Well I guess I should look at what was big throughout the 90's in NZ considering how I did the same for Australia on this site, at least this list will be more straightforward as (at least as far as I'm aware) there wasn't more than one chart chronicling what was popular over in NZ like there was here in Australia.
This was the biggest hit that Savage Garden had in NZ, even though it didn't get to number one over there, the fact that it lingered so long on the upper echelons of their charts was likely what got it to number one on Billboard as it was neither a chart topper nor their biggest hit here in Australia. It was their final hit in most parts of the world; however, the rest of the album gave them minor hits in the southern hemisphere.
#5 for 1999 (#10 website)
Well, this was a hip hop track, so of course it would be an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia. Even so, Dimples D really did become a pioneer for female hip hop as she used a really egregious (yet still infectiously catchy) sample in order for her to rap about her sexual nature on the track, although like Salt n Pepa she didn't have any success in her native America at this stage.
#21 for 1991 (#18 website)
Well, this is a song about how German pop star Lou Bega reveals his dating habits set to the Mambo originally made popular by Perez Prado fifty years prior, it was an instant worldwide success for him for a multitude of different reasons and remains popular to this day for better or worse.
#6 for 1999 (#1 website)
I guess this is a more reasonable placement for the Prodigy given how it didn't become a hit with separate demographics in NZ like it did here in Australia, although it was a hit the same time as their earlier entry so perhaps the kiwis just wanted to make these guys a household name due to how big they were in Australia and their native UK around this time.
#9 for 1997 (#7 website)
This was the last hit that 2pac had during his lifetime as he would tragically be shot dead shortly after this became a success for him, it was also the first hit that KCI and Jo Jo had following their departure from Jodeci from around this time period as they provide a catchy chorus for him to connect his verses about how he's hitting on the narrator of the track (presumably a woman given this is 90's hip hop.)
#15 for 1996 (#13 website)
Much like here in Australia, this hit from Puff Daddy and Ma$e which they were nice enough to credit as a Biggie Smalls track was the only hit that the late rapper managed to achieve in NZ, although at least it was a much bigger hit over there than it was over here much like most 90's hip hop. This feels rather strange given how the kiwis were firmly in the west coast side of the hip hop feud.
#10 for 1997 (#3 website)
Well just like in Australia, this battle between a boy both singers are fighting over proved to be more successful for Brandy and Monica than it did with the genders reversed for Paul McCartney and MJ from back in the early 80's in NZ. The different being that by this point, both women were among the most successful artists of the decade over there compared to here in Australia meaning this was another easy hit for them both there where it wasn't here.
#6 for 1998 (#3 website)
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.
#20 for 1993 (#13 website)
It seems strange that this would be Milli Vanilli's biggest hit in NZ, mainly because it was the one bonus track from the American release of their album meaning the kiwis preferred this over anything over their original album. Given this was released on time over there (likely due to them not caring about those pesky rumours that turned out to be true) it was a hit much sooner than it was here in Australia.
#18 for 1990
This was one of two successful covers of the Bee gees classic to become a success around this time, the other was from Take that which won't be appearing on this site as it wasn't popular enough in the southern hemisphere back in the day to do so. Portrait previously had a hit in their native America with "Here we go again" which failed to crossover in NZ despite this being a huge flop for them on Billboard.
#21 for 1995 (#6 website)
This was the biggest hit that Maxi Priest was able to score even in NZ, in fact all things considered, he was actually slightly more successful in Australia with his music given how his other two hits were more popular here than they were over there. Even so, there was little chance this reggae style RNB track was going to fail over there given how big it was over in America this year.
#19 for 1990 (#7 website)
This was a little late to the party in NZ, mainly because they didn't have a Triple J equivalent to heavily promote the song and incentivise the general public into crowning it the best song of 1994 like what happened to the song here in Australia. It was a massive success over there this year likely due to the circumstances I just described, although it allowed the band to take over the mainstream when it became a hit.
#22 for 1995 (#17 website)
From what I can gather, L.A.D was an American rapper who scored his one and only hit in hit discography in NZ of all places with this track with the assistance of an RNB singer named Darvy Taylor, who I think was also an American singer. Neither man had any success in their native America, so I could be entirely wrong about their nationalities, and they could actually be kiwis for all I know.
#16 for 1996 (#6 website)
One of the best live action Disney films (remember when they used to be good and original?) was Cool Runnings, a semi biographical film about the first Jamaican bob sledge team who competed in the 1988 winter Olympics. True the film made a bunch of stuff up as the idea of Jamaicans bob sledging even in the 80's was welcomed with open arms, however the film remains a classic to this day. The theme song came from Jimmy Cliff who covered the Johnny Nash classic to provide the theme.
#20 for 1994 (#14 website)
There was no stopping Mariah Carey this year as she managed to score her second hit single this year with a cover of a popular track, this time she enlists the help of Luther Vandross, or rather he enlists her help by bringing this track from Diana Ross and Lionel Richie from 1981 to a (then) modern audience.
#21 for 1994 (#10 website)
The delayed success of this song in NZ is the best proof I have that this became a hit in the southern hemisphere not through the merits of the song itself but rather due to P.E teachers making kids do the strange dance from the music video. Why else would this be so successful in the southern hemisphere but only a modest success in their native UK?
#7 for 1998 (#30 website)
#7 for 1999
In many parts of the world, this was Madonna's final chart topper for an entire decade as she wouldn't reach the top spot again until her hit "Music" from 2000. That said certainly the case for her in the southern hemisphere as she went through all of the 90's without having that chart topper despite pumping out hit after hit from each of her albums.
#20 for 1990 (#3 website)
This was an even bigger hit in NZ as was the other big hit these guys had in Australia from earlier on this list, indeed Color me badd were more successful in NZ in general due to them being closer to the RNB and hip-hop categories which meant they were prime for success over there. Their success was limited to their first album as was the case throughout the rest of the world.
#22 for 1991 (#5 website)
This was naturally a much bigger hit in NZ for Mariah Carey given how she was more popular over there than she was here in Australia, this would remain the case for most of her career as she would only occasionally score a bigger hit here in Australia than she did in NZ or her native America.
#15 for 1992 (#5 website)
Well, there seemed to be no escaping the Britney vs Christina war regardless of where in the world you're from, both girls had catchy as hell music (even though only one of them had a phenomenal singing voice) and they both had a dedicated fanbase right from the very beginning of their music careers. One interesting note about this song is that this was originally recorded as a demo but was released as a final product due to how well put together it was.
#8 for 1999 (#3 website)
Well, this was the first time the kiwis had heard from Cher the singer since her hit single "Half breed" back in 1973 (it was big on the Listener charts) that was sixteen years of silence from her as far as they were concerned even though she was popular with her films throughout the 80's. I guess this is why her big comeback wasn't as big over there as it was here where it was welcomed with open arms.
#21 for 1990
This was the biggest hit of Roxette's career over in NZ; indeed, they didn't have nearly as much success over there as they did here or in America likely due to the kiwis feeling like they were told to like them rather than organically gravitating towards them. In any case, this was the big hit off the Pretty woman soundtrack which was originally a Christmas track that they had to rework to make it fit with the film.
#22 for 1990 (#8 website)
Well, it would've been downright hilarious if this was a flop in NZ when you consider this was a hit in Australia who at this point was notoriously out of touch when it came to hip hop in the music scene. Indeed, Kris Kross were much bigger over there given how the two underage MC's managed to compete with their adult contemporaries in terms of their rhymes and flow.
#16 for 1992 (#8 website)
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.
#21 for 1993 (#4 website)
This was more of a triumphant return for the Bee Gees in NZ considering A: this was a much bigger hit over there than it was over here and B: their 1987 surprise hit "You win again" wasn't as such over there making this their first hit in NZ since the late 70's.
#11 for 1997 (#10 website)
This was a massive hit worldwide for Hanson, so much so that it not just went on to number one in multiple different countries, it debuted there proving how much of an overnight sensation the boys were back in the day. Their success was less prominent in NZ than it was in Australia (even taking the ARIA vs AMR charts into account) however it was still a massive improvement on what they achieved in their native America.
#12 for 1997 (#4 website)
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.
#22 for 1993 (#8 website)
While this wasn't as big a hit in NZ as it was in Australia (mainly due to it not clinging to the charts forever in a day over there) it was still a massive hit for N trance likely due to the kiwis having nostalgia for the Rod Stewart classic it samples as well as them finally opening up to EDM around this time.
#13 for 1997 (#43 website)
#8 for 1998
Given how Boyzone was suddenly one of the most successful bands in NZ this year, it only seems reasonable that Ronan Keating's theme from Notting Hill would be a massive success over there given how that movie was also rather popular as the decade was coming to an end. This also serves as the advanced single of his solo debut which wouldn't coming until the new year.
#9 for 1999 (#5 website)
From what I can gather, Ngaire was a teenage NZ pop star who scored her one and only hit with this cover of the Lulu track from 1967. The original wasn't that big in NZ back in the day, meaning that Ngaire's version of the track is considered to be the definitive version over there going purely based on success.
#23 for 1990 (#30 website)
So, a bit of a depressing fact (or joyous if you're a hater of Celine Dion) she never made it to number one in NZ as all of her biggest international hits didn't quite translate to her success over there for some reason. This was the best she could do with her singles likely due to it technically being a double A side as like in Australia, this was bundled with her song she performed at the Olympics this year.
#17 for 1996 (#10 website)
This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, although I should point out that if Triple J did its annual rankings this early in the decade, this easily would've been voted number one for 1991 given how it was voted the best song of all time on its third all-time list. That's about the only new information I have for this iconic classic.
#17 for 1992 (#10 website)
Apparently, there was a theme to the Rugrats movie (shocking I know) the theme came from Blackstreet of all groups and featured a chorus from Mya who had still yet to have that big solo breakthrough despite being on another movie theme with "Ghetto supastar" with Pras from the Fugees. All of this was enough for the theme to the Nickelodeon theatrical film be a huge success in NZ and their native America.
#9 for 1998
#10 for 1999
This was the first big hit that Boyz II Men had in NZ, it came a full year prior to when they broke chart records with "End of the road" which means they didn't come completely out of nowhere over there when they became the biggest musical act in the world. Here this is a ballad about how hard it is to move on from a situation, a song that's been played in various different scenarios to differing levels of success.
#23 for 1991 (#49 website)
#18 for 1992
This was the biggest hit from the KLF over in NZ, likely due to the presence of Tammy Wynette who despite never scoring a hit in NZ (at least as far as I'm aware) did give a compelling enough performance to make this stand out from the rest of their catalogue. The duo would release one more single from the album before curiously calling it quits.
#19 for 1992 (#15 website)
It hadn't even been a year since this almost topped the NZ charts and yet it became a hit all over again in the new decade likely due to how funny the kiwis felt the track was. It's a rare example of a two-hit wonder where the artist scored a hit with the exact same song.
#24 for 1990 (#2 website)
In case you were wondering, Mermaids is such a weird title for the movie this serves as a theme song to as aside from one scene where Cher dresses up as one for a costume party, the film has almost nothing to do with the concept of mermaids unless you make a very slim argument that the sexual themes of the film are based around how mermaids tend to lure in men to their doom. Even then, it's more the two leads that are dooming each other than anything.
#24 for 1991 (#9 website)
Well, there was no chance this was going to fail over in NZ if even we Aussies could recognise the genius behind this track, although these guys did have more success over there with their singles proving that the kiwis still had more respect for the hip hop game at this point in time than we Aussies did. This was also the rare east coast hip hop track that managed to make it big over there this decade.
#18 for 1996 (#2 website)
From what I can gather, DLT was a NZ rapper who scored his one and only hit with this track about being tied up in a relationship due to having a chorus provided to him by Supergroove front man Che fu. Che fu would go on to have massive success as a solo artist after this, however this was the only hit that DLT managed to have in his homeland.
#19 for 1996 (#4 website)
Well, this took its sweet time in becoming a hit over in NZ, it was already a massive hit for Grayson Hugh in Australia and the UK likely due to its admittedly ridiculous video where he shows his sorrow to his ex-partner while packed away in a suitcase. I'm not sure what got this to win over the kiwis, but whatever it was it resulted in it being a massive success over there around this time.
#25 for 1990 (#50 website)
This was the one and only hit Prince had when he as Eminem put it "turned himself into a symbol," not even the kiwis could get on board with this phase of his career save for this ballad that sounds like it was meant for whatever 90's equivalent of the Jackson five there was, but he instead kept for himself.
#22 for 1994 (#7 website)
This had all of its success this year in NZ, meaning that it was off the charts by the time it even began climbing the Australian charts the following year. This was the difference in the two music scenes in the southern hemisphere as EDM was ruling the charts in Australia this year whilst RNB was dominating the charts in NZ.
#20 for 1996 (#7 website)
This wasn't as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, in fact Sheryl Crow is essentially a one hit wonder in NZ as none of her other singles managed to become a success for her. At least her album was still a success even if it wasn't as big as it was here or especially her native America.
#23 for 1994
#23 for 1995
Regardless of whether it was due to the theme of the lyrics or it being attached to a buddy comedy film or even if it was another hit from Coolio, this track from the rapper managed to become an even bigger success in NZ than it did here in Australia and even his native America from around this time.
#14 for 1997 (#8 website)
This was Neneh's biggest hit in NZ as it was here in Australia, mainly due to it being a new age track during the height of the new age craze as well as it being a duet with an African singer to give it that level of authenticity that the likes of Deep Forest and Enigma lacked in the genre. This would be Neneh's last hit in most parts of the world given how she had since abandoned her hip hop style.
#24 for 1994 (#46 website)
This was originally a hit for the Steve Miller band here in Australia back in 1974, it wasn't a hit in NZ from what I can gather which is perhaps how it managed to become a massive success over there this year due to a highly successful ad campaign in the UK from the previous year. These campaigns were quite common throughout the 90's, hence why the UK charts is filled with reissues of older songs.
#25 for 1991 (#20 website)
This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, it feels curious that the kiwis were initially the ones to allow EDM to have more success there back in the day considering how much bigger the genre and all of its sub genres would become down under as the 90's went on. Snap's success over there was limited to their debut album as once that fell off the charts, they were considered yesterday's news.
#26 for 1990 (#9 website)
Unlike in Australia where SWV went largely unnoticed, they were a big deal in NZ which is perhaps why this ballad from Brownstone was an even bigger hit over there than it was over here. This trio also managed to score other hits over in NZ, one of which we'll get to later down this list.
#24 for 1995 (#16 website)
Well, this was a much bigger hit in NZ than it could ever hope to be in Australia, again the kiwis loved their diva pop from around this time as opposed to us Aussies who usually preferred personality over technical excellence. Still, this was decently big here (as its appearance on the Australian side of my site can attest) so it wasn't a deal breaker provided the singing is as good as it is on here.
#27 for 1990 (#6 website)
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.
#23 for 1993 (#23 website)
I guess if I'm in the right mood, I can appreciate this as a campy teen pop track with Celtic influences peppered throughout its short runtime. I'm sure that was the appeal of the song back in the day when it became a massive worldwide hit for the Irish family group, although nowhere was it more successful than in NZ where this beat out most of the competition for the teen pop wars.
#10 for 1998 (#5 website)
I told you this was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm not sure what Diesel did to earn so much success over there this year but whatever it was he got it. This led to his second single (which is still to come on this list) as well as his solo album becoming a massive success over there.
#20 for 1992 (#14 website)
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.
#24 for 1993 (#11 website)
For what it's worth, the original from Carl Douglas was a massive success over in NZ before the launch of the RIANZ charts, so it's not like this was the only version of that classic that the kiwis would be familiar with. In fact, I get the feeling this was a hit over there the same way it was here in Australia, the kiwis having nostalgia for the original and being OK with the 90's hip hop replacing the verses of the original.
#11 for 1998 (#7 website)
The Backstreet boys were on a roll this year as they continued to score success worldwide with this lead single to their most recent album Millennium, it's an album that true to its word, was meant to signify the end of the current millennium as the world entered a new millennium with their music playing in the background.
#11 for 1999 (#17 website)
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.
#25 for 1993 (#22 website)
This was only a minor success for Split enz a decade prior, so to see this be envisioned as a Boyz II Men esque ballad from the short-lived vocal harmony group Purest form was a bit of a surprise to say the least. It was a massive hit for the group and even apparently broke down some barriers when it came to Polynesian musicians given how they were the first of Polynesian descent to find success in the music scene.
#25 for 1994 (#13 website)
It appears the kiwis were on board with the idea of the three sons of Tito Jackson (that's they story behind their band name by the way) having an RNB career over there than the rest of the world as it was released slightly sooner over there than it was here in Australia and in the UK. It wound up being a massive hit everywhere except for their native America likely due to their connections with their uncle.
#21 for 1996 (#23 website)
This was another two for one deal that was available in the late 90's, this time it comes from Robbie Williams who wanted another hit from his second album which he got with this double entry in NZ.
#12 for 1999
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.
#21 for 1992
#26 for 1993
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.
#27 for 1993 (#17 website)
Well given how this was the theme to a 90's blaxploitation film (who knew they still existed at this point) it makes sense that it would be performed by a bunch of musicians of colour who referred to themselves as Black Men United. It seems odd they would waste such a confrontational name of a supergroup on what is essentially a cheesy RNB ballad from an otherwise erotic film.
#25 for 1995 (#24 website)
While this wasn't quite as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia for Prince, it was still a massive success over there given how the kiwis didn't seem to realise he was even gone as he never quite dropped off their radar even during his worst material over the last decade. Indeed, his comeback period in Australia was just business as usual over there for the Purple one.
#26 for 1991
#22 for 1992 (#43 website)
Crash test dummies success in NZ was the complete inverse of what it was here in Australia, that being the album was more successful over there than the single even though both of them were massively successful in the southern hemisphere this year for the Canadian band. It still staggers me that they didn't have any success with this track in their homeland and they remain a one hit wonder internationally with this.
#26 for 1994 (#12 website)
Although he never left UB40, Ali Campbell did briefly embark on a solo career this year which included this big hit he had in NZ and his native UK. The rest of the world had given up on his band by this point, which is perhaps why it wasn't a success here in Australia or in America.
#26 for 1995 (#14 website)
Much like in Australia, this was the final solo hit that Phil Collins was able to score in NZ, although he didn't find much success with any of the singles from Genesis's new album in the 90's, so this was actually the last hit single that the kiwis cared about in his career. At least he still had plenty of love for his albums both solo and with Genesis throughout the decade.
#28 for 1990
This was an even bigger success for Guns N Roses in NZ than it was in Australia, as were all of their singles given how rock music seemed to be more welcomed over there than it was over here at least for the most part. I wouldn't have thought these guys would hold Queen in high regard, however it turns out they did as this song had its proceeds donated to Freddie Mercury's estate following his tragic passing.
#23 for 1992 (#20 website)
This was surprisingly hard to pull up information on from the internet, from what I can gather, To be continued was an RNB group from America that the kiwis somehow discovered this year as they gave them a massive hit this year with this track despite this flopping on the Billboard charts.
#27 for 1994 (#9 website)
And the obvious sampling from Puff Daddy continues as he takes David Bowie's "Let's dance" and reworks it as another tribute to Biggie Smalls given how he has the rapper posthumously appear on this track along with Ma$e (again for a second time) and some other rappers that he simply credits as The family. It was a massive hit for everyone involved in NZ and their native America at the time.
#15 for 1997
#12 for 1998
There were a ton of female rappers from around this time, one of the lesser-known ones nowadays is Queen pen who was best known back in the day for being the occasional rapper for Blackstreet who were noticeable more successful in NZ than they were even in their native America at the time. Here she recruits Eric Williams from the group to provide a chorus for her to spit rhymes about the love of her life.
#13 for 1998 (#13 website)
Well, he did have a minor hit in Australia with his rendition of "Madame butterfly" in the mid 80's, so can we really be so surprised that Malcolm McLaren had a huge hit this year with a semi novelty track about opera music taking over the mainstream? This was the last time he troubled the charts anywhere in the world as the former Sex pistols manager struggled for mainstream relevancy after this,
#27 for 1991 (#24 website)
There was a film around this time from the makers of the Naked gun series known as High school high, it was a film meant to parody the likes of Dangerous minds and other teen dramas centered around a high school that was poorly received by critics due to the low hanging fruit the film resorted to parodying. If you couldn't tell, this is an RNB cover of Queen's signature track that was a huge success from the film in NZ.
#22 for 1996 (#50 website)
#16 for 1997
This was released much later in NZ for Ann Lee than it was in Australia, so much so that it peaked in the 00's despite having some of its success in 90's over there which goes to show how long it took for them to gravitate towards this dance pop number from the British vocalist. It was equally as successful in both countries, and it also led to her being a one hit wonder in the southern hemisphere.
#13 for 1999
This was the big breakthrough for the Red hot chili peppers everywhere in the world, mainly because of the lyrics which details Anthony Kiedes' complications with drugs and living in California. They certainly connected with the kiwis given how this was slightly bigger in NZ than it was in Australia despite it charting higher here than it did over there.
#24 for 1992 (#7 website)
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.
#28 for 1993 (#16 website)
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.
#29 for 1993
#28 for 1994
This was the third single in NZ from Five, so naturally it was the first big hit over there given how "When the lights go out" curiously underperformed for them over there for some reason. I'm guessing the kiwis didn't care about the similarities this had to Will Smith's earlier entry on this list, which is why it was almost as big a hit over there as that was.
#14 for 1998 (#11 website)
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.
#25 for 1992
#30 for 1993
This had a bit of a head start in NZ when it came to its success, although it did need that extra push to become a hit at the start of the 90's which it got when it nearly topped the Billboard charts. This was the only massive hit that Technotronic had in NZ as their other singles while mildly successful, didn't bring in the numbers that they did here in Australia to make reappearances on this site.
#29 for 1990
This was the third biggest hit from MC Hammer's breakthrough album, although it was his second highest ranking album given how much like in Australia, parents would've appreciated him making a song about praying to the lord (also that Prince sample is pretty neat even nowadays.) He would have one more hit after this over there before becoming a joke much like everywhere else in the world.
#30 for 1990
#28 for 1991
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.
#31 for 1993 (#12 website)
Well, I guess this solo single from Jamie Walters was the kiwis compromise for not allowing "How do you talk to an angel" from the Heights to be a success over there two years prior. Jamie Walters was the leading actor of the TV and the main vocalist on that track, although by this stage he had moved on to Beverly Hills 90210 as one of the replacements for Shannon Doherty following her departure from the show.
#27 for 1995 (#18 website)
While this was released on time in NZ unlike here in Australia where it was slightly delayed due to our aversion towards RNB in the 90's, it took a while to become a success over there which means that it's popularity there came the same time as it did here.
#14 for 1999
I'm guessing this was a chart topper in NZ for Mariah Carey due to the kiwis having fond memories of Nilsson as he did score a big hit over there with the original version of this ballad two decades prior. Admittedly this was also bundled with what I'm sure was meant to be the actual third single from the album "Never forget you" which could also have contributed to its popularity over there.
#29 for 1994 (#21 website)
I guess it was only a matter of time before east coast hip hop would crossover to NZ, although this did have the endorsement of Dr Dre which I guess technically makes it a west coast track despite Blackstreet being from the east coast. This was a minor hit in Australia, likely suggesting this was one of the earlier songs to convince us Aussies that hip hop was good actually which we eventually were by the end of the decade.
#23 for 1996 (#40 website)
#17 for 1997
Well, it appears that Tevin Campbel was becoming too old to be an underage RNB singer from America, as such we now have a hit single from his obvious successor J'son who scored a massive hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world with this gem. I'm not sure what NZ's fascination with underage RNB and hip hop was throughout the 90's, but I'm sure all of these kids of colour appreciated this success back in the day.
#24 for 1996 (#16 website)
This was always meant to be the fourth and final single from 2pac's third album All eyez on me, heck the video was completed before he was murdered meaning that he had every intention of this song being released as a single before his death. I feel I should mention this given how many hits he's had since his death over the years, although I get the feeling this was only a success due to his tragic passing.
#18 for 1997 (#23 website)
I feel it was more than a coincidence that this was Bette Midler's final hit single in most parts of the world, after all the last thing anyone wants to hear is that God loves them but only under certain circumstances which is the whole point of this ballad. It has good intentions and Bette's performance does save it from people looking too far into the lyrics, however it's not fondly remembered these days.
#31 for 1990
#29 for 1991
Well there's something I just discovered while going through the NZ charts, the kiwis never really liked Jay Z all that much as not only did they favour the west coast hip hop during his heyday, but they even gave his main rival (at the time at least) Nas a hit as a rare east coast rapper with this song about how life would be like if he had actual power where it mattered in the world.
#25 for 1996 (#12 website)
This was an even bigger hit for Tom Cochrane in NZ, I'm guessing because heartland rock was still popular in NZ when it was beginning to lose its steam here in Australia by this point of the 90's. Then again, you've likely noticed that rock music in general seemed to be doing better in NZ this year, I guess we Aussies wanted to support our local music scene which was more about dance pop.
#26 for 1992 (#9 website)
This was another west coast rap group to find massive success in NZ and not their native America, I told you this was going to be a trend throughout the decade given how the kiwis were firmly on board with west coast hip hop throughout the 90's. Here these guys have the blessing of the Spinners (or Detroit Spinners if you're from the UK) as they come back to rerecord their chorus from their 1972 classic this song samples.
#28 for 1995 (#12 website)
Quincy Jones already had a minor hit from the start of the decade with "I'll be good to you," so here he is with another posse cut he made with the likes of Babyface and Tamia (best known for her feature on Fobolous's track "Into you") with additional help from Portrait and Barry White of all people. It was a massive success in NZ and nowhere else in the world for reasons I can't seem to fathom.
#26 for 1996 (#18 website)
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.
#32 for 1993 (#18 website)
Before "One sweet day" broke chart records, this was the song about making a dedication to your fallen friends to make it big as DRS managed to come up with the formula when they released this song as their debut single which became a massive hit for them in NZ and their native America. Of course, the likes of Boyz II Men and Bone thugs n harmony would perfect this formula as the decade went on.
#30 for 1994 (#17 website)
Well given how 2pac was one of the biggest artists of the decade in NZ, it's only fitting that his one and only hit in Australia (at least during his lifetime) would be a massive success over there even if his earlier entry on this list was the biggest hit of his career over there (alive or dead.) It was also Dr Dre's second hit over there following the success of "Keep their heads ringing" from the previous year.
#27 for 1996 (#11 website)
This was originally released three years prior to deafening silence for the Maoris band Southside of Bombay, I'm guessing because this was a rather serious song about entering the real world set to a reggae beat and with the gimmick of being written around the children's playground game. It was a massive hit this year when it was featured in the critically acclaimed NZ film Once were warriors.
#31 for 1994 (#8 website)
I guess the kiwis were also more impressed with this reworking of the Hot Chocolate classic than its usage in the Full Monty this year, either that or we Aussies and Kiwis simply forgot to reward the original with success like the Brits did in favour of making this EDM rendition of the disco classic a hit in the southern hemisphere. I guess the fact that it only borrows the chorus from the original was a factor as well.
#19 for 1997
#15 for 1998
This was a little late to the party in NZ, in fact I'm willing to bet this was only a success over there due to it being one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia given how few songs from what has been dubbed the Lilith Fair crowd became hits over there during the 90's.
#16 for 1998 (#32 website)
#15 for 1999
It's the comeback singles to end all over comeback singles, released as the debut single from a guy who as far as we knew didn't have any failed attempts at making it big in the music industry (OK so "Crazy" was technically his first single in his native UK even though it was his second single worldwide.) Naturally this was a big hit in NZ even though it was curiously even bigger here in Australia.
#28 for 1996 (#17 website)
This was the biggest hit that Ma$e had on his own in NZ, although here he has the assistance of RNB girl group Total to provide him a smooth chorus to connect his verses about how he would treat the woman he's presumably singing to. He doesn't have much respect these days in the hip hop game mainly due to him playing second fiddle to Biggie Smalls in the east coast hip hop scene at the time.
#17 for 1998 (#31 website)
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