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 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)
This was only slightly bigger in NZ than their debut single (which we'll look at shortly) I'm guessing the world wanted a more upbeat track from these guys than their smoother RNB that kickstarted their career. Interestingly, this wasn't released as a single in their native America until after they had a number one hit with "I adore mi amor," meaning they had two ballads over there before they had an upbeat track.
#13 for 1991 (#16 website)
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)
This was the other big hit that Redhead kingpin managed to achieve in NZ this year, it was also his first hit over there given how it was released in the final months of the 80's where it crossed over at the start of the year despite being a massive flop in his native America. This actually rebounded on the charts when he released his second single earlier in the year, not enough to appear higher on the list but still.
#42 for 1990 (#15 website)
While this has similar lyrics to the Chi Lite's ballad that this second hit from MC Hammer is sampling, Hammer changes them partially to turn it into a rap ballad but also to slightly change the context of the original track as while that was a ballad about the narrator losing the love of their life, here Hammer is merely crushing over a woman he's in love with.
#17 for 1990 (#20 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)
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)
This is a song I'm surprised wasn't a hit here in Australia, I guess we Aussies only had room for one group like this at a time as this was released during the height of Aqua's dominance worldwide. It appears the kiwis allowed this to be bigger than anything released from Aqua given how this fellow Danish band didn't have any other success throughout their career over there.
#5 for 1998 (#8 website)
This was the biggest hit to come from Headless chickens in their homeland, although curiously when it came time for them to crossover here in Australia, this was bundled with their earlier hit "Cruise control" which allowed both songs to see minor success here. I guess this is better than both songs being a massive flop which likely would've been the case if either of them was released on their own.
#11 for 1994
#10 for 1995
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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
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)
While this wasn't quite as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia for Prince, it was still a massive success over there given how the kiwis didn't seem to realise he was even gone as he never quite dropped off their radar even during his worst material over the last decade. Indeed, his comeback period in Australia was just business as usual over there for the Purple one.
#26 for 1991
#22 for 1992 (#43 website)
There was this heist film this year that starred the likes of Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah that was a huge commercial success worldwide, although the real success came from its soundtrack which was kicked off with this posse cut from Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan each presumably portraying the roles of the four leading actresses from the film.
#6 for 1996 (#21 website)
#5 for 1997
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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)
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)
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)
Well, it appears everyone in the world except for America wanted to hear Nancy Cartwright sing a song about doing a dance based on her signature character that was written by the king of pop back in the day, this led to the cast releasing an album where they did similar songs in their cartoon voices which proved to be a massive success in certain parts of the world.
#3 for 1991 (#10 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)
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)
This had a bit of a delay to its success in NZ, suggesting the kiwis weren't interested in handing success to this sequel band to the Clash Mick Jones formed following him getting fired from the band in the mid 80's. They quickly changed their minds when this became a huge success here in Australia which led to them and the Clash scoring further success around this time due to Mick's renewed popularity.
#11 for 1991
#12 for 1992 (#16 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 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)
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)
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 a massive hit for the Backstreet boys in NZ much like it was internationally, again likely due to the single version being slightly different from the album version which was still a common phenomenon back in the day. I feel the video had something to do with it as well as it's a clever take on how their female audience tended to sexualise them and how it ends with them doing the same to some female executives.
#2 for 1997
#2 for 1998 (#33 website)
This had a bit of a head start in NZ when it came to its success, although it did need that extra push to become a hit at the start of the 90's which it got when it nearly topped the Billboard charts. This was the only massive hit that Technotronic had in NZ as their other singles while mildly successful, didn't bring in the numbers that they did here in Australia to make reappearances on this site.
#29 for 1990
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Unlike in Australia where SWV went largely unnoticed, they were a big deal in NZ which is perhaps why this ballad from Brownstone was an even bigger hit over there than it was over here. This trio also managed to score other hits over in NZ, one of which we'll get to later down this list.
#24 for 1995 (#16 website)
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)
This was an underage hip hop duo similar to that of Kris Kross from two years prior who scored a massive hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world, this will be a common theme throughout the 90's in NZ as the kiwis somehow got their hands on all of this rap songs that flopped on the Billboard charts. Much like Kris Kross, the brother/sister duo went their separate ways once they realised they weren't going to make it in their homeland.
#35 for 1994 (#19 website)
I don't know what's stranger about the success of this cover in NZ, the fact that it was Ugly Kid Joe's only hit over there or that the original by Harry Chapin wasn't a hit over there during the mid 70's. Either way, it was a mammoth success for the band this year and even allowed their debut album to briefly chart before it dropped off for reasons I can't seem to fathom.
#34 for 1993 (#24 website)
This was a much bigger hit in NZ for Seal than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because EDM was still more popular over there at the time given how this was while he was little more than a vocalist for some catchy beats from the UK scene. Strangely enough, this was his only big hit over there as "Kiss from a rose" would greatly underperform later in the decade compared to the rest of the world.
#55 for 1991 (#34 website)
Well there's something I just discovered while going through the NZ charts, the kiwis never really liked Jay Z all that much as not only did they favour the west coast hip hop during his heyday, but they even gave his main rival (at the time at least) Nas a hit as a rare east coast rapper with this song about how life would be like if he had actual power where it mattered in the world.
#25 for 1996 (#12 website)
Well, here's the second single from Lenny Kravitz's third album, it was much bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia hence it's higher placement on this list for the rock and roller of colour. His popularity over in NZ throughout the rest of the 90's panned out the same way it did in Australia as he didn't have another hit over there until "Fly away" from his fifth album at the end of the decade.
#42 for 1993 (#25 website)
This was the solo debut single from Supergroove lead singer Che Fu, judging by the album art (which I apologise for its low quality as it's the best I could find on the internet) it appears to be the theme to a film that harkens back to the kung fu craze of the 70's. It could also just be a reference to the video which seems to be a parody of these trends, but I couldn't find out much about the track.
#27 for 1998 (#14 website)
This was naturally a much bigger hit in NZ for Mariah Carey given how she was more popular over there than she was here in Australia, this would remain the case for most of her career as she would only occasionally score a bigger hit here in Australia than she did in NZ or her native America.
#15 for 1992 (#5 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)
Well, it appears the kiwis were torn in whether or not to make this a hit over there, on the one hand it came from a Dutch group which they seemed to be contractually obligated to make a success but on the other that didn't seem to be the case for most of the 90's as other Dutch groups were popular over there. Eventually this did chart long enough over there that it was a massive hit, just not as big as it was here in Australia.
#33 for 1999
Well, here's a song that was massively popular in NZ to the point where us Aussies eventually made it a hit to see what all the fuss was about back in the day, yes, this debut single from Monica was so popular in her native America that the kiwis made it an instant success over there months before it ever saw the light of day here. She would have a string of other hits between this and her collaboration with Brandy over there.
#31 for 1995 (#19 website)
While Lenny Kravitz did have success throughout the decade in NZ, none of the singles during the midpoint of the decade were strong enough to appear on my site which means he was unable to score any new entries on these lists with his 90's material. Still the fact that all of his song's successfully managed to reappear on this side of my site should tell you how well loved he was in the southern hemisphere.
#63 for 1999
This was the first hit that these two had anywhere in the world without any assistance from anyone else, true they had hits with Jodeci and even 2pac earlier in the decade (at least in their native America with Jodeci) but this was their first hit they had where they were the only performers on the record. It was a big hit in NZ this year for the duo, and it even briefly charted the following year in Australia when "All my life" became a worldwide success.
#35 for 1997 (#21 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 also a massive hit for Elton John from the Lion king soundtrack, arguably more so than what it was here in Australia as it remained in the upper echelons of their charts much longer than it did down under. As I said in the Australian side of this site, were Diana still alive even into the new millennium, this would've been the English piano man's final hit anywhere in the world.
#43 for 1994 (#25 website)
This was only a minor success for Split enz a decade prior, so to see this be envisioned as a Boyz II Men esque ballad from the short-lived vocal harmony group Purest form was a bit of a surprise to say the least. It was a massive hit for the group and even apparently broke down some barriers when it came to Polynesian musicians given how they were the first of Polynesian descent to find success in the music scene.
#25 for 1994 (#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
There were a ton of female rappers from around this time, one of the lesser-known ones nowadays is Queen pen who was best known back in the day for being the occasional rapper for Blackstreet who were noticeable more successful in NZ than they were even in their native America at the time. Here she recruits Eric Williams from the group to provide a chorus for her to spit rhymes about the love of her life.
#13 for 1998 (#13 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)
Although he never left UB40, Ali Campbell did briefly embark on a solo career this year which included this big hit he had in NZ and his native UK. The rest of the world had given up on his band by this point, which is perhaps why it wasn't a success here in Australia or in America.
#26 for 1995 (#14 website)
There was little doubt that this would be a massive success over in NZ this year given how their cover of a Bill Withers classic was a huge hit for them the previous year over there, I guess this all comes down to the band incorporating reggae elements to their sound with their album with Deni Hines as their vocalist as that's the only explanation I can think of for their success around this time.
#50 for 1992 (#12 website)
This was equally as successful for Rage against the machine in NZ as it was here in Australia, although this was the only thing they released in their career where it proved to be as popular with us Aussies as the kiwis as the rest of their catalogue saw much more success over there throughout the 90's than it did here. I feel that these guys were more popular in NZ than anywhere else in the world which was the case for Faith no more down under.
#46 for 1993 (#32 website)
This was a great year for MJ when even a remix of a song that flopped the previous year managed to become a massive worldwide success thanks to it sampling one of his earlier singles, yes we have the "Human nature" remix of this track which was a massive success for Sisters with voices (SWV for short) and was even a mild sleeper hit here in Australia for the RNB girl group of colour.
#36 for 1993 (#33 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)
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)
Well, this was the first hip hop single to go to number one in America, so naturally the kiwis would follow suit in making it a success as it was everywhere else in the world. At least they had a more credible song to take home the prize of being the first hip hop single to top the charts over there than even us Aussies, Run DMC certainly is a cooler hip hop group nowadays than this guy was.
#4 for 1990 (#29 website)
#4 for 1991
From what I can gather, DLT was a NZ rapper who scored his one and only hit with this track about being tied up in a relationship due to having a chorus provided to him by Supergroove front man Che fu. Che fu would go on to have massive success as a solo artist after this, however this was the only hit that DLT managed to have in his homeland.
#19 for 1996 (#4 website)
For what it's worth, the original from Carl Douglas was a massive success over in NZ before the launch of the RIANZ charts, so it's not like this was the only version of that classic that the kiwis would be familiar with. In fact, I get the feeling this was a hit over there the same way it was here in Australia, the kiwis having nostalgia for the original and being OK with the 90's hip hop replacing the verses of the original.
#11 for 1998 (#7 website)
This song was initially set to be a flop in NZ as it only rose to the top twenty upon its initial release and then began to fall off the charts, the kiwis changed their minds by making it a success shortly after that which I'm not sure why because it was already a massive hit in Australia and the band's native UK when it was initially climbing up the charts over there.
#45 for 1996 (#27 website)
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)
This was the first big hit that 2pac managed to achieve in NZ during his short time on this planet, it was a massive hit for him over there and his native America likely due to it showcasing a softer side of the otherwise hardcore rapper as the song is indeed about him paying his love and respect to his mother. It recharted later in the decade when "Changes" became a huge hit for him posthumously.
*This song's placement also includes when it recharted around the time "Changes" charted.*
#68 for 1995 (#40 website)
This was Janet's biggest hit in NZ just like it was here in Australia, mainly because there wasn't much competition for her this year from either country given how she normally had to compete with a bunch of pop divas in any other given year. It was the first song she released following her (then) record breaking record deal with Sony.
#24 for 1993 (#11 website)
Before "One sweet day" broke chart records, this was the song about making a dedication to your fallen friends to make it big as DRS managed to come up with the formula when they released this song as their debut single which became a massive hit for them in NZ and their native America. Of course, the likes of Boyz II Men and Bone thugs n harmony would perfect this formula as the decade went on.
#30 for 1994 (#17 website)
This was an even bigger success for C+C Music factory in NZ, likely due to it sounding like a McDonald's advert to them years before the restaurant chain would adopt this theme for themselves by reworking some of the lyrics for their brand. The duo would return bigger than ever later in the decade with their second album following the aftermath of their legal dispute with Martha Walsh.
#31 for 1991 (#12 website)
No comments:
Post a Comment