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.
This was originally released to deafening silence worldwide a decade prior, however it was given a second chance in most parts of the world thanks to it being used in a Levi's commercial much like "The joker" was from the year prior. I guess the kiwis had access to these ads back in the day as this also managed to become a huge success over there despite it originally being a flop back in the day.
#27 for 1992 (#17 website)
While this was released on time in NZ unlike here in Australia where it was slightly delayed due to our aversion towards RNB in the 90's, it took a while to become a success over there which means that it's popularity there came the same time as it did here.
#14 for 1999
Although it did chart in NZ, "The rain" wasn't a huge hit over there for Missy Elliott which is strange because this second single from her was likely due to the presence of Da Brat who had a minor hit over there with "Funkdafied" from earlier in the decade. Both of these women also appeared on Lil Kim's posse cut from the previous year, so that's likely the real reason why this collaboration took off over there.
#46 for 1998 (#43 website)
This was another huge hit for CJ Lewis in NZ, mainly because the kiwis still couldn't get enough of 90's reggae as evidence by most of the entries on this list (both new and returning) comes from the genre in some way shape or form. He would have one more hit over there after this (stay tuned for it) before the kiwis grew tired of his brand of reggae for whatever reason.
#52 for 1995
#44 for 1996
This was only a modest success here in Australia for Skid row, certainly nowhere near as popular as it was in NZ where hair metal seemed to still be one of the most popular genres of the first year of the 90's. Fans of Gilmour girls will recognise lead singer Sebastian Bach as Gil, although his character on the show was more loosely based on their original lead singer who did quit the band before they made it big.
#58 for 1990 (#33 website)
Following the success of their earlier entry, this managed to become a huge success for MN8 in NZ and their native UK, proving that even as far back as the mid 90's there was potential in combining RNB and hip hop and having it be performed by a boy band. People say that Boyz II Men were technically a boy band because of their image, however they weren't really at least compared to the likes of these guys.
#44 for 1995 (#30 website)
Well, it looks like the west coast of the hip hop wars already had a strong leg in with the kiwis given how this track from Brotherhood of Creed was a massive success over there and not in the duo's native America. I guess their fellow Americans initially felt they were the British novelty group Brotherhood of man given how the two groups share a similar name to each other even if they're from two different genres.
#55 for 1992 (#19 website)
Well, I guess having that circuitous route to success here in Australia was beneficial for Toni Braxton in the long run as this was far less successful for the RNB singer of colour in NZ than it was down under. It could also be due to the kiwis not wanting to hear such a sexually driven track from a woman who has a discography otherwise categorised as something that can be listened to with the likes of Celine Dion or Whitney Houston.
#40 for 1996 (#22 website)
This was the only hit for the RNB group Ghost Town DJ's, an American posse group who scored a massive hit in NZ and their native America with this track about the love of the narrator's life. I guess if this had of broken through later in the decade it would've been able to crossover here in Australia as there were plenty of these sorts of tracks to make it big as the 90's was coming to an end here.
#36 for 1996 (#24 website)
I would've thought this would be an even bigger hit for Boyz II Men in NZ, I guess it did linger on their charts for quite some time at a time where songs would debut at number one only to quickly drop off the charts which is a neat compromise to now making it to number one over there. They would have two more hits this decade, the first was their earlier entry with Mariah Carey and the second would be from their third album.
#36 for 1995
I guess this was less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia due to the original from the Commodores already being a hit in the 70's over there, as such the kiwis really didn't need this almost note for note cover of the track to become a hit this year and yet it was likely due to their nostalgia of the original.
#51 for 1993 (#35 website)
This was also a bit hit for Jimmy Nail in NZ this year, it wasn't quite as big there as it was here in Australia and especially his native UK, but the kiwis were able to appreciate this semi spoken word track about how toxic the woman he's in a relationship is with him. Like here in Australia, this was his only hit in NZ likely due to the kiwis also being unimpressed with the rest of his catalogue.
#32 for 1992
It may surprise you to learn that "Bust a move" was a flop in NZ for Young MC, even when it was rereleased in Australia this year for the rapper, it didn't share its success over there for some reason. I'm guessing because the kiwis somehow got a hold of his second single which was a massive hit over there, likely because of it being a novelty hip hop track about getting sent to the principal's office.
#60 for 1990 (#39 website)
This was only one of two hits that After 7 had in NZ, they were a new jack swing trio similar to Tony Toni Tone from earlier on this list who unfortunately didn't see the same level of success as those guys did. Curiously, they did manage to score a minor hit later in the decade with "Till you do me right" over there and in Australia, proving that there was some crossover potential in the group.
#70 for 1991
This was the only hit the Beastie boys ever had in the southern hemisphere, mainly for the wacky music video which easily could've made my weirdest videos of the 90's like had it been a hit here in Australia. I'm guessing this was a success more for the hype that the trio had with the video as opposed to Australia where their album was a success due to an (in my opinion) terrible dance remix of their debut single.
#52 for 1998 (#21 website)
We looked at the big hit that L.S.O.B (Lighter shade of brown) had in Australia, so now let's look at the song which put the Hispanic rappers on the map in NZ which was a track about how they spent their Sunday afternoons before they made it big. This is effectively their equivalent of "Summertime" given how the premise on both songs are the same as each other.
#28 for 1992 (#11 website)
I'm guessing this was a chart topper in NZ for Mariah Carey due to the kiwis having fond memories of Nilsson as he did score a big hit over there with the original version of this ballad two decades prior. Admittedly this was also bundled with what I'm sure was meant to be the actual third single from the album "Never forget you" which could also have contributed to its popularity over there.
#29 for 1994 (#21 website)
This was a predictably repeat entry for this list given how well-beloved Aladdin remains to this day, although I have seen people criticise these adult contemporary renditions of the showstoppers from the Disney films as little more than a soulless attempt to milk money from their respective films. I disagree as it would be weird to see the original versions of these songs on the charts especially back then.
#52 for 1993 (#37 website)
Much like the rest of the world, it appears that Rod Stewart was able to resume his career where it left off in the 70's in NZ as if there hadn't been an entire decade of silence from him over there. At least we Aussies gave him the occasional hit throughout the 80's, Rod hadn't had a hit over there since "Passion" from over ten years prior.
#57 for 1991 (#38 website)
This was a hit twice in NZ, hence its placement on this list as well as its absence on this site up until this point. The first time was upon its initial release where it did reasonably well for Cypress hill whilst the second was when their album blew up over there due to the success of "I ain't going out like that" which firmly put the trio on the hip hop map with for kiwis.
Hit in 1993
Hit in 1994
It seems the kiwis were equally as titillated by this first bonus track from the Immaculate collection as we Aussies were, although it clearly wasn't as much as her fellow Americans were as this went straight to number one on Billboard and became one of her biggest hits in America in her entire catalogue. It was likely the success of this track which led to her next album being all about sexual provocation.
#52 for 1990
#53 for 1991
From what I can gather, Joose were an American RNB band who scored a massive hit in NZ with this cover of the Garth Brooks track that somehow flopped in their native America. Nowadays most people will be more familiar with the Ronan Keating version from 2002 given how big that version was, however in NZ this wound up being the bigger hit of the two covers.
#28 for 1997 (#11 website)
These guys were on such a roll this year that they managed to score a second hit both in NZ and their native America with this sexually driven track which seems like a precursor to their earlier entry on this list (or at least that's my head cannon.) I should mention that their only hit here in Australia won't be reappearing on this side of my site as for some reason, the kiwis passed up on that track later in the decade.
#71 for 1990 (#38 website)
The last time this guy troubled the charts anywhere in the world was during the first half of the 70's, basically the RIANZ charts hadn't even been established meaning he was well past his prime when it came to connecting with the youth of the day. This was the theme to a long-forgotten film Rush, although the real charge of this hit comes from it being the first thing he released since the death of his son.
#30 for 1992 (#6 website)
This was the biggest hit that the Vengaboys had in NZ until "Shala lala" took that crown the following year from their second album, I would be surprised at how big this Dutch band got due to being an EDM act except A: Aqua achieved massive success over there with a similar (albeit much better in my opinion) sound and B: they seemed to have reinstated the unwritten rule of Dutch acts being inescapable in NZ that was discarded throughout the 90's.
#25 for 1999 (#16 website)
Well, it seemed inevitable that Coolio would find massive success in NZ with the songs he had success with here in Australia given how he already had a hit over there prior to his magnum opus from earlier on this list. Even if he didn't make an anthem for a generation, I can't see this song being a failure over there due to how catchy it is as well as his tight flows making him a credible rapper.
#29 for 1996 (#20 website)
It looks like Naughty by nature were able to get in one more big hit in NZ with this single from the Nothing to lose soundtrack, it appears that this was an excellent time for soundtrack singles given how this is the third hit to come from that film following Lil Kim and Coolio's entries. Sadly, this would be the last the kiwis would hear from the hip hop group, although we Aussies gave them a hit with "Holiday" in 2000.
#60 for 1997
#61 for 1998
From what I can father, the Parker Project was a NZ band who scored a massive hit this year with their cover of the Johnny Nash track of the same name from 1975 only to forever fade into obscurity after it fell off the charts. This was another band that was surprisingly hard to find any information about on the internet, so I apologise for the vagueness of my commentary.
#33 for 1991 (#22 website)
This was the second big hit that the Exponents were able to have this year, again there was crossover potential for these guys here in Australia as was the case for Push push, however neither band managed to score that giant hit here they had over there this year.
#40 for 1991 (#28 website)
These guys were on a roll this decade in NZ as they managed to score another hit over there with one of their reggae jams, this time it's a cover of the Joe South classic from the late 60's which managed to be a hit in Australia back in the day for the American singer/songwriter. It was a flop over there (according to the Listener charts) so it's possible the kiwis don't even realise that this was a cover.
#44 for 1994 (#28 website)
Well, there was no surprise this would be a huge success in NZ for Warren G given how he had already scored two massive hits over there earlier in the decade; however, this didn't last as long on the NZ charts as it did on our charts likely due to us Aussies having more of the nostalgia bug for the Tina Turner classic than the kiwis did around this time.
#35 for 1996 (#30 website)
Well, this is technically the second time "Dreadlock holiday" went to number one in NZ given how the hip hop trio 3 the hard way sampled the 10cc classic for their breakthrough single this year. Something I forgot to mention on the Australian side of my site was that this is the first hip hop track from a NZ group to become a hit here in Australia, again likely due to that nostalgia bomb from the sample.
#37 for 1994 (#24 website)
This was the biggest hit that Alanis Morissette had in NZ, I guess there might be some validity to the kiwis allowing successful albums to impact a songs popularity after all given how Jagged little pill's success didn't hamper the singles on that album too much here in Australia. She had one more hit in both countries with "Hands clean" right before her obvious replacement Avril Lavigne became a megastar.
#30 for 1998 (#34 website)
This had a bit of a delay to its success in NZ, I'm guessing because the kiwis weren't quite ready to allow a new generation of Sade in their music scene given how the original band were still quite popular at the time of this songs release over there. They changed their minds when the second single from the album became a success over there which pushed this up the charts as well.
#48 for 1994 (#27 website)
This was the first of six consecutive chart toppers for Westlife in the UK, it would've been ten consecutive chart toppers if the Bob the builder theme didn't prevent one of their tracks from getting to number one over there the following year (do with that information what you will.) While they weren't that crazy popular over in NZ, they did still score a ton of success over there including this chart-topping hit.
#44 for 1999 (#40 website)
The original from Lou Reed was never a hit anywhere in the world back in the 70's, I guess it was considered a bit too ahead of its time to connect with a more conservative audience of its day. It was given a cover from Jamie J Morgan who took the downbeat original and turned it into a funky dance track which became a surprise hit for him over in NZ of all places.
#33 for 1990 (#19 website)
We won't be having another look at "You make me wanna" on this site as that song was too much of a sleeper hit for Usher to make a second appearance on this site of mine. Fortunately, this second single from his breakthrough album was a huge hit for him over there likely due to it being his first Billboard chart topper, this was due to the song coming with a few well-known remixes that made it popular worldwide.
#31 for 1998 (#42 website)
She had plenty of success with her time in Miami sound machine throughout the 80's in NZ, so it makes sense that this ballad would be a hit over there this year even if it was largely due to the kiwis showing their support for her following her near fatal experience while she was on tour this year. In Australia, we showed her our support by making "Here we are" a minor success and the album a huge success.
#62 for 1990 (#37 website)
This had a bit of a delay to its release in NZ, likely because this is an EDM cover of the KC and the Sunshine band classic from eleven years prior which was a bit out of the comfort zone for the kiwis at the time. I'm guessing they made it a success when they realised this came complete with a rap verse which was able to fit in with the increasing number of hip hop making it big over there.
#51 for 1994 (#32 website)
This was an even bigger hit for RHCP in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess even with airplay being factored into the charts, rock music was still able to find an audience during the final year of the 90's as it saw diminishing returns going into the 00's over there. Then again Californication produced multiple huge hits for the band over there, so perhaps the kiwis just wanted to give them more hits.
#34 for 1999 (#46 website)
Well, here's that second single that M People had in NZ, it's a cover of an obscure Motown track from ten years prior which I'm guessing the kiwis appreciated enough to make their earlier entry on this list a success over there. It was also quite big in their native UK during the Christmas period of 1993/1994, although it often gets lost in the shuffle with their back catalogue in recent years.
#50 for 1994 (#30 website)
Although the original from Chicago did fine enough in NZ, this RNB rendition from Az yet was far more popular over there than the original likely due to the blessing that Peter Cetera gave the RNB group to cover it by rerecording his chorus from the original. It was their only hit in NZ despite "Last night" breaking the top ten over there the previous year.
#26 for 1997 (#13 website)
This was another E.P to find success in NZ throughout the decade, I guess it's good to know that the kiwis also found it difficult to determine if an E.P should go on the singles or albums charts like we Aussies did. In any case, this E.P became a success over there due to it containing tracks that were originally cut from the band's debut album that the fans nonetheless wanted to hear more of.
#33 for 1994
#32 for 1995
This was the last hit that Roxette had over in NZ, it's a pity because they would continue to find success here in Australia for the next two years before their career died out by appearing on the Super Mario Brothers soundtrack. They were another band that did very well with adapting to the trends of the 90's, even with the lack of success they had in NZ, at least it was still more noteworthy than many of their contemporaries.
#49 for 1991 (#37 website)
Before there was Bow wow, there was A+ who was a teenage rapper who made it big this year with the lead single to his second and to date final album in NZ and his native America. I guess it isn't fair to suggest he was a pioneer of teenage hip hop given how both Outkast and Kris Kross predate him in that regard, however he was the first teenage rapper to make it big on his own and not as part of a unit.
#51 for 1999
This had a bit of a delay to its success in NZ, likely because this wasn't a success in America despite being the theme to the Tom Cruise flick Days of thunder. Given how this was a massive success here in Australia and throughout Europe for former Lone justice singer Maria McKee, it only makes sense that the kiwis would eventually gravitate towards this ballad.
Hit in 1991
This was technically a hit twice in NZ, the first time was upon its initial release where this song from the Australian duo Bachelor girl managed to appeal to the kiwis in a way that many other adult contemporary ballads failed to do so around this time. It began dropping out of the charts before rebounding in the new year due to airplay becoming a factor of the charts and it having a strong radio presence over there.
#56 for 1998
#57 for 1999
Given how he had one of the biggest hits of the year in NZ around this time, it only makes sense that Keith Sweat's other big hit in his native America would also be a success over there given how it uses the same formula as "Twisted" with the chorus from Kut Klose connecting his verses together.
#47 for 1996
#48 for 1997
This was one of the few east coast hip hop tracks to make it big in NZ during Biggie Smalls lifetime, although I don't think the kiwis cared much about which side of America this came from given how it's clearly an anthem for smoking weed. There have been a few mature topics to find their way to the mainstream back in the day, although I wouldn't have thought that marijuana would be one of the more popular trends.
#39 for 1996 (#26 website)
Well, it appears the kiwis weren't as big of fans of the Disney adaptation of the Three musketeers as we Aussies were, or at the very least, they weren't as big of fans of this three-way collaboration from Bryan Adams, Sting and Rod Stewart which was the final hit for two out of these three men in most parts of the world.
#47 for 1994 (#42 website)
It feels a bit weird that this has a higher placement on this list than "If you had my love" (don't worry that's still to come on this list) although this did have to work its way up the NZ charts as opposed to that debuting at number one over there which is why this is ranked higher on the list. It also wasn't attached to the turn of the century over there like it was internationally which means it didn't rebound in the new year like it did down under.
#52 for 1999 (#34 website)
Either the kiwis weren't that big into Savage Garden going into their second album (although I doubt this was the case given their earlier entry) or they really didn't like the Other sister because either way, this was far less successful over there than it was here despite the duo already being an international household name but this point. I guess it was the latter given that it was still a hit over there unlike anywhere else in the world.
#27 for 1999
It's strange to think that this reggae cover of the Beatles classic was the only success that Chaka Demus and Pliers managed to have in NZ, after all you'd think their other two UK hits would've been as popular as this was especially considering how one of them even became a hit for them here in Australia the previous year. Still the fact they had a least one hit over there was better than what they achieved in America.
#41 for 1994 (#26 website)
Although their album Permanent shade of blue was a moderate success in NZ, it didn't live up to the hype it had here in Australia likely due to this second single from the album eating up its success around the time it took off in the southern hemisphere. Nowadays Roachford is best known as a solo project from the lead singer, however back in the day they were a decently successful RNB quartet.
#43 for 1995 (#39 website)
This remains Tracy Chapman's only hit in NZ, even then it was more of a sleeper success likely due to its surprise success here in Australia as well as her native America upon its initial release. Even so, it did linger around the lower half of their charts for quite some time which makes it more than eligible for this list even if it didn't have a prayer of appearing on my official lists on this site.
Hit in 1996 (#35 website)
Whilst they still had success in their native America following the success of "No diggity" from the previous year, Blackstreet were more popular in NZ as in addition to hip hop, they also specialised in RNB which the kiwis were all in for throughout the 90's. Indeed, this was the second of three chart toppers that the group had over there, proving how much more loved they were by the kiwis than their fellow Americans.
#30 for 1997 (#12 website)
Following the success of their sister's sophomore album, the Braxton's (which originally included Toni in their lineup) found massive success with this RNB ballad in NZ of all places as the family never had much success even in their native America back in the day.
#25 for 1997 (#22 website)
Well, this is certainly a surprise, Boyzone had virtually no success in NZ throughout the 90's and yet they found instant success with this ballad that was apparently commissioned for an Andrew Lloyd Weber show that never came to be. This had to be won over by us Aussies before it became a success here, hence why it appeared on that side of my site on the 1999 list instead of this year's.
#24 for 1998 (#1 website)
This was another RNB group who managed to score success in NZ this year despite being an American group who failed to make it big in their homeland at the time. I didn't realise how many American artists got the short end of the straw throughout the decade as the American music scene really seemed more interested in breaking arbitrary Billboard records over promoting their local talent. (see why I'm covering the NZ charts?)
#44 for 1997 (#25 website)
It turns out this was a cover of a track from the late 70's, meaning that Heart chose to cover a song that has problematic elements in the lyrics which resulted in this being their biggest hit in most parts of the world. Like many people back in the day, I'm not affected by the lyrics and enjoy it more for the passionate vocals from the two leading ladies, although the kiwis might have been a little put off compared to us Aussies.
#49 for 1990 (#18 website)
This was a massive hit for the NZ band Moana and the Moahunters, a group of Maori musicians who scored their one and only hit this year with this pop track during the early months of the year. They did have songs and even albums released before and since this one big hit from them, however this was the only success they had in their career.
#59 for 1991 (#42 website)
It looks like Paul Hardcastle scored more than one hit after all, although this second hit was only as such for him in NZ as this was a house track from the man who scored a massive worldwide hit five years prior with "19." Tony Mac was the credited vocalist on this track given how "19" was a spoken word track about the trials and tribulations of the Vietnam war which wasn't going to fly on this track.
#53 for 1990
#56 for 1991
Even though Lutricia McNeal is an American singer, she didn't have any success on the Billboard charts back in the day and had to achieve her success throughout Europe which she somehow managed to accomplish with her debut single. This success led to her having a hit in NZ with this cover of an obscure 70's ballad, indeed she would score other hits over there including one still to come on this list.
#25 for 1998 (#15 website)
Well at least this RNB ballad managed to be a success in NZ on time, although I feel like I've said this for multiple entries over the last few lists as RNB in NZ was widely accepted since the start of the decade as opposed to Australia where it generally needed to be a success over there before it crossed over here.
#21 for 1997
#20 for 1998
This was more of a sleeper hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, likely due to it initially being the theme to the film Clueless despite it not appearing on the soundtrack for whatever reason (likely in hopes of it selling the band's album which it initially failed to do.) It looked like the band wouldn't be a household name over there due to its sleeper success, however "Don't speak" put those fears to rest when it came out.
#54 for 1996 (#25 website)
This is where it all began for Naughty by nature, naturally its success on Billboard made it a shoe in for success in NZ even if it was curiously a sleeper hit over there likely due to the kiwis vastly preferring west coast hip hop over its east coast counterpart. I guess they had to relent due to how incessantly catchy it is like their other entries on this list.
Hit in 1992 (#26 website)
This was released a bit earlier in NZ likely due to RNB and reggae being fully embraced by the kiwis throughout the 90's, although at least the original from Marvin Gaye was a bigger hit over there as opposed to Australia where this wound up outperforming the original. It's no surprise this was a hit in the southern hemisphere given how many songs reworked older tracks with addition lyrics thrown in from the performers.
#33 for 1996
This was the second chart topper that INXS had in NZ, although as we've established on this site, going to number one hardly constitutes how successful your song is in the southern hemisphere as this was far from the band's biggest hit in either country despite being among the higher charting songs on our charts.
#32 for 1990 (#14 website)
I don't think there's a single song that Mariah Carey released in the 90's that wasn't more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia, this fourth single from Music box is no exception as it was an easy top ten hit over there again due to the kiwis not allowing highly successful albums to impact the success of popular songs back in the day.
#38 for 1994 (#39 website)
Although they achieved moderate success the previous year with their breakthrough single "Insane in the brain" in NZ, it was this second single from their album which made them a household name as it quickly rose up the charts over there due to how catchy the song is. Apparently, this was called "We ain't going out like that" in their native America, I'm not sure why there's a different title there compared to the rest of the world.
#54 for 1994 (#44 website)
Well at least this song was a much bigger hit for Whitney Houston in NZ than it was here in Australia, although I've seen this be described as her worst song likely due to how ridiculous the chorus is on the track. I'm guessing it was only a hit at the time due to the film it was written for being much better received than Whitney's previous acting gig with the Bodyguard from earlier in the decade.
#50 for 1995
#42 for 1996
This was the final hit that All-4-One managed to score in NZ and indeed anywhere else in the world, it seems curious it would be their weakest hit in NZ considering it was the song that got them out of the one hit wonder bin here in Australia.
#42 for 1995 (#25 website)
This was also a huge success for U2 upon its initial release in NZ as it was everywhere else in the world, everywhere except America because this was a huge flop on Billboard which is perhaps why people believe this wasn't the lead single of Achtung baby to this day.
#44 for 1991 (#35 website)
This was also much bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia (even taking into account this was a number one hit on ARIA and not in AMR) I guess the kiwis really were more open to teen pop from the late 90's than us Aussies were which to be fair, we were fairly opened to around this time.
#33 for 1998 (#12 website)
Well, this was hard to find information about, from what I can gather, D faction was a NZ group who scored their one and only hit with this cover of the Billy Joe Royal track from thirty years prior which I'm guessing was a big deal over there back in the day if this was able to be a massive hit for the group.
#52 for 1996
This proved to be an even bigger hit for the B52's in NZ compared to Australia, although this was the second single from a highly successful album, so this was more due to the kiwis not allowing the album sales to affect its popularity like we Aussies did back in the day. It could also be that the kiwis wanted to hear an entire track devoid of Fred Schneider and just have vocals from Katie Pierson and Cyndi Wilson.
#50 for 1990 (#45 website)
Like in Australia, Natalie Imbruglia is a two-hit wonder in NZ with this being her first big hit over there. Unlike here in Australia, her second hit didn't come until the new millennium when "Wrong impression" got her out of the one hit wonder bin over there. Neither of these songs came close to the success this and "Big mistake" achieved in Australia this year, suggesting that she wasn't as popular over there overall.
#55 for 1998
I'm not sure if this was a success in NZ due to the kiwis increased love for EDM this year, if it was nostalgia for the Matthew Wilder version from 1984 or if it was a huge success here in Australia for the Danish group Unique II. Whatever the reason, it managed to debut at number one over there proving how inescapable it was in the southern hemisphere this year.
#31 for 1997 (#20 website)
If this sounds like a Boyz II Men track to anyone, that's because it was written by Nathan Morris who was the main vocalist of the quartet. I'm guessing he donated this track to RNB singer Uncle Sam who scored his one and only hit with this ballad before forever fading into obscurity, admittedly this wouldn't work well with the quartet's catalogue given how bitter the lyrics are on here.
#65 for 1998
This is a remix of a track from Busta Rhymes that was originally a flop for the rapper worldwide, the remix became a surprise hit in the UK which of course was all the justification the kiwis needed to make this a number one hit over there given how he already had a hit over there with "Woo hah" two years prior.
#32 for 1998 (#10 website)
You know these guys did have hits with their own original material over the years, you just wouldn't know that given how most of their biggest hits were in fact covers of older songs from the 60's and 70's. This time we're looking at a song from the Chi Lites that the band made their own as the lead single to their second Labour of love album they released at the end of the previous decade.
#46 for 1990
Given how this wasn't pulled from shelves in NZ like it was here in Australia (hence its lower placement on that side of my site) it only seems fitting that it would be a bigger hit over there from two of the most popular artists of the twentieth century. Basically, this is a song about both Jacksons spilling their guts out about the lack of privacy they have in their respective lives, if only people would respect that privacy.
#45 for 1995 (#22 website)
Well, that's one way to convince your audience to buy a single, although I feel this was meant to be ironic because this samples Madonna's "Material girl" similar to how their big hit in Australia sampled the Jackson 5's "Can you feel it." It's pretty obvious why neither of these songs have survived the test of time as even back then, they felt more like a gimmick than something audiences generally liked.
#62 for 1999
These guys were on a roll this year as they managed to achieve their second big hit following their earlier entry on this list, I don't know if they managed to become the new RHCP in the eyes of the kiwis, however it would explain why that band's next album wasn't as successful over there as it was over here.
*Apologies for the terrible quality of this album art, images of this album cover are scarce on the internet. *
#43 for 1993
It turns out that this was released as a limited edition single here in Australia, hence why it charted high but quickly existed out charts which prevented it from being eligible to appear on that side of my site. I guess the kiwis had an unlimited edition of the track as it became a massive hit over there without any signs of it being pulled from shelves of dropping out of the charts because of a lack of stock of the song.
#38 for 1992 (#18 website)
I guess the kiwis weren't as fooled with Mark Wahlberg's foray into hip hop as the rest of the world was given how much less successful this was compared to everywhere else in the world, although even they couldn't resist the chorus from Loleatta Holloway which is why it managed to be a minor sleeper hit over there for the future Hollywood heavyweight.
Hit in 1991
Well given how these guys managed to score massive success in NZ with their previous album two years prior, it seems fitting that this big hit they had here in Australia and the UK of all places managed to be a success over there much sooner than it was in either country. For what it's worth, these guys didn't have any success in their native America with any of their songs likely due to their sense of humour not connecting with their fellow Americans.
#36 for 1999 (#9 website)
Sandwiched between their two earlier entries was this second single from C+C Music factory's debut album, I guess there's not much to say about this track that doesn't apply to the other two entries on this list other than to go into further detail about who Freedom Williams was. He was the rapper of the group, meaning he at least was able to receive full credit on the tracks unlike Martha Walsh.
#78 for 1991 (#39 website)
Given how I've featured the other big hit from Tamperer on this side of my site, I guess I should use this opportunity to confirm that yes, the kiwis were aware of this big hit from the Dutch band that samples the Jackson 5 classic it's named after and were probably embarrassed by how much they enjoyed it (likely ironically) to make its success reflective on the top half of their charts.
Hit in 1998 (#37 website)
This was one of only two hits that Foxy Brown had in NZ, although I get the feeling this was more a hit over there due to the chorus provided to her by Blackstreet who were among the most popular artists of the moment. Foxy was a protegee of Jay Z, which is impressive considering she was only eighteen when she released this as a single which goes to show you how competent she was as a rapper at that age.
#55 for 1997 (#28 website)
This was a bit of a comeback for Whitney Houston in NZ, namely that it was her first hit single since the 80's over there to not be affiliated with one of her films meaning she finally had a hit that was able to stand on its own and not be as such due to audiences compensating her for her acting skills (or lack thereof.) I get the feeling this was meant to be released earlier in the decade given how it was clearly meant for Bobby Brown who she had a rocky relationship with by this point.
#31 for 1999 (#18 website)
I think this was one of the first EDM tracks that made the kiwis realise what they were missing out on over there given how it managed to become a huge hit there for the Swiss DJ Robert Miles. Admittedly it as far more successful here in Australia due to EDM still being at the height of its popularity here, however the kiwis couldn't resist this instrumental track back in the day.
#49 for 1996 (#31 website)
Given how even we Aussies were able to make this a hit for Boyz II Men this year, it only seems logical that it would be even bigger in NZ to the point where it was the second of four chart toppers they had over there this decade. This was even after they had another hit between this and their earlier entry on this list, that entry is still to come further down the list by the way.
#41 for 1993 (#19 website)
Even though this is credited as a Lil Kim track, it's really a posse cut with her, Da Brat, Left Eye Lopez from TLC, Missy Elliott and Angie Martinez and was made for the Nothing to lose soundtrack of all things. Apparently, this is a remix of a song from her debut album given how it heavily samples the Kool and the Gang classic "Ladies night," naturally it's flipped so that it's about the girls not putting out for their male audience.
#51 for 1997 (#27 website)
I think this was the only swing revival track to make it big in NZ (correct me if I'm wrong) it was admittedly an instant success over there unlike here in Australia where it failed to catch on for some reason. I guess we Aussies were growing tired of songs being carried by trumpet instrumentation as this song is mostly known for its usage of the instrument throughout its runtime.
#46 for 1999
This is a cover of a Toto track that was a modest success in NZ exactly two decades prior, I'm not sure how the kiwis got a hold of this cover given how it was a flop in Eric Benet's native America at the time (it might be due to Faith Hill being on the chorus.) Nowadays Eric is best known for being married to Halle Berry during the first half of the 00's.
#39 for 1999 (#43 website)
Apparently, there was this black comedy (in more ways than one as it had a predominantly black cast) known as Booty call which was panned by critics at the time for being considered too vulgar, this was back when stuff like Beavis and Butthead and the Bloodhound gang were considered critical darlings mind you. The film had a theme song from SWV and Missy Elliott, this being the first hit the latter had anywhere in the world.
#49 for 1997 (#16 website)
Well, I did mention earlier on this list that this was likely the reason why the duo's cover of "Ring my bell" was a massive success over in NZ, so let's look at this summer jam that the duo put out which made them a household name in the music industry following the success of Will Smith's show at the time. I'm not sure why this flopped here in Australia as we Aussies gave them a massive hit with "Boom shake the room" later in the decade.
#66 for 1991 (#33 website)
This was the only chart topper that Guns N Roses had not just during the Use your illusions era but overall in NZ, they were one of the biggest bands of all time in NZ and yet this cover of the Wings classic was the only song of theirs that made it further up the charts than number two. For what it's worth, they never made it to number one in Australia with any of their singles despite how big they were here.
#44 for 1992 (#27 website)
This was a huge hit for the American RNB group U.N.V in NZ despite it being a massive flop in their native America, I'm not sure why this was a huge hit over there as there were plenty of RNB groups from America that saw more success than these guys ever did and yet they never crossed over back in the day.
#47 for 1995
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