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.
#4200
While this did float around in the lower half of the charts in NZ prior to its surprise success in the UK, it wasn't until their earlier entry was released that it skyrocketed towards the top half of the charts over there which confirmed that the Pointer sisters were a household name there like they were over here throughout the decade. It still blows my mind how much less popular the trio were over there compared to over here.
#4199
We already looked at the remix of this song from the early 90's on this side of my site, it's time to revisit the original version of this track from JPY one last time as it was indeed a huge hit in NZ back in the day likely due to its huge international appeal which led it to becoming a huge hit worldwide. You'd think he'd score at least one other charting single over there but alas he didn't.
#4198
This was an E.P from Elemeno P, a NZ alternative band that managed to score massive success with the album that spawned the title of this E.P as well as a few other minor hits over there. I would've thought that their one female member was the lead vocalist of the group like other bands of the day, it turns out she was merely a backup vocalist and guitarist in a way that subverts this expectation.
#4197
This was only slightly more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia for Meat loaf, I'm guessing it was due to the success it had over in America given how this trapped him in the one hit wonder bin in his homeland for fifteen years on Billboard. Indeed, he was a two-hit wonder everywhere else in the world with his two entries on this list due to the failure of his work from the 80's.
#4196
This was Smokie's only hit single in NZ given how the kiwis clearly weren't impressed with the band's output, heck this likely was only a success due to how inescapably popular it was over here given how it was one of the biggest hits of the decade down under thanks to them appearing on Countdown to perform this on the show.
#4195
This will be the only appearance from Donny and Marie Osmond on this site of mine, although I could've featured several of their own hits had I gone further back in the decade given how popular they were (well he was at least) during the first half of the 70's. This is their take on a ballad from the 30's that they updated for a (then) modern audience which would explain its success in NZ and not in Australia.
#4194
This is the only hit that teenage singer Shola Ama was able to achieve outside of her native UK, although like many British artists of the day (especially those in the RNB camp) she was far more successful in her homeland. Here she puts her spin on an obscure track from the late 70's that went over well with her fellow Brits and the kiwis, although not so much with us Aussies given how this flopped here.
#4193
Although this track came out two years prior throughout Europe, it wasn't until this year that it became a hit over in NZ despite the fact that the album it came from spawned two successful hits for Lutricia McNeal over there the previous year. I'm guessing this was a big hit on their radio given how airplay became a factor on the RIANZ charts starting with this year.
#4192
I guess the kiwis weren't as titillated with this breakthrough single from Donna Summer as we Aussies were given how much lower it appears on this side of my site compared to the Australian side, at least it was a decent success for the queen of disco even if it was a sign that she wouldn't reach the dizzying heights of success over there she achieved over here.
#4191
From what I can gather, Andru Donalds is one of the vocalists that Enigma used in their albums which would explain the success of his solo material in certain parts of the world including this track he released following an infamous lawsuit that the German duo was facing around this time. No surprise then this was a hit for him in NZ given how it's a reggae track made by an artist who hails from Jamaica.
#4190
This was a minor hit here in Australia for Ricky Martin; however, it was too minor of a hit to appear on the Australian side of my site due to it charting too low to make any sort of impact in our music scene. Fortunately, it was much more impactful over in NZ likely due to the Latin craze being a lot stronger over there at the time, well that or the fact that this came from a highly successful album which affected its popularity down under.
#4189
Well, it looks like the kiwis weren't as impressed with this pop friendly version of the trio's sound this year given how much less successful it was not only compared to what it achieved here in Australia, but also compared to both their earlier entry as well as Peter Gabriel's entry on this list. Still, it was inevitable that this would be a big hit for them over there given how popular they were at the time.
#4188
It looks like the kiwis gave J Geils band a similar road to success as we Aussies did as this second single managed to become a hit for the band over there just like it did over here following the success of their earlier single on this list. Given how this had less competition over there than it did over here, it allowed it to become a bigger hit and thus, score a higher placement on this side of my site.
#4187
This was the big breakthrough hit that Coolio had in most parts of the world, likely for the sample which came from one hit wonder Lakeside who scored a massive hit in NZ back in 1981. Of course, Coolio only samples the beat and chorus of the original as he uses them to connect his verses about how he was making it in the big leagues now that he was a successful rapper (a bit early to brag but it was eventually true.)
#4186
This was also a big hit for Fleetwood Mac in NZ, in fact it was much bigger over there than it was over here likely due to the kiwis not allowing the success of big albums to impact the success of its singles over there back in the day. Even so, this was the only big hit that the band had from Tango in the night over there, even "Big love" was a huge flop despite it being a minor success here in Australia.
#4185
This was the debut single for what would become one of the most inescapable artists of the decade in NZ, that being the hip hop group Nesian Mystik who decided to introduce their music as their style which was an immediate success for them even if each of their other songs would prove to be more popular than this as the decade went on.
#4184
This was the last major hit that Soul II Soul had anywhere in the world, I'm guessing this was due to it coming off the success of their two hits from their debut album from the previous year despite this being the lead single to their second album they released this year. The album itself was a massive success, suggesting that the follow ups were ignored in NZ in favour of said album's success.
#4183
Following the success of their "theme" from earlier on this list, Cleopatra released this second single from their debut album which also proved to be a success for the British teen pop trio. It wasn't as big a hit in their native UK likely due to the Brits not having enough love for this track to have it be as big as all the other teen pop making it big over there.
#4182
Well, this managed to be a hit for Steve Perry in NZ as well despite his band Journey also failing to score a single hit over there back in the day, in fact I'm surprised Journey didn't have any success outside their native America given how their arena rock would've fitted in perfectly with the MTV generation.
#4181
Even though UB40 never broke up and would even go on to have another successful album by the end of the decade, it appeared that lead singer Ali Campbell wanted to try his hand at a solo career which was off to a good start with this album albeit on in NZ and his native UK. It's curious this was as successful when it came out given how most of his early contemporaries did the same thing a decade prior.
#4180
From what I can gather, Diana Ross didn't have much success in NZ prior to this greatest hits package even during her time with the Supremes. This makes this album one of the rare examples of a greatest hits release boosting an artist’s popularity as opposed to harming it as she would of course go on to massive success in the 80's over there.
#4179
It appears the kiwis wanted to bust a move this year as we have a reappearance from Bobby Brown's remix album to coincide with Paula Abdul's earlier entry on this list. Indeed, both albums are remixes of debut albums (or solo in Bobby's case) released two years prior but only took off the previous year worldwide.
#4178
Even though I'm not shocked at this album's placement on this list, I am shocked that the kiwis didn't gravitate towards its single like we Aussies did even though Warren G released his own version which was a modest success over there at the time.
#4177
This was the last successful album that Joe Jackson had in his career over in NZ, although it was much more of a success over there than it was over here hence why it managed a higher placement on this list compared to its Australian counterpart.
#4176
Nelly released two albums this year, this was by far the more successful given how it had two out of the three big hits he had during the midpoint of the decade worldwide. This was another near miss from appearing on the Australian side of my site, kind of like how the other album he released Sweat was a near miss from appearing on this list.
#4175
This was released the previous year in T'pau's native UK where it became an instant success for the band, despite that it didn't see an international release until six months later which naturally hindered its worldwide success due to their hype dying out by then. Even so, the kiwis were impressed with their debut album given how it was a modest success for them as well as both of its singles.
#4174
Unlike in Australia where this was quite the juggernaut due to the surprise success of one of its singles, it was only a sleeper hit in NZ despite entering the charts quite high over there due to the artist momentum Garbage had worldwide. At least this did shake up their charts which is more than I can say for their subsequent follow ups.
#4173
These guys were so inescapable this year in NZ that their album from the previous year was given a second chance by the kiwis which allowed it to become a massive hit over there a year after its initial release, this is bizarre considering how the band performed one of the tracks from this album on Countdown and that track even becoming a minor hit here in Australia despite the album flopping here.
#4172
You know the Celtic craze from the 90's was inescapable when we have a compilation album (at least I think that's what this is) finding success in NZ where it was arguably at its most popular. I'm actually more surprised this flopped here in Australia given our love for the Corrs and other Celtic acts.
#4171
Well, the singles might not have been as popular in NZ as they were here in Australia, however at least this breakthrough album from Good Charlotte managed to be as popular there as it was over here albeit as a sleeper hit likely due to the singles only being big on their airplay charts. This was their only successful album over there, proving the kiwis didn't love their later material like we Aussies did.
#4170
To my knowledge, Ziggy Marley was the only offspring of Bob Marley to embark on a music career which was off to a good start seven years after the tragic passing of his father with his debut album. This got a bit lost in the shuffle in NZ this year due to how chaotic the album charts were; however, it did connect with the kiwis to make an appearance on this list.
#4169
Even though they were all panned by critics, the Transformer films made by Michael Bay were all huge commercial successes likely due to the high scale explosions each of them had. It could also be their soundtracks as they usually managed to spawn a hit or two whenever they were released, the second one being by far the most popular of the bunch.
#4168
While he never saw the dizzying heights of success he achieved with his previous solo album (let alone what he achieved with Split Enz) Tim Finn was nonetheless able to achieve moderate success with his second solo album even if it failed to spawn a hit for him over there. His next album would be a complete dud for him, although it at least spawned a genuine hit with "How'm I gonna sleep."
#4167
Given how "Black hole sun" wasn't a hit over there for Soundgarden like it was here in Australia, this breakthrough album from the band didn't wind up being as popular in NZ as it was here down under which is why it's much lower on this list. Still, they did manage to have a massive hit with their next album two years later over there that they certainly didn't have over there.
#4166
It looks like Russell Watson was here to stay in NZ given how this album managed to be a big success over there following the success of his breakthrough album from the previous year.
#4165
Whereas this album was able to spawn a hit for Supertramp here in Australia, that didn't seem to be the case in NZ likely due to the kiwis feeling like their time in this spotlight was up despite how strong they began the 80's over there. I guess the MTV effect took hold much sooner over there than it did over here as it is a surprise in retrospect this managed to compete with the likes of Culture club and Duran Duran down under.
#4164
This is the only hit that the Darkness were able to achieve outside of their native UK, it happens to be their most recognisable song given how it was their big breakthrough in America this year thanks to its over-the-top music video that easily would've qualified for my weird video list had it been a hit here in Australia. Speaking of, I have no idea why this flopped down under even taking into account Australian Idol's monopoly of our charts.
#4163
This was the big hit off of Babyface's magnum opus the Day, an album that won't be appearing on this side of my site as the kiwis passed up on it in favour of the singles as opposed to us Aussies who let it stick around in lieu of its singles. Again, he was able to achieve this success as a lead artist whilst also producing some of the hottest RNB jams of the decade.
#4162
Although it was panned by critics back in the day, Snoop Dogg's second album Tha doggfather did yield a few moderate hits including this track where he interpolates "Ooops upside your head" from the Gap band with the full endorsement of their frontman Charlie Wilson as he provides him a chorus with an update of the original. This is the second time the song was a success as an interpolation following Snap's usage of it.
#4161
This was the second of two hits that Phoebe Snow was able to achieve in NZ back in the day, this being a cover of a Paul McCartney track from the start of the decade which no doubt connected with the kiwis in a way that many covers of a Beatles member did back in the day. We Aussies passed this up in favour of the album it came from, although I don't hear this much on oldies stations so perhaps it was never that popular here.
#4160
Although this managed to crack the top ten over in NZ, this third single from the Eurythmics third album as well as the second single from Aretha's comeback album was equally as successful over there as it was over here due to it being more of a sleeper hit here as opposed to an immediate hit over there. Admittedly this did peak during the Christmas period of the previous year which means it's possible it was even bigger over there.
#4159
This was also a hit in NZ much like the other repeat entries on this list, I can't say if the original from Nina Simone or the Animals cover from the mid 60's were hits over there as there aren't any charts that exist to confirm of deny this, however it's clear that this version was a winner during the height of the disco era in both countries regardless.
#4158
This proved to be more of a success for Celine Dion in NZ than it was here in Australia, this is interesting given how all of her other hits were far less successful over there than they were over here throughout the 90's even though this is admittedly more in line with the teen pop that was dominating the worldwide charts at the time than her brand of diva pop.
#4157
Given how airplay was more of a factor towards a song's success in NZ, it allowed this second single from John Mayer's debut album to be a genuine hit over there as opposed to a mere modest sleeper hit like it was over here in Australia. This will be the only song of his to make an appearance on my site given how none of his other singles managed to reach the upper echelons of either chart in the southern hemisphere.
#4156
I think this is the only native American band that ever saw success throughout the world over the years, sure we've had native American artists such as Cher find success, however I can't think of another band apart from these guys to reach international fame. With that said, we have the one and only appearance from Redbone on this site who is best known for their single "Witch queen of New Orleans."
#4155
Black Slate were a British reggae group who scored their only success this year with this track and "Boom boom" which unfortunately failed to rack up enough points to appear on this list, this was success that was translated from their native UK given how popular reggae music was (particularly ska reggae) as well as their fellow Brits supporting their music when they broke through the previous year.
#4154
This was one of only two hits that Phoebe Snow had in NZ throughout her career, although at least it's one more hit she had over there than she did in her native America even though "Poetry man" failed to become a hit over there like it did on Billboard earlier in the decade. I guess the trade-off for her singles flopping here in Australia was that her third album was a genuine success by the end of the decade.
#4153
Although Livie didn't ultimately see more success in NZ than she did here in Australia, she did seem to be more popular with the kiwis than us Aussies during the midpoint of the decade given how she now has two entries on this side of my site that will never appear on the Australian side given how much of a failure they both were down under.
#4152
If the production on this track sounds familiar to you, that's because it was used as a sample for Will Smith's Men in black theme from fifteen years later. It was a massive hit in NZ and the UK for the American soul singer, although it flopped on Billboard back in the day which means her fellow Americans likely don't even realise that the Will Smith theme sampled a song like this.
#4151
It appears the kiwis were also on board with this alternative track from Beck as it managed to become a huge success over there like it was over here for the alternative rocker, although it also remains his only hit over there making it feel more like a novelty on this list than an anthem for a generation like it's been described as.
#4150
This was about as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Madonna, this isn't a surprise given how her earlier entry on this list was supposed to be the big hit off the album with this being a throwaway single that didn't even receive its own music video (the intro to the film is the unofficial video.) She would come back stronger than ever by the end of the decade with her fourth album.
#4149
I guess the kiwis weren't as into the lore that Eiffel 65 created for their debut album as we Aussies were given how this wasn't nearly as successful over there as it was over here, admittedly they did feel a tad overexposed here back in the day given how their spectacle was more based on the music videos rather than the songs themselves which seemed to be double the case over there back in the day.
#4148
Well, it looks like the kiwis also found this novelty track about body shaming a guy for having a small dick hilarious back in the day, not as hilarious as we Aussies found it and certainly not as quickly as we did, but its success was noteworthy over there regardless.
#4147
This proved to be far less successful in NZ than it was everywhere else in the world, likely due to the kiwis feeling this was a betrayal of Berlin's new wave roots that they had established two years prior which was a massive success over there that year. Still, there was little chance this was going to be a complete flop for the band given how popular they were at the time as well as the film it was written for.
#4146
While this didn't chart as high in NZ as it did over here in Australia, it still managed to be equally as successful in both countries due to this having to work its way up to its success over there as supposed to it debut high on our charts and quickly falling off once its initial appeal wore off. Either way it was an impressive feat for the third single of a (then) unknown singer/songwriter making it big worldwide.
#4145
This was sandwiched between the Fugees two NZ chart toppers from earlier on this list, here they interpolate a much more obscure track from the 60's in order to connect their verses about giving their love to the people they're rapping about on the track. This and "No woman no cry" were modest sleeper hits here in Australia, proving that we Aussies were becoming more susceptible towards hip hop by this point.
#4144
Well, this was a song that was far less successful for Cyndi Lauper in NZ than it was here in Australia, then again, Cyndi's popularity was much bigger here overall given how only her debut single and album were able to match the success over there they had down under. Considering Madonna's dominance over there over the last few lists, I think it's safe to say the kiwis were already ready to discard Cyndi at this point.
#4143
I did mention the last time I featured Richard Marc on this site that this was the only other hit that he managed to achieve in NZ, this is rather coincidental as both of these songs were chart toppers here in Australia and yet this was what got him out of the one hit wonder bin over there despite being far less successful than it was over here. I guess the kiwis were a bit torn with the story telling on this particular track.
#4142
Well, this is a surprise, mainly because I wasn't expecting to have this E.P perform better in NZ than it did here in Australia. I guess this was marketed as the debut entry from the Reels which would explain how it managed to achieve much bigger success over there than it did over here, although it wouldn't do them any favours for their later catalogue.
#4141
Vera Lynn was one of the few notable success stories during the first half of the twentieth century, as such she was able to make a name for herself during some of the roughest times in modern history which the kiwis no doubt wanted to pay their respects to with this album just as the decade was coming to an end.
#4140
This is another album that failed to appear on the Australian side of my site despite debuting high on our charts, it would've had the same fate for this side of my site except it rebounded on the NZ charts this year likely due to media coverage that this band had. For the uninitiated, this is a supergroup which includes Scott Weiland from Stone temple pilots on lead vocals and Slash from Guns n roses among others.
#4139
There were no signs of these guys slowing down in NZ given how this managed to be equally as popular over there as it was over here, it's a bit of a comeback for the band given how their previous album Angel dust only briefly rebounded on their charts following the success of their Commodores cover.
#4138
The one trade-off for Paula Abdul scoring massive success with her singles in NZ was that her debut album was only a minor sleeper hit over there as opposed to it becoming a massive surprise hit this year here in Australia, I guess you can consider this remix album a placeholder for Forever your girl given how its popularity seems to match what the main album achieved on our charts.
#4137
Although they would explode in popularity by the end of the decade, Shapeshifter had a decent start to their career when they released their debut album this year which was able to put the EDM band on the map in their homeland.
#4136
This was a bit of a comeback for Katchafire given how their second album was too much of a sleeper hit to make an appearance on this site, indeed none of their albums was much of a mainstream success since the reggae band always found themselves on the lower half of the album charts in their homeland with their releases.
#4135
This was a bit more of a success over in NZ than it was here in Australia for the Cure (as were multiple alternative albums on this very list) this is likely due to the surprise success of its second single in America which was their breakthrough on the Billboard charts for the British band.
#4134
While this still took its sweet time in becoming a success in NZ like it did here in Australia, at least it managed to reach the upper echelons of their charts which is more than I can say for how it did down under given how it failed to crack our top twenty despite how inescapable the singles were over here. That said, Christina overall found less success with her albums over there despite how big her singles were.
#4133
Given how this managed to appear on the Australian side of this site, it's only fitting that this would be a success in NZ as well even if it was only equally as popular there as it was over here despite charting higher over there. Lead singer Pauline Henry would chart over there later in the decade like she did over here, although she didn't have a genuine hit over there.
#4132
I hope you're not expecting much representation from Stevie Nicks on this side of my site as it appears the kiwis weren't as impressed with her solo material as we Aussies were, she did chart throughout the decade over there, however her solo debut was the best she could do which achieved only a fraction of its success it had over here.
#4131
This is the last successful album that the Feelers had in their homeland, they kind of ruined their momentum by the end of the decade when they decided to release a greatest hits album to commemorate the tenth anniversary of their debut album which is always a curse for bands like this. At least the title track was a massive hit for them which was impressive for a band who came from the 90's at this point in time.
#4130
This was a soundtrack album that Clannad made for the TV series Robin of Sherwood, it was a show based on the Robin Hood legend that was a massive success in the UK and NZ if this albums success is anything to go by. This did lead to the band having a massive hit with a greatest hits album at the end of the decade over there.
#4129
Just like here in Australia, this was only a success in NZ following the success that Ian Dury and company had with the lead single from their next album "Hit me with your rhythm stick." Again how this wasn't a success upon its initial release is beyond me, but I guess its appeal was better late than never.
#4128
He did begin the decade with a successful greatest hits album, so naturally James Galway was able to score a huge hit with this album in NZ this year proving that the kiwis were really into flutists around this time.
#4127
Of all the Lulu albums I could've possibly featured on this site, I wasn't expecting to feature this duet's album of hers that only became a success when it did due to one of the tracks on here appearing on Ronan Keating's earlier entry on this list. Indeed, this proved to be a massive success in NZ for the Scottish singer, which somewhat makes sense given that she had a resurgence in popularity over there twenty years prior.
#4126
While this wasn't as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, it appears that the kiwis enjoyed the second soundtrack from the Mission impossible franchise enough to make it the flagship of the franchise in their homeland much like we Aussies did down under. Again, I'm a fan of the franchise, so I can't say that I clamour for a new film once every few years like so many do.
#4125
There was a greatest hits package that Neil Diamond released in 1985 with this exact title that was a success over in NZ, that wound up being more successful over there than this was even though this was also a decent success around this time where it was a flop over here in Australia.
#4124
It appears the kiwis were a bit sceptical at first in allowing Miley Cyrus to become the next Hilary duff back in the day given how long this took to chart over there compared to over here where we Aussies were at least curious upon its initial release. That said, this was far more of a success once the kiwis were on board with making her a household name given how much bigger this was over there overall.
#4123
Much like everywhere else in the world, this is the final Pearl Jam album to have any impact over in NZ as the 2010's proved to be rather hostile towards rock music unless it was A: from a specific record label or B: it had heavy promotion from an indie source such as Triple J or Pitchfork.
#4122
We have another entry to feature from Sean Kingston's debut album on this site, this being the third hit in a row he managed to score over in NZ from said album thanks to how popular he was over there with said album. He would score one more hit with his earlier entry on this list before he went to work on his second album which yielded more success for him as the decade was coming to an end over there.
#4121
This wasn't released in NZ that long after it was here in Australia, meaning that the kiwis would've recognised Natalie Bassingthwaighte from her work on Neighbours this year and yet it was still far less popular over there than it was over here. This would eventually see a UK release the following year where it was a hit over there, again likely for the Brits recognising her as Izzy Hoyland from the series.
#4120
Apart from her earlier appearance on this list, this will be the only entry from Kelly Clarkson to appear on this side of my site which is fitting given how it was the one hit of hers that failed to do so likely due to strong album sales preventing it from being a hit over here despite it being easily one of her most recognisable (and my personal favourite) songs in her catalogue.
#4119
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it did here in Australia, likely because regardless of where in the world you're from, BEP was inescapable during the midpoint of the decade with these three entries of theirs being a large reason why. Indeed, I feel most people forget this second single form the album even exists due to how the other two entries on this list has long since overshadowed its legacy.
#4118
It appears the kiwis were equally as interested in this posthumous hit from Biggie Smalls as we Aussies were this year as it managed to find equal amount of success in both countries for the rapper, it only makes sense that he would achieve a hit like this worldwide given how his rival 2Pac had achieved massive success the previous year with "Ghetto gospel."
#4117
This was where it all began for Simply red as they chose this cover of an obscure funk track from earlier in the decade as their debut single, it was a big hit over in NZ but nowhere else in the world despite it being one of their funkier tracks in their catalogue. I guess their fanbase was more interested in their slow ballads as both of their Billboard chart toppers were the type of music some would describe as music for our mothers.
#4116
These guys were on such a roll this year that they managed to score a second hit both in NZ and their native America with this sexually driven track which seems like a precursor to their earlier entry on this list (or at least that's my head cannon.) I should mention that their only hit here in Australia won't be reappearing on this side of my site as for some reason, the kiwis passed up on that track later in the decade.
#4115
This was the third and final hit that the Exponents managed to achieve with this name as their subsequent material this decade failed to make it big in their homeland, this also came out around the time they released their first album since their name change which likely boosted the song's popularity at the time.
#4114
This was a big hit for the Headless chickens this year in their homeland, it wasn't a huge success here in Australia, but it did catch the attention of Triple J listeners who voted it on their first annual year end list. I'm guessing it was because of this attention that their first hit in their homeland was bundled with their biggest hit over there the following year.
#4113
He may not have had any success during his time with the Rockmelons here in Australia, however at least Peter Blakeley can take comfort in the fact that his one and only hit in Australia was also as such in NZ albeit to a much lesser scale. It appears to have come at the expense of his album being a success over there as it unfortunately flopped much like his former band's album from two years prior.
#4112
Given that their first collaboration from three years prior was a massive success worldwide (except for America of course) it only makes sense that UB40 would reunite with Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders to make another reggae cover of a 60's track, in this case an obscure track from Dusty Springfield from her final successful album (the one with "Son of a preacher" on it.)
#4111
If you're wondering just who Peter Tosh is, he was a member of the Wailers which was Bob Marley's backing band who of course saw a massive mainstream breakthrough the previous year with "Is this love." Here he recruits Mick Jagger of all people to duet with him on a cover of a Temptations track that comes complete with a bizarre music video showcasing Mick's strange dance moves.
#4110
For whatever reason, "Clint Eastwood" was only a sleeper hit in NZ just like it was here in Australia, as such it won't be reappearing on this side of my site. Fortunately, this second single from the album was a much bigger deal over there (a number one hit in fact) which ensures that it gets a spot on this list likely through the gimmick of the band recognising the turn of the century with its release.
#4109
I guess given how the Cure were one of the biggest bands of the decade in NZ, it would make sense that Killing joke would score at least one hit over there given how the kiwis were clearly cool with having gothic rock on their charts during the 80's. It was the band's only big hit over there as they weren't exactly a household name in their native UK at the time.
#4108
These guys were on a roll in NZ as they managed to score a third big hit over there following the success of "O.P.P" and Hip hip hooray from earlier in the decade, indeed their popularity there was arguably more so than it was their native America as this underperformed on the Billboard charts back in the day. I guess the kiwis needed to show some love to east coast hip hop to balance out all the west coast tracks making it big.
#4107
Well at least Suzanne Vega had a minor hit in NZ three years prior with "Luka" which came from the same album as the original version of this dance classic from DNA, it was a slightly bigger hit over in NZ likely because the kiwis wanted to get Suzanne out of the one hit wonder bin even if technically she still is a one hit wonder over there as she was merely credited as the featured artist on this remix.
#4106
Given that her earlier entry wasn't anywhere near as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm a bit surprised that this third single from the Velvet rope managed to become a success over there which shoots down my theory that the kiwis had grown tired of her spiritual vibes in her music by this point in time. I guess these songs simply had much stronger competition over there than they did over here to make it seem like this was the case.
#4105
I get the feeling this song was originally recorded around the time "Candy girl" was released as a single, that's the best explanation I have for why Ralph Tresvant has such a high-pitched voice on this track despite him supposedly hitting puberty by the time the song was released. Naturally this flopped here in Australia due this criticism, however it was the group's first hit in their native America.
#4104
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't an even bigger hit in NZ than it was, granted it was still much bigger there than it was here in Australia, but I would've thought a hip hop track from the white rapper (even if it's a novelty like this track) would've been an easy chart topper over there as opposed to just being a mere top ten hit.
#4103
This was the only hit that Ray Goodman and Brown were able to achieve throughout their career in NZ and their native America, I'm guessing they would've had better luck if black music supposedly wasn't facing backlash at the height of their popularity, however as we've established on this list alone that wasn't the case, I think it's more the kiwis and their fellow Americans only liked this one and only song from them.
#4102
This was slightly more popular here in Australia than it was over in NZ, I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed with 50 Cent trying to be romantic as the rest of the world was given how this was his second consecutive Billboard chart topper for the rapper this year. I guess the presence of Nate Dogg was the reason why this was a success given how popular he was over there with his hit "Never leave me alone."
#4101
Well, the kiwis didn't seem to be as impressed with this love letter to the Shandi's of the world as we Aussies were, then again Kiss in general wasn't that successful over there as this and "I was made for loving you" will be their only songs to appear on this side of my site as well as the two albums these songs respectively came from.
No comments:
Post a Comment