I kind of dragged myself making this list given how the charts completely changed in NZ in 2004, as such I decided to compile this list based on the old charts and do a separate list based on the new charts later in the week. Both these lists are how I constructed my yearly lists from last year for the record.
It seems odd that it would be the B-side to this debut single from Scribe that would be his big crossover success here in Australia given how that was only barely a success for him when it was given its own release separate from this entry. It was apparent that the kiwis were all about promoting their local hip hop scene this decade which is something we Aussies would do for our local hip hop scene the following decade.
#1 for 2003
Anastacia is a one hit wonder in NZ, granted the album this serves as a lead single for proved to be a gigantic hit for her, however her second and third albums completely flew under the radar over there as opposed to them gaining traction here in Australia and throughout Europe for the American singer. Perhaps this was a result of her failing to achieve any success in her native America and the kiwis only being wowed with one single.
#1 for 2000
It's hard for me to tell if "Boys of summer" was one of the biggest hits of the early 00's in NZ or if it had the assistance of "Heaven" given how on the one hand, the chart run suggested that the latter was added to the release as it rebounded just as it began to lose its popularity over there but on the other hand there's no evidence that "Heaven" ever had any success over there at all. I've included this as a double entry in case the former is true, however feel free to correct me if this isn't the case.
#1 for 2002
#2 for 2003
This seems like a more fitting placement for Alicia Keys given how it's often regarded as one of the quintessential ballads of the decade worldwide, however I can assure you that this wasn't the case here in Australia where it was only decently successful for the (then) rising star. The kiwis instantly fell in love with this piano ballad which allowed it to live up to the success it achieved in her native America.
#1 for 2001
#2 for 2002
Given how BEP managed to achieve minor success in NZ from earlier in the decade with their hit single "Request + line," it only makes sense that this lead single to their third album was a massive success for them over in NZ like it was here in Australia. If you can believe it, it isn't among their most popular songs in their native America, likely because their popularity didn't explode over there until later in the decade.
#3 for 2003
This was the biggest hit to come from Craig David over in NZ, likely because it remains his most popular track in his catalogue to date and that the kiwis never allowed album sales to impact the success of said albums singles. Even though Usher already had moderate success in the southern hemisphere prior to Craig's album, it no doubt led to the American singer finding more success in both countries after the fact.
#2 for 2001
There's little surprise this was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for 50 cent given how much buzz Eminem provided for him throughout the year, indeed his mentor even appears in the video as does Dr Dre who produced the song for the east coast rapper, which I guess means that this signaled the official end of the east coast/west coast rivalry.
#4 for 2003
Now this is a much more deserving spot for Avril Lavigne's debut single given how I remember it being inescapable here in Australia upon its initial release, goes to show you how much better the NZ charts were back in the day when they can accurately reflect what audiences were consuming at the time. It's little surprise this was a massive worldwide success for her given how earnest it is whilst sounding pleasant to listen to.
#3 for 2002
I guess the kiwis were also massive fans of the film Duets back in the day given how this cover of the Smokey Robinson classic managed to be a massive hit over there like it was over here, although it could also be that they had enough fond memories of the original as well as Huey Lewis's career in the 80's that they felt this was a nice nostalgia bomb for them at the time.
#2 for 2000
#3 for 2001
There was little doubt that this collaboration between Sporty Spice and Left Eye Lopez would be more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, mainly because the latter came from TLC who was more popular overall over there than they were over here. Apparently, people have declared this to be an LGBT ballad as they interpret the lyrics from both women to be addressed to each other, it's not the worst interpretation of a song I've ever seen.
#3 for 2000
Unlike in Australia where these girls were only a two-hit wonder, they were far more popular over in NZ as this will be one of several entries from them that will be appearing on these lists. Naturally their biggest hit down under was also their biggest hit over there given how this was the first song they released with their most consistent lineup; this was after former member Heidi Range scored a hit with her new group the Sugababes after all.
#4 for 2001
I guess if you wanted to hear a NZ equivalent of KCI and Jo Jo then these two are able to fill that niche as that's the best way I can describe them and their music. Here they scored the first of three massive hits in their homeland with the same formula that their American counterpart did throughout the 90's, although unlike their American counterpart, their success only lasted them for one album in their homeland.
#5 for 2003
#1 for 2004
Although there won't be any other entries form Australian idol contestants on this side of my site, I should bring up that this victory single from Guy Sebastian is a better representation of how well it did here in Australia back in the day given how the kiwis obviously liked this song beyond the reason of its existence. As such, it had a much better chart run over there and no doubt led to the success of NZ idol months later.
#6 for 2003
#2 for 2004
It's no surprise that Eminem saw equal amounts of success over in NZ as he did here in Australia with this lead single to his magnum opus the Eminem show, after all, it remains funny to this day without resorting to any of his shock value that many have criticised him for as being inappropriate to his predominantly younger audience. Indeed, his success was largely the same from here on out in both countries in the southern hemisphere.
#4 for 2002
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.
#5 for 2002
#7 for 2003
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.
#6 for 2002
#8 for 2003
For the longest time, I was confused as to why this second single from Nelly Furtado was far more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, then I realised it was the bigger hit for her in America which no doubt led to this mindset translating to the kiwis upon its initial release. That said, her other big hit from her debut is still to come on this list, so it's not like that was passed up in favour of this song's success over there.
#5 for 2001
This was an easy hit for Atomic Kitten over in NZ given how A: they were among the most successful groups of the decade so far worldwide and B: the Blondie track this interpolates on the chorus was and still remains one of the biggest nostalgia bombs for audiences to this day. These were both factors as to why it did well in Australia, so naturally it would continue their winning streak with the kiwis as well.
#7 for 2002
#9 for 2003
I get the feeling the kiwis didn't realise that Delta Goodrem was on Neighbours at first given how this was set to be a modest success for her before it skyrocketed to number one fairly late into its chart run, perhaps they were initially interested in this track due to how well it did here in Australia and then realised its true appeal once she appeared on their TV's this year as Nina Tucker.
#10 for 2003
It appears the kiwis also found the strange lyrics on this English breakthrough single from Shakira to be charming as this was equally as successful over there as it was over here for the Columbian singer, it's interesting to see how much bigger she was in the southern hemisphere during this phase of her career given how Laundry service didn't do as well in America or throughout Europe this year.
#8 for 2002
Given how Hear'say managed to score a massive hit over in NZ the previous year, it only seems fitting that the band they beat in the first season of UK Popstars would have even more success this year over there than they did here in Australia given how the kiwis seemed to be fans of the first season at the time. Of course, this love didn't extent to its second season as none of the future contestants found success over there.
#9 for 2002
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.
#4 for 2000
#6 for 2001
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.
#7 for 2001
#10 for 2002
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.
#11 for 2003
#3 for 2004
It looks like the kiwis were also able to appreciate this cover of the Who classic that Limp Bizkit made for their (at the time) final album Results may vary, it should be noted that this is a very misleading lead single for the album as it was nothing like the nu metal that was found on the album and indeed throughout their previous catalogue.
#12 for 2003
#4 for 2004
This is another song that saw a massive improvement on these rankings of mine thanks to its release not being tampered with over in NZ like it was here in Australia, although it's worth noting that this wasn't that popular in Christina's native America given how her second album over there saw criticism of her abandoning her teen pop roots of her debut album in favour of a more personal image her fellow American found to be crass.
#13 for 2003
Given how both horrible CGI and EDM had become the norm by the end of the 90's, it only seems fitting that this track from Eiffel 65 would find massive success over there like it did internationally even if that success pales in comparison to how well it did here in Australia. It's a reminder of how far CGI has come from the twentieth century as well as a nostalgia bomb for everyone born between 1980 and 2000.
#5 for 2000
As far as the kiwis are concerned, this was the first hit that Leann Rimes had in her career as her country material fell on deaf ears over there throughout the 90's despite how big it was here in Australia. Indeed, she would have far better luck over there during her pop phase as "Life goes on" would prove to be an even bigger hit for her on her next album as well as this being equally as big there as it was here.
#8 for 2001
It may surprise you to learn that Outkast never had a chart topper over in NZ, heck this was the only song from their catalogue to have the same amount of success over there as it did here in Australia despite (or likely because) their albums being more successful over there than they were over here. I don't know if it was even possible for this song to fail upon its initial release due to how joyous and happy the melody is despite its lyrics.
#14 for 2003
#5 for 2004
While this wasn't as inescapably popular in NZ as it was here in Australia, the fact that this EDM track managed to be such a massive success over there should tell you how receptive to the genre that the kiwis were becoming entering the new millennium. Naturally this led to Sophie Ellis Bextor finding success over there with her own album later in the decade which was the case everywhere else in the world.
#6 for 2000
There'll be plenty more British representation on this side of my site throughout the decade given how the kiwis were more into the UK music scene than us Aussies were, as such we have this second solo single from Ronan Keating performing much better over there which led to him having more success with his solo album (at least with its singles) than he did here.
#7 for 2000
It appears the kiwis preferred this to be the unofficial anthem for 9/11 over "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias, possibly because the Latin superstar already had massive success prior to the terrorist attacks and thus, they felt he was inappropriate to play over the tragic news that unfolded during that event. I'm also guessing this song's success over there was what led to it becoming a hit here in Australia months after it broke through.
#9 for 2001
#11 for 2002
This is another entry whose appearance feels more in line with how popular it was over here in Australia, in this case it's the debut single of Uncle Kracker as a lead artist given how he was only known as Kid Rock's turntablist prior to the release of this adult contemporary ballad. Unlike in Australia where he scored a second hit in 2010, he remains a one hit wonder over in NZ.
#10 for 2001
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.
#8 for 2000
This was the biggest hit that Che Fu had in his entire career, this includes his run with Supergroove even though those songs provide stiff competition for that title for the rapper/RNB star. The success of this lead single to his second solo album led to said album becoming a massive hit for him during the first half of the decade.
#11 for 2001
Even though this was released much sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia, it wound up only becoming popular over there thanks to it instantly rising to the top of the charts here which means the kiwis needed a bit of incentive in making this second consecutive Billboard chart topper from Nelly a hit over there that we Aussies gave them. At least it otherwise had equal amounts of success in both countries.
#12 for 2002
#15 for 2003
Well, this is a more accurate placement for this song on this list if we're measuring how popular it was, this is another reason why I wanted to look over the NZ charts on this site as the kiwis didn't allow the music industry to tamper with their songs release schedule in the 00's. In any case, we have this lead single from Kylie's biggest album Fever which remains her signature tune despite it not being among my favourites from her.
#12 for 2001
#13 for 2002
It seems strange to me that Daft Punk never had a hit in NZ until "Get lucky" in 2013, mainly because we've now had two of their contemporaries from their homeland featured on these lists of mine to find more success over there than they did over here during their initial heyday. I'm guessing this song's popularity over there was more due to the video which still freaks me out to this day for the record.
#13 for 2001
#14 for 2002
It looked like Gabrielle would never have any success in NZ given how "Dreams" was a massive failure for her over there despite it being a massive worldwide hit seven years prior (including in America) however her fortunes changed when she released this self-empowerment anthem that heavily interpolates "Knocking on heaven's door" from Bob Dylan that connected with the kiwis where it failed to do so with us Aussies.
#9 for 2000
It makes sense that Ben Harper was able to score a hit over in NZ given how massively popular his albums were throughout the 90's over there, admittedly this song's popularity over there was likely the reason why the album it came from Burn to shine was a minor success here in Australia despite it failing to chart here back in the day. If that's the case, then that would explain his popularity here throughout the decade.
#10 for 2000
One of the more promising bands from NZ to make it big at the start of the decade was Fur Patrol, mainly because they follow in the roots of No doubt and the Pretenders as a male band consisting of a female lead vocalist which no doubt helped them achieve their one and only hit with this gem. The album this came from also did reasonably well, however their subsequent material not so much.
#11 for 2000
#14 for 2001
This was released on time over in NZ, although it was rather late from the previous year and it didn't peak until the early months of this year, so it's not like that gave it any advantages with how popular it was considering that it was merely delayed here and not pulled from shelves like some of the other entries on this list. Regardless, it was equally as successful in both countries in the southern hemisphere.
#6 for 2004
It's worth noting that this was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I can only speculate why her earlier entry was even bigger over there than this was, but I think it was due to its popularity over in America and the kiwis appreciating that track more than they did with this debut from her. She managed to score a third hit from the album over there with "On the radio."
#15 for 2001
This is another song that proved to be far more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, although it's hard to say whether it was due to its release being tampered with here or if it was more popular over there organically especially considering how this was Blu's only hit over there as "Breathe" didn't even chart over there like it did over here. Either way, it was a massive success for her over there likely due to its popularity in her native America.
#16 for 2001
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.
#17 for 2001
#15 for 2002
If you're confused as to why this song is so much higher on this list than the Australian equivalent, that's likely because Daniel Bedingfield was actually born in NZ and the kiwis likely didn't realise that until the success of "Gotta get thru this" from the previous year. That would explain why this ballad was so much more popular over there as well as his sister finding more success later in the decade than she did here.
#16 for 2003
I feel this theme from Bridget Jones diary was more a success in NZ due to the sudden rise in popularity Gabrielle had over there rather than it being from the critically acclaimed film, after all, Geri Halliwell failed to make a second appearance on this site with her cover of the Weather girls classic and that's often the song people think of when they think of the franchise. In any case, she's a two-hit wonder over there just like she is over here.
#18 for 2001
This was the biggest hit that Savage Garden had in NZ, even though it didn't get to number one over there, the fact that it lingered so long on the upper echelons of their charts was likely what got it to number one on Billboard as it was neither a chart topper nor their biggest hit here in Australia. It was their final hit in most parts of the world; however, the rest of the album gave them minor hits in the southern hemisphere.
#12 for 2000
I'm a bit surprised that this was only a sleeper hit here in Australia given how I remember this being flogged on our radios back in the day, at least it was a more mainstream success in NZ which means I finally get to include it on this site. This was the only hit that Santana had with his second album during his comeback period in the new millennium, this time teaming up with Michelle Branch during the height of her popularity.
#16 for 2002
#17 for 2003
I should point out that "Stan" was released the previous year in NZ to deafening silence, it's failure over there is perhaps what allowed the song that sampled to become a massive hit over there this year as Dido's label allowed it to be released over there as opposed to here where it wasn't because of the success of that song here. It's weird that this sweet love ballad was chosen for a song about the rapper's toxic fanbase.
#19 for 2001
I guess the kiwis weren't able to take this ballad as seriously as we Aussies were, likely due to the video which sees her playing her piano while green screened onto what I'm guessing is someone's footage of a road trip they took across America. It did last quite a while on their charts like it did over here, however with all the stiff competition it had over here, it was largely on the lower half of their charts.
#17 for 2002
Even though the album art suggests that this was released from Robbie's (then) latest album Sing when you're winning, that's only the case for the second single as "The road to Mandalay" was tagged onto "Eternity" in order for him to score a hit from an album that already produced three massive hits for him worldwide. It paid off as this double A-side was a massive success in NZ and his native UK.
#20 for 2001
This proved to be slightly bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia, this means that the kiwis were bigger fans of Two weeks' notice than we Aussies were given how this remains their one and only hit over there and them not having much success with their albums either. There's only one thing good about the film (two if you're fine with this butchering of the Joni Mitchell classic) that being this scene.
#18 for 2003
This proved to be an even bigger success in NZ than it was here in Australia for Stacie Orrico, so much so that it even outranks her bigger hit here in Australia on this list which goes to show you how much the kiwis loved this track about whether or not Stacie (and by extension the world in general) was living their life to the fullest. It remains her signature track in places where she had success in her career.
#19 for 2003
#7 for 2004
It appears the kiwis were also invested in this remix of the (then) obscure track from Elvis's catalogue given its popularity in the Ocean's eleven remake from around this time, this in addition to how much love he was given in Disney's Lilo and Stich was enough to revive the popularity of the king of rock and roll worldwide 25 years after his untimely death.
#18 for 2002
I'm not sure why this song managed to be even more successful in the southern hemisphere than in Jamelia's native UK, however that was the case as the uplifting dance track proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for the British singer this year. Although her second hit "Thank you" was a minor success over there, it was too minor to make another appearance on this site.
#8 for 2004
While this had a bit of a delay to its release in NZ, it proved to be worth it as it was more of a success over there than it was over here for Leann Rimes proving that we Aussies and kiwis were on board with her new pop direction moving forward. I get the feeling was meant to be about her moving on from her country roots which admittedly led to her having a lot of bad memories during her time in the genre.
#19 for 2002
#20 for 2003
While this wasn't as big a hit in NZ as it was here in Australia (mainly due to not charting as high over there as it did over here) this was still a huge success for Lifehouse likely due to the rising trend of post grunge which would also result in the success for the likes of Creed and Nickelback. Admittedly these guys have always been far better received over the years than either of those bands.
#21 for 2001
It turns out this was produced by Shania Twain's (then) husband Robert Mutt Lange, that explains why I and many others always felt this was a Shania Twain track as opposed to something from the Irish family group. It appears this was the reason why this became a massive success over in NZ despite them struggling to score a hit single throughout the 90's over there like they did over here.
#13 for 2000
Although she saw plenty of success over in NZ with her debut album, it appears that the kiwis weren't as on board with RNB P!nk as we Aussies were given how much more of a sleeper hit her debut single was over there compared to its immediate success over here. Indeed, I feel it was us Aussies that were the most on board with this phase of her career anywhere in the world.
#14 for 2000
#22 for 2001
This was equally as successful in both countries in the southern hemisphere, likely because it serves as the theme to the first theatrical adaptation of Charlie's angels which still polarises audiences to this day depending on whether or not they find it sexist (it boils down to how you define female empowerment.) The success of this track led to hype for the girls third album which was effortlessly met worldwide.
#15 for 2000
#23 for 2001
Incubus were a band never known to make the same album twice given how they followed up their nu metal album from the previous year with an album that's more in line with what RHCP would make from around this time. The album was initially a flop for them worldwide, however it became a success over in NZ thanks to this becoming a surprise hit for the band months after its initial release.
#20 for 2002
While this did last a little bit longer on the NZ charts than it did here in Australia, it wasn't that much longer, which suggests that this song's popularity just faded rather quickly in both countries as opposed to it being pulled from shelves like some of the other songs to see massive improvements in these rankings. We Aussies made up for this not being as big over here by giving him a second minor hit with "Thoia thoing" this year.
#21 for 2003
This was the first of a string of hits that Brooke Fraser was able to achieve in her homeland, no doubt because she got in during the height of female singer/songwriters in the mainstream worldwide and the kiwis being impressed with what she had to offer compared to her international counterparts.
#22 for 2003
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.
#16 for 2000
This proved to be equally as successful in both countries from the southern hemisphere, this is quite impressive given how this song had much stiffer competition over in NZ given how no song had its release tampered with over there like they did over here which suggests it was actually more popular over there for Nelly than it was over here.
#21 for 2002
I forgot to mention on the Australian side of this site that this song was pulled from our shelves in order to encourage the success of Toni Braxton's third album, needless to say, it didn't work as the album was a huge flop for her worldwide likely due to this coming off as a poor man's Destiny's child track when the girl group were making it big with their second album. This obviously wasn't the case over in NZ where it saw massive uninterrupted success.
#17 for 2000
Unlike in Australia where these guys didn't have much success past the boy band wars save for their cover of a Billy Joel classic, it appears the kiwis still had plenty of love for one of the finalists of the second boy band wars of the 90's as the lead single to their second album proved to be a massive success to the point where said album was also a hit for them over there.
#18 for 2000
#24 for 2001
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, likely because the kiwis were also touched with this ode to Kelly's (and possibly Beyonce's) fallen friends and how she feels sorrowful about how they never managed to achieve their dreams like she ended up doing. Although she had other hits in her career over there, this is her only appearance on this side of my site as a lead artist.
#22 for 2002
#23 for 2003
This is the final hit that Lenny Kravitz managed to achieve anywhere in the world, mainly because it came from a highly successful greatest hits album where it was a bonus track from said album. Obviously, this was meant to ensure fans that he was still on top of his A-game, however that wasn't the case in the long run given how he's failed to achieve any success after this.
#25 for 2001
I guess this song was only popular for its usage in Daredevil over in NZ as it didn't linger around once Evanescence's debut album dropped like it did here in Australia, although that didn't mean the band wasn't successful over there given how popular their subsequent follow up singles were as well as the album they were pulled from. They even found success later in the decade with their second album over there.
#24 for 2003
Given how popular Robbie Williams was in NZ entering the 00's, this lead single from his third solo album didn't feel much like an event over there as it came mere months after the release of the final single from his second album (which we'll look at in a bit.) Because he was already popular over there by this point of his career, it meant that the album cycle would proceed as it did in his native UK.
#19 for 2000
This was more of a success for Big Brovaz here in Australia than it was over in NZ, this is despite this charting higher over there for the British RNB group likely due to how they declared themselves as the future of music moving forward this decade on this track. I always found the censored version of this track to be disjointed given how it ruins the rhyme scheme on the chorus, that could also be a factor in why it wasn't as big over there.
#25 for 2003
This is another song that I feel is in its rightful placement on this list to replicate how popular it was in Australia back in the day, again we have the label tampering with its release schedule to blame for its lower placement on that side of my site. For most people, this was likely their introduction to the Patti Labelle classic from the 70's given how all four girls do their best to pay tribute to the original on this track.
#26 for 2001
This was the one and only hit from the NZ indie band Goodshirt, a band who looked like they wouldn't be able to score any success with their debut album when it was released the previous year but saw their fortunes change when this track about a childhood friend of theirs named Sophie became a surprise hit for them this year.
#23 for 2002
Given how Robbie Williams was far more popular in NZ than he was here in Australia this decade, it only makes sense that his second song about questioning his faith in religion after "Better man" would prove to be an even bigger hit over there than it was over here even if the album it came from was far less success with the kiwis than it was down under.
#24 for 2002
#26 for 2003
It appears that this was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for All Saints, either because the kiwis were also big fans of the movie it was based on (I mean it was a twenty something year old Leonardo Dicaprio stranded on a deserted island admittedly) or because it was also the lead single to the girls second album which saw massive success in their native UK once it dropped.
#20 for 2000
Given how her earlier entry on this list was a massive success over in NZ, it only seems fitting that Dido was able to score a second hit over there given how this remains one of her most popular singles to this day and that it was a massive hit throughout Europe as well. This did chart here in Australia, although supposedly its success was taken away from it due to how strong the album sales were over here.
#27 for 2001
While her album Up failed to become a massive success over in NZ like it was here in Australia, at least the lead single managed to become a hit over there despite it failing to do so over here which I'm sure was a bit of a consolation for Shania Twain upon its initial release. The album has been described as uneasy by its fans as it tries to recreate the success of Come on over to mixed results.
#25 for 2002
#27 for 2003
This is a song that's meant to inspire the listener not to stress out about not achieving everything they want all at once because as the song puts it, Rome wasn't built in a day and thus good things tend to take time to happen. It was a very uplifting song that connect with the kiwis and their fellow Brits back in the day, although it didn't seem to be the case here in Australia despite me hearing it quite a bit back then.
#21 for 2000
While it wasn't their first hit single over in NZ, this was the song that convinced their fellow kiwis that Nesian Mystik would be one of the hottest new names in their local music scene thanks to their slick and catchy hip hop that helped them stand out from their American contemporaries at the time.
#26 for 2002
Although we'll be looking at the title track from Enrique second album he released in English later down this list, it's apparent that this was the big hit off the album given how much more popular it was over there compared to what he had released prior and certainly since. I guess the kiwis were more interested in listening to him serenate his longtime girlfriend than anything else he had to offer.
#27 for 2002
This was Bic Runga's biggest hit from her homeland, naturally you'd think this ballad would also be a massive hit here in Australia given how "Sway" became as such from her debut album in lieu of said albums success over here. Alas that wasn't the case as she remains a one hit wonder over here despite her being more popular this decade in her homeland than she was upon her initial breakthrough.
#28 for 2002
While this song saw a massive improvement in this ranking, I should point out that it didn't have its release schedule tampered with here in Australia and that its popularity was more fleeting over here back in the day than it was internationally for Beyonce. I guess we Aussies weren't sure about her having a solo career which is odd because we had no problem with Kelly making it big with her earlier entry.
#28 for 2003
This wound up being the biggest hit from the Backstreet boys from their second album in NZ, I'm guessing because it had far less competition this year than the first two singles from the album did the previous year as well as it likely having stronger airplay given that I do remember this being overplayed back in the day here in Australia. It's little surprise that these guys won the boy band wars over there like they did internationally.
#22 for 2000
This song's placement on this list feels like a more accurate representation of its popularity back in the day here in Australia, although said popularity went towards Alex Lloyd's album it served as the lead single to as opposed to in NZ where said album flopped in exchange for this being a massive success over there. He didn't have another hit in either country, although this remains a staple in commercials to this day.
#29 for 2002
Given how much more popular Snoop Dogg was throughout the 90's in NZ than he was here in Australia, it makes sense that this comeback of his proved to be a bigger hit over there than it was over here even though this was the start of what I and many others have dubbed "chill Snoop" where he's laid back and no longer exploitative towards women in his music.
#29 for 2003
I did mention on the Australian side of this site that this managed to top both the NZ and British charts this year despite failing to do so here in Australia for the Melbourne duo, it was inevitable that it would be a massive chart topper in both countries given how it was stuck behind Eiffel 65's entry from earlier on this list like it was down under as the 90's was transitioning into the 00's.
#23 for 2000
This was another two for one deal that was available in the late 90's, this time it comes from Robbie Williams who wanted another hit from his second album which he got with this double entry in NZ.
#24 for 2000
This was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, although I get the feeling it was still more popular over there given how it had much stiffer competition compared to over here where it had little issues dominating our music scene. There was little chance it would fail in either country regardless given how it's one of many personal ballads to make it big throughout the decade.
#30 for 2002
This had a bit of a delay to its success over in NZ compared to here in Australia, normally this means that the song was even bigger over there as that tends to be the case with tardy releases from either country, however it wasn't as it proved to be much bigger here in Australia at the turn of the decade. I guess the consolation prize is that she managed to score a second hit this year which is still to come on this list.
#25 for 2000
Much like Sporty Spice from the previous year, the solo debut single from Baby Spice also managed to be more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, again likely because British artists had more of an advantage over there than they did over here for some reason. Apart from this being twice as successful over there as it was over here, her solo career trajectory was identical in both countries.
#28 for 2001
While he had plenty of success with his albums here in Australia, Jack Johnson was never able to score a hit single on our charts like he did over in NZ with this track from his debut album. This was the song that helped said album take off over there which naturally led to us Aussies checking it out to see what all the fuss was about which led to his second album being one of the biggest of the decade here.
#30 for 2003
While it didn't last quite as long in NZ as it did here in Australia (it feels like it was pulled from shelves even though that practice was abolished over there by this point in time) it nonetheless proved to be a massive hit for 50 cent which suggests that the kiwis would rather listen to him be a (as he puts it) motherf**king P.I.M.P rather than him trying to be romantic on "21 questions" (which is still to come on this list.)
#31 for 2003
This is another song that was pulled from shelves over here in Australia back in the day to encourage album sales, it didn't work obviously as the album was as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia which was a common trend throughout the decade in both countries. Even though this appeared higher on the Australian side of this site, ARIA determined the second single from the album was more successful back in the day.
#26 for 2000
This was released much later in NZ for Ann Lee than it was in Australia, so much so that it peaked in the 00's despite having some of its success in 90's over there which goes to show how long it took for them to gravitate towards this dance pop number from the British vocalist. It was equally as successful in both countries, and it also led to her being a one hit wonder in the southern hemisphere.
#27 for 2000
While this was decently successful here in Australia because of its affiliation with Coyote Ugly, it was a mammoth success over in NZ despite the soundtrack to the film flopping over there compared to it being a massive success over there. I'm guessing this means that the kiwis made this a success due to it being from the post grunge genre which is what made Lifehouse and Creed a success worldwide.
#31 for 2002
It turns out this ballad was heavily delayed here in Australia given how it was released in NZ months prior to it coming out here, although its delay was well worth it as it was obviously a much bigger hit over here than it was over there for Amanda Perez. I guess RNB was still seen as an underdog this far into the new millennium given how I honestly felt songs being delayed over here from the genre was over and done with by this point in time.
#32 for 2003
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, although this was the only song of theirs where that was the case as Blue managed to score far more success over there during the first half of the decade than they did over here as was the case for most British artists throughout the decade. I guess they wanted to start a third round of the boy band wars which never ended up happening.
#29 for 2001
Much like the lead single to Avril's debut album, this also wasn't pulled from shelves over in NZ like it was here in Australia which allowed it to last much longer on their charts and thus have a much accurate representation on this list to how popular the song was. It's one of the clumsier written songs in her catalogue, but that's forgivable given how it works with the theme that the song is going for.
#32 for 2002
#33 for 2003
