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.
#1100
This was the biggest version of the Little Eva classic over in NZ, mainly because Kylie Minogue's version from later in the decade was only a moderate success over there and the original and Grand funk versions both flopped in NZ (from what I can gather at least.) This means that the kiwis only wanted to hear this classic if it was set to a disco beat and maybe if it was covered by a pop diva.
#1099
This was released soon after the death of Luciano Pavarotti, it doesn't surprise me that a greatest hits package would be commissioned following his death given how immensely popular he was throughout the 90's as well as the popularity of opera music this decade.
#1098
Even though both of the singles from the album were from Bart Simpsons voice actor Nancy Cartwright, it turns out this album from the cartoon show features tracks from all of the main cast of the show including voices from several of the townspeople featured in the first two seasons of the show. It was a massive hit in NZ due to the kiwis love of the show, however the show was popular worldwide even if the album wasn't.
#1097
Well, this was a massive surprise from the Brothers Gibb in NZ, mainly because they didn't even have a mini comeback ten years prior over there like they did in Australia and the UK. Still, they had become legacy acts by this stage which would more than explain the success of this album around this time.
#1096
It appears the kiwis were a bit ahead of the curb when it came to the female singer/songwriter phenomenon as Suzanne Vega managed to score even more success in NZ than she did here in Australia back in the day. That said, aside from a remix of a song from this album in the 90's, she didn't have much success anywhere in the world after this album.
#1095
Much like the rest of the world, this greatest hits package from the Beatles was a massive success in NZ around the twentieth anniversary of John Lennon's tragic murder. I don't have much more to add to this entry as its success over there was for the exact same reason it was over here.
#1094
It appears that the popularity of the singles from Beyonce's Sasha Fierce album in NZ was the inverse of what they were in Australia and her native America as this serves as the midpoint of their popularity throughout the world. I guess the kiwis were more interested in her sentimental ballads than her airing out her grievances to what appears to be the male population on the album's two lead singles.
#1093
I remember this track receiving a ton of airplay here in Australia back in the day, so my confusion as to how it was only a modest sleeper hit at best is pretty high especially given how it was a huge chart topper for the Finnish band over in NZ and throughout the rest of the world. The remain a one hit wonder in both countries in the southern hemisphere, however they had more success throughout Europe.
#1092
This was the only hit from Jimmy "BO" Horne (man what a weird stage name) it became as such due to it being written by KC and the Sunshine Band despite those guys not having a hit in a while over in NZ. For some reason, this wasn't a hit here in Australia for the musician of colour, I don't know why as George McCrae had a massive hit earlier in the decade with "Rock your baby" under similar circumstances.
#1091
From what I can gather, Audrey Landers was a failed American actress who scored a hit in NZ and throughout Europe with this European pop track in an attempt to launch her singing career. The song was a massive success for her; however, she remains a one hit wonder everywhere where this charted given how she wasn't much of a vocalist either.
#1090
Given how this was a massive flop for Meat loaf in his native America, it meant that it had to become a success here in Australia in order for it to crossover in NZ. Indeed, once it became a success over there, Meat loaf had no troubles in finding success with the rest of the album which allowed it to be one of the most successful of the decade in NZ just like it was in Australia and in the UK.
#1089
I wasn't expecting this to be Destiny's Child's biggest hit over in NZ, primarily because it was only barely a hit here in Australia but also because it's the rare cover from Beyonce's entire catalogue as this is an update on Samantha Sang's one and only hit from the late 70's. At least it wasn't her biggest hit over there overall as her solo material from later in the decade did far better than anything with her band.
#1088
So, disco died this year huh? Well given how this was a Billboard chart topper, I'm going to say that it didn't and was merely quick to lose its grip on the mainstream due to overexposure from the late 70's. This is often considered to be the bridge between disco and post disco which is a trend that would permeate throughout the 80's everywhere outside of America.
#1087
For whatever reason, this remix took two years to become a success in NZ and the Four seasons native America given how it was released in 1992 in Australia where it was a massive success here. This remix has since superseded the original when it comes to its presence on oldies stations, although you can still sometimes hear the original here and there.
#1086
Whether it was due to it originally being from Prince or if the kiwis felt that Sinead O'Connor was the star of the decade, this was a massive success for the Irish singer just like it was throughout the rest of the world. The song is heartbreaking right down to the video where she sheds real tears due to her having personal demons at the time with a former friend as well as the Purple one himself.
#1085
Well at least this was an instant success over in NZ upon its initial release, meaning that this song has a much more accurate placement on this list than on the Australian side of my site. Indeed, Tiffany had more success in general over there as not only were the singles much bigger but so was her album.
#1084
Well, this did manage to make its way to number one in NZ for both Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, it didn't stay there for sixteen weeks, and it certainly didn't overstay its welcome overall on their charts like it did in America, but it was a massive success for them regardless and set up the stage for several other tracks dedicated to the fallen friends of artists.
#1083
This was another song that saw a massive improvement in the rankings on this side of my site thanks to Sony not tampering with its success over in NZ like they did here in Australia, although admittedly this lead single to P!nk's second album got off pretty light here compared to some of the other tracks from around this time. Her second album was the only one to be more successful over there than it was over here for the record.
#1082
There was little chance this was going to fail in NZ considering how inescapable this debut single was for Kate Bush throughout the rest of the world, it also didn't feel out of place with everything else coming out this year which was another mark in its favour when it came to its success.
#1081
I guess I'm a huge sucker for disco if I feel this is an improvement for Kiss over their previous work, it appears the general public of the late 70's worldwide agrees as this remains their biggest hit in their catalogue and even a staple on oldies stations to this day. I did notice that their popularity in NZ is much less so than what it was over here.
#1080
I think America was the only place in the world where these guys didn't have a hit with their iconic track from the mid 60's this year because of its inclusion in that titillating scene in Ghost, although it did take a bit longer for it to become a hit in NZ compared to here in Australia and throughout Europe for some reason.
#1079
Well, this may have arrived a little too late to the party for its success this year to make any sense, however this acoustic guitar ballad from Mr. big was nonetheless a massive success in NZ as it was everywhere else in the world. Perhaps if the band had broken out at the start of the decade, then their other two singles from their album would've been massive hits for them as well.
#1078
Well, this was the first hip hop single to go to number one in America, so naturally the kiwis would follow suit in making it a success as it was everywhere else in the world. At least they had a more credible song to take home the prize of being the first hip hop single to top the charts over there than even us Aussies, Run DMC certainly is a cooler hip hop group nowadays than this guy was.
#1077
There was little chance that this female equivalent to the Macarena would flop over in NZ considering how inescapable it was throughout the rest of the world, it wasn't quite as successful over there as it was here in Australia, although that might be because it had stiffer competition given that its success wasn't tampered with down under like many other entries on this list were.
#1076
Well, they didn't have that much success in NZ during their heyday, but at least Air supply was able to have some success with this greatest hits package again likely due to it having a bonus track that many consider to be their best work in their career.
#1075
Given that the Crazy frog was a genuine hitmaker over in NZ (no seriously, he was) it only makes sense that it's debut album would become a massive hit for the CGI amphibian over there which no doubt helped it gain infamy on the internet as it was naturally a huge success throughout Europe as well.
#1074
This was a bit of a comeback for Nesian Mystik given how their second album didn't produce that inescapable hit that they achieved from their first album from earlier in the decade, in fact this was their biggest hit at the time and was eventually dethroned by the lead single to their next album at the start of the new decade, proving that their popularity was only growing with each new album in their catalogue.
#1073
Much like it was here in Australia, this debut single from Jason Derulo was his biggest hit over in NZ until 2020 when "Savage love" finally took that crown due to his presence on Tik Tok during that songs release. At least this went to number one over there as opposed to it simply lingering around forever in a day over here, although Jason's popularity would see a sharp decline as the 2010's rolled out over there.
#1072
Well at least these guys were simply known as Jigsaw in NZ, likely because the Australian Jigsaw never had any success over there thus negating any incentive for the kiwis to change the name of these guys. This was a bit late to the party over there for some reason, I'm guessing they needed to have a hit here as British Jigsaw before they could conquer the NZ charts as Jigsaw.
#1071
It seems odd that this was Boney M's big breakthrough over in NZ, at least we Aussies had given them a hit with "Daddy cool" before rewarding them with success for a dance track history lesson about one of the evilest women from the first half of the twentieth century. The kiwis either appreciated the history lesson or simply found this track to be catchy in a way they didn't find their earlier work to be.
#1070
I think this was always intended to be the big hit from Daydream for Mariah Carey, it's just the fact that her earlier entry on this list happened to become one of the biggest hits of all time in her native America is what made it so successful due to it being a collaboration with Boyz II Men as well as the lyrical content connecting better with audiences.
#1069
This was a little late to the party in NZ, although that didn't seem to matter considering it was just as successful over there as it was here for the (then) closeted LGBT band. It's more or less become a queer anthem as well as an advertisement for the homeless shelters across America over the years.
#1068
The 90's had just began and there was already a call for 70's nostalgia worldwide as this one and only hit from Deee lite became a massive success everywhere in the world with the trio delivering the nostalgia people wanted. Their native America was the last place in the world where this caught on as it only did so months after it became a massive success in Australia, NZ and the UK.
#1067
This was released slightly sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, although it did have to climb up their charts as opposed to it becoming an instant success over here which balances out its overall success in both countries. It still staggers me to think that these guys wouldn't have this level of success in their native America until the tail end of the decade.
#1066
This is another song I remember being way more popular back in the day than what its success would otherwise suggest here in Australia, as such, its placement on this list is a far better indicator of how popular it was back in the day as it appears that the kiwis didn't grow tired of this track as quickly as we Aussies did at the time. The trade-off is that they never had another hit after this over there like they did here.
#1065
Two decades prior to when Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow made this ballad their own for their film Duets, it was originally a hit for Smokey Robinson who finally managed to score a hit outside of his native America following years of failed attempts at international success with his band the Miracles. He never managed to score a hit in Australia, I'll let my readers decide what to do with that information.
#1064
I'm not sure if the kiwis were tuned in to Triple J back in the day (there's evidence to support they were and weren't) if they were then that would explain how Silverchair were able to score a massive hit with their debut single given how the station heavily promoted the band back in the day. It led to them having massive success over there this year with their debut album and the singles from it.
#1063
This was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, meaning that the kiwis were more into mashup singles back in the day than we were which is evident by the fact that there will be another mashup single to come later down this list (stay tuned for it.) In the meantime, this was still the only hit from Stars on 45 (or Starsound if you're from the UK) over in NZ leaving them a one hit wonder there.
#1062
This is another song on this list that didn't quite dominate the NZ charts the way it did here in Australia, again because it had much fairer competition over there than it did over here which is a theme that continues strong on this latest list of mine. If you can believe it, this was his first Billboard chart topper as nothing he released prior to his 2009 comeback managed to go to number one in America other than this.
#1061
It was no surprise this was the biggest hit to come from the Vengaboys in NZ given how it was the lead single to their second album which proved to be even more successful over there than it was anywhere else in the world. Even though this was a massive hit for the band, it wouldn't be enough to convince them to keep going throughout the decade as they would call it quits two years later.
#1060
This was originally a hit for Blue mink in the early 70's, so it seems to make sense that supergroup When the cats away would cover it and find more success in their homeland nearly two decades after the original came out for the British group. This group is best known for having Annie Crummer and Margaret Urlich in their lineup, both women would go on to have massive solo success each in the 90's.
#1059
Whereas this was only a success here in Australia thanks to Twisted sister appearing on Countdown, it appears the kiwis were more impressed with the antics of Dee Snyder and company to allow it to be a genuine success here as well as its singles. It's hard to say what attracted them to their music, was it the image? The videos? The kiwis having a crystal ball with how hair metal would turn out? It's anyone's guess.
#1058
Given how NZ Idol wasn't clogging up the charts in NZ, this debut album from Franz Ferdinand had more success overall in the upper echelons of their charts compared to here in Australia. It was a bit of a shock to be to see how this was pushed aside here in Australia back in the day given how anthemic the album remains to this day, although this formula didn't work out for the Scottish band with their subsequent releases.
#1057
This was released two years prior for Elton John, although it was popular enough to last this far into the decade in NZ to chart this year and even become a massive hit for the piano player this year. It remains his most iconic work due to it having some of his biggest hits from the earliest parts of his career.
#1056
There's little surprise this wouldn't be as big in NZ as it was here in Australia for the Veronicas, although considering how this became an international hit for the duo, I would've been surprised if it didn't at least achieve some success over there given how popular their debut album was from earlier in the decade. Sadly, this would be their final hit over there due to the kiwis not caring about their 2014 comeback.
#1055
And the hits just kept on coming for Inner circle in NZ even though the rest of the world had long since given up on these guys at this point in time, this was the title track to their third album of the decade which admittedly was a dud just like the rest of their albums over there as they were seen more as a singles band amongst the kiwis.
#1054
This was much more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia for the Band, again this was likely due to the lack of competition it had over there compared to over here due to the kiwis not having a strong local music scene like we Aussies did throughout the decade.
#1053
This was a modest success in NZ upon its initial release as it was here in Australia, although its true success came when the singles ranked very high on Triple J's year end list for 2006 which allowed the album to rebound on the charts over there but not over here for some reason. I guess listeners of the station were among the biggest demographic when it came to digital sales as that's the only reason for this phenomenon I can come up with.
#1052
It goes without saying that this would be more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia given how T.I already had moderate success over there prior to going in a more mainstream direction that he did on this album. That said, this would be where his winning streak would come to an end given how he struggled to transition his success into the 2010's likely due to his criminal activity.
#1051
Well, this had a similar story to its success over in NZ, the only main difference is that it managed to chart higher over there due to the kiwis completely ignoring it upon its initial release as opposed to us Aussies making it a minor success the previous year and only making it a huge sleeper hit this year due to the popularity of their earlier entry.
#1050
This was the big hit that Devo had in NZ back in the day, evidently, it's a cover of some obscure track from the 60's that was used for a film known as Heavy metal that came out around this time. As this was a big hit in NZ and the band performed it on Countdown shortly after its release, it was included as a bonus track from their New traditionalist album which likely boosted that album's sales.
#1049
Much like here in Australia, this was the only other successful album that Destiny's Child had in NZ given how their final album from later in the decade was a massive disappointment for fans worldwide likely due to the standards both they had for it not being met due to how well received the solo albums of Beyonce and Kelly were prior to its release.
#1048
There were no surprises when it came to this album's success in NZ, OK there was one when the title track became a surprise success over there months after it was originally released as the second single in order to promote a release of the video album which contained the videos of both singles as well as live footage of the band performing them.
#1047
Although this was a massive success in NZ upon its initial release, its placement on this list is more due to how well it did throughout the decade particularly when it was rereleased during the height of the Born in the U.S.A tour.
#1046
This was a huge hit here in Australia, although it failed to reach our top twenty which is why it didn't appear on that side of my site. It charted much higher in NZ which finally allows it to appear on the site which is good because I want to talk about as many popular songs from back in the day as I can. This was the only hit single that Greek composer Vangelis was able to score in most parts of the world.
#1045
Although One hot minute was a commercial success in NZ, it failed to produce a hit single for them the way Blood sugar sex magik and especially Californication did, meaning that it feels like they simply skipped over that album and picked up where the former left off with the second single from the latter over there. This likely would've been a success here in Australia were it not for the strong album sales that ate it up.
#1044
This was a huge surprise hit for Dave Dobbyn given how he hadn't touched the charts since the late 80's in his homeland, indeed many of his contemporaries had come and gone in the time it took to follow up his second album with this third album of his which makes its success that much more surprising.
#1043
Unlike in Australia where this popped up multiple times during its chart run, this only popped up twice in NZ. The first time was upon its initial release where it was yet another easy success for Janet Jackson over there and the second was two years later when "Whoops now" became a surprise chart topper for her over there.
#1042
This was also a success in NZ due to it also being released over there like it was here in Australia, again I'm not sure why this album was released exclusively in the southern hemisphere as between both countries, he only had a total of three hits to his name by this point.
#1041
If this was able to find success here in Australia, then you can rest assured it would be an even bigger success in NZ for the RNB trio given how well loved RNB and hip hop was throughout the 90's over there. Who knows how much longer these girls would've endured in the mainstream were they not forced to break up in 2002 due to Left Eye's tragic passing.
#1040
This was initially a failure for Billie Piper, mainly because the music scene was already clogged up with a bunch of teen pop from artists that time has since erased from existence. She got a massive push this year when the second single unexpectedly became a huge success in NZ which encouraged the kiwis to check out the rest of the album and indeed make the rest of the single's moderate successes for her.
#1039
Anne Murray did achieve moderate success in NZ on the Listener charts during the first half of the decade, so it makes sense that this was a success over there much sooner than it was here in Australia even if it wound up being the bigger hit down under than it was over there in the long run. This may have been her only hit on our charts, however she scored one more hit over there going into the 80's.
#1038
This proved to be equally as successful for Usher in both countries in the southern hemisphere, or at least it would've had it not been for the stiff competition it had in NZ which means that it was technically more successful over there than it was over here for the prince of RNB (albeit only slightly.) I guess the tradeoff for him having this much success with his singles over there is that his album was a commercial disappointment.
#1037
It looks like the kiwis were more interested in checking out the back catalogue of RHCP than we Aussies were given how this was more successful over there than it was over here for the band, indeed the band in general found way more success over there back in the day likely due to their funk influences.
#1036
This was a massive hit for the band as opposed to it being a mere modest success here in Australia, again likely due to how much stronger the kiwi's alternative scene was in the 90's than it was for us. Despite this being a massive success overall, it was the band's final album for a while as they would break up after this in order to pursue other projects, most notably Audioslave for Chris Cornell.
#1035
These guys might have appeared on the Australian side of my site with "Shine," however they only became a household name in their native America with this album that became a huge success in NZ a year after its initial release for some reason. I guess these guys weren't too well loved on Triple J which is why this didn't do so well here.
#1034
The hits just kept on coming for Chingy in NZ, admittedly this is his only new appearance on this side of my site as the other three hits he had over there were also successful here in Australia. This song has become infamous for the line "I like them black, white, Puerto Ricon, or Haitian like Japanese, Chinese, or even Asian" which was supposed to show he wasn't a racist when it came to women but came off as a tad redundant.
#1033
Even though their earlier appearance on this list was less successful over in NZ than it was here in Australia, the kiwis more than made up for that blunder by having the second (and in my opinion better) single from Demon days be much more successful over there than it was over here given how the success of the album didn't hamper its success over there like it clearly did over here.
#1032
Well, I guess this solo single from Jamie Walters was the kiwis compromise for not allowing "How do you talk to an angel" from the Heights to be a success over there two years prior. Jamie Walters was the leading actor of the TV and the main vocalist on that track, although by this stage he had moved on to Beverly Hills 90210 as one of the replacements for Shannon Doherty following her departure from the show.
#1031
While this wasn't quite as inescapable in NZ as it was here in Australia for Prince, it was still a massive success over there given how the kiwis didn't seem to realise he was even gone as he never quite dropped off their radar even during his worst material over the last decade. Indeed, his comeback period in Australia was just business as usual over there for the Purple one.
#1030
Like their previous two albums, this was more of a success in NZ for Icehouse, suggesting the kiwis were on board with the band experimenting with their sound more so than we Aussies were. The best proof I have for this is that their next album wasn't as big over there as it was here.
#1029
Whereas this had to settle for being a bonus entry on the Australian side of my site, this was more of a success for Duran Duran in NZ due to it rebounding on their charts when they released their bond theme several months after they released this. Just like in Australia, this was their final successful album over there as we Aussies and kiwis didn't appreciate the more grounded music videos after this.
#1028
This was the only successful studio album Belinda Carlisle had in NZ, although she did have a successful greatest hits album in the 90's, meaning that the kiwis likely realised their mistake in ignoring her body of work throughout her career. I'm surprised this underperformed here in Australia especially considering how inescapable her third solo album would be in the 90's.
#1027
This was more of an immediate success for Lionel Richie in NZ, this is despite the fact that the lead single didn't do so well over there and that it was the success of the second single which got the album off the ground at the time. Whatever the case, it proved that audiences were interested in what he had to offer, although they certainly appreciated him going in a more interesting direction on his next album.
#1026
You know that the High school musical phenomenon was a smash hit in NZ when the emotional duet between the film's two leading stars becomes one of the biggest hits of the year over there in addition to the soundtrack being a massive success. While Vanessa Hudgeons would have a huge hit over there following the success of this ballad, this would be Zac Efron's only hit over there or anywhere in the world.
#1025
This is one of those funk tracks that would've been inescapable in the 70's, I guess the usage of synthesisers allowed it to find an audience this decade for Midnight Star in NZ and virtually nowhere else in the world. They were basically Cameo before those guys stripped back their sound, Cameo being more in line with a funk band around this time before they too adopted synthesisers for their big hit.
#1024
This was a hit for Elvis Presley in NZ upon its initial release over there, it was also a hit here in Australia albeit a sleeper hit due to us Aussies beginning to grow tired of the king of rock and roll from around this time but changing our minds when he tragically passed away later in the year. Indeed, this also rebounded on the NZ charts once he passed away, although that only stretched its chart run over there.
#1023
This was the only hit single to come from Scottish singer Natasha England, it was a modest success in her native UK and a monstrous hit in NZ likely due to her take on the old nursery rhyme connecting with the kiwis. It remains the most popular version of the track, however the Belle stars did score a hit with their version from the Rain man soundtrack.
#1022
Given how disco seemed to all the rage this year over in NZ, it makes sense that this title track from George Benson's disco album was more of a success over there than it was over here so much so that the album spawned him a second hit over there that we'll be looking at later down this list. While he thrived over there during disco's supposed dark age, he didn't last too long during the MTV era unfortunately.
#1021
I guess the kiwis were bigger fans of the live action Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise than we Aussies were given how the soundtrack to the second film was a massive success over there and not over here.
#1020
This was an even bigger success in NZ for Crowded house, suggesting that the kiwis preferred these guys the less they sounded like Split Enz (that or they just found their full niche over there in the 90's rather than the 80's.) It really does make you wonder why they decided to call it quits later in the decade considering how well they were doing in both countries in the southern hemisphere.
#1019
This wasn't as big in NZ as it was here in Australia, I'm guessing this was due to the kiwis only having love for this album upon its initial release as well as it randomly becoming a minor hit again a year after its initial release over there for some reason. At least it managed to spawn a genuine hit for her over there with the lead single as opposed to it failing to do so over here.
#1018
Given how popular Santana was over in NZ this decade in addition to this year period being surprisingly good for what I consider to be music for older audiences (you have to admit that's the case) there's little surprise that this greatest hits package would also be a success over there for Santana just like it was here in Australia.
#1017
This was an even bigger hit in NZ likely due to it actually connecting with the kiwis unlike here in Australia where it was merely a sleeper (albeit still huge) success for the band. Even with all of the love they had received from the southern hemisphere and their native UK, the band were unable to keep up this momentum throughout the second half of the decade leading to them eventually breaking up.
#1016
This was the first hit that Billy Joel had in NZ of any kind, true this was his first major success here in Australia, but he did have a sleeper hit two years prior with "Piano man" likely due to it being featured on Countdown that year. Everywhere else in the world, this was the song which made him a household name likely due to the sentimental lyrics about wanting the person he's singing to not to change.
#1015
This was a massive hit for D.D Smash, these guys being best known nowadays as the band which made Dave Dobbyn a household name before he went solo during the second half of the decade. Evidently the D.D in the band name stands for Dave Dobbyn, meaning the full name of this band is Dave Dobbyn Smash which seems like he was NZ's equivalent of the Hulk.
#1014
Well, this took its sweet time in becoming a hit over in NZ, it was already a massive hit for Grayson Hugh in Australia and the UK likely due to its admittedly ridiculous video where he shows his sorrow to his ex-partner while packed away in a suitcase. I'm not sure what got this to win over the kiwis, but whatever it was it resulted in it being a massive success over there around this time.
#1013
This was the one and only hit from Norwegian singer Lene Marlin over in NZ, it was a bit hit for her likely due to it coming off what many have dubbed as the Lilith Fair scene where many female singer/songwriters saw a ton of success during the late 90's and early 00's worldwide. It wasn't a hit here in Australia likely due to the trend losing its steam this year only to regain it later in the decade.
#1012
Uriah Heep were one of the more successful rock bands from the first half of the decade when it came to their albums in Australia, although this was a minor hit over there, it was a massive hit in NZ which suggests they were even bigger over there with their albums. As usual, I have no definitive proof how big they were over in NZ with their albums during the first half of the decade.
#1011
This was the debut single from Duran Duran as far as the kiwis were concerned, true they had a bit hit in Australia the previous year with their actual debut single "Planet earth," however that flopped over there likely due to it lacking that flashy music video that came with this song. This actually charted again later in the decade for some reason, I'm guessing due to the whole 1984 doomsday that was a thing.
#1010
This guy was also a two-hit wonder in NZ with this and "Baby don't get hooked on me," although from what I can gather, this was a bigger hit over there as his earlier hit didn't do as well on the Listener charts over there as it did here in Australia.
#1009
Well, this was a hip hop track, so of course it would be an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia. Even so, Dimples D really did become a pioneer for female hip hop as she used a really egregious (yet still infectiously catchy) sample in order for her to rap about her sexual nature on the track, although like Salt n Pepa she didn't have any success in her native America at this stage.
#1008
While I'm sure fans of both Smokie and Suzi Quatro in Australia will likely be disappointed that this was among the duo's biggest hits in their respective careers, at least they can take comfort in the fact that they both had a string of other hits here including some which was way bigger from earlier in the decade. This was the best either of them could do in NZ which I'm sure NZ fans of these guys will be upset about.
#1007
Well, the same deal that this album got here in Australia applies to it with NZ, the only thing I can add is that it really got the short end of the stick over there given how the likes of Def Leppard and Poison were really tearing up the hair metal scene around this time on their charts.
#1006
One of the most critically acclaimed films of the 90's was Once were warriors, a NZ film that portrays domestic violence in a way that had rarely been done prior to its release, that is with dignity and respect. It was a massive hit in its homeland and in Australia, although the soundtrack didn't really crossover here due to the singles not charting like they did in its homeland.
#1005
This was originally a flop for Harry Connick Jr in NZ, I'm guessing the kiwis only wanted him around for his greatest hits package from earlier in the decade which was a massive hit over there like it was over here for him. They must have changed their minds this year when this skyrocketed up their charts, I'm guessing due to it being a massive success here in Australia around this time.
#1004
This feels like a more appropriate position for this live album from David Bowie on this list compared to the Australian side of my site, it's curious it was more successful over there considering this wasn't the case for Bowie's career overall save for the occasional hit here and there.
#1003
From what I can gather, this is a remix album that was released exclusively in NZ due to it failing to become a hit here in Australia even though the title track was the band's biggest hit here as well as the rest of the world. Perhaps this is why they failed to score any further success if even we Aussies weren't interested in making this a success back in the day.
#1002
It looks like Duffy was able to achieve far more success in NZ than she did here in Australia much like many other British artists of the decade, I would say this was because it was featured in the Sex and the city film except this came up months prior to when that film first premiered. The only explanation for this song's success then is that British blue eyed soul singers were very popular over there this decade.
#1001
There was no escaping this disco jam throughout the world upon its initial release, so much so that's it being a success in NZ like it was here in Australia was inevitable back in the day despite the fact that the official soundtrack from the film it was paying homage to was a massive flop over there.
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