Much like with the 80's, I've also decided to do a list of the biggest hits of the 90's in Australia which includes entries based on both their AMR and ARIA stats. Just like before, I'll only make a mention for which entries are the ARIA entries as I feel their placement on this list will speak for themselves rather than me delivering redundant commentary that will highlight how well/poorly they did compared to the AMR charts.
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#82 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#85 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#86 for 1991
Technically this was a C+C Music factory track as C+C does stand for Clivilles and Cole, although this was a dance cover of the first hit that U2 had so I guess they wanted to establish themselves as a slightly different act from the one who dominated the mainstream the previous year with Martha Walsh. They would return as C+C Music factory two years later once they settle their legal disputes with her.
#86 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#83 for 1992
#82 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#83 for 1993
You know Metallica was the hottest new band of the day when this live recording of their signature tune becomes a huge success this year, I'm guessing we Aussies hopped on board with this track when we realised we ignored their back catalogue from the 80's and wanted to have this be a success in some shape or form.
#79 for 1994
We looked at the song this track remixes on my 1985 list, so now let's look at my and many others introduction to that classic which became a hit in the late 90's from this British dance group Dario g. Here the group takes the chanting from the original track and pairs it with production that makes it feel like an exotic track from Africa rather than a sombre ballad from a new wave band.
#78 for 1998
This is the rare track to not have Fred Schneider's vocals, normally songs with Katie on the lead has him singing backup vocals but here it's all Katie and Cyndi Wilson as they sing about "roaming" from one relationship to another which is what they accuse their partners of doing. It was a massive success for the band and no doubt made Katie an in-demand vocalist for the likes of Iggy Pop and R.E.M.
#87 for 1990
"Black cat" might have been the song which encouraged us Aussies to give Rhythm nation 1814 a second chance, however it was this track that solidified the album as a classic as the album finally made it to number one here when this became a hit for Janet. I guess the ingredients that Janet needed were rock music and a love track as these were the two biggest hits from the album for her down under.
#87 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#84 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#84 for 1993
If you need proof that Aqua were indeed a real band who just happened to appeal to the youth of the day better than their peers, allow me to present to you the fourth song from their debut album which was so mature and unlike the rest of the album it came from that it was chosen as the theme song to Sliding doors starring Gwyneth Paltrow. The film has two stories that run parallel with each other based on whether or not she makes it onto a train, something that makes this ballad seem appropriate to soundtrack.
#79 for 1998
This was originally released as a B-side to "Where the streets have no name" all the way back in 1987, although it did receive a release here in Australia as a lead single back in 1989 likely to cash in off the success of Rattle and hum that it didn't end up accomplishing. It was given a second chance as a lead single this year when it was repackaged as a bonus track for their greatest hits album covering their 80's material.
#80 for 1998
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#87 for 1991
A word of advice, don't look up the term Chocolate starfish online unless it's in reference to this Australian band or the Limp bizkit album as both take this term from something that's very NSFW (assuming you don't already know what it is.) This was the debut single for the band which is a cover of the Carly Simon classic made over twenty years after the original in order to celebrate its legacy.
#83 for 1993
This was the second hit to come from D:ream this year, it was also released the previous year to deafening silence likely due to the Irish band needing that extra promotion to ensure their bright and happy dance tracks would find an audience for them. Indeed, they did as the band were able to find massive success with these songs and their album they came from, although their popularity faded soon after.
#80 for 1994
This was the big breakthrough his for one of the more divisive British RNB singers of the decade, mainly for her other big hit "Life" which has gone down as one of the worst songs of all time for its shoddy lyrics. This was chosen as the theme song to the Next karate kid which allowed it to become an even bigger success in America, although it was big enough worldwide without that film's affiliation.
#81 for 1994
Faithless were a British trio who scored a massive hit this year with a song that was originally released two years prior, heck it took a year for this EDM track to find success in their native UK as it was a hit the previous year for them in their homeland. While it's road to success was admittedly a circuitous one, it was inevitable considering that EDM was still very much the in genre of choice in Australia.
#83 for 1997
Apparently, this cover of the Bangles classic was meant to be a tie into a Happy day's musical that premiered this year, although I doubt anyone even remembers this and likely thinks this was just the big hit off their second album which was named as a way of counting down to the new millennium. They would have further success in the 00's still as a boy band before switching over to being a throwback group.
#75 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#81 for 1994
Following the success of their debut single from earlier on this list, the Corrs released the title track to their album which also became a success for them in Australia and nowhere else in the world. The album did eventually see success internationally once their sophomore album took off, however we Aussies were the only ones initially that could appreciate the band's blending of adult contemporary and Celtic music.
#84 for 1996
This was a surprise hit for west coast rapper Terrance Quaites AKA TQ considering it was released the previous year to massive success worldwide except for Australia, I guess the popularity of 2Pac from beyond the grave convinced us there was still merit to be found in west coast hip hop in the final year of the 90's. He wasn't able to achieve any other hits worldwide, making him a one hit wonder with this track.
#76 for 1999
Although their previous album One hot minute was a huge commercial success for the band (regardless of what the A.V club will tell you) it didn't spawn a hit for them which makes this lead single from their album Californication a comeback for them on the singles chart. This was a return to their sound from earlier in the decade now that John Frusciante was back in the band, and they weren't political anymore.
#77 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#85 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#86 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#87 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#78 for 1995
This was originally released the previous year to deafening silence for Strike in their native UK, likely because EDM wasn't the biggest genre over there throughout the decade. It was given a second chance this year due to a remix which allowed it to be a huge success here in Australia where EDM was the biggest genre of the decade. This was their only hit like so many other dance acts of the 90's.
#81 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#85 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#86 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#88 for 1993
Jaki Graham first had a hit in her native UK a decade prior with "Could it be I'm falling in love," it wasn't a hit here in Australia, but this cover of the Chaka Khan classic was likely due to us Aussies realising how little success Chaka had back in the day and rewarding her with given success to her covers whenever we could. This flopped in Jaki's native UK, possibly due to her being part her prime at this point.
#82 for 1994
I guess we Aussies were eventually won over with their only being three members of Eternal as they were able to score a second hit here with this track, although it could be their contribution to Disney's Hunchback of Notre dame which won us over despite "Someday" being a massive flop here. In any case, they scored one more hit later in the decade with "I wanna be the only one" before calling it quits.
#85 for 1996
Evidently there was this teen comedy series from the 90's known as Party of five, it was apparently popular enough for its theme song to be a huge success this year for the band the Bodeans. The show premiered in 1994, which means this song was already two years old by the time it became a success this year, although the Friends theme from before also had this circuitous route to success down under.
#86 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#77 for 1997
This was the final hit that the Smashing pumpkins were able to score here in Australia, mainly because this was a Razzie nominated theme to what is considered to be one of the worst films of all time Batman and Robin. Obviously, the theme was nowhere near as bad as the film and that the Razzie's simply hated everything affiliated with it, however this did leave the band with a bad reputation in the music industry.
#84 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#78 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#70 for 1998
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#82 for 1990
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#88 for 1991
This was only the second hit that Peter Andre was able to achieve in his career, although most of my non-Australian readers likely didn't even realise he had any success prior to "Mysterious girl" from two years later given how his earlier work as since faded into obscurity due to its failure outside of Australia.
#84 for 1993
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#71 for 1999
This was the only other solo success that Jon Bon Jovi was able to achieve in his career, once again we have the second Young guns film to thank for this as this was also taken from the soundtrack which may as well serve as his solo debut album. He would release his first official solo album later in the decade when he received backlash for his band's album These days due to it abandoning their glam rock roots.
#88 for 1990
#88 for 1991
This was originally a song for Alphaville from ten years prior, it was a massive flop in Australia making this dance cover from fellow German group Interactive the first version of this track to become a success here. The best-known version of this track came eleven years later when Youth group scored a huge success with their cover, although their take was more akin to a trip down memory lane.
#82 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#71 for 1998
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#83 for 1990
It will forever be known as the song which tops the Christmas charts for the rest of time, however this holiday classic from Mariah Carey was originally released this year where it was a massive success for the final few months of the year before it dropped off the charts completely in the new year. This is arguably the first song to become a success despite having such a limited chart run because of record label's pulling the single from the shelves.
#83 for 1994
This was the only hit that the American trio Brownstone were able to achieve here in Australia, likely due to it being a huge success in the UK which admittedly seems to be how a lot of RNB jams managed to make it big throughout the 90's down under. I feel that these girls were the more successful versions of SWV here as that trio never managed to find much success even with their worldwide hit "Right here."
#83 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#79 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#80 for 1995
This was technically the biggest hit to come from the Smashing pumpkins in Australia, it's by far their most iconic song as the instrumentation is a perfect example of their sound and how its endured over the years. I'm guessing if this had of been the lead single from Mellon collie and the infinite sadness then it could've been one of the biggest hits of the decade instead of it being a mere modest success.
#87 for 1996
This was the final hit single that Celine Dion was able to score in her career in most parts of the world, mainly due to it being the perfect book end to a highly successful decade as this serves as the lead single to her pseudo greatest hits package All the way a decade of song that also has enough new tracks to qualify for a studio album. I guess she could've had more success if she didn't embarrass herself at Vegas in 2002.
#78 for 1999
This was the only other hit that these girls were able to achieve in their career, at least it was an original track meaning they weren't among the dozens of artists I've featured on this site so far to only find success with a cover or two over the years. Like I said earlier, one of the members would return at the end of the decade as a member of Hi 5, meaning that this was a mere steppingstone for her future success.
#87 for 1992
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#82 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#81 for 1995
This was the first of two hits that Italian band Alex Party managed to score in Australia, although it was their only hit in the UK as the Brits didn't get on board with "Wrap me up" from the following year. This song has a straightforward message of not giving someone a second chance after they treated you bad in a relationship, it's surprising how rare this type of song is given how most love songs are in the music scene.
#84 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#79 for 1997
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#72 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#73 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#74 for 1999
This is the only hit to come from singer/songwriter Marc Cohn, it's a song about the rich legacy of Memphis Tennessee and how music has evolved over the years in the city. It was a modest success here in Australia for him due to how well singer/songwriters were doing at the time (even if they were mainly women in this category) although his success would only be for this one and only song.
#89 for 1991
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#87 for 1992
It looked like Terence Trent D'arby would be a one album wonder as his second album was a complete failure for him at the start of the decade, fortunately his third album spawned this hit for him in Australia and NZ which helped him escape that fate in both countries. This is a departure from his earlier material as he went in a more rock direction from here on out in his career.
#85 for 1993
This was the other big hit that Urban Cookie collective managed to achieve this year, although I feel that vocalist Diane Charlemagne doesn't give in as good a performance as she does on their earlier track which is perhaps why this wasn't as big as "The key the secret." Even so, it was a massive success for the British band, although it didn't do their album any favours as that was a huge flop this year.
#84 for 1994
It appears there were two different versions of the Jennifer Rush track to become a hit this year in Australia, although this version from Italian singer Beverly Skeete was an EDM rendition as opposed to Celine Dion's take from earlier on this list so it's not like there was any mistaking the two versions of the track.
#85 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#72 for 1998
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#88 for 1992
This was the fourth and final hit that Mariah Carey released from her third album Music box, it was a continuation of the theme of having a music box played to you from the CD as here she uses that melody to reassure the listener that she'll be there whenever they feel like they need a friend. What really sells this track is the Motown choir which compliments her vocals and lyrics really nicely.
#86 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#83 for 1994
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#82 for 1995
It may surprise you to learn that this was slightly more popular here in Australia than the lead single from a band who has the acronym of POT USA (well get to it in a minute.) I guess we were more amused by this track which appears to be about nonsense given that the video seems more like something you'd expect from SNL rather than from an alternative band during the height of 90's rock.
#88 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#75 for 1999
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#84 for 1990
This was the only other hit that Toni Pearen was able to score in her singing career, although like I said earlier, her acting career did lead to her becoming a popular TV host once the hits dried up later in the decade. Again, she never released anything as embarrassing as her E-Street co-star Melissa Tkautz, which means she hasn't been relegated to a reality star over the years and is still respected in the industry.
#86 for 1993
Well, this was a massive surprise given how unconventional Beck has always been in the music industry, although this was a hit in his native America as well so perhaps this was us Aussies getting in on the hype of this guy for his one and only hit worldwide. Although he's technically a one hit wonder worldwide, he continues to release albums that while not a commercial success, are critically acclaimed.
#87 for 1994
This was the final hit that Meat loaf had worldwide, although considering it's more of the 70's rock opera that made his two Bat out of hell albums a huge success, it's impressive he was able to have this be a success given how the 90's was more in line with grunge and alternative rock.
#85 for 1995
Well, this was a surprise hit here in Australia, mainly because nowhere else in the world was this British/American band able to score a hit other than with "I've been thinking about you" from the start of the decade. There wouldn't be any more surprise hits from these guys despite them never breaking up.
#86 for 1995
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#83 for 1996
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#84 for 1996
#80 for 1997
This was another American DJ to not find any success in his native America but have tons of success worldwide, indeed Armand Van Helden managed to go to number one on the UK charts with this track which no doubt helped him find an audience around the world including here in Australia where EDM was still at the height of its popularity.
#79 for 1999
Five were so inescapable this year that they managed to score a fourth hit in a row from their debut album, which meant that they scored a total of six consecutive hits here in Australia with all of the entries we've looked at so far on this site. That's impressive given how the band would be yesterday's news within a few years into the new millennium.
#80 for 1999
This was the final hit that Kate Bush managed to score in her career, it's an Avant Garde cover of the Elton John classic that came from a covers album where many British artists paid tribute to the English piano man. Considering she began her career almost fifteen years prior, it's impressive that Kate was able to have success as recently as this year even if it was with an unconventional cover of a classic.
#88 for 1992
