Well, I've mentioned them thoroughly throughout my site, so I guess it's finally time to look at which songs were popular on the Billboard charts that were also big hits in the southern hemisphere throughout the 90's. For the sake of my sanity, I've decided to only include songs that have already appeared on this site given how I've already stretched myself thin in contextualising what was popular in Australia and NZ during a time where I was only an infant. That said I will be including fresh commentary for each entry on this list given how what I've said about them previously obviously will feel out of place on this list, I've also decided to rank this based on the top 500 that's on the website, meaning that this is by no means a comprehensive list of every song to make it big in America this decade.
Even though this had most of its success in the 00's, the fact that this peaked just as the decade was coming to an end ensured that it would be the top of this list. It's easy to see how as this was inescapable worldwide upon its initial release for the 70's band.
It lasted for what seemed like the remainder of the decade upon its initial release in America, so it's fitting that this signature track from Leann Rimes would come in second place for Billboard's end of decade charts despite it failing to reach number one over there. Also, I should take this opportunity to bring up that I'll be using different album art for certain entries to spice up the visuals for these lists of mine.
This was a hit twice in America given how the original mix was a minor sleeper hit upon its initial release in 1995, however it makes the list due to its second run on the Billboard charts thanks to the remix from the Bayside boys that created the dance craze attached to it.
It remains her most successful song on the Billboard charts, so naturally this signature track from Toni Braxton would come in high on their official 90's list. She had a ton of other hits in her homeland outside of her three international hits, however for the sake of my sanity, I won't be covering them on this list.
I'm guessing Billboard went with the main list for this entry as this includes "Foolish games" as a two for one deal on there, that would explain how high this managed to appear on this list even though technically it should be lower due to this entry encapsulating the success of two singles instead of one.
To my knowledge, this wasn't pulled from shelves internationally like it was in the southern hemisphere back in the day, meaning that it had no interference with its success back in the day in America. I'll also mention that there will be far more representation from 1990 and 1991 on this list due to the way Billboard calculated these charts for their list.
This made headlines back in the day when it (briefly) became the song with the longest run at number one on Billboard, naturally this was the incentive for it to be a huge international success for Boyz II men even though many will tell you that "End of the road" is their signature track.
There's going to be a ton of RNB on this list, this signature track from Next being one of the more iconic from the 90's as it was the biggest hit of its year on the Billboard charts. In case you were wondering, I did decide to feature this list on my site to allow for black representation on my site to prove how popular urban music was back in the day worldwide.
For over two decades, this held the record for the longest run at number one of the Billboard charts at an impressive sixteen weeks. Grated it sort of cheated to claim this achievement given how it A: debuted at number one and B: accomplished this feat at a time where it had a massive advantage over songs that weren't released as a single specifically for its success.
Given how it was one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia, it only makes sense that it would also be as such in America even if it technically proved to be more successful over there than it did over here back in the day. That said, this is only one of two entries for this list as opposed to one of six on my Australian list.
Just a friendly reminder that these lists are based on chart runs and not sales, if they weren't, then every one of them would have this at number one given how it remains the bestselling single of all time worldwide. That said, it was only a success in America due to it being attached to Princess Diana's funeral as all proceeds went towards the many charities she was affiliated with during her lifetime.
Although this wasn't a comeback for Whitney in America like it was internationally, the fact that it briefly held the record for the longest amount of time at number one on Billboard ensured that it would remain a cultural milestone decades after its initial release despite it being attached to (in my opinion) one of the worst films of the decade.
When this fell off the top spot on the Billboard charts, it made headline news worldwide as it clocked in at thirteen weeks which was the longest period of time a song was at number one in America at the time. It was quickly dethroned by Whitney's earlier entry on this list, suggesting that Americans had finally embraced RNB and other genres made by musicians of colour over everything else.
As this was recorded specifically for the American release of Ace of base's debut album Happy nation, it would be inevitable that it was their biggest hit on Billboard. What's surprising is how big it was as their inspirations Abba didn't achieve much success over there during their heyday, suggesting this was the start of that group's revaluation in America.
It may surprise you to learn that this was the first chart topper for both women in question on Billboard despite the international success they had prior to this collaboration, what's more surprising is that they both achieved several chart toppers in their homeland following this collaboration for the remainder of the decade.
Again, I should point out that the first two years of the decade will have far more representation on this list than the rest of the decade to combat how much fiercer the competition was in those two years, each entry will also be way higher than their chart runs would suggest as a result of this decision. With that out of the way, we have this one and only hit from Stevie B which was far more popular in his homeland than it was internationally.
I'm not exactly sure if this is a combination of all the different version of this one and only hit from Tag team of if it's just the original version specifically, what I do know is that it was an instant hit for the duo in their homeland upon its initial release which led to the multiple remixes that came over the years.
Even though she had a ton of hits during the first two years of the decade in her homeland, this will sadly be one of only two entries from Paula Abdul as like I said at the top, I'm only covering songs on this list that were a hit in either country from the southern hemisphere back in the day. That said, this was a massive success for her worldwide thanks to how inescapable it was in her homeland.
This is the only appearance from Shania Twain on this list, I guess the Americans weren't as fascinated with her as the rest of the world was given how the other four singles from Come on over dominated the charts worldwide just like this did. Then again, this was a huge success over there both physically and as a radio hit, so perhaps this was more a case of the huge hit overshadowing the rest of the album.
The film this was written for may have been panned by critics, however this signature track from Coolio certainly wasn't as it was a massive hit for the rapper likely due to the Stevie Wonder sample that RNB singer LV provided for him on this track. This is also an excellent look into the psyche of young people of colour and how they were treated in America when this song was released.
It's hard to tell if this was a hit in America due to how inescapable it was internationally or because the Americans somehow knew of Prince's involvement on the track, either way it was a massive hit for Sinead O'Connor on the Billboard charts and a sign of great things to come for the controversial pop star that unfortunately never materialised.
Seeing as though this was a huge international success for All-4-one as well as it often being confused as a Boyz II men track, it's only fitting that its success would begin in their homeland as it was indeed inescapable on the Billboard charts upon its initial release.
I'm not sure if this was a success due to genuine sentiment for Biggie smalls or for the Police sample on the chorus, either way this was a massive hit for Puff daddy upon its initial release in his homeland just like it was internationally which led to a string of other hits he had on the Billboard charts.
To my knowledge, this was a hit twice in America as both the album version and its more popular remix allowed it to linger on the Billboard charts for as long as it did back in the day. This also seemed to be the case in NZ in exchange for neither version being particularly big over there, however it was only the remix that made it big here in Australia.
It feels weird that this was only a success here in Australia specifically for how well it did in America given how this would've been a shoe in to be a hit down under and a minor success internationally back in the day. I'm guessing this was the song that convinced Americans that EDM was the future of music as there were far more dance tracks to make it big on Billboard following its success.
I'm honestly surprised this was a hit here in Australia and not in NZ given how this is the type of RNB ballad that the kiwis ate up throughout the decade, either way, it's success in America isn't surprising to me given how much America loved RNB ballads from musicians of colour throughout the 90's.
Given how this was the lead single to Celine Dion's magnum opus Falling into you in America, this meant that it wasn't bundled with "The power of a dream" over there which naturally meant it wasn't as big a hit on Billboard as it was here in Australia. That said, it still did gang busters over there due to it being attached to the Michelle Pfieffer flick Up close and personal.
Although these girls had massive success in their homeland from their first album, none of those tracks will be featured on this list due to their failure to become a success in either Australia or NZ. The fact that the kiwis made this a huge success upon its initial release over there is a result of it becoming their first Billboard chart topper due to how catchy and to the point it is.
Just like the previous entry, this was an inescapable chart topper on Billboard for TLC despite it being in sharp contrast to "Creep" both musically and especially lyrically for the girls. Naturally this was also an instant hit in NZ, however we Aussies had to wait for this to become a hit in the UK before we finally gave the trio a genuine shot in our music scene.
Even though this saw most of its success in America like you think it would, that success only came several months after it was a huge international hit for C+C music factory as the song was actually initially released in the UK where it was a success with the Brits. I'm guessing Americans were a bit cautious with rewarding this track with success due to the Milli Vanilli scandal that happened around this time.
This is Madonna's highest entry on this list, it wasn't her best charting single of the decade on Billboard but again, it likely would've been had the charts not gone through bizarre format changes as the decade played out. It was a brilliant start to the decade for the queen of pop after a couple of flop singles from her previous album which made people wonder if her time in the spotlight was running out.
This was the confirmation that Mariah Carey was in it for the long haul given how her debut single "Vision of love" was initially dismissed as a rip-off of a Whitney Houston track back in the day. This was the second of five consecutive chart topper she had in America, although I'm only mentioning two of those five tracks on this list as the other two bombed in the southern hemisphere.
If you're wondering if Billboard decided to include airplay only singles for their 90's list, this song's appearance on this list should confirm that they did as it otherwise would've had no chance of appearing on here had they not allowed outliers on their airplay charts to qualify for their list. This failed to receive a physical release to allow album sales for the City of angels soundtrack over there.
Roxette was on a roll in America like they were worldwide when they released this updated version to their Christmas track from 1987 for the Pretty woman soundtrack, it became their third chart topper on Billboard likely due to how much of a critical and commercial success the film was as well as their momentum growing worldwide.
This is where it all began for Mariah Carey, she was off to a good start for her career given how it was a massive chart topper for her on Billboard which encouraged the rest of the world to check out what she had to offer once they were able to get their hands on her debut album.
If I were to feature every entry on Billboard's 90's list on my site, then rest assure there would be plenty of entries from Wilson Phillips outside of their debut single given how inescapable the trio were in their homeland back in the day. Alas I can only feature the song which put them on the mad as that was the full extent of their international success back in the day.
Even though this is the highest entry from Color me badd on this list, it's worth noting that this is the only hit of theirs that was as such internationally to not top the Billboard charts as it was infamously stuck from getting to number one in their homeland by Bryan Adam's top entry on here.
Given how this knocked "I'll make love to you" from the top spot on the Billboard charts, it makes sense that it would also see a high placement on this list which goes to confirm how inescapable these guys were back in the day. That success somewhat didn't translate internationally given how much less successful this was compared to what we've seen so far.
Even though she found plenty of success on her debut album in America, this was Toni's first Billboard chart topper which goes to show how number one wasn't everything by this point in time. This of course led to her having her biggest success with her earlier entry on this list, although many still feel (me included) this is the superior song in her catalogue.
Much like the rest of the world, this was the final hit that Bette Midler had in America given how polarising this Christian track was from the otherwise proud Jewish woman. I guess the intentions of the song were pure which allowed it to be a success in the first place, however it's since fallen into infamy due to how horrifying the lyrics are when analysed.
This is the highest entry to not chart on the main Billboard charts as "Iris" did eventually make it on the main charts once radio only entries were eligible to do so. Naturally this was denied a physical release to encourage sales of Tragic kingdom even though the rest of the world made that album a success whilst also having this be a huge chart topper on their sales charts.
There were no signs of MC slowing down when she released her fourth album given how the lead single entered the Billboard charts at number one (after a lengthy delay to its release so that it could do so of course.) The rest of the world followed suit in making this inescapable, proving that she was the diva of choice as far as the 90's were concerned.
I was not expecting to see this be a Billboard chart topper for the Scottish band EMF, mainly because it wasn't a chart topper in their native UK nor was it that big of a hit in Australia and NZ back in the day. Even so, it appears the Americans couldn't get enough of this dance track from the rave band even if they failed to score another hit over there.
We finally have an entry on here that was a complete flop here in Australia, it makes the list due to it being a huge hit over in NZ where this brand of RNB was more lucrative. It was a huge chart topper in Surface's native America which of course translated to massive success with the kiwis back in the day.
If we were going purely by chart success, this would be Madonna's biggest hit in America as it lasted longer at number one on Billboard than anything else in her entire discography. This is likely due to it being played in the season one finale of F.R.I.E.N.D.S where Rachel misses her chance with Ross which boosted the popularity of this ballad's success worldwide.
Although these guys did have minor success in their native America with material from their debut album in 1989, it was when this became a surprise chart topper on Billboard that the rest of the world finally decided to give them success even if this ballad is a gross misrepresentation of what they had to offer in their catalogue.
You'd think that these guys would dominate this list given how many appearances they had on the NZ side of my site, alas you'd be wrong as the only other song of theirs that made Billboard's 90's list was their debut single "Before I let you go" which unfortunately bombed over there like it did here in Australia and thus won't be appearing on this list. At least their most iconic song was also their biggest in their homeland.
Given how we Aussies weren't that big into New edition throughout the 80's, it only makes sense that this side project from three of that group's members would be a massive flop here. What's interesting is that New edition wasn't that lucrative in their native America either and yet here we are looking at this debut single from the side project which was a massive success over there.
While these guys would've had a massive hit in Australia and NZ regardless of how well this did in America, the fact that it was a huge success on Billboard should prove just how immensely popular this cover of the Elvis Presley track was back in the day regardless of where in the world you're from.
This was the fifth consecutive Billboard chart topper for Mariah Carey, this streak came to an end with her next single "Can't let go" even if that came close to becoming her sixth consecutive chart topper in America and likely would've had the chart format not changed when it was released.
Given how immensely popular TLC was during their second album in America and worldwide, it only makes sense that the lead single to their third and final album would also be a massive success in their homeland. They no doubt would've gone on to massive success in the new millennium had tragedy not struck them with the loss of Left eye Lopez.
Given how this was a huge worldwide hit for MC, it only makes sense that she would see most of its success in her homeland as this was yet another massive Billboard chart topper for the RNB pop diva. It was her longest stint at number one at the time of its release, however that likely wouldn't have been the case had the chart format not changed in her favour two years prior to its release.
This is the final appearance from Paula Abdul on this list given how the rest of her catalogue from the 90's failed to make it big in Australia and NZ, indeed this was her fourth Billboard chart topper due to the music video proving just how well loved she was in America compared to the rest of the world.
If only Billboard allowed for nonphysical released to chart when this was tearing up their airplay charts, it's very likely this would've topped their main charts due to how inescapably popular this was on that format which meant that Natalie would've had a chart topper somewhere in the world. I can only assume this didn't receive a physical release to promote her album which likely paid off as that was a huge hit over there.
You'd think this would've been a massive chart topper on Billboard like it was in NZ given how popular Keith sweat was over there, alas this was a huge hit despite never hitting number one over there likely due to it being more of a hit as a physical release rather than as a radio hit which was what allowed all the biggest hits to be as such over there throughout the decade.
I have no idea why this was so inescapable in America given how it was far from the biggest hit in the UK for Donna Lewis, however this wound up nearly topping the Billboard charts which of course led to it replicating that success here in Australia (as well as it topping our charts if we're going by the AMR charts.) She remains a one hit wonder over there like she is throughout the rest of the world.
Aah yes, the Cher effect. It was inevitable this would be a massive hit for her upon its initial release in America given how it was the world's introduction to autotune. That said, I don't think anyone was expecting this to be her biggest hit on Billboard as nothing she had released prior even came close to how inescapable it was over there.
Even though Seal already had a hit in America with his debut single "Crazy" (which we'll be revisiting in quite a bit) it appears America wasn't too interested in his second album given how this single bombed on there like it did everywhere else upon its initial release. This means that this iconic RNB track only became a success over there when it was featuring the closing credits for Batman forever.
Whereas this suffered the same fate as many second singles on an album here in Australia and NZ, this wasn't the case in America thanks to heavy airplay it received back in the day in America which allowed it to almost top the Billboard charts for Celine Dion. It did top the airplay charts likely due to it sounding like a Meat loaf track which it eventually became a decade after its release.
Although she had prior success to this international breakthrough in America and her native Canada, it was this cover of the Jennifer Rush classic from 1985 that allowed Celine Dion to finally score her first chart topper on Billboard despite the original flopping over there. Its success allowed it to be as such here in Australia and NZ as well as throughout Europe for the Canadian pop diva.
Honestly, I'm more surprised that this saw massive international success rather than it being a huge chart topper for Amy Grant in her native America given how uncommon it is for contemporary Christian artists to find success with non-Americans over the years. Indeed, this was a massive success for Amy in her homeland likely due to it not sounding like a Christian anthem like most of her other catalogue.
If you're wondering why it's taken so long for Janet Jackson to make an appearance on this list, that's because her biggest hit of the decade in America "Escapade" was a massive flop worldwide which of course makes this her biggest hit on Billboard that was also a huge hit internationally. Even so, I get the feeling this was a huge hit due to it being the lead single to her biggest album Janet.
I'm not sure what to make of Ace of base's success in America given how few European artists there are on this list and indeed Billboard's overall list of the decade, I guess it's neat that this Abba tribute act managed to achieve massive success over there like they did internationally which no doubt led to that band's re-evaluation throughout the remainder of the decade worldwide.
Whereas this was merely a huge hit internationally for Madonna given how it was a bonus track from her Immaculate collection, it was yet another chart topper for her on Billboard likely due to how titillating the music video was for her fellow Americans which didn't seem to be the case throughout the rest of the world.
Jon Bon was off to a great start in the 90's when he released this theme song to the second Young guns flick, it proved to be a massive chart topper for him on Billboard like it was internationally, proving how well beloved his country tracks are as well as his iconic hair metal tracks with his band.
If you can believe it, this was the first major hit that Michael Bolton had in America given how his cover of Otis Redding's "Dock of the bay" bombed on the Billboard charts (likely due to his fellow Americans being offended by his cover on the late RNB singer's behalf.) Indeed, this proved to be more successful here in Australia despite it failing to top our charts like it did on Billboard likely because of his earlier hit.
Whereas this was only a huge hit here in Australia and NZ for Sir mix a lot, it proved to be a massive chart topper for him on Billboard due to a combination of ironic enjoyment as well as the strong message of body positivity displayed on the track. That said, he remains a one hit wonder in his native America just like he does throughout the rest of the world.
There's no surprise that this was also a chart topper for MC in her native America, it seemed like everything she released went to number one on Billboard and likely would've been the case had they not changed their format to allow for longer runs at number one throughout the decade.
I'm guessing this song had its success eaten up here in Australia due to it being the second single from the Reality bites soundtrack as this proved to be a massive chart topper for Lisa Loeb and Nine stories in their native America upon its initial release. This just goes to show how popular alt rock from women was throughout the decade over there, another misconception I want to clear up with this list of mine.
It's a bit surprising this wasn't a bigger hit here in Australia and NZ considering it was a dance track for the former and a massive Billboard chart topper for the latter, I guess the rest of the world wasn't as on board with making this guy a household name as his fellow Americans were. That said, the kiwis did allow him to have a bunch of minor hits like he had on Billboard as the decade went on.
For whatever reason, this was the second single to come out of CMB's debut album in their homeland rather than "All 4 love," as a result, this wound up being the more popular track in America even though their third single had the better chart run. Of course, this likely wouldn't have been the case had said single been released before the change in chart format Billboard underwent.
From what I can gather, this was a huge international hit specifically because of its involvement with the hit film Set it off. I'm guessing this was also the case in En vogue's native America given how they hadn't had a hit over there in four years prior to when they released their biggest global hit.
This is another surprise entry for this list given how unpopular both European artists and EDM was in America throughout the 80's and 90's, although it looks like they made an exception for these guys as this proved to be equally as popular on Billboard as it was in the UK for the Belgian band at the start of the decade.
Although this was a massive hit in America not long after Freddie Mercury's death, its success was more due to its usage in the film Wayne's world where its stars Mike Myers and Dana Carvey head bang to the song while it's playing on the radio. Also, if this song seems a bit high on this list, that's because Billboard decided to include its success from its initial release in 1976 on their 90's list.
I'm not exactly sure how Americans came across Maxi Priest given how he was far from the biggest name in music in his native UK, however they did which allowed him to have a huge chart topper with his biggest international hit at the start of the decade. He didn't have any further success outside of his signature track over there, something he was able to do here in Australia of all places.
And the winning streak from Mariah Carey continues as this was her third consecutive Billboard chart topper from the same album, proving once again how inescapable she was in her homeland even if the rest of the world had begun to grow tired of her by this point in time.
Well, I mentioned that the remix of this track was what became a success for Whitney Houston here in Australia and throughout Europe, time to finally acknowledge the original version of this track which hasn't been as well regarded over there years due to how sloppy it feels compared to the rest of her catalogue. That didn't stop it from being a huge hit in her homeland given its appearance on this list.
This was the last time NKOTB managed to trouble the charts even in their native America, I'm guessing this was due to the allegations that they didn't sing a note on their albums even though they proved their detractors wrong with a spectacular live performance. Even proving their legitimacy wasn't enough to keep their momentum going as their subsequent follow ups bombed even on Billboard.
I'm not sure how this was Janet's biggest hit here in Australia given how it wasn't the case in her native America, I guess we Aussies preferred her spiritual side as opposed to her RNB which was what won her over throughout the rest of the world up until this point. That said, this was still a massive hit for her on Billboard given how it topped their charts.
From what I can gather, this was Alannah Myles's debut single in America which is what allowed it to be a chart topper for her on Billboard as opposed to merely being a top five hit here in Australia. The trade-off of course is that she's a one hit wonder over there as opposed to being a two hit wonder here given how "Love is" (her actual debut single) was a huge sleeper hit for her down under.
I know I shouldn't be surprised this was a hit in America given how Tracy Chapman is American, however I am considering that she found more success internationally from her first two albums and that I'm confident her fellow Americans were done with 80's singer/songwriters by the time this saw the light of day. It appears I was wrong as here we are looking at her biggest hit yet again on this site.
Well, it appears the Americans love a good sex jam just like the rest of the world does, so it makes sense this would be a massive Billboard chart topper for Silk even if they remain a one hit wonder over there like they do internationally to this day. This song was written and produced by Keith Sweat who would of course go on to massive success with his earlier entry on this list.
Hello again Bell Biv and Deveo, I wasn't expecting you to appear on this list so soon and yet here we are looking at your other big hit you had in NZ and your native America. This was the last either country had heard from the trio (at least as Bell Biv Deveo) however we Aussies gave them a surprise hit later in the decade with "Gangsta."
This was a huge international hit for Kris Kros, so naturally it was going to be a massive chart topper for them at home as this was inescapable on the Billboard charts upon its initial release. That said, this is the only entry the duo achieved on Billboard’s 90's list despite them having other hits in NZ that could've made it on here had they qualified to do so.
Given how it was a huge hit in NZ as well as a minor sleeper hit here in Australia, it makes sense that Keith Sweat was also able to have a huge hit with this entry in his native America given how much he was on a roll over there upon its initial release. That said, this was the last anyone heard from the RNB singer as his subsequent follow ups flopped even in his homeland.
This will be the most recent entry on this list given how it didn't see the light of day in the southern hemisphere until the start of the 00's, indeed this was a massive hit for Brian McKnight on Billboard just as the decade was coming to an end even if his fellow Americans will consider this as a 00's hit rather than a 90's hit.
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