This list covers the second half of the 00's in NZ as I felt it was unfair to compare the first half of the decade to the second half due to the change in chart format that took place in April 2004. As such, entries from that year have their full chart run represented on this list as opposed to being cut off like on my other list. The trade-off is that anything that entered the charts in 2003 for that year is disqualified, meaning that 2004 will not have proper representation on either of these lists.
I actually feel this songs placement on this list is a bit inaccurate to how popular it was given how it was overplayed to hell and back here in Australia back in the day, at least it's a far more respectable placement on this list than it was on the Australian equivalent. Much like the rest of the world, Hoobastank remain a one hit wonder in NZ with this rock ballad about a failed relationship.
#48 for 2004
This was an impressive year for Akon over in NZ given how he managed to score a massive hit with this ballad from the deluxe edition of his second album, it's another one of his songs that's been criticised due to it somewhat being a bait and switch as he's effectively taking the blame for someone's actions even though he's convinced that this person is actually in the wrong.
#41 for 2007
I don't think anyone was expecting to see a song calling out domestic violence appear on this list, that was the subject matter for this one and only hit from the Red Jumpsuit apparatus who scored a massive hit in NZ with this track as well as having it be a modest success in their native America. I'm not sure why this didn't even chart here in Australia other than its subject matter being a bit too heavy for us Aussies.
#42 for 2007
It appears that the kiwis weren't quite ready to exile Chris Brown from their good graces following an infamous incident that occurred this year that I won't go into detail about, perhaps it was due to him expressing his love of the Transformers franchise with this track or maybe that it came complete with a guest verse from Lil Wayne or maybe another reason that I definitely won't share with my readers.
#46 for 2009
Although the placement of this song would have you believe this was equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, I should remind my readers that this was pulled from shelves over here which means that this was still more successful over there as it was able to have a full chart run even if it was more popular here in Australia given that it had its success taken away from it by record executives.
#50 for 2004
This was the lead single to Sean Kingston's second album, an album that did rather poorly worldwide compared to his debut likely due to audiences finding more love with the likes of Jay Sean and Taio Cruz exiting the decade. The kiwis had a little bit of love left for him given how he would find more success the following year with his collaboration with Justin Bieber than anywhere else in the world.
#47 for 2009
In an odd move, this second single from Suit was released around the same time that "Tilt ya head back" was released from Nelly's other album Sweat in NZ as opposed to here in Australia where it being released well after the latter became a hit down under. As such, this proved to be less successful over there than it was over here as it had to wait for that track to fall off the charts before it became popular.
#41 for 2005
This will be the first of two appearances from the Game on this list, both of which has his former mentor 50 Cent provide a guest verse for him which no doubt allowed both of these songs to see a massive worldwide audience from those who made the older rapper's debut album from two years prior a huge success. This no doubt also led to the success of the Game's own album this year for better or worse.
#42 for 2005
This is the only version of the Alphaville classic to become popular in NZ, there was little surprise that it would crossover to NZ this year given how inescapably popular it was here in Australia for Youth group due to its overwhelming sense of nostalgia that connected with audiences upon its initial release. Naturally they remain a one hit wonder over there given how they failed to score a second hit over here as well.
#44 for 2006
Given how this was released by a then unknown Australian singer, it makes sense that it wasn't quite as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia even though this was released at the same time over there as it was over here due to Gabriella Cilmi already sparking international interest with this song for some reason. Indeed, this was a massive hit for her throughout Europe likely due to how popular it was in the southern hemisphere.
#40 for 2008
While this didn't quite get to number one in NZ like it did here in Australia, the fact it wasn't pulled from shelves over there like it was over here (to encourage album sales of course) meant that this was able to retain its placement on this side of my site that it had on that side. It's a song that many will tell you is among the worst on this list, however I don't think I'd go that far even if I weren't a fan of hers.
#43 for 2005
This is the second big hit to be affiliated with the 80's band Mr. Mister from a NZ artist to make it big this decade, although this is more because of what Nesian Mystik decided to name the lead single to their penultimate album which no doubt led to its success given how the band oddly seemed to have a ton of nostalgic value throughout the decade.
(this song is "Mr Mista" if you couldn't tell from my commentary)
#48 for 2009
This was the only hit single from American rapper Jibbs to become a hit for him, even then it was only a hit in his native America as well as over in NZ likely due to international audiences not vibing with the song built on a children's nursery rhyme. Given how it's ultimately about him having long pieces of jewellery (chains to be exact) it made it impossible for anyone to take seriously at the time.
#45 for 2006
This was a passing the torch moment as Savage wouldn't be able to find any success until the end of the decade (with Baby Bash of all people) whilst Aaradhna would score a massive hit the following year given how popular this collaboration the rapper had with the RNB singer. Like every song of his to appear on this list, this also charted in Australia albeit in the lower half of our charts.
#44 for 2005
It appears the kiwis had the same love/hate relationship with this song as we Aussies did upon its initial release, namely that they loved the track enough to make it a hit for J-lo but likely found it too irritating to make it among the biggest hits of the decade (despite being one of her bigger hits over there regardless.) As such, it's little surprise this was the last they heard from her until her 2011 comeback.
#45 for 2005
We haven't seen Kelly Rowland on this site since her work with Destiny's child from four years prior, at least we Aussies gave her a hit with "Work" the previous year whereas the kiwis clearly didn't want to hear from her anymore now that she was no longer part of Beyonce's old band save for this collaboration with David Guetta which was equally as successful in both countries.
#49 for 2009
Given how Snoop Dogg already achieved massive success in NZ with his earlier entry on this list this year, I guess it isn't too surprising that his first chart topper in Australia wasn't as such over there despite it finding equal amounts of success in both countries. Again, I feel that this was more due to JT's presence as he felt like a cheat code when it came to artists wanting to make it big this decade.
#46 for 2005
Now before you clutch your pearls and wonder how the charity organisation Greenpeace managed to score a hit in NZ this year, I should point out that this is actually a supergroup comprising of a bunch of big-name celebrities from NZ who named themselves after a ship that was brutally destroyed in 1985. The group decided to cover a track from the Mutton Birds to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of that disaster.
#47 for 2005
I wouldn't have thought that Rihanna of all people would've been someone who would thrive through the lack of digital sales here in Australia this year, it turns out that she wasn't that popular with people who used the format as evidence by how much lower she is on this list in addition to this song not being as popular on that format here in Australia. I guess that demographic didn't appreciate the "Tainted love" sample on the track.
#46 for 2006
I was surprised when I realised this song wasn't a hit here in Australia back in the day, not even on our digital charts which would've been the perfect explanation for why this underperformed on our charts if it were a hit through that medium. Fortunately, the kiwis were able to recognise this as a hit upon its initial release over there, likely because of how they can relate to Lily's sadism in the lyrics.
#47 for 2006
I guess this was meant to be the male equivalent of "Beautiful liar" given how both R Kelly and Usher realise that they were both dating the same woman at the same time and them trying to figure out what to do about the situation. It proved to be the more popular track over there than its female counterpart (which is still to come on this list) although this was only the case in NZ and nowhere else in the world.
#43 for 2007
This is a song I definitely remember receiving a ton of flack for back in the day, keep in mind it only barely charted here in Australia and even we Aussies were making fun of this track back in the day (thankfully this was back before this type of engagement counted towards a song's popularity.) I guess the kiwis got more ironic enjoyment out of this track which would explain its success over there.
#41 for 2008
Given how Australian idol had a song like this the previous year that was a hit here in Australia, it only makes sense that the NZ equivalent would follow suit where it also became a massive success in its homeland. A part of why this was more popular over there than "Rise up" was over here is that this is a cover of Mark Williams debut single from 1975, meaning this was seen as a tribute to the former teen idol.
#52 for 2004
This was the last hit that both artists had in most parts of the world, although I doubt most people remember that Nelly Furtado had a hit after her second album Loose given how she all but faded into obscurity once that album cycle had completed two years prior. James Morrison on the other hand only managed one more hit in his career with either this lead single to his second album or with "I won't let you go" here in Australia.
#50 for 2009
Unlike in Australia where this was released specifically as the second single from Nelly's two albums Suit and Sweat, in NZ it was released simultaneously with "Over and over" which means the kiwis preferred this collaboration with Christina Aguilera than they did with his collaboration with Tim McGraw, showing the kind of music they wanted from the rapper/RNB singer from around this time.
#53 for 2004
#48 for 2005
This was the final hit that Ciara had in NZ as was the case everywhere else in the world, I guess like many rock legends of the decade, she too was barred from finding any success throughout the 2010's likely in favour of not being able to compete with the club boom that exploded this year. JT would also struggle for mainstream relevancy after this; however, he did score the occasional hit here and there.
#51 for 2009
One of the most prominent groups of the decade in America were the Ying Yang twins, this was primarily because they were the leader of a sub-genre known as crunk which was widely criticised back in the day for a wide variety of reasons that I won't get into here (mainly because I don't have the time to do so.) Their one and only hit in NZ sees them collaborating with Wyclef Jean which wasn't a hit in their homeland.
#44 for 2007
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Nickelback, it was the first song of theirs to achieve this feat given how their previous material had clearly been more popular here than anywhere else in the world. I guess the memes helped this take off worldwide given how even at the time, this was a widely mocked track from what many people considered to be an overrated band.
#49 for 2005
Although this wasn't as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia for Matchbox 20, it was nonetheless a huge success over there thanks to it being a bonus track from their greatest hits album they released around this time which was seen as a bit of a comeback for the band given how Rob's solo album wasn't a huge success over there like it was over here.
#45 for 2007
#42 for 2008
This is a hip-hop quintet that's best known for its member Juicy J given how he went on to have massive success in their native America as an in demand featured rapper (most notably for the likes of Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus.) Here the group score their one and only hit in their career with another song that compares sex to candy, I'm guessing because audiences incorrectly assumed that T-Pain was on the chorus.
#43 for 2008
Given the success these guys had in Australia and their native NZ with their second album from earlier in the decade, it makes sense that this would find equal amounts of success in both countries as each other which suggests that the band would go on to have massive success in the 2010's given how popular they were at this point in time. You'd be wrong as with most rock artists who made it big this decade.
#52 for 2009
This is another song I remember hearing on the radio quite a bit back in the day, evidently it was written for the Pink Panther remake which had Beyonce costar with Steve Martin that divides audiences to this day (I like it but understand why people don't.) Apparently, there was a version with a rap verse from Slim Thug that became popular in NZ and her native America that was released on Destiny's Child's greatest hits album.
#48 for 2006
This might've been slightly bigger over here in Australia than it was in NZ, although that was mainly because Fergie didn't as much success with her solo album over there compared to what she achieved over here save for her earlier entry on this list likely due to the kiwis not being as impressed with her goofier tracks like we Aussies were. Still, this was a decent runner up as her biggest hit over there commercially.
#46 for 2007
It feels weird that the one hit that Christina Milian has in NZ and her native America would be one that wasn't as such here in Australia, although at least it was a hit for her in the UK like the rest of her discography this decade. Here we have a sex jam from the RNB singer similar to Beyonce's "Naughty girl" which was far less popular over there than it was over here (we'll still be looking at it in a bit.)
#54 for 2004
This was also a massive success in NZ for JoJo which is to be expected given that she arguably saw more success from her first album over there than she did over here, indeed it appears the kiwis were also disappointed that this would be the last they would hear from her due to that awful contract she was in which prevented her from releasing any new music in her career for over a decade.
#47 for 2007
Well, this song had Akon on it, so naturally it was going to be a massive hit in NZ given how much the kiwis loved the RNB singer this year (boy did he have a strong work ethic back in the day.) This was able to give Wyclef Jean another hit over there five years after his previous collaboration with a female vocalist (Niia being her name in this case) as well as give Lil Wayne a hit over there with his guest verse.
#48 for 2007
Although this somehow failed to crack the NZ top ten this year, this nonetheless proved to be equally as successful for Kelly Clarkson over there as it was over here where it debuted rather high on our charts thanks to how anthemic it remains to this day. I didn't mention the video on the Australian side of this site which is a shame because it remains one of the most iconic of all time due to how cathartic it is watching her trash that apartment.
#50 for 2005
Sandwiched between their two earlier entries was this second single from Adeaze, it was a cover of the Bee Gees classic making this the second cover to be a success over there following Portrait's take on the ballad from nine years prior. It wasn't quite as big over there as their earlier entries likely because of the lack of originality this song had compared to the rest of their album.
#55 for 2004
You'd think that this debut single from Ne-Yo would be more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia given how inescapable he would become over there as opposed to over here, it turns out that wasn't the case as it was a massive hit through physical sales down under which was taking a back seat over in NZ which explains the lack of success it had there.
#49 for 2006
This was more popular in NZ than it was here in Australia for 50 Cent, presumably due to it benefitting from digital sales even though it came out before we Aussies even began tracking digital sales so I'm not entirely sure if that's the reason why for its success over there. Like I said on that side of my site, this was clearly meant to be the "Lose yourself" to his own biopic Get rich or die trying.
#50 for 2006
This managed to be equally as successful for JT in NZ as it was here in Australia, likely because he rather conveniently released it during a difficult time that the person this was directed to was going through in their life which has left many people (me included) feeling uncomfortable with the way this song became a hit for him. Again, you really need to ignore the context of why it became a hit to find any enjoyment out of it.
#49 for 2007
This is the last hit that Mary J Blige was able to achieve anywhere in the world, although it appears that this was the big hit off her 2005 effort the Breakthrough and not her cover of "One" with U2 like it was here in Australia (at least it was on our digital charts.) I guess the kiwis wanted to hear an RNB ballad over her collaborating with one of the biggest bands of the 80's around this time.
#51 for 2006
This was the final hit that Savage was able to achieve in his homeland as a lead artist, although he did score a comeback five years later when a remix of his debut single became a massive hit over here in Australia. Here he recruits Baby Bash who manages to score a third hit over there following his two collaborations with Frankie J from earlier in the decade.
#53 for 2009
This was only a modest success here in Australia back in the day, I'm guessing because we Aussies weren't that interested in this song that's a tonal whiplash of JoJo's debut single from the previous year given how she's expressing her love to presumably the same person she chastises on "Leave." Here she recruits Bow Wow to provide her a hip-hop verse that no doubt led to his popularity skyrocketing this year.
#51 for 2005
Well, it appears that the kiwis also disagreed with this being among the biggest hits of the decade as this did just as well on their charts as it did on ours suggesting that it was equally as popular there as it was over here (it was slightly more so due to having stiffer competition to work against.) Indeed, her popularity over there overall was very limited as she only has one more appearance to come on this list.
#52 for 2005
I guess the kiwis weren't as on board with Christina making a throwback album to the forties and fifties like we Aussies were, although at least they made this centerpiece of the album a success over there as opposed to her fellow Americans and the Brits who outright ignored this track from the album this year. This would be her final hit as a leading artist anywhere in the world as her subsequent albums would flop.
#50 for 2007
It feels weird that this song failed to appear on the Australian side of my site given how James Blunt had far more success overall here in Australia than he did in NZ, I guess we Aussies weren't as interested in hearing a song of his that has a tempo to it than the kiwis were this year given how this is by far his bounciest song in his catalogue to become a hit.
#51 for 2007
This was the only major hit that Plies had over in NZ, likely because it has a chorus from Akon who was unstoppable over there this year as well as the rapper having some buzz over there following the success of "Shawty" he had in his native America. He would have one more hit in his homeland with "Bust it baby" before he faded into obscurity as did the entire crunk genre in his homeland.
#52 for 2007
I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed with this collaboration between Jay-Z and Alicia Keys about how great new York city is compared to us Aussies and their fellow Americans exiting this decade, so much so that this doesn't even appear on my 2010 rankings because it was already fading in popularity by the time the new decade rolled around despite it being released the same time over there as everywhere else in the world.
#54 for 2009
This was the other collaboration that the Game had with 50 cent this year; it was the first of the two collaborations they released which no doubt led to the success of their earlier entry on this list as well as the Game's own album. While they were taking the world by storm with these songs, they were fighting with each other over who was more popular in the mainstream due to both their albums being released at the same time.
#53 for 2005
Given how the kiwis had fully incorporated their digital data onto their main charts this year, it means we have a song that only barely made it on the Australian side of this site due to an arbitrary exception I made for popular songs on our digital charts on ARIA to make the list proper on this side of my site. Indeed, James Morrison really did make a huge splash worldwide with this debut single of his.
#52 for 2006
I think we can all agree that this is a far more respectable position for this folk ballad about how Sandi Thom wishes she were around during the height of the punk movement which she seems to have confused with the hippy movement of the 60's given how she would've likely been blacklisted from the punk scene had she worn flowers in her hair at the time.
#53 for 2006
Even though this was released much sooner in NZ than it was here in Australia for Plain white t's, it appears that we Aussies were more into this ballad about a girl named Delilah than the kiwis were as this has a much lower placement on this side of my site. Still, this was a notable success for the band, although they remain a one hit wonder over there like they do everywhere else in the world.
#53 for 2007
It turns out that these guys managed to score more than one hit in NZ this decade, I guess the kiwis were really into the alternative rock scene this year given how I don't even remember hearing this on the radio back in the day like several other entries from international artists on this list. I guess the success of this track over there meant that their big breakthrough here in Australia wasn't as impressive to them.
#56 for 2004
This was a massive hit for Phil Collins upon its initial release in NZ a quarter of a century prior, however it didn't reach the dizzying heights of success it achieved throughout the rest of the world at the time. Fast forward a quarter of a century and the song finds itself in a Cadbury campaign where a gorilla plays the drums to this track which obviously amused the kiwis enough to make it a huge chart topper for him this year over there.
#44 for 2008
Given the huge hit he had from earlier on this list, it makes sense that J Williams would start bringing on his fellow kiwis in order to expand his fanbase which he began with Lavina Williams who is notable for competing in season four of Australian idol (despite being a NZ resident) but not making it to the finals for that year. The RNB singer would find much more notable collaborators going into the new decade.
#55 for 2009
This is the only song that Blink 182 released in their catalogue to find massive success over in NZ, certainly more so than what it achieved here in Australia despite it not being affected by Sony on our charts like so many entries on this list were. This means that the song was organically more popular over there than it was over here, likely for it displaying a more mature side of the trio than the rest of their catalogue.
#57 for 2004
It was logical that this song would see slightly more success in NZ than it did here in Australia, after all, PCD were on a roll this year and the kiwis seemed to have more enjoyment out of their music than we Aussies did even if this feels like a major outlier to their discography as they proclaim that they don't need the love and support of a man (rather respectably I might add.)
#54 for 2006
I would say that the kiwis were more on board with this endorsement of the Holiday in hotel chain except that the more likely explanation for this song's success over there was due to it coming from Chingy, Ludacris and Snoop Dogg who were all on a roll this year with their respective careers. Sadly, for Chingy himself, his popularity would die out once "Balla baby" fell off the charts worldwide.
#58 for 2004
This is the closest that Eve came to having more success in NZ than she did here in Australia, mainly because this song rebounded on the charts over there as it was descending likely due to it being the first solo hit that Gwen Stefani had in her native America. Ultimately it was more successful here in Australia even taking into account that this lasted longer on the NZ charts than it did on ours.
#54 for 2005
Much like here in Australia, this was also Destiny's Child's final hit in NZ where it also managed to become a bigger hit over there than it was over here, likely due to the album's popularity having no effect on its success as opposed to here where it likely did (the album only barely missed out on appearing on this site.) They would release one more single before finally going their separate ways.
#55 for 2005
This managed to be released on time in NZ for Sean Kingston, not only that, but it also saw instant success over there as opposed to here where it really needed to work its way up to its success with us Aussies. This is probably because the kiwis were still in love with reggae music (and still are to this day from what I can gather) which was a genre that Sean was a part of throughout his career.
#54 for 2007
This is the one and only hit to come from female rapper Lil Mama, I'm not sure where she got her rap name from as from what I can gather, she's never been a mother of any kind and was only a teenager when she began her career. I think the popularity of this track came from the two featured artists given how both Chris Brown and T-Pain were inescapably popular throughout the world this year.
#45 for 2008
This proved to be slightly more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia, it really is a shame how Britney saw far less success over in NZ this decade than she did down under even if many people (me included) felt that the quality of her music dramatically dropped when she released her album Blackout two years prior. This is the last song in her career that those people will tell you is decent.
#56 for 2009
This managed to be equally as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia for the British duo, again I have to assume this was due to the 80's nostalgia that the song was clearly going for given how both the lyrics and especially the sound seem to be ripped straight from the synthpop era of music that audiences were longing for throughout the decade. It's a shame this passion they had for 80's nostalgia died out in the 2010's.
#57 for 2009
It appears the kiwis grew tired of this solo debut single from Fergie much quicker than us Aussies did, in fact you'd think this was pulled from shelves over there to encourage album sales of her album until you realise that it had a natural fall from the charts over there for that not to be the case. This can only mean that they were quicker to find this annoying than most demographics from around the world.
#55 for 2006
This was such an amazing year for Akon in NZ that this managed to go straight to number one over there despite having so many entries on this list that failed to do so outrank it, indeed it being a chart topper over there is the main reason why it performed slightly better on this list than on the Australian equivalent.
#55 for 2007
Given the success of their debut single "I got" these guys already received, it only makes sense that their second single would not only become a hit in their homeland but also chart here in Australia, proving how interested we Aussies were in NZ hip hop which likely inspired us to check out our own hip hop scene later in the decade.
#59 for 2004
#56 for 2005
Unlike in Australia where Keri Hilson only had the one hit with Timbaland from the previous year, in NZ she managed to score two more hits with this solo entry being the first of those two, proving that she was among the hottest new names in female RNB just as the decade was coming to an end over there. We'll look at her other entry the following year which was also one of the biggest hits of the decade over there.
#46 for 2008
Brooke Fraser was on a roll this year as she managed to score a third hit from her debut album (well actually this was the fourth but "Saving the world" won't be appearing on this list) proving how well loved the NZ singer/songwriter was in her homeland with her album. She would come back two years later with her second album that while not as successful, still kept her in the A-leagues of the NZ music scene.
#61 for 2004
At least the one good song from Encore (in my and many others opinion) managed to be more of a success in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm guessing because it serves as a profound take on what audiences felt was going to be inevitable as tensions in the world government led to theories that there would be a return of mandatory conscription in most parts of the world which thankfully turned out to be false.
#57 for 2005
Naturally this wasn't as inescapably popular in NZ as it was here in Australia for the Ian Carey Project due to it being an EDM track that found its initial popularity on YouTube worldwide, although it did do better than most of the other tracks to make it big this way from the likes of Fedde Le Grand and those ringtone downloads looking to cash in on the Crazy Frog's popularity.
#58 for 2009
Well, it appears the kiwis weren't as amused by this track from Kelis as we Aussies and her fellow Americans were this year, indeed they preferred it when they were able to take her seriously as evidence by how much better her earlier entry did over there back in the day. It's a shame she didn't have more hits in either country in the southern hemisphere given how interesting she was as an artist.
#62 for 2004
This was a surprise hit for Nelly in NZ this year, mainly because it was us Aussies who would give him the sporadic hit over the next decade making this song's failure over here a bit perplexing in hindsight. Indeed, I get the feeling that audiences were only handing him success with theses tracks in the hopes that he would release an album that would live up to the standards of Country grammar or Nellyville.
#56 for 2007
There were no signs of T-Pain slowing down during the second half of the decade in NZ, this is interesting given how he never had a hit here in Australia until 2012 where he snuck in a hit with "Turn all the lights on" during the waning days of the club boom. In the meantime, he raps in his alter ego Teddy Verseti about getting into fights at the club which naturally amused the kiwis at the time.
#57 for 2007
#47 for 2008
This proved to be equally as successful in NZ as it was here in Australia, likely because word got out that this was a charity single in her native UK and audiences feeling that they would be supporting Sports relief if they bought the song internationally (I'm not sure if international proceeds counted towards the charity or not.) It was the only other hit she had over there as was the case over here.
#48 for 2008
I guess the kiwis weren't as interested in having the older brother of Miley Cyrus dominate their charts with his band's one and only hit like we Aussies did back in the day, either that or they just didn't find this as catchy as we did as it was much more of a sleeper hit over there than it was over here this year. Sadly, they were a one hit wonder over there just like they were internationally with this pop rock jam.
#49 for 2008
While this was a bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, I'm surprised it wasn't even bigger since the bulk of this song's success down under came from its strong digital sales which the kiwis would've incorporated to their main charts by the time it was released over there. I guess this means that they weren't as excited for Brendan Urie taking over the emo rock scene from Green day at the time.
#56 for 2006
This was the first hit that T.I had as a lead artist, much like "I wanna love you" from Akon, this also is a censored version of a much filthier track which is perhaps why it was able to catch on in NZ where it failed to do so in most parts of the world. The rapper would have much more commercial success the following year thanks to him conforming to the pop trends of the day.
#58 for 2007
This wasn't quite as successful over in NZ as it was here in Australia for Sara Bareilles, likely because the kiwis were more interested in the hip hop and RNB scene rather than the singer/songwriter scene like we Aussies were this year. While she didn't have as much success over there with her singles as she did over here, at least she had both of her hits here become a success over there for the exact same reasons.
#50 for 2008
I guess the kiwis were more willing to hear a serious song from D12 than us Aussies were given how there wasn't any signs of this song being pulled from shelves over here like so many other entries on this list that saw a massive improvement in the rankings. Indeed, this serious tone that the track takes is the complete opposite of their other two hits down under which were far more juvenile.
#63 for 2004
This is the only other song from Mariah Carey's comeback album to appear on this list, it saw a bit of an improvement in the rankings which suggests that the kiwis were gradually becoming more open to the idea of welcoming her back into the mainstream for the first time this century after a very public meltdown she had at the start of the decade no doubt scared them off from her catalogue.
#58 for 2005
Following the success she had from High school musical, Vanessa Hudgeons decided to embark focus more on her singing career which was off to a good start in NZ with this teen pop number that even managed to briefly chart here in Australia, suggesting we Aussies were willing to give her solo career a chance as well. Alas, she never saw any other success outside of this and her role in the Disney franchise.
#57 for 2006
#59 for 2007
Following his failure in breaking into the girl band market with Dream, P Diddy decided to try his chances at making an RNB star out of Cassie Ventura which was off to a good start worldwide including in NZ where this was a bigger hit for her than it was here in Australia. Like Dream however, Cassie would be a one hit wonder with her debut single as she wasn't given much worthwhile material to work with.
#58 for 2006
Even though we Aussies only gave Ciara three hits total throughout the decade, the kiwis gave her an additional two with this being one of them likely due to the presence of Chamillionaire on the track following the success of his earlier entry on this list. Both of these songs were the only hits the rapper had anywhere in the world despite having an impressive flow on both songs.
#59 for 2006
Much like here in Australia, this was the final hit that Gwen Stefani managed to achieve in NZ even if it proved to be more of a hit over there than it was over here for her. I guess this was meant to be her version of "Big girls don't cry" given how much more serious this is compared to her other two entries on this list, although it wound up having the opposite effect for her in the mainstream than what that song had for Fergie.
#60 for 2007
Bow wow was certainly on a roll in NZ and his native America now that he was a full-grown adult, here he is as the lead artist with this hit single he had likely due to the assistance of Chris Brown who was also on a roll during this point in his career throughout the world. Bow wow would have two more hits after this, both of which are still to come on this list.
#61 for 2007
Rihanna didn't find much success from her second album when it came to her singles, however at least she can take comfort in this third single being a hit in NZ where it was a flop for her here in Australia back in the day. Of course, her third album was where she truly started finding massive success worldwide thanks to the singles being more universal than the one's on her first two albums.
#60 for 2006
#62 for 2007
Given how the digital charts were fully incorporated by the kiwis by this point in time, it means that My Chemical Romance managed to score massive success over there with the singles from their album beginning with their earlier entry on this list but also includes the third single from the album which only barely missed the cut from appearing on the Australian side of my site due to not charting high enough here.
#63 for 2007
Given how this was more of a hit on our digital charts (from what I can gather at least) it only makes sense that this managed to become even more popular for the Sugababes in NZ especially considering how their other two entries that appeared on the Australian side of my site found more success over there throughout the decade already. Like in Australia, this was the final hit that the trio had over there.
#61 for 2006
This was a song that was tailor made to be as controversial as possible given how its subject matter (to say nothing of its cover art) was meant to address something that happened to Rihanna this year that I'm sure we're all familiar with by now. It appears we Aussies and kiwis weren't that interested in having this sort of music from her as this was a massive disappointment for her commercially in both countries.
#59 for 2009
He may have only come in fourth place on the fifth season of American Idol, however that didn't prevent Chris Daughtry from finding success worldwide with a band he formed after losing on the reality series months later. Indeed, this was a minor sleeper hit here in Australia for the post grunge band and likely would've been a hit like it was in NZ had we better incorporated our digital data onto the main charts.
#64 for 2007
It appears that the kiwis were just as impressed with this collaboration between former BFF's Kanye West and Jay-Z as we Aussies were this year, that is to say, this was only a hit over there due to the presence of Rihanna as neither of their other collaborations managed to spark any interest in either country in the southern hemisphere despite making an entire album together two years later.
#60 for 2009
This was the third single to come from Nickelback's magnum opus All the right reasons, it's a song that reuses the melody from "How you remind me" and "Someday" which has led many to accuse them of being a one trick pony when it comes to their compositions despite the other singles from this album proving otherwise. This was a minor hit here in Australia, likely it had its success eaten up by strong album sales.
#62 for 2006
Even though he managed to achieve massive success with his debut album this year, I'm guessing that was due to his involvement with Savage from earlier on this list as this breakthrough single from Akon didn't do nearly as well over there as it did throughout the rest of the world. I'm guessing this was because the kiwis didn't find his duet with Alvin and the Chipmunks to be as endearing as international audiences.
#59 for 2005
Given how this song has Akon on the chorus as well as Krayzie Bone having a huge hit the previous year on Chamillionaire's "Riding," it only makes sense that this track from Bone Thugs n Harmony would achieve massive success in NZ this year despite the group not having a hit over there since "Home" from four years prior.
#65 for 2007
It looks like Usher was able to score a second hit over in NZ this year as this manage to become a hit for him over there where it failed to do so down under, I guess even with the fact that Chris Brown was dominating the RNB scene over there, the kiwis felt there was still enough room for there to be two princes of RNB this year even if the crown clearly belong to his younger counterpart.
#51 for 2008
Well at least this third single from Stadium arcadium managed to be a huge success in NZ around this time, although it's worth noting that it was also a massive hit in the bands native America given how it remains their final Billboard top ten hit over there. Indeed, this remains their final hit anywhere in the world as they've yet to score another hit with any of their subsequent albums.
#63 for 2006
#66 for 2007
I guess the kiwis really weren't interested in having Rihanna be a massive success this year with her second album, at least this was the case when it came to the singles from the album given how far less successful this was over there compared to here in Australia likely due to the controversial nature of the lyrics and what this ballad is about.
#64 for 2006
Given that this was far more popular on our digital charts and that they had yet to be incorporated to the main charts during this song's initial release, you'd think this would've been much bigger in NZ given how the kiwis had incorporated their digital sales onto their main charts from the start of this year. The fact that this wasn't more popular over there suggests they were a bit more wary of Christina being a throwback artist.
#65 for 2006
