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.
From what I can tell, Greg Johnson was a folk singer from NZ who managed to score a massive hit in his homeland this year with this folk track about the love of his life named Isabelle. It was enough of a success to spark interest in him from America of all places which is why he moved over there later in the decade despite failing to score any other hits in his catalogue in his homeland.
#70 for 1992 (#40 website)
This was the second big hit that Bitty McLean had in NZ, as well as the first he had over there that wasn't a hit in his native UK as it turns out he was a one hit wonder over there with his earlier entry on this list. Although this will be his final appearance on this site, he did score minor success over there with a third single which a cover of "Dedicated to the one I love."
#66 for 1994
The success that Savage Garden had with their first album in NZ was a bit of an inverse to what they achieved in America, this and "Break me shake me" were the two big hits over there whereas "I want you" and "Truly madly deeply" were their big hits on Billboard. In any case, this became their first big hit over there following the buzz that their debut single had given them earlier in the year.
#73 for 1997 (#47 website)
We have another RNB cover of a classic 70's hit from this American duo, this time the girls pay tribute to the David Bowie classic of the same name which only the kiwis seemed to appreciate much like their previous cover from two years prior. From what I can gather, this wasn't a part of a film meaning that the kiwis genuinely enjoyed this cover back in the day.
#73 for 1998
It only seems natural that this second cover that Whitney Houston made for the soundtrack to her theatrical debut would be a huge hit in NZ like it was here in Australia this year, in fact the only surprise here is that the original from Chaka Khan was also a flop over there despite that version superseding this take over the years as the definitive version on oldies stations.
#66 for 1993
This was a big success for Mariah Carey from her album Butterfly in NZ, likely for the inclusion of Bone Thugs n Harmony as it was obvious this was meant to be the album's equivalent of "One sweet day" from Daydream two years prior. While it wasn't an inescapable chart topper anywhere in the world, it was a big hit over in NZ which goes to show that the kiwis appreciated this collaboration.
#74 for 1998
This was released much sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, although the law of averages take place here which is that a song that was delayed in a country would find more success in that country than they did in a country where it was released on time. I guess there's also the fact that these guys were a tad late to the boy band wars for the gimmick of playing their own instruments to matter over there.
#69 for 1999
This was SWV's first big hit anywhere in the world, in fact it was a number one hit on Billboard for the trio which perhaps explains how it managed to be a big hit over in NZ for the RNB group. Their earlier entry was what made them an international household name; however, it was this track which first put them on the map in their homeland and led them to having a bunch of hits around the world.
#67 for 1993
This was a big hit for Enigma in NZ this year, it was also decently successful here in Australia but charted too low to appear on the Australian side of my site. This song was the subject to a lawsuit as the German duo were caught sampling a track without the original composer's permission, it was settled out of court but costed them their reputation in the new age scene.
#67 for 1994 (#35 website)
Disney's animated version of Beauty and the beast is my favourite movie of all time bar none (naturally we don't talk about the Emma Watson version) it's one of many films the company made in the 90's that holds up so well that Disney haters have to invent ridiculous claims to make it seem like it isn't a masterpiece when it clearly is. This Oscar winning duet was a hit here in Australia, however it was only a minor one as opposed to its genuine success worldwide.
#71 for 1992 (#46 website)
I'm not sure why this wasn't as popular in NZ or the trio's native America this year as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing it didn't have that novelty factor that "Mmmbop" had and wasn't a ballad like their previous entry was which made it not worthy of much of either countries time. Still, this was a massive hit back in the day in both countries which further proves how inaccurate their label of a one hit wonder is.
#74 for 1997 (#39 website)
Unlike here in Australia where this went straight to number one for George Michael at the expense of it having any real success here (a rarity throughout the twentieth century) this didn't get to number one in NZ despite it being a genuine hit over there which allows it to appear on this list of mine. We'll revisit his other big hit from his comeback album in a bit even though that was far less successful over there.
#68 for 1996
I guess this was originally not released as a single in NZ given how it only began charting in the first week of this year for Cher over there, naturally it having a strong presence on the radio must have encouraged her label to release it as a single over there to allow it to become the first chart topper in NZ with the new way the charts were calculated over there even if it quickly fell from their charts.
#70 for 1999
This was originally released five years prior from Freddie's second solo album, it was a collaboration with Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe and was a flop for the duo back in the day. It became a hit this year for two reasons, the first was of course due to Freddie's passing and the second was due to Montserrat performing this at the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics this year.
#72 for 1992
It appears that Redhead kingpin was able to score one final hit over in NZ with the lead single to his second album, I guess the kiwis felt he was enough of a legit east coast rapper to give him further success even if there were unfavourable comparisons, they made between him and MC Hammer at the time.
*Apologies for lack of single art, this is "3 2 1 pump" if you couldn't tell from my commentary*
#73 for 1992
Following the demise of the series the Fresh prince of Bel air, co-star of Will Smith Tatyana Ali decided to follow the star of that shows footsteps by becoming a popular singer in the music scene which led to her releasing this track that became a massive success in NZ and nowhere else in the world. The failure of this song likely scared her off from making more music as she since returned to acting.
#75 for 1998 (#47 website)
Given how inescapable their previous album was in NZ compared to what it achieved here in Australia, I would've been dumbstruck if the lead single to their first album of the 90's was a flop over there especially given how the kiwis likely would've also gawked at the bizarre visuals of its music video at the time like we Aussies did. Unfortunately, this was their final hit anywhere in the world likely due to said video.
#74 for 1992
I guess the kiwis were also big fans of the Absolutely fabulous show in the 90's given how they had moved on from the Pet shop boys by this point in time, at least we Aussies gave them a comeback album the previous year which would explain the success of this novelty track from the duo.
#68 for 1994
This only barely managed to appear on the Australian side of my site, although it was a slightly bigger hit in NZ for the Cranberries which goes to show how well loved these guys were even after the success of "Zombie" in the southern hemisphere. It turns out that they didn't agree with the sentiment that they changed for the worse as the album overall was a much bigger success over there than it was over here.
#69 for 1996
This was also a big hit for Britney in NZ this year, although at least this remix was also a modest success in her native America which likely explains its popularity worldwide given that "Sometimes" was only barely a hit for her on Billboard this year. Unlike in her native America, her popularity would continue to grow in NZ going into the new millennium.
#71 for 1999 (#21 website)
This was a big year for Brandy given how she released her debut album at the start of the year which spawned multiple hits for her in her native America, this was the bigger hit she had in NZ given how both "I wanna be down" and "Baby" were only minor hits over there for her. If there was a rivalry between her and Monica, Monica would've won that rivalry as far as the kiwis were concerned.
#69 for 1995
Well, here's that second hit that the Bloodhound gang were able to score in NZ this year, it's not as much in poor taste as the two songs that were on the Australian side of this site, but it's obvious that's the sort of humour that the kiwis had when making this a success for the band. If you couldn't tell from the title, this song is about how the narrator feels like he's being bullied by everyone and doesn't know why.
#75 for 1997
Queen Pen was such a force to be reckoned with this year that she managed to score a second hit over in NZ, this time all by herself as she continues the theme of her love life that she had with her earlier entry on this list that only the kiwis were able to appreciate back in the day.
#76 for 1998
Much like Step's earlier entry on this list, this was marketed as a Christmas single (hence the cover art) which resulted in it becoming a Christmas chart topper in the family group's native UK the previous year. This naturally wasn't the case anywhere else in the world given how it was only released as a single early in this year, however that didn't prevent it from becoming a success over in NZ for them.
#72 for 1999
This was Tiny Tina's only hit in NZ (Tiny Tina was what we Aussies called her during her days on Young talent time) mainly because the kiwis passed up her singles over there in favour of making her second album a huge (albeit sleeper) hit over there. This was also a huge success in the UK for the Australian pop diva which led to her crossing over throughout Europe.
#70 for 1995
It's interesting that this is the only other appearance that Babyface will be making on this side of this site given how he did score a couple of other minor hits in NZ and his native America around this time that simply failed to rack up the points to make their appearance on here. I would've been surprised if this failed to make the cut not only because it was a hit here in Australia but also due to Stevie Wonder's presence.
#76 for 1997
I guess the kiwis weren't as sympathetic to Meredith Brooks declaring herself as a bitch as we Aussies were given how much less popular this was over there than it was over here, then again, it doesn't escape my notice that Alanis Morissette was far less popular over there, suggesting the kiwis just didn't want to hear abrasive music from these women as much as we Aussies did.
#77 for 1997
Although I did mention that their earlier entry and "Break me shake me" were the two big hits that Savage Garden had over in NZ, this worldwide chart topper of theirs was a big sleeper hit over there this year which allowed it to reappear on this side of my site even if its popularity like the other songs from the duo's debut album was but a fraction of what it achieved here and in America.
#78 for 1997
The hits just kept on coming for Push Push this year in their homeland, again this didn't chart here in Australia due to us Aussies rejecting the hard rock band for some reason despite how inescapable they were over there.
#76 for 1991
From what I can gather, this was a fictious band from the NZ soap opera Shortland Street who managed to score a hit this year with this track likely due to the storyline that involved their creation in universe. It could also be due to them having Annie Crummer as one of their members which makes this the third band she was a part of after Netherworld dancing toys and When the cats away.
#68 for 1993 (#47 website)
Although Tevin Campbell did achieve massive success in NZ throughout the 90's, I should point out that this will be his only appearance on this side of my site as none of his other singles racked up enough points to make the cut for their respective lists. It seems odd that his biggest hit in NZ and his native America would be from his much younger years given how his later work was much better recieved.
#75 for 1992
You'd think this breakthrough single from Lenny Kravitz would've been an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, alas that wasn't the case despite it charting higher over there than it did over here which suggests that at least initially, the kiwis were more intrigued by this track than we Aussies were this year. His success would grow over there throughout the decade just like it did over here.
#77 for 1991 (#44 website)
Sandwiched between their two earlier entries was this second single from C+C Music factory's debut album, I guess there's not much to say about this track that doesn't apply to the other two entries on this list other than to go into further detail about who Freedom Williams was. He was the rapper of the group, meaning he at least was able to receive full credit on the tracks unlike Martha Walsh.
#78 for 1991 (#39 website)
This will be the only other appearance that Brandy makes on this list, although rest assure that she will be making me more appearances on this side of my site given how much she dominated the NZ charts during the second half of the decade like Monica did. I guess the kiwis were more into hearing her be lovestruck as opposed to heartbroken which explains why "I wanna be down" wasn't as big a hit over there as this was.
#71 for 1995
This was the fourth and final single to come from MC Hammer's breakthrough album, you'd think that it was made for a TV series given how often he insists that the Hammer is coming until you remember there was a TV show starring the rapper that had a much lamer theme that went with it than this song. It's almost tragic to think that he would abandon this image a mere two years later as hip hop evolved.
#79 for 1991
It turns out there was another reggae song on the Pret a porter soundtrack that was released as a single worldwide, naturally the kiwis were all over this track given their love for reggae from Jamaican artists as Supercat was indeed a reggae artist as was the featured singer Jack Radics who was the guest vocalist on Chaka Demus and Plier's cover of "Twist and shout" from the previous year.
#72 for 1995
From what I can gather, these girls were part of the Mo thugs family supergroup who scored a massive hit with their earlier entry on this list exclusively in NZ, it would appear that the kiwis wanted to hear more from the women who provided the chorus to the big hit that the group had.
#79 for 1997
Every one of Will Smith's solo entries have had an obvious sample to them from a song that was a big hit back in their respective day, his latest entry on this site samples the Whisper's "And the beat goes on" from 1980 which he recontextualises as a song about how much he loves Miami. I'm guessing this was meant for the soundtrack to Bad boys II which wouldn't come out for another five years after its initial release.
#73 for 1999
This only barely missed out on appearing on the Australian side of my site, although rather coincidentally, the other big hit from the TMNT soundtrack "Spin that wheel" only barely missed out on reappearing on this side of my site, suggesting that we Aussies and kiwis couldn't decide on which of the two songs better represented the film between us. Admittedly they both capture the feel of the film rather well.
#77 for 1990
It seems odd that R.E.M would go for this as the lead single to their biggest album Automatic for the people, in fact it's largely because of this coming off as a weak lead single that the album took so long to become a best seller in most parts of the world as it required the assistance of "Man on the moon" and "Everybody hurts" to connect with audiences in a way this track initially failed to do so with everyone except for the kiwis.
#76 for 1992
This is the final hit that Crowded house was able to achieve in their career given how they would struggle with the other singles from their fourth album Together alone in Australia and NZ in exchange for said album being a massive success in both countries, it's one of their more recognisable tracks in their catalogue which makes its success less surprising over there than its failure over here.
#69 for 1993
This was yet another hit to come from the Set it off soundtrack in NZ this year, the film must've really connected with the kiwis as no fewer than six songs from the album found varying degrees of success over there with this entry from Bone thugs n harmony being one of the less popular from the album.
#80 for 1997
This was a surprise hit for Neil Finn this year, likely because this is a song that I've heard be described as an unofficial national anthem for NZ which seems appropriate given how it was among the last songs to be released in the year and for it to debut at number one when it saw the light of day.
#74 for 1999 (#25 website)
This was that second single that Extreme had a hit with over in NZ this year from their breakthrough album, it's a better representation of their sound even if it's not as aggressive as their previous material was. It's kind of like a track from Metallica's black album the more I think about it, which I guess explains why fans consider this to be the point of no return for their catalogue.
#80 for 1991
911 was one of many British boy bands that didn't achieve much love during the second round of the boy band wars this decade, however they did score one hit with this cover of the Bee Gees classic, suggesting that they would've had a shot in this round were the competition not so stiff.
#75 for 1999
Blackstreet were on a roll this year in NZ as they were able to score a third hit from their breakthrough album over there with this bop, although I get the feeling this crossed over due to the presence of Ol Dirty Bastard and Guns n roses guitarist Slash which predictably made this a bit of a genre mashup upon its initial release.
#81 for 1997
This was the only hit that NZ singer Sina was able to achieve in her career, it was kind of a pain to find out any information about her on the internet as this was her only claim to fame even in her local music scene.
#77 for 1998
This barely missed the cut from appearing on the Australian side of my site, it's also one of the more painful cuts I made given how well remembered this new jack swing track is on oldies stations here. Fortunately, it was more of a success in NZ likely due to the kiwis finding this to be a cute and innocent track from a genre that's otherwise known for its raunchy sexual antics performed by older men.
#77 for 1992
I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed with this solo debut from Ginger Spice, although admittedly they were at first as this managed to debut at number one over there as opposed to here where it never reached the top spot, however the novelty quickly wore off shortly after its release which is why is has a much lower ranking on this list.
#76 for 1999
I guess the kiwis were a bit iffy about having this duet be a success back in the day given how there was worldwide criticism towards Natalie making this virtual duet with her father who had been dead for nearly thirty years at the time of its release. They did make this a moderate success over there as it's clear she had the best intentions with this cover; however, it did sadly normalise the art of artistic grave robbery over the years.
#81 for 1991 (#50 website)
This was the final hit that Tim Finn was able to achieve in his homeland, considering how this year saw a massive purge of older artists in the mainstream, it's quite impressive he was able to score this hit when he did.
#70 for 1993
I have no idea how the kiwis came across this guy given how he didn't even touch the Billboard charts with his one and only album (he's from the east coast for the record) however they did as they allowed him to have one big hit over there with this ballad before he forever faded into obscurity.
#70 for 1996 (#46 website)
I have no idea how the kiwis came across this house track from American DJ Lidell Townsell (really what's with that stage name?) however, they did as it became one of the bigger hits of the year over there which is odd as it's usually us Aussies that discover these otherwise obscure dance tracks in order to have them light up our dance floors especially from back then.
#78 for 1992
I did mention earlier on this list that these guys were only able to find success with their debut single in NZ due to the success of "Don't be shy," although it's worth noting that despite this appearing the lowest of their three hits on this list, it was technically their biggest hit due to how long it lasted on their charts throughout the year. Sadly, they wouldn't find any further success in either country as the decade went on.
#69 for 1994 (#33 website)
Well at least we have a more appropriate album art for this second single from CJ Lewis, this time he covers an early Stevie Wonder track which didn't go over as well in NZ and his native UK as his earlier entry on this list but was still a massive success in both countries due to their respective love of pop reggae around this time.
#70 for 1994
I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed with the Backstreet boy's incorporation of a guitar solo as we Aussies were given how much less popular this second single was over there compared to over here, although they would make up for this by having their third single from Millennium be a far bigger hit over there the following year which was a return to their roots as the white Boyz II men.
#77 for 1999 (#23 website)
This is the only appearance that Metallica will be making on this side of my site as it appears the kiwis weren't as impressed with their post sellout material as we Aussies were throughout the decade, in fact it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that their biggest hit over there was a song that's in that perfect middle ground of sounding like something from their classic period whilst coming from their sellout period.
#82 for 1991 (#45 website)
This was a moderate success for U2 in NZ like it was everywhere else in the world, it went to number one over there which I suppose is something.
#82 for 1997
This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for the Purple one this year, I'm guessing because the kiwis in general were more apathetic to his comeback album this serves as the title track for than the rest of the world who were far more ecstatic to see the return of the funk legend.
#79 for 1992 (#49 website)
This was the other hit that CDB were able to achieve in NZ this year, this was released prior to their earlier entry on this list here in Australia where it was only a minor hit at best. You can imagine my shock when it turned out this was a number one hit over there (albeit a very weak one) which confirmed the Australian RNB group as a genuine household name that ultimately went nowhere for them.
#71 for 1996
You can imagine my shock when I realised this wasn't a hit here in Australia, in fact you may have noticed that Tom Petty was rather unsuccessful here in general save for his contributions to the Traveling wilburys around this time. Fortunately, this was a big hit over in NZ this year exactly a decade after his first big hit "Refugee," proving how much the kiwis loved his music at the turn of both decades.
#78 for 1990
It appears the kiwis weren't as impressed with this mashup of "Greased lightning," You're the one that I want" and "Summer nights" as we Aussies were given how much less successful it was over there compared to over here, still they did have some love for it as opposed to many other mashups which flopped over there big time.
#83 for 1991
It appears the kiwis were more touched initially of Eric Clapton's MTV unplugged performance of this track than we Aussies were given how it was an immediate success over there as opposed to it being needed to be bundled with an acoustic version of his earlier entry on this list like it was here in Australia.
#80 for 1992
This was commissioned for the Whoopi Goldberg flick Eddie, a film where she plays a basketball coach that's clearly meant to be a rip-off of the Mighty ducks and other sports films that permeated the 90's in Hollywood. I think this theme song is the only thing worth remembering about the project, although even then Coolio would appear on a much better theme song to a basketball film on the Space jam soundtrack.
#72 for 1996
This was a bit more of a sleeper hit for Black box in NZ, which is an early sign that the kiwis wouldn't be as big a fan of EDM throughout the 90's as we Aussies were given how few entries from the Australian side of my site from the genre will be reappearing on this side of my site. Still, it did linger around long enough to qualify for this list even if most of its success came from the lower half of their charts.
#79 for 1990 (#49 website)
This was the song where it all began for the Fugees given how it was their debut single they released in their native America the previous year, it was a flop on Billboard due to the trio not participating in the east coast/west coast rivalry despite being from the former coast, however it managed to become a huge success over in NZ despite the kiwis firmly being in the west coast camp.
#73 for 1996
We have another RNB girl group to feature on this list, this time it's from the short-lived girl band Shades who scored their second hit in NZ with this track that heavily samples the Spandau ballet song "True" (apparently the song remains a favourite for samplers to this day.) The other hit these guys had over there was with "Tell me" which failed to rack up the points to appear on this site.
#83 for 1997
Given how EDM wasn't nearly as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia, it doesn't surprise me that this wasn't as big over there as it was over here even if it still lasted quite a while on their charts albeit in the lower regions of them. I'm guessing this was due to the success that Daft Punk had the previous year with their album as they can be considered the kiwis entry way into this style of EDM.
#78 for 1998
It appears the kiwis weren't as impressed with this tribute to Abba that some of the biggest names in British teen pop of the late 90's made on this track (fun fact, there's only two male vocalists here out of fourteen performers.) It would be a death nail in the coffin for each and every one of them save Billie Piper who scored one more hit the following year before this song's curse affected her career.
#78 for 1999
At least these guys were able to find instant success in NZ with this entry unlike Culture beat from earlier on this list, although it's worth noting that this was Corona's only big hit over there likely due to the kiwis not jiving as well with the vocalist who would replace Jenny B on this track when the album was released the following year.
#71 for 1994
We have a second hit from Brandy that was commissioned for a film, this time it was her contribution to the Waiting to exhale soundtrack which makes this the second single from the album to be a success in NZ and on Billboard following Whitney Houston's contribution we looked at earlier on this list. Unlike in Australia where Monica was the bigger teen RNB artist of the decade, that honour clearly went to Brandy in NZ.
#74 for 1996
This was the third big hit that Charles and Eddie had in NZ this year alone, although it would be their final hit anywhere in the world as their second album would be a massive flop for the duo later in the decade even with the kiwis.
#71 for 1993
I don't know how this track even came to be, let alone how it became a massive hit throughout Europe and even a minor hit over in NZ for the literal toddler Jordy, but here we are talking about a dance track where the French minor spouts off about how being a baby is hard and how he deserves respect for it. At least him being a minor gives him a pass for having this attitude unlike most adults who would sing these lyrics.
#72 for 1993
"Hey Mr. DJ" may have failed to make a second appearance on this site of mine, however that didn't mean the kiwis didn't allow Zhane to have a hit over there as their second single managed to become as such despite it only being a minor sleeper hit here in Australia. Although it doesn't sample the Peaches and Herb track of the same name, this has a similar vibe to that classic which perhaps explains its success.
#72 for 1994
This was the theme song to the film of the same name which was yet another basketball film to come out in the 90's, a film that was critically acclaimed due to being directed by Spike Lee and tackling issues that seemed to be prevalent in these sorts of films (from what I can gather it's a more urban equivalent of White men can't jump.) I'm guessing this was a hit due to it being a more pop friendly song from Public enemy.
#79 for 1998
It turns out the album cycle was a bit different for Real Mccoy depending on where in the world you're from, in NZ and America, this was the third single likely due to it being a cover of the Redbone classic from the early 70's. This is where "Love and devotion" would go had that been a success over there as that was pushed back as the fourth single from the album.
#73 for 1995
This is one of the few hits that OMC managed to score following the success of his earlier entry on this list, this continues the laid-back vibe of "How bizarre" which explains its popularity in his homeland and also why he was a one hit wonder internationally as it firmly established him as a bit of a one trick pony.
#75 for 1996
This was the theme song to 2Pac's final film Gridlockd, it's a buddy comedy about a group of musicians who are struggling with a drug addiction with him, Tim Roth and Thandie Newton looking to kick their habits and go straight (that is, clean themselves up from drugs.) The film was a critical success but was unfortunately a commercial flop, likely due to fans of 2Pac being too mournful to see their idol struggling with addiction on screen after his death.
#84 for 1997
Bet you didn't know that Shaggy released an album between Boombastic and Hot shot, did you? Well, it turns out he did, and this was the one and only single he released from said album due to how much of a failure it was everywhere in the world except for NZ.
#85 for 1997
Busta Rhymes was on a roll during the last stretch of the decade as he was able to recruit Janet Jackson at the height of her popularity to provide him a chorus for this latest entry of his. His popularity would dwindle going into the new millennium; however, he was still able to find the odd hit here and there as the 00's went on.
#79 for 1999
It's no surprise that this was also a hit in NZ given how inescapably popular Mariah Carey was over there especially compared to over here, although it's worth noting that this didn't begin recharting on their charts until the 2010's unlike here where it recharted two times back in the 90's, showing how much we Aussies loved this Christmas classic back in the day.
#73 for 1994
This was only a minor hit in NZ (just like it was on the AMR charts funnily enough) meaning that it only barely makes the cut for this list which goes to show the mixed reception that these guys had when it came to their back catalogue following the success of their earlier entries on this list.
#80 for 1998
Here's that cover of the U2 classic I mentioned earlier on this list, it turns out it racked up enough points to make the cut here after all even though it's obviously far less successful over there than their earlier entry on this list. This would be the last thing that the band released before they went their separate ways, most notably Pauline with her solo career.
#80 for 1990
You'd think that this would've been a bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia given how much more popular these guys were over there compared to over here, at least this was more of an immediate hit over there as opposed to here where it needed to work its way up to its popularity. I guess this is proof that the kiwis had considered these guys to be an albums band by this point in their career.
#74 for 1995
This is the only appearance from a member of the Wu tang clan on this site as a lead artist (there have been several entries that had Ol Dirty Bastard as a guest rapper on this site so far) here we have the one and only hit from Ghostface Killah as a lead artist which became a surprise hit in NZ and his native America following the commercial breakthrough of his rap posse in his homeland.
#86 for 1997
We have one final entry from N Trance to feature on this site of mine, it appears the kiwis were indifferent at worst when it came to the British band remixing the Guns n roses classic as this managed to become a moderate success over there as opposed to here where it was a bomb presumably due to our outrage of this existing.
#81 for 1998
I guess we can add these guys to the list of two hit wonders who became as such due to a remix of a song they had previously released, in this case we have this remix of the 1977 classic from Ram jam that became a surprise hit in NZ and here in Australia this year albeit only as a minor success here hence why it failed to appear on that side of my site.
#81 for 1990
This barely missed the cut on the Australian side of this site; however, it was more than eligible to appear on this side of my site given how the kiwis couldn't get enough of Jason Nevins remixing the classics from Run DMC to appeal to a (then) modern audience. This time it's a track from their second album which went largely ignored until this remix became a huge hit for them worldwide except for once again their native America.
#82 for 1998
Although UB40 had two more minor hits from their album Promises and lies in NZ, this will be their final entry on this side of mine given how those singles were too minor to appear on these lists. Indeed, this second single only barely scrapped on here due to how much love the kiwis had for the reggae band even this far into the 90's.
#73 for 1993
This was the theme song to a film known as Threesome, a film that was so instantly hated upon its initial release that it was quickly forgotten about save for some worst of lists for 1994. General public were a British duo who dabbled in reggae but were primarily a pop rock group, this is perhaps the best explanation for how they were able to score a hit in NZ if the film was generally poorly received.
#74 for 1994
This was one of only two hits that Blessid union of souls managed to achieve during their time together, the other was "Hey Leonardo" which was a huge sleeper hit here in Australia as the 90's became the 00's but too much so that it failed to appear on that side of my site. Here we have a more downtempo ballad that connected with the kiwis and their fellow Americans four years prior to that other track.
#75 for 1995
It appears the kiwis weren't as impressed with this second single from POT USA's debut album as they were with their earlier entry on this list, although at least it was a success over there unlike in their native America where neither of these songs were even hits, which suggests that their fellow Americans didn't like their music very much. It's their loss as is the case with most of the alternative scene of the decade.
#76 for 1996
This is the last hit that Aaron Neville had anywhere in the world, although he would continue to chart in NZ for the rest of the decade to give you an idea of how well loved he was over there. I'm guessing his subsequent follow ups would've been successful at least with the kiwis had this year not been so vicious towards older artists.
#74 for 1993
If you're shocked at how low this cover of the Peter Frampton classic is on this list considering it's a reggae cover of a 70's classic, I should point out its placement is due to how much of a sleeper hit it was in NZ as this did chart for quite some time over there albeit in the lower half of their charts. At least this was a success for Big Mountain as opposed to the other big hit from Reality bites.
#75 for 1994 (#18 website)
It appears that the kiwis were willing to give U2 a second hit from their album this year as this managed to become a modest success over there long enough to qualify for this list of mine.
#87 for 1997
We have another entry into the subcategory of a short-lived British group covering an older song and adding their hip hop flavours to said cover, this time it's Awesome (who were surprisingly hard to do research on) who managed to score a hit in NZ likely due to the kiwis having fond memories of the original from over a decade prior.
#83 for 1998
This was the lead single to Crowded house's third album Woodface, although it was a hit for the band back in the day over in NZ, it's largely been overshadowed by the other singles from the album due to how little airplay it receives on oldies stations compared to the likes of "Weather with you" and "It's only natural."
#84 for 1991
We have one final entry from Dangerous to appear on this site as MJ released this track from the album as tribute to one of his biggest fans who unfortunately passed away during the albums production which obviously shook up the king of pop back in the day. This might've been one of the biggest cases to support that he was a child predator given how he wrote a song about a kid, however I don't and have never believed that he was a threat to them in his lifetime.
#76 for 1994
Well, I did mention that this was a big hit for Savage Garden in NZ, although I should point out this was more due to a lack of competition the duo had when it was released over there given how it was released at the start of the year where there wasn't as many shenanigans going on as there would be as the year progressed.
#84 for 1998
This was the only hit that Queen managed to achieve with George Michael as their lead singer, admittedly he only took over from the band following the death of Freddie Mercury as someone who could complete their touring obligations given how much of a shock his death was earlier in the decade.
#75 for 1993
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