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.
#2200
Cyndi was really struggling for mainstream relevancy in NZ following the success of her debut album a decade prior, who'd thought her second biggest hit over there would be a reggae reworking of her debut single? It was likely due to nostalgia of the original version as well as reggae always having a welcomed presence over there, although neither of these factors did this song any favours here in Australia.
#2199
Although their album Permanent shade of blue was a moderate success in NZ, it didn't live up to the hype it had here in Australia likely due to this second single from the album eating up its success around the time it took off in the southern hemisphere. Nowadays Roachford is best known as a solo project from the lead singer, however back in the day they were a decently successful RNB quartet.
#2198
This was Jason Donovan's only hit over in NZ, even then it was a duet with the much more popular Kylie Minogue, meaning this was more of a package deal in NZ rather than them wanting to hear the actor try his hand at singing. Indeed, he didn't find much love over there at all as his album was a flop as where all of its singles.
#2197
Prior to discovering this was a real hit single back in the day, my first exposure to this track was when Eminem sampled it for the opening like for "Without me" two decades later. I'm not sure how he discovered this track as it was a massive flop for Malcolm McLaren worldwide except for in NZ where it became a surprise hit over there likely due to the kiwis somehow recognising him as the manager for the Sex pistols.
#2196
I guess the kiwis weren't as big of fans as Bad Boys II as we Aussies were, either that or they felt that the theme song to the film didn't stack up to the multiple hits that the first film spawned over there eight years prior given how much lower this posse cut appears on this list compared to the Australian equivalent. You can't even say it's because of the rappers as they were immensely popular over there as well.
#2195
I still don't know how this managed to become an even bigger success in NZ this year than it did here in Australia the previous year, I guess these guys must have appeared on a popular music show over there which encouraged the kiwis to make this one of the biggest hits of the year for the band. Admittedly it does blow my mind that this bop of a track wasn't as big here as it was over there back in the day.
#2194
This was a huge hit for both parties involved in NZ, although it was strangely Aaron Neville who would benefit from this collaboration over there as he would score a string of hits throughout the first half of the 90's whilst this would remain Linda Ronstadt's final hit worldwide. It was also released slightly earlier over there, possibly suggesting that the kiwis were more on board with her comeback initially than us Aussies.
#2193
It took a while to take off in NZ, however once this became a surprise hit in America for the Clash, the kiwis followed suit by making this song about anti-censorship a huge hit over there this year. Their next single would be a huge success over there, albeit nearly a decade later when it was used in a popular commercial in the early 90's in their native UK.
#2192
It was inevitable that this solo debut from Tim Finn would be a massive success in NZ given how much more popular Split enz was in their homeland than they were here in Australia, in fact this was far from his only hit over there as he would continue to score hits from his solo material well into the 90's.
#2191
Either the kiwis weren't that big into Savage Garden going into their second album (although I doubt this was the case given their earlier entry) or they really didn't like the Other sister because either way, this was far less successful over there than it was here despite the duo already being an international household name but this point. I guess it was the latter given that it was still a hit over there unlike anywhere else in the world.
#2190
I've gone over the Listener charts (the charts that existed for NZ prior to the launch of the RIANZ charts) and it's with a heavy heart that I report that the original version of this track from Bob Dylan was a massive flop over there back in the day. Three years prior to when Guns N Roses scored a massive hit with their version, it was originally a hit for Randy Crawford and Eric Clapton as an RNB jam.
#2189
This was the only other hit that the Manhattans were able to achieve in NZ and their native America, although given how it shares its name with a more upbeat track from Earth wind and fire, I get the feeling it often gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to big hits from musicians of colour from back in the day. Indeed, this is more of a slow jam from the group much like their other big hit "Kiss and say goodbye."
#2188
Whereas at least these guys had a second hit here in Australia the following year with "Land of make believe," this was Bucks Fizz's only hit over in NZ and one that came slightly later than it did down under likely due to the kiwis needing some convincing before allowing them to overtake Abba as the quartet of choice consisting of two guys and two girls.
#2187
Even though this charted higher in NZ for Janet Jackson, it was equally as successful over there as it was here in Australia for the younger sister of the Jackson 5 dynasty. As I said on the Australian side of my site, this feels like it belongs on her next album the Velvet rope due to the new age influence that's on the track.
#2186
Whereas this was only barely a hit here in Australia, the rest of the world was more than impressed with this collaboration between Patti Labelle and Doobie brother’s frontman Michael McDonald back in the day. Admittedly this feels like something that would've been big down under during the first half of the decade as it does feel completely out of place on this list compared to the other entries on here.
#2185
The absence of this classic on the Australian side of my site must have shocked my readers given how iconic it's remained over the years; it turns out it wasn't promoted here due to fears that it would eat up the success of both men's albums which I doubt was the case as these albums did fairly well over in NZ and yet this was a massive hit over there regardless. It remains the biggest hit from both men likely due to the strong chemistry they have on this track.
#2184
Well, this guy's popularity here in Australia did come from him appearing on Countdown, as such this wasn't as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia even though this was still a shoe in for success over there due to it being a rockabilly revival track. I can't tell if his father had any success over there back in the day, but I'm guessing that was also a factor for why this was a hit for him as well.
#2183
This was the one original hit that All-4-One managed to score in their career, even then it was only a hit for them in NZ which perhaps suggests that the rest of the world was only interested in their covers of obscure tracks rather than them bringing anything new to the table. Still, they were a worthy rival for Boyz II Men in the short time they managed to be a household name.
#2182
This was a bigger hit for both Paul and Michael in NZ, likely because of the star power of this lead single to Thriller being more of a selling point over there than it was here in Australia. This star power wasn't as palpable with their second collaboration "Say say say" as while that was a hit over there, it paled in comparison to what this achieved.
#2181
This was the only chart topper that Wham had in NZ throughout their career, it's further proof that number one isn't everything over there as though it was a success for the duo, it wasn't their biggest hit as their earlier hits lasted longer on their charts despite not charting as high as this did. Still, it was a massive hit for the duo thanks to how popular they were upon its initial release.
#2180
I'm surprised this was only a sleeper hit at best for Michelle Branch here in Australia, mainly because I remember hearing this quite a bit on the radio back in the day which I would've thought translated to people making it a success for her here. Fortunately, that was the case in NZ which led to her joining the ranks of Vanessa Carlton and Avril Lavigne as successful female singer/songwriters of the decade.
#2179
I still feel this has rightfully earned its place as one of the best songs of the 90's and arguably of all time even if audiences nowadays feel that they shouldn't like this track due to it fueling the egos of the Gallagher brothers (also to be contrarian like with most popular things from the 90's receiving backlash in the new millennium.) This wasn't quite as big in NZ as it was here and their native UK, likely due to their albums being much bigger over there.
#2178
For whatever reason, these guys were known as Major Matchbox in NZ as well as in Australia despite there not being a Matchbox over there that was also receiving buzz (that I'm aware of that is.) Other than that, there's no surprises here as the kiwis were all about the rockabilly revival craze which resulted in this being a chart topper for the British band over there.
#2177
It looked like Kylie wouldn't have as much success in NZ as she did in Australia early in her career, that's perfectly normal considering that patriotism has always been a fact when it comes to artists making it big in their own countries. While none of her songs were ever as big there as they were here, she did find massive success over there with her debut album to make up for that.
#2176
This was slightly more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis were more opened to the idea of hearing a Kate Bush rendition of the Lesley Gore classic but as envisioned by one of the people inspired by her rather than the genuine article. Apparently, this wasn't the only song they covered in this vein as both artists here made a career out of these sorts of covers over the decade.
#2175
So, it turns out Lauryn Hill had a hit in NZ after all, although it wasn't from her magnum opus the Miseducation of but rather as a virtual duet with Bob Marley on a track from his 1977 album Exodus (side note, how come so many of his posthumous hits have come from that album?) It's the last successful song from either artist as death finally caught up with the late reggae legend and the less said about Lauryn the better.
#2174
This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Tears for fears, admittedly they did have more success over there overall as the third single from their sophomore album as well as the album itself proved to both be a bigger hit for them in NZ than they were down under and the band's native UK.
#2173
I guess the kiwis were a bit pressured into making this title track from Madonna's fourth album any bigger than it already was following the controversy caused from its music video, it was still a massive worldwide hit for the queen of pop regardless of the controversy, but many religious audiences did turn against her back in the day and are still yet to come full circle on her all these years later.
#2172
Given how this wasn't delayed as a single over in NZ like it was here in Australia (I'm not going to speculate on the reason why) this was naturally a much bigger hit over there than it was over here given how the kiwis were also impressed with the Russian duo's stance against homophobia they took with this track. This was originally recorded in Russian before they translated it into English for a wider audience.
#2171
This was a much bigger hit for U2 in NZ, likely because this is in fact a protest song for Martin Luther King and that this was an excellent time to pay tribute to historical leaders of colour if the protest song for Nelson Mandela from earlier on this list is anything to go by. Like everywhere else in the world, it was the first big hit that the band was able to achieve, although it certainly wouldn't be the last.
#2170
I guess the kiwis weren't as on board with these guys competing in the boy band wars given how this wasn't as successful over there as it was over here or their native America despite topping the charts over there. At least their other single from their second album was more of a hit over there than it was over here (stay tuned for it) proving that they had some mileage with the kiwis during their heyday.
#2169
Well, these guys weren't nearly as successful in NZ as they were internationally, heck this was their only hit from their sophomore album over there which didn't even become a success until the new decade. I guess the kiwis felt the story of how these two made it internationally was too much of a novelty and thus unfairly treated them as such until we got to the 90's.
#2168
Well at least they were able to sign off from the 70's with one of their more iconic hits in their catalogue worldwide, although whereas at least these guys had a surprise hit in Australia with "You win again" from 1987, it wouldn't be until 1997 where these guys would return to their mainstream with their album Still waters.
#2167
Well, you know the kiwis have a love for classical music when even the London Symphony Orchestra could score a massive hit over there with an album where they make classical renditions of popular rock and roll hits of the 60's and 70's.
#2166
There were a lot of successful women of colour to make it big around this time in NZ, one of the more popular entries was this debut album from British singer Ruby Turner who scored a string of hits over there with the singles that weren't even popular in her native UK at the time. She did have further success over there with her second album the following year.
#2165
I guess the kiwis were a bit kinder to these guys going into the new millennium, as such it makes sense that this greatest hits package would be slightly more successful over there than it was over here given how much more popular the band was overall with the kiwis compared to us Aussies.
#2164
It may not have been as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia, however this greatest hits package from the brothers Gibb was indeed a success coming into the 80's over there due to how popular the trio was with their pivot towards disco in their catalogue.
#2163
Much like the rest of the world, this album struggled to find an audience upon its initial release on NZ due to Snap being considered to be more of a singles act much like Technotronic or Black box. However, once they embarked on a tour in the southern hemisphere, this album really took off over there which makes the failure of their subsequent material that much more tragic from later in the decade.
#2162
I guess the kiwis were equally as impressed with the soundtrack to Godzilla this year as we Aussies were, although this was likely more due to it being a collection of alternative rock rather than for support for the film given how it was a critical disaster despite bringing in strong box office numbers.
#2161
Much like the rest of the world, the kiwis could only tolerate Billy Ray Cyrus for one album as his subsequent follow ups failed to make an impact over there despite the album popularising the line dance craze of the 90's. The success of his singles was also largely the same as it was in Australia, although that's only the case if you were to cut the lead singles success in half and apply that success to the second single.
#2160
Following the success of the Levi's add that revived the popularity of "Should I stay or should I go," the Clash's former label issued a greatest hits package that became a huge success for them in NZ and their native UK as fans rediscovered the back catalogue of one of the most important punk bands of the 70's and 80's.
#2159
Much like here in Australia, there was every chance that these two would dominate the charts for many years had Mel lived to see the 90's past its first few months. The songs were even bigger over there likely due to the girls blending of RNB and dance pop better connecting with the kiwis than us Aussies (only slightly though) making it one of the bigger albums to come from Stock Aiken and Waterman.
#2158
This was only a success in NZ this year, not even us Aussies were interested in revisiting the classics from Pat Benatar which should give you an idea of how underrated she was back in the day as she has since found her discography on the oldie's stations here.
#2157
Sandwiched between their two earlier entries was this second single from Adeaze, it was a cover of the Bee Gees classic making this the second cover to be a success over there following Portrait's take on the ballad from nine years prior. It wasn't quite as big over there as their earlier entries likely because of the lack of originality this song had compared to the rest of their album.
#2156
This was released slightly earlier in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because the kiwis had fully incorporated their digital charts onto their main charts when it first came out which would explain why the song was also slightly more popular over there for Eminem as I can imagine him being popular on that format during the early phases of its existence.
#2155
This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Eminem, I'm guessing audiences in general were happy to see him back even if the album was just as poorly received by fans and critics alike as his previous effort from five years prior.
#2154
This is often considered to be Busta Rhymes worst song, mainly for the chorus which many feel is a copout considering that his flow is as good as ever on this track. Naturally this was a huge flop here in Australia even after the success of "I know what you want" from earlier in the decade over here.
#2153
Even though this was released slightly earlier in NZ compared to here in Australia, this proved to be more successful here for Iyaz likely due to us Aussies looking for someone to take the prince of RNB crown away from Chris Brown and the kiwis feeling that wasn't a necessary task at the turn of the decade.
#2152
This was another early disco hit that became a hit in NZ but not in Australia this year, although it did chart for a while down under so there was potential for this to become a hit here. Sadly, this was the only hit from Shirley and company as their subsequent follow ups failed to make an impact during a time where disco had exploded into the mainstream.
#2151
Although he already scored his two biggest hits in NZ with INXS from earlier on this list and "Forever now" with his old band Cold chisel, Jimmy Barnes was still able to find massive success with the lead single to his second album (or third depending on your point of view with Bodyswerve/For the working class man) which was indeed the biggest hit of his solo career over there just like it was here.
#2150
It appears the kiwis were also impressed with this art pop cover of a 50's track, although it was only after it climbed the charts here in Australia given how it was only released this year and not the tail end of the previous year like it was down under. As this had novelty written all over it, the band were unable to find further success with their subsequent follow ups in either country.
#2149
This was a bit delayed in NZ given how there seemed to be this unwritten rule throughout the 80's that Bananarama wasn't going to crossover until they began collaborating with Stock Aitken and Waterman on their fourth album, we Aussies broke this rule by having this nearly top our charts which allowed the kiwis to follow suit by making this a hit for the trio shortly after it became a big hit here.
#2148
Well, she didn't have a string of chart toppers in NZ like she did here in Australia (in fact she only ever had one number one hit over there with "Can't get you out of my head" in 2001) however that didn't seem to matter as Kylie was massive success internationally with the third single from her debut album. All this means is that it doesn't have that much cultural significance over there like it does here.
#2147
Given how "Just like you" was a flop over in NZ, this means that Robbie Nevil was a one hit wonder over there despite this being a bigger hit there than it was here in Australia. I'm not even sure how he scored a second hit down under back in the day as from what I can tell, "Just like you" wasn't a hit anywhere else in the world.
#2146
While I'm not sure if this was the first hit single that had synthesisers on the track (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong for thinking it is) it was the song which popularised the usage of synths which would eventually explode in the 80's as more bands and artists got on board with the technology as the decade went on. Indeed, this one and only hit from Kraftwerk (at least in NZ) was a pioneer for everything great about 80's music.
#2145
This feels like a more reasonable ranking for Delta Goodrem's second single from her debut album, although there's no denying that it was a massive success here in Australia which makes its international appeal make sense to me. These two entries from her on this list were her only hits in the UK, suggesting that the Brits didn't gravitate towards her music because of her appearance on Neighbours.
#2144
Given how Britney's earlier entry on this list wasn't pulled from shelves in NZ like it was here in Australia, there was no chance of this being more popular than that track over there like it was over here (at least according to ARIA) which feels right given how this has fallen into semi obscurity by the masses. It remains a fan favourite due to how personal it felt coming from her, but it's not instantly recognisable outside her fanbase.
#2143
Much like the rest of the world, this was the final hit that the Rolling stones was able to achieve in NZ, likely for the music video which has some pretty stilted animation from future Nickelodeon animater John Kricfalusi which likely gave Disney some ideas with their film Who framed roger rabbit two years later.
#2142
As it turns out, this wasn't the biggest hit Madonna had from True blue in NZ given how her earlier entry on this list managed to be the biggest hit she had over there from the album. I guess the kiwis wanted to hear her love of Sean Penn (wow does that sound wrong) more than this poignant track about teenage pregnancy back in the day, heck this was the only hit from the album that was a bigger hit here in Australia.
#2141
Given the success of his theme to the miniseries against the wind, Jon English managed to have massive popularity in NZ this year which resulted in this bonus track from his greatest hits album English history to become a huge success over there. The funny thing is that this was a flop for him here in Australia, meaning he was more popular over there this year than he was here.
#2140
Well at least we Aussies allowed Stevie Nicks to have a highly successful solo career with her albums, none of them were a success in NZ save perhaps her debut album which was more of a sleeper hit than anything. I guess I bring this up because the kiwis were clearly on team Lindsey as he managed to score a giant hit with this ballad over his on again off again partner.
#2139
This being far less successful in NZ than it was here in Australia is further proof I have that the kiwis were losing interest in hip hop and indeed American music in general coming into the new millennium, although admittedly they clearly made somewhat of an exception for these guys given how this did chart higher over there than it did over here even though it was still more popular over here.
#2138
I guess by this time this magnum opus was released in NZ, the kiwis had already begun to fall out of love with the Purple one given how it wasn't as big a hit over there as it was worldwide. That said, his popularity only dwindled ever so slightly as he would remain popular over there consistently for the next ten years, not like here in Australia where the next decade would be a rollercoaster for his success.
#2137
I've checked the Listener charts and I can confirm with a heavy heart that Aretha Franklin never had a hit in NZ prior to this comeback she had this year, at least it was much bigger over there than it was over here likely suggesting this was the kiwis attempts to make up for sleeping on her discography all those years ago.
#2136
Following the success of their sister's sophomore album, the Braxton's (which originally included Toni in their lineup) found massive success with this RNB ballad in NZ of all places as the family never had much success even in their native America back in the day.
#2135
Well, it seemed inevitable that Coolio would find massive success in NZ with the songs he had success with here in Australia given how he already had a hit over there prior to his magnum opus from earlier on this list. Even if he didn't make an anthem for a generation, I can't see this song being a failure over there due to how catchy it is as well as his tight flows making him a credible rapper.
#2134
Unlike in Australia where the only success these guys had were from covers of obscure country tracks, in NZ they scored two more hits beginning with this cover of an obscure RNB track from the Tymes. This was their debut single, which was a big hit in their native America, so naturally this was primed to be a success in NZ, I'm more surprised their earlier entry took off in other countries more than anything.
#2133
You thought I was kidding when I said this was a bigger hit in NZ for the Australian band didn't you? Well, I wasn't as this was a much bigger hit over there than it was over here likely due to how catchy the song is as well as them technically being based in the UK even though they comprised of Australian singers.
#2132
This was the second chart topper that Smokey Robinson had in NZ, although in this case it was due to this being a huge hit in the UK given how he had finally broken through to the British charts at the start of the decade. He wouldn't find any further success after this both solo or with the Miracles anywhere in the world.
#2131
This debut single from Chingy proved to be more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, there's little wonder as to why given that the kiwis were always happy to reward hip hop with success more so than we Aussies have over the years (even to rappers as divisive as Chingy.) Indeed, all of his hits here managed to be even bigger over there as we'll see over the next few lists of mine.
#2130
I've skimmed through the old Listener charts in NZ (the charts that predate RIANZ for the uninitiated) and found that while this did chart upon its initial release over there, it was far from a huge success meaning that it becoming a hit this year makes no sense to me. You can't even say it was due to an anniversary release as this was only nineteen years after its initial release.
#2129
Even though Lutricia McNeal is an American singer, she didn't have any success on the Billboard charts back in the day and had to achieve her success throughout Europe which she somehow managed to accomplish with her debut single. This success led to her having a hit in NZ with this cover of an obscure 70's ballad, indeed she would score other hits over there including one still to come on this list.
#2128
This was another E.P to find success in NZ throughout the decade, I guess it's good to know that the kiwis also found it difficult to determine if an E.P should go on the singles or albums charts like we Aussies did. In any case, this E.P became a success over there due to it containing tracks that were originally cut from the band's debut album that the fans nonetheless wanted to hear more of.
#2127
While this wasn't the first hit they had in NZ, this was the biggest hit from Jodeci members KCI and Jo Jo much like it was here in Australia. The duo was considered a two-man equivalent of Boyz II Men throughout the 90's, which is perhaps why they were able to score massive success even in a place like Australia with their ballads.
#2126
This was Kenny Loggins only hit in NZ, for some reason "Danger zone" was a complete flop over there from the Top gun soundtrack meaning the kiwis will only know him from his theme to Footloose from this year. At least it managed to match the success it had here in Australia and his native America.
#2125
Much like here in Australia, this lead single to the band's biggest album Fore was their biggest hit in NZ, I'm guessing because they now had plenty of hype going into the album over there following success of their previous album Sports and their contributions to the Back to the future soundtrack.
#2124
Much like here in Australia, this was the only big hit that Whitney Houston had in NZ from her second album despite the album being a huge success over there and the kiwis rarely allowing album sales to affect the impact of a song's presence on their charts. I guess this means the rest of the world wasn't interested in the other singles from the album which all topped the Billboard charts for her.
#2123
It may have been heavily delayed in NZ like it was in Australia, however at least the signature track from Human league managed to be a huge number one hit over there as opposed to merely being a top ten hit here. I guess this came at the expense of the other singles from the album underperforming there where they at least became sleeper hits here.
#2122
Well, here we are ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, the first hip hop track to go to number one in NZ which should tell you how serious the kiwis were at making the genre a household name compared to America where it originated. It was also Run DMC's only hit outside their native America for many years, although they finally got out of the one hit wonder bin in the late 90's with a few remixes.
#2121
Murray Head had a hit in NZ fifteen years prior with "Superstar" as he did in Australia, meaning this theme to the concept album Chess from the two male members of Abba allowed him to escape the one hit wonder bin over there just like he did here. Chess was basically the 80's equivalent of Evita in that it was a concept album first before getting turned into a highly popular musical.
#2120
It looks like the kiwis were touched by this open love letter to Christine Brinkley as this easily remains Billy Joel's biggest hit over there, there was a bit of competition for that title here in Australia given how "River of dreams," "We didn't start the fire" and "A matter of trust" were all big hits here; however, this was still the big hit for him over here as well.
#2119
Carl Doy was still able to find success in his homeland this far into the 90's, not bad for a guy first made it big at the end of the previous decade by stealing the success that Richard Clayderman had over there.
#2118
Even though their comeback album in Australia was a massive flop for them in NZ the previous year, this album proved to be a success for Westlife over there suggesting that the kiwis wanted to see what all the fuss was about now that they were reduced to a quartet and weren't impressed with the album that had "You raise me up" on it.
#2117
It was obvious that this would also be a success in NZ like it was here in Australia, true it didn't reach the dizzying heights of success over there that it achieved over here, however these guys were one of the biggest bands of the 90's in the southern hemisphere which this album celebrates.
#2116
Well, this albums success in NZ was inevitable, fans weren't ready to say goodbye to Freddie Mercury from earlier in the decade and posthumous albums have always statistically done well in the mainstream over the years.
#2115
It feels a bit weird that this wasn't T-Pain's biggest hit in NZ considering it was in his native America, although I guess it didn't have the same brand of humour that his earlier entry and especially "I'm in luv with a stripper" did which is perhaps why this didn't do as well for him over there as it did in his homeland. This comes complete with a guest verse from unknown rapper Yung Joc who didn't have any success outside of this track.
#2114
There was no doubt this was going to be a massive success for Sean Kingston over in NZ given how immensely popular this song was back in the day worldwide, indeed this was equally as successful over there as it was over here despite coming out a good two months earlier there than it did here for the Jamaican RNB singer.
#2113
Given how this managed to become a massive hit the following year here in Australia for P Money and Scribe, it only makes sense that this was a huge chart topper in their homeland this year even though it appears the song quickly fell off the charts going into the new year likely due to it peaking during the Christmas period of this year and thus giving off the impression it was pulled from shelves over there.
#2112
I guess the kiwis weren't as interested in JT's BDSM fetishes as we Aussies were, mind you, they obviously were intrigued by it enough to make it a massive hit for the former boy band member, however it was noticeably less successful over there than it was over here and especially his earlier entry from this list.
#2111
This was also a massive hit in NZ like it was here in Australia, although it was a huge flop on Billboard likely due to supergroups rarely doing well in America unless it's for charity. With the exception of Jeff Lynne who had a bigger hit over there with "Telephone line" with ELO, this was the biggest hit any of the members had on the RIANZ charts, although George did have bigger success on the Listener charts with the Beatles.
#2110
This was the solo debut single from Supergroove lead singer Che Fu, judging by the album art (which I apologise for its low quality as it's the best I could find on the internet) it appears to be the theme to a film that harkens back to the kung fu craze of the 70's. It could also just be a reference to the video which seems to be a parody of these trends, but I couldn't find out much about the track.
#2109
This was almost as big as Tone loc's earlier entry on this list in NZ, naturally it was his bigger hit here in Australia, so the appeal was there for both songs in the southern hemisphere. I guess this was the first signs of west coast hip hop taking over the NZ charts as Tone loc was from California, not that it really mattered as hardly anyone affiliates him with the hip hop wars of the 90's.
#2108
At least this song was popular in NZ on time as opposed to here in Australia where it had a slight delay to its success, although it was more successful down under than it was over there so perhaps the delay was worth it in the end. Either way, this was the only hit that the Boomtown rats had in the southern hemisphere despite how inescapably popular they were in their native UK.
#2107
This was a hit twice for John Paul Young in NZ just like it was here in Australia, although in this case this made him a two-hit wonder with both versions of this track as none of his other songs became a hit for him over in NZ throughout the 70's. Still, this was only a hit over there due to the ballroom mix which was commissioned for the Strictly ballroom soundtrack that came out around this time.
#2106
This was a much bigger hit for Enrique Iglesias in NZ, likely because the Latin craze took off during the final year of the 90's which also resulted in huge hits for the likes of Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez over there. Enrique was by far the one who had the biggest improvement on the success he had in NZ compared to what he achieved in Australia, at least that was the case for his first English language album.
#2105
Well at least this RNB ballad managed to be a success in NZ on time, although I feel like I've said this for multiple entries over the last few lists as RNB in NZ was widely accepted since the start of the decade as opposed to Australia where it generally needed to be a success over there before it crossed over here.
#2104
Evidently the Commodores weren't just a soft rock band like their only two hits in Australia would otherwise suggest, instead they got their origins in funk and disco which would explain why their final hit in NZ was in the latter categories. I'm not sure why none of their more upbeat tracks became hits here in Australia, then again, it's not like their ballads were instants successes here either.
#2103
This was an even bigger success for C+C Music factory in NZ, likely due to it sounding like a McDonald's advert to them years before the restaurant chain would adopt this theme for themselves by reworking some of the lyrics for their brand. The duo would return bigger than ever later in the decade with their second album following the aftermath of their legal dispute with Martha Walsh.
#2102
Well given how 2pac was one of the biggest artists of the decade in NZ, it's only fitting that his one and only hit in Australia (at least during his lifetime) would be a massive success over there even if his earlier entry on this list was the biggest hit of his career over there (alive or dead.) It was also Dr Dre's second hit over there following the success of "Keep their heads ringing" from the previous year.
#2101
It appears that the kiwis had much more love for Christina Aguilera during her time with Disney than we Aussies did as the second single from her debut album managed to be way more popular over there at the start of the decade and even give her a number one hit which is something that didn't happen here in Australia until "Beautiful" from her second album.
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