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.
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 originally a hit for the Steve Miller band here in Australia back in 1974, it wasn't a hit in NZ from what I can gather which is perhaps how it managed to become a massive success over there this year due to a highly successful ad campaign in the UK from the previous year. These campaigns were quite common throughout the 90's, hence why the UK charts is filled with reissues of older songs.
#25 for 1991 (#20 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 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 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)
This was released on Christmas in NZ the previous year; this means that the song was released relatively close to that of "Say you'll be there" which perhaps explains why it wasn't as big a hit over there as it was here in Australia. Mind you, it was still a huge hit for the girls and likely kept their momentum going regardless given all the stiff competition they had to face around this time over there.
#40 for 1997 (#37 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)
Given that his earlier entry on this list went on to be one of the biggest hits of the decade in NZ (despite only barely cracking their top five) this second single from the Californian rapper was also a huge hit for him over there despite not even charting here in Australia given how it wasn't attached to a popular film of the moment. In fact, his other big Australian hit "What's love got to do with it" was also attached to a film now that I think about it.
#42 for 1994
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)
It turns out these guys had a ton of success in NZ throughout the 90's beginning with this big breakthrough they had in their native America, no doubt this was going to be a success for them given how this was during the height of the new jack swing era. They would continue to score massive success in NZ and on the Billboard charts with their subsequent releases throughout the decade.
#52 for 1991 (#46 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)
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
Much like in Australia, this was the final solo hit that Phil Collins was able to score in NZ, although he didn't find much success with any of the singles from Genesis's new album in the 90's, so this was actually the last hit single that the kiwis cared about in his career. At least he still had plenty of love for his albums both solo and with Genesis throughout the decade.
#28 for 1990
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 is the remix of one of Bob Marley's earliest songs in his catalogue, it came out around the time of his posthumous collaboration with Lauryn Hill and stuck around for quite some time in the top twenty in NZ during the transition from the 90's to the 00's.
Hit in 1999 (#41 website)
These guys had been active for most of the 80's, however it wasn't until their 1989 album that they began having success in their native America with their RNB ballads. It wouldn't be until this became a chart topper for the group on Billboard that they finally had a hit outside of their homeland as this became a very big hit for the group in NZ this year for them.
#45 for 1991
We have another entry on here that would release on time in NZ and was only a sleeper success over there as opposed to it being delayed over here in exchange for its success being more immediate when it did see the light of day here, I guess the kiwis were a bit more embarrassed with having this booty anthem being a huge success compared to us Aussies who clearly had no such shame.
Hit in 1993 (#44 website)
Well, this isn't a rock and roll rendition of the Shocking blue classic made popular by Bananarama twelve years prior, instead this is a unique track which happens to share the name of those two songs from NZ rock band the Feelers which became a massive success over there following the release of their debut album.
#21 for 1998 (#45 website)
#18 for 1999
Although "Because we want to" was a sleeper hit over in NZ this year, it was this second single from Billie Piper that would help her stand out from the countless British and European teen pop stars that seemed to be clogging up the mainstream worldwide as the decade was coming to an end. Billie is perhaps best known nowadays for her role as Rose in the Doctor Who franchise.
#19 for 1998
#16 for 1999
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)
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)
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)
Although this failed to reach the upper echelons of the NZ charts, the fact that A: it charted for quite some time and B: was released on time over there as opposed to it being heavily delayed over here suggested that the kiwis were massive fans of what the Real McCoy had to offer as evidence by their other appearances on this side of my site.
Hit in 1995 (#50 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)
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)
Although this was released on time over in NZ due to how successful En Vogue was throughout the decade over there, the trade-off was that it was far less popular over there than it was over here given how much lower this appears on this list compared to the Australian side of my site. It could also be that this was the second single over there from the widely popular Set it off which was a huge critical and commercial success.
#57 for 1997
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)
Given how this was the fourth single from Five's debut album, it was slightly less successful over there than the third single despite being released around the same time as it was here in Australia where it was only the third single. I still don't fully understand the logic behind the slightly different album cycle the album had here in Australia compared to the rest of the world.
#22 for 1998 (#35 website)
#19 for 1999
I guess it was only a matter of time before east coast hip hop would crossover to NZ, although this did have the endorsement of Dr Dre which I guess technically makes it a west coast track despite Blackstreet being from the east coast. This was a minor hit in Australia, likely suggesting this was one of the earlier songs to convince us Aussies that hip hop was good actually which we eventually were by the end of the decade.
#23 for 1996 (#40 website)
#17 for 1997
This was a huge success for Frente over in NZ this year, likely because there were a ton of Australian bands and artists making it big around this time and that there was bound to be some crossover appeal for some of the bigger artists over there. Indeed, this was a shoe in for crossover success due to how cute and fun the track remains to this day, although they would change this image with their later material.
#39 for 1993
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)
It's the comeback singles to end all over comeback singles, released as the debut single from a guy who as far as we knew didn't have any failed attempts at making it big in the music industry (OK so "Crazy" was technically his first single in his native UK even though it was his second single worldwide.) Naturally this was a big hit in NZ even though it was curiously even bigger here in Australia.
#28 for 1996 (#17 website)
This was a little late to the party in NZ, in fact I'm willing to bet this was only a success over there due to it being one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia given how few songs from what has been dubbed the Lilith Fair crowd became hits over there during the 90's.
#16 for 1998 (#32 website)
#15 for 1999
So, I bet you're wondering how this managed to become such a huge success for MJ despite coming from an album that was released nearly two years prior to its release, it turns out this was selected as the theme song to the film Free willy which is about a boy befriending a whale that was a box office success at the time. I guess we Aussies didn't like the film very much as it did nothing to allow this to chart over here.
#37 for 1993 (#21 website)
This was another track from AC/DC that sounded nothing like the rest of their catalogue, naturally it would be another big hit for the band in NZ despite it curiously flopping here in Australia for some reason. This wasn't their final hit over there as they would score one more hit with "Big gun" from the Last action hero soundtrack later in the decade.
#34 for 1991 (#27 website)
This was the big breakthrough that TLC had outside of their native America, possibly due to it being sold as a female perspective in the "stalker anthem" that audiences tend to not realise are indeed about stalking the love of a song's narrator's life. It was a massive hit in NZ likely due to this premise as well as the song being an absolute banger, it's a shame it was mere a minor sleeper hit here in Australia.
#46 for 1995 (#35 website)
I guess if I'm in the right mood, I can appreciate this as a campy teen pop track with Celtic influences peppered throughout its short runtime. I'm sure that was the appeal of the song back in the day when it became a massive worldwide hit for the Irish family group, although nowhere was it more successful than in NZ where this beat out most of the competition for the teen pop wars.
#10 for 1998 (#5 website)
This is another west coast hip hop track to become big exclusively in NZ as this flopped on the Billboard charts for the Californian band Dove shack, I'm not even sure how the kiwis came across this track other than perhaps an endorsement from Warren G as the fellow west coast rapper did feature them on a bunch of his material.
#30 for 1995 (#32 website)
Well, this was a lot less successful in NZ than it was internationally for Bryan Adams, admittedly it was still a huge hit for him over there due to it being attached to a (then) popular film, but it was obvious that the kiwis love for the former heartland rocker was beginning to fade as the decade went on.
#53 for 1995 (#27 website)
The Spice girls phenomenon seemed unstoppable when the girls released the lead single to their second album/soundtrack to their film Spiceworld this year, although it's worth noting that the singles from Spiceworld didn't do as well over there as they did here in Australia (even taking the ARIA vs AMR charts into account.) Indeed, this was the biggest hit they had in NZ from the album even though "Viva forever" charted higher the following year.
#22 for 1997 (#35 website)
This was a massive hit for the American hip hop trio Something for the pain in NZ and their native America, mainly for the chorus which features fellow American RNB duo Trina and Tamara which connects the verses together about how awesome the love of the rappers is for their respective partners. Even though this was a big success for them, they called it quits not long after it fell off the charts.
#47 for 1998 (#44 website)
Even though this charted higher in NZ for Janet Jackson, it was equally as successful over there as it was here in Australia for the younger sister of the Jackson 5 dynasty. As I said on the Australian side of my site, this feels like it belongs on her next album the Velvet rope due to the new age influence that's on the track.
#41 for 1995 (#26 website)
There was a film around this time from the makers of the Naked gun series known as High school high, it was a film meant to parody the likes of Dangerous minds and other teen dramas centered around a high school that was poorly received by critics due to the low hanging fruit the film resorted to parodying. If you couldn't tell, this is an RNB cover of Queen's signature track that was a huge success from the film in NZ.
#22 for 1996 (#50 website)
#16 for 1997
Given how "Barbie girl" was quickly pulled from shelves over in NZ much faster than it was over here in Australia, this means that this second single from Aqua's debut album was by far their biggest hit even factoring in hard sales which is a sign that RIANZ felt this practice was harming their charts back in the day. I wonder if the band were big fans of the Indiana Jones franchise when they wrote this as it's very good for a fanfiction song.
#20 for 1997
#18 for 1998
These guys were a two-hit wonder in NZ, although here they scored a hit with an RNB ballad meaning they were one of many groups to combine hip hop with RNB throughout the decade. As this was a huge hit for the group over there, you can be rest assured that their big hit from Australia "White men can't jump" was a massive success over there the following year from the film of the same name.
#36 for 1991 (#43 website)
I guess the kiwis were also more impressed with this reworking of the Hot Chocolate classic than its usage in the Full Monty this year, either that or we Aussies and Kiwis simply forgot to reward the original with success like the Brits did in favour of making this EDM rendition of the disco classic a hit in the southern hemisphere. I guess the fact that it only borrows the chorus from the original was a factor as well.
#19 for 1997
#15 for 1998
Well, here's that other big hit from the Spin doctors from their debut album that they had in NZ this year, it's just as catchy as the big international hit that had but is instead about a woman that the narrator finds to be a bit too condescending to be around (presumably an ex-girlfriend.) It was one more hit they had in NZ than they did everywhere else in the world, meaning they were most successful over there.
#38 for 1993 (#41 website)
This was the last hit that Jenny Morris was able to achieve in her career, at least she had a string of minor hits here in Australia throughout the 80's both solo and with her bands as opposed to NZ where she's a two-hit wonder with this and "She has to be loved" from two years prior. I guess the kiwis didn't have that much love for her after all despite how big both of these singles were over there.
#39 for 1991
#29 for 1992
If you're shocked at how low this cover of the Peter Frampton classic is on this list considering it's a reggae cover of a 70's classic, I should point out its placement is due to how much of a sleeper hit it was in NZ as this did chart for quite some time over there albeit in the lower half of their charts. At least this was a success for Big Mountain as opposed to the other big hit from Reality bites.
#75 for 1994 (#18 website)
This was equally as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia for the Backstreet boys, meaning the kiwis were officially invested in the second round of the boy band wars of the 90's given how they sat out the first round from the first half of the decade. For some reason, this wasn't released as a single in their native America until the following year.
#26 for 1998 (#25 website)
For whatever reason, "You oughta know" underperformed in NZ the previous year for Alanis Morissette despite being one of the biggest hits of that year here in Australia. Fortunately, the second single from Jagged little pill was a big hit over there despite it underperforming here in Australia, I'm guessing because we Aussies wanted to make her a one hit wonder but changed our minds as the album cycle rolled out.
#43 for 1996 (#36 website)
It seems odd that the two big hits these guys had in Australia would flop in NZ, mainly because they managed to score two big hits over there this decade that didn't exactly light up our charts back in the day. This was the first of those two big hits which was the lead single to their second album Vs, an album which would be the band's biggest in the southern hemisphere despite their debut being their signature release.
#40 for 1993
Whereas this was more of what I consider to be a "fan single" here in Australia, this was more of a genuine hit for Pearl jam over in NZ as the kiwis had little issues with handing these guys genuine hits throughout the decade. That said, this would be their final big hit over there as the kiwis didn't seem to be too big of fans of their 1999 smash "Last kiss" like we Aussies were.
#36 for 1994
#35 for 1995
Well, it appears that Tevin Campbel was becoming too old to be an underage RNB singer from America, as such we now have a hit single from his obvious successor J'son who scored a massive hit in NZ and nowhere else in the world with this gem. I'm not sure what NZ's fascination with underage RNB and hip hop was throughout the 90's, but I'm sure all of these kids of colour appreciated this success back in the day.
#24 for 1996 (#16 website)
Following the success of their comeback hit "Love so right" from the previous year, Ardijah managed to score a huge success in their homeland with this cover of the Wings classic just as the decade was coming to an end. It was their biggest hit over there given how it went to number one, not bad for a band who had been active for almost a decade and a half by this point.
*Apologies for the lack of album art for this entry, there doesn't seem to be one in existence. The song is "Silly love songs" from Ardijah if you couldn't tell from my commentary*
#17 for 1999
This was originally a hit for Mungo Jerry back in 1970, it remains a classic to this day due to the lyrics about spending a lazy day in the summer forgetting about your worries (basically "Hakuna Matata" but written by a hippy and not Elton John.) Shaggy covered the track for the lead single to his second album, recruiting singer Rayvon who would collaborate with him again for his big hit "Angel" in 2001.
#34 for 1995 (#21 website)
I'm not sure why Britney Spears was a borderline one hit wonder in her native America until her post meltdown era, sure she had the occasional hit on Billboard, but nothing that even came close to what she achieved with her earlier entry and especially with her other hits internationally. This was her second single which confirmed her as a force to be reckoned with going into the new millennium.
#21 for 1999 (#20 website)
This was the first big hit that Bone Thugs n Harmony managed to have in NZ as well as their native America, it's strange to think that the band who's best known for "Tha crossroads" from the following year would have a string of other hits that are much more in line with the gangster rap of the day. Indeed, the quartet would go on to have massive success moving forward in the decade with different topics to rap about.
#49 for 1995 (#36 website)
It was only inevitable that this would be released on time in NZ given how much more popular RNB was over there compared to here in Australia, the trade-off of course being that this was more of a sleeper hit over there as opposed to a genuine hit over here which is further proof that a song is better off having a tardy release schedule in the long run when it comes to its success in the southern hemisphere.
Hit in 1997
Hit in 1998
This was another west coast rap group to find massive success in NZ and not their native America, I told you this was going to be a trend throughout the decade given how the kiwis were firmly on board with west coast hip hop throughout the 90's. Here these guys have the blessing of the Spinners (or Detroit Spinners if you're from the UK) as they come back to rerecord their chorus from their 1972 classic this song samples.
#28 for 1995 (#12 website)
I've skimmed through the old Listener charts in NZ (the charts that predate RIANZ for the uninitiated) and found that while this did chart upon its initial release over there, it was far from a huge success meaning that it becoming a hit this year makes no sense to me. You can't even say it was due to an anniversary release as this was only nineteen years after its initial release.
#34 for 1990 (#12 website)
Somehow this managed to be an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, if this isn't proof that the kiwis had a vast indie scene back in the day then I don't know what is as I can't imagine this being a success in the southern hemisphere with any assistance from MTV like it was in their native America. If nothing else, we Aussies and kiwis were ahead of the curve in making Tool and A perfect circle household names in the alternative scene.
#31 for 1993 (#12 website)
Well, I guess this song was also how Fatboy Slim was able to score massive success from the other side of the decade in NZ given how it was an even bigger hit over there than it was over here back in the day, there's little surprise how given how smooth the beat is and smoky the singer is. The original from the S.O.S band was also a moderate success in NZ as we saw a few lists back which would explain this cover's success.
#54 for 1990 (#34 website)
I'm sure if the kiwis hadn't already allowed EDM to dominate their music scene by the time this song came out then the track would've compelled them to finally check out what all the fuss was about in the genre throughout the 90's in Australia. Indeed, this was a song that feels like it could fit into any music landscape thanks to the vocals and production being oddly timeless for a dance track.
#29 for 1999 (#22 website)
This was the debut single for En Vogue, an RNB girl group who were one of the biggest names in music throughout the world in the 90's except for here in Australia where they were a one hit wonder with "Don't let go" in 1997 (I guess a two-hit wonder if you count their chorus on Salt n Pepa's "Whatta man") The kiwis recognised their abilities to harmonise with each other from the start, hence why this was a hit over there.
#47 for 1990 (#26 website)
Much like the rest of the world, this was the final hit that TLC had in NZ given how the girls would never make another album after their third album due to tragic circumstances surrounding Left Eye Lopez in 2002. This was their second self-empowerment anthem following the success of "Waterfalls" from earlier in the decade, the two have been commonly compared to each other over the years.
#22 for 1999 (#11 website)
This was released slightly sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because the kiwis were more open to the idea of making Celine Dion a household name over there initially even if none of her singles never reached the dizzying heights they achieved down under throughout the 90's. Indeed, this ballad's success over there was half of what it achieved here even with it being released sooner over there.
#40 for 1994 (#47 website)
Given how "I know where it's at" was a minor success in NZ from the previous year (it won't be appearing on this site I'm afraid) it makes sense that this second single from All Saints would be a huge success slightly sooner over there than it was over here. The trade-off of course was that it wasn't as big a hit over there due to the kiwis already being familiar with their brand of RNB whereas it being a surprise to us Aussies.
#29 for 1998 (#9 website)
Well, this was equally as random in NZ given how at least "Quit playing games with my heart" was a hit for them in the UK and their native America prior to them releasing this lead single to their second album which declared them to be back. I'm sure if their debut album was a hit in the southern hemisphere then this would've easily been their biggest hit here given the context of when it came out.
#29 for 1997 (#26 website)
I told you this was a much bigger hit for Eternal months before it was a hit here in Australia, in fact it had just about left the charts over there by the time it began climbing our charts towards the end of this year to give you an idea of how much sooner it was popular over there back in the day. That said, this was the only hit of theirs to be bigger in NZ than it was down under.
#39 for 1997 (#14 website)
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ for Celine Dion as it was here in Australia, it was the only song of hers to match its success over there with what it achieved over here as her singles weren't that popular over there throughout the 90's for some reason. I would've been shocked if this was a flop for her given how it's her rendition of a song that was meant for the Bat out of hell franchise.
#37 for 1996
While this wasn't the first hit they had in NZ, this was the biggest hit from Jodeci members KCI and Jo Jo much like it was here in Australia. The duo was considered a two-man equivalent of Boyz II Men throughout the 90's, which is perhaps why they were able to score massive success even in a place like Australia with their ballads.
#23 for 1998 (#6 website)
This was a much bigger hit for Enrique Iglesias in NZ, likely because the Latin craze took off during the final year of the 90's which also resulted in huge hits for the likes of Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez over there. Enrique was by far the one who had the biggest improvement on the success he had in NZ compared to what he achieved in Australia, at least that was the case for his first English language album.
#20 for 1999 (#2 website)
This was released around the time that Monica's debut single saw the light of day here in Australia, although it did failed to appear on this site up until now, it's fairly safe to say that this confirmed the young RNB singer as the real deal alongside her rival Brandy as far as the kiwis were concerned due to how long it lasted (albeit on the lower half) on their charts.
Hit in 1995
Hit in 1996
It's a bit curious this was merely equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia given how you'd think this would've been an easy chart topper for Natural selection over there with how similar it is to many of the other tracks on this list, alas it appears the kiwis didn't have as much love for this as their fellow Americans did.
#65 for 1991
#56 for 1992
This was a huge hit for both parties involved in NZ, although it was strangely Aaron Neville who would benefit from this collaboration over there as he would score a string of hits throughout the first half of the 90's whilst this would remain Linda Ronstadt's final hit worldwide. It was also released slightly earlier over there, possibly suggesting that the kiwis were more on board with her comeback initially than us Aussies.
#39 for 1990
This turned out to be the biggest hit that Shania Twain had in NZ, I'm guessing it was due to A: airplay finally being a factor this year which further boosted the popularity of songs from highly successful albums and B: the kiwis embracing this as the (then) new female empowerment anthem going into the new millennium.
#24 for 1999 (#15 website)
The two big hits from KLF that failed to appear on this side of my site previously will be showing up on this bonus list of mine, I guess the kiwis were big fans of these guys after all even if they pushed their success aside from the mainstream in favour of all the RNB and hip hop that became popular when these two tracks came out.
Hit in 1991 (#36 website)
This was the biggest hit that Ma$e had on his own in NZ, although here he has the assistance of RNB girl group Total to provide him a smooth chorus to connect his verses about how he would treat the woman he's presumably singing to. He doesn't have much respect these days in the hip hop game mainly due to him playing second fiddle to Biggie Smalls in the east coast hip hop scene at the time.
#17 for 1998 (#31 website)
Well, this proved to be an even bigger hit for Amy Grant than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis really wanted to hear some contemporary Christian music but settled for the least Christian song from her catalogue (at least as far as I'm aware.) Then again, this was a massive hit in the UK which is perhaps how it managed to crossover to the southern hemisphere in the first place.
#38 for 1991 (#26 website)
Given that New edition was no more (at least at this stage) this gave the members free reign to find success of their own which leads us to this one and only hit from Ralph Tresvant who scored a massive hit in NZ early in the year with this smooth new jack swing track. He didn't rise to the ranks of his fellow band mates even in his native America; however, this was a decent effort from him regardless.
#37 for 1991 (#41 website)
This was originally released as the debut single from the hip hop quartet to deafening silence even in their native America, I guess this was considered to be too hard core in 1994 even though Cypress hill managed to find success with little issues that year. It was given a second chance this year following the success of their earlier entry, which must have been a mood whiplash for fans back in the day.
#30 for 1996 (#48 website)
Well given how 2pac was one of the biggest artists of the decade in NZ, it's only fitting that his one and only hit in Australia (at least during his lifetime) would be a massive success over there even if his earlier entry on this list was the biggest hit of his career over there (alive or dead.) It was also Dr Dre's second hit over there following the success of "Keep their heads ringing" from the previous year.
#27 for 1996 (#11 website)
I guess the kiwis weren't nearly as impressed with this signature ballad from Toni Braxton as we Aussies were given how it was merely a sleeper hit for her over there upon its initial release, although they did allow her family group to score a massive hit over there shortly after this came out so perhaps, they mostly passed this up in favour of what the rest of her family had to offer.
Hit in 1997
Who would've thought that Aaron Neville got the big mainstream push from his collaboration with Linda Ronstadt from the start of the decade in NZ? While she never bothered the charts again anywhere in the world, Aaron scored a bunch of hits in NZ both solo and with his band the Neville brothers as recently as 1993 with this being the biggest hit of the bunch.
#32 for 1991 (#14 website)
This was the one original hit that All-4-One managed to score in their career, even then it was only a hit for them in NZ which perhaps suggests that the rest of the world was only interested in their covers of obscure tracks rather than them bringing anything new to the table. Still, they were a worthy rival for Boyz II Men in the short time they managed to be a household name.
#40 for 1995 (#29 website)
This had quite the lengthy rise in popularity in NZ, in fact it technically should be even higher on this list as it would eventually be bundled with "Hi de ho" which did feature on my official list for 1994 for the Hispanic rapper. I'm guessing its sudden rise in popularity over there was due to its surprise success in the UK given how it was another hip-hop track to bomb on Billboard throughout the 90's.
Hit in 1994 (#45 website)
Given how this was the full extent of her success over in Australia, it makes sense that it would also be a huge success for Bic Runga in her homeland a full year prior to seeing the light of day on our charts. Admittedly it wasn't as big as you'd expect due to the kiwis gravitating towards her album over this adult contemporary ballad of hers, however it did lead to her having massive success in the new millennium.
#33 for 1997 (#29 website)
Well, there was no chance this was going to fail over in NZ if even we Aussies could recognise the genius behind this track, although these guys did have more success over there with their singles proving that the kiwis still had more respect for the hip hop game at this point in time than we Aussies did. This was also the rare east coast hip hop track that managed to make it big over there this decade.
#18 for 1996 (#2 website)
This is a bit odd as Rebel MC did score a massive hit in his native UK the previous year with "Street tuff" but not in NZ, yet this was his big hit over there even though if flopped in his homeland. I guess both the Brits and the kiwis would only allow one of his house tracks to make it big in each country, although he did score a second hit in NZ with his group Double Trouble with "Love don't live here anymore."
#40 for 1990 (#21 website)
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