jack swing and RNB in general weren't that big here, it's impressive that he managed to have a hit even if this was a huge Billboard chart topper for him this year. He would have a string of hits on Billboard during the second half of the decade, some of which even crossed over to NZ.
#67 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#67 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#68 for 1995
This was the only hit that Soup Dragons managed to have worldwide, I'm guessing because they were often mislabelled as a reggae band when they were really more in the Madchester scene that was becoming more popular in their native UK around this time. I guess this made it big here because we couldn't tell this apart from the likes of UB40 and Maxi Priest who were huge at the time.
#70 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#74 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#75 for 1993
#70 for 1994
This was the final hit that Faith no more was able to achieve in Australia, admittedly this was almost a decade after their final hit in their native America which gives you an idea of how much more popular these guys were here than they were in their homeland. Their lack of success back home led to them calling it quits the following year much to the chagrin of their Australian fanbase.
#74 for 1997
Madonna was all about shocking the general public during the first stretch of the 90's, so much so that the same time she released her lead single to Erotica, she released a book called Sex which is nothing more than scandalous pictures of her in sexually compromising positions. As such, this title track from the album was more interested in provoking controversy than being a hit, although it was a huge hit for her regardless.
#75 for 1992
Well, these guys chose a strange song to launch the album cycle of Zooropa didn't they? Fortunately, once "Numb" had left the charts, they released this song which had Bono back on vocals while the Edge provides backing vocals to justify why they had him on lead vocals from their earlier single. People remain divided on this album to this day due to how they feel about the band heading in an industrial direction.
#78 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#71 for 1994
This was the second single to come from the Cranberries sophomore album, although it wasn't politically charged and was more in line with their previous material which I'm sure was a disappointment for those who fell in love with their earlier entry on this list. The band would continue to find success with their third album the following year, although their popularity would end after that.
#68 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#69 for 1995
#70 for 1996
Although they saw massive success in Europe the previous year with "Don't give me your life," this wasn't a bit hit over there which makes its massive success here in Australia for Alex party a bit confusing until you remember that EDM was still all the rage here upon its release. I feel this was their loss as this is a much better song than their international hit largely due to it being catchier and better performed.
#69 for 1996
This was the second hit that Silverchair achieved from their sophomore album this year, it was a moderate success for the band as it was a more mature version of their original sound from their debut album.
#75 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#70 for 1997
While it wasn't the lead single to her indie album Impossible princess (that would be "Some kind of bliss") this was the big hit from the album which no doubt led to it being a huge success here. Despite winning over the alternative scene with this album, Kylie felt like she needed to return to form which resulted in her doing just that with her next album Light years.
#68 for 1998
Although their output this decade would be seen as a far cry from the quality of their 80's material, at least Metallica were able to ease their older fans into their new sound with the lead single of their black album which at least retains to complex musicianship of their older material. Lyrically it's about how James Hetfield suffers from nightmares and how he internalises getting through each night.
#71 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#73 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#70 for 1995
#71 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#72 for 1996
This was a huge hit for Amber who managed to crack the Billboard charts with this EDM track thanks to her strong vocals as well as the campy nature of this track which I'm sure has made it a queer anthem over the years. There was little doubt that this would be a hit here in Australia given how the decade has been filled with dance tracks such as this, and indeed she would have another hit later in the decade with "If you could read my mind" as part of a supergroup.
#70 for 1996
#76 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#63 for 1998
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#74 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#75 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#71 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#73 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#76 for 1993
This was the only hit for everyone involved with the song, it was a massive success in their native UK as well as here in Australia due to it being a catchy EDM track during a time where EDM was about to take over the mainstream in the latter country. This was yet another act who made it big with one hit this decade only to forever fade into obscurity once their said hit had fallen off the charts.
#79 for 1993
This was the first of two hits that British singer/firefighter scored here with a cover of a 70's track (yes, we have a firefighter scoring hits in Australia.) Here Newton resurrects the camp classic from Jigsaw (or British Jigsaw as we Aussies called them) for an even campier dance hit that became a huge success on our dance floors. He would score an even bigger hit the following year by covering Dan Hill.
#69 for 1995
This feels like it was tailor made to be on the soundtrack to one of those dance dance revolution games you'd find in the arcade, although that franchise wouldn't launch until 1998 meaning that this was a hit in its own right here in Australia and Herbie's native UK back in the day.
#70 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#71 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#64 for 1998
While this wasn't their debut single by any means, it was the song that made Sugar ray into a household name thanks to them ditching their nu metal sound in favour of a more pop friendly direction starting with this track. Lyrically it's about how Mark McGrath is finding out he's been cheated on with his girlfriend, although instead of confronting her about it he's going to get even with her by sleeping around himself.
#65 for 1999
This was the first big hit that R.E.M were able to score in Australia, although they did have minor success in NZ during the late 80's with the likes of "The one I love" and "Orange crush" which have both become staples on oldies stations down under. I'm guessing this made it big due to the sudden rise in popularity of people questioning their faith in religion, that and the jangle instrumentation being catchy as hell.
#72 for 1991
Apparently, EMF stands for Epson Mad Funkers and not Ecstasy Mother F**ker's like I and many others had assumed, I thought I'd bring that up as the band came from the Madchester scene the previous year before scoring a massive Billboard chart topper with this track. Indeed, this has gone down as one of the most quintessential dance tracks to play in a scene that involves strip dancers or a seedy night club.
#73 for 1991
This was a surprise hit for Sheena Easton given how the last time she troubled the charts in Australia was six years prior with her hit single "Strut," indeed this is another entry into her catalogue of seductive tracks where she titillates her audience with her sexual appeal. Here she tries her hand at rapping which is perhaps how this managed to become a success over the sea of Paula Abdul rip-offs here.
#74 for 1991
It appears that Ace of base had moved on from being the reggae equivalent of Abba to now being a straight up 90's equivalent of the Swedish foursome from the 70's, this is perhaps why their second album didn't do as well internationally especially considering fans were becoming more nostalgic for the older band around this time thanks to the likes of Muriel's wedding and other films that glorify their catalogue.
#71 for 1996
This was the final single to be released from Roxette's second album, although in the UK this was bundled with their previous song "Listen to your heart" to give the Brits a two for one deal given how "Dressed for success" flopped everywhere in the world except for here in Australia. No doubt these two were destined for greatness this decade which for the most part happened as their next album was a huge success.
#80 for 1990
Noiseworks were another band that were able to successfully transition from the 80's to the 90's in Australia, however they did so by releasing their goofiest song likely in response to Warrant's earlier entry on this list. Despite the success they had with their third album, it was also their final album as the band would break up the following year so that Jon Stevens could pursue a career in theatre.
#75 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#74 for 1991
This was the lead single of East 17's second album Steam, an album that didn't do so well despite spawning this and their Christmas song "Stay another day" which became their sole UK chart topper. I guess these guys won the first round of the 90's boy band wars purely through the strength of their debut album as that spawned four giant hits here as well as the album being big in of itself.
#70 for 1994
Normally when a NZ artist crossed over to Australian from their homeland, it's with one of their albums as we Aussies tend to favour their broader work over the hit single which made them big in their homeland. This wasn't the case for Bic Runga who scored her only hit over here with this breakthrough hit she had in her homeland which didn't translate to the album being a huge success here.
#69 for 1998
This was the only hit for the New radicals, mainly because it was only a success worldwide due to it being big in the UK as this for some reason flopped in their native America. I'm guessing it flopped on Billboard due to the final verse where the band suddenly makes a bunch of shout outs to people they didn't like, none of these people were flattered by these shout outs for obvious reasons.
#66 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#68 for 1999
This was the final hit that the Angels were able to score in Australia during their time together, although this was likely due to them taking their sweet time in releasing another album this decade as they wouldn't release one until 1998. That's an eight-year gap between Beyond salvation and their next album, and needless to say the times had changed against their favour which led to them breaking up.
#81 for 1990
This is the final hit that Billy Idol managed to achieve in his career, likely because it came out when the 90's was still considered to be the 80's and thus was able to connect with audiences upon its initial release. Now unlike many other people on this list, Billy did try to change with the times with his next album. The album was Cyberpunk which sees him moving towards industrial rock to hilarious results.
#82 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#76 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#72 for 1994
Well, this is the lead single to the first of two albums which saw Metallica go in a more mainstream direction than their previous album which fans had already complained was a watered-down version of their earlier work, I guess the message their old school fans were sending these guys was that they really didn't want the masses to influence what these guys would make in their discography.
#72 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#74 for 1996
#72 for 1997
This was a surprisingly good decade for Eric Clapton considering he hadn't had any success with his singles in Australia prior to his appearance on MTV unplugged four years prior. Here he scores another hit due to it being the theme to the film Phenomenon where John Travolta plays a man who suddenly acquires telekinetic powers with chaos ensuing from there. It was a box office success despite mixed reviews due to the premise of the film.
#73 for 1996
Well, this was a bit of a surprise, the last time Kate Ceberano was heard from in the music scene was during her time as Mary Magdalene in the 1992 Australia revival show for Jesus Christ superstar. Fast forward six years and she's scoring a huge hit with this track likely due to how catchy the melody is as well as the sound in general being in vogue with the more mature artists from around this time.
#70 for 1998
This was the lead single to Jimmy Barne's Soul deep project, an album filled with covers of Motown classics that was a massive success here and in NZ for the otherwise pub rocker. It has its fans given how many sequels it's received as well as it being his bestselling album in his catalogue.
#76 for 1991
I don't know how this hip hop track managed to become a hit in Australia, even if it was a hit in their native America (which it wasn't) hip hop didn't do well here in Australia until 2000 when Eminem broke down the barriers with his album the Marshall Mathers L.P. In any case, we have this track from the hip hop posse becoming a surprise success here which was a rarity for anyone from the east coast of hip hop.
#77 for 1991
This was the third single from Dangerous for MJ, this time the topic of the song is MJ addressing rumours that he was gay that he denounces here in a cheeky way by suggesting that him and his girlfriend should keep their relationship in the closet. The video features British model Naomi Campbell lip synching the female vocals which were recorded by Princess Stephanie of Monaco, making this another star studded single for him.
#76 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#73 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#76 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#75 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#76 for 1991
I guess Genesis also wanted to get in on the irony of the decade before we realised irony would be the word to describe the 90's, here they have a song about how they can't dance, despite them not being a dance act and thus no one really caring if they can or not. It was their final hit in the world as well as Phil Collin's final hit here in Australia as his subsequent follow ups flopped here in the decade.
#77 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#77 for 1992
Well, you know that Sesame Street was a phenomenon by this point in time when there's a popular hit single that remixed the theme song that the show uses to open up every episode. It became a huge worldwide success for the British EDM group likely due to the nostalgia people have for the show, although it hasn't received any love since its initial release this year.
#78 for 1992
This was a bit of a surprise hit for the Pet shop boys considering they hadn't had a huge hit here in Australia since their cover of "Always on my mind" on the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. Then again, the lead single to their album Very was a modest hit earlier in the year, so perhaps they were due for a comeback this year even if it came with this cover of the Village people classic.
#80 for 1993
This was the other big hit that Sophie B Hawkins was able to achieve worldwide, although it was originally released the previous year to deafening silence likely due to people thinking she was gay due to some lyrics in her other big hit from three years prior suggesting as such. Here there's no such subtext, it's just Sophie professing her love towards this person (who could be a guy or a girl) in a sweet and humble way that connected with audiences.
#71 for 1995
Well, this certainly took its sweet time in becoming a success here in Australia, Deborah Cox is a Canadian RNB singer who got her start with this ballad about how she's in disbelief that her partner could possibly love anyone but her. This proved to be a huge sleeper hit for her here months after it became one of the biggest hits of the year in NZ, likely due to how people could relate to the lyrics.
#74 for 1996
#77 for 1997
This was the lead single to Celine Dion's album Let's talk about love, I'm guessing it was chosen as such due to the resurgence in popularity that Barbra Streisand had this year following the success of her earlier entry on this list. Of course, this songs legacy has long since been overshadowed by the albums second single which also serves as the theme to the blockbuster film Titanic.
#78 for 1997
This wasn't intended to be an LGBT anthem as it was simply another dance track that George Michael released this decade; however, it became one when it was revealed that he was gay against his will as the British tabloids discovered him at a gay bar around this time and outed him as a result. At least he was able to embrace who he truly was after the fact as otherwise that would've been a traumatic experience for him.
#71 for 1998
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#77 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#77 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#77 for 1993
#73 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#75 for 1996
It looks like Des'ree was able to escape the one hit wonder bin in most parts of the world with this track, although I get the feeling she wishes this wasn't a hit for her given how it's often considered to be one of the worst written songs of all time. I feel she gives a compelling enough performance to overlook these ridiculous lyrics, although I've never been one for judging a song based on its lyrical content.
#72 for 1998
Your guess is as good as mine as to why Eternal's ballad from the previous year flopped here in Australia, although Monica was able to make it a success with her rendition this year likely due to her having a string of Billboard chart toppers following the success she had with Brandy on "The boy is mine." This would be her last hit in Australia as she wouldn't have any success in the new millennium.
#67 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#69 for 1999
Well, here's what I and many others consider to be the true first single that U2 released this decade as it signifies a change in their sound that was radically different to what they had released up until this point. While their previous single was the big hit off of Achtung baby on a technical level, it was this song which helped the album thrive while many albums from their contemporaries crashed and burned.
#78 for 1991
#79 for 1992
This was the third and final hit that Euphoria was able to achieve back in the day, this time we have Andrew Klippel on lead vocals which is perhaps how it was able to find success given how the other two tracks featured Holly and Keren on lead vocals. Sadly, this story doesn't have a happy ending to it as Holly would tragically take her life later in the decade due to family drama.
#80 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#78 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#78 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#74 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#65 for 1998
Well, I told you that Alannah Myles managed to have massive success here in Australia with both of the lead single from her debut album, although this had a very slow rise to its success here given how it was initially a flop for her much like it was throughout the rest of the world. I'm not sure why as this is catchier than her earlier track, I guess because it's happier compared to "Black velvet" which is more sombre.
#83 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#78 for 1990
This was another band who scored a big hit this year that was completely misleading to what their usual sound was, in this case we have Roxus scoring their only hit with this ballad which seems like the opposite of their other songs from their one and only album Nightstreet which was more in line with what Rose tattoo or AC/DC was offering from the mid 80's, they're basically the Australian equivalent of Extreme in that regard.
#79 for 1991
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