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 an oddly good year for contemporary RNB in NZ following the success that Surface had in their native America from earlier on this list, indeed this proved to be a much bigger hit over there than it was in the Rude boys native America which is one of many RNB tracks from American groups to do so this decade.
#68 for 1991 (#29 website)
Whereas these guys remain a one hit wonder to this day here in Australia with "Tha crossroads," they would have hits over in NZ as recently as 2007 meaning that they had so much more to offer in their catalogue that the kiwis gravitated towards back in the day. This was just one of the many other hits they had over there which admittedly was also a huge success in their native America this year.
#47 for 1997 (#17 website)
This was the fourth and final single to be released from Supergroove's debut album Traction, it was a massive success over there proving how inescapable the NZ funk rock band was around this time which no doubt led to them sparking international interest in their music which sadly never translated to actual success for them.
#55 for 1994 (#34 website)
Well, it looks like the kiwis also found this novelty track about body shaming a guy for having a small dick hilarious back in the day, not as hilarious as we Aussies found it and certainly not as quickly as we did, but its success was noteworthy over there regardless.
#61 for 1995
This is the other big hit that Shades had in NZ, it finally makes its appearance on my site given how it was more of a sleeper hit which makes it a shoe in for this list. The fact these girls were able to score two big hits in NZ despite having no success in their native America should tell you just how much the kiwis loved female RNB throughout the decade.
Hit in 1996
This was originally released in 1994 to deafening silence for the 80's new wave band Satellite spies, although it was given a second chance five years later for some reason that I can only speculate as a way of acknowledging the work of the underground NZ band. For what it's worth, the song has no relation to the Madness track of the same name despite sounding like it came out when that classic did.
Hit in 1999
Given how the song this track remixes didn't even chart in NZ back in the day, I can only assume this was a success over there purely based on how much the loved the dance beats on here rather than them reminding them of "Life in a northern town" like it did for us Aussies back in the day. You'll also notice this was a success over there much sooner than it was over here despite being an EDM track.
#36 for 1997
#34 for 1998
This was yet another Mariah Carey song that was much bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia, although you've likely noticed that every one of her entries was much bigger over there than it was over here which tells you everything you need to know about how well loved she was over there compared to over here back in the day.
#48 for 1996 (#28 website)
So, it turns out Lauryn Hill had a hit in NZ after all, although it wasn't from her magnum opus the Miseducation of but rather as a virtual duet with Bob Marley on a track from his 1977 album Exodus (side note, how come so many of his posthumous hits have come from that album?) It's the last successful song from either artist as death finally caught up with the late reggae legend and the less said about Lauryn the better.
#23 for 1999 (#41 website)
It seems curious that the one hit these guys didn't have in Australia from their debut album would be their biggest hit in NZ, not to say that their other two hits from the album weren't a success over there, rather it just seems like this was the big hit over there due to how successful the other two singles were here. In any case, this was proof that the Sydney based NZ RNB group were able to find massive success in the southern hemisphere back in the day.
#59 for 1994
Coolio was on a roll this year in NZ when he released the second single from his sophomore album named after his top entry on this list, this time he samples the Kool and the Gang track of the same name for this summer jam that was curiously released during the winter in his homeland which prevented it from becoming a hit on Billboard like it was in NZ.
#46 for 1996
I still feel this has rightfully earned its place as one of the best songs of the 90's and arguably of all time even if audiences nowadays feel that they shouldn't like this track due to it fueling the egos of the Gallagher brothers (also to be contrarian like with most popular things from the 90's receiving backlash in the new millennium.) This wasn't quite as big in NZ as it was here and their native UK, likely due to their albums being much bigger over there.
#31 for 1996 (#29 website)
Much like Australia, Bryan's earlier entry on this list was pulled from shelves in NZ to encourage the sales of this second single from Waking up the neighbours as well as the album itself. I think this was the only time where this method worked out as every other time I've seen a song pulled from shelves to encourage album sales resulted in the album either doing just as well if this tactic wasn't applied or it being worse off for it.
#75 for 1991
This was the second time that the Anne Murray classic from the late 70's was a hit in NZ, this time it was a hit for Boyzone who managed to out chart the original likely due to the nostalgia the kiwis had from around this time for Anne Murray's work. This was the last hit that the Irish boy band had anywhere in the world before they went their separate ways to pursue solo careers.
#28 for 1999 (#27 website)
Well, this was certainly a surprise hit, we have this cover of the Bee gees classic from Ardijah a decade after their initial breakthrough with the likes of "Watching u" over in NZ. I mentioned on that list that they tried to crossover to Australia by touring the country throughout the 90's, although they gave up around this time and came back home where they picked up where they left off a decade prior.
*Apologies for the lack of album art for this entry, there doesn't seem to be one in existence. The song is "Love so right" from Ardijah if you couldn't tell from my commentary*
#40 for 1998 (#29 website)
Even though "The fly" was a massive hit for U2 back in the day, people tend to believe this was the lead single from Achtung baby given how much more popular it's become over the years for the band compared to the actual lead single.
#51 for 1991
#39 for 1992
While for the most part I outgrew many of the teen pop that made it big in the late 90's, this remains a huge guilty pleasure of mine due to how much innocent fun this remains from the Danish duo to this day. It appears that was the appeal of the track back in the day as it managed to outperform most of the other teen pop in Australia and NZ back then that proved to be bigger hits in the UK.
#38 for 1998 (#27 website)
While this didn't chart as high in NZ as it did in Australia, it was still a massive hit for Bobby Brown over there likely due to it being by far the raunchiest song in his discography which is odd because he was married to Whitney Houston when he released this as a single worldwide. This was the last hit he had in his career in the southern hemisphere, although he did score a few hits in the UK as the decade went on.
#35 for 1992 (#22 website)
Mariah's popularity was also starting to dwindle in NZ by this point in time, although given how much more popular she was in NZ throughout the decade then here in Australia, that's like saying that Madonna's popularity declined here in Australia throughout the decade, technically true but mostly irrelevant. Mariah would still have at least two more hits over there before the decade was up.
#34 for 1997 (#18 website)
Cyndi was really struggling for mainstream relevancy in NZ following the success of her debut album a decade prior, who'd thought her second biggest hit over there would be a reggae reworking of her debut single? It was likely due to nostalgia of the original version as well as reggae always having a welcomed presence over there, although neither of these factors did this song any favours here in Australia.
#39 for 1994 (#48 website)
This was a huge hit over in NZ for Swedish singer Emilia, I'm not sure how this became such a big hit over there as this feels like something that should've been big here in Australia but wasn't for whatever reason. In any case, she scored a massive hit before fading into obscurity even throughout Europe.
#28 for 1998
#26 for 1999
I promised myself I would remain nice on this site no matter how I feel about the songs in questions, as such we have this collaboration from two artists I really enjoy otherwise which became a huge success in NZ for reasons I'm sure made sense at the time, but I don't get nowadays.
#41 for 1991
#31 for 1992
I guess the kiwis did allow "Maria" to become a hit upon its initial release over there as opposed to them needing to bundle it with "Cup of life" like we Aussies did, this was all the incentive that they needed to make this a number one hit over there for Ricky Martin which is often considered to be the song which confirmed the Latin craze as a genuine trend rather than it being a fad like it was earlier in the decade.
#37 for 1999 (#14 website)
From what I can gather, this is a charity song that NZ blues singer Hammond Gamble wrote for red nose day that became a hit twice in NZ. This was obviously the first time as it went straight to number one over there this year, however it went back to number one the following year likely due to a similar campaign shooting it back up the charts.
*Apologies for the lack of album art for this entry, there doesn't seem to be one in existence. The song is "You make the whole world smile" from Hammond Gamble if you couldn't tell from my commentary*
*This entry encapsulates both times this song went to number one in NZ*
#69 for 1992 (#21 website)
It was only inevitable that the kiwis would also welcome back Terence Trent D'arby with open arms this year given how much more successful his debut album was over there compared to here, in fact he would go on to have moderate success over there throughout the decade as he scored several minor hits over there that failed to make an impression over here.
#55 for 1993 (#48 website)
I guess I should now talk about the song given how I wound up bringing up that (in my opinion) hilarious court case where the boys defended themselves against lip synch allegations by putting on a live show where they proved they could all sing. This was an instant hit for the band everywhere in the world thanks to how catchy the track is as well as it being a typical boy band track with its usual troupes.
#48 for 1990 (#22 website)
Given that New edition was no more at the start of the decade, three of its members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens and Ronnie Deveo got together and formed a new group named after their surnames and focused more on hip hop starting with this track about a woman who they feel is poisonous for the person they're singing/rapping to. It was a huge hit for the trio in NZ and their native America but not here in Australia.
#55 for 1990 (#32 website)
This was a side project for Bone thugs n harmony who brought together a bunch of their friends in the hip hop scene in order to promote them in the music industry, kind of like how Biggie Smalls had the Junior mafia throughout the decade and saw massive success in their native America as a result. These guys weren't so lucky in their homeland; however, this posse cut was a chart topper for them in NZ.
#41 for 1996
#43 for 1997
This was the third chart topper that Deep Obsession had in NZ, it was the perfect way to end the 90's given how it suggested that they would be one of the biggest local artists of the 21st century. Sadly, this was also their final hit which proves that they weren't destined for greatness in the 00's.
#67 for 1999 (#13 website)
I guess it's fitting we finally look at the first of three hits that the Chimes managed to have in NZ during their brief time together, it may have failed to appear on this site up until this point but at least it lasted the longest on the NZ charts likely due to the more immediate success of their other two singles from their one and only album.
Hit in 1990
This was originally released two years prior to deafening silence for Chris Isaak, I'm guessing because it came out too soon after the tragic passing of Roy Orbison and many people found it to be too similar to one of his songs to be worth listening to without it coming off as poor taste for the passing legend. It was given a second chance this year when it was featured in the David Lynch film Wild at heart.
#63 for 1991
This was too much of a sleeper hit for Babyface to make it onto one of my main lists, however it did stick around for quite some time on the NZ charts given how well the singles from his fifth album did in his native America. Interestingly, this didn't incentivice the kiwis to make said album a success like it was here in Australia.
Hit in 1997
This is a remix of a mambo track form the 50's (hence the name of the song) that became a massive hit worldwide for the British EDM group Shaft right as the 90's was coming to an end. This wasn't a hit here in Australia, although the group's followup single was as "Mambo Italiano" became a modest success in the new year given how it was a cover of the Rosemary Clooney classic.
#48 for 1999 (#29 website)
This is the only appearance that Metallica will be making on this side of my site as it appears the kiwis weren't as impressed with their post sellout material as we Aussies were throughout the decade, in fact it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that their biggest hit over there was a song that's in that perfect middle ground of sounding like something from their classic period whilst coming from their sellout period.
#82 for 1991 (#45 website)
Well, this was bound to be a success for S Club 7 in NZ just as the decade was coming to an end, after all teen pop and music made specifically to sell a product (in this case the band's TV show) were all the rage by the end of the 90's which is why music afficionados seem to despise this period of music nowadays.
#45 for 1999 (#4 website)
Just a friendly reminder that these lists of mine are based on how well a song did on the charts rather than their physical sales, otherwise this song would easily be at the top of every list it qualifies for given that it's the bestselling song of all time (at least until the digital age came along.) As for why it's so low on this list, it was pulled from shelves in NZ which wasn't the case here in Australia.
#42 for 1997 (#1 website)
This was the third time that the Anita Ward classic managed to be a success in NZ, or at least it was if we ignore the fact that DJ Jazzy Jeff merely sampled the chorus of the original to allow Will Smith to spit his own rhymes about him hitting on a person he has the hots for. It was a surprise success in NZ likely due to the success of "Summertime" which was their big breakthrough in their native America.
#54 for 1991
#40 for 1992
Following the breakup of the Fugees from the previous year, Wyclef Jean decided to embark on a solo career the first of the three rappers which began with this hip hop ballad that became a massive success for him over in NZ. It took a while for us Aussies to give him a solo hit likely because we were on team Lauryn following the trio's breakup, however we eventually gave him one with "Two wrongs" in 2002.
#37 for 1998 (#48 website)
Betty Boo was on a roll when she released her second single in the southern hemisphere, indeed this only barely failed to appear on the Australian side of my site because it too was only a sleeper hit over here like it was in NZ for the English rapper. It turns out we Aussies are to blame for her dropping off the face of the earth as we cancelled her back in the day due to her lip synching on her tour here.
Hit in 1991
It's worth noting that though he died before it came out, the first album that 2pac released as Makaveli was completed and scheduled for release shortly after his death, meaning this wasn't his label milking his work for profit (for the most part at least) and instead a work of artistic merit. This seemed to be the incentive the kiwis needed in making this lead single to Makaveli's debut album a success over there.
#45 for 1997 (#42 website)
This was a big hit in Australia this year, so naturally it would also be a big hit in NZ even if it was only slightly bigger over there for some reason. The trio would score one more hit much later in the decade over there with "Let's get down" which would be a complete departure from the new jack swing that made them a household name worldwide during the first half of the decade.
#64 for 1993 (#40 website)
I get the feeling if east coast hip hop would've been all the rage in NZ, then Busta Rhymes would've had far more success over there than he got, as is, he did decently well starting with this breakthrough single of his which was also a big deal in his native America this year. He would score further success in both countries as the decade went on even though many consider this to be his best song of the 90's.
#65 for 1996 (#39 website)
This was released slightly sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because the label felt that this collaboration between Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson would be unsuccessful here due to neither artist having that big hit prior to its release on our charts. As fate would have it, it proved to be more successful down under than it was anywhere else in the world, although it was also quite huge in the UK.
#39 for 1992 (#44 website)
This was the last major hit that Soul II Soul had anywhere in the world, I'm guessing this was due to it coming off the success of their two hits from their debut album from the previous year despite this being the lead single to their second album they released this year. The album itself was a massive success, suggesting that the follow ups were ignored in NZ in favour of said album's success.
#66 for 1990 (#46 website)
This was released much sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, although the law of averages take place here which is that a song that was delayed in a country would find more success in that country than they did in a country where it was released on time. I guess there's also the fact that these guys were a tad late to the boy band wars for the gimmick of playing their own instruments to matter over there.
#69 for 1999
It appears the kiwis were also on board with this alternative track from Beck as it managed to become a huge success over there like it was over here for the alternative rocker, although it also remains his only hit over there making it feel more like a novelty on this list than an anthem for a generation like it's been described as.
#60 for 1994 (#29 website)
He may have had two failed bands by this point, however Jimmy Somerville still wasn't going to give up in being a successful pop star as he released his first solo single which was a reggae cover of the Bee gees classic from the late 60's. Naturally the kiwis ate this song up given how it was a song from the queer performer and was a reggae cover of an older track, two trends that they were into at the time.
#69 for 1991
This was the final hit that AC/DC had anywhere in the world, mainly because it was the theme to the Arnold Schwarzenegger flick Last action hero where he stars in a film that involves him traveling from film universe to film universe with hilarity ensuing. I haven't seen the film (shocking I know) but it looks pretty terrible from the videos I've seen on YouTube.
#50 for 1993 (#29 website)
Given how Riff already had a hit over in NZ with "My heart is failing me" from the previous year, it makes sense that they would have an even bigger hit over in NZ with the theme to the film White men can't jump regardless of the kiwis love for the Wesley Snipes flick where he teaches Woody Harrelson how to play basketball. I know that it was our love for the film that made it a success here in Australia.
#34 for 1992 (#13 website)
I did mention the last time I featured Richard Marc on this site that this was the only other hit that he managed to achieve in NZ, this is rather coincidental as both of these songs were chart toppers here in Australia and yet this was what got him out of the one hit wonder bin over there despite being far less successful than it was over here. I guess the kiwis were a bit torn with the story telling on this particular track.
#60 for 1992 (#25 website)
This was the big breakthrough hit that Coolio had in most parts of the world, likely for the sample which came from one hit wonder Lakeside who scored a massive hit in NZ back in 1981. Of course, Coolio only samples the beat and chorus of the original as he uses them to connect his verses about how he was making it in the big leagues now that he was a successful rapper (a bit early to brag but it was eventually true.)
#61 for 1994 (#36 website)
Much like here in Australia, this was the only other solo hit that Jon Bon Jovi had in NZ given how it also came from the Young Guns II soundtrack this year. Even though the success he had this year over there was equal to that down under, his popularity would quickly decline as the decade went on over there as opposed to it increasing here.
#56 for 1990
OK I'm not even going to mention ANY of the controversies that R Kelly has been involved with on this site as this is meant to be a safe space for that type of thing, instead I'll be focusing on his music which includes this theme song to the Looney tunes film Space jam which also stars Michael Jordan in the leading role. This is by far the song that is best affiliated with the film and so was a natural choice for the soundtrack's lead single.
#50 for 1997 (#38 website)
Well, I did mention this guy being able to score a second hit in NZ this year with another cover of an 80's track, this time he takes the Jermaine Jackson track and makes it his own by replacing Pia Zadora with someone named Van Der Toon which was all that needed to be done to allow this to win the kiwis over a second time for the part time singer.
#36 for 1998 (#24 website)
Babyface is of course best known for his legendary production he gave to the likes of Whitney Houston and Boyz II Men throughout the decade, however it's worth noting that he also fancied himself an RNB singer back in the 90's which peaked with this ballad in NZ and his native America this year. He would go on to have further success as the decade went on in both countries including with the song I've already featured on the Australian side of this side.
#57 for 1994
From what I can gather, Kid N Play were the hip hop duo of MC Hammer as they were kid friendly rappers who even had their own cartoon show similar to that of Hammerman (both of these shows look awful for the record.) I guess they also had an acting career which is perhaps how the kiwis managed to get their hands on this pop rap track this year.
#48 for 1992 (#32 website)
While this wasn't a number one hit here in Australia, that didn't prevent it from finding success in NZ this year proving that the kiwis were still into EDM and supporting Australian artists going into the new millennium. I doubt the kiwis understood the point in Joanne being "featured" by BZ given how the original from Bluezone was a flop over there as well and that they likely didn't realise Lisa Stansfield was the lead singer.
#41 for 1999
I get the feeling this would've underperformed on the NZ charts were it not for the inclusion of airplay on the RIANZ charts, after all it bounced up and down the top twenty throughout its chart run as opposed to it being a more mainstream hit for the Christian band over here in Australia. It was their only major success over there like it was over here, although they did score a minor follow up with "There she goes."
#43 for 1999 (#44 website)
You's think this would be a bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia due to the presence of En Vogue, you'd be mistaken as I'm fairly certain their presence was the only reason why this second song from Salt n Pepa's album Very necessary was a hit at all over there given how much of a failure "Shoop" was. This would be the trio's last hit over there; however, En Vogue would return for one more hit later in the decade.
#49 for 1994 (#38 website)
I guess that episode of South part was so successful in NZ that this EDM track from Mouse T and Hot n Juicy managed to be an even bigger hit over there than it was over here, that or the kiwis likely didn't realise this became big through the show and just enjoyed this EDM track for what it was this year.
#58 for 1998 (#23 website)
Given how the band managed to score a massive hit with their earlier entry on this list in NZ (even if it came a year after its initial release) it makes sense that this Christmas release in their native UK would be a massive success for them at the start of the year even if its success largely came from their Bee gees cover as it came twenty years after the original came out.
#30 for 1999 (#48 website)
Following the success he had with his collaboration with Boyz II men (which we'll get to in a bit) LL Cool J was able to score a huge follow up with this single which helped him compete in the west coast/east coast rivalry that was happening at the time in hip hop over in NZ. He wouldn't have another huge hit over there until the new millennium when he teamed up with J-lo of all people.
#66 for 1996 (#43 website)
Although this wasn't as big a hit as their first two singles in NZ, this ballad was nonetheless quite huge over there likely due to it being their first Billboard chart topper as well as this type of ballad being ubiquitous over there at the time. It was a huge flop here in Australia, meaning that we Aussies didn't want to hear any more from these guys.
#62 for 1991
#52 for 1992
This was sandwiched between the RNB group's two chart toppers in NZ, so it often gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to discussing their catalogue outside of their obvious hits. It could also be due to this song (which isn't a cover of the KC and the Sunshine band classic) being released before "End of the road" in their native America and also being a flop for the group on the Billboard charts.
#48 for 1993 (#50 website)
This charted higher in NZ than it did in Australia, although that doesn't mean it was more successful given it has roughly the same placement on this list as it does on the Australian side of my site. This was originally a hit in the UK for the American duo before it crossed over to America, I'm guessing because the kiwis recognised the sample from Spandau ballet before their fellow Americans did.
#58 for 1991 (#30 website)
Unlike here in Australia where this was a hit for Alicia Bridges twice, in NZ this was the only time the disco classic was a success over there as it vastly underperformed upon its initial release in the late 70's. As a final bit of trivia, it turns out that Alicia Bridges is indeed a lesbian as she revealed as such around the time this became a hit for her due to appearing in the LGBT masterpiece Priscilla queen of the desert.
#55 for 1995 (#45 website)
Unlike in Australia where I know for a fact that the original ballad from Kyu Sakamoto was a hit, I can't say I have any idea if the kiwis will be familiar with the original which means that for all I know, this could only be the second version of this song to become popular over there following the success of A taste of honey's version from the early 80's. For what it's worth, it came out slightly sooner over there despite being bigger down under.
#51 for 1995 (#43 website)
These guys were so popular in NZ that their debut album managed to spawn a second hit for them following the success of said album and their earlier entry on this list, yes it was a sleeper hit for the band, however it lasting for quite some time on their charts as opposed to barely charting here in Australia goes to show how much more well liked they were over there compared to over here.
Hit in 1993
This was a big hit for the Headless chickens this year in their homeland, it wasn't a huge success here in Australia, but it did catch the attention of Triple J listeners who voted it on their first annual year end list. I'm guessing it was because of this attention that their first hit in their homeland was bundled with their biggest hit over there the following year.
#62 for 1993 (#45 website)
This likely would've been a huge flop for Shania Twain in NZ were it not for RIANZ including airplay stats in 1999 where this flew up the charts over there albeit briefly due to its popularity fading by the time it did become a success over there, in fact its release was heavily delayed over there for some reason given how it was one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia.
Hit in 1999
Much like in Australia and the UK, this was the only hit that Jon Secada had in NZ likely due to the Latin elements connecting with audiences for this one and only song from the American singer. At least he was a lot more popular in his homeland throughout the decade which may have even led to the rise of the Latin craze from the second half of the 90's.
#54 for 1992 (#34 website)
This was the final hit that Midnight oil had anywhere in the world, and it's a return to them standing up for Australian aboriginals as this is a song dedicated to an elder by the name of Truganini who was one of the last traditional owners of Tasmania before it was taken off them by the Australian government. Yeah, the Australian government are notorious for how they treat the local community throughout history, which is perhaps why this underperformed here and was a big hit in NZ.
#56 for 1993 (#42 website)
Well at least the original version from Kool and the Gang was a massive hit in NZ back in the day, otherwise this would've been an awkward song to feature again on this site as Peter Andre scored his second chart topper over there in a row with this cover. This was the last hit he scored here in Australia, although he kept scoring hits internationally once his earlier entry took off throughout Europe.
#38 for 1996 (#19 website)
I still can't believe this was a flop for the New radicals in their native America, I know those shout outs to all those celebrities that the band didn't like were a bit uncalled for, but was that really enough of an incentive to boycott this track back in the day? It certainly wasn't outside of America as this became a huge success for the band thanks to how catchy it is as well as the lyrics being more intelligent than you'd realise.
#38 for 1999
At least this was a massive hit here in Australia for Wilson Phillips, it wasn't quite the case in NZ where it was half as successful likely due to there being another song with its title that became a success over there that we looked at earlier in this list. I guess I should mention that these girls were the daughters of some of the biggest names in music from the 60's which is why they were so big in their native America.
#69 for 1990 (#25 website)
You'd think that one of the big hits that En Vogue would have this year in NZ would either be "My loving" or "Free your mind," instead it was their cover of an obscure track that Aretha Franklin made in the mid 70's which of course means that they managed to have a bigger hit with this version over there than the queen of soul ever had even in her native America back in the day.
#43 for 1992 (#39 website)
Somehow this was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, and by somehow, I mean the kiwis were instantly enamoured by this bubblegum pop track from the Swedish band the Cardigans likely due to how incessantly catchy the song is. It's curious that it was the big hit from Romeo and Juliet considering how the scene it was used in has very little consequence to the overall film.
#32 for 1997 (#36 website)
This was the first big hit that Pras Michel had without the other two members of the Fugees anywhere in the world, although here he teams up with another rapper by the name of John Forte as they both sample "Electric Avenue" from Eddy Grant for this theme song to a film known as Money talks. From what I can gather, the film was a critical disaster due to it having Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen as its leads.
#61 for 1997
Emma Paki was one of several female singer/songwriters from NZ looking to make it big this year, in guessing she would've become a massive success in her homeland had Bic Runga not stolen her thunder later in the decade with her own music. Emma did achieve a massive hit with this entry over there and nothing else once her contemporary broke through after all.
#58 for 1995
I should point out that this was the song that made Kulcha a household name in NZ given how "Shaka jam" only became a hit over there once this was released as a single and instantly caught on with the quartet's fellow kiwis. These three songs I've featured on this site was the full extent of their popularity back in the day as their second album would bomb later in the decade.
#64 for 1994 #(37 website)
This was a modest success for Elton John in NZ on the Listener chart, meaning that the kiwis were already familiar with the original version of this ballad when it was released as a single for charity late the previous year. Naturally it was a big hit over there like it was worldwide, however it wasn't as huge as it was here in Australia and certainly not in America or the duo's native UK.
#46 for 1992 (#35 website)
This was a bit more of a sleeper hit for Black box in NZ, which is an early sign that the kiwis wouldn't be as big a fan of EDM throughout the 90's as we Aussies were given how few entries from the Australian side of my site from the genre will be reappearing on this side of my site. Still, it did linger around long enough to qualify for this list even if most of its success came from the lower half of their charts.
#79 for 1990 (#49 website)
Well, this really wasn't as big in NZ than it was in Australia or especially their native UK, heck this was more popular in America months after its release which should tell you how bizarre the kiwis found this ballad from Shakespear's sister. That said, it was still a huge hit for the duo likely thanks to the strong vocals from both women involved, although Marcella Detroit didn't have a solo hit after this like she did down under.
#61 for 1992 (#42 website)
Snap were able to score one more hit off their debut album in NZ with this track about dealing with a stalker, admittedly this also the case here in Australia where this also barely failed to appear on that side of my site. Sadly this would be the band's final hit over there as "Rhythm is a dancer" didn't connect with the kiwis like it did with us Aussies.
Hit in 1991
Given how EDM wasn't nearly as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia, it doesn't surprise me that this wasn't as big over there as it was over here even if it still lasted quite a while on their charts albeit in the lower regions of them. I'm guessing this was due to the success that Daft Punk had the previous year with their album as they can be considered the kiwis entry way into this style of EDM.
#78 for 1998
Well, I guess it had been thirty years since the original from Brian Hyland became a huge hit for him worldwide, so why not have this short-lived novelty group named after a character from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats make it their own this year? As big of a hit as it was in NZ, at least it wasn't a massive chart topper over there like it was in the group's native UK.
#61 for 1990
In exchange for his earlier entry on this list not lasting as long on the NZ charts as it did here in Australia, Billy Ray Cyrus was able to score a second hit over there with this number which as far as I can tell, was far better received from critics back in the day even if nowadays it's been overshadowed by his line dance anthem.
#82 for 1992
Although it was panned by critics back in the day, Snoop Dogg's second album Tha doggfather did yield a few moderate hits including this track where he interpolates "Ooops upside your head" from the Gap band with the full endorsement of their frontman Charlie Wilson as he provides him a chorus with an update of the original. This is the second time the song was a success as an interpolation following Snap's usage of it.
#72 for 1997
While this wasn't as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, it did chart as high as this reached number two in both countries, meaning that we Aussies and kiwis were equally enamoured by the band's attempts to become the new Pearl jam but with Australian accents for the 90's.
#48 for 1995 (#37 website)
Well, it appears the kiwis could also appreciate this protest track about beauty standards disguised as a booty anthem just as much as we Aussies did back in the day, although this was a much bigger hit for Sir mix a lot in his native America given how it was a huge chart topper on Billboard for a song whose opening line is "I like big buts and I can not lie."
#47 for 1992 (#47 website)
#73 for 1990 (#31 website)
This is the only success that the hip hop trio Organized noize was able to achieve during their brief time together, even then it was only due to it being yet another song from the lucrative soundtrack to the heist film Set it off which has multiple other tracks on this list already. Although the film was a box office success, it appears that the kiwis seemed to love the film more than anyone else in the world.
Hit in 1996
It feels weird that Batman returns was the only Batman film from the Burton/Schumaker films to not spawn a hit single or even a successful album back in the day, I guess that was going for an even darker tone than the original film and as such, Tim Burton felt that contemporary music was out of the question. Admittedly the Batman forever soundtrack wasn't exactly contemporary itself as evidence by this being the big hit from the album.
#54 for 1995 (#31 website)
This was another easy hit that Five managed to achieve in NZ this year, although it wasn't as big as their other hits I've already featured on this side of my site considering that it fell off the charts rather quickly despite debuting high over there. Admittedly this was a very common phenomenon for a lot of these repeat entries on this list as they would made a huge splash over there and quickly drop down the charts.
#54 for 1999 (#24 website)
This original track from Air supply was a fairly big hit for them in NZ back in the day, certainly more so than it was here in Australia which was an early sign of their international appeal despite them being far from the biggest Australian band of the 70's. NZ EDM duo Deep obsession decided to turn the ballad into a dance track which resulted in it being equally as successful nearly two decades later.
#51 for 1998 (#20 website)
Disney's animated version of Beauty and the beast is my favourite movie of all time bar none (naturally we don't talk about the Emma Watson version) it's one of many films the company made in the 90's that holds up so well that Disney haters have to invent ridiculous claims to make it seem like it isn't a masterpiece when it clearly is. This Oscar winning duet was a hit here in Australia, however it was only a minor one as opposed to its genuine success worldwide.
#71 for 1992 (#46 website)
As it turns out, there was a TV show based on the British family trio which means that this song of theirs was in fact a theme to a TV show even if it was a hit almost a full year prior to when the show premiered. It was a huge success for the trio in NZ and their native UK as well as it being a minor sleeper hit here in Australia this year, likely due to it fitting in with all the teen pop from the time.
#53 for 1998 (#49 website)
This was a big hit for Enigma in NZ this year, it was also decently successful here in Australia but charted too low to appear on the Australian side of my site. This song was the subject to a lawsuit as the German duo were caught sampling a track without the original composer's permission, it was settled out of court but costed them their reputation in the new age scene.
#67 for 1994 (#35 website)
Well, I guess Paula Abdul having a hit with "Straight up" the previous year in NZ costed her a number one hit over there as this collaboration with the cartoon feline MC Skat Kat wasn't nearly as successful over there as it was over here in Australia. In fact, her album in general wasn't that big here as it was only a minor sleeper hit the previous year as opposed to being a massive hit down under this year.
#59 for 1990 (#40 website)
I did mention earlier on this list that these guys were only able to find success with their debut single in NZ due to the success of "Don't be shy," although it's worth noting that despite this appearing the lowest of their three hits on this list, it was technically their biggest hit due to how long it lasted on their charts throughout the year. Sadly, they wouldn't find any further success in either country as the decade went on.
#69 for 1994 (#33 website)
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