Biggest hits of the 90's NZ VI (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.

As far as fans are concerned, this was the last thing that the Spice girls released as they (including me) like to pretend that their third album never came to be instead of it crashing and burning the following year when it actually came out. This was just as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia despite it also managing to chart higher over there than it did over here as with most of these repeat entries.

#44 for 1998

#40 for 1999

I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed with the Backstreet boy's incorporation of a guitar solo as we Aussies were given how much less popular this second single was over there compared to over here, although they would make up for this by having their third single from Millennium be a far bigger hit over there the following year which was a return to their roots as the white Boyz II men.

#77 for 1999 (#23 website)

It's a bit surprising that Janet Jackson didn't have much success with the Velvet rope over in NZ given how this single in particular managed to become one of the biggest hits of the decade everywhere else in the world, I guess the kiwis were already fed up with her spiritual vibes in her music by this point given how much bigger "Runaway" was over there earlier in the decade than in most parts of the world.

#45 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 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)

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)

Well at least we have a more appropriate album art for this second single from CJ Lewis, this time he covers an early Stevie Wonder track which didn't go over as well in NZ and his native UK as his earlier entry on this list but was still a massive success in both countries due to their respective love of pop reggae around this time.

#70 for 1994

Well at least Suzanne Vega had a minor hit in NZ three years prior with "Luka" which came from the same album as the original version of this dance classic from DNA, it was a slightly bigger hit over in NZ likely because the kiwis wanted to get Suzanne out of the one hit wonder bin even if technically she still is a one hit wonder over there as she was merely credited as the featured artist on this remix.

#65 for 1990

Ever want to know why Jason Priestly from 90210 ever took Hollywood by storm outside of his starring role in the TV series? Well, it may have something to do with his first feature length film which was so poorly received that history has done its best to try and erase its existence. I bring this up because there's no information on who provided the theme song to the film other than it being a cover of a Diana Ross classic.

#54 for 1993

#54 for 1994

This was the second big hit that Annie Crummer had over in NZ this year, it was the title track to her solo debut which was also a massive success for the former vocalist for a band known as Netherworld dancing toys.

#53 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)

For whatever reason, this lead single to George Michael's second solo album was a commercial disappointment here in Australia, I'm guessing we Aussies weren't quite ready to take him as seriously as he wanted to be taken at the start of the decade which certainly didn't seem to be the case internationally where this became an instant success for the former Wham singer.

#82 for 1990

This was the final hit that MC Hammer had in NZ, although notice how he dropped the MC from his stage name which suggests that even at this point he was noticing that he was becoming a target from other rappers in the music industry. It was still relatively harmless even with the expensive as hell music video, certainly compared to his next album where he tried to become a gangster rapper.

#46 for 1991

#38 for 1992

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)

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 the other big hit that Sybil managed to achieve in NZ this year, and just like her earlier entry, this was also a cover of a Dionne Warwick track from the 60's which I'm guessing was why she had two hits over there this year as Dionne never had that much success over there (at you could likely tell from her lower placements on this side of my site.)

#51 for 1990

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)

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

While it may seem surprising that this was far less popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, it might be due to "Love in an elevator" being a minor success over there which likely ate up the sales of this ballad due to it being the second single released from their breakthrough album Pump. More shockingly is that this is the only major hit that Aerosmith had over there due to "I don't want to miss a thing" failing to chart there.

Hit in 1990

If was all but impossible to find out information about this entry, I'm not even going to bother with a disclaimer as there's no way in hell I can say anything to help people figure out that this entry is "Cruisin" by Matty J Rays. There's little information about the singer and less information still about the song he got big with.

Hit in 1996

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 the final big hit that Boyz II Men were able to achieve anywhere in the world, I'm not sure why their popularity took such a massive nosedive this far into the decade given how there were still plenty of RNB groups copying their style finding massive success around the world. I guess once you dominated the Billboard charts for over four months with the same song, you're bound to have people get sick of you.

#58 for 1997 (#31 website)

I don't think I've elaborated on what the Baggy sub-genre was despite already mentioning it on this site, it's basically a combination of EDM and psychedelia which was popular in the UK by bands and artists such as the Stone roses and Happy Mondays. They didn't have any success outside of their homeland, but these guys did as they scored a bit hit in NZ with this track about hippy culture.

#64 for 1990

#67 for 1991

As this was released on time in NZ, it means it was able to become a success much sooner over there than it did here in Australia. It was also less successful over there, although that's more due to the trio already having success with the other three songs from Crazysexycool by the time this was released as a single there as opposed to them only having one hit over here with "Waterfalls."

#56 for 1995

#50 for 1996

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)

This is the only hit single that Michael Bolton had in NZ, even then it was only a sleeper hit for him over there which is odd as you'd think the kiwis would've been in love with his brand of RNB and soft rock. Evidently, they only reserved that love for his albums as none of his other singles made any waves with them.

Hit in 1990

For whatever reason, Simply red struggled for singles success with Stars despite the tracks on there being radio staples on oldies stations to this day much like their mega hits from their other albums. Indeed, this was merely a sleeper hit for them in NZ despite the hype that went into said album following its release.

Hit in 1991

There won't be as many double entries on the NZ side of this site given how the kiwis seemed to have a more competitive music scene during the late 90's, one of the few exceptions was the fourth and fifth singles from the Spice Girl's debut album which were bundled together over there like they were everywhere else in the world so that it wouldn't take up space during the album cycle of their second album.

#65 for 1997 (#44 website)

I think this was one of the last genuine country songs to become a hit in NZ as there definitely wasn't much country to make it big over there without some pop makeover, it also comes from a country legend over there as John Grenell had been releasing country albums strictly for their country scene for the better part of two decades by that point.

#57 for 1990

Well, this was the biggest hit that the Fugees had in NZ that wasn't their iconic hit "Killing me softly," here they interpolate the Bob Marley classic which managed to appeal to the kiwis given how much love he's had over the years. It was their final hit as a unit; however, the members would go on to have success over there throughout the remainder of the decade.

#34 for 1996

#38 for 1997

Following the success of their "theme" from earlier on this list, Cleopatra released this second single from their debut album which also proved to be a success for the British teen pop trio. It wasn't as big a hit in their native UK likely due to the Brits not having enough love for this track to have it be as big as all the other teen pop making it big over there.

#60 for 1998 (#50 website)

The hits kept on coming for SWV in NZ as this was a huge success for the trio over there this year, I'm guessing because their popularity was still intact in their native America as this was also a huge success on Billboard this year. The girls would have one more hit the following year with Missy Elliott of all people before their popularity was no more.

#58 for 1996 (#49 website)

Although I did mention that their earlier entry and "Break me shake me" were the two big hits that Savage Garden had over in NZ, this worldwide chart topper of theirs was a big sleeper hit over there this year which allowed it to reappear on this side of my site even if its popularity like the other songs from the duo's debut album was but a fraction of what it achieved here and in America.

#78 for 1997

This was the debut single for Billie Piper which became a modest success here in Australia and in NZ back in the day due to how catchy (and some may say irritating) the song was from her, even back then, it wasn't that well received as evidence by "Girlfriend" and "Honey to the bee" being the songs that allowed her career to take off in earnest from her debut album.

Hit in 1998

Well, this was so much less successful in NZ for Martika than it was here in Australia, admittedly it's more surprising it was so successful here than anything considering it wasn't that big of a hit in her native America or the UK either. In fact, it's failure internationally led to her retiring from music after she was done promoting her second album the following year.

#64 for 1991 (#47 website)

From what I can gather, Andru Donalds is one of the vocalists that Enigma used in their albums which would explain the success of his solo material in certain parts of the world including this track he released following an infamous lawsuit that the German duo was facing around this time. No surprise then this was a hit for him in NZ given how it's a reggae track made by an artist who hails from Jamaica.

#67 for 1995

Although Tevin Campbell did achieve massive success in NZ throughout the 90's, I should point out that this will be his only appearance on this side of my site as none of his other singles racked up enough points to make the cut for their respective lists. It seems odd that his biggest hit in NZ and his native America would be from his much younger years given how his later work was much better recieved.

#75 for 1992

This was the last hit that Coolio had in NZ, it was a lot more pop friendly compared to his other work which is perhaps why it was a hit but also largely forgotten in his catalogue in recent years.

#52 for 1997

#49 for 1998

It felt weird that this was absent from my 1998 list on this side of my site given how it was a decent success for the Spice girls in NZ, heck it was even released on time over there which admittedly was more due the fact that "Say you'll be there" wasn't heavily delayed over there like it was over here which of course pushed back the remainder of their catalogue here in Australia.

Hit in 1998

This was the second of three consecutive chart toppers that Boyzone had in NZ during the final years of the 90's, it seems rather bittersweet that the Irish boy band would finally see this level of success over there given how they went through most of the decade without so much as touching the charts.

#59 for 1999 (#47 website)

This song's success in NZ was inevitable given how it was a hip hop track from a well-established rapper made for a popular film at the time of its release, although it was curiously not as success there as it was here likely because the kiwis were mixed on the "Islands in the dreams" interpolation on the track. This was the biggest hit that Pras had on his own, although here he simply replaced Lauryn for Mya and Wyclef for Ol dirty bastard.

#39 for 1998 (#19 website)

It seems weird that this would only barely be a success in NZ given that A: it was a much bigger hit here in Australia and B: it was released on time over there as opposed to being heavily delayed over here. I guess there was much stiffer competition when it comes to RNB jams over there which only makes it all the more confusing as to how it crossed over here.

Hit in 1995

Like everything she released this decade after the Immaculate collection, this wasn't as big in NZ as it was here in Australia which is why this theme to the second Austin Powers film appears much lower on this side of my site than it does on the Australian side. Still the kiwis did enjoy this bop of a tune enough for it to be one of the biggest hits of the year for the queen of pop.

#60 for 1999

He may not have had any success during his time with the Rockmelons here in Australia, however at least Peter Blakeley can take comfort in the fact that his one and only hit in Australia was also as such in NZ albeit to a much lesser scale. It appears to have come at the expense of his album being a success over there as it unfortunately flopped much like his former band's album from two years prior.

#68 for 1990

This is the only hit that teenage singer Shola Ama was able to achieve outside of her native UK, although like many British artists of the day (especially those in the RNB camp) she was far more successful in her homeland. Here she puts her spin on an obscure track from the late 70's that went over well with her fellow Brits and the kiwis, although not so much with us Aussies given how this flopped here.

#68 for 1997

This was the song where it all began for the Fugees given how it was their debut single they released in their native America the previous year, it was a flop on Billboard due to the trio not participating in the east coast/west coast rivalry despite being from the former coast, however it managed to become a huge success over in NZ despite the kiwis firmly being in the west coast camp.

#73 for 1996

Here's a fact that may shock everyone reading this who isn't from NZ, Popstars was actually a reality series that originated over there this year before it became popular here in Australia and eventually the UK. The first winners of the series anywhere in the world was this all-girl group who were formed as such because Popstars had you competing in the show in groups rather than as solo artists.

#42 for 1999 (#33 website)

Unlike in Australia where Sophie B Hawkins managed to achieve a second hit throughout the decade, this was the only hit she managed to achieve over in NZ likely due to this becoming a minor hit in the UK in addition to it being a massive hit here and in her native America this year. Admittedly none of her contemporaries managed to achieve much success with their singles over there like they did over here either.

#67 for 1992 (#37 website)

Well, it looks like the kiwis had already grown tired of Paula Abdul going into her second album, I guess this was a hit for the pop star over there due to how inescapable it was throughout the rest of the world, however it's clear that they were ready to move on from her to the likes of the pop divas from earlier on this list.

#72 for 1991

Following the success of his earlier entry on this list, Che fu released this Double A-side of "Without a doubt" and "Machine talk" from his solo debut album which became a number one hit for the former lead vocalist for Supergroove. His popularity would continue to explode going into the 00's where he scored plenty of other hits.

#57 for 1998 (#22 website)

This is the only other big hit that Double J and Twice the T managed to achieve in their homeland, here they appear to recruit an environmental mascot called Robert D Frogg (lamest mascot name ever) to encourage kids of the day to be more mindful of the environment which was a common trend throughout the 90's.

#74 for 1990

Once again, we have a song that was released on time in NZ that saw considerably less success over there than it did over here despite it being released much later with us Aussies, this is doubly strange considering A: how much bigger the other singles from Five were over there and B: this brand of white boy hip hop being a shoe in for success with the kiwis over us Aussies.

Hit in 1998

This was the final hit that Bryan Adams was able to achieve in NZ, admittedly this was more of a Barbra Streisand track as it came from her film the Mirror has two faces which was a critical and commercial success around this time. You may have noticed that Bryan was another name from the 90's that didn't have nearly as much success in NZ as he did throughout the rest of the world with these entries.

#71 for 1997

Much like here in Australia, this was a sleeper hit for Tasmin Archer in NZ even though it was released on time over there compared to over here. It makes sense that this was at least a moderate success over there since RNB was all the rage in their music scene, although it did pitifully compared to what it achieved in her native UK.

Hit in 1992

The original version of this track which appeared on the Australian side of my site flopped hard in NZ for the Scottish band Texas, I guess it was too adult contemporary for the kiwis who were all about hip hop and EDM by this point in time. That seemed to be the mindset when they got members of the Wu Tang Clan of all groups to collaborate with them on this remix which finally gave them a hit over there.

#50 for 1998 (#36 website)

I guess the kiwis weren't as blown away with this track about Joan Osbourne asking the heavy questions about if God is truly like one of us mortal beings as we Aussies were, although they were intrigued enough for it to be a sleeper success for her even if she remains a one hit wonder with this track over there like she does worldwide.

Hit in 1996

This was all set to top the Billboard charts this year as it did in NZ, however due to the change of format with how they were calculated, it didn't end up becoming a number one hit in America. I thought I'd shared that here as I have nothing new to add to this song on this site and instead want to highlight just how unreliable the Billboard charts had becoming beginning with this year.

#45 for 1992 (#30 website)

This proved to be a slightly bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'd say because the kiwis confused this for an Alanis Morrissette track except that didn't seem to do Meredith Brooks many favours two years prior. I'm guessing it was because they were surprised that Jennifer Love Hewitt managed to have a song that wasn't just a novelty hit for her like other Hollywood stars such as Eddie Murphy or Patrick Swayze.

#55 for 1999

Well Tony Toni Tone already had success earlier in the decade, so why not have these guys follow in their footsteps in NZ and their native America? This is another band who combined hip hop with new jack swing who managed to score a bigger hit in NZ than anything that the other guys released over there, although they were a one hit wonder over there and also failed to score a hit in Australia.

#41 for 1992 (#29 website)

Following the success of her collaboration with Monica from much earlier on this list, Brandy no longer had any issues with topping the Billboard charts as this became her first solo single to top the charts in her homeland as well as it being a moderate success over in NZ for her. There is a version which features a guest verse from Ma$e which likely helped boost this song's popularity in both countries as well.

Hit in 1998

It looked like there wouldn't be another Traveling Wilburys album following the tragic death of Roy Orbison shortly after they released their first album two years prior, however the remaining members decided to make a second album which included this track they released in aid of the Romanian Angel Appeal. This was a charity which helped the children of Romania that I'm sure was a factor in its success in NZ.

#76 for 1990 (#43 website)

I really wasn't expecting to feature Anthrax on this site given how they're about as far away you can get from commercially accessible music (especially for the early 90's) however it appears the kiwis were big fans of their collaboration with Chuck D from Public Enemy (hey that rhymes) which is likely the reason why Metallica didn't see much success with their sellout material over there this decade.

#73 for 1991

These guys really were the exception to the rule where east coast hip hop was unwelcomed in NZ throughout the 90's, here we have another entry from them that only barely failed to make it on my official lists on this site due to being yet another sleeper hit from them back in the day. Their success was about on par with the likes of Cypress hill and Bone thugs n harmony as far as the kiwis were concerned.

Hit in 1995

This is another entry that was a sleeper hit in NZ that made it comfortably on one of my lists on the Australian side of my site, this time's it's the one and only hit that Lisa Stansfield had anywhere in the world given how the kiwis were a bit sceptical on whether they should follow the rest of the world's lead in making this a huge success for her over there.

Hit in 1990

If this entry feels out of place to you on this list, you can only imagine how the kiwis felt about this track when it first came out as it was another song on this list where they couldn't decide if they wanted to make a hit out of or not. In the end, it lasted long enough that it managed to become a success due to its lengthy chart run.

Hit in 1997

This was another song from Mariah Carey that proved to be more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, she was really on a roll this year even if she only had one chart topper outside of Billboard with "Vision of love" from the previous year. Her second international chart topper came when she performed "I'll be there" on MTV unplugged to silence those rumours that she was lip synching on her albums.

#61 for 1991

I guess the kiwis were more conscious about the environment than we Aussies were back in the day as this managed to be a bigger hit for MJ over there in addition to "Heal the world" being a massive success for him two years earlier. It could admittedly be that anything released from the king of pop around this time was more popular with the kiwis than it was with us Aussies given how these lists have turned out in his favour.

#64 for 1995

#63 for 1996

I've yet to see any of the Rocky films, however I have it on good authority that even the biggest diehard fan of Sylvester Stallone will tell you that the fifth entry is one of the worst films ever made. It seems the only redeeming quality about it is the theme song similar to how well received James Brown's song for the previous entry was also well received even by that film's biggest detractors.

Hit in 1991

Mista were a short lived American RNB and hip-hop group who achieved no success on the Billboard charts and yet were able to score a massive hit in NZ with this number, it was their only crossover success over there but considering how much of a failure they were in their homeland, it's still an impressive feat for them.

#59 for 1996 (#42 website)

This was one of many RNB acts from NZ to score moderate success in their homeland throughout the 90's, though it was far from the biggest hit that the RNB scene over there had to offer, it did spark enough interest here in Australia for it to rank pretty high on the Triple J year end list for this year. Sadly, it's commercial success in the duo's homeland and the critical success it received over here did the group very little favours in the long run.

#53 for 1994 (#40 website)

This came very close to appearing on my 1990 list on this side of my site, alas it was too much of a sleeper hit to make the cut for Technotronic even though they're a two-hit wonder in NZ like they are everywhere else in the world. I guess the kiwis were already growing tired of the EDM trend once the decade was in full swing.

Hit in 1990

Though this was released on time in NZ as opposed to it being released late here in Australia, it appears the kiwis were a bit put off by the sexual nature of the lyrics in a way we Aussies weren't hence why it only appears on this list and much lower than it would on the Australian side of my site. I guess this is the best proof I have that the kiwis were bigger prudes than us Aussies during this point in time.

Hit in 1993 (#43 website)

I guess the kiwis weren't that much more impressed with this sweet and innocent number from (at the time) underage singer Shanice Wilson than we Aussies were, although at least it didn't have to worry about making the cut on this list as opposed to the Australian side of my site where it nearly failed to do so. Again, this was far more successful in the northern hemisphere back in the day.

#77 for 1992

This was a minor hit here in Australia for Ricky Martin; however, it was too minor of a hit to appear on the Australian side of my site due to it charting too low to make any sort of impact in our music scene. Fortunately, it was much more impactful over in NZ likely due to the Latin craze being a lot stronger over there at the time, well that or the fact that this came from a highly successful album which affected its popularity down under.

#64 for 1999 (#19 website)

This was one of the many hits that Stellar achieved from their debut album, in fact this was the song the band released when the album dropped which naturally meant it would be a success even if it was only a sleeper hit likely due to the album overshadowing its popularity.

Hit in 1999 (#45 website)

I'm a bit surprised this was merely a sleeper hit in NZ given how much more receptive towards MJ's more topical songs than we Aussies were, although I guess this was a bit on the nose given how even someone as unpolitical as he was noticed how turbulent the government was towards minority groups around this time.

Hit in 1996

This almost made it to the Australian side of my site, it only didn't because I didn't want my lists to be too exhausting for my readers which meant I had to make a cut off point for each of them. Fortunately, this easily cleared that cutoff point on the NZ side of my site likely due to the kiwis finding much to love for this song back in the day despite it facing a lawsuit against Wild cherry's song of the same name.

#71 for 1991

These guys were on such a roll in NZ throughout the 90's that they managed to make it on here with another entry that failed to appear on one of my year end lists, this was just further proof at how much the kiwis loved reggae music even though Inner circle were two hit wonders at best everywhere else in the world.

Hit in 1995

Well, this is a song that I'm sure has never caused any controversies over the years, OK putting aside it's title, this song has been nothing but controversial in the mainstream from its lyrics to the video which is definitely not safe for work to talk about (let alone show.) It was a huge worldwide success for the band due to the controversy, although it only managed to appear on the NZ side of this site.

#67 for 1997

#68 for 1998

It looks like the kiwis gave Guns n Roses one more hit for the road during the Use your illusions era, although it's worth noting that "November rain" was still one of the biggest hits here in Australia during the entire chart run this song had on our charts as opposed to it finally dropping out of the charts over there when it was released.

#61 for 1993

This is a song that should be much higher on this list, it isn't because it was pulled from shelves in NZ to encourage album sales for the soundtrack which as far as I can tell, didn't work over there. Another interesting fact I forgot to mention on the Australian side of my site is that the beat comes from "Forget me nots" from Patrice Rushen which was a massive hit in NZ fifteen years prior.

#41 for 1997 (#5 website)

This was more of a sleeper hit in NZ for Queen than it was here in Australia and their native UK following the death of Freddie Mercury, although it still managed to be a success over there prior to the release of Wayne's world where this became a massive success for them in America due to that famous scene of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey headbanging to the track.

Hit in 1992 (#41 website)

I never understood why American dance acts had a hard time in finding success in their homeland, although this is one of the lucky few success stories even if it wound up being more successful in NZ albeit as a sleeper hit for the trio. Normally these American artists have their success in the UK or throughout Europe, however that wasn't the case for these guys.

Hit in 1990 (#36 website)

I'm not sure why this wasn't as popular in NZ or the trio's native America this year as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing it didn't have that novelty factor that "Mmmbop" had and wasn't a ballad like their previous entry was which made it not worthy of much of either countries time. Still, this was a massive hit back in the day in both countries which further proves how inaccurate their label of a one hit wonder is.

#74 for 1997 (#39 website)

This was the theme song to a film known as Friday, it's a black comedy starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker which has retained a strong fanbase in black communities as well as fans of 90's comedy (I haven't seen it but should probably get around to doing so.) It was also the only hit that Dr Dre had as a lead performer in NZ given how he was better known for being a producer by this point in his career.

#62 for 1995 (#38 website)

The success that Savage Garden had with their first album in NZ was a bit of an inverse to what they achieved in America, this and "Break me shake me" were the two big hits over there whereas "I want you" and "Truly madly deeply" were their big hits on Billboard. In any case, this became their first big hit over there following the buzz that their debut single had given them earlier in the year.

#73 for 1997 (#47 website)

This was Tiny Tina's only hit in NZ (Tiny Tina was what we Aussies called her during her days on Young talent time) mainly because the kiwis passed up her singles over there in favour of making her second album a huge (albeit sleeper) hit over there. This was also a huge success in the UK for the Australian pop diva which led to her crossing over throughout Europe.

#70 for 1995

I'm shocked this wasn't a bigger hit back in the day, mainly because this is a collaboration between Sting and Eric Clapton for a highly popular film franchise. Clapton saw a huge resurgence in popularity when this came out due to his MTV concert and Lethal weapon was one of the hottest action franchises of its day, and yet it was only a sleeper hit at best in Australia and NZ upon its release.

Hit in 1992

This was the second single to be released from Nevermind worldwide, it managed to be a success in NZ likely because A: they had a stronger alternative scene at the time compared to us Aussies and B: the album was already a massive success here by the time this was released as a single. It remains one of their more iconic songs in their catalogue due to how surprisingly simplistic it is as a grunge track.

#62 for 1992

This was the last hit that R.E.M managed to achieve in most parts of the world as the band became more of an album act after the success of this lead single to their album Monster, I'm guessing this was a hit in NZ due to it being a surprise hit over in the UK even though it was only a minor hit at best here in Australia for the band.

#62 for 1994

I guess the kiwis didn't care as much for the Australian miners back then as they did for Aboriginal rights, although there was still a level of appreciation for this track given how it peaked higher over there despite it being less successful overall. Midnight oil were arguably bigger in NZ throughout the 90's mainly because their next album spawned them a genuine hit over there.

#63 for 1990

This was the highest charting song from Jagged little pill from Alanis Morissette, it wasn't her biggest hit as that honour goes to her earlier entry on this list, however it was this song that the kiwis gravitated towards the quickest due to the jokes being made about irony dating back to its initial release. At least Alanis got the last laugh by saying those jokes was the point of the song.

#55 for 1996

This was also a big hit for Britney in NZ this year, although at least this remix was also a modest success in her native America which likely explains its popularity worldwide given that "Sometimes" was only barely a hit for her on Billboard this year. Unlike in her native America, her popularity would continue to grow in NZ going into the new millennium.

#71 for 1999 (#21 website)

I'm a bit surprised this wasn't an even bigger hit in NZ than it was, granted it was still much bigger there than it was here in Australia, but I would've thought a hip hop track from the white rapper (even if it's a novelty like this track) would've been an easy chart topper over there as opposed to just being a mere top ten hit.

#58 for 1999

This might have been a huge success for Bon Jovi this year in NZ, however it was the only hit they had from their album of the same name as both it and the other singles all flopped over there despite them being massive hits here in Australia. Admittedly this was the only single of theirs to retain the bombast they had from their 80's material.

#49 for 1992

It was only inevitable that this would be more of a hit in NZ than it was here in Australia for New edition given how much more popular the boys were during their heyday over there, heck I would've been dumbstruck if this had failed over there given how much more successful the individual members were over there throughout the decade and that this was a hit over here in Australia.

#61 for 1996 (#33 website)

It appears the kiwis were also feeling nostalgic for the Jim Henson preschool show which premiered twenty years prior and is still running to this day, that's the best explanation I have for how this remix of the show's theme song managed to become such a huge worldwide success back in the day except for in America as British artists didn't have as much luck in the 90's on Billboard as they had previously done.

#59 for 1992

I'm surprised this wasn't a bigger hit in NZ given how gangster rap was taking the world by storm around this time, heck it was even noticeable enough for it to become a success in Australia which says how popular Snoop Dogg was back in the day. Alas it was only a modest success for him in NZ just like it was here in Australia, although he did have moderate success over there as the decade went on.

#63 for 1994

Well, this wasn't as big in NZ as it was here in Australia (even taking into account that this did far worse on AMR than it did on ARIA) at least this was a big hit for the girls over there even if it was the last song they released as a unit before Ginger Spice called it quits for reasons I won't go over on this site.

#70 for 1998

I guess the kiwis weren't as big of fans of Coneheads as we Aussies were given how much less popular this theme song to that movie was over there compared to over here, then again RHCP didn't see as much success overall throughout the 90's in NZ as they did here in Australia, so perhaps this was merely a case of their welcome getting worn out over there.

Hit in 1993

It's hard to say how much airplay was a factor to this song's success for Shania Twain in NZ, after all her previous two singles underperformed over there despite them being massively popular here in Australia the previous year. In any case, the kiwis seemed to gravitate towards this pop rendition of her country track on Come on over where she shoots down guys who don't impress her, it's far less catty than I'm making it out to be.

#49 for 1999 (#38 website)