Well I guess I should look at what was big throughout the 90's in NZ considering how I did the same for Australia on this site, at least this list will be more straightforward as (at least as far as I'm aware) there wasn't more than one chart chronicling what was popular over in NZ like there was here in Australia.
This wound up being a decent sized hit for Terence Trent D'arby in NZ this year, somewhat confirming that "She kissed me" wasn't a fluke even if this was more in line with his 80's soul music rather than the rock and roll of that song. It would sadly be the final hit he would have before he officially faded into obscurity for good following a bizarre name change.
#78 for 1995 (#48 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.
#77 for 1996
This is the other big hit that Shades had over in NZ, this time it's with a song that samples "True" from Spandau ballet that managed to connect with the kiwis in a way it failed to do so for their fellow Americans (apparently that song remains a favourite for samplers to this day.) They would call it quits following the failure of their album in their homeland, meaning this was the last anyone had heard of them.
#89 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.
#82 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.
#82 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.
#74 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.
#78 for 1996
So, I kind of fibbed when I said that Technotronic's earlier entry on this list would be their only appearance on this side of my site, indeed their second single from their debut album was a success in NZ even if it saw a fraction of that success over there than it did internationally. I guess you can argue that this was proof that the kiwis were already growing tired of the EDM trend this early in the decade.
#84 for 1990
Given how the kiwis had already moved on from EDM to the likes of RNB and hip hop by this point in the decade, it makes sense that this only saw a fraction of the success over there that it did here in Australia and K.W.S's native UK. I guess it could also be due to it being a cover of the KC and the sunshine band ballad that was among the band's biggest hits over there that rubbed them the wrong way.
#82 for 1992
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.
#74 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.
#75 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.
#75 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.
#83 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.
#79 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.
#79 for 1996
File this in the increasingly large category of American artists finding more success in NZ than on Billboard throughout the decade, this time we have Puff Johnson (no relation to Puff daddy) who took the kiwis by storm this year with this ballad that was popular enough to make the official year end list despite its low placement on this list. Heck it even sparked interest here in Australia for the RNB singer.
#80 for 1996 (#41 website)
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.
#90 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.
#91 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.
#83 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.
#76 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.
#84 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.
#85 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.
#80 for 1995
This is another entry I had to scour the internet for to find out information about, this time we have the one and only hit from the NZ girl group Moizna which managed to briefly compete with the surprising number of entries on this list (this is by far the longest list on this side of my site) with their RNB jam.
#92 for 1997
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.
#93 for 1997
I guess the kiwis weren't as big of fans of Coneheads as we Aussies were given how much less popular this theme song to that movie was over there compared to over here, then again RHCP didn't see as much success overall throughout the 90's in NZ as they did here in Australia, so perhaps this was merely a case of their welcome getting worn out over there.
#76 for 1993
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.
#85 for 1998
Even though nowadays he's best known for being one of the biggest culture war grifters on the internet (among his string of attention grabbing antics you see on the news) it may shock you to believe that Kid rock was in fact a nu metal singer who got his start with this lead single from his fourth album Devil without a cause that was a decent success in NZ and of course his native America.
#84 for 1999
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.
#86 for 1990
If was all but impossible to find out information about this entry, I'm not even going to bother with a disclaimer as there's no way in hell I can say anything to help people figure out that this entry is "Cruisin" by Matty J Rays. There's little information about the singer and less information still about the song he got big with.
#81 for 1996
This remains Tracy Chapman's only hit in NZ, even then it was more of a sleeper success likely due to its surprise success here in Australia as well as her native America upon its initial release. Even so, it did linger around the lower half of their charts for quite some time which makes it more than eligible for this list even if that means it's way lower on here than it deserves to be.
#82 for 1996 (#35 website)
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.
#86 for 1998
Here's the other big hit that KLF had around the world this year, again it was only a sleeper success in NZ despite it lasting just long enough in the upper echelons of their charts to appear on this list of mine. What's really curious is that the third single from their album would become a chart topper for them the following year over there, likely due to it having guest vocals from country legend Tammy Wynette.
#89 for 1991 (#36 website)
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.
#77 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.
#77 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.
#81 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.
#83 for 1996
There were quite a lot of adult contemporary ballads from American artists from the start of the decade that never saw the light of day outside the Billboard charts, so it's odd to see this ballad from Arthur Baker on this list given how it wasn't one of those ballads that clogged up the American music scene back in the day. From what I've gathered, these ballads have given the early 90's a bad reputation in most music circles.
#87 for 1990
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.
#78 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.
#78 for 1994 (#18 website)
We have the final appearance from Crazysexycool on this list as the second single was indeed a decent hit for TLC over in NZ, although it was a bit of a stumble for them as opposed to in their homeland where this nearly became their second Billboard chart topper for them. I guess the kiwis were a little put off by how blatantly sexual this track was compared to their more mature entries on this list.
#82 for 1995
Whereas we Aussies passed up this lead single to Ace of base's second album in favour of "Beautiful life," it appears the kiwis were willing to let this be their last hurrah given how this was the big hit off that album in NZ and thus the last they heard from the Swedish quartet. They did have one more hit in America later in the decade with their cover of "Cruel summer" as well as in the UK with "Life is a flower."
#83 for 1995
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.
#94 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.
#87 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."
#90 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.
#79 for 1994
Ever wanted to know how an EDM cover of Matthew Wilder's one and only hit managed to become a success in Australia and NZ this year? I don't definitely know, however a theory I have is that Puff Daddy sampled the song for his breakthrough single as a lead artist which allowed it to become a massive hit for him in his native America as well as a decent hit for him over in NZ.
#95 for 1997
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.
#88 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.
#79 for 1993
We have one final entry from Montell Jordan on this side of my site given how he managed to stick around a little while longer in NZ than he did even in his native America following his two big hits from the previous year. Again, I have to wonder how the kiwis kept getting their hands on these RNB jams when few if any of them managed to connect with the American market back in the day.
#84 for 1996
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.
#96 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.
#88 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.
#83 for 1992
Given how chaotic the NZ charts were this year as well as the absence of several obvious entries on this list (due to airplay shenanigans) it's hard to say if this is an accurate representation of how well this bonus track from George Michael's greatest hits album did over there. It's especially tough to pin its success when you consider how unreliable the charts were worldwide by the end of the 90's.
#89 for 1998
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.
#84 for 1992
I'm as shocked as you are that it's taken me this long to feature what is arguably R.E.M's signature track on this site, mainly because you still hear it on oldies stations constantly and they even named the Andy Kaufmman biopic after this track which this song is intrinsically about. In any case, it appears this was one of those songs that only saw appreciation long after it was initially released as a single.
#80 for 1993
These guys were so popular in NZ that their debut album managed to spawn a second hit for them following the success of said album and their earlier entry on this list, yes it was a sleeper hit for the band, however it lasting for quite some time on their charts as opposed to barely charting here in Australia goes to show how much more well liked they were over there compared to over here.
#81 for 1993
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.
#84 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.
#97 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.
#98 for 1997
This had a bit of a delay to its success in NZ, likely because this wasn't a success in America despite being the theme to the Tom Cruise flick Days of thunder. Given how this was a massive success here in Australia and throughout Europe for former Lone justice singer Maria McKee, it only makes sense that the kiwis would eventually gravitate towards this ballad.
#91 for 1991
It's a bit staggering how this only barely failed to appear on the Australian side of my site up until this point given how I can imagine this being one of the most inescapable songs of its time given how iconic that chorus remains to this day, admittedly it took a while for the world to gravitate towards these guys given how hip hop up until this point was either hardcore gangster rap or cartoonish pop rap.
#85 for 1992
Given how this was easily one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia, it's not too outrageous to see it become a decent success over in NZ for Jam and spoon given how I get the feeling many people thought this was Madonna on the vocals of this track. That said, it was heavily delayed over there likely due to its failure everywhere else in the world.
#80 for 1994
I guess the kiwis weren't as blown away with this track about Joan Osbourne asking the heavy questions about if God is truly like one of us mortal beings as we Aussies were, although they were intrigued enough for it to be a sleeper success for her even if she remains a one hit wonder with this track over there like she does worldwide.
#85 for 1996
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.
#86 for 1996
Given how I've featured the other big hit from Tamperer on this side of my site, I guess I should use this opportunity to confirm that yes, the kiwis were aware of this big hit from the Dutch band that samples the Jackson 5 classic it's named after and were probably embarrassed by how much they enjoyed it (likely ironically) to make its success reflective on the top half of their charts.
#90 for 1998 (#37 website)
And the hits from Snap just keep on coming as we have their third single from their debut album on this list, although admittedly this is one of those songs that saw the bulk of its success as a Christmas gift given that's when it peaked in NZ only for it to immediately drop off their charts by the end of their summer holidays (which is February for those from the northern hemisphere.)
#89 for 1990
Even though the kiwis weren't that big into EDM throughout the decade like the rest of the world was, they appeared to have enough nostalgic love for this cover of the Bonnie Tyler classic to make it a modest success over there this year. It pales in comparison to how well it did in Australia and America of all places, but its success was noticeable regardless.
#85 for 1995
Well I hope you're in the mood for some solo material from the members of Boyz ii men because I've got two entries on this list alone that fit the description, this is the first one which comes to us from Shawn Stockman who provided the theme song to the film Mr. Holland's opus that became a hit exclusively in NZ likely due to how well it was received by the kiwis in particular.
#87 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.
#88 for 1996
We have one final entry from Simply red on this side of my site, this of course comes to us from their greatest hits album they released this year which they released due to the surprise success of their (then) most recent album, particularly the lead single "Fairground" which was their biggest hit in their native UK.
#89 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.
#99 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.
#86 for 1992
This is the other big hit from a Boyz II men member on this list; this time's it's the frontman Nathan Morris who contributed to the Kazaam soundtrack (a movie that seems to be infamous in film buff circles) that managed to become a hit for him just like the earlier entry from his bandmate. This is all the while they were recording their third album by the way which they would release the following year.
#90 for 1996
I may have jumped the gun when I said that these guys earlier entry was their final hit anywhere in the world as they did managed to make a second appearance on this list with the second single from their sophomore album, although I feel like this was a "fan single" that just happened to get lucky given how it cracked the upper echelons of their charts before quickly dropping out of their charts.
#90 for 1990
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.
#91 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.
#82 for 1993
These guys were on such a roll this year that they found success with their Christmas track which of course would've appeared higher on this list had it not been pulled from shelves by the time the new year rolled around. You'd think they'd be in it for the long haul; however, their popularity fell off a cliff once this dropped out of the charts.
#81 for 1994
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.
#85 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."
#86 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.
#87 for 1999
These guys were on such a roll in their native UK that this was an instant chart topper for them in their homeland, naturally this would translate to success in NZ even if this was a bit of a fumble for them over there. They would bounce back with their third single which would explode in popularity once the new decade began over there.
#88 for 1999 (#28 website)
This was a decent success for Tasmin Archer in NZ (apparently that is in fact her real name and not a stage name) it was a massive chart topper for her in her native UK which of course would translate to success internationally for the RNB singer. This was a decent hit here in Australia, although it was a sleeper hit hence why it failed to appear on that side of my site.
#87 for 1992
This was one of the many hits that Stellar achieved from their debut album, in fact this was the song the band released when the album dropped which naturally meant it would be a success even if it was only a sleeper hit likely due to the album overshadowing its popularity.
#89 for 1999 (#45 website)
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. *
#88 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.
#82 for 1994
We have one final entry from Tevin Campbell on this site; it appears the kiwis still had enough love for the RNB star (who had just turned twenty when he released this) to make him a success slightly longer than he was in his native America. Although he wouldn’t have any other success moving forward, he did manage to find himself in the tabloids for quite some time after.
#91 for 1996 (#44 website)
This is one of two entries from Mary J Blige on this list; we'll get to the other one in a bit but suffice to say that the RNB singer managed to finally break through to the kiwis this year despite having her debut single "Real love" be a massive hit in her native America five years prior. Naturally we Aussies wouldn’t give her a chance until her 2001 magnum opus "Family affair."
#100 for 1997
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.
#91 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.
#89 for 1992
Well, this is a surprise, I wasn't expecting to feature a second single from Pras of all people on this site even if this is another example of a song that I struggle to tell if it was a genuine hit or a "fan single" like so many other entries on the tail end of these lists of mine. In any case, Pras managed to nostalgia bait the kiwis with the Grease sample in this track to make it a success over there.
#92 for 1998
For the most part, Michael Bolton didn't have any of his songs in NZ see the level of success they had here in Australia (let alone his native America) however there was one exception as this lead single to his seventh album managed to become a moderate success over there despite it bombing over here for the crooner. Admittedly it's the rare upbeat track from him even if that doesn't explain "How can we be lovers" bombing the previous year.
#92 for 1991
De la soul was certainly on a roll this year in NZ as they were able to score a second hit off their biggest album........ which ironically proclaimed that they were dead. I guess this was more prophetic than anything else as their career would be dead by the end of the year as they wouldn't touch the charts again once this fell out.
#93 for 1991
This was the final hit that Push push had not just from their debut album but in their entire career, they were kind of the NZ equivalent of Ratcat in that they made such a huge splash with their debut album at the start of the decade only to be yesterday's news by the time their second album was released.
#90 for 1992
Even though this wasn't as big a hit in NZ as it was here in Australia for Genesis, the trio were able to score one final hit this decade over there proving that the 80's weren't over just yet as far as these guys were concerned (Phil Collins is often referred to as Mr 80's.) Even so, they had much better luck in America as the album We can't dance spawned two other hits on Billboard with "No son of mine" and "Hold on my heart."
#91 for 1992
It looks like this was able to become a success in NZ for the Verve just like it was here in Australia, although it did have some rather stiff competition hence why it appears much lower on this list than the one on the Australian side of my site. The trade-off is that their second single "The drugs don't work" cracked their top ten, however it was a "fan single" and this ineligible for this list.
#101 for 1997
We have another entry from KCI and JoJo for this list; this time it's the second single from their debut album which was only a hit in NZ and not even in their native America. Admittedly the RIANZ charts insists that it was a remix of this track that made it big over there specifically, however I tend to include the original album art for these entries unless the remix in question is several years younger than the release.
#102 for 1997
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.
#93 for 1998
Given how chaotic the British charts were during the final stretch of the decade, it makes sense that it would be equally as chaotic in NZ as the kiwis struggle to decide what to make a success over there. One of the lucky pundits was this song from the Swedish duo Smile who I guess they confused for S.O.A.P given how popular their earlier entry was throughout the rest of the world.
#94 for 1998
This is the final hit that Nirvana had anywhere in the world, even then this was only big in NZ likely because their second album spawned two hits for them over there as opposed to just the one internationally. Who knows how many more albums they would've released together had Kurt Cobain lived to see at least the end of the decade.
#83 for 1993
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