I came a cross this list which much like the 00's list I posted a while back, takes into account a song's full chart run to determine what were the biggest hits of the 90's in NZ as opposed to its popularity on the upper echelons of those charts. I've decided to recreate this list and include any song that has yet to appear on this side of my site as a way of incentivising me doing so, meaning you'll get to read my commentary of these songs even though many of them have already appeared on the Australian side of my site. Also like my 00's list, I've slightly adjusted this list to include the full chart runs of songs that charted from 1989 and into 2000 rather than cutting off their chart run to only include their stats throughout the decade.
At least here in Australia Alannah Myles managed to score two hits from her debut album, in NZ her only hit over there was her Billboard chart topper which was reportedly about Elvis Presley. She may be a one hit wonder in NZ, however that didn't prevent her album from being a massive success like it was everywhere else in the world.
#15 for 1990 (#10 website)
This was Neneh's biggest hit in NZ as it was here in Australia, mainly due to it being a new age track during the height of the new age craze as well as it being a duet with an African singer to give it that level of authenticity that the likes of Deep Forest and Enigma lacked in the genre. This would be Neneh's last hit in most parts of the world given how she had since abandoned her hip hop style.
#24 for 1994 (#46 website)
Well, it appears the kiwis found these guys to be absolutely hilarious this year as not only was this a massive hit for them over there, but so was their album it came from which even managed to spawn a second hit for the band over there this year (which we'll look at later on this list.) This sense of humour worked for the band again two years later when "The bad touch" became a hit for them as well.
#23 for 1997 (#15 website)
This was also a huge success for Betty Boo in NZ this year, I'm guessing because it was heavily featured in season one of Beverly Hills 90210 (yes, I've seen the show and I agree the episodes are all too long for their own good.) This allowed the British female rapper to have a hit in the southern hemisphere which opened up doors for other female rappers throughout the decade here.
#44 for 1990
#48 for 1991
Enigma was off to a good start in the career when their debut single became a massive success worldwide, it was the conformation that new age music would be one of the more popular genres in the world regardless of where you were from as they would find further success with their next album as well.
#14 for 1991 (#13 website)
Well, if "One sweet day" was able to take the world by storm earlier in the year, you better believe that this would follow suit and be a huge success worldwide. There was absolutely no way this was going to fail in NZ given how these guys already had a massive hit the previous year with "1st of tha month," indeed this songs success would lead to them to have further success over there throughout the decade.
#13 for 1996 (#1 website)
Well, this was a much bigger hit in NZ than it could ever hope to be in Australia, again the kiwis loved their diva pop from around this time as opposed to us Aussies who usually preferred personality over technical excellence. Still, this was decently big here (as its appearance on the Australian side of my site can attest) so it wasn't a deal breaker provided the singing is as good as it is on here.
#27 for 1990 (#6 website)
To think that the only hit that Naughty by Nature had in Australia was with "Holiday" in 2000, a song that didn't even touch the charts in NZ or their native America. Seven years prior, they had a massive hit in both countries with this bop of a track, finally putting the east coast hip hop on the map as they would be major representatives of what the New Jersey scene would have to offer this decade.
#28 for 1993 (#16 website)
This became a hit twice in NZ, the first time was upon its initial release where it was a minor hit for the German band whilst the second was when it randomly rebounded on their charts at the beginning of 1994 likely due to the minor success of their second single "Got to get it" (which sadly won't be reappearing on this side of my site.)
#47 for 1993
#45 for 1994
Given how both horrible CGI and EDM had become the norm by the end of the 90's, it only seems fitting that this track from Eiffel 65 would find massive success over there like it did internationally even if that success pales in comparison to how well it did here in Australia. It's a reminder of how far CGI has come from the twentieth century as well as a nostalgia bomb for everyone born between 1980 and 2000.
#3 for 1999 (#6 website)
Well, this did manage to make its way to number one in NZ for both Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, it didn't stay there for sixteen weeks, and it certainly didn't overstay its welcome overall on their charts like it did in America, but it was a massive success for them regardless and set up the stage for several other tracks dedicated to the fallen friends of artists.
#15 for 1995 (#23 website)
#7 for 1996 (#32 website)
Well, this was a hip hop track, so of course it would be an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia. Even so, Dimples D really did become a pioneer for female hip hop as she used a really egregious (yet still infectiously catchy) sample in order for her to rap about her sexual nature on the track, although like Salt n Pepa she didn't have any success in her native America at this stage.
#21 for 1991 (#18 website)
I'm not sure if the kiwis were tuned in to Triple J back in the day (there's evidence to support they were and weren't) if they were then that would explain how Silverchair were able to score a massive hit with their debut single given how the station heavily promoted the band back in the day. It led to them having massive success over there this year with their debut album and the singles from it.
#13 for 1995 (#13 website)
Well, I guess this solo single from Jamie Walters was the kiwis compromise for not allowing "How do you talk to an angel" from the Heights to be a success over there two years prior. Jamie Walters was the leading actor of the TV and the main vocalist on that track, although by this stage he had moved on to Beverly Hills 90210 as one of the replacements for Shannon Doherty following her departure from the show.
#27 for 1995 (#18 website)
Well, this may have arrived a little too late to the party for its success this year to make any sense, however this acoustic guitar ballad from Mr. big was nonetheless a massive success in NZ as it was everywhere else in the world. Perhaps if the band had broken out at the start of the decade, then their other two singles from their album would've been massive hits for them as well.
#6 for 1992 (#3 website)
Well, this is going to be a fun entry, we have the one and only hit from the all-white hip hop group Young black teenagers. You've noticed that with some very few exceptions, music throughout the twentieth century was unproblematic in Australia and NZ. This is one of those rare exceptions for reasons that should be obvious.
#32 for 1993 (#18 website)
The delayed success of this song in NZ is the best proof I have that this became a hit in the southern hemisphere not through the merits of the song itself but rather due to P.E teachers making kids do the strange dance from the music video. Why else would this be so successful in the southern hemisphere but only a modest success in their native UK?
#7 for 1998 (#30 website)
#7 for 1999
Even though this was eventually a minor hit later in the decade in Australia with "George," this was originally a hit this year for the Headless chickens given how it was more in line with the early UK rave scene of the 90's than the band's later material. It's little wonder that it was a huge hit for the band despite them having earlier entries on the NZ charts from the late 80's.
#43 for 1991 (#31 website)
One of the best live action Disney films (remember when they used to be good and original?) was Cool Runnings, a semi biographical film about the first Jamaican bob sledge team who competed in the 1988 winter Olympics. True the film made a bunch of stuff up as the idea of Jamaicans bob sledging even in the 80's was welcomed with open arms, however the film remains a classic to this day. The theme song came from Jimmy Cliff who covered the Johnny Nash classic to provide the theme.
#20 for 1994 (#14 website)
This was more of an immediate success in NZ than it was here in Australia, in fact I'm guessing this was a hit here in Australia because it was so inescapable in NZ which of course made it a hit in the UK but not in America because this was never released as a single over there. As such, Tragic kingdom was a huge worldwide success everywhere except for the band's homeland.
#14 for 1996
#7 for 1997 (#30 website)
Two years prior, Mr. president managed to score a massive success in the southern hemisphere with "Coco jambo," fast forward to this year and we have Dutch group T Spoon following the same formula of a sex jam to a reggae beat scoring a hit over in NZ and it flopping here in Australia. I guess the kiwis were still in love with EDM at a time where we Aussies were beginning to grow tired of the genre.
#35 for 1999
Well, UB40 seemed to have been on top of the world as far as the kiwis were concerned, so of course their collaboration with Robert Palmer on this Bob Dylan cover would be a massive success for them much sooner than it was in Australia. I guess it was our love for Robert that allowed this to become a success here in Australia, although nowhere near as popular as it was over there.
#16 for 1990
#19 for 1991 (#40 website)
The Backstreet boys were on a roll this year as they continued to score success worldwide with this lead single to their most recent album Millennium, it's an album that true to its word, was meant to signify the end of the current millennium as the world entered a new millennium with their music playing in the background.
#11 for 1999 (#17 website)
Given how Boyzone was suddenly one of the most successful bands in NZ this year, it only seems reasonable that Ronan Keating's theme from Notting Hill would be a massive success over there given how that movie was also rather popular as the decade was coming to an end. This also serves as the advanced single of his solo debut which wouldn't coming until the new year.
#9 for 1999 (#5 website)
This was one of many other hits that Shaggy managed to achieve in NZ that wasn't a success here in Australia, it's an original track from him which perhaps explains its failure in most parts of the world given how his earlier entry on this list was an update of an early 60's track run through the reggae filter. I'm actually surprised his debut album was a flop over there given how big both of these singles were.
#49 for 1993 (#39 website)
I feel it was more than a coincidence that this was Bette Midler's final hit single in most parts of the world, after all the last thing anyone wants to hear is that God loves them but only under certain circumstances which is the whole point of this ballad. It has good intentions and Bette's performance does save it from people looking too far into the lyrics, however it's not fondly remembered these days.
#31 for 1990
#29 for 1991
Well given how even we Aussies were able to recognise the genius of this track about trying to get a hold of De la soul from around this time (it cracks me up every time I listen to it) it was only inevitable that it would be a massive hit for the trio in NZ given how the kiwis were more susceptible to hip hop from around this time than we Aussies were.
#30 for 1991 (#17 website)
This was surprisingly hard to pull up information on from the internet, from what I can gather, To be continued was an RNB group from America that the kiwis somehow discovered this year as they gave them a massive hit this year with this track despite this flopping on the Billboard charts.
#27 for 1994 (#9 website)
In many parts of the world, this was Madonna's final chart topper for an entire decade as she wouldn't reach the top spot again until her hit "Music" from 2000. That said certainly the case for her in the southern hemisphere as she went through all of the 90's without having that chart topper despite pumping out hit after hit from each of her albums.
#20 for 1990 (#3 website)
This was a hit twice for John Paul Young in NZ just like it was here in Australia, although in this case this made him a two-hit wonder with both versions of this track as none of his other songs became a hit for him over in NZ throughout the 70's. Still, this was only a hit over there due to the ballroom mix which was commissioned for the Strictly ballroom soundtrack that came out around this time.
#35 for 1993 (#31 website)
I forgot to mention on the Australian side of my site that this was a cover of a Rolling stones track from the height of their popularity in the mid 60's, this would explain the hippy vibes that the song has despite Mick Jagger and company never being a part of the hippy culture back in the day (at least as far as I'm aware they weren't.) For reasons I brought up when I last discussed this track, it was released slightly sooner over there than it was over here.
#38 for 1990
#42 for 1991
This was the biggest hit of Roxette's career over in NZ; indeed, they didn't have nearly as much success over there as they did here or in America likely due to the kiwis feeling like they were told to like them rather than organically gravitating towards them. In any case, this was the big hit off the Pretty woman soundtrack which was originally a Christmas track that they had to rework to make it fit with the film.
#22 for 1990 (#8 website)
For whatever reason, this remix took two years to become a success in NZ and the Four seasons native America given how it was released in 1992 in Australia where it was a massive success here. This remix has since superseded the original when it comes to its presence on oldies stations, although you can still sometimes hear the original here and there.
#18 for 1994
#18 for 1995 (#46 website)
Well, this was an RNB jam that made it big here in Australia, so naturally it would find success much sooner in NZ even if the success was half of what it achieved down under. This is one of the first big hits to be produced by Timbaland, although you wouldn't be able to tell it was him due to all of the weird samples used throughout the track.
#32 for 1996
#27 for 1997
This was always meant to be the fourth and final single from 2pac's third album All eyez on me, heck the video was completed before he was murdered meaning that he had every intention of this song being released as a single before his death. I feel I should mention this given how many hits he's had since his death over the years, although I get the feeling this was only a success due to his tragic passing.
#18 for 1997 (#23 website)
I told you this was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm not sure what Diesel did to earn so much success over there this year but whatever it was he got it. This led to his second single (which is still to come on this list) as well as his solo album becoming a massive success over there.
#20 for 1992 (#14 website)
This is the first new entry on this list which, I told you there would be new entries on here even if they only missed out appearing on this site due to being too much of a sleeper hit to do so. In any case, we have the reappearance from Des'ree's breakthrough single on this site which was far more of a sleeper hit in NZ likely due to it sticking around when it became the unofficial theme for the Next karate kid which propelled its success in America.
Hit in 1994 (#31 website)
Unlike in Australia where the only success these guys had were from covers of obscure country tracks, in NZ they scored two more hits beginning with this cover of an obscure RNB track from the Tymes. This was their debut single, which was a big hit in their native America, so naturally this was primed to be a success in NZ, I'm more surprised their earlier entry took off in other countries more than anything.
#34 for 1994 (#11 website)
Well, I'm hoping that the band managed to achieve what they set out to do in their song and music video they released this year, after all there were a lot of people who felt touched by their genuine concern for those who had been brought up in the video which were able to bring to life the lyrics about how running away from your problems will only cause pain and heartache in the long run.
#23 for 1993 (#23 website)
This was one of only two hits that American singer Sybil had in NZ, although she would go on to have massive success later in the decade in the UK of all places for reasons I can't seem to fathom. This is a cover of the Dionne Warwick track from the early 60's, I'm not sure if this was bigger in NZ than the original since their charts don't go that far back and there's no retrospective archive available either.
#12 for 1990 (#17 website)
Even though this failed to appear on one of my official lists on this side of my site, it was indeed a massive success for Inner circle in NZ proving how well loved the Jamaican band was over there long after the rest of the world had long fallen out of love with their brand of reggae hip hop.
Hit in 1996
Apparently, this track was originally released as the theme song to some cop show in America I've never even heard of, I doubt this is why it became a worldwide hit this year as that show premiered at the start of the decade and it didn't do Inner circle any favours crossing over internationally. It became a hit this year in NZ because it was a reggae track about being bad boys, it was a surefire hit in the making over there.
#33 for 1993 (#15 website)
This was the last hit that 2pac had during his lifetime as he would tragically be shot dead shortly after this became a success for him, it was also the first hit that KCI and Jo Jo had following their departure from Jodeci from around this time period as they provide a catchy chorus for him to connect his verses about how he's hitting on the narrator of the track (presumably a woman given this is 90's hip hop.)
#15 for 1996 (#13 website)
Well, this guy was a huge fanboy of UB40, so it seems fitting that he would score massive success in NZ with this update of the Equals track from 1968 with the assistance of Ali Campbell from the band over there. It was a hit much sooner than it was here in Australia likely for a multitude of reasons, the biggest being that anything affiliated with UB40 was a guaranteed success in NZ back in the day.
#19 for 1994 (#23 website)
#20 for 1995
This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, although I should point out that if Triple J did its annual rankings this early in the decade, this easily would've been voted number one for 1991 given how it was voted the best song of all time on its third all-time list. That's about the only new information I have for this iconic classic.
#17 for 1992 (#10 website)
Whether it was due to it originally being from Prince or if the kiwis felt that Sinead O'Connor was the star of the decade, this was a massive success for the Irish singer just like it was throughout the rest of the world. The song is heartbreaking right down to the video where she sheds real tears due to her having personal demons at the time with a former friend as well as the Purple one himself.
#14 for 1990 (#11 website)
This was the first big hit that Boyz II Men had in NZ, it came a full year prior to when they broke chart records with "End of the road" which means they didn't come completely out of nowhere over there when they became the biggest musical act in the world. Here this is a ballad about how hard it is to move on from a situation, a song that's been played in various different scenarios to differing levels of success.
#23 for 1991 (#49 website)
#18 for 1992
This was the big breakthrough for the Red hot chili peppers everywhere in the world, mainly because of the lyrics which details Anthony Kiedes' complications with drugs and living in California. They certainly connected with the kiwis given how this was slightly bigger in NZ than it was in Australia despite it charting higher here than it did over there.
#24 for 1992 (#7 website)
One surprising fact I have for you is that throughout most of the 90's, the biggest names in music didn't manage to achieve a number on hit in NZ. I bring that up here because aside from his theme to the Kevin Costner adaptation of Robin Hood, Bryan Adams never had a chart topper in NZ despite having massive success over there with his ballads this decade.
#29 for 1993
#28 for 1994
From what I can gather, Ngaire was a teenage NZ pop star who scored her one and only hit with this cover of the Lulu track from 1967. The original wasn't that big in NZ back in the day, meaning that Ngaire's version of the track is considered to be the definitive version over there going purely based on success.
#23 for 1990 (#30 website)
This was one of two environmental songs that MJ released this decade, the other being "Earth song" which came from his next album that also peaked during the summer period here in Australia and NZ. Say what you will about Jacksons personal antics, at least he had a genuine concern for the environment and social issues as there are plenty of these types of songs in his catalogue.
#25 for 1992
#30 for 1993
Regardless of whether it was due to the theme of the lyrics or it being attached to a buddy comedy film or even if it was another hit from Coolio, this track from the rapper managed to become an even bigger success in NZ than it did here in Australia and even his native America from around this time.
#14 for 1997 (#8 website)
I guess the kiwis wanted to give a shout out to the Hispanic rappers this year as A.L.T managed to score a huge hit over there much sooner than he did here in Australia or anywhere else in the world. Admittedly this was a success largely due to the sample of the instrumental track from the 50's, however the rhymes are a lot better on here than you would otherwise expect.
#33 for 1992 (#38 website)
From what I can gather, L.A.D was an American rapper who scored his one and only hit in hit discography in NZ of all places with this track with the assistance of an RNB singer named Darvy Taylor, who I think was also an American singer. Neither man had any success in their native America, so I could be entirely wrong about their nationalities, and they could actually be kiwis for all I know.
#16 for 1996 (#6 website)
This had all of its success this year in NZ, meaning that it was off the charts by the time it even began climbing the Australian charts the following year. This was the difference in the two music scenes in the southern hemisphere as EDM was ruling the charts in Australia this year whilst RNB was dominating the charts in NZ.
#20 for 1996 (#7 website)
This wasn't as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, in fact Sheryl Crow is essentially a one hit wonder in NZ as none of her other singles managed to become a success for her. At least her album was still a success even if it wasn't as big as it was here or especially her native America.
#23 for 1994
#23 for 1995
Well just like in Australia, this battle between a boy both singers are fighting over proved to be more successful for Brandy and Monica than it did with the genders reversed for Paul McCartney and MJ from back in the early 80's in NZ. The different being that by this point, both women were among the most successful artists of the decade over there compared to here in Australia meaning this was another easy hit for them both there where it wasn't here.
#6 for 1998 (#3 website)
So, we all know that song "An Englishman in New York" from Sting, right? Well, what if we did that again but instead, we have a musician of colour from Jamaica (or in this case a British musician of colour claiming to be from Jamaica.) That was the premise of this pseudo cover of the 1987 track from Nothing like the sun which only the kiwis seemed to appreciate as it was only a hit in NZ this year.
#44 for 1993 (#28 website)
Crash test dummies success in NZ was the complete inverse of what it was here in Australia, that being the album was more successful over there than the single even though both of them were massively successful in the southern hemisphere this year for the Canadian band. It still staggers me that they didn't have any success with this track in their homeland and they remain a one hit wonder internationally with this.
#26 for 1994 (#12 website)
There was no stopping Mariah Carey this year as she managed to score her second hit single this year with a cover of a popular track, this time she enlists the help of Luther Vandross, or rather he enlists her help by bringing this track from Diana Ross and Lionel Richie from 1981 to a (then) modern audience.
#21 for 1994 (#10 website)
This was where Mariah Carey was able to finally distinguish herself from all of the other pop divas of her time, so naturally it would be a huge success for her in NZ like it was everywhere else in the world due to how incessantly catchy it is without compromising her vocal talent. Her earlier entry on this list would be the big hit from Music box, however this was still a solid introduction to the album.
#20 for 1993 (#13 website)
Although this was a success in NZ slightly earlier than it was here in Australia, it wasn't as big a hit over there and was also their only hit given how "Don't stop" wasn't a hit earlier in the year for the American duo. I guess out of the two big hits they had in the UK, this was more likely to become a hit on Billboard due to it being a fairly standard dance track as opposed to their other big hit.
#37 for 1995 (#34 website)
And the obvious sampling from Puff Daddy continues as he takes David Bowie's "Let's dance" and reworks it as another tribute to Biggie Smalls given how he has the rapper posthumously appear on this track along with Ma$e (again for a second time) and some other rappers that he simply credits as The family. It was a massive hit for everyone involved in NZ and their native America at the time.
#15 for 1997
#12 for 1998
Like most alternative rock from the 90's, this proved to be an even bigger hit for Green day in NZ than it was here in Australia given how the band finally got their mainstream push on the Billboard charts albeit only as a radio hit since this was never released as a single in their native America. They would be a one hit wonder in NZ (at least with their singles) for the next ten years as they didn't trouble their charts again until the American idiot era.
#38 for 1995 (#28 website)
While this wasn't as big a hit in NZ as it was in Australia (mainly due to it not clinging to the charts forever in a day over there) it was still a massive hit for N trance likely due to the kiwis having nostalgia for the Rod Stewart classic it samples as well as them finally opening up to EDM around this time.
#13 for 1997 (#43 website)
#8 for 1998
Much like here in Australia, this hit from Puff Daddy and Ma$e which they were nice enough to credit as a Biggie Smalls track was the only hit that the late rapper managed to achieve in NZ, although at least it was a much bigger hit over there than it was over here much like most 90's hip hop. This feels rather strange given how the kiwis were firmly in the west coast side of the hip hop feud.
#10 for 1997 (#3 website)
Although this wasn't the debut single from Supergroove (that honour goes to "Here comes the supergroove") this was the first big hit that the funk rock band from NZ had in their homeland which began the hype for their debut album which was effortlessly met once they released it the following year.
#27 for 1993 (#17 website)
This was one of two successful covers of the Bee gees classic to become a success around this time, the other was from Take that which won't be appearing on this site as it wasn't popular enough in the southern hemisphere back in the day to do so. Portrait previously had a hit in their native America with "Here we go again" which failed to crossover in NZ despite this being a huge flop for them on Billboard.
#21 for 1995 (#6 website)
I think this was always intended to be the big hit from Daydream for Mariah Carey, it's just the fact that her earlier entry on this list happened to become one of the biggest hits of all time in her native America is what made it so successful due to it being a collaboration with Boyz II Men as well as the lyrical content connecting better with audiences.
#19 for 1995 (#4 website)
Although this wasn't as big as "Uptown girl" for Billy Joel in NZ, it was a decent second place given how it was released exactly ten years after that track as well as it being his final hit single anywhere in the world to date. I still don't know why he called it quits after this track other than perhaps wanting to end his recording career on a high note.
#22 for 1993 (#8 website)
Even though this never made it to number one on Billboard, that didn't prevent the line dance pioneer from becoming a massive worldwide success for Billy Ray Cyrus as this managed to also be an inescapable hit in NZ this year. At least this didn't last as long on the charts there as it did here, hence why it's slightly lower on this list.
#14 for 1992 (#1 website)
This was the only hit that Nate Dogg was able to find anywhere in the world as a lead artist, normally he played second fiddle to other rappers such as Warren G and 50 cent which is perhaps there's certain sites which lists Snoop Dogg as the lead artist on this track when it's the other way around. It's curious this was a hit for Snoop given how he was on trial at the time for murder.
#24 for 1997 (#46 website)
This song made history when it became the first to debut at number one on the Billboard charts, of course this song cheated to achieve this as did most of the earliest songs to debut at number one as it would have a delayed release to allow airplay to drive up its buzz and then be released as a single once the hype had gotten out of hand. This is why many people regard Billboard as highly unreliable when looking over the popular music of the 90's.
#39 for 1995 (#15 website)
Both of POT USA's big hits from Australia will be reappearing on this side of my site as it appears the kiwis also found enjoyment with both of these tracks back in the day, more so with this lead single to their debut album it seems given how much bigger it was over there compared to over here. Like most alternative rock from the 90's, this wasn't a hit in the band's native America, not even on the Billboard airplay charts.
#51 for 1996 (#38 website)
This was a huge number one hit in Montell Jordan's native America, so naturally it would have crossover appeal in NZ given how it was a new jack swing track that even appealed to us Aussies this year. Unlike in Australia where this would be his only hit, Montell would have minor success over there and his native America throughout the rest of the decade with his subsequent follow ups.
#33 for 1995 (#20 website)
I guess the kiwis were such big fans of Ace of base earlier in the decade that this trio were able to see an earlier release in NZ than they did here in Australia, although the trade-off was that this song saw the bulk of its success from the lower half of their charts as opposed to here in Australia where most of its lengthy chart run was in the upper half of our charts.
Hit in 1997 (#24 website)
This was originally released three years prior to deafening silence for the Maoris band Southside of Bombay, I'm guessing because this was a rather serious song about entering the real world set to a reggae beat and with the gimmick of being written around the children's playground game. It was a massive hit this year when it was featured in the critically acclaimed NZ film Once were warriors.
#31 for 1994 (#8 website)
Well, there seemed to be no escaping the Britney vs Christina war regardless of where in the world you're from, both girls had catchy as hell music (even though only one of them had a phenomenal singing voice) and they both had a dedicated fanbase right from the very beginning of their music careers. One interesting note about this song is that this was originally recorded as a demo but was released as a final product due to how well put together it was.
#8 for 1999 (#3 website)
This was the third biggest hit from MC Hammer's breakthrough album, although it was his second highest ranking album given how much like in Australia, parents would've appreciated him making a song about praying to the lord (also that Prince sample is pretty neat even nowadays.) He would have one more hit after this over there before becoming a joke much like everywhere else in the world.
#30 for 1990
#28 for 1991
Well, he did have a minor hit in Australia with his rendition of "Madame butterfly" in the mid 80's, so can we really be so surprised that Malcolm McLaren had a huge hit this year with a semi novelty track about opera music taking over the mainstream? This was the last time he troubled the charts anywhere in the world as the former Sex pistols manager struggled for mainstream relevancy after this,
#27 for 1991 (#24 website)
Well, this is a song about how German pop star Lou Bega reveals his dating habits set to the Mambo originally made popular by Perez Prado fifty years prior, it was an instant worldwide success for him for a multitude of different reasons and remains popular to this day for better or worse.
#6 for 1999 (#1 website)
This wasn't nearly as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because while the kiwis found it irresistibly catchy like the rest of the world, they felt that there were other bands at the time that combined rock with soul that they could give their attention to (as we've seen on these lists already.) Still, it was a massive hit there even before it became a Billboard chart topper for the British/American band.
#35 for 1991 (#32 website)
This was a massive hit worldwide for Hanson, so much so that it not just went on to number one in multiple different countries, it debuted there proving how much of an overnight sensation the boys were back in the day. Their success was less prominent in NZ than it was in Australia (even taking the ARIA vs AMR charts into account) however it was still a massive improvement on what they achieved in their native America.
#12 for 1997 (#4 website)
This was the one and only hit Prince had when he as Eminem put it "turned himself into a symbol," not even the kiwis could get on board with this phase of his career save for this ballad that sounds like it was meant for whatever 90's equivalent of the Jackson five there was, but he instead kept for himself.
#22 for 1994 (#7 website)
Apparently, there was a theme to the Rugrats movie (shocking I know) the theme came from Blackstreet of all groups and featured a chorus from Mya who had still yet to have that big solo breakthrough despite being on another movie theme with "Ghetto supastar" with Pras from the Fugees. All of this was enough for the theme to the Nickelodeon theatrical film be a huge success in NZ and their native America.
#9 for 1998
#10 for 1999
This was the third single in NZ from Five, so naturally it was the first big hit over there given how "When the lights go out" curiously underperformed for them over there for some reason. I'm guessing the kiwis didn't care about the similarities this had to Will Smith's earlier entry on this list, which is why it was almost as big a hit over there as that was.
#14 for 1998 (#11 website)
This was the biggest hit from the KLF over in NZ, likely due to the presence of Tammy Wynette who despite never scoring a hit in NZ (at least as far as I'm aware) did give a compelling enough performance to make this stand out from the rest of their catalogue. The duo would release one more single from the album before curiously calling it quits.
#19 for 1992 (#15 website)
It had been eleven years since the tragic passing of Bob Marley, and yet the kiwis were still finding ways to hand him success with previously unreleased material in his catalogue. It turns out 2pac wasn't the first artist to continue having a success in their career from beyond the grace as Bob Marley managed to score other hits this decade.
#21 for 1992
#26 for 1993
Much like in Australia, this was the first major hit that Bryan Adams had in NZ despite having a highly successful album from the mid 80's over there. I guess the Kevin Costner adaptation of Robin hood was well received at the time even though nowadays it's heavily criticised for its more mature approach to the legend, that and people realised that Kevin couldn't do a plausible British accent for the character.
#17 for 1991 (#1 website)
Given how much more popular Boyz II Men were in NZ compared to Australia, it would've been inconceivable that this debut single from Shai was a flop over there given how it was a huge success for the group here in Australia. Indeed, the A Capella ballad proved just as successful in both countries, much like how the group remains a one hit wonder in both countries with the ballad.
#45 for 1993 (#34 website)
I didn't even realise how late to the party we Aussies were when it came to Mariah's second single from her debut album, I guess we felt she would be a one hit wonder with her debut single but then changed our minds about that when this became an international success for the pop diva. Naturally the kiwis didn't have this conundrum as this was an instant success for her over there.
#43 for 1990
#47 for 1991
Well, this was still the biggest hit in Bon Jovi's career in NZ, although it didn't chart as high over there as it did here in Australia for whatever that's worth and isn't their highest charting single over there either.
#32 for 1994
#29 for 1995
This was a good time to be Ma$e as he was able to score a string of hits in NZ and his native America following the exposure Bad boy records received with the tragic loss of Biggie Smalls, here he scores his first hit in both countries as a lead artist following the success he had playing second fiddle to Puff Daddy and the late Notorious B.I.G on their entries I've featured on this site so far.
#37 for 1997
#35 for 1998
Quincy Jones already had a minor hit from the start of the decade with "I'll be good to you," so here he is with another posse cut he made with the likes of Babyface and Tamia (best known for her feature on Fobolous's track "Into you") with additional help from Portrait and Barry White of all people. It was a massive success in NZ and nowhere else in the world for reasons I can't seem to fathom.
#26 for 1996 (#18 website)
Well, these guys were more successful in NZ this year than they were here in Australia, mainly because they still have another entry to come on this list which was the song that finally got them into the mainstream after a long two year wait they had to make in obscurity from the release of their debut album.
#25 for 1993 (#22 website)
This was more of a triumphant return for the Bee Gees in NZ considering A: this was a much bigger hit over there than it was over here and B: their 1987 surprise hit "You win again" wasn't as such over there making this their first hit in NZ since the late 70's.
#11 for 1997 (#10 website)
Well, it would've been downright hilarious if this was a flop in NZ when you consider this was a hit in Australia who at this point was notoriously out of touch when it came to hip hop in the music scene. Indeed, Kris Kross were much bigger over there given how the two underage MC's managed to compete with their adult contemporaries in terms of their rhymes and flow.
#16 for 1992 (#8 website)
Well given how this was the theme to a 90's blaxploitation film (who knew they still existed at this point) it makes sense that it would be performed by a bunch of musicians of colour who referred to themselves as Black Men United. It seems odd they would waste such a confrontational name of a supergroup on what is essentially a cheesy RNB ballad from an otherwise erotic film.
#25 for 1995 (#24 website)
I'm not sure how this hip hop track from Icy Blu managed to become a success here in Australia and NZ back in the day given how it was a massive flop for her in America, however it was a success in the southern hemisphere regardless for the underage rapper. It turns out she had a second single chart in NZ with "I wanna be your girl" which is somehow more of a novelty than this track was.
#50 for 1991 (#21 website)
This was one of two hits that Redhead Kingpin managed to achieve in NZ this year, he was an east coast rapper who managed to impress the kiwis with his pop friendly tracks which I'm sure got him some unflattering comparisons to the likes of MC Hammer and Kid n Play back in the day. At least he was one of the more successful east coast rappers over there throughout the 90's.
#36 for 1990 (#28 website)
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