I thought this would be an interesting idea for a thread. It's interesting to see how cultural periods evolve in different parts of the world. This thread is for comparing the mainstream charts from around the world, whether it be the weekly charts or the yearly charts, and analyzing/comparing what the then current state of music was like and how it evolved. I decided to compare the weekly charts from when I was born:

Billboard Hot 100

http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1999-03-13

#1 Song - "Believe" by Cher

Although artists such as Christina Agulera and Ricky Martin had yet to enter the scene, the Hot 100 chart is definitely leaning more towards the Y2K cultural period. It's interesting that "Baby One More Time" was only at #8 at the time. I assume that it probably peaked at #1 in the US in January/February 1999, shortly after the release of Britney Spears' album of the same name in Late 1998.

UK Top 100 Chart

http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19990307/7501/

#1 Song - "When The Going Gets Tough" by Boyzone

The UK chart was quite different from the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the time. I'm not familiar with some of the songs on the chart, so i'm not entirely surely if the chart leans more towards the Late '90s or Y2K cultural period. I would say that it leans more towards the Late '90s, but I might be wrong. It's interesting that Cher's "Believe" was only at #38 at the time.

Australian ARIA Chart

http://www.australian-charts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=s&year=1999&date=19990314

#1 Song - "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears

Unlike the Billboard Hot 100 & UK charts, the ARIA chart definitely leans more towards the Late '90s cultural period. Actually, there's very little about the chart that heavily leans more towards Y2K/Millennium Era, IMO. Songs such as "Malibu", "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)", "Redundant" and "Body Movin'" were still charting quite strongly at the time. Also, it's interesting to note that several UK artists had chart success at the time, such as Steps, Vengaboys and Five.

Personal Verdict : I know i'm biased, but out of the three charts, I personally like the ARIA chart the most.

It would be interesting to hear other people's opinions on the charts I shared above. :) Of course, please feel free to share charts from whenever you like!

"End of the Road" by Boyz II Men was the #1 song in America back when I was born. Shame, because in my opinion, it's easily of the most overrated songs of the 90s. Like a lot of commercial ballads that decade, it held the #1 spot for several consecutive weeks, keeping off more worthy candidates for the top of the chart such as "Baby-Baby-Baby" and "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," the latter of which came from an album released the very day I was born. However, unlike the mostly pretty good #1 ballads such as "My Heart Will Go On," "I Swear," and "On Bended Knee," "End of the Road" is just plain weak as a song, suffering from a really dull melody and lyrics that are both clumsily written, as well as difficult to sympathize with (it's about a guy whose girlfriend dumped him because he was carelessly clowning around).

In the United Kingdom, "Rhythm Is a Dancer" by Snap! was the #1 single. It's far superior to "End of the Road," and deserves credit as arguably the first mid-90s-style eurodance song, but it's somewhat marred by one particularly insensitive line during the rap.

Australia's #1 song was the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics theme. At the time, the UK simply reissued Freddie Mercury's "Barcelona," which came out 5 years prior.

I'll add more countries to list.

Number ones of June 22, 1998 (my birth)

Billboard Hot 100
Brandy and Monica - The Boy Is Mine

UK Charts
The Lightning Seeds - Three Lions

Australian ARIA Chart
Ricky Martin - The Cup Of Life

Canadian Charts
Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Irish Charts
B*Witched - C'est la Vie

Number ones from when I was in the middle of my childhood: (mid-September 2006)

Billboard Hot 100

Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake

UK Charts

I Don't Feel Like Dancin' - Scissor Sisters  8-P

Australian ARIA Chart

I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) - Sandi Thom

Gee, I really did experience the peak of my childhood during an ordinary time for music!

Number ones from when I was in the middle of my childhood: (mid-September 2006)

Billboard Hot 100

Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake

UK Charts

I Don't Feel Like Dancin' - Scissor Sisters  8-P

Australian ARIA Chart

I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) - Sandi Thom

Gee, I really did experience the peak of my childhood during an ordinary time for music!
Nowadays, Justin Timberlake is still popular today, especially as a film actor, but where are The Scissor Sisters and Sandi Thom?

Nowadays, Justin Timberlake is still popular today, especially as a film actor, but where are The Scissor Sisters and Sandi Thom?


The Scissor Sisters had a couple of hits during the Mid 2000s, but they disappeared from the music scene shortly after the release of "She's my Man" in Late 2006. Sandi Thom was essentially a 'one-hit wonder'. She released another single in Late 2006 which was relatively successful, but like The Scissor Sisters, she disappeared from the mainstream charts after that.

The Scissor Sisters had a couple of hits during the Mid 2000s, but they disappeared from the music scene shortly after the release of "She's my Man" in Late 2006. Sandi Thom was essentially a 'one-hit wonder'. She released another single in Late 2006 which was relatively successful, but like The Scissor Sisters, she disappeared from the mainstream charts after that.
The strange thing was, we all thought that Sandi Thom will be big, but our hopes were dashed.

The Scissor Sisters had a couple of hits during the Mid 2000s, but they disappeared from the music scene shortly after the release of "She's my Man" in Late 2006. Sandi Thom was essentially a 'one-hit wonder'. She released another single in Late 2006 which was relatively successful, but like The Scissor Sisters, she disappeared from the mainstream charts after that.


Well, in Australia, they were only truly known for their delicious Bee Gees homage "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," but in the UK, they were commercially relevant as late as 2012, when they put out "Only the Horses."

On another note, as much as I adore "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," the Scissors Sisters aren't on my best terms because one of their members, Ana Matronic, spoke ill of Rachel Stevens, saying she had as much personality as styrofoam. I can appreciate the group for their artiness, but for me personally, that type of mentality makes them sound like snooty, pretentious hipsters, or at least Matronic seems such.

Well, in Australia, they were only truly known for their delicious Bee Gees homage "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," but in the UK, they were commercially relevant as late as 2012, when they put out "Only the Horses."

On another note, as much as I adore "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," the Scissors Sisters aren't on my best terms because one of their members, Ana Matronic, spoke ill of Rachel Stevens, saying she had as much personality as styrofoam. I can appreciate the group for their artiness, but for me personally, that type of mentality makes them sound like snooty, pretentious hipsters, or at least Matronic seems such.


They had a few other moderately successful singles in Australia during the Mid 2000's, but you're right, "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" was by far their most popular song. To be honest, I have never particularly been fond of The Scissor Sisters, but that's just because i'm personally not interested in that type of music. It probably doesn't help matters that "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" was a huge hit at the time of it's release and it was overplayed to death.  8-P

Did The Scissor Sisters ever achieve success on the US charts? From what i'm aware of, they were only ever popular in the UK and Australia. That's not too say that they weren't popular in the US at all, but I haven't heard/read any information about the group having a presence on the music scene in the States. I suppose it could be a similar scenario to Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag". The latter was a massive hit worldwide in Late 2000/Early 2001, but it didn't even chart at all in the United States.

The strange thing was, we all thought that Sandi Thom will be big, but our hopes were dashed.


Yeah, it's strange that it never happened. Sandi Thom could have been one of the biggest artists of the Late 2000s.

I got the top 3 songs from different charts for the week I was born (Feb 3, 2000)

NZ Music Charts:
1: "I Try" - Macy Gray
2: "What a Girl wants" - Christina Aguilera
3: "Rythmn Divine" - Enrique Iglesias

Billboard Hot 100
1: "I knew I loved you" - Savage Garden
2: "What a Girl Wants" - Christina Aguilera
3: "Smooth" - Santana

UK Official Charts
1: "Rise" - Gabrielle
2: "Born to make you Happy" - Britney Spears
3: "The Great Beyond" - REM

I got the top 3 songs from different charts for the week I was born (Feb 3, 2000)

NZ Music Charts:
1: "I Try" - Macy Gray
2: "What a Girl wants" - Christina Aguilera
3: "Rythmn Divine" - Enrique Iglesias

Billboard Hot 100
1: "I knew I loved you" - Savage Garden
2: "What a Girl Wants" - Christina Aguilera
3: "Smooth" - Santana

UK Official Charts
1: "Rise" - Gabrielle
2: "Born to make you Happy" - Britney Spears
3: "The Great Beyond" - REM


Here's the Australian chart from the week you were born as well: ;)

AUS ARIA Chart:
1: "Mascara / Leave Me Alone" - Killing Heidi
2. "I Try" - Macy Gray
3. "Steal My Sunshine" - Len

It's interesting to see that R.E.M had a top-three hit in the UK at the time!

Since I consider 2007 to be the peak and favourite year of my childhood, I got the top 3 songs from my 7th birthday (Feb 2007).

NZ Music Charts:
1: "Lips of an Angel" - Hinder
2: "Smack that" - Akon ft. Eminem
3: "Say it Right" - Nelly Furtado

AUS ARIA Charts:
1: "Lips of an Angel" - Hinder
2: "Say it Right" - Nelly Furtado
3: "Smack that" Akon ft. Eminem

^its interesting to see that the Aus & NZ charts top 3 were almost identical at the time


Billboard Hot 100:
1: "Irreplaceable" - Beyoncé
2: "This ain't a scene, it's an arms race" - Fall Out Boy
3: "Say it Right" - Nelly Furtado

This is what the charts were like at the start of my childhood (March 2002): :)

Australian ARIA Chart:

1. "Whenever Wherever" - Shakira
2. "Not Pretty Enough" - Kasey Chambers
3. "Murder on the Dancefloor" - Sophie Ellis-Baxtor

Billboard Hot 100

1. "Ain't It Funny" - Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule
2. "Always on Time" - Ja Rule ft. Ashanti
3. "How You Remind Me" - Nickelback

UK Official Charts

1. "Anything Is Possible/Evergreen" - Will Young
2. "Whenever Wherever" - Shakira
3. "Hero" - Enrique Iglesias

NZ Chart:

1. "Amazing" - Alex Lloyd
2. "Whenever Wherever" - Shakira
3. "Get The Party Started" - P!nk

16th September 2017:

NZ Music Charts:
1: "To good at Goodbyes" - Sam Smith
2: "Young, Dumb and Broke" - Khalid
3: "New Rules" - Dua Lipa

AUS ARIA Charts:
1: "Look what you made me do" - Taylor Swift
2: "What about us" - P!nk
3: "...Ready for it?" - Taylor Swift

UK Official Charts:
1: "Too good at goodbyes" - Sam Smith
2: "New Rules" - Dua Lipa
3: "Look what you made me do" - Taylor Swift

Billboard 100 Charts: 8-P
1: "Look what you made me do" - Taylor Swift
2: "Despacito" - Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber
3: "Bodak Yellow" - Cardi B

*I think the NZ Charts are the best. Hint: Which song is absent?

16th September 2017:

NZ Music Charts:
1: "To good at Goodbyes" - Sam Smith
2: "Young, Dumb and Broke" - Khalid
3: "New Rules" - Dua Lipa

AUS ARIA Charts:
1: "Look what you made me do" - Taylor Swift
2: "What about us" - P!nk
3: "...Ready for it?" - Taylor Swift

UK Official Charts:
1: "Too good at goodbyes" - Sam Smith
2: "New Rules" - Dua Lipa
3: "Look what you made me do" - Taylor Swift

Billboard 100 Charts: 8-P
1: "Look what you made me do" - Taylor Swift
2: "Despacito" - Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber
3: "Bodak Yellow" - Cardi B

*I think the NZ Charts are the best. Hint: Which song is absent?


The Billboard Hot 100 is awful.  8-P It's easily the worst out of the four, IMO.

Also, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get the ARIA chart information from? On the ARIA website, this is what the current chart looks like:

http://www.ariacharts.com.au/charts/singles-chart

The Billboard Hot 100 is awful.  8-P It's easily the worst out of the four, IMO.

Also, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get the ARIA chart information from? On the ARIA website, this is what the current chart looks like:

http://www.ariacharts.com.au/charts/singles-chart


I agree about the Billboard Hot 100! 8-P

Also, sorry about that it was a mistake, I see I accidentally got the Top 3 for the ARIA Charts from Last week sorry :)

I agree about the Billboard Hot 100! 8-P

Also, sorry about that it was a mistake, I see I accidentally got the Top 3 for the ARIA Charts from Last week sorry :)


No worries! :)