Have you ever wondered what the Australian charts would look like if you were to combine the AMR charts with the ARIA charts? Between 1993 to 2007, a group of music historians did just that on their website known as Oz net music charts which sadly went defunct in 2008 due to ARIA completely taking over the music charts (although this was nine years after David Kent stopped releasing his charts publicly.) You can access the site through here to see what our music landscape would look like had ARIA not parted ways with David Kent throughout most of the 90's and 00's.
In honour of this site's achievements, I've decided to rank the biggest hits of this time period according to their charts (although I won't include songs from 2006 and 2007 as they would dominate the upper regions of this list and have also seen representation on my digital lists for the 00's.) As usual, I won't be making any new commentary here as there's nothing more, I can add to each of these entries I didn't cover when looking at them previously on this site. Also, this will differ from the site's official recap as A: they didn't update it after mid-2002 and B: it only covered songs popularity while they were in the top ten.
Two of the biggest names in NZ music managed to score a massive hit this year here in Australia with this collaboration, here we have P-Money who was ahead of the curb when it came to producers taking lead credit for a song they don't provide any vocals on and Scribe who delivers one of his solid rap performances which made him such a household name in his homeland.
#33 for 2005 website
This was the second single to be released from East 17, and it managed to be a huge hit for them both here and in their native UK which cemented them as a worthy rival of Take that in their homeland and the clear winner of the first round of the boy band wars here in Australia. They would score two more hits from their debut album Walthamstow down under proving how inescapable they were.
#42 for 1993 website
Well so much for Ginger Spice wanting to get away from the spotlight, although I don't think it's uncommon knowledge that she just wanted to get away from the Spice girls given all the behind-the-scenes drama that was going on at the time (to say nothing about the revelations revealed year later.) It makes sense that her first hit single would be akin to a cabaret number as she was the vaudeville performer in the group.
#38 for 1999 website
This was the last hit that Ricky Martin was able to achieve in most parts of the world, I'm guessing because his Latin lover shtick had grown stale by this point as other Latin crooners such as Enrique Iglesias and Marc Anthony had released less bombastic tracks from the genre to massive success. I know it would've been a bold move at the time, but I kind of wished he made these songs for men given his sexuality.
#34 for 2000 website
This may have been overshadowed by her earlier entry on this list due to how inescapable that was in her native America, however this lead single from Daydream was a massive success for Mariah Carey largely thanks to the sample she uses from the Tom Tom club (a side project of members of Talking heads) throughout the track. These two songs were enough to make the album be a massive success worldwide, although it did spawn one more Billboard chart topper with its third single "Always be my baby."
#24 for 1995 website
This was another massive hit that the Offspring were able to achieve in their career, it seems to continue the narrative they had with their previous album Americana right down to the music video complimenting the lyrics in a way I feel few others had in the twentieth century. The band's popularity would dwindle as the decade went on; however, they did score one more hit with "Hit that" two years after this.
This was another two for one deal from Nelly here in Australia (apologies for the lack of album art for "Flap your wings") as this serves as the lead single to his two albums Suit and Sweat which showcase two sides of the rapper from around this time. I remember "My place" being the big hit from around this time, although "Flap your wings" also remains fondly remembered to this day by his fans.
#26 for 2004 website
It's a bit of a shame that the members of New Edition never saw much success here in Australia, indeed after Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill was the member with the best charting song down under with a song that didn't even crack the Billboard charts. I'm not even sure how this managed to become a hit here when it was such a failure in his native America.
#46 for 1993 website
This was the second and final hit that this Australian sister duo had in their career, I think it was a hit as well as their final hit due to the chorus reminding people of "Little red corvette" back in the day and them being divided on whether that's a good thing or not (it certainly reminds me of the track which is an excellent thing in my book.) They would eventually be replaced with the Veronicas in the music industry.
#40 for 2000 website
This was the final hit single that Michael Bolton was able to score anywhere in the world, although he did chart the following year with "Can I touch you there" proving that not everyone had given up on his music by the midpoint of the decade. This song is a bit of a bait and switch as you'd expect this to be about how he's bitter over a relationship he wishes he had no investment in, instead it's him saying that what he had with this person is more than love.
#31 for 1994 website
This was the other big hit to come from Reality bites, although this one has a more interesting story to it as Lisa Loeb and Nine stories weren't even signed to a label when this became a Billboard chart topper for them. This more than anything makes the song more famous than the film it was commissioned for as it helped them break a record by being the first act to top the American charts without having a label.
#42 for 1994 website
This was the second single to come from Bryan Adam's album 18 till I die, OK technically the third as "Have you ever really loved a woman" was included on the album despite being written for the Don Juan De Marco soundtrack. This was the last hit single that he had as a solo artist as the remaining hits he had this decade were with another person.
#33 for 1996 website
One of the more promising Australian acts of the decade was Bachelor girl, a duo who scored their first hit with a song about how falling in love with a boy was the same thing as being brutally murdered in different ways. OK so it's dead simple to make fun of this song, however few have (to my knowledge at least) due to how heartfelt the vocals are as well as this being a staple of the 90's sound.
#39 for 1998 website
Kelis is only a two-hit wonder here in Australia with both of her entries on this list, however she was one of the biggest names in music throughout the decade in Europe due to her scoring a bunch of hits over there including both of these entries. She's also only a two-hit wonder in America, although this wasn't one of those hits as "Bossy" was her other hit on Billboard from two years later.
#24 for 2004 website
If you can believe it, the original version of this track from Kool and the gang was never a hit here in Australia, meaning that Peter Andre's version is likely the only version that most Aussies are familiar with. The backing band on here would go on to have minor success later in the decade as Ilanda, however this was the last his that Peter had here before he migrated to the UK and never looked back.
This was the fourth and final single to come from BEP's first album with Fergie, although I should point out that this song was called "Let's get retarded" on the album which makes the lyrics about acting stupid make a bit more sense even if it also makes the song ableist as heck. Naturally the band changed the offending word to avoid any implications that they were down is that sort of behaviour.
#27 for 2004 website
This was the only hit that Tupac Shakur was able to achieve in Australia during his lifetime, hey at least he managed to score one hit here prior to his murder this year unlike his rival Biggie Smalls who only saw success down under after he was assassinated. Here we have a guest verse from the king of the west coast Dr Dre, a verse that curiously references the sunshine state which is odd because that's how the east coast is described.
#31 for 1996 website
This was the biggest hit from JT's solo debut album Justified, mainly because it's well known that it was written for the king of pop in mind who passed this up for reasons I can't seem to ascertain. Justin scooped it up and strangely didn't have it be the lead single for whatever reason as it was clear from the get-go that this would be the song to launch his career away from N sync following his breakup with Britney Spears.
#30 for 2003 website
This was one of two hits that Sean Paul had in Australia as a lead artist, this is impressive considering how he only ever had a hit as a featured artist over in NZ which is bizarre considering the kiwis would've loved this guy throughout the 90's if he had released his catalogue back then. Another surprise is that he was massive over in the UK given how the Brits also didn't have much love for reggae over the years.
#26 for 2003 website
This is a song that on its own is inoffensive enough (heck it can even be inspirational) however was ruined by many people due to that infamous performance on SNL where this track played instead of "Autobiography" which was the song Ashlee was meant to perform when that moment happened. For what it's worth, she wasn't entirely lip syncing that night and only had a backing track to enhance her performance that of course backfired.
#40 for 2004 website
This was the second and final hit that Missy Elliott had here in Australia as well as being the other track on this list where she had a hit with Ciara given how the RNB singer is on here to not only provide a chorus for the rapper but also provide her own rap verse to try her hand at a hip hop track. It was a massive hit for the pair and suggested the possibility of them making an album together that never came to be.
#31 for 2005 website
This was meant to be the last song that Eminem released before he retired from music, of course that retirement lasted all of four years as he would return by the end of the decade with his album Relapse which was a commercial success for the rapper despite also being panned by critics like Encore was. In America, the big hit off his greatest hits album was "Shake that" which was his attempt at a strip club anthem.
I don't think anyone was expecting these guys to see as much success here in Australia as they ended up getting, true they made it big here with the second single thanks to it sampling a Sly and the family stone track, however it's not like the original was that big down under either. In any case, we have this fun track with its political lyrics making it big which resulted in the album also being a success.
These guys were on a roll when they released their second single to their biggest album II, so much so that this replaced their previous single "I'll make love to you" at number one on Billboard making them one of the few artists to replace themselves at number one in America. I'm sure this opened up some doors in allowing RNB artists to crossover in Australia which would happen more frequently as the decade went on.
Much like her earlier entry, this second single from Avril Lavigne was much more successful here in Australia than its placement would otherwise suggest, however I've already gone over why that's the case, so I won't repeat myself here. Instead, I'll talk about the songs which are both iconic to this day due to them showcasing the complicated feelings that Avril has during throughout her life at this point.
#35 for 2002 website
It may surprise you to learn that the song this remixes "Valerie" wasn't a hit anywhere in the world back in the day (not even the popular remix five years after its initial release that you still hear on oldies stations) which means this was likely many people's introduction to that classic given how popular this version was for the Swedish DJ.
#34 for 2004 website
Given that he served in the American military earlier in the decade, it's a bit surprising that Shaggy's debut single was a flop on Billboard and needed to find success in the UK and throughout Europe to kick start his music career. I'm guessing Americans weren't too thrilled with this reggae cover of an early 60's hit, either that or they didn't realise that this man would go on to rule over both hip hop and reggae throughout the 90's.
#32 for 1993 website
This is a song that should be much higher on this list but isn't due to having most of its success contained in the first few weeks of its release, this is due to it being the first victory single from a reality show contestant (or in this case group) to make it big in Australia which sets the tone for how the decade would turn out down under.
#28 for 2000 website
This was the second hit from DJ Sammy to become a success this year that was a cover of a song from 1985, this time we have him making a dance track of the Don Henley classic which got him out of the one hit wonder bin in most parts of the world that his earlier entry threatened to trap him in. I guess he ran out of 80's classics to make his own which led to him failing to score any other hits.
#47 for 2002 website
This second single from the Eminem show has always given me mixed signals as on the one hand he wants to make amends with his mother but on the other he does so in a way that suggests that he can never forgive her for the way she treated him while he was growing up. I guess these complicated feelings he had for her connected with audiences around the world as it was an easy hit for the rapper.
#39 for 2002 website
This is a response track to Eamon's entry from earlier on this list, although contrary to popular belief, Frankee wasn't the girlfriend Eamon was singing about on his song as she was instead some random singer who wanted to cash in off the success of that track by writing a response from the perspective of his girlfriend.
#39 for 2004 website
This sounds like it came from 2 Unlimited which would make sense considering how successful the Dutch duo was this year, however it was actually a song from AB Logic who scored a hit with this here in Australia again likely due to us Aussies confusing this for a 2 unlimited track released under a pseudonym. Apparently, this did chart on Billboard the previous year, although it flopped due to being an EDM track.
This was the first of three big hits that Chaka Demus and Pliers had in the UK, proving that it was the Brits which led the reggae trend that would permeate throughout the decade. Here in Australia, this was their only massive success, although they did score a second hit the following year with their cover of "Twist and shout" likely to score points from Beatles fans who were also into reggae.
#49 for 1993 website
There were plenty of boy bands competing in the boy band wars this decade, these guys stood out because they played their own instruments which even then wasn't a unique requirement as we had Hanson and our own Taxiride that also filled this bill. This was the British band's only hit single in Australia, which I feel was only the case to give them a shoutout among the other contestants.
Delerium was a Canadian EDM duo who scored massive international success with this track featuring the vocals of Sarah McLaughlin, Sarah herself was a popular Canadian artist who made adult contemporary ballads that helped her stand out in her native Canada. Neither artist saw any international success outside of this dance track, in fact this mainly became a success due to the multiple remixes that were floating around at the time it its release.
#43 for 1999 website
This was originally released a decade prior to deafening silence for Arrow, a Caribbean singer who wanted to make it big in the English-speaking market but failed for whatever reason. It was given a remix which helped it climb the charts both here and, in the UK, although it was only a hit here due to it being perfect for our dance floors and even TV commercials which centre around red hot deals.
#46 for 1995 website
This was the lead single to the boy's album of the same name, I'm sorry but I just always found it hilarious that the first hit singles these guys had in Australia was with a song proclaiming that they were back. Of course, as far as their core fanbase was concerned, this was appropriate and hey "Quit playing games with my heart" was a huge hit in their native America and throughout Europe for what it's worth.
#24 for 1997 website
This was always destined to be a huge hit for Kylie Minogue given how it was the second single from her album Light years which saw her return to bubble-gum pop that made her a household name in the 80's, however it was also a success here due to it being performed at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympics which seemed appropriate given how it was a song about how special a night was for her.
#22 for 2000 website
For nine years, this was the only hit that Train had outside their native America as none of their other singles from the 00's managed to become a hit for them outside of the Billboard charts. That of course changed in 2010 when "Hey soul sister" got them out of the one hit wonder bin in most parts of the world, although I'm sure many people would rather this be their one and only hit in retrospect.
#42 for 2001 website
This is the last hit that everyone involved with this track had here in Australia, although in their native America, R Kelly would have one more hit with "Same girl" with Usher later in the decade. I guess the controversial RNB singer was added to the track to help break up the monotony of this being the third collaboration between Ja Rule and Ashanti as it's yet another "thugs need love too" anthem the pair made.
#40 for 2005 website
There was a popular sub-genre from the 70's that I've dubbed as late-night rock, this is the type of rock music I picture myself listening to whenever I'm at a cocktail bar late at night or driving home alone on a dark lonely highway. Here we have Edwyn Collins score a hit in this sub-genre I invented with his one and only hit which is about how he's dumbfounded by this woman he's talking to and how abnormal she seems to him.
#47 for 1995 website
This was originally a flop for Nelly here in Australia due to his album not making many waves in our music scene despite its international success, however it got a second chance when it was featured in the film Scary movie 2 due to it being made by the Wayan brothers who were known for using drugs in their films and this song having a ton of drug references throughout its runtime (which were all censored on the radio of course.)
#35 for 2001 website
Now I know I should think this cover is awful especially since I'm a huge fan of Fleetwood Mac, however anything that makes me think of the band and especially Stevie Nicks is a win in my book which means this cover is fine with me. It was a surprise hit for the Dixie chicks given how they were on the cusp of getting cancelled when it was released due to them dissing the (then) current president.
#43 for 2003 website
This was meant to be Christina Aguilera's self-empowerment anthem; it was a massive hit for her due to it coming from an album where she strips herself of the pop machine that made her a household name during her time with Disney and thus makes it more genuine from her than if she had of released it earlier in her career. I get the feeling this also would've been even bigger here if digital downloads were legal at the time.
#37 for 2003 website
This was the third victory single to come out of Australian idol, although at least this time, the winner in question had more of a career than her predecessor as Kate scored a second solo hit after this as well as a ton of success as one of the members of Young divas.
This was the song from Soundgarden's breakthrough album Superunknown to make them a huge household name in Australia and most parts of the world, likely due to its nightmare inducing video which depicts a suburban neighbourhood from the 50's filtered with the sense of irony that permeated this decade. It was a massive success for the band down under, although it would be their only hit.
#44 for 1994 website
It looked like that Bush's debut album was going to fail given that it had been released two years prior to little fanfare throughout the world, however it was finally a success this year when this became a surprise hit for the band over in America who likely appreciated their brand of post grunge on this track. It may have been their only hit worldwide, although at least it put them on the map of the alternative scene.
#39 for 1996 website
I think this was meant to be the debut single for Bow wow (then known as Lil bow wow) if it was then it was a massive flop in his native America as "Bounce with me" was the hit that introduced him to his fellow Americans. This was a surprise hit throughout Europe for him which likely explains why it was a hit here in Australia, although it was his only hit as a kid as he wouldn't have another until he became an adult.
#46 for 2001 website
This was another song that was heavily delayed here in Australia to allow Australian idol to take over the charts, as such it proved to be less successful here than if it had of been released on time like it was everywhere else in the world towards the end of the previous year. I guess its delay allowed this to out chart "Kryptonite" here even if that song was more successful down under than this ballad.
#38 for 2004 website
Natalie was certainly on a roll this year as she was able to find massive success with the second single from her album Left of the middle, this has a much more abrasive tone to her earlier entry which was a sign that she was channelling her inner angst in a way that was very common from around this time. While she didn't have any more hit singles here, she did find success internationally with her subsequent albums.
#34 for 1998 website
This was one of two hits that the German EDM group Fragma had throughout the world at the start of the decade, the other was with "Everytime you need me" which sadly was too much of a sleeper hit here in Australia to be appearing on this site. I guess the EDM scene was still going strong going into the new millennium even if it was quickly losing steam in the mainstream compared to how inescapable it was in the 90's.
This was a two for one deal from Cosima, a fan favourite on the first season of Australian idol who had to drop out due to developing an illness during the show that affected her ability to sing. Here she scored her one and only hit with these two tracks, the first being a cover of a Cold chisel classic and the second being what I'm sure was meant to be her victory single had she won the season.
#33 for 2004 website
Much like their previous entry on this list, this third single from BEP's Elephunk is different depending on which version we're looking at. The single version is a rather innocuous party jam that was a predictable hit for the group, however the album version has some truly bizarre lines as well as a breakdown where the members spout gibberish that I and many others find to be absolutely hilarious.
#50 for 2004 website
Well, we've finally come to one of the most politically charged songs to ever become a hit worldwide, there's not much to think about on this track as Green day make very clear that they felt ashamed to be Americans given the political climate they were living in at the time of the song's release. It served as the lead single to their biggest album which was a concept album that further explored this feeling they had.
#42 for 2004 website
The last time Gabrielle had a hit here in Australia was with her debut single "Dream" from eight years prior, so to see her back on the charts with this theme song to the first Bridget Jones' diary film was a bit of a surprise to say the least even if its success was inevitable in retrospect due to how popular the movie was and remains to this day. It was able to get the British RNB singer out of the one hit wonder bin if nothing else.
This song was originally featured in Coyote ugly in a scene where the main lead realises she needed to perform the songs she wrote in order to land her dream job of being a professional songwriter, I guess enough people were impressed with a song that was meant to be little more than a jam session that the band in question the Calling were given a record deal where they were able to release it in the real world this year.
#41 for 2002 website
This was the third hit that Shakira had this year, and just like her first entry on this list, this is an English cover of one of her tracks she originally recorded in Spanish which means the lyrics aren't as tightly written as her other entry on this list. Still, it was a massive hit for her and only wasn't as big as her other entries due to the album being a massive hit by the time it was released as a single.
#38 for 2002 website
The last time Maxi Priest had troubled the charts anywhere in the world was at the start of the decade when "Close to you" became a massive success in America and in the southern hemisphere. Fast forward six years and he's back with a collaboration with Shaggy during the height of the rapper's career which no doubt elevated the success of this reggae track much higher than it otherwise would've achieved.
#40 for 1996 website
Say what you will about "Take me there" by Blackstreet, at least it was an appropriate theme song to the first theatrical Rugrats film which is more than I can say about this track from the Baha men which serves as the theme song to the second theatrical film. The song is about how the group (who refer to themselves as dogs) are on the prowl for sex, and yet this was used in a kid's film which launched them into popularity.
#17 for 2000 website
This was the debut single for a band who would go on to have massive success throughout the decade worldwide, although curiously it was only a hit here in Australia as this flopped in their native America for some reason. I guess the song is on the shorter side which led people to believe it was over before it even began, a sentiment that wasn't felt here in Australia as it was a huge success here.
#29 for 2001 website
Does anyone else feel like this is an unofficial sequel to "I'm on fire?" Granted this was written for the film Philadelphia which helped Bruce win an academy award due to how well received that movie was, however, the melody feels like it was recycled from his earlier hit single to me. In any case, this provided him with his first hit single since that ballad as well as a renewed interest in his music this decade.
#30 for 1994 website
It had been seven years since Tracy Chapman troubled the charts with her debut single "Fast car," so to see her back in the spotlight with this led single to her fourth album was a bit of a welcome surprise given how well she adapted to the changing sounds of folk music from these two albums. Unfortunately, this comeback was short lived as she once again fell into obscurity after this dropped out of the charts.
#21 for 1996 website
Shark tale is a film that seems to divide audiences, it all comes down to whether or not they appreciate this parody of the Pixar formula the same way that Shrek 2 (which also came out this year) parodies the Disney formula or if they feel that the film is nothing more than a collection of pop culture references strung together to try and form an incoherent plot. At least people like the theme song from Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott.
#30 for 2004 website
This was the only major hit that Candice Alley managed to achieve in her career, it was a massive hit upon its initial release likely due to it being well promoted this year along with many other tracks from Australian artists prior to when Australian idol took over our music scene by the end of the year. Candice would have a second minor hit later in the year with "Obsession" which has a similar subject matter to this ballad.
#42 for 2003 website
This was the only hit for the underage American southern rapper J-Kwon, a hit that sparked a bit of minor controversy as it opens with a song about how teen drinking was bad but he didn't care because he had a fake ID. Naturally this line was cut from the radio version of this song which left audiences with the counting gimmick he had throughout the song, it's about all I remember from it if I'm being honest.
#36 for 2004 website
There was a time where people took this song seriously, I guess because this was during the height of emo and that the video depicted a violent car crash caused by drink driving and convinced themselves this was a PSA about how that can ruin one's life. Still, there's a reason this has become a meme over the years, it's so overdramatic that it's easy (and let's be honest fun) to mock whenever mentioning it.
If Princess Diana had of lived till the end of the decade, this would've been Elton John's final hit single anywhere in the world as it serves as the emotional ballad that plays during the end credits of the Lion King. This became the third Disney ballad to win an academy award for best original song despite people feeling that it doesn't rank among Elton's best work, the lyrics are admittedly not his strongest.
This was the theme to the film With honours, a film where Brendan Fraser takes pity on Joe Pesci who seems to be down on his luck and.... OK I haven't seen the film and nor do I ever have any intentions of watching it as I've heard nothing but terrible things about it. One positive thing I can say about it is that it has a really good theme courtesy of Madonna who gives a truly compelling performance on this track.
Given that he had one of the biggest hits of the decade with his earlier entry, it only makes sense that Coolio was welcomed into the Australian music scene with open arms throughout the second half of the decade. Here he scores a massive hit with this track which is a return to his breakthrough hit worldwide "Fantastic voyage" with the bouncier hip hop and less serious lyrics to his rhymes.
We haven't had many actors from Home and away to make it big in the music industry, one of the lucky few was Tammin Sursock who scored a massive hit with this song about being in a pointless relationship with someone who isn't willing to meet her halfway in said relationship. It was a big hit for the Australian actress; however, it was also her only hit as she's more well known for her TV roles these days.
For whatever reason, "Behind these hazel eyes" was a massive commercial disappointment here in Australia despite how well I remember hearing that song on the radio back in the day. Fortunately, the fourth single from Breakaway was a massive hit for Kelly Clarkson due to it being about her dealing with her parents' divorce and how it left her emotionally scarred growing up.
This was the last hit that 2 Unlimited had in Australia, although as I said earlier, they would continue to have massive success throughout Europe as the decade went on. These two hits ensured that their second album would be a modest success here which no doubt led to the success of a bunch of other EDM albums throughout the 90's here as our love of the genre grew.
This was a bit of a comeback for Simply red who hadn't had a hit in Australia since their third album from the late 80's. Indeed, this song in general was a milestone for the band as it became their only chart topper in their native UK despite having five of the most successful albums of all time over there, it's also their rare upbeat track which showed they were willing to experiment with their sound for a hit.
These guys were yet another punk rock band that were adored by Triple J but otherwise largely ignored by Australian audiences, that is until this became a hit for them due to the video which lampoons some of the biggest teen pop stars of the late 90's as a way of distancing themselves from the other popular acts on TRL. This was a disturbingly common trend for older artists that regularly appeared on the music program.
Given how well-loved Nelly was from around this time, it only seems fitting that Chingy would follow suit into being an overnight sensation from the mid-west which began with his debut single which contains the infamous line "give me what you got for a porkchop." The song regularly appears on worst of the 00's lists for the line in question as well as people believing that Chingy isn't a good rapper.
#40 for 2003 website
I guess Snoop Dogg had return to what made him a household name a decade prior on this track given how he presented himself as a pimp that was in charge of the club scene on this track, although he brought back Pharrell from "Beautiful" to ease his new fanbase into the type of music his core fanbase loved him for. It was a much bigger hit worldwide for the rapper likely due to us Aussies not being into club music at the time.
#34 for 2005 website
Well, if the Grid were able to show us how to marry EDM with country music, then Rednex found a way to irritate audiences with their one and only hit worldwide with this track. Apparently, this was a remix of an old folk song that has been sung over the years by American outlaws that the Swedish group somehow got their hands on, although they did write the verses sung by the female vocalist.
#41 for 1995 website
This was the other big hit that Diana King managed to achieve in her career that was tied to a Hollywood film, this time we have the theme to My best friend's wedding which is a film about how Julia Roberts has to fight over Cameron Diaz over a guy she's known since childhood and was hoping to be the man of her dreams (it's much better than I'm making it sound.) Of course, this was going to be a hit regardless due to it being a cover of a Dionne Warwick staple.
#34 for 1997 website
So, this was the biggest hit that Gloria Estefan achieved in her career, scratch that it's just about the only hit she managed to achieve here as she didn't even find much success during her time with the Miami sound machine let alone her solo career. I think this was a hit due to it being the theme to the Sylvester Stallone flick the Specialist, even though it was originally a song by Vicki Sue Robinson of "To sir with love" fame.
This was the big hit off of Chris Isaak's biggest album in Australia, as you can tell it's very different from the songs he's generally known for as he's ditched his Roy Orbison impersonation in favour of something more tender for the 90's folk scene. The second single from the album was "Baby did a bad bad thing," a song that would become a hit much later in the decade due to its inclusion in Eyes wide shut.
#32 for 1995 website
Although the kiwis were quick in making Missy Elliott a household name in the late 90's, we Aussies didn't give the female rapper a chance until she released what would be her biggest hit in her native America, even then it had a slow rise to its success as it was released towards the end of the previous year down under. This is Missy's signature track as it is the perfect example of her displaying her sexual nature despite being aware she's not conventionally attractive.
#35 for 2003 website
This was the only hit that British RNB boy band MN8 were able to achieve in Australia, although they did have better luck in NZ and their native UK as they scored a second hit in both countries with "If you only let me in." I guess these guys tried to compete with the boy band wars of the decade by incorporating hip hop elements into their sound, a tactic many boy band used throughout the 90's.
#44 for 1995 website
This was the only hit that Fat Joe had over here in Australia, I think it's mostly due to the "What's love got to do with it" interpolation on the chorus as well as it being another "thugs need love too anthem" which was becoming increasingly popular throughout the world back in the day. It even has Ashanti on the chorus which I guess was meant to reassure audiences that she wasn't exclusively for Ja Rule when it comes to hip hop collaborations.
#40 for 2002 website
We looked at Kelly Rowland's solo debut from earlier on this list, now let's look at the song that introduced Beyonce as a solo artist which comes complete with a guest verse with her future husband Jay z who she's obviously crazy in love with on this track. It feels weird that this wasn't among the bigger hits of the year in Australia, mainly because I remember this being overplayed to hell and back.
#31 for 2003 website
This was another two for one deal that the Spice girls released for their final album Forever, it's an album they didn't want to make given how they knew that they needed all five of them to connect with their audience and there were no signs of Ginger Spice rejoining the group at the time of its release.
#42 for 2000 website
Anastacia had only been able to achieve one hit from her first two albums in Australia, this second single from her third album broke tradition by being a massive hit for her likely due to it continuing the theme of her entry from the start of this list of being a gospel rock track about her being done with a relationship she was in. It would be her final hit in most parts of the world as her next album was a huge flop for her.
#47 for 2004 website
This was Aaliyah's only hit here in Australia, although much like her big hit in NZ from two years prior, this was also a song featured from a film which in this case was a film she also starred in. That film is of course Romeo must die which was panned by critics for its clunky story but praised for the performances from Aaliyah and her co-star Jet Li, suggesting she was also a talented actress as well as a singer.
Well, I did mention when I talked about the original version of this track that this version was a much bigger hit here in Australia a mere three years later, so here we are with this version which was the only other hit that Blue was able to achieve here likely due to our familiarity with the original. I feel they were the 00's equivalent of MN8 as they too combined harsher RNB elements with the boy band sound.
Given how his British counterpart Craig David was scoring massive worldwide success with his debut album this year, it only seems fitting that Usher would follow suit in his success when he released his own album this year which kicked off the cycle with this ballad about how the person he's singing to reminds him of an ex he used to go out with. I think we've all been in the situation he describes in the song which explains its success.
#37 for 2001 website
This is the only other hit that Eve had as a lead artist in her career, although she would score two more hits after his as the guest rapper with Gwen Stefani and Guy Sebastian of all people. In the meantime, we have this collaboration with Alicia Keys fresh off the success of her debut album who provides her a chorus about how even female thugs need love too, the male equivalent worked for Ja rule after all.
#37 for 2002 website
With all of the popular teen dramas coming out of the 90's, you'd think that the one that spawned a Billboard chart topper would be the most popular. You'd be wrong as the Heights was a musical drama that was heavily panned by critics for being a poor man's Fame as it centred around a group of kids looking to make it big with a band they were in, basically it was the 90's equivalent of glee except for teen rock rather than teen gossip.
#27 for 1993 website
Madonna was always known for experimenting with her sound, so here she is trying her hand at RNB which proved to be a huge success for her as this and the album it was pulled from became a hit worldwide. The album was produced by Babyface who was the driving force for Boyz II Men, meaning that the album in retrospect has been criticised for Madonna chasing a trend rather than setting one.
#43 for 1994 website
Well, this was a comeback that came out of nowhere this year, the last anyone had heard from the Pretenders was their 1986 album where Chrissie Hynde scored two hits with "Don't get me wrong" and "Hymn to her" which made the album her most successful in her career. Here she is seven years later with a ballad that sounds like it would fit on that album that gave her one final hit for her career.
This was the only hit that Hootie and the Blowfish managed to score in Australia, although admittedly their album was one of the biggest of the decade worldwide so it's not like their music went ignored here even if this was the best they could do on our singles chart. Darius Rucker is now known as a country singer, however back in the day he was the front man for a band that received backlash in their native America with how successful their album was.
These guys claimed that they always wanted to be throwback artists and only went the teen pop direction in order to build their audience so that they could find success with the music they wanted to make. I guess this was the best proof people had for this claim as this feels like a throwback song rather than something to compete with the boy bands of the era, although it makes you wonder why they waited nine years to finally make that transition in their career.
#43 for 1997 website
It's easy to think that Jessica Simpson came from Disney much like Britney and Christina, however she was a teen idol that had no such affiliation with the House of mouse and was instead looking to make it big during the height of the teen pop era of music. She was off to a good start with her debut single as it showcases how much of a powerhouse she was as a vocalist, rivalling that of Christina at her best.
This was the only hit for both people involved on this track here in Australia, although both of them were much more popular in America given how Fabolous scored a bunch of hits on Billboard whilst Tamia was a popular choice for a guest vocalist on other people's tracks over there. As with most tracks with a male rapper and female singer, this was a "thugs need love too" anthem that was popular back in the day.
#34 for 2003 website
This was the big hit off of Bon Jovi's album Keep the faith, mainly due to people not really understanding what this song is about as despite the lyrics "lay me down on a bed of roses," this is actually a breakup song about him wishing that the relationship was still going when it's clearly over. It's certainly different from the other tracks they had up until this point which were to the point.
This is by far the oldest artist to appear on this list, although he wouldn't live for very long after he finally made it big as he would die while on tour in 1999 due to a heart failure. This is an autobiographical song about how he overcame his speech impediment by scatting at local night clubs, although I think he only found success with this song due to it being a catchy EDM track.
This was another RNB hit that was originally found success upon its initial release the previous year worldwide but had to wait until it was an international success to crossover here to Australia. It was the only hit for Groove city which is a shame because I felt that they were one of the more interesting RNB groups to emerge from this decade, they certainly deserved to have more success than most this decade.
#49 for 1996 website
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