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.
I guess the trade-off for "Pony" not being as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia this year was that Ginuwine could have a second hit over there with his own rendition of this Prince classic, this being here would also explain the absence of Quindon Tarver's rendition from the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack despite how massive his rendition was on our charts.
#88 for 1997
For whatever reason, this lead single to George Michael's second solo album was a commercial disappointment here in Australia, I'm guessing we Aussies weren't quite ready to take him as seriously as he wanted to be taken at the start of the decade which certainly didn't seem to be the case internationally where this became an instant success for the former Wham singer.
#82 for 1990
Just a fair warning that all of Madonna's entries from here on out will appear much lower on these lists than they did on the Australian side of my site, I guess the kiwis wanted to leave her in the 80's but couldn't quite bring themselves to do so which would explain her mediocre success over there throughout the decade compared to the rest of the world.
#81 for 1992
In exchange for his earlier entry on this list not lasting as long on the NZ charts as it did here in Australia, Billy Ray Cyrus was able to score a second hit over there with this number which as far as I can tell, was far better received from critics back in the day even if nowadays it's been overshadowed by his line dance anthem.
#82 for 1992
This will be the only new entry from Madonna on this side of my site given how we Aussies slept on this Billboard chart topper back in the day, fortunately the kiwis made it a modest success this year likely due to it playing in the season one finale of F.R.I.E.N.D.S where Rachel realises she missed her chance with Ross, making for a scene that works wonders thanks to the song choice.
#76 for 1995
You know how nowadays we have a ton of producers committing artistic grave robbery in order to promote a deceased artists work for prophet? Well, it turns out both Dr Dre and Puff Daddy decided to do just that back in the day by having their biggest clients respectively duet with each other posthumously on this track that went over well with the kiwis and was even a minor hit here in Australia.
#89 for 1997
This was the other hit that Foxy Brown managed to achieve in NZ this year, this time she recruits Dru hill who themselves were seeing a surge in popularity in their native America this year even if they wouldn't find any international success until "How deep is your love" crossed over two years later.
#90 for 1997
It took her a while to follow-up her solo debut from four years prior, however Annie Crummer was able to retain some of her success with this lead single to her second album even if said album was a massive flop for her over there this year.
#77 for 1996
Here we are again with the big hit that George Michael had with his comeback album this year, although in NZ, that big hit was his earlier entry on this list given how much less popular this was with the kiwis compared to the rest of the world. I'm guessing they were put off by it being a dance number given how few dance tracks had made it big throughout the decade so far over there.
#78 for 1996
While I did mention earlier on this list that this song was quickly pulled from shelves over in NZ (lasting a mere month on their charts as opposed to a full season here in Australia) the fact that this still makes an appearance on this side of my site should tell you how inescapably popular this novelty track was throughout the world giving how it racked up the points necessary to make the cut on this list.
#91 for 1997 (#49 website)
These guys were on a roll when they released this fourth single from Woodface in their homeland this year, although was a flop here in Australia likely due to the album sales eating up this song's popularity here back in the day even though it's since become a staple on oldies stations due to how timeless it feels compared to many of the other entries on this list.
#83 for 1992
I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed with this throwback single from Madonna as the rest of the world was, either they found this to be rather sexist or simply didn't care much for the film it came from (although considering the success of the film and its soundtrack over there I doubt it's the latter.) I guess it found some success all things considered, hence why it's reappearing on this list.
#83 for 1990
There's a reason why people don't like to talk about Billy Idol's 90's catalogue (at least anything he released after 1990) that's because this year he released a concept album revolving around his fascination of everything becoming "cyber" (basically the 90's equivalent of the 00's "we're in the future" phenomenon.) The album was a critical and commercial disaster save for this lead single which did receive some love here and there.
#76 for 1993
Thematically, it makes sense that Celine Dion would team up with R Kelly for this Christmas themed track (it's not explicitly a Christmas song but it may as well be given how it became popular in America.) It was a decent success for the duo at the start of the year in NZ, although I doubt either party looks back on this collaboration fondly given what's since unfolded about one of them.
#80 for 1999
This was a moderate success for Stellar this year, it's a bit of a commercial disappointment considering their frontwoman is Boh Runga who is the older sister of Bic Runga who had scored massive international success the previous year with her debut album. Indeed, their popularity wouldn't explode in their homeland until the following year with their LGBT anthem "Every girl."
#81 for 1999
This was another hit that Che fu was able to achieve off his solo debut album around this time, it's further proof that this was an excellent time for local artists in NZ as more and more of their fellow kiwis were checking out what they had to offer in lieu of what was becoming popular internationally.
#82 for 1999
This is the only hit single that singer/songwriter Jan Hellriegel managed to achieve in her homeland throughout her career, although it wasn't through a lack of trying to make it big that she remained a one hit wonder as she had several other charting singles which failed to connect with her fellow kiwis the way this ballad did.
*Apologies for the terrible quality of this album art, images of this album cover are scarce on the internet. *
#84 for 1992
This was only barely a hit for U2 in NZ like it was here in Australia, so much so that it only makes the cut due to it sticking around long enough in their top ten to do so much like other songs at the bottom of these lists.
#77 for 1994
Although they had released singles prior to this track, this was the song that made the Feelers a household name even if it did so by lingering around the lower half of their charts for quite sometime. This led to the band finding massive success with their earlier entry on this list around the time they released their debut album.
#85 for 1998
It's strange that this would fail to become a hit here in Australia upon its initial release back in 1979 considering how well remembered it remains to this day on oldies stations, I guess the kiwis wanted to make up for sleeping on the band until (at the time) very recently by having this live rendition of the track become a modest success for them this year off their live album.
#85 for 1992
It appears that not even an album as critically acclaimed as Ray of light would allow the kiwis to revive Madonna's popularity to what it was at the start of the decade, although at least she kept her head above water over there given how this was enough of a success to reappear on this side of my site.
#86 for 1998
This was another song that came from Terence Trent's comeback album Symphony or damn, in fact this was able to let that album rebound on the charts in NZ due to how much of a surprise success it was for the RNB singer over there which should tell you how much the kiwis loved this guy around this time.
#78 for 1994
This was the other big hit that After 7 had in NZ as well as their minor hit they had here in Australia albeit at the start of the following year due to how long it took for this to see the light of day in our music scene. This is rather different compared to their earlier hit "Can't stop" given how this was more of a contemporary RNB ballad rather than a new jack swing track.
#77 for 1995
This was a hectic year for Snoop Dogg given how many appearances he's racked up on this list alone, although his winning streak would come to an end once his murder trial concluded due to him making a bunch of critically panned albums following his acquittal that few if anyone likes to even talk about.
#92 for 1997
I wasn't expecting to have this reappear on my site; however, it appears the kiwis had such fond memories of this track from 1978 that they allowed it to become a minor hit seventeen years after its initial release. That's impressive considering it was only a success over there and not even in the trio's native America upon its initial release.
#78 for 1995
It appears the kiwis were so much in love with Nirvana this year that Weird Al's parody of the band managed to become a moderate success over there this year. It remains the final taste of success he's achieved anywhere in the world throughout his career.
#86 for 1992
I guess DRS were able to score one more hit in NZ with the second single from their one and only album, it's a bit strange that considering DRS stands for Dirty rotten scoundrels (presumably based on the film of the same name) they would have their only two hits be ballads more in line with the likes of Boyz II men and other RNB crooners of the day.
#79 for 1994
Although this wasn't the big inescapable hit that her other entries throughout the 90's were, Mariah's cover of the Journey classic from over a decade prior did resonate with the kiwis enough for it to become a minor hit over there and thus, eligible for appearing on this list.
#79 for 1996
This was meant to be a throwaway single from Metallica given how it had been well over a year since the black album was released from the band, it turns out it was quite the fan favourite back in the day given how it not only managed to make an appearance on this list, but also only barely failed to do so on the Australian side of my site.
#77 for 1993
I guess the kiwis really weren't vibing with Madonna and her experimentation with RNB from the midpoint of the decade, this would explain why her lead single to her RNB album was only barely a hit over there despite how successful it was internationally even though it had Babyface as the album's executive producer.
#80 for 1994
We have one more entry to feature from Ace of base on this side of my site, this time it's the third single from their breakthrough album which serves as a cover of the Tina Turner track from her Break every rule album that Aswad made popular two years after its release. Although the Aswad version was the most successful over there, this remains the most successful version internationally.
#81 for 1994
We have yet another RNB girl group to achieve moderate success this year in NZ, this time it's 702 who are perhaps best known for their big Billboard hit "Where my girls at" from two years later but also achieved massive success in their native America with this entry upon its initial release.
#93 for 1997
This could've and should've been the final song released from 2pac/Makaveli given how it came from the final project the rapper completed in his lifetime and was the final single to be released from said album, alas he would continue to find success from beyond the grave well into the new millennium despite this being the perfect ending to a career that was admittedly cut rather short.
#94 for 1997
From what I can gather, this is an EDM cover of a track from the Gap band (of "Ooops upside your head" fame) that was a massive success in the UK the previous year, I guess the kiwis were impressed enough to make this a minor success this year even if they overlooked Kenny Thomas' other big hit "Thinking about your love."
#87 for 1992
This was a bit of a comeback for Duran Duran, although it was merely a modest success at best in NZ which is a far cry from its massive success in America where this was among the biggest hits of the year on Billboard for the new wave band. What's truly remarkable is that these guys were considered yesterday's news before the 80's ended and yet here they are whilst their contemporaries struggled to keep up.
#78 for 1993
While this wasn't the inescapable hit that his earlier entry was anywhere in the world, it was a decent size hit in NZ and his native America and even a minor success here in Australia, proving there was some market for his brand of RNB even if it quickly went out of vogue as the decade went on.
#79 for 1995
Evidently there was a radio edit to this third single from Cypress hill that's titled "When the ship goes down" rather than what it actually says on the cover, apparently this was supposed to be an Australian exclusive given how the group toured here this year (that would explain the album's moderate success here) which encouraged the kiwis to grab their hands on this when it saw the light of day over there.
#82 for 1994
Apparently, this was meant to be the anthem for this year's FIFA world cup, this would explain how this was New order's (stylised as England New order) only chart topper in their native UK as well as how it became a minor hit in NZ this year. Evidently, we Aussies wouldn't make a hit out of a sports anthem until much later in the decade when Ricky Martin topped our charts with his FIFA world cup theme.
#84 for 1990
This was originally released on RHCP's 1987 album the Uplift mofo party plan; however, it was finally given the light of day as a single when it was released as such on the band's greatest hits package What hits which allowed it to become a minor success over in NZ this year.
#79 for 1993
Speech was the frontman for Arrested development, he put out a solo album following the demise of that group which did slightly better than their second album Zingalamaduni likely due to not having as much behind the scenes drama as that album did (to say nothing of that bizarre album title.) It could also be this song sampling the Marvin Gaye classic while he raps about his appreciation of the Motown legend.
#80 for 1996
Bet you didn't know that Quincy Jones had a singing career, did you? Actually, he doesn't as this is in fact a cover of a track from the Brothers Johnson with vocals from Chaka Khan and Ray Charles. This comes from an album with a rotating list of vocalists, making this his equivalent of a David Guetta or Calvin Harris album two decades before either man found massive success with this formula.
#85 for 1990
This was only barely able to scrap in the ranking for this list, I guess this goes to show how desperately the kiwis needed to shake up their charts given how many of the obvious hits of this year are either missing or appear much lower on here than you would otherwise think.
#87 for 1998
This was certainly late to the party over in NZ given how it had already dropped out of our charts here in Australia by the time it saw the light of day over there, I guess they didn't want to acknowledge this theme song from the Prince of Egypt initially but quickly changed their minds when it won an academy award for best original song.
#83 for 1999
I did mention on the previous list that this became a hit twice in NZ, here we are again looking at this single from Hammond Gamble thankfully for the last time given how it didn't re-enter their charts after this year.
*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*
#80 for 1993
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