Here it is, the long-awaited NZ equivalent of my greatest hit singles/albums of all time list I made a while back. Just like last time, I’ll be presenting this as a countdown, meaning that each entry will be more successful than the last as we go down this list. The main difference here of course is that unlike here in Australia, there was only one chart in NZ over the years, meaning that there won’t be multiple entries from singles/albums from the late 80’s/90’s/00’s like there was on my Australian list. Also, I won’t be including entries from the RIANZ charts given how they didn’t track album sales and that they were based on popular votes rather than sales, that and there was only ever a top twenty which means there’s a good chance they were struggling to fill out the top twenty each week during its run.
#2500
Given how the band managed to score a massive hit with their earlier entry on this list in NZ (even if it came a year after its initial release) it makes sense that this Christmas release in their native UK would be a massive success for them at the start of the year even if its success largely came from their Bee gees cover as it came twenty years after the original came out.
#2499
Well at least this wasn’t the biggest hit that Crowded house had in NZ as that honour goes to “Don’t dream it’s over” from the previous year, although it did come pretty close given how popular it was for the trio at the time of its release in the southern hemisphere. Indeed, their second album in general wasn’t as big over there as it was over here, suggesting they would need to change their sound going into the 90’s.
#2498
This was the second hit that Jon Stevens was able to score in NZ, this being a cover of the Bobby Bloom track from a decade prior which wasn’t even a success over there (at least according to the Listener charts it wasn’t.) He would have one more minor hit this year with Sharon O’Neill before fading into obscurity only to return later in the decade as the lead singer of Australian band Noiseworks.
#2497
This was also much bigger in NZ than it was here in Australia (even taking into account this was a number one hit on ARIA and not in AMR) I guess the kiwis really were more open to teen pop from the late 90’s than us Aussies were which to be fair, we were fairly opened to around this time.
#2496
This is a remix of a track from Busta Rhymes that was originally a flop for the rapper worldwide, the remix became a surprise hit in the UK which of course was all the justification the kiwis needed to make this a number one hit over there given how he already had a hit over there with “Woo hah” two years prior.
#2495
This was the final hit that All-4-One managed to score in NZ and indeed anywhere else in the world, it seems curious it would be their weakest hit in NZ considering it was the song that got them out of the one hit wonder bin here in Australia.
#2494
This was equally as successful in NZ for Frankie Goes to Hollywood as it was here in Australia despite it charting higher over there, I guess the kiwis were also impressed with this more politically charged track that was reportedly inspired by the Mad Max films of the day. We’ll be looking at their debut single again in a bit, but it’s odd that this was their biggest hit back in the day in the southern hemisphere.
#2493
This was the only hit that Little river band managed to achieve in NZ, it came from the first of three highly successful greatest hits packages which is perhaps why it was a big hit over there (that and having John Farnham on lead vocals might have played a part as well.) They wouldn’t touch the charts again anywhere in the world until Glenn Shorrock rejoined the band later in the decade.
#2492
Somehow this was an even bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, and by somehow, I mean the kiwis were instantly enamoured by this bubblegum pop track from the Swedish band the Cardigans likely due to how incessantly catchy the song is. It’s curious that it was the big hit from Romeo and Juliet considering how the scene it was used in has very little consequence to the overall film.
#2491
I’m not sure if this was a success in NZ due to the kiwis increased love for EDM this year, if it was nostalgia for the Matthew Wilder version from 1984 or if it was a huge success here in Australia for the Danish group Unique II. Whatever the reason, it managed to debut at number one over there proving how inescapable it was in the southern hemisphere this year.
#2490
There’s debate about whether this version or the Art of noise cover is the definitive version of this track, Prince of course wrote it for his second feature film Under the cherry moon, however Tom Jones is so much more sexually provocative on the cover that it puts this version to shame. For what it’s worth, this is the bigger version of the two tracks worldwide likely because it was the theme to an overhyped film.
#2489
Well, I did mention when I talked about this on the Australian side of my site that this was a hit in NZ a good six months prior to it crossing over here in Australia, this is because it came from the Dutch band Time bandits who had the fortune of being from the Netherlands which made it a show in for success over there. Curiously their other big hit in Australia “Endless road” wasn’t a hit over there for some reason.
#2488
This was the second time that the Anne Murray classic from the late 70’s was a hit in NZ, this time it was a hit for Boyzone who managed to out chart the original likely due to the nostalgia the kiwis had from around this time for Anne Murray’s work. This was the last hit that the Irish boy band had anywhere in the world before they went their separate ways to pursue solo careers.
#2487
This was the biggest hit that Alison Moyet had over in NZ, I’m guessing because it was her take on a Billie Holiday classic from the 40’s back when music from the first half of the twentieth century was still nostalgic to audiences (I wonder why that’s no longer the case?) She would continue to have success in NZ and her native UK with her second album which would come out two years later.
#2486
Remember, this site isn’t one where hate is tolerated, this of course puts me at a disadvantage when talking about this misguided ballad between Stevie and Paul, but they of course had good intentions with its creation that the general public of the day acknowledged by making it a hit.
#2485
I told you this third single from Tears for fears’ sophomore album was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, although by this point, it should be obvious that songs from highly successful albums over there rarely have their popularity impacted by said albums. They would score one more hit in NZ four years later with “Sowing the seeds of love” before calling it quits as a band.
#2484
The last time this guy troubled the charts anywhere in the world was during the first half of the 70’s, basically the RIANZ charts hadn’t even been established meaning he was well past his prime when it came to connecting with the youth of the day. This was the theme to a long-forgotten film Rush, although the real charge of this hit comes from it being the first thing he released since the death of his son.
#2483
Well, this managed to be an even bigger hit for Martika in NZ this year, although it was the only hit of hers to be more successful there than it was here as her other two big worldwide hits were far bigger here in Australia after this. I guess the kiwis made this a huge hit due to it being her only Billboard chart topper but kept her around due to how well she did down under and throughout Europe.
#2482
There was this popular band from the early 70’s in NZ known as the Hogsnort Rupert’s band, they were a big deal at the time due to being a novelty band that managed to humour the kiwis with their brand of comedy. The lead singer of that band Dave Luther would form a new band for the 80’s known as Dave and the Dynamos who scored a massive hit over there with this comedy track about how fun it is to be middle aged.
#2481
Whilst they still had success in their native America following the success of “No diggity” from the previous year, Blackstreet were more popular in NZ as in addition to hip hop, they also specialised in RNB which the kiwis were all in for throughout the 90’s. Indeed, this was the second of three chart toppers that the group had over there, proving how much more loved they were by the kiwis than their fellow Americans.
#2480
This was the biggest hit that the Vengaboys had in NZ until “Shala lala” took that crown the following year from their second album, I would be surprised at how big this Dutch band got due to being an EDM act except A: Aqua achieved massive success over there with a similar (albeit much better in my opinion) sound and B: they seemed to have reinstated the unwritten rule of Dutch acts being inescapable in NZ that was discarded throughout the 90’s.
#2479
This was the only notable hit from the husband-and-wife duo Ashford and Simpson, the name being a reference to their surnames as it comprised of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. I think it underperformed in Australia due to us Aussies still not being that into contemporary RNB (which we never really were now that I think about it) however it was a shoe in for success in NZ.
#2478
Although he had yet to have that runaway hit in NZ, he did have slightly more success overall in the 70’s over there which means this is still a huge comeback for him this far into the 80’s. It didn’t last as long on their charts; however, it was a number one hit during the summer of 1984/1985 which I feel more than makes up for that.
#2477
Well, I’m not going to bore you with a history lesson on how this song came to be like I did on the Australian side of my site, instead I’ll bring up that the song was curiously pulled from shelves back in the day likely to encourage album sales form the band that obviously didn’t end up happening for them.
#2476
Well, if you wanted to hear a new jack swing cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic, here’s your chance as this became a huge hit in NZ for the American duo Times two over there and not in their native America for some reason. I guess the kiwis were more open to the idea of a dance remix of a folk classic than their fellow Americans, either that or they were poorly promoted in their homeland.
#2475
Well at least this song received its own entry in NZ even if it meant that Madonna had clogged up the charts over there the same way that Abba did ten years prior and the Beatles twenty years prior. “Angel” was a huge hit over there (it won’t be making this list I’m afraid) proving how much the kiwis loved Madonna around this time.
#2474
You’d think this would be an even bigger success in NZ considering that one of the film’s stars is a well-established rapper, but then you remember that the title track was pulled from the shelves in order to encourage album sales for the soundtrack which as you can tell, is a tactic that almost never works in the music industry. I guess the second single managed to be a hit over there, although that was more due to it being a Snoop Dogg track than anything.
#2473
Although the 12th man did find moderate success in NZ with his albums throughout the 90’s, it wasn’t until this album of his that the kiwis finally got on board with his brand of humour the same way we Aussies did during his heyday. This led to him having moderate success later in the decade with his final album Boned which will be reappearing on this side of my site.
#2472
Given how she had two greatest hits albums in NZ like she did in Australia, this was also released as the third volume over there as opposed to just the second volume throughout the rest of the world.
#2471
The kiwis really seemed to like their classical music, didn’t they? Here we have British composer Ron Goodwin conducting the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (who already had a massive album over there two years prior) for this album which was a massive success this year for both parties.
#2470
Well, this album didn’t need to wait as long in NZ to take off as it did here in Australia, mainly because it started spawning big hits over there upon its immediate release that didn’t have to wait months after they became a success in their native America to crossover there. This did cost the album from lingering on the charts as long as it did here, however it did chart higher which I feel it a neat compromise.
#2469
I’m not sure if this album was a success because of Silverchair’s popularity here in Australia or if the kiwis really do have an indie scene that can rival that of Triple J’s presence, either way this debut album from the teenage band managed to be a huge success over there thanks to how popular the two lead singles were from the album.
#2468
Although that haven’t had much popularity over in NZ since the turn of the century, that didn’t prevent this greatest hits package from live from becoming a massive hit for them over there shortly after it was a modest success here in Australia for the band.
#2467
The success of this album in NZ was exactly the same as it was here in Australia, namely that while his popularity was on the decline, Jack Johnson was still among the biggest names in the mainstream during the last stretch of the decade in both countries.
#2466
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.
#2465
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.
#2464
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.
#2463
Even though this charted higher for Rihanna in NZ than it did here in Australia, it wound up being more successful over here due to it lingering around for much longer on our charts than it did on their charts. Either way, this was a solid introduction to her career and one that led to a highly fruitful career throughout the rest of the decade and well into the 2010’s.
#2462
This is the other hit from JT’s solo debut album that managed to achieve a higher placement on this list compared to the Australian equivalent, again this was because its success wasn’t eaten up by strong album sales over there like it was over here for the former boy band member. It’s also possible the kiwis found it more amusing than us Aussies, I remember finding the outro particularly hilarious growing up.
#2461
This was a hit in NZ and the Real thing’s native UK ten years prior, so it makes sense that an anniversary remix would be issued in both countries where it would become a success all over again for the band. This is another example of a two-hit wonder who became as such with the same song as they never had any success with their other material over there.
#2460
Well, it appears that the kiwis didn’t completely buy into the hype that went into the Knack like the rest of the world did, either that or there were only so many times they could listen to this (admittedly fairly repetitive) song before they grew tired of the band. Still, this was a huge success for them over there this year, although just not to the same degree that it was here or in their native America.
#2459
Well, we were leaving the 80’s and entering the 90’s, so what better way to make this transition than having Billy Joel score one of his biggest hits of his career with this lead single to his (then) latest album? Interestingly, this took its sweet time in finding an audience over in NZ and his native America as opposed to here in Australia where it was a hit upon its initial release.
#2458
This was a much bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia, in fact I think Australia was the only country in the world where this theme song to Madonna’s third film of the same name wasn’t at least a top three hit given that we Aussies for some reason weren’t that keen on supporting the film (it looks terrible admittedly.) I’m guessing this is why neither song on the soundtrack appeared on the Immaculate collection.
#2457
This was a very busy year for Tina Turner given how she managed to score a massive comeback with her album, although this wasn’t the only hit she had in NZ as there’s still another entry to come further down this list from her. While this didn’t quite get to number one over there, it was nonetheless equally as successful there as it was here in Australia.
#2456
This entry is to cover how well this song did before the RIANZ charts converted to a top 40 in 2004, I feel like I should mention these entries where I can on this list given how vastly different the charts were when this transition happened.
#2455
Given how the Irish family managed to find success in NZ the previous year, this big hit they had in Australia managed to become an even bigger hit for them much earlier this year given how the girls didn’t need to perform the track on Countdown in order for it to be a success over there. This was their last hit anywhere in the world, meaning that the general public had grown tired of their novelty pop.
#2454
Even taking into consideration that every song that placed high on the Australian equivalent of this list had stiffer competition to what didn’t place high on that list, it appears that the kiwis weren’t as impressed with this breakthrough single from Sophie Ellis Bextor as we Aussies were likely due to them not finding the video as endearing as her earlier entry on this list.
#2453
From what I can gather, Joose were an American RNB band who scored a massive hit in NZ with this cover of the Garth Brooks track that somehow flopped in their native America. Nowadays most people will be more familiar with the Ronan Keating version from 2002 given how big that version was, however in NZ this wound up being the bigger hit of the two covers.
#2452
Although the original from Chicago did fine enough in NZ, this RNB rendition from Az yet was far more popular over there than the original likely due to the blessing that Peter Cetera gave the RNB group to cover it by rerecording his chorus from the original. It was their only hit in NZ despite “Last night” breaking the top ten over there the previous year.
#2451
Much like in Australia, Bonnie Tyler was doomed to become a one hit wonder in NZ with “It’s a heartache” before she made the smart decision to collaborate with Jim Steinman for this track that was originally meant for the second Bat out of hell album from earlier in the decade. This comeback was a bit more substantial for her over there as she scored a hit the following year with Shaking Stevens.
#2450
Well, this is certainly a surprise, Boyzone had virtually no success in NZ throughout the 90’s and yet they found instant success with this ballad that was apparently commissioned for an Andrew Lloyd Weber show that never came to be. This had to be won over by us Aussies before it became a success here, hence why it appeared on that side of my site on the 1999 list instead of this year’s.
#2449
This was the second chart topper that INXS had in NZ, although as we’ve established on this site, going to number one hardly constitutes how successful your song is in the southern hemisphere as this was far from the band’s biggest hit in either country despite being among the higher charting songs on our charts.
#2448
While this was a modest success for Timbaland, JT and Nelly Furtado here in Australia, it was a massive success for them internationally likely due to the digital charts taking in full effect when it was released as the lead single to the former’s debut album. Apparently, this is a diss track towards people they all had beef with, which ended up being Scott Storch, Prince and Fergie respectively.
#2447
This was a huge hit over in NZ for Swedish singer Emilia, I’m not sure how this became such a big hit over there as this feels like something that should’ve been big here in Australia but wasn’t for whatever reason. In any case, she scored a massive hit before fading into obscurity even throughout Europe.
#2446
This is the only other song from Christina Aguilera’s second album that will be reappearing on this list, I guess the kiwis weren’t as impressed with the album overall save for this female empowerment anthem and her self-empowerment anthem from earlier on this list. This is the second and final hit that she achieved worldwide with Lil Kim providing her a guest verse following their collaboration on “Lady marmalade.”
#2445
This wasn’t going to be a success over in NZ likely due to the kiwis still not being fully open to EDM by the turn of the millennium, however it was eventually released as a single over there due to its success here in Australia for Bomfunk MCs where it became a massive hit for the Finnish band. They were a one hit wonder over there as “B boys and fly girls” failed to become a success like it was here.
#2444
Were it not for their disco classic “Heart of glass,” this cover of the obscure band Paragons track where Debbie gives an (in my opinion) strange performance as if she’s high would be her and Blondie’s biggest hit of their entire catalogue regardless of where you are in the world. It’s admittedly a happy track where she feels intoxicated with this relationship, so there’s little wonder why it remains a classic.
#2443
The original from Lou Reed was never a hit anywhere in the world back in the 70’s, I guess it was considered a bit too ahead of its time to connect with a more conservative audience of its day. It was given a cover from Jamie J Morgan who took the downbeat original and turned it into a funky dance track which became a surprise hit for him over in NZ of all places.
#2442
This was a fantastic year for XTC in NZ given how they have two appearances on this list, this was their debut album which was a minor success upon its initial release the previous year but saw a massive spike in popularity when their second album became an instant success over there six months after its initial release.
#2441
For whatever reason, this album didn’t catch on in NZ when it found its international breakthrough from the previous year, meaning that it was possible that the duo would be a one hit wonder with their breakthrough single “The look” over there despite their international success. Their fortunes changed when their contribution to the Pretty woman soundtrack boosted this album’s success over there this year.
#2440
It feels weird that this was a success in NZ considering how it barely charted here in Australia, I guess the kiwis love for EDM had finally overtaken our love for the genre by this point given how much of a crushing failure this and its singles was with us Aussies. Sash would be a one album wonder over there, although they would achieve a hit over here at the start of the 00’s.
#2439
Thought that it was weird this was a success here in Australia three years after its initial release? Well, here we are three years after that where it was a surprise success in NZ six years after the film’s release. I have no idea why as nothing about pop culture this year could justify this album’s success this many years after its initial release.
#2438
This is one of two albums that found massive success over in NZ for the Clash, although this was more of a sleeper success for the band like it was here in Australia likely due to punk rock not being as popular in the southern hemisphere as it was in their native UK back in the day. Still, it did prove that there was an audience for the scene amongst us Aussies and kiwis as opposed to those in America.
#2437
This was also a sleeper hit over in NZ this year, in fact aside from the fourth single performing much better over there than it did over here, it had the exact level of success as well as the same path to its success in both countries in the southern hemisphere which nonetheless led the band to having a widely successful decade worldwide.
#2436
This is another example of an Australian single that didn’t have the highest peak position doing considerably well in NZ in exchange for the album it came from performing mediocrely for the artist in question, in this case it’s Pete Murray who by all accounts should’ve gotten to number one for weeks on end with his breakthrough single but didn’t due to the album eaten up its sales as it wasn’t its lead single here like it was over there.
#2435
Just a fair warning that there won’t be as many appearances from Miley Cyrus on this side of my site as there were on the Australian side, I’m guessing because the kiwis weren’t that impressed with the Disney star at least when she initially broke through as they were more interested in her Hannah Montana persona due to how well those albums did over her own work.
#2434
There was no stopping Linkin park at this point in their career as the third single to their third album managed to be a huge success for them in NZ, I guess this goes to show that they wouldn’t have benefitted from airplay stats here in Australia after all given how prior to their third album they did far better over here where airplay didn’t affect a song’s success than over there where it did.
#2433
This guys was so inescapable in NZ this year that he was able to score a second hit over there despite his debut single being a massive flop for him over there the previous year, I guess the kiwis wanted to hear him as a pop crooner rather than an EDM artist which would explain why these two ballads were so huge for him and not his more upbeat tracks.
#2432
Although none of their other singles reached the dizzying heights of success in NZ that “Hold me now” did internationally, it’s worth noting that the Thompson twins saw a ton of success with several of their singles including this lead single to their third album as a trio which only barely failed to make the top ten over there. They’re a one hit wonder here in Australia despite this album doing decently well here.
#2431
Given how well their earlier entry on this list did in NZ as well as the rest of the world, it would be a given that this would also be a hit for Dr Hook over in NZ just like it was here in Australia. Again, I can’t imagine how much of a sellout this must have felt for their early fanbase given how perfectly it fitted in with the likes of John Denver and Freddy Fender.
#2430
We looked at Burton Cummings big international hit on the Australian side of my site, however I bet you didn’t realise he had more than one hit in his catalogue than “Stand tall” given how this managed to become a hit in NZ and his native Canada a year after that songs release. I’m not sure how the kiwis came across this track given how “Stand tall” bombed over there and this bombed here in Australia.
It looks like Naughty by nature were able to get in one more big hit in NZ with this single from the Nothing to lose soundtrack, it appears that this was an excellent time for soundtrack singles given how this is the third hit to come from that film following Lil Kim and Coolio’s entries. Sadly, this would be the last the kiwis would hear from the hip hop group, although we Aussies gave them a hit with “Holiday” in 2000.
#2428
This was originally meant to be John Lennon’s final hit single as he would announce his retirement after he released it from his album Rock n roll, it’s a cover of the Ben E King classic which I’m guessing was meant to be reassurance to his audience that he was simply stepping out of the spotlight rather than becoming blacklisted from fame.
#2427
It only makes sense that this managed to be a bigger hit for Dido in NZ than it was here in Australia given how this wasn’t pulled from their shelves after a mere month of existence like it was here, that might be due to it not lasting very long on the upper echelons of their charts which suggests that the kiwis felt she was more of an albums artist by this point in her career.
#2426
You’d think this would be a massive success for Fur patrol given how it spawned one of the biggest hits of the decade as its lead single, alas it was only a sleeper hit for the band in their homeland as it stuck around due to it spawning a couple of other minor hits which stuck around on their charts due to strong airplay.
#2425
I’m not entirely sure if this is the correct version of the Les Misérables soundtrack to make it big in NZ this year given how their charts fail to specify which version became successful over there this year, however from what I can gather, there was a London recording of the show that received a ton of media attention this year to the point where a version of the original soundtrack became a success as a result.
#2424
If you were looking for more representation from the Commodore on this side of my site, there will be that albeit to a much lesser scale than you would otherwise think given how Lionel Richie and company weren’t that much more popular in ZN than they were here in Australia. Indeed, this was their final successful album over there due to how ubiquitous it was with the times.
#2423
Given how the big hit from this album wasn’t as big in NZ as it was here in Australia, it’s fitting that this magnum opus from Chris De Burgh saw less success over there than it did over here even if most of its success over here was confided to the lower half of our charts.
#2422
There were no signs of Green day slowing down when they released the fourth single from their magnum opus American idiot in NZ, again there’s a misconception that this is about 9/11 when really, it’s a personal track about Billie’s own trauma about losing his father during September as a child. The trio wouldn’t have as many issues finding success in NZ moving forward as they did here in Australia.
#2421
This managed to chart higher in NZ than it did here in Australia for Crystal Gayle back in the day, although it still saw stiff competition during the Christmas period of 1977/1978 hence why it appears around the same place on this side of my site that it does on the Australian side.
#2420
Mondo Rock were never able to achieve a single hit over in NZ throughout their career, in fact where it not for a reissue of their signature hit in 1990, Daddy Cool would’ve also gone unnoticed over there. I bring this up because the lead singer of both bands was married to Pat Wilson who managed to achieve a big hit this year with her one and only hit she had here in Australia likely thanks to the music video.
#2419
Although this was released on time over in NZ due to how successful En Vogue was throughout the decade over there, the trade-off was that it was far less popular over there than it was over here given how much lower this appears on this list compared to the Australian side of my site. It could also be that this was the second single over there from the widely popular Set it off which was a huge critical and commercial success.
#2418
This was the only other hit that Dragon managed to achieve in their homeland, indeed this was released much later over there than it was over here mainly because they had temporarily migrated to Australia due to the failure of their earlier material in their homeland throughout the decade. They join the ranks of Split enz and Mi-sex as NZ bands who needed to leave their homeland in order to find success in their careers.
#2417
This had a bit of a delay to its release in NZ, likely because this is an EDM cover of the KC and the Sunshine band classic from eleven years prior which was a bit out of the comfort zone for the kiwis at the time. I’m guessing they made it a success when they realised this came complete with a rap verse which was able to fit in with the increasing number of hip hop making it big over there.
#2416
This is surprising, mainly because I would’ve thought NZ would be where this was at its most popular given the success both men have had so far over there in their respective careers. While MJ continued to have massive success over there like he did worldwide, this was Paul’s last hit there as his subsequent follow ups flopped on their charts.
#2415
It appears the kiwis weren’t as impressed with this second English album from Enrique Iglesias as we Aussies were given how it was merely a sleeper hit over there as opposed to a best seller over here. That said, the singles did fairly well even if the lead single had no appeal with the kiwis outside of its affiliation with 9/11.
#2414
Following the disappointment that was their 2005 effort Love is the new hate, Shihad went back to the drawing board for their next album which resulted in this effort which helped them regain some of the popularity they lost from their time as Pacifier from the start of the decade. It would be their final successful album as they would be unfortunate victims of the rock purge of the 2010’s.
#2413
This felt like a good place to recap Neil Diamond’s success so far in his career, I’m sure this would’ve been a success here in Australia as well had we not pushed aside his catalogue in favour of local acts promoted by Countdown.
#2412
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.
#2411
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.
#2410
This had a bit of a rough start to its success in NZ despite Icehouse already seeing healthy amount of success over there throughout the decade, it was only when their earlier entry on this list became a hit that this finally shot up their charts which allowed it to become a hit for them. I’m guessing it was due to this happening that they finally sparked interest in America with this album cycle.
#2409
While Lenny Kravitz did have success throughout the decade in NZ, none of the singles during the midpoint of the decade were strong enough to appear on my site which means he was unable to score any new entries on these lists with his 90’s material. Still the fact that all of his song’s successfully managed to reappear on this side of my site should tell you how well loved he was in the southern hemisphere.
#2408
I guess the kiwis needed a bit of convincing to allow these guys to be inescapable like they were here in Australia back in the day, however they were eventually won over with the band’s breakthrough single as it refused to drop out of their charts suggesting this was a success as a guilty pleasure for them.
#2407
This is the only success that the short lived punk rock band the Knobz had in their homeland (what is with that name?) It was a decent success for them even if it was completely out of step with everything else that was coming out this year, although I have a feeling it would’ve fared much better in the UK given how the punk scene was much stronger over there.
#2406
By all accounts this should be even higher on this list as this also refused to die on the NZ charts back in the day, alas it was only the case on the lower half of their charts hence why it isn’t towards the top of this list like their earlier entry is. Aside from that, it had a similar run of success over there proving how much the kiwis loved these guys back in the day.
For whatever reason, this song always reminds me of “Band on the run” whenever I hear it on the radio (likely due to Paul’s similar vocal melody in different parts of both songs) which is perhaps why it was a bigger hit in NZ than it was here in Australia as we Aussies would’ve passed this up back in the day in favour of the many fresh offerings from our local music scene which the kiwis didn’t have access to.
I’m guessing the film Car wash was a massive success over in NZ given how the soundtrack managed to give Rose Royce a second hit over there this year with this number. This sees the band’s male vocalists take centre stage as opposed to their other two big hits which had their female vocalists in the lead, making them a hybrid of Earth wind and fire and the Emotions with these releases.
#2403
Well, this was hard to find information about, from what I can gather, D faction was a NZ group who scored their one and only hit with this cover of the Billy Joe Royal track from thirty years prior which I’m guessing was a big deal over there back in the day if this was able to be a massive hit for the group.
#2402
Not only was George Benson a welcomed presence with the lead single from his disco album in NZ, but he managed to score a second hit over there with this follow up which goes to show how much the kiwis still loved disco even after the supposed disco backlash from 1979. George would continue to have minor success over there as the decade went on, proving that he somewhat survived the transition into the MTV era.
#2401
Stargard were another rival to the Emotions back in the day who managed to score a massive hit in NZ during the second half of the decade, I’m guessing the success of all of these disco girl groups of colour back in the day were meant to be a way of them becoming the (then) new equivalent of the Supremes which is odd because Diana Ross didn’t have any success over there around this time. At least we Aussies had Marcia Hines as the big successful woman of colour in our music scene.
Hits of Australia and NZ 