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.
Following the success of his earlier entry on this list, Che fu released this Double A-side of "Without a doubt" and "Machine talk" from his solo debut album which became a number one hit for the former lead vocalist for Supergroove. His popularity would continue to explode going into the 00's where he scored plenty of other hits.
#57 for 1998 (#22 website)
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't an even bigger hit in NZ than it was, granted it was still much bigger there than it was here in Australia, but I would've thought a hip hop track from the white rapper (even if it's a novelty like this track) would've been an easy chart topper over there as opposed to just being a mere top ten hit.
#58 for 1999
I did mention the last time I featured Richard Marc on this site that this was the only other hit that he managed to achieve in NZ, this is rather coincidental as both of these songs were chart toppers here in Australia and yet this was what got him out of the one hit wonder bin over there despite being far less successful than it was over here. I guess the kiwis were a bit torn with the story telling on this particular track.
#60 for 1992 (#25 website)
This was the final hit that Midnight oil had anywhere in the world, and it's a return to them standing up for Australian aboriginals as this is a song dedicated to an elder by the name of Truganini who was one of the last traditional owners of Tasmania before it was taken off them by the Australian government. Yeah, the Australian government are notorious for how they treat the local community throughout history, which is perhaps why this underperformed here and was a big hit in NZ.
#56 for 1993 (#42 website)
I guess that episode of South part was so successful in NZ that this EDM track from Mouse T and Hot n Juicy managed to be an even bigger hit over there than it was over here, that or the kiwis likely didn't realise this became big through the show and just enjoyed this EDM track for what it was this year.
#58 for 1998 (#23 website)
This was the second of three consecutive chart toppers that Boyzone had in NZ during the final years of the 90's, it seems rather bittersweet that the Irish boy band would finally see this level of success over there given how they went through most of the decade without so much as touching the charts.
#59 for 1999 (#47 website)
Like everything she released this decade after the Immaculate collection, this wasn't as big in NZ as it was here in Australia which is why this theme to the second Austin Powers film appears much lower on this side of my site than it does on the Australian side. Still the kiwis did enjoy this bop of a tune enough for it to be one of the biggest hits of the year for the queen of pop.
#60 for 1999
Given that her earlier entry wasn't anywhere near as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm a bit surprised that this third single from the Velvet rope managed to become a success over there which shoots down my theory that the kiwis had grown tired of her spiritual vibes in her music by this point in time. I guess these songs simply had much stronger competition over there than they did over here to make it seem like this was the case.
#59 for 1998
I don't think I've elaborated on what the Baggy sub-genre was despite already mentioning it on this site, it's basically a combination of EDM and psychedelia which was popular in the UK by bands and artists such as the Stone roses and Happy Mondays. They didn't have any success outside of their homeland, but these guys did as they scored a bit hit in NZ with this track about hippy culture.
#64 for 1990
#67 for 1991
This was an oddly good year for contemporary RNB in NZ following the success that Surface had in their native America from earlier on this list, indeed this proved to be a much bigger hit over there than it was in the Rude boys native America which is one of many RNB tracks from American groups to do so this decade.
#68 for 1991 (#29 website)
Well, this really wasn't as big in NZ than it was in Australia or especially their native UK, heck this was more popular in America months after its release which should tell you how bizarre the kiwis found this ballad from Shakespear's sister. That said, it was still a huge hit for the duo likely thanks to the strong vocals from both women involved, although Marcella Detroit didn't have a solo hit after this like she did down under.
#61 for 1992 (#42 website)
Well, I bet you were wondering if me saying this duo's album was more popular over there than anywhere else in the world meant that they managed to score a second hit in NZ, it turns out they did as they scored a massive hit over there with this song about how awful it is to live in New York City at the time the duo had made it big. Naturally this criticism of the big apple didn't go over very well in their native America.
#57 for 1993 (#46 website)
Much like in Australia, this was the only hit that U2 managed to score from Zooropa in NZ, I'm guessing to allow the album itself to be a massive success there due to it being their foray towards industrial rock which was slowly starting to take over the music industry at the time of its release.
#58 for 1993
#58 for 1994
It was only inevitable that this would be more of a hit in NZ than it was here in Australia for New edition given how much more popular the boys were during their heyday over there, heck I would've been dumbstruck if this had failed over there given how much more successful the individual members were over there throughout the decade and that this was a hit over here in Australia.
#61 for 1996 (#33 website)
Following the success of their "theme" from earlier on this list, Cleopatra released this second single from their debut album which also proved to be a success for the British teen pop trio. It wasn't as big a hit in their native UK likely due to the Brits not having enough love for this track to have it be as big as all the other teen pop making it big over there.
#60 for 1998 (#50 website)
Well at least Suzanne Vega had a minor hit in NZ three years prior with "Luka" which came from the same album as the original version of this dance classic from DNA, it was a slightly bigger hit over in NZ likely because the kiwis wanted to get Suzanne out of the one hit wonder bin even if technically she still is a one hit wonder over there as she was merely credited as the featured artist on this remix.
#65 for 1990
He may have had two failed bands by this point, however Jimmy Somerville still wasn't going to give up in being a successful pop star as he released his first solo single which was a reggae cover of the Bee gees classic from the late 60's. Naturally the kiwis ate this song up given how it was a song from the queer performer and was a reggae cover of an older track, two trends that they were into at the time.
#69 for 1991
These guys were on a roll in NZ as they managed to score a third big hit over there following the success of "O.P.P" and Hip hip hooray from earlier in the decade, indeed their popularity there was arguably more so than it was their native America as this underperformed on the Billboard charts back in the day. I guess the kiwis needed to show some love to east coast hip hop to balance out all the west coast tracks making it big.
#60 for 1995 (#47 website)
This was sandwiched between the Fugees two NZ chart toppers from earlier on this list, here they interpolate a much more obscure track from the 60's in order to connect their verses about giving their love to the people they're rapping about on the track. This and "No woman no cry" were modest sleeper hits here in Australia, proving that we Aussies were becoming more susceptible towards hip hop by this point.
#62 for 1996 (#34 website)
This was the third and final hit that K-CI and Jo Jo managed to have in NZ on their own, this was impressive considering how little success they had as members of Jodeci from earlier in the decade. This is one of the first songs to use autotune to become a hit over there, although given how the duo had two hits earlier in the decade without the studio effect, I don't think the kiwis minded its usage here.
#61 for 1999
This was the last major hit that Soul II Soul had anywhere in the world, I'm guessing this was due to it coming off the success of their two hits from their debut album from the previous year despite this being the lead single to their second album they released this year. The album itself was a massive success, suggesting that the follow ups were ignored in NZ in favour of said album's success.
#66 for 1990 (#46 website)
This was only one of two hits that After 7 had in NZ, they were a new jack swing trio similar to Tony Toni Tone from earlier on this list who unfortunately didn't see the same level of success as those guys did. Curiously, they did manage to score a minor hit later in the decade with "Till you do me right" over there and in Australia, proving that there was some crossover potential in the group.
#70 for 1991
This was the second single to be released from Nevermind worldwide, it managed to be a success in NZ likely because A: they had a stronger alternative scene at the time compared to us Aussies and B: the album was already a massive success here by the time this was released as a single. It remains one of their more iconic songs in their catalogue due to how surprisingly simplistic it is as a grunge track.
#62 for 1992
It looks like Naughty by nature were able to get in one more big hit in NZ with this single from the Nothing to lose soundtrack, it appears that this was an excellent time for soundtrack singles given how this is the third hit to come from that film following Lil Kim and Coolio's entries. Sadly, this would be the last the kiwis would hear from the hip hop group, although we Aussies gave them a hit with "Holiday" in 2000.
#60 for 1997
#61 for 1998
Well, that's one way to convince your audience to buy a single, although I feel this was meant to be ironic because this samples Madonna's "Material girl" similar to how their big hit in Australia sampled the Jackson 5's "Can you feel it." It's pretty obvious why neither of these songs have survived the test of time as even back then, they felt more like a gimmick than something audiences generally liked.
#62 for 1999
Even with a film as disastrous as Graffiti Bridge (at least from what I've heard it was a disaster) Prince was still able to find success in NZ with its theme song as this track did manage to become a moderate success for the Purple one this year over there. Admittedly it was a minor success here in Australia as well, proving that its failure might be more due to the film it was attached to rather than the quality of the song.
#67 for 1990 (#47 website)
This almost made it to the Australian side of my site, it only didn't because I didn't want my lists to be too exhausting for my readers which meant I had to make a cut off point for each of them. Fortunately, this easily cleared that cutoff point on the NZ side of my site likely due to the kiwis finding much to love for this song back in the day despite it facing a lawsuit against Wild cherry's song of the same name.
#71 for 1991
This is another song that could've made it on the Australian side of my site if I didn't place a cap on how many songs would appear on each of these lists, fortunately this was much bigger in NZ likely due to the kiwis being more impressed with this novelty hip hop track from American rapper Del tha funkee homosapien (man what a weird rap name.) I know this is meant to be conscious rap, however all I remember when listening to this is the repetition of the title on each chorus.
#63 for 1992 (#33 website)
This is the only notable hit from American RNB singer Trey Lorenz, likely due to it being written by Mariah Carey around the time she proved herself as the real deal on MTV unplugged but also due to the success of Boyz II men and other RNB groups of the moment.
#59 for 1993
This was the first big hit that Pras Michel had without the other two members of the Fugees anywhere in the world, although here he teams up with another rapper by the name of John Forte as they both sample "Electric Avenue" from Eddy Grant for this theme song to a film known as Money talks. From what I can gather, the film was a critical disaster due to it having Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen as its leads.
#61 for 1997
Shihad is a metal band who made it big this year with this breakthrough single of theirs in their homeland, they had plenty of buzz on the alternative rock scene to the point where some of their tracks managed to appear on the Triple J going into the new millennium. That would explain why their popularity exploded in the 00's and how they even managed to have minor success in Australia that decade.
#60 for 1993
It seems curious that the one hit these guys didn't have in Australia from their debut album would be their biggest hit in NZ, not to say that their other two hits from the album weren't a success over there, rather it just seems like this was the big hit over there due to how successful the other two singles were here. In any case, this was proof that the Sydney based NZ RNB group were able to find massive success in the southern hemisphere back in the day.
#59 for 1994
Well, it looks like the kiwis also found this novelty track about body shaming a guy for having a small dick hilarious back in the day, not as hilarious as we Aussies found it and certainly not as quickly as we did, but its success was noteworthy over there regardless.
#61 for 1995
This was the theme song to a film known as Friday, it's a black comedy starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker which has retained a strong fanbase in black communities as well as fans of 90's comedy (I haven't seen it but should probably get around to doing so.) It was also the only hit that Dr Dre had as a lead performer in NZ given how he was better known for being a producer by this point in his career.
#62 for 1995 (#38 website)
I mentioned on an earlier list that these guys had a massive hit this year over in NZ, here it is which is more in line with a typical west coast track as opposed to the funky new jack swing that permeated their success during the first half of the decade over there and in their native America. As it turns out, their fellow American's didn't want to hear anymore from these guys which resulted in this flopping on Billboard.
#62 for 1997 (#41 website)
This was MJ's last hit anywhere in the world, naturally it was as such because his real-life antics hadn't quite caught up with him when he released this and the remix album it came from and as such, fans were able to still appreciate his music without feeling shame for enjoying it.
#63 for 1997 (#33 website)
While Lenny Kravitz did have success throughout the decade in NZ, none of the singles during the midpoint of the decade were strong enough to appear on my site which means he was unable to score any new entries on these lists with his 90's material. Still the fact that all of his song's successfully managed to reappear on this side of my site should tell you how well loved he was in the southern hemisphere.
#63 for 1999
He may not have had any success during his time with the Rockmelons here in Australia, however at least Peter Blakeley can take comfort in the fact that his one and only hit in Australia was also as such in NZ albeit to a much lesser scale. It appears to have come at the expense of his album being a success over there as it unfortunately flopped much like his former band's album from two years prior.
#68 for 1990
It appears the kiwis were also on board with this alternative track from Beck as it managed to become a huge success over there like it was over here for the alternative rocker, although it also remains his only hit over there making it feel more like a novelty on this list than an anthem for a generation like it's been described as.
#60 for 1994 (#29 website)
Well, it took us long enough, but we've finally gotten to that other big hit that Brownstone was able to achieve in NZ this year. This is a cover of the Eagles final hit single before they called it quits in 1980, curiously around the same time they had embarked on their Hell froze over tour which means the kiwis were very hungry for not only more music like SWV but also new music from the band this year.
#63 for 1995 (#44 website)
I guess the kiwis were more conscious about the environment than we Aussies were back in the day as this managed to be a bigger hit for MJ over there in addition to "Heal the world" being a massive success for him two years earlier. It could admittedly be that anything released from the king of pop around this time was more popular with the kiwis than it was with us Aussies given how these lists have turned out in his favour.
#64 for 1995
#63 for 1996
At least this was a massive hit here in Australia for Wilson Phillips, it wasn't quite the case in NZ where it was half as successful likely due to there being another song with its title that became a success over there that we looked at earlier in this list. I guess I should mention that these girls were the daughters of some of the biggest names in music from the 60's which is why they were so big in their native America.
#69 for 1990 (#25 website)
It looks like the kiwis gave Guns n Roses one more hit for the road during the Use your illusions era, although it's worth noting that "November rain" was still one of the biggest hits here in Australia during the entire chart run this song had on our charts as opposed to it finally dropping out of the charts over there when it was released.
#61 for 1993
This was a big hit for the Headless chickens this year in their homeland, it wasn't a huge success here in Australia, but it did catch the attention of Triple J listeners who voted it on their first annual year end list. I'm guessing it was because of this attention that their first hit in their homeland was bundled with their biggest hit over there the following year.
#62 for 1993 (#45 website)
At least this double entry from All Saints managed to be a success on time in NZ, although once again, the trade-off appears to be that it didn't do nearly as well over there as it did over here which seems to be a pattern when it comes to songs getting a delayed release here in Australia (particularly from the RNB genre.) I guess it could also be that the kiwis simply weren't as impressed with these covers as we Aussies were this year.
#62 for 1998
Well, it looks like the kiwis had already grown tired of Paula Abdul going into her second album, I guess this was a hit for the pop star over there due to how inescapable it was throughout the rest of the world, however it's clear that they were ready to move on from her to the likes of the pop divas from earlier on this list.
#72 for 1991
This was the third and final hit that the Exponents managed to achieve with this name as their subsequent material this decade failed to make it big in their homeland, this also came out around the time they released their first album since their name change which likely boosted the song's popularity at the time.
#64 for 1992
This was the big breakthrough hit that Coolio had in most parts of the world, likely for the sample which came from one hit wonder Lakeside who scored a massive hit in NZ back in 1981. Of course, Coolio only samples the beat and chorus of the original as he uses them to connect his verses about how he was making it in the big leagues now that he was a successful rapper (a bit early to brag but it was eventually true.)
#61 for 1994 (#36 website)
Well, this is certainly a surprise entry, namely because this came from Janet's album from two years prior and yet it instantly shot up the charts over there likely due to it being bundled with "What'll I do" which was a minor hit here in Australia earlier in the year.
#65 for 1995
This was the last hit that Cypress Hill had in NZ, I'm guessing because the west coast rap was becoming quite crowded in NZ given how the likes of 2pac and Coolio were scoring massive hits over there around this time. Still at least they had a hit over there with this jam, it underperformed on Billboard who were less biased when it comes to the east coast/west coast rivalry.
#66 for 1995
This was the only other big hit from the Space jam soundtrack in NZ, although the fact that an otherwise unsuccessful soundtrack spawned two big hits over there is impressive considering the film has a polarising reception to this day. Fans of the film (which includes me) love it for being an update of the Looney Tunes formula for (then) modern audiences whilst fanboys of the original hate it for being a vanity project for Michael Jordan.
#64 for 1997 (#45 website)
The original from Bill Withers was a song about how he was certain that his love for his partner would stand the test of time, here Will Smith takes the instrumental of that track and instead dedicates it to his son Trey about how he'll always be there for him which obviously touched the hearts of audiences around the world who made it an international success. Naturally this was recorded following his marriage to his second wide Jada Pinkett who isn't the mother of Trey.
#63 for 1998 (#46 website)
We looked at Pauline Henry's solo hit from later in the decade on the Australian side of this site, so now let's look at the big hit she had with her band the Chimes at the start of the decade which became a big hit in NZ this year. Strangely it wasn't their biggest hit in their native UK as that honour goes to their cover of U2's "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" which was a minor hit here in Australia.
#70 for 1990
These guys were on such a roll this year that they managed to score a second hit both in NZ and their native America with this sexually driven track which seems like a precursor to their earlier entry on this list (or at least that's my head cannon.) I should mention that their only hit here in Australia won't be reappearing on this side of my site as for some reason, the kiwis passed up on that track later in the decade.
#71 for 1990 (#38 website)
It had been a while since Tina Turner last troubled the charts in NZ, indeed it wasn't since "Typical male" from 1986 since she reached the upper echelons of the charts which is strange because that means that "The best" was a massive flop over there for her. Fortunately, she scored one more hit over there with this track from her biopic What's love got to do with it even though it flopped here in Australia.
#63 for 1993
Well, I suppose this was a shoe in for a repeat entry on this site given how it has everything that you would expect from late 90's hip hop, obvious sample of a classic track? Check. Theme song to a popular film at the time? Check. A popular rapper looking to boost his popularity outside of hip hop? Check.
#64 for 1998 (#41 website)
This was a minor hit here in Australia for Ricky Martin; however, it was too minor of a hit to appear on the Australian side of my site due to it charting too low to make any sort of impact in our music scene. Fortunately, it was much more impactful over in NZ likely due to the Latin craze being a lot stronger over there at the time, well that or the fact that this came from a highly successful album which affected its popularity down under.
#64 for 1999 (#19 website)
From what I can gather, Andru Donalds is one of the vocalists that Enigma used in their albums which would explain the success of his solo material in certain parts of the world including this track he released following an infamous lawsuit that the German duo was facing around this time. No surprise then this was a hit for him in NZ given how it's a reggae track made by an artist who hails from Jamaica.
#67 for 1995
If this sounds like a Boyz II Men track to anyone, that's because it was written by Nathan Morris who was the main vocalist of the quartet. I'm guessing he donated this track to RNB singer Uncle Sam who scored his one and only hit with this ballad before forever fading into obscurity, admittedly this wouldn't work well with the quartet's catalogue given how bitter the lyrics are on here.
#65 for 1998
Well at least this second single from Labour of love II was a hit upon its initial release in NZ, although it was noticeably less successful over there compared to here in Australia as its lower appearance on this list can attest to. Still, there's no denying that the kiwis were in love with the band at this point in time, and this love wouldn't fade until at least the midpoint of the 90's when Ali Campbell went solo.
#72 for 1990
This was a big hit in Australia this year, so naturally it would also be a big hit in NZ even if it was only slightly bigger over there for some reason. The trio would score one more hit much later in the decade over there with "Let's get down" which would be a complete departure from the new jack swing that made them a household name worldwide during the first half of the decade.
#64 for 1993 (#40 website)
This was a minor hit in Australia this year, so minor that it failed to appear on the Australian side of my site for the Cure meaning that they're basically a two-hit wonder with their two appearances they made on that side of my site. In fact, this being their only appearance on this side of my site is a bit confusing given how they had plenty of success with their albums over there throughout the 80's.
#65 for 1992
Well at least this song didn't have to compete with "One word" by Baby animals in NZ given how the Australian band didn't have nearly the same level of success over there as they did over here this year. As such this third single from Achtung baby was able to become a much bigger hit for U2 over there which only fueled the success the band was having at the time.
#66 for 1992
This was the first big hit that 2pac managed to achieve in NZ during his short time on this planet, it was a massive hit for him over there and his native America likely due to it showcasing a softer side of the otherwise hardcore rapper as the song is indeed about him paying his love and respect to his mother. It recharted later in the decade when "Changes" became a huge hit for him posthumously.
#68 for 1995 (#40 website)
This was also a huge hit for Aqua in NZ this year, likely due to it being chosen as the third single over there to promote the Gwyneth Paltrow flick Sliding doors which this served as the theme song to. It was slightly bigger over there than it was here in Australia likely due to it being a hit over their third single here "Lollipop" which wasn't a success over there and thus won't be making an appearance on this list.
#66 for 1998 (#39 website)
This was the first big hit that Robbie Williams was able to score in NZ both solo and with Take that, although "Back for good" was a minor hit for the group over there earlier in the decade for what it's worth. Here we have the lead single to his second solo album which became a success likely for its music video which showed a quirkier side of the British singer that the kiwis appreciated.
#67 for 1998
There won't be as many double entries on the NZ side of this site given how the kiwis seemed to have a more competitive music scene during the late 90's, one of the few exceptions was the fourth and fifth singles from the Spice Girl's debut album which were bundled together over there like they were everywhere else in the world so that it wouldn't take up space during the album cycle of their second album.
#65 for 1997 (#44 website)
Unlike here in Australia where this only became a success due to it being bundled with the official anthem for the 1998 FIFA world cup, this was an instant success in NZ for Ricky Martin albeit only a moderate success hence its lower placement on this list. Indeed, Ricky would overall have much less success over there throughout his career despite him having more entries overall on this side of my site.
#66 for 1997
#73 for 1990 (#31 website)
I really wasn't expecting to feature Anthrax on this site given how they're about as far away you can get from commercially accessible music (especially for the early 90's) however it appears the kiwis were big fans of their collaboration with Chuck D from Public Enemy (hey that rhymes) which is likely the reason why Metallica didn't see much success with their sellout material over there this decade.
#73 for 1991
Well, this is a song that I'm sure has never caused any controversies over the years, OK putting aside it's title, this song has been nothing but controversial in the mainstream from its lyrics to the video which is definitely not safe for work to talk about (let alone show.) It was a huge worldwide success for the band due to the controversy, although it only managed to appear on the NZ side of this site.
#67 for 1997
#68 for 1998
This was one of only two hits that Aaliyah had in her lifetime in NZ, hey at least it was one more hit she had there compared to here where she's a one hit wonder with "Try again" from 2000. Much like how that came from a Hollywood flick (which was Romeo must die) this also came from a Hollywood film which was the Eddie Murphy version of Doctor Dolittle which is widely regarded as the best version of that story.
#69 for 1998 (#26 website)
Although this track came out two years prior throughout Europe, it wasn't until this year that it became a hit over in NZ despite the fact that the album it came from spawned two successful hits for Lutricia McNeal over there the previous year. I'm guessing this was a big hit on their radio given how airplay became a factor on the RIANZ charts starting with this year.
#65 for 1999
This was the last hit that R.E.M managed to achieve in most parts of the world as the band became more of an album act after the success of this lead single to their album Monster, I'm guessing this was a hit in NZ due to it being a surprise hit over in the UK even though it was only a minor hit at best here in Australia for the band.
#62 for 1994
This was the second of three chart toppers that Deep obsession managed to achieve in their homeland, although it's worth noting that none of these covers exactly lit up their charts around this time which says more about how unpredictable the NZ charts had become by the end of the decade more than anything.
#66 for 1999
I'm surprised this wasn't a bigger hit in NZ given how gangster rap was taking the world by storm around this time, heck it was even noticeable enough for it to become a success in Australia which says how popular Snoop Dogg was back in the day. Alas it was only a modest success for him in NZ just like it was here in Australia, although he did have moderate success over there as the decade went on.
#63 for 1994
I should point out that this was the song that made Kulcha a household name in NZ given how "Shaka jam" only became a hit over there once this was released as a single and instantly caught on with the quartet's fellow kiwis. These three songs I've featured on this site was the full extent of their popularity back in the day as their second album would bomb later in the decade.
#64 for 1994 #(37 website)
This was the second and final hit that Pato Banton was able to score in his career throughout the world, this time we have a straight cover of a Young Rascals track as opposed to him interpolating a track from the Equals like he did two years prior with his other big hit. Naturally this was at its most popular in NZ given how the kiwis were still in love with reggae during this point in time.
#64 for 1996 (#47 website)
I get the feeling if east coast hip hop would've been all the rage in NZ, then Busta Rhymes would've had far more success over there than he got, as is, he did decently well starting with this breakthrough single of his which was also a big deal in his native America this year. He would score further success in both countries as the decade went on even though many consider this to be his best song of the 90's.
#65 for 1996 (#39 website)
This is the only hit that teenage singer Shola Ama was able to achieve outside of her native UK, although like many British artists of the day (especially those in the RNB camp) she was far more successful in her homeland. Here she puts her spin on an obscure track from the late 70's that went over well with her fellow Brits and the kiwis, although not so much with us Aussies given how this flopped here.
#68 for 1997
You'd think that this song and indeed all of the singles from the Velvet rope would've been far more popular over in NZ than they were here in Australia, although at least in this case I can see the kiwis being unfamiliar with the Janis Joplin classic that this song heavily samples from as that was a huge flop over there from what I can gather as opposed to it being a genuine hit here back in the day.
#69 for 1997 (#48 website)
This was the third chart topper that Deep Obsession had in NZ, it was the perfect way to end the 90's given how it suggested that they would be one of the biggest local artists of the 21st century. Sadly, this was also their final hit which proves that they weren't destined for greatness in the 00's.
#67 for 1999 (#13 website)
Following the success he had with his collaboration with Boyz II men (which we'll get to in a bit) LL Cool J was able to score a huge follow up with this single which helped him compete in the west coast/east coast rivalry that was happening at the time in hip hop over in NZ. He wouldn't have another huge hit over there until the new millennium when he teamed up with J-lo of all people.
#66 for 1996 (#43 website)
Even though they didn't see any prior success in NZ with their earlier work, this lead single to the Rockmelon's second album was released the same time over there as it was over here even if it had all of its success confided to this year as opposed to having its success stretched out to the following year down under. I guess the kiwis were really hungry for covers of Bill Withers catalogue if this was the case.
#74 for 1991
We have one final entry from Kris Kross to feature on this site, this time it's the lead single to their second album which managed to become a decent hit in NZ as well as their native America this year. Naturally this saw the duo mature from their previous material as they went through their puberty, which likely explains why it wasn't as big as "Jump" or "Warm it up" as the change in direction was noticeable.
#65 for 1993
This is the only other big hit that Double J and Twice the T managed to achieve in their homeland, here they appear to recruit an environmental mascot called Robert D Frogg (lamest mascot name ever) to encourage kids of the day to be more mindful of the environment which was a common trend throughout the 90's.
#74 for 1990
Well, this wasn't as big in NZ as it was here in Australia (even taking into account that this did far worse on AMR than it did on ARIA) at least this was a big hit for the girls over there even if it was the last song they released as a unit before Ginger Spice called it quits for reasons I won't go over on this site.
#70 for 1998
Unlike in Australia where Sophie B Hawkins managed to achieve a second hit throughout the decade, this was the only hit she managed to achieve over in NZ likely due to this becoming a minor hit in the UK in addition to it being a massive hit here and in her native America this year. Admittedly none of her contemporaries managed to achieve much success with their singles over there like they did over here either.
#67 for 1992 (#37 website)
This was another easy hit that MJ had in NZ this year, in fact much like U2, it seems like audiences were handing him success this year regardless of what the song was actually about given how it seemed like everything he would release would be a success worldwide.
#68 for 1992
From what I can gather, this is a charity song that NZ blues singer Hammond Gamble wrote for red nose day that became a hit twice in NZ. This was obviously the first time as it went straight to number one over there this year, however it went back to number one the following year likely due to a similar campaign shooting it back up the charts.
*Apologies for the lack of album art for this entry, there doesn't seem to be one in existence. The song is "You make the whole world smile" from Hammond Gamble if you couldn't tell from my commentary*
#69 for 1992 (#21 website)
This was also a bigger hit in NZ than their second single "Where's the love" like it was in their native America I guess the kiwis preferred the slow ballads from the boys as well as their earlier entry on this list than a genuine bop like that track is.
#70 for 1997
#71 for 1998
I guess the mashup singles made a comeback this year in the mainstream, so why not allow Bobby Brown to have a hit with this mashup which comprises of "Every little step," "On our own," "Don't be cruel" and "My prerogative?" It was intended to be released exclusively here in Australia due to the surprise success of the first track on here (hence the name of the mashup) however it was a huge hit in NZ instead.
#75 for 1990
It looked like there wouldn't be another Traveling Wilburys album following the tragic death of Roy Orbison shortly after they released their first album two years prior, however the remaining members decided to make a second album which included this track they released in aid of the Romanian Angel Appeal. This was a charity which helped the children of Romania that I'm sure was a factor in its success in NZ.
#76 for 1990 (#43 website)
K7 had a huge sleeper hit with "Come baby come" in NZ which won't be making an appearance on this site due to it charting in the lower half of the charts over there, this did lead to him having a huge follow up hit with the Swing kids which does qualify for this site due to charting in the upper echelons of their charts. From what I can gather, he was another Hispanic American rapper to make it big in NZ but not his homeland.
#65 for 1994 (#43 website)
I would ask how LL Cool J didn't have more success in NZ if this was such a big hit over here in Australia, but then I remember that he was an east coast rapper and that the kiwis were on the side of the west coast in the hip hop wars of the 90's. I think the only reason this was a hit over there was for Boyz II Men's chorus given how the RNB group were still one of the most inescapable groups of the decade over there.
#67 for 1996
This was the final hit that Bryan Adams was able to achieve in NZ, admittedly this was more of a Barbra Streisand track as it came from her film the Mirror has two faces which was a critical and commercial success around this time. You may have noticed that Bryan was another name from the 90's that didn't have nearly as much success in NZ as he did throughout the rest of the world with these entries.
#71 for 1997
Well, I hope you're in the mood for another reggae cover of a Beatles classic from the 90's because Inner Circle followed in the footsteps of Chaka Demus and Pliers from earlier in the decade by covering a Beatles classic in the form of this reggae track. It was an inevitable success in NZ given how popular the Jamaican band were throughout the decade over there.
#72 for 1998
I bet you were wondering if these guys had any success back in the day considering how lead singer Nick Lachey was immensely popular during his marriage with Jessica Simpson throughout the 00's. It turns out they were in their native America as well as NZ for this one and only hit of theirs which is about the boy band singing to their audience about how they can't love them because of their significant others.
#68 for 1999 (#39 website)
Much like Australia, Bryan's earlier entry on this list was pulled from shelves in NZ to encourage the sales of this second single from Waking up the neighbours as well as the album itself. I think this was the only time where this method worked out as every other time I've seen a song pulled from shelves to encourage album sales resulted in the album either doing just as well if this tactic wasn't applied or it being worse off for it.
#75 for 1991
Although it was panned by critics back in the day, Snoop Dogg's second album Tha doggfather did yield a few moderate hits including this track where he interpolates "Ooops upside your head" from the Gap band with the full endorsement of their frontman Charlie Wilson as he provides him a chorus with an update of the original. This is the second time the song was a success as an interpolation following Snap's usage of it.
#72 for 1997
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