Here it is, the long-awaited NZ equivalent of my greatest hit singles/albums of all time list I made a while back. Just like last time, I’ll be presenting this as a countdown, meaning that each entry will be more successful than the last as we go down this list. The main difference here of course is that unlike here in Australia, there was only one chart in NZ over the years, meaning that there won’t be multiple entries from singles/albums from the late 80’s/90’s/00’s like there was on my Australian list. Also, I won’t be including entries from the RIANZ charts given how they didn’t track album sales and that they were based on popular votes rather than sales, that and there was only ever a top twenty which means there’s a good chance they were struggling to fill out the top twenty each week during its run.
#4800
Sandwiched in between their two earlier entries on this list was this second single from the breakthrough album of My chemical romance, this having a more bombastic sound than their other two entries which I guess the kiwis weren't too big a fan of as it wasn't quite as successful over there. At least this and their previous entry were hits over there which is more than I can say for their success over here.
#4799
Well, this is certainly a surprise, I wasn't expecting to feature one of the singles from the White stripes on this site as they were always more of an album band than they were a single band. I guess the kiwis were able to flaunt the advantages of "going digital" this year by having this be a success for them over there just so they can truthfully say that the White stripes had a hit single over there and nowhere else in the world.
#4798
These guys were on a roll this year when they released their second single from their comeback album, this time they've swapped out Akon for Mariah Carey and also recruited Bow Wow to provide an additional rap verse that helped this become a success over in NZ for the hip hop quartet. Sadly, this was the last hit they had anywhere in the world as their luck had run out after this.
#4797
This proved to be far less successful for both men involved over in NZ, this is a bit strange as while "Suga suga" did chart higher over there than it did over here (due to being released on time) that song proved to be equally as successful in both countries in the southern hemisphere which suggests that this song would as well as apart from the artists having their roles reversed, it was essentially the same track as that was.
#4796
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis were just as interested in listening to Beyonce reconcile her differences with Shakira over dating the same guy as we Aussies were given that this also managed to boost the popularity of the former's second solo album whilst giving the latter one final hit before she faded into obscurity in the southern hemisphere.
#4795
Even though he managed to achieve massive success with his debut album this year, I'm guessing that was due to his involvement with Savage from earlier on this list as this breakthrough single from Akon didn't do nearly as well over there as it did throughout the rest of the world. I'm guessing this was because the kiwis didn't find his duet with Alvin and the Chipmunks to be as endearing as international audiences.
#4794
I bet you weren't expecting to see a song from the Temptations on this site, were you? Well, here we are with the final hit they managed to achieve in their career which naturally flopped here in Australia as the band sadly never had any success down under for reasons I'd rather not get into (it's what you think they are.) This became a success due to the 60's nostalgia that was in full swing around this time.
#4793
This was such a success here in Australia that it was able to crossover to NZ for the Aussie country legend, I guess this is the best proof I have that the NZ charts are a good alternative to what's popular down under given how I doubt this would've been a hit over there if they weren't familiar with our outback culture.
#4792
Much like Step's earlier entry on this list, this was marketed as a Christmas single (hence the cover art) which resulted in it becoming a Christmas chart topper in the family group's native UK the previous year. This naturally wasn't the case anywhere else in the world given how it was only released as a single early in this year, however that didn't prevent it from becoming a success over in NZ for them.
#4791
Yannis Markopoulous was a Greek composer who scored a massive worldwide hit this year with this instrumental track that seems to have been composed for a TV series from the UK that time has seemed to have thoroughly erased over the years.
#4790
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.
#4789
Given how inescapable their previous album was in NZ compared to what it achieved here in Australia, I would've been dumbstruck if the lead single to their first album of the 90's was a flop over there especially given how the kiwis likely would've also gawked at the bizarre visuals of its music video at the time like we Aussies did. Unfortunately, this was their final hit anywhere in the world likely due to said video.
#4788
Following the demise of the series the Fresh prince of Bel air, co-star of Will Smith Tatyana Ali decided to follow the star of that shows footsteps by becoming a popular singer in the music scene which led to her releasing this track that became a massive success in NZ and nowhere else in the world. The failure of this song likely scared her off from making more music as she since returned to acting.
#4787
Well at least the kiwis didn't seem to be as impressed with this cover of the Don McLean classic Madonna made for her film the Next best thing as we Aussies were this year, although the fact it was still a hit regardless proved that it was at least at the time seen as a worthy take on the timeless classic from nearly three decades prior.
#4786
This was SWV's first big hit anywhere in the world, in fact it was a number one hit on Billboard for the trio which perhaps explains how it managed to be a big hit over in NZ for the RNB group. Their earlier entry was what made them an international household name; however, it was this track which first put them on the map in their homeland and led them to having a bunch of hits around the world.
#4785
There is close to no information about this song or the band who brought it to life on the internet, as such I can only assume that it was a track from a NZ band that made it big through either a charity or because of a well-timed event that time has since thoroughly erased.
#4784
I was surprised that this theme from the Pretty in pink soundtrack failed to appear on the Australian side of my site, fortunately it was a much bigger hit in NZ given how the kiwis were clearly in love with the film about a poor girl winning the affection for an upper-class rich guy (it's cliched but it still works to this day.) This and "Maid of Orleans" from four years prior was the only success that Orchestral maneouvres in the dark managed to achieve in the southern hemisphere.
#4783
It may surprise you to learn that several of the theme songs from the Rocky franchise managed to become hits over the years, this is second only to the instrumental theme from the original film as the biggest the franchise has spawned as it manages to recruit James Brown of all people to provide the theme to the fourth instalment which became his one and only hit over in NZ this year.
#4782
It only seems natural that this second cover that Whitney Houston made for the soundtrack to her theatrical debut would be a huge hit in NZ like it was here in Australia this year, in fact the only surprise here is that the original from Chaka Khan was also a flop over there despite that version superseding this take over the years as the definitive version on oldies stations.
#4781
Sting didn't have as much success over in NZ as he did in Australia both solo and with the Police, so it's interesting to see him with a new entry on this site given how this was an instant success over there while his big hit from his solo debut here in Australia would be with "Russians" from the following year. This and his debut album with the Police were the only things from his catalogue to find more success over there than they did over here.
#4780
Apparently, the kiwis weren't as interested in listening to Jay-Z and his future wife Beyonce declare themselves as the (then) modern (and white I suppose) Bonnie and Clyde on this track as we Aussies were, then again, Jay-Z was somehow even less popular over there than he was over here given how none of his singles managed to rank as high on these lists of mine over there as they did over here.
#4779
This was the second big hit that Bitty McLean had in NZ, as well as the first he had over there that wasn't a hit in his native UK as it turns out he was a one hit wonder over there with his earlier entry on this list. Although this will be his final appearance on this site, he did score minor success over there with a third single which a cover of "Dedicated to the one I love."
#4778
I bet you were wondering if these guys had any success back in the day considering how lead singer Nick Lachey was immensely popular during his marriage with Jessica Simpson throughout the 00's. It turns out they were in their native America as well as NZ for this one and only hit of theirs which is about the boy band singing to their audience about how they can't love them because of their significant others.
#4777
Well, I hope you're in the mood for another reggae cover of a Beatles classic from the 90's because Inner Circle followed in the footsteps of Chaka Demus and Pliers from earlier in the decade by covering a Beatles classic in the form of this reggae track. It was an inevitable success in NZ given how popular the Jamaican band were throughout the decade over there.
#4776
This was the only song to not only be a success for Sheila E in NZ, but to even chart over there as "The glamorous life" was a massive flop for the American drummer for whatever reason. The trade-off seems to be that this was a bigger hit over there even if I'm sure Sheila prefers the fact that she had two reasonably big hits here in Australia over one bigger hit in NZ.
#4775
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.
#4774
Well, this managed to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, although it was pushed from the second biggest hit he had down under to the third over there due to his two earlier appearances on this list being much bigger. In fact, his success with his singles was the complete inverse over there of what they were over here to give you an idea of how unpredictable our respective music scenes were.
#4773
This was a big hit in NZ for the Dutch group Luv this year, I'd say they were trying to be the next generation of Pussycat given how inescapable those women were except as far as I can tell, they didn't have a backing band of male musicians like their predecessors did. In this case, they're probably the Dutch equivalent of Silver convention who also saw massive success worldwide earlier in the decade.
#4772
It's hard to say if this was a hit back in the day despite it being satire of the 80's era of greed or because of it, either way it remains one of Madonna's more contentious songs in recent years for glorifying materialism in the mainstream from people who don't get the intent of the song. Commercially it was a bit of a stumble for her, however she bounced back with her earlier entries on this list.
#4771
Given how their earlier entry on this list finally broke these guys through to a mainstream audience in NZ, they no longer had any issues with finding success with their more traditional hair metal tracks such as this cover of the Loggins and Messina track that wasn't even a hit here in Australia due to how successful the album was over here by the time it was released as a single.
#4770
Even though this was released much sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, this proved to be far less successful over there likely due to the kiwis not caring for the message of this track (or possibly even not realising there was a message to this track like we Aussies did) and only making it a success due to how admittedly bouncy the production is.
#4769
You'd think that this teen pop number would've been much bigger for Billie Piper in NZ given how immensely popular it was here in Australia, I guess the drawback of her scoring success down under is that anything that makes it big over here can't make it as big over there and vice versa. This was the last hit she had anywhere in the world before she gave up her singing career to pursue acting.
#4768
Well, this also proved to be a big hit for Fine Young Cannibals in NZ, it was equally as successful over there as it was over here for the quirky trio given how the song also managed to top the Billboard charts like their earlier entry did. It's a shame that their first album from earlier in the decade didn't do so well over there considering how it put them on the map in most parts of the world.
#4767
This was one of only two hits that Aaliyah had in her lifetime in NZ, hey at least it was one more hit she had there compared to here where she's a one hit wonder with "Try again" from 2000. Much like how that came from a Hollywood flick (which was Romeo must die) this also came from a Hollywood film which was the Eddie Murphy version of Doctor Dolittle which is widely regarded as the best version of that story.
#4766
This was the first big hit that 2pac managed to achieve in NZ during his short time on this planet, it was a massive hit for him over there and his native America likely due to it showcasing a softer side of the otherwise hardcore rapper as the song is indeed about him paying his love and respect to his mother. It recharted later in the decade when "Changes" became a huge hit for him posthumously.
#4765
This was a minor hit in Australia this year, so minor that it failed to appear on the Australian side of my site for the Cure meaning that they're basically a two-hit wonder with their two appearances they made on that side of my site. In fact, this being their only appearance on this side of my site is a bit confusing given how they had plenty of success with their albums over there throughout the 80's.
#4764
Well, I guess I should expand upon the song itself given how I brought up Cyndi's appeal back in the day when I talked about this song on the Australian side of this site, it was a big success in America and the UK as it became her first Billboard chart topper as well as it being much bigger in both countries than her earlier entry on this list. It was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia despite having a higher peak over there.
#4763
Well, this was far less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, true it went to number one over there; however, it very quickly fell from their charts likely due to the kiwis realising that it was a stalker anthem which is also the likely explanation I gave for why "Every breath you take" wasn't that big over there the previous year.
#4762
I think people tend to forget that this isn't an MJ song given how little respect Rockwell has gotten over the years, although admittedly his verses aren't the reason why this song has endured as they're mostly about how paranoid he is which is a recurring theme for MJ's later discography. If you didn't already know, Rockwell is the eldest child of Berry Gordy who was the founder of Motown.
#4761
I did mention on the Australian side of this site that this was more of a hit over in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis were more intrigued by this single from the duo's third album than we were likely due to them feeling like it was a good way to celebrate the achievement they had throughout the decade over there.
#4760
This was the only other big hit from the Space jam soundtrack in NZ, although the fact that an otherwise unsuccessful soundtrack spawned two big hits over there is impressive considering the film has a polarising reception to this day. Fans of the film (which includes me) love it for being an update of the Looney Tunes formula for (then) modern audiences whilst fanboys of the original hate it for being a vanity project for Michael Jordan.
#4759
Well, this is certainly a surprise entry, namely because this came from Janet's album from two years prior and yet it instantly shot up the charts over there likely due to it being bundled with "What'll I do" which was a minor hit here in Australia earlier in the year.
#4758
This was a minor hit here in Australia at the start of the year for Clarence Carter, likely because we Aussies had nostalgia for his big hit from the start of the 70's "Patches" and wanted to see him adapt to the late 80's with this number. It was a more immediate success on NZ which is odd because it was his first hit over there after two decades in the music industry.
#4757
While this charted much higher in NZ than it did here in Australia, the tradeoff was that it didn't last as long on their charts as it did on ours which means that it suffered in the rankings on this side of my site. Still, this proved to be a massive success for Christina Aguilera over there due to it being a perfect display of her vocal talents which many people (me included) feel her first two singles didn't adequately accomplish.
#4756
I guess the kiwis weren't as amused with this comedy track about how being a stoner ruined the life of Afroman, although it could be possible that this song was pulled from shelves over there due to it depicting weed 420 culture despite it being a negative depiction of the culture.
#4755
This was MJ's last hit anywhere in the world, naturally it was as such because his real-life antics hadn't quite caught up with him when he released this and the remix album it came from and as such, fans were able to still appreciate his music without feeling shame for enjoying it.
#4754
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.
#4753
This was the lead single to the Feeler's second album Communicate, an album that was a massive success for the band that nonetheless won't be appearing on this site due to not racking up enough points to do so. Even so, there's no denying how popular the band was in a decade that seemed to finally reward the kiwis with success in their local music scene.
#4752
I'm a bit surprised this flopped here in Australia given how inescapable the lead single was throughout the world; however, it was a decent success in NZ likely because of the huge hit it spawned as well as a lack of competition the duo had in the music scene over there. That said, it did far better in their homeland given how it spawned more hits for them on the UK charts.
#4751
Given how there was already a massively successful greatest hits album from the Police not even five years prior to this album, you may be forgiven into thinking it was redundant for Sting to release it. Then you realise this also cover his solo material which more than explains its success in NZ upon its initial release.
#4750
I would've thought this covers album from Guns n roses would do better in NZ than it did here in Australia, they did see way more success over there than they did over here with their previous catalogue after all. Alas it appears the kiwis weren't too happy with this album given how it was more popular over here for them.
#4749
This is the only album from Leann Rimes to appear on the NZ side of this site, although considering her only appearance on the Australian side of my site was her debut from back in 1996, I guess this means that only one of her albums could be successful in each country in the southern hemisphere throughout her career. It turns out that the kiwis would rather that be her pop album and us Aussies her country album.
#4748
Although they never quite lived up to the videogames, the two Tomb raider films starring Angelina Jolie remain a guilty pleasure of mine to this day due to how well she captures the bloodthirsty nature of Lara Croft. The first film had a killer soundtrack to boot, and it appears the kiwis agreed as it was a moderate success over there back in the day.
#4747
From what I can gather, the Cherry poppin daddies (sorry but I can't even with these band names) were a swing revival band who sparked a lot of buzz throughout the 90's in their native America. This buzz crossed over to NZ where this greatest hits package became a huge success for the band over there this year.
#4746
This was the only successful album that KC and the Sunshine band had over in NZ, sure some of their singles back in the day were hits which explains the success of their greatest hits package this year, however none of their studio albums even touched the charts over there let alone were massive hits like they were in their native America.
#4745
This was a huge success for the king of rock and roll this year in NZ, likely because the kiwis were already feeling nostalgia for his back catalogue even though they likely would've had it satisfied had they waited a year given how both the producers of Ocean's eleven and Disney would bring his music to the mainstream throughout the rest of the world.
#4744
Although they didn't have many appearances on this site over the years, Herbs were indeed one of the more popular bands to make it big in their homeland which makes the success of this greatest hits package over there make sense to me.
#4743
#4742
While she didn't have quite as successful a career up until this point in NZ as she did here in Australia, the kiwis were clearly in love with Enya's music regardless which makes sense why this greatest hits package of hers would also be a success over there like it was over here.
#4741
I should point out that Hall and Oates were far less successful in NZ prior to their hit "I can't go for that" than they were here in Australia, as such, it makes sense that this greatest hits album managed to be more popular over there than it was over here as they rediscovered the duo's back catalogue they initially passed up on.
#4740
It had been fourteen years since the death of Nat King Cole by this point, that seemed like a good enough incentive for the kiwis to make this greatest hits package a success given how I'm sure he was one of the biggest names over there in the 40's and 50's (I can't say for sure due to a lack of info on what was popular prior to 1966.)
#4739
While this wasn't as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia, the kiwis were nonetheless willing to make this greatest hits album a success for INXS due to the fond memories they had with the bands back catalogue despite their popularity being non-existent over there by this point in time.
#4738
This was also a bit of a disappointment for Kate Bush in NZ like it was here in Australia, although unlike here where she managed to rebound throughout the 80s, this was the last of her albums to be a massive success over there save for her greatest hits package which was only big due to her collaboration with Peter Gabriel.
#4737
I guess the kiwis were bigger fans of the Chemical brothers than I thought as this album of theirs managed to be a massive success over there when it was a minor success at best here in Australia, then again, EDM in general was doing very well in NZ at the time whereas we Aussies had moved on to RNB and hip hop.
#4736
From what I can gather, Spawn was the first Hollywood adaptation of a comic book character of colour, it was poorly received back in the day mainly due to inconsistencies with the plot and setting (although I'm sure there was some racism in the backlash as well.) At least the soundtrack was a huge success in NZ, likely due to it being a compilation album of the alternative scene at the time.
#4735
Unlike in Australia where P!nk saw immediate success with her comeback album I'm not dead, it appears the rest of the world wasn't initially on board with the direction she would take as they felt this lead single and its message was a bit too on the nose for what she was trying to say about (then) modern society. Of course, the kiwis eventually saw the genius of the album when it became a success the following year.
#4734
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Ciara, again likely due to Ludacris's guest verse which helped it stand out from the now obscure competition from many of her counterparts such as Keysha Cole and Fantasia back in the day. Whereas she wouldn't trouble our charts again until the end of the decade, Ciara would score two more hits in NZ in addition to her collaboration with JT.
#4733
This is the only other new entry from Ciara to appear on this site, this time she recruits 50 Cent who was still relatively popular at the time (as evidence by his earlier entry on this list) which was able to give the RNB star more success following the failure of her single "Like a boy" internationally. Said single is basically "If I were a boy" done in a way that's tongue in cheek rather than completely serious.
#4732
Although these guys had several minor charting singles over in NZ throughout the 80's, this was their only hit over there likely due to it being released in a year that seemed to be a celebration of every major trend throughout the decade. It could also be the band's attempt at cashing in on the success of Madonna's single from earlier on the list as it also seems to be an attack on religion and other political nonsense.
#4731
K7 had a huge sleeper hit with "Come baby come" in NZ which won't be making an appearance on this site due to it charting in the lower half of the charts over there, this did lead to him having a huge follow up hit with the Swing kids which does qualify for this site due to charting in the upper echelons of their charts. From what I can gather, he was another Hispanic American rapper to make it big in NZ but not his homeland.
#4730
Well, I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed by this cover of the Carole King classic as we Aussies were, although Martika did perform this on Countdown revolution so perhaps its popularity was boosted here and that this was the level of success we Aussies felt it deserved had she not toured Australia this year. I guess the fact that there's a version of this classic to make it big in both countries is better than neither version being big in America.
#4729
This was also a big hit in NZ this year for the Eagles, although it was also a minor hit here in Australia which perhaps suggests that if their earlier entry on this list was the lead single to their album Hotel California, then perhaps it would've been a massive hit for them over here back in the day.
#4728
This entry is to cover how well this song did before the RIANZ charts converted to a top 40 in 2004, I feel like I should mention these entries where I can on this list given how vastly different the charts were when this transition happened.
#4727
Well, this seemed like it should've been a shoe in for the Australian side of my site given how it was pushed as the third single here as opposed to their earlier entry, I guess the kiwis were impressed with the pencil styled animation in the video as well as this being a stripped back ballad from the band that they allowed it to be a hit over there even after all the success the album already had.
#4726
This was released fairly soon in Australia after it became a UK chart topper for Dead or alive, as a result, it was also a big hit here due to it being the second track to be produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman for an LGBT act. This was released on time in NZ where it didn't end up being a big a hit over there, although it was big enough that it was the first hit over there to be produced by the trio.
#4725
It appears the kiwis were just as intrigued by this collaboration between Fat Joe and Ashanti (and Ja Rule if you listen to the chorus closely enough) as we Aussies were that it manages to retain a similar position on this list as its Australian counterpart. Unlike here in Australia where he remains a one hit wonder, he did manage a second hit in NZ as the lead rapper for his group Terror squad later in the decade.
#4724
Well at least this song didn't have to compete with "One word" by Baby animals in NZ given how the Australian band didn't have nearly the same level of success over there as they did over here this year. As such this third single from Achtung baby was able to become a much bigger hit for U2 over there which only fueled the success the band was having at the time.
#4723
This was the final hit that the Thompson twins were able to score anywhere in the world, mainly because this was the last hit they had as a trio before Joe Leeway departed the group and leaving Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey as a duo. If this song were a bigger hit in Australia, its video would definitely qualify for my weird video list due to it having a robot servant and dancing nuns.
#4722
This was far less popular over in NZ than it was here in Australia for Queen, I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed with the band returning to their glam rock roots on this track given how much more popular their earlier entry was over there this year. That said, they would retain some of their popularity during the second half of the decade over there despite the backlash they received from performing at Sun City this year.
#4721
This barely missed out on appearing on the Australian side of my site because it wasn't quite big enough to do so here, fortunately the kiwis loved this parody of MJ's "Bad" so much that they made it an instant hit over there for Weird al which makes it his biggest hit there as opposed to his other MJ parody "Eat it" here in Australia. I think it's safe to say that he has an obsession with food based on these two songs.
#4720
Well, I suppose this was a shoe in for a repeat entry on this site given how it has everything that you would expect from late 90's hip hop, obvious sample of a classic track? Check. Theme song to a popular film at the time? Check. A popular rapper looking to boost his popularity outside of hip hop? Check.
#4719
We looked at Pauline Henry's solo hit from later in the decade on the Australian side of this site, so now let's look at the big hit she had with her band the Chimes at the start of the decade which became a big hit in NZ this year. Strangely it wasn't their biggest hit in their native UK as that honour goes to their cover of U2's "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" which was a minor hit here in Australia.
#4718
Even though Collette was originally from NZ, she was living here in Australia when she recorded this cover of the Anita Ward track which means it was a success here months prior to it becoming a hit back home for her. Much like here in Australia, it was the only hit for both women who recorded this track meaning this is a classic case of a one hit wonder covering a one hit wonder.
#4717
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.
#4716
I would've thought this second single from Footloose would be even bigger in NZ considering A: the kiwis not allowing successful albums to impact the success of popular songs back in the day like we Aussies did and B: Deniece Williams already having a massive solo hit over there with "It's gonna take a miracle" from two years prior. I guess they weren't as invested in that scene in the movie where Kevin Bacon teaches that other kid how to dance as the rest of the world was.
#4715
This is another song to become a hit over in NZ from the female singer/songwriter trend of the late 90's, this time it comes to us from American musician Beth Hart who connected with the kiwis in a way similar to how Lene Marlin and Emilia did by having a serious topic (in this case, suicide prevention) performed in a down to earth way that doesn't feel patronising to the listener.
#4714
This was the lead single to MJ's album Bad; it was only barely a hit in Australia likely due to it being another duet that led off a highly successful album which didn't go over very well the last time that happened. Fortunately, the kiwis were more open to this duet as he recruits unknown singer Sediah Garrett to make a romantic love ballad to lead off the album.
#4713
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.
#4712
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.
#4711
Even though this charted higher in NZ than it did in Australia (even going to number one over there) this still wasn't as big a hit over there as it was over here for the Art of Noise which suggests it only became a hit over there due to the kiwis love for Prince which was at an all-time high at the time. At least it brought attention over to Tom Jones who salvaged his career on this track with the line "I think I better dance now."
#4710
Well, you normally shouldn't judge a song by its cover art, however looking at the cover art to this breakthrough single from the Fat boys, were you really expecting anything other than a fun throwback to a more innocent time in surf rock? Somehow the hip hop trio managed to recruit the Beach boys to recreate the instrumental they sampled for this track which is perhaps why it succeeded in NZ this year.
#4709
Given how inescapable Talking heads were over in NZ this decade, it only makes sense that their theme to the film True stories would be more of a success over there than it was over here for them even if the soundtrack itself was only equally successful in both countries. I'm guessing the film was poorly received by us Aussies and kiwis back in the day as this was the last success they had in either country.
#4708
Although we Aussies weren't that upset when these guys called it quits in 2000, it appears the kiwis were given how much more popular this was over there than it was over here which earns it a higher spot on this list. The band would of course reform later in the decade when they were able to put their differences aside for the sake of their fanbase.
#4707
This was a Christmas album that Hayley Westenra released following the success of her earlier entry on this list, it was a decent success in her homeland and likely would've been even bigger had it not been pulled from shelves once the holiday season was over.
#4706
This was another successful greatest hits album from the Rolling stones to be a success back in the day, there's not much to say about it as it doesn't have much of a legacy anymore given how much more popular their other greatest hits packages have been in their catalogue.
#4705
It appears the kiwis were a bit more on board with making this second single from Kick a success over there as it almost became their second chart topper over there after "Good times" from the previous year. It was also more popular in America as it almost became their second chart topper on Billboard as well, proving that it was us Aussies who initially needed to come around for this track back in the day.
#4704
Much like the rest of the world, this was the final hit that Wham had in NZ before they called it quits as a duo so that George can become a solo artist and Andrew could pursue a career as a racecar driver. There's nothing more I can add to this entry that wouldn't just be me repeating what I said on the Australian side of my site.
#4703
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.
#4702
It appears that this second album from Five was only a sleeper hit in NZ as opposed to it being a mainstream success here in Australia for the boy band, although the trade-off is that three of the four singles found way more success over there than they did over here (relatively speaking that is due to the stiffer competition on the NZ charts.)
#4701
This was a sleeper hit for Texas in NZ like it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis were also ready for the 90's to begin as this feels like something that would've come out in the midpoint of that decade despite coming out at the end of the 80's from the Scottish band. Admittedly the big hit it spawned here in Australia and their native UK wasn't as such over there, making it slightly less successful overall.
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