This album’s success confuses me in a number of ways, first off, it’s the third greatest hits album to be a success in NZ since they had their final hit over there (“Hooray hooray” from 1979.) Secondly, it shares the name of their 1980 album which was a huge hit for them upon its initial release, thirdly it goes to show how much nostalgic love the kiwis had for the band that launched Frank Farian and to an extent Milli Vanilli into the public consciousness.
Peak position #5
POPULAR IN 2006
Given how this was a massive hit for Gabrielle Cilmi here in Australia as well as in the UK (for some reason) it makes sense that the kiwis would also make it a success for her even if it set her up for a career that ultimately led nowhere in the long run. Indeed, her second album didn’t even chart anywhere in the world outside of her homeland.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Sweet about me #6
POPULAR IN 2008
Unlike here in Australia where this album had a slow start to its success but eventually became one of the biggest of the decade, it was a flop for Matchbox 20 in NZ and only became a decent success when it spawned their biggest international hit with “Unwell” which admittedly became their first big hit over there with the help of airplay.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Unwell #8
Bright lights #48
POPULAR IN 2002
I was a bit surprised this wasn’t more of a hit for Barbra Streisand in NZ given how this was a bit of a comeback for her here in Australia, I guess the kiwis had grown tired of her by the new millennium and only made this a hit out of pure obligation.
Peak position #11
POPULAR IN 2002
This was a Christmas album that Hayley Westenra released following the success of her earlier entry on this list, it was a decent success in her homeland and likely would’ve been even bigger had it not been pulled from shelves once the holiday season was over.
Peak position #4
POPULAR IN 2001
Although we Aussies weren’t that upset when these guys called it quits in 2000, it appears the kiwis were given how much more popular this was over there than it was over here which earns it a higher spot on this list. The band would of course reform later in the decade when they were able to put their differences aside for the sake of their fanbase.
Peak position #5
POPULAR IN 2001
I guess the kiwis were bigger fans of the Chemical brothers than I thought as this album of theirs managed to be a massive success over there when it was a minor success at best here in Australia, then again, EDM in general was doing very well in NZ at the time whereas we Aussies had moved on to RNB and hip hop.
Peak position #1×1
Hit singles
Star guitar #49
POPULAR IN 2002
It had been a while since Willie Nelson touched the charts anywhere in the world, in fact in the southern hemisphere, his last successful album was his previous greatest hits package from 1980, which means this greatest hits album was the first time the kiwis cared about him since looking over his 70’s work twenty years prior.
Peak position #4
POPULAR IN 2001
Although they didn’t have many appearances on this site over the years, Herbs were indeed one of the more popular bands to make it big in their homeland which makes the success of this greatest hits package over there make sense to me.
Peak position #1×1
POPULAR IN 2002
This was a huge success for the king of rock and roll this year in NZ, likely because the kiwis were already feeling nostalgia for his back catalogue even though they likely would’ve had it satisfied had they waited a year given how both the producers of Ocean’s eleven and Disney would bring his music to the mainstream throughout the rest of the world.
Peak position #1×1
POPULAR IN 2001
Although they never quite lived up to the videogames, the two Tomb raider films starring Angelina Jolie remain a guilty pleasure of mine to this day due to how well she captures the bloodthirsty nature of Lara Croft. The first film had a killer soundtrack to boot, and it appears the kiwis agreed as it was a moderate success over there back in the day.
Peak position #4
Hit singles
Elevation #35
Get ur freak on #24
Where’s your head at #38
POPULAR IN 2001
This is the only album from Leann Rimes to appear on the NZ side of this site, although considering her only appearance on the Australian side of my site was her debut from back in 1996, I guess this means that only one of her albums could be successful in each country in the southern hemisphere throughout her career. It turns out that the kiwis would rather that be her pop album and us Aussies her country album.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Life goes on #4
Suddenly #24
POPULAR IN 2002
This is a bit bizarre since it was us Aussies that not only made Abba a household name in the 70’s, but are also responsible for their lasting legacy given the love movies like Priscilla queen of the desert and Muriel’s wedding gave them back in the 90’s. As such, you’d think this greatest hits package would’ve been a success over here like it was in NZ but alas, you’d be wrong.
Peak position #1×3
POPULAR IN 2007
This was a flop for Bon Jovi upon its initial release in NZ the previous year, it was given a second chance this year due to a successful tour they gave to promote the album which allowed it to be their first big album over there since their reunion from the start of the decade.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 2008
This was one of the last albums to be released this decade, or more accurately the rerelease it had this year was. I’m guessing this is what encouraged the kiwis to reinvigorate their love for Fleetwood mac throughout the 2010’s given how inescapably popular they’ve been over the years.
Peak position #5
POPULAR IN 2009
For a band that only has two songs that anyone outside of their diehard fanbase would’ve heard of, America has had quite a long shelf life in the nostalgia circuit given how this is yet another greatest hits album of theirs to be a success on this site of mine.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 2001
This is the final successful album that Salmonella dub had in their career, mainly because this was released just before former frontman Tiki Tane released his solo album which would go on to be one of the most successful albums of the decade in their homeland.
Peak position #2
POPULAR IN 2007
Although their first greatest hits package from 1991 wasn’t as popular in NZ as it was here in Australia, it appears the eventual trade-off would be that their second album of this kind would be a success over there fifteen years later despite it being a massive bomb over here.
Peak position #6
POPULAR IN 2006
As with many albums that appeal to the nostalgic audiences of the early digital era, this proved to be far more successful in NZ than it was here in Australia upon its initial release. You have to wonder who was in the mainstream at this point given how physical sales didn’t seem to have any form of consistent demographic compared to the many facets that the digital sales had.
Peak position #4
POPULAR IN 2006
While the success of this second album from Evanescence was a mere bucket drop compared to what they achieved on their first album, it was still far more popular worldwide than most of the albums of its day which means it was able to make a second appearance on my site given how this was no exception over in NZ upon its initial release.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Call me when you’re sober #3
Lithium #16
POPULAR IN 2006
This will be Disturbed’s only new entry on this side of my site given how their popularity didn’t explode until much later in the decade despite them initially coming from the nu metal crowd with this second album of theirs, indeed it appears the kiwis were more into the nu metal scene than we Aussies were if this managed to be more of a success over there than it was over here.
Peak position #1×1
POPULAR IN 2002
While this wasn’t as successful as their debut album from earlier in the decade, the fact that a nu metal album could still find success this far into the decade was quite impressive especially since the scene had shifted to be about emo rock given how popular the likes of Green day and Panic! at the disco were at the time.
Peak position #1×1
Hit singles
Yours truly #9
Drown #4
POPULAR IN 2006
Well this really struggled to make the cut on this side of my site, admittedly this was due to the kiwis not being as impressed with the singles as we Aussies were which is odd as these guys did wonders on our digital charts and the kiwis had already incorporated digital stats onto their main charts by the time this saw the light of day over there.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Makes me wonder #8
Wake up call #32
Won’t go home without you #20
If I never see your face again #21
POPULAR IN 2007
Even though he scored a string of hits over in NZ throughout the decade, this was the only album that Ne-yo had any success with over there likely due to it being a minor success here in Australia (too minor to appear on the Australian side of my site.) Much like other juggernauts of the 00’s, he struggled to transition towards the 2010’s commercially.
Peak position #6
Hit singles
Closer #3
Miss independent #4
Mad #5
POPULAR IN 2008
This was slightly more successful in NZ for Celine Dion; I’m guessing the kiwis were a bit more forgiving for that infamous performance of an AC/DC track she gave in Vegas the previous year with Anastacia than we Aussies were (although we were clearly forgiving of Anastacia’s part) although this wasn’t enough for her momentum to keep going over there like it had previously done.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
I drove all night #24
POPULAR IN 2003
It’s a bit surprising to see this greatest hits album do so well in NZ given how Ice Cube never found much success in NZ both solo or with N.W.A, I guess it took off over there due to his acting career becoming more lucrative in the 21st century with films such as Are we there yet and XXX 2.
Peak position #6
POPULAR IN 2002
As there was a different greatest hits album that became popular for Barry White at the turn of the century in NZ, it only makes sense that this was the album that became popular over there once he tragically passed away this year, although no such album was a success here in Australia due to the lack of success he had during his lifetime in our music scene.
Peak position #6
POPULAR IN 2003
I would’ve thought that 50 cent kept the momentum going in NZ given how the lead single to his third album managed to go to number one over there, it turns out that didn’t help as this was only as successful over there as it was over here for the controversial rapper.
Peak position #1×1
Hit singles
Ayo technology #1
I’ll still kill #14
POPULAR IN 2007
It had been exactly twenty years since George Benson last troubled the charts anywhere in the world with In your eyes, it seems appropriate that he would score one final entry on this side of my site with a greatest hits package given how his previous entry was with another album with this exact title.
Peak position #4
POPULAR IN 2003
As far as I can tell, the only hit that Joe Cocker has had in NZ is with “Up where we belong” back in early 1983. Heck he now has more greatest hits albums on this side of my site than he does studio albums and likely would have even more had NZ tracked album stats prior to 1975.
Peak position #9
POPULAR IN 2007
This year seemed like the perfect opportunity for audiences to rediscover the works of Harry Belafonte (the guy who brought us “Banana boat”) however it appears only the kiwis seized this opportunity as this wasn’t a hit anywhere else in the world for the 50’s crooner.
Peak position #4
POPULAR IN 2000
Well, I suppose Sean Paul was able to make up for not having a single hit in NZ by having his second album be a massive hit over there, although that mainly came when his feature on Beyonce’s “Baby boy” managed to become a huge hit worldwide which suggests that he was only a household name over there thanks to her sex jam that appeared on her album (which failed to reappear on this side of my site.)
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Get busy #19
Baby boy #2
Like glue #18
POPULAR IN 2003
Well, this is certainly a different side of Incubus compared to what we’ve already seen, apparently, they decided to make their equivalent of the Beatles magical mystery tour as that’s the best way I can describe this album as it incorporates elements of psychedelia in a way that’s very reminiscent of the fab four. It was a huge hit in NZ and even a minor success here in Australia this year.
Peak position #1×1
Hit singles
Megalomaniac #30
Talk shows on mute #24
POPULAR IN 2004
I guess the kiwis weren’t as big of fans of Hairspray as we Aussies were, either that or they liked the film despite the music given how much less popular the soundtrack was over there compared to over here.
Peak position #7
POPULAR IN 2007
It appears that the lead single from Kelly Rowland’s solo debut also appearing on Nelly’s second album from the previous year did no favours for it in NZ as was the case here in Australia, although at least its second single convinced us Aussies and kiwis to finally give the Destiny’s child singer a chance early on in the year.
Peak position #7
Hit singles
Dilemma #2
Stole #3
Can’t nobody #38
POPULAR IN 2003
I would’ve thought this would be one of the biggest albums of the decade given how much of a huge success Savage had with its title track here in Australia, I guess this is another example of the singles eating up the album’s success in NZ as the three big hits it spawned were indeed inescapable over there.
Peak position #2
Hit singles
Swing #1
Moonshine #1
They don’t know #3
POPULAR IN 2005
I guess the kiwis weren’t as big of fans of the 00’s equivalent of Flashdance as we Aussies were given how much less popular it was over there compared to over here upon its initial release, although at least its theme song from P!nk managed to be a bigger hit over there even if it’s more due to airplay as well as her debut album not being as successful over there as it was over here.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
U make me sick #10
POPULAR IN 2001
I’m a bit surprised this wasn’t more of a success for Elton John in NZ than it was here in Australia given how much more successful nostalgia acts were doing over there around this time, then again this did chart higher over there, so perhaps it underperforming there is more a result of stiffer competition than anything.
Peak position #5
POPULAR IN 2007
There was no stopping Bic Runga throughout the 00’s as her live album with the Christchurch symphony became a modest success for her due to the success of her top entry on this list. Indeed, it wouldn’t be until the early 2010’s where her momentum would finally slow down for her.
Peak position #7
POPULAR IN 2003
I still don’t know why Gabrielle didn’t have any success in NZ with her debut album like she did internationally, however seven years later she did find massive success over there with her third album mainly due to the surprise hit it spawned over there with its title track. It recharted over there the following year when she released her greatest hits package following the success of her theme from Bridget Jones diary.
Peak position #9
Hit singles
Rise #2
POPULAR IN 2000
Surprised to see this so low on this side of my site? It appears the kiwis weren’t very impressed with this solo outing from Beyonce given how it only became a success due to its signature track “Crazy in love” almost topping their charts over there. The album had left the charts by the time “Baby boy” followed in its footsteps, suggesting they considered her to be an albums artist.
Peak position #8
Hit singles
03 Bonnie and Clyde #4
Crazy in love #2
Baby boy #2
Me myself I #18
Naughty girl #6
POPULAR IN 2003
It had been eight years since Massive attack released their magnum opus Mezzanine, as such the kiwis were likely starting to feel nostalgic for their back catalogue which is perhaps why they gravitated towards this greatest hits album from the duo this year.
Peak position #3
POPULAR IN 2006
It’s been a hot minute since we’ve looked at Van Morrison on this site, hasn’t it? Here he is with the last album he’s released that anyone has cared about from his catalogue (as of this writing of course.) It was a predictable flop here in Australia as is many albums on this list from legacy artists, however the kiwis were willing to look at this album which collects all the songs from him and his band Them that heavily feature in Hollywood blockbusters.
Peak position #10
POPULAR IN 2007
Although she wasn’t dropped from her label in NZ like she was in America, this is the first successful album that Kylie Minogue had over there since her second album from twelve years prior. Even then, this was definitely more of a sleeper hit as it rebounded on their charts whenever one of the singles were released, although only the third single was more popular over there than it was over here.
Peak position #3
Hit singles
Can’t get you out of my head #1
In your eyes #18
Love at first sight #9
Come into my world #20
POPULAR IN 2001
This was more of a sleeper hit for Simple plan in NZ than it was here in Australia, I guess the kiwis weren’t as open to allowing these guys to crossover but briefly changed their minds when the lead single to their sophomore album became a massive hit for the Canadian band over there.
Peak position #5
Hit singles
Welcome to my life #5
Shut up #11
Untitled #20
POPULAR IN 2004
This is the only other appearance from Josh Groban throughout the 00’s on this side of my site, even then he barely squeezes in on this list due to it appearing on RIANZ’s yearend list for this year despite having a rather unimpressive chart run back in the day.
Peak position #9
POPULAR IN 2003
This would’ve been a mere modest success for Atomic kitten in NZ given how it only became a huge hit for the trio due to the second single becoming one of the biggest hits of the decade over there, however it rebounded on their charts when the deluxe edition was released which contained their second chart topper over there as well as their native UK.
Peak position #12
Hit singles
Right now #40
Whole again #1
Eternal flame #1
You are #13
POPULAR IN 2001
