Biggest hits of the 90's NZ V (alternate list)

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.

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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 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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

It appears the kiwis wanted to wash their hands of the hair metal of the 80's much faster than we Aussies did given how this lead single to Poison's third album was only a success seemingly out of obligation in NZ as it quickly rose up their charts only to quickly recede this year. That's not to say it was a fan single however as it did last quite a while in the lower half of their charts this year.

#73 for 1990 (#31 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 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)

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)

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

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)

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

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)

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

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

Here's the other big hit from KLF that failed to appear on this side of my site up until this point, I guess this is the best proof I have that the kiwis were more into RNB and hip hop this decade given how many of these new entries here were massive hits here in Australia and come from the dance and EDM genres of music which we were of course into.

Hit in 1991 (#48 website)

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

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 was the song that made the Mutton birds a household name given that it was their first hit in their homeland right around the time they dropped their highly successful debut album. They had potential to crossover to Australia as did many NZ bands from the 90's, however it was sadly never met as Triple J never promoted their music despite being a rock band.

#58 for 1992 (#48 website)

This was a minor success twice in NZ, the first time was upon its initial release as the second single from Seal's second self-titled album whilst the second time was due to it being chosen as the theme to Batman forever where it truly blew up in popularity worldwide. It's another example of a song that became a success more than once over there that prevented it from appearing on this side of my site.

Hit in 1994

Hit in 1995

This was the second hit that Beats international managed to achieve in NZ back in the day, that's right, Fatboy slim managed to score a second hit over there before he embarked on a solo career later in the decade. This time we have a straighter forward cover of the Elvis Presley track as this doesn't have additional lyrics or samples like their earlier hit did which is perhaps why this didn't chart in Australia.

#51 for 1992 (#50 website)

This was another entry that was a pain in the backside to do research on, here we have the German duo Jonestown who scored their one and only hit anywhere in the world with this hip hop track which goes to show that the kiwis would allow anything from RNB and hip hop to become a success over there by this point in time so long as they knew about its existence.

#48 for 1998 (#38 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)

So, you know the guy who sung on the chorus to "Gangsta's paradise" from earlier on this list right? Well, it turns out he had a solo hit of his own in NZ with this track likely due to him being a good singer and the kiwis wanting to check out what else he had to offer in his catalogue. This curiosity only lasted for one song as he would quickly fade into obscurity after this fell off the charts over there.

#56 for 1996

AKA Brown were a NZ hip hop duo who scored their one and only hit this year with this rap number likely in an attempt to become the new DLT or Che fu going into the new millennium. Though they made a huge splash with this song of theirs, their time in the spotlight was limited to when this was on the charts.

#53 for 1999

This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for the Purple one this year, I'm guessing because the kiwis in general were more apathetic to his comeback album this serves as the title track for than the rest of the world who were far more ecstatic to see the return of the funk legend.

#79 for 1992 (#49 website)

From what I can tell, Greg Johnson was a folk singer from NZ who managed to score a massive hit in his homeland this year with this folk track about the love of his life named Isabelle. It was enough of a success to spark interest in him from America of all places which is why he moved over there later in the decade despite failing to score any other hits in his catalogue in his homeland.

#70 for 1992 (#40 website)

Well, it took us long enough, but we've finally gotten to that other big hit that Brownstone was able to achieve in NZ this year. This is a cover of the Eagles final hit single before they called it quits in 1980, curiously around the same time they had embarked on their Hell froze over tour which means the kiwis were very hungry for not only more music like SWV but also new music from the band this year.

#63 for 1995 (#44 website)

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

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 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

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 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

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

This wound up being a decent sized hit for Terence Trent D'arby in NZ during the midpoint of the decade, somewhat confirming his earlier entry wasn't a fluke even if this was more in line with his 80's soul music rather than the rock and roll of that entry. It would sadly be the final hit he would have before he officially faded into obscurity for good following a bizarre name change.

Hit in 1995 (#48 website)

This was one of the last hit singles that Will Smith had in his career anywhere in the world, granted he would come back in the midpoint of the 00's with "Switch" which is arguably his biggest hit in the southern hemisphere, but this was his last big hit in his native America given how it was the theme song to his film of the same name which was torn apart by critics for various reasons.

#47 for 1999 (#42 website)

You better believe that Kris Kross had more than one hit in NZ given how the kiwis seemed to be hungry for any kind of hip hop this decade, here's their second hit which was just as infectious as their earlier entry and yet was only a success over there and their native America likely due to international audiences finding the chorus to be too gimmicky for their liking.

#42 for 1992 (#36 website)

This was a straight cover of the Ben E King classic of the same name from the short lived American RNB group 4 the cause, this was another group that found success throughout Europe despite never having a hit on the Billboard charts this year, likely due to their fellow Americans not appreciating this cover as much as the rest of the world did. This did briefly chart in Australia the following year, suggesting we Aussies would make it a hit but changed our minds at some point.

#41 for 1998 (#28 website)

Although this charted higher in NZ than it did here in Australia for the Spice girls, it didn't last as long on their charts which was the case for many of the returning entries on this list given how the NZ charts functioned differently to the Australian charts in the late 90's. Other than that, there's nothing new I can say about this song that I didn't already cover on the Australian side of this site.

#42 for 1998 (#16 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

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

Given how the kiwis had embraced hip hop by this point in time, it makes sense that this would be an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia for Del tha funkee homosapien (I can't even with that name BTW.) It was his only hit over there like it was over here, although at least he had an audience in both countries which is more than I can say for his success anywhere else in the world.

#63 for 1992 (#33 website)

Well, this was bound to be a success in NZ given how even we Aussies made this track that nostalgia baits off the Bob Marley classic a success over here. It wasn't Warren G's final success over there as he still has one more entry to appear on this list.

#46 for 1997 (#19 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

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

These guys were on a roll in NZ as they managed to score a third big hit over there following the success of "O.P.P" and Hip hip hooray from earlier in the decade, indeed their popularity there was arguably more so than it was their native America as this underperformed on the Billboard charts back in the day. I guess the kiwis needed to show some love to east coast hip hop to balance out all the west coast tracks making it big.

#60 for 1995 (#47 website)

The hits seemed to keep on coming for CJ Lewis in NZ as he managed to score a big hit over there with the title track to his second album, it proved to be much bigger there than it was in his native UK as was everything else in his catalogue as he didn't have much success in on the British charts with his brand of pop reggae.

#53 for 1996

This was sandwiched between the Fugees two NZ chart toppers from earlier on this list, here they interpolate a much more obscure track from the 60's in order to connect their verses about giving their love to the people they're rapping about on the track. This and "No woman no cry" were modest sleeper hits here in Australia, proving that we Aussies were becoming more susceptible towards hip hop by this point.

#62 for 1996 (#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 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

Given how this was more in the EDM genre than anything, it makes sense that this wasn't as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia and White town's native UK. Still with how catchy this song is as well as the possibility of it being the first song to be from the perspective of a trans woman, there was little doubt that this was going to be a success over there upon its initial release.

#54 for 1997 (#40 website)

Well at least this was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, in fact it was slightly bigger over there than Blue's (in my opinion) inferior cover from 2001 even though both versions topped the NZ charts back in the day. Naturally this was another chart topper this year that likely would've been higher on this list if there weren't so many minor hits that pushed it aside once it fell off from the top spot over there.

#45 for 1998 (#18 website)

Much like here in Australia, this was a hit in NZ following Bruce's Oscar win for this ballad for the film it was written for. Speaking of Philadelphia, the film was a critical darling at the time due to it being among the first to depict a homosexual man with any form of dignity and respect (although he was played by the VERY straight Tom Hanks who won an Oscar for his portrayal.)

#46 for 1994 (#50 website)

From what I can gather, there are two versions of this song from Peter Andre as Coolio also provided a guest verse for him on this track albeit in lieu of Warren G whose version is the one we're looking at here. Either way, it's little surprise this was a genuine hit in NZ and a flop here in Australia given how much more successful all three men were over there compared to over here.

Hit in 1998

Well, I bet you were wondering if me saying this duo's album was more popular over there than anywhere else in the world meant that they managed to score a second hit in NZ, it turns out they did as they scored a massive hit over there with this song about how awful it is to live in New York City at the time the duo had made it big. Naturally this criticism of the big apple didn't go over very well in their native America.

#57 for 1993 (#46 website)

Although this failed to become a top ten hit for Jimmy Barnes in NZ like it was here in Australia, it still managed to be a huge sleeper hit over there likely due to the goodwill he attainted from his second album Freight train heart. He would have one more hit with John Farnham before the kiwis discarded him moving forward due to considering him and 80's artist.

Hit in 1990 (#44 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)

When we last saw Eric Clapton on this site, it was with his emotional tribute to his son which he wrote not only for him but also a long-forgotten film by the name of Rush. Fast forward four years and he manages to score another hit in NZ with this theme to the film Phenomenon which doesn't have the emotional baggage that his previous hit had but was a compelling ballad to the kiwis regardless.

#57 for 1996 (#37 website)