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.
It took them three albums, but Salt n Pepa were finally able to score a genuine hit in their native America with this entry even though this was their third inescapable hit they've had here in Australia. I bring this up because we Aussies were notorious for not allowing hip hop to crossover on our charts back in the day, yet we allowed these three women to have massive success here where they didn't in America.
We're this far into the list and we've only had our second appearance from the king of pop, boy howdy was this a bad time for his catalogue in America even if there's still more to come from said catalogue on this list. This is his only other chart topper on Billboard from the 90's, although this one's special because it has the distinction of being the first to debut at number one on those charts.
Madonna was on a roll when she released the lead single to her critically divided album Bedtime stories as it was a massive hit in her native America just like it was internationally, I bring this up because her previous album Erotica doesn't have any representation on this list despite how massively successful it was throughout the rest of the world.
You've likely noticed the lack of hip hop from the last stretch of the decade that was successful on Billboard's main charts, that's because a lot of it wasn't actually that big in America and it only seems that way due to the distinct lack of competition it all faced. One of the lucky few to make it on here is this entry from Something for the people (what a terrible band name) which was also a huge hit over in NZ.
Given how Enya never had a hit in America, it makes the success of Enigma somewhat puzzling even if this was a massive chart topper in the UK which explains its success in Australia and NZ. This was their biggest hit on Billboard even if their other big hit "Return to innocence" had the better chart run (we'll revisit that shortly.)
This can't be real, it just can't. How on earth is THE track from MC Hammer not his biggest hit in his native America? Granted it was a huge hit, hence its placement on this list, however it wasn't anywhere near as successful as it was internationally which is just something I can't wrap my head around.
We're starting to see some rather weak hits form the first two years of the decade on this list, at least they're weak when you go by their chart runs as admittedly the charts were chaotic between 1984-1992 in America. I bring this up as this second single from Michael Bolton likely wouldn't have made the cut were it not for this distinction despite it being a massive success here in Australia as well.
I did mention earlier on this list that this was never released as a single in America due to the label wanting to promote the album this was pulled from, this meant that the song made it on here purely through airplay which was strong enough for it to be a number one hit for Will Smith which is impressive given that it's a hip hop track and that it was normally alt rock that thrived on that format.
I wonder how many American Dr who fans realise this is the same act that mocked the franchise in 1988 with their novelty hit "Doctoring the Tardis?" I guess not many as this was a massive hit for the KLF three years after the fact in America due to a live performance they gave this song at a place called the S.S.L (wherever that's supposed to be.) They had a second hit over there with "Justified and ancient" which won't be appearing on this list.
Here's another surprise for this list, this will be the only appearance of Guns n roses even though they had singles charting in 1990/1991 on Billboard which obviously gave them an advantage to appear on this list. The thing is, this was the only notable hit from the Use your illusions era they had on Billboard which is surprising to me considering how many hits both albums spawned internationally.
It's fitting this was a huge hit in America like it was here in Australia given how Sheryl had proven herself as the real deal with her earlier entry on this list, this may be her final appearance on this list and indeed Billboard's 90's list, however she had plenty of successful hits on her second album that helped her escape the one album wonder bin she was trapped in throughout the rest of the world.
This was Hammer's highest charting single in America, obviously that doesn't make it his biggest hit (as we've seen on this list) however it appears his fellow Americans couldn't get enough of the Prince sample that permeates throughout the track which no doubt is how this became a hit here in Australia as well. He had other hits from his second album in his homeland, however they didn't make Billboard's 90's list.
I don't know how this managed to be a massive chart topper here in Australia and NZ given how that wasn't the case in America for Billy Ray Cyrus, it was huge absolutely, but not a chart topper. I guess this was also a hit in the UK which would explain its international success which is rare for a country track as the Brits notoriously don't allow country music to make it big in their music scene.
If you're wondering how this managed to be a massive hit in America despite it failing to top our charts here in Australia, that's because the Americans caught on to this track in lieu of making their first chart topper down under "To the moon and back" a hit over there. It makes sense why this was the big hit given how it was given a new music video which is a much higher budget and quality than its first video.
Even though her popularity was dwindling in America like it was internationally, there was still plenty of love MC's fellow Americans had for her given how this was yet another chart topper for her on Billboard throughout the decade. Her album Butterfly would give her another chart topper with "My all," however that was a flop internationally which is why it doesn't appear on this list.
OK settle down Fugees fanboys, the trio did have a massive hit in America with their breakthrough single even if it was only a hit on their airplay charts as yes, this never received a physical release over there like it did internationally. That said, this is their only appearance on this list as the songs that did see a physical release weren't popular enough to make it on Billboard's 90's list.
Oh look, another song that never saw a physical release in America to make the list. This time it's the fifth single from Alanis's breakthrough album which I'm guessing wasn't released over there due to her label wanting the album to be as successful there as it was internationally. This is despite the fact this was a hit in spite of how big the album was by the time it saw the light of day globally.
There have been jokes about how this song should've been called seventeen weeks in order for it to break Mariah Carey's record from earlier given how it lasted exactly one week at number one on the Billboard charts back in the day. Naturally this meant that this one and only hit from the Barenaked ladies (outside their native Canada that is) was a shoe in for this list given how big it was in America and Australia.
Given how this was a massive chart topper in Australia and NZ for Billy Joel, you'd think he would repeat that success in his homeland given how he already had three chart toppers on Billboard by this point. Alas you'd be wrong as while this was a massive hit for him in his homeland, it wasn't a chart topper on Billboard suggesting that his fellow Americans had moved on from his music by this point.
Given how this debut single from All-4-one was a massive hit in NZ, it makes sense that it would also be a huge hit in their native America even if it would be overshadowed by "I swear" from earlier on this list. This was the only other hit the quartet had in their homeland, meaning they were actually more successful in NZ given how they had a fourth hit with "Skillz" over there.
It looks like the kiwis weren’t the only ones to hand out a hit to this song as the fellow Americans of DRS also recognised the sentiment on this track which would go on to be a massive success for the likes of Mariah Carey, Boys II Men and Bone thigs in harmony later in the decade. It didn't go to number one on Billboard like it did in NZ, however it was a massive success regardless.
Just when I was beginning to think this wouldn't make the list, we have this live performance from Mariah Carey which of course was a chart topper in America given how it was also a chart topper in NZ as well as a huge hit here in Australia and the UK for her. There are still two more entries to come from this iconic 90's performer on this list, both of which are easily recognisable in her catalogue.
This is the only other entry on this list that didn't enter the charts outside of America until the 00's, although it's worth noting this was one of the very last hits in America before the decade had come to an end. This is the biggest hit that Jessica Simpson had on the Billboard charts, this wasn't the case here in Australia as "These boots are made for walking" takes that distinction and even "With you" was also a bigger hit here.
Well, this is embarrassing, mainly because MJ has his third appearance on this list not as a lead artist but rather as a sample for this breakthrough hit that SWV had in most parts of the world. What's worse is that this is a remix of their debut single, meaning the king of pop helped these guys score a massive hit on Billboard even though he was struggling to do so himself with his (then) newest material.
Given how the Reality bites soundtrack spawned a huge chart topper with its second single from earlier on this list, it makes sense that its first single would also be a massive hit in America especially given how popular it was throughout the rest of the world. Unlike the rest of the world however, this wasn't the biggest version of the Peter Frampton track as that honour goes to Will to power's rendition.
While it wasn't the huge chart topper in America that it was here in Australia, this sellout track from Pearl jam was nonetheless a massive success for them in their homeland to the point where it allowed them to have an appearance on this list over their other material. In fact these guys didn't even have a hit in their homeland prior to this and have sadly not had one since, making them a one hit wonder.
This will be After 7's only appearance on this list as their other big hit in the southern hemisphere "Til you do me wright" wasn't as such in their native America, although they did have a second appearance on Billboard's 90's list with "Ready or not" meaning they weren't a one hit wonder in their homeland after all.
Oh look, another EDM track on this list. This time it's from La bouche who scored a massive hit with this track likely due to how big it was here in Australia months prior to replicating its success on Billboard, although it's worth noting that they managed to score a second hit over there with "Sweet dreams" even if it won't be appearing on this list of mine.
This is one of many alt rock songs to make it big here in Australia that was also a success in America throughout the 90's, although unlike other entries we've looked at, this isn't among the most well-liked songs in this regard due to how the lyrics paint out a doomed romance that only exists due to the love the couple share of an Audrey Hepburn classic. I'm sure it was this storytelling that made it big in both countries for the band in question.
Although it wasn't a chart topper in America like it was here in Australia, this one and only hit from Joan Osborne nonetheless was a massive success on Billboard upon its initial release which no doubt encouraged us Aussies to see what her fellow Americans saw in it that made it a hit to begin with. Unfortunately, she was a one hit wonder in her homeland just like she was internationally.
It's been a while since we've seen a track from Celine Dion on this list, hasn't it? I guess America wasn't as crazy for this Oscar winning ballad as we Aussies were given that it wasn't as big a hit on Billboard as it was down under. I'm guessing this has something to do with the dance remixes of the track not being released over there like it was over here, yes that was in fact a thing.
This is the most recent entry from Mariah Carey on this list, it was the lead single to her sixth album Rainbow which was off to a good start thanks to this song coming complete with a guest verse from Jay Z who scored his first hit anywhere in the world because of said guest verse. Unfortunately, this was also the last hit that Mariah had until her comeback in 2005 due to her disastrous role in Glitter.
We have another entry on this list that never saw a physical release in America, this time it's the second single from Backstreet's back which I'm guessing didn't see the store shelves over there to encourage album sales of said album. Even so, this was a massive hit on the airwaves likely due to how well it did internationally for the boy band.
This is Taylor Dayne's other appearance on this list, again it's with a song that shouldn't make the cut if we were going by chart runs on Billboard but does due to how stiff the competition was at the start of the decade compared to just two years later. This was a hit upon its initial release in her homeland as opposed to it needing to find its audience amongst us Aussies.
Well, this is it, the final appearance from MJ on this list as none of his other singles made Billboard's 90's list on their website. So, to recap, he only had three entries as a lead artist on this list with his fourth being a sample used in one of SWV's entries. If that doesn't tell you how unpopular the king of pop was throughout the decade in his homeland, I don't know what will.
Given how this was such a massive hit here in Australia and NZ, it only seems fitting it would also be the case in Allure's native America given how RNB was inescapable on the Billboard charts during the height of its popularity. That said, it's worth noting how much lower this is on the list compared to the many rock tracks we've looked at already, suggesting RNB was second to rock and roll as Americas preferred genre of music.
Given how this was a massive hit here in Australia, it would've been illogical for this to be a flop in Groove theory's native America even if it wasn't as big over there as I would've otherwise thought. Like many other artists who made it big down under with one song, these guys were also a one hit wonder in their homeland with this entry.
I'm not sure if anyone was expecting this to be as big as it was for Duran Duran given how far into the 90's the world was when this came out, the fact is that this was a genuine hit for the band in America of all places as was "Come undone" which only barely missed Billboard's 90's list to give you an idea of how big it was over there.
We have our second appearance of the Spice girls on this list, there's still one to come which is the third single from their debut album, proving that their popularity in America was largely limited to their first album. That said, they did retain some of their success over there during their second album, although I'm guessing their popularity faded due to the disaster that was the Spiceworld film.
On the surface, this might seem like it doesn't belong on here due to its short chart run on Billboard, however that's before you realise that its short chart run was due to it not receiving a physical release and only charting due to its popularity peaking just after Billboard updated their chart format to allow such a song to chart. From what I can gather, this not receiving a physical release did his album no such favours.
While it's true that Rick Astley managed to score success following his departure from Stock Aiken and Waterman, I feel this only made the cut for Billboard's 90's list due to how little competition there was after 1991 as I doubt many people were big fans of this song upon its initial release in America. Still, it was a big hit for the man who gave us "Never gonna give you up," so that's worth something at least.
From what I can gather, this wasn't bundled with "Revolution" in America like it was here in Australia and NZ. I could be wrong as this was Arrested development's biggest hit on Billboard, however it isn't listed as a double A side on their charts like it is on ours, so I'm counting it as its own entry for this list.
Oh yay, we have representation from post grunge on this list. Granted this one and only hit from the Verve pipe is infinitely more respected than what would come in the 00's from the likes of Nickelback and Puddle of Mudd, so it's not like it saw a ton of backlash back in the day from their fellow Americans or even from us Aussies where this was a huge sleeper hit.
Even though this was a chart topper for Madonna on Billboard, it's worth noting how much less successful it was compared to the other entries we've looked at from her so far on this list. I'm willing to bet it was a huge hit in America more for its affiliation with A league of their own which Madonna co strs in alongside Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Lori Petty.
I guess this song not being attached to a Hollywood film was what prevented it from being as big in America as it was here in Australia as this wasn't the huge chart topper on Billboard that it was down under for Bryan Adams. That said, it was a massive success for him in America, although it's worth noting that this is his final entry on this list.
This was the last Billboard chart topper that George Michael had, it would've been Elton John's final chart topper in America were it not for his tribute to princess Diana from earlier on this list. This is also both men's final appearance on this list as neither of them were able to score another entry on Billboard's 90's list despite the former having a string of moderate hits in America throughout the decade.
Both of Az yet's big hits in the southern hemisphere were as such on the Billboard charts, this is to be expected given how they were an American RNB group at a time where that was highly lucrative in the American mainstream. This was their bigger hit in their homeland likely due to it being a cover of the Chicago track that was given the blessing by Peter Cetera himself as he provided vocals on the chorus.
We have the final appearance from the Spice girls on this list, this was just as successful in America as their earlier entry which is fitting as both songs were severely overshadowed by their top entry on this list back in the day. They cancelled the release of "Mama" and "Who do you think you are" over there due to them releasing their second album by the time those would've come out.
While it didn't go to number one on Billboard like it did here in Australia, this was nonetheless a huge hit for Aerosmith in America at the start of the decade which ensured its placement on this list given how songs from the start of the decade had a huge advantage over the rest of the songs from the 90's. They had one more entry on Billboard's 90's list with "What it takes," meaning they had one bigger hit over there compared to here in Australia.
We have one final appearance from Brandy to appear on this list, this one being her second single which was a minor hit in NZ following the success it had in her homeland during the midpoint of the decade. This is her lowest entry on Billboard's official list, although she did have other hits over there throughout the decade.
If we were going by chart runs, this would be Prince's biggest hit in America throughout the decade, however we're not which is why there's two entries from him that outrank this on this list. He has one more appearance to come on this list, proving just how well loved he was by his fellow Americans.
It's about time we had an appearance from Bobby Brown on this list given how we've looked at entries from his former bandmates from New edition, interestingly this wasn't a chart topper on Billboard despite topping our charts here in Australia back in the day. Bobby did have other hits that made Billboard's official 90's list, however none of them were hits outside of America.
Well, how about this? We have a second appearance from Technotronic on this list even if this made the cut due to being released at the start of the 90's as did so many other entries from the first two years of the decade. Still, this was a huge hit for the Belgian group in America, certainly more so than several songs that missed the cut for this list despite having better chart runs on Billboard.
Now you'd think that the big hit that these guys had in their homeland was the big hit that had here in Australia, while "If I had no loot" was indeed a hit on Billboard, it wasn't enough of one to qualify for their 90's list as opposed to this hit of theirs which absolutely was at the start of the decade. They had other hits over there, however none of them reached the levels this did.
This was SWV's final hit in America as well as their lowest appearance on Billboard's 90's list, I guess this was a sign that their fellow Americans were beginning to grow tired of their brand of RNB which certainly wasn’t the case for the kiwis as they had one more hit after this that actually topped their charts.
Although these guys had other hits in their homeland, this was the only one that made any impact on the Billboard charts to the point where it makes sense they were able to find international success with this ballad. It's a bit bizarre to me that alt rock found more success in the second half of the decade in America than it did the first half, at least that seems to be the case when it comes to airplay.
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