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.
Well given how even we Aussies were able to recognise the genius of this track about trying to get a hold of De la soul from around this time (it cracks me up every time I listen to it) it was only inevitable that it would be a massive hit for the trio in NZ given how the kiwis were more susceptible to hip hop from around this time than we Aussies were.
#30 for 1991 (#17 website)
This was an even bigger success for C+C Music factory in NZ, likely due to it sounding like a McDonald's advert to them years before the restaurant chain would adopt this theme for themselves by reworking some of the lyrics for their brand. The duo would return bigger than ever later in the decade with their second album following the aftermath of their legal dispute with Martha Walsh.
#31 for 1991 (#12 website)
Well, this was still the biggest hit in Bon Jovi's career in NZ, although it didn't chart as high over there as it did here in Australia for whatever that's worth and isn't their highest charting single over there either.
#32 for 1994
#29 for 1995
Who would've thought that Aaron Neville got the big mainstream push from his collaboration with Linda Ronstadt from the start of the decade in NZ? While she never bothered the charts again anywhere in the world, Aaron scored a bunch of hits in NZ both solo and with his band the Neville brothers as recently as 1993 with this being the biggest hit of the bunch.
#32 for 1991 (#14 website)
This was the second chart topper that INXS had in NZ, although as we've established on this site, going to number one hardly constitutes how successful your song is in the southern hemisphere as this was far from the band's biggest hit in either country despite being among the higher charting songs on our charts.
#32 for 1990 (#14 website)
Given how "Barbie girl" was quickly pulled from shelves over in NZ much faster than it was over here in Australia, this means that this second single from Aqua's debut album was by far their biggest hit even factoring in hard sales which is a sign that RIANZ felt this practice was harming their charts back in the day. I wonder if the band were big fans of the Indiana Jones franchise when they wrote this as it's very good for a fanfiction song.
#20 for 1997
#18 for 1998
Although "Because we want to" was a sleeper hit over in NZ this year, it was this second single from Billie Piper that would help her stand out from the countless British and European teen pop stars that seemed to be clogging up the mainstream worldwide as the decade was coming to an end. Billie is perhaps best known nowadays for her role as Rose in the Doctor Who franchise.
#19 for 1998
#16 for 1999
Following the success of their comeback hit "Love so right" from the previous year, Ardijah managed to score a huge success in their homeland with this cover of the Wings classic just as the decade was coming to an end. It was their biggest hit over there given how it went to number one, not bad for a band who had been active for almost a decade and a half by this point.
*Apologies for the lack of album art for this entry, there doesn't seem to be one in existence. The song is "Silly love songs" from Ardijah if you couldn't tell from my commentary*
#17 for 1999
This is another west coast hip hop track to become big exclusively in NZ as this flopped on the Billboard charts for the Californian band Dove shack, I'm not even sure how the kiwis came across this track other than perhaps an endorsement from Warren G as the fellow west coast rapper did feature them on a bunch of his material.
#30 for 1995 (#32 website)
Well at least this RNB ballad managed to be a success in NZ on time, although I feel like I've said this for multiple entries over the last few lists as RNB in NZ was widely accepted since the start of the decade as opposed to Australia where it generally needed to be a success over there before it crossed over here.
#21 for 1997
#20 for 1998
Well, this isn't a rock and roll rendition of the Shocking blue classic made popular by Bananarama twelve years prior, instead this is a unique track which happens to share the name of those two songs from NZ rock band the Feelers which became a massive success over there following the release of their debut album.
#21 for 1998 (#45 website)
#18 for 1999
The original from Lou Reed was never a hit anywhere in the world back in the 70's, I guess it was considered a bit too ahead of its time to connect with a more conservative audience of its day. It was given a cover from Jamie J Morgan who took the downbeat original and turned it into a funky dance track which became a surprise hit for him over in NZ of all places.
#33 for 1990 (#19 website)
Given how this was the fourth single from Five's debut album, it was slightly less successful over there than the third single despite being released around the same time as it was here in Australia where it was only the third single. I still don't fully understand the logic behind the slightly different album cycle the album had here in Australia compared to the rest of the world.
#22 for 1998 (#35 website)
#19 for 1999
From what I can father, the Parker Project was a NZ band who scored a massive hit this year with their cover of the Johnny Nash track of the same name from 1975 only to forever fade into obscurity after it fell off the charts. This was another band that was surprisingly hard to find any information about on the internet, so I apologise for the vagueness of my commentary.
#33 for 1991 (#22 website)
This was originally released to deafening silence worldwide a decade prior, however it was given a second chance in most parts of the world thanks to it being used in a Levi's commercial much like "The joker" was from the year prior. I guess the kiwis had access to these ads back in the day as this also managed to become a huge success over there despite it originally being a flop back in the day.
#27 for 1992 (#17 website)
The Spice girls phenomenon seemed unstoppable when the girls released the lead single to their second album/soundtrack to their film Spiceworld this year, although it's worth noting that the singles from Spiceworld didn't do as well over there as they did here in Australia (even taking the ARIA vs AMR charts into account.) Indeed, this was the biggest hit they had in NZ from the album even though "Viva forever" charted higher the following year.
#22 for 1997 (#35 website)
While this wasn't the first hit they had in NZ, this was the biggest hit from Jodeci members KCI and Jo Jo much like it was here in Australia. The duo was considered a two-man equivalent of Boyz II Men throughout the 90's, which is perhaps why they were able to score massive success even in a place like Australia with their ballads.
#23 for 1998 (#6 website)
Well, this is certainly a surprise, Boyzone had virtually no success in NZ throughout the 90's and yet they found instant success with this ballad that was apparently commissioned for an Andrew Lloyd Weber show that never came to be. This had to be won over by us Aussies before it became a success here, hence why it appeared on that side of my site on the 1999 list instead of this year's.
#24 for 1998 (#1 website)
We looked at the big hit that L.S.O.B (Lighter shade of brown) had in Australia, so now let's look at the song which put the Hispanic rappers on the map in NZ which was a track about how they spent their Sunday afternoons before they made it big. This is effectively their equivalent of "Summertime" given how the premise on both songs are the same as each other.
#28 for 1992 (#11 website)
Apparently, this track was originally released as the theme song to some cop show in America I've never even heard of, I doubt this is why it became a worldwide hit this year as that show premiered at the start of the decade and it didn't do Inner circle any favours crossing over internationally. It became a hit this year in NZ because it was a reggae track about being bad boys, it was a surefire hit in the making over there.
#33 for 1993 (#15 website)
Well, here's a song that was massively popular in NZ to the point where us Aussies eventually made it a hit to see what all the fuss was about back in the day, yes, this debut single from Monica was so popular in her native America that the kiwis made it an instant success over there months before it ever saw the light of day here. She would have a string of other hits between this and her collaboration with Brandy over there.
#31 for 1995 (#19 website)
Well, it appears the kiwis found these guys to be absolutely hilarious this year as not only was this a massive hit for them over there, but so was their album it came from which even managed to spawn a second hit for the band over there this year (which we'll look at later on this list.) This sense of humour worked for the band again two years later when "The bad touch" became a hit for them as well.
#23 for 1997 (#15 website)
I don't know what's stranger about the success of this cover in NZ, the fact that it was Ugly Kid Joe's only hit over there or that the original by Harry Chapin wasn't a hit over there during the mid 70's. Either way, it was a mammoth success for the band this year and even allowed their debut album to briefly chart before it dropped off for reasons I can't seem to fathom.
#34 for 1993 (#24 website)
This was another E.P to find success in NZ throughout the decade, I guess it's good to know that the kiwis also found it difficult to determine if an E.P should go on the singles or albums charts like we Aussies did. In any case, this E.P became a success over there due to it containing tracks that were originally cut from the band's debut album that the fans nonetheless wanted to hear more of.
#33 for 1994
#32 for 1995
Even though Lutricia McNeal is an American singer, she didn't have any success on the Billboard charts back in the day and had to achieve her success throughout Europe which she somehow managed to accomplish with her debut single. This success led to her having a hit in NZ with this cover of an obscure 70's ballad, indeed she would score other hits over there including one still to come on this list.
#25 for 1998 (#15 website)
This was a much bigger hit for Enrique Iglesias in NZ, likely because the Latin craze took off during the final year of the 90's which also resulted in huge hits for the likes of Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez over there. Enrique was by far the one who had the biggest improvement on the success he had in NZ compared to what he achieved in Australia, at least that was the case for his first English language album.
#20 for 1999 (#2 website)
This was another track from AC/DC that sounded nothing like the rest of their catalogue, naturally it would be another big hit for the band in NZ despite it curiously flopping here in Australia for some reason. This wasn't their final hit over there as they would score one more hit with "Big gun" from the Last action hero soundtrack later in the decade.
#34 for 1991 (#27 website)
I've skimmed through the old Listener charts in NZ (the charts that predate RIANZ for the uninitiated) and found that while this did chart upon its initial release over there, it was far from a huge success meaning that it becoming a hit this year makes no sense to me. You can't even say it was due to an anniversary release as this was only nineteen years after its initial release.
#34 for 1990 (#12 website)
This was a hit twice for John Paul Young in NZ just like it was here in Australia, although in this case this made him a two-hit wonder with both versions of this track as none of his other songs became a hit for him over in NZ throughout the 70's. Still, this was only a hit over there due to the ballroom mix which was commissioned for the Strictly ballroom soundtrack that came out around this time.
#35 for 1993 (#31 website)
Unlike in Australia where the only success these guys had were from covers of obscure country tracks, in NZ they scored two more hits beginning with this cover of an obscure RNB track from the Tymes. This was their debut single, which was a big hit in their native America, so naturally this was primed to be a success in NZ, I'm more surprised their earlier entry took off in other countries more than anything.
#34 for 1994 (#11 website)
Well, it seemed inevitable that Coolio would find massive success in NZ with the songs he had success with here in Australia given how he already had a hit over there prior to his magnum opus from earlier on this list. Even if he didn't make an anthem for a generation, I can't see this song being a failure over there due to how catchy it is as well as his tight flows making him a credible rapper.
#29 for 1996 (#20 website)
This was a great year for MJ when even a remix of a song that flopped the previous year managed to become a massive worldwide success thanks to it sampling one of his earlier singles, yes we have the "Human nature" remix of this track which was a massive success for Sisters with voices (SWV for short) and was even a mild sleeper hit here in Australia for the RNB girl group of colour.
#36 for 1993 (#33 website)
This was an underage hip hop duo similar to that of Kris Kross from two years prior who scored a massive hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world, this will be a common theme throughout the 90's in NZ as the kiwis somehow got their hands on all of this rap songs that flopped on the Billboard charts. Much like Kris Kross, the brother/sister duo went their separate ways once they realised they weren't going to make it in their homeland.
#35 for 1994 (#19 website)
This was a huge number one hit in Montell Jordan's native America, so naturally it would have crossover appeal in NZ given how it was a new jack swing track that even appealed to us Aussies this year. Unlike in Australia where this would be his only hit, Montell would have minor success over there and his native America throughout the rest of the decade with his subsequent follow ups.
#33 for 1995 (#20 website)
This was originally released as the debut single from the hip hop quartet to deafening silence even in their native America, I guess this was considered to be too hard core in 1994 even though Cypress hill managed to find success with little issues that year. It was given a second chance this year following the success of their earlier entry, which must have been a mood whiplash for fans back in the day.
#30 for 1996 (#48 website)
This was equally as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia for the Backstreet boys, meaning the kiwis were officially invested in the second round of the boy band wars of the 90's given how they sat out the first round from the first half of the decade. For some reason, this wasn't released as a single in their native America until the following year.
#26 for 1998 (#25 website)
I'm not sure why Britney Spears was a borderline one hit wonder in her native America until her post meltdown era, sure she had the occasional hit on Billboard, but nothing that even came close to what she achieved with her earlier entry and especially with her other hits internationally. This was her second single which confirmed her as a force to be reckoned with going into the new millennium.
#21 for 1999 (#20 website)
Much like the rest of the world, this was the final hit that TLC had in NZ given how the girls would never make another album after their third album due to tragic circumstances surrounding Left Eye Lopez in 2002. This was their second self-empowerment anthem following the success of "Waterfalls" from earlier in the decade, the two have been commonly compared to each other over the years.
#22 for 1999 (#11 website)
So, I bet you're wondering how this managed to become such a huge success for MJ despite coming from an album that was released nearly two years prior to its release, it turns out this was selected as the theme song to the film Free willy which is about a boy befriending a whale that was a box office success at the time. I guess we Aussies didn't like the film very much as it did nothing to allow this to chart over here.
#37 for 1993 (#21 website)
So, it turns out Lauryn Hill had a hit in NZ after all, although it wasn't from her magnum opus the Miseducation of but rather as a virtual duet with Bob Marley on a track from his 1977 album Exodus (side note, how come so many of his posthumous hits have come from that album?) It's the last successful song from either artist as death finally caught up with the late reggae legend and the less said about Lauryn the better.
#23 for 1999 (#41 website)
This wasn't nearly as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because while the kiwis found it irresistibly catchy like the rest of the world, they felt that there were other bands at the time that combined rock with soul that they could give their attention to (as we've seen on these lists already.) Still, it was a massive hit there even before it became a Billboard chart topper for the British/American band.
#35 for 1991 (#32 website)
This was the only hit that Nate Dogg was able to find anywhere in the world as a lead artist, normally he played second fiddle to other rappers such as Warren G and 50 cent which is perhaps there's certain sites which lists Snoop Dogg as the lead artist on this track when it's the other way around. It's curious this was a hit for Snoop given how he was on trial at the time for murder.
#24 for 1997 (#46 website)
Following the success of their sister's sophomore album, the Braxton's (which originally included Toni in their lineup) found massive success with this RNB ballad in NZ of all places as the family never had much success even in their native America back in the day.
#25 for 1997 (#22 website)
These guys were a two-hit wonder in NZ, although here they scored a hit with an RNB ballad meaning they were one of many groups to combine hip hop with RNB throughout the decade. As this was a huge hit for the group over there, you can be rest assured that their big hit from Australia "White men can't jump" was a massive success over there the following year from the film of the same name.
#36 for 1991 (#43 website)
Although the original from Chicago did fine enough in NZ, this RNB rendition from Az yet was far more popular over there than the original likely due to the blessing that Peter Cetera gave the RNB group to cover it by rerecording his chorus from the original. It was their only hit in NZ despite "Last night" breaking the top ten over there the previous year.
#26 for 1997 (#13 website)
Well, here's that other big hit from the Spin doctors from their debut album that they had in NZ this year, it's just as catchy as the big international hit that had but is instead about a woman that the narrator finds to be a bit too condescending to be around (presumably an ex-girlfriend.) It was one more hit they had in NZ than they did everywhere else in the world, meaning they were most successful over there.
#38 for 1993 (#41 website)
This was originally a hit for Mungo Jerry back in 1970, it remains a classic to this day due to the lyrics about spending a lazy day in the summer forgetting about your worries (basically "Hakuna Matata" but written by a hippy and not Elton John.) Shaggy covered the track for the lead single to his second album, recruiting singer Rayvon who would collaborate with him again for his big hit "Angel" in 2001.
#34 for 1995 (#21 website)
I still feel this has rightfully earned its place as one of the best songs of the 90's and arguably of all time even if audiences nowadays feel that they shouldn't like this track due to it fueling the egos of the Gallagher brothers (also to be contrarian like with most popular things from the 90's receiving backlash in the new millennium.) This wasn't quite as big in NZ as it was here and their native UK, likely due to their albums being much bigger over there.
#31 for 1996 (#29 website)
This was also a bigger hit for Snap in NZ this year, in fact I think the kiwis were still more willing to allow EDM to permeate on their charts this year than us Aussies despite the fact that within two years, there would hardly be any EDM on their charts despite it being all over our charts. After all, once their album fell off the charts the following year, they wouldn't have any more hits over there.
#35 for 1990 (#23 website)
Given that New edition was no more (at least at this stage) this gave the members free reign to find success of their own which leads us to this one and only hit from Ralph Tresvant who scored a massive hit in NZ early in the year with this smooth new jack swing track. He didn't rise to the ranks of his fellow band mates even in his native America; however, this was a decent effort from him regardless.
#37 for 1991 (#41 website)
This was the other big hit that Pearl Jam had in NZ that failed to become as such here in Australia, admittedly this did chart high over here, but it was of little benefit as the song wasn't a success on our charts. Not that it mattered as it was the lead single to a highly successful album from one of the biggest bands of the decade, it's just the kiwis acknowledged it as a huge hit in addition to the album it came from.
#36 for 1994
#35 for 1995
I would've thought this would be an even bigger hit for Boyz II Men in NZ, I guess it did linger on their charts for quite some time at a time where songs would debut at number one only to quickly drop off the charts which is a neat compromise to now making it to number one over there. They would have two more hits this decade, the first was their earlier entry with Mariah Carey and the second would be from their third album.
#36 for 1995
Although this was a success in NZ slightly earlier than it was here in Australia, it wasn't as big a hit over there and was also their only hit given how "Don't stop" wasn't a hit earlier in the year for the American duo. I guess out of the two big hits they had in the UK, this was more likely to become a hit on Billboard due to it being a fairly standard dance track as opposed to their other big hit.
#37 for 1995 (#34 website)
Well, this was an RNB jam that made it big here in Australia, so naturally it would find success much sooner in NZ even if the success was half of what it achieved down under. This is one of the first big hits to be produced by Timbaland, although you wouldn't be able to tell it was him due to all of the weird samples used throughout the track.
#32 for 1996
#27 for 1997
Well, this proved to be an even bigger hit for Amy Grant than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis really wanted to hear some contemporary Christian music but settled for the least Christian song from her catalogue (at least as far as I'm aware.) Then again, this was a massive hit in the UK which is perhaps how it managed to crossover to the southern hemisphere in the first place.
#38 for 1991 (#26 website)
This was the last hit that Jenny Morris was able to achieve in her career, at least she had a string of minor hits here in Australia throughout the 80's both solo and with her bands as opposed to NZ where she's a two-hit wonder with this and "She has to be loved" from two years prior. I guess the kiwis didn't have that much love for her after all despite how big both of these singles were over there.
#39 for 1991
#29 for 1992
From what I can gather, Joose were an American RNB band who scored a massive hit in NZ with this cover of the Garth Brooks track that somehow flopped in their native America. Nowadays most people will be more familiar with the Ronan Keating version from 2002 given how big that version was, however in NZ this wound up being the bigger hit of the two covers.
#28 for 1997 (#11 website)
Well, this was equally as random in NZ given how at least "Quit playing games with my heart" was a hit for them in the UK and their native America prior to them releasing this lead single to their second album which declared them to be back. I'm sure if their debut album was a hit in the southern hemisphere then this would've easily been their biggest hit here given the context of when it came out.
#29 for 1997 (#26 website)
Like most alternative rock from the 90's, this proved to be an even bigger hit for Green day in NZ than it was here in Australia given how the band finally got their mainstream push on the Billboard charts albeit only as a radio hit since this was never released as a single in their native America. They would be a one hit wonder in NZ (at least with their singles) for the next ten years as they didn't trouble their charts again until the American idiot era.
#38 for 1995 (#28 website)
This song made history when it became the first to debut at number one on the Billboard charts, of course this song cheated to achieve this as did most of the earliest songs to debut at number one as it would have a delayed release to allow airplay to drive up its buzz and then be released as a single once the hype had gotten out of hand. This is why many people regard Billboard as highly unreliable when looking over the popular music of the 90's.
#39 for 1995 (#15 website)
This turned out to be the biggest hit that Shania Twain had in NZ, I'm guessing it was due to A: airplay finally being a factor this year which further boosted the popularity of songs from highly successful albums and B: the kiwis embracing this as the (then) new female empowerment anthem going into the new millennium.
#24 for 1999 (#15 website)
This was the one original hit that All-4-One managed to score in their career, even then it was only a hit for them in NZ which perhaps suggests that the rest of the world was only interested in their covers of obscure tracks rather than them bringing anything new to the table. Still, they were a worthy rival for Boyz II Men in the short time they managed to be a household name.
#40 for 1995 (#29 website)
This was the biggest hit that the Vengaboys had in NZ until "Shala lala" took that crown the following year from their second album, I would be surprised at how big this Dutch band got due to being an EDM act except A: Aqua achieved massive success over there with a similar (albeit much better in my opinion) sound and B: they seemed to have reinstated the unwritten rule of Dutch acts being inescapable in NZ that was discarded throughout the 90's.
#25 for 1999 (#16 website)
Whilst they still had success in their native America following the success of "No diggity" from the previous year, Blackstreet were more popular in NZ as in addition to hip hop, they also specialised in RNB which the kiwis were all in for throughout the 90's. Indeed, this was the second of three chart toppers that the group had over there, proving how much more loved they were by the kiwis than their fellow Americans.
#30 for 1997 (#12 website)
This was the solo debut single from Supergroove lead singer Che Fu, judging by the album art (which I apologise for its low quality as it's the best I could find on the internet) it appears to be the theme to a film that harkens back to the kung fu craze of the 70's. It could also just be a reference to the video which seems to be a parody of these trends, but I couldn't find out much about the track.
#27 for 1998 (#14 website)
This was a huge hit over in NZ for Swedish singer Emilia, I'm not sure how this became such a big hit over there as this feels like something that should've been big here in Australia but wasn't for whatever reason. In any case, she scored a massive hit before fading into obscurity even throughout Europe.
#28 for 1998
#26 for 1999
This was one of two hits that Redhead Kingpin managed to achieve in NZ this year, he was an east coast rapper who managed to impress the kiwis with his pop friendly tracks which I'm sure got him some unflattering comparisons to the likes of MC Hammer and Kid n Play back in the day. At least he was one of the more successful east coast rappers over there throughout the 90's.
#36 for 1990 (#28 website)
The last time this guy troubled the charts anywhere in the world was during the first half of the 70's, basically the RIANZ charts hadn't even been established meaning he was well past his prime when it came to connecting with the youth of the day. This was the theme to a long-forgotten film Rush, although the real charge of this hit comes from it being the first thing he released since the death of his son.
#30 for 1992 (#6 website)
Well, this is technically the second time "Dreadlock holiday" went to number one in NZ given how the hip hop trio 3 the hard way sampled the 10cc classic for their breakthrough single this year. I guess we Aussies found this corny enough to make it a minor hit this year, making this the first NZ hip hop group to score a hit over here at a time where even the biggest rappers from America were struggling to do so.
#37 for 1994 (#24 website)
Even though this charted higher in NZ for Janet Jackson, it was equally as successful over there as it was here in Australia for the younger sister of the Jackson 5 dynasty. As I said on the Australian side of my site, this feels like it belongs on her next album the Velvet rope due to the new age influence that's on the track.
#41 for 1995 (#26 website)
This was the second big hit that the Exponents were able to have this year, again there was crossover potential for these guys here in Australia as was the case for Push push, however neither band managed to score that giant hit here they had over there this year.
#40 for 1991 (#28 website)
I promised myself I would remain nice on this site no matter how I feel about the songs in questions, as such we have this collaboration from two artists I really enjoy otherwise which became a huge success in NZ for reasons I'm sure made sense at the time, but I don't get nowadays.
#41 for 1991
#31 for 1992
I've gone over the Listener charts (the charts that existed for NZ prior to the launch of the RIANZ charts) and it's with a heavy heart that I report that the original version of this track from Bob Dylan was a massive flop over there back in the day. Three years prior to when Guns N Roses scored a massive hit with their version, it was originally a hit for Randy Crawford and Eric Clapton as an RNB jam.
#37 for 1990
I forgot to mention on the Australian side of my site that this was a cover of a Rolling stones track from the height of their popularity in the mid 60's, this would explain the hippy vibes that the song has despite Mick Jagger and company never being a part of the hippy culture back in the day (at least as far as I'm aware they weren't.) For reasons I brought up when I last discussed this track, it was released slightly sooner over there than it was over here.
#38 for 1990
#42 for 1991
This was a huge success for Frente over in NZ this year, likely because there were a ton of Australian bands and artists making it big around this time and that there was bound to be some crossover appeal for some of the bigger artists over there. Indeed, this was a shoe in for crossover success due to how cute and fun the track remains to this day, although they would change this image with their later material.
#39 for 1993
Given how "I know where it's at" was a minor success in NZ from the previous year (it won't be appearing on this site I'm afraid) it makes sense that this second single from All Saints would be a huge success slightly sooner over there than it was over here. The trade-off of course was that it wasn't as big a hit over there due to the kiwis already being familiar with their brand of RNB whereas it being a surprise to us Aussies.
#29 for 1998 (#9 website)
Either the kiwis weren't that big into Savage Garden going into their second album (although I doubt this was the case given their earlier entry) or they really didn't like the Other sister because either way, this was far less successful over there than it was here despite the duo already being an international household name but this point. I guess it was the latter given that it was still a hit over there unlike anywhere else in the world.
#27 for 1999
It seems odd that the two big hits these guys had in Australia would flop in NZ, mainly because they managed to score two big hits over there this decade that didn't exactly light up our charts back in the day. This was the first of those two big hits which was the lead single to their second album Vs, an album which would be the band's biggest in the southern hemisphere despite their debut being their signature release.
#40 for 1993
This was the second time that the Anne Murray classic from the late 70's was a hit in NZ, this time it was a hit for Boyzone who managed to out chart the original likely due to the nostalgia the kiwis had from around this time for Anne Murray's work. This was the last hit that the Irish boy band had anywhere in the world before they went their separate ways to pursue solo careers.
#28 for 1999 (#27 website)
This was also a bit hit for Jimmy Nail in NZ this year, it wasn't quite as big there as it was here in Australia and especially his native UK, but the kiwis were able to appreciate this semi spoken word track about how toxic the woman he's in a relationship is with him. Like here in Australia, this was his only hit in NZ likely due to the kiwis also being unimpressed with the rest of his catalogue.
#32 for 1992
I'm not sure if this was a success in NZ due to the kiwis increased love for EDM this year, if it was nostalgia for the Matthew Wilder version from 1984 or if it was a huge success here in Australia for the Danish group Unique II. Whatever the reason, it managed to debut at number one over there proving how inescapable it was in the southern hemisphere this year.
#31 for 1997 (#20 website)
This was a huge hit for both parties involved in NZ, although it was strangely Aaron Neville who would benefit from this collaboration over there as he would score a string of hits throughout the first half of the 90's whilst this would remain Linda Ronstadt's final hit worldwide. It was also released slightly earlier over there, possibly suggesting that the kiwis were more on board with her comeback initially than us Aussies.
#39 for 1990
Even though this was eventually a minor hit later in the decade in Australia with "George," this was originally a hit this year for the Headless chickens given how it was more in line with the early UK rave scene of the 90's than the band's later material. It's little wonder that it was a huge hit for the band despite them having earlier entries on the NZ charts from the late 80's.
#43 for 1991 (#31 website)
I guess the kiwis wanted to give a shout out to the Hispanic rappers this year as A.L.T managed to score a huge hit over there much sooner than he did here in Australia or anywhere else in the world. Admittedly this was a success largely due to the sample of the instrumental track from the 50's, however the rhymes are a lot better on here than you would otherwise expect.
#33 for 1992 (#38 website)
Given how even we Aussies were able to make this a hit for Boyz II Men this year, it only seems logical that it would be even bigger in NZ to the point where it was the second of four chart toppers they had over there this decade. This was even after they had another hit between this and their earlier entry on this list, that entry is still to come further down the list by the way.
#41 for 1993 (#19 website)
Somehow this was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, and by somehow, I mean the kiwis were instantly enamoured by this bubblegum pop track from the Swedish band the Cardigans likely due to how incessantly catchy the song is. It's curious that it was the big hit from Romeo and Juliet considering how the scene it was used in has very little consequence to the overall film.
#32 for 1997 (#36 website)
This was the biggest hit that Alanis Morissette had in NZ, I guess there might be some validity to the kiwis allowing successful albums to impact a songs popularity after all given how Jagged little pill's success didn't hamper the singles on that album too much here in Australia. She had one more hit in both countries with "Hands clean" right before her obvious replacement Avril Lavigne became a megastar.
#30 for 1998 (#34 website)
I'm sure if the kiwis hadn't already allowed EDM to dominate their music scene by the time this song came out then the track would've compelled them to finally check out what all the fuss was about in the genre throughout the 90's in Australia. Indeed, this was a song that feels like it could fit into any music landscape thanks to the vocals and production being oddly timeless for a dance track.
#29 for 1999 (#22 website)
We won't be having another look at "You make me wanna" on this site as that song was too much of a sleeper hit for Usher to make a second appearance on this site of mine. Fortunately, this second single from his breakthrough album was a huge hit for him over there likely due to it being his first Billboard chart topper, this was due to the song coming with a few well-known remixes that made it popular worldwide.
#31 for 1998 (#42 website)
This is a bit odd as Rebel MC did score a massive hit in his native UK the previous year with "Street tuff" but not in NZ, yet this was his big hit over there even though if flopped in his homeland. I guess both the Brits and the kiwis would only allow one of his house tracks to make it big in each country, although he did score a second hit in NZ with his group Double Trouble with "Love don't live here anymore."
#40 for 1990 (#21 website)
Given how Riff already had a hit over in NZ with "My heart is failing me" from the previous year, it makes sense that they would have an even bigger hit over in NZ with the theme to the film White men can't jump regardless of the kiwis love for the Wesley Snipes flick where he teaches Woody Harrelson how to play basketball. I know that it was our love for the film that made it a success here in Australia.
#34 for 1992 (#13 website)
I don't think there's a single song that Mariah Carey released in the 90's that wasn't more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia, this fourth single from Music box is no exception as it was an easy top ten hit over there again due to the kiwis not allowing highly successful albums to impact the success of popular songs back in the day.
#38 for 1994 (#39 website)
This was the final hit that All-4-One managed to score in NZ and indeed anywhere else in the world, it seems curious it would be their weakest hit in NZ considering it was the song that got them out of the one hit wonder bin here in Australia.
#42 for 1995 (#25 website)
This is a remix of a track from Busta Rhymes that was originally a flop for the rapper worldwide, the remix became a surprise hit in the UK which of course was all the justification the kiwis needed to make this a number one hit over there given how he already had a hit over there with "Woo hah" two years prior.
#32 for 1998 (#10 website)
Well, we were leaving the 80's and entering the 90's, so what better way to make this transition than having Billy Joel score one of his biggest hits of his career with this lead single to his (then) latest album? Interestingly, this took its sweet time in finding an audience over in NZ and his native America as opposed to here in Australia where it was a hit upon its initial release.
#41 for 1990
This was also much bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia (even taking into account this was a number one hit on ARIA and not in AMR) I guess the kiwis really were more open to teen pop from the late 90's than us Aussies were which to be fair, we were fairly opened to around this time.
#33 for 1998 (#12 website)
Although their album Permanent shade of blue was a moderate success in NZ, it didn't live up to the hype it had here in Australia likely due to this second single from the album eating up its success around the time it took off in the southern hemisphere. Nowadays Roachford is best known as a solo project from the lead singer, however back in the day they were a decently successful RNB quartet.
#43 for 1995 (#39 website)
Cyndi was really struggling for mainstream relevancy in NZ following the success of her debut album a decade prior, who'd thought her second biggest hit over there would be a reggae reworking of her debut single? It was likely due to nostalgia of the original version as well as reggae always having a welcomed presence over there, although neither of these factors did this song any favours here in Australia.
#39 for 1994 (#48 website)
Given how the band managed to score a massive hit with their earlier entry on this list in NZ (even if it came a year after its initial release) it makes sense that this Christmas release in their native UK would be a massive success for them at the start of the year even if its success largely came from their Bee gees cover as it came twenty years after the original came out.
#30 for 1999 (#48 website)
Following the success of their earlier entry, this managed to become a huge success for MN8 in NZ and their native UK, proving that even as far back as the mid 90's there was potential in combining RNB and hip hop and having it be performed by a boy band. People say that Boyz II Men were technically a boy band because of their image, however they weren't really at least compared to the likes of these guys.
#44 for 1995 (#30 website)
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