It may have been the year of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Mandy Moore, but there’s was something deeper to 1999.
The Roots released their Things Fall Apart LP, transitioning the group and the parallel Soulquarians collective into an influential tour de force.
The year had no shortage of pop music thanks to Destiny’s Child, TLC, Backstreet Boys and big debuts from the ladies mentioned above as well as Jessica Simpson, Ricky Martin and John Mayer.
Blink-182’s Enema of the State has become a pop punk classic, while Aphex Twin’s “Windowlicker” single, along with Four Tet and Mogwai, foreshadowed the deluge of electronic music that would dominate the next few decades.
Indie rock staples Pavement, The Magnetic Fields, Flaming Lips, Built to Spill and Fiona Apple each released well-received LPs.
And don’t forget Lou Bega’s “Mambo #5,” Generation Y’s answer to the Twist.
Was 1999 the Greatest Year in Music? Let us know what you think in the comments below and across social media with #XPNGreatestYear
Albums:
Things Fall Apart – The Roots
The Writing’s on the Wall – Destiny’s Child
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
Enema of the State – Blink-182
No Angel – Dido
Mule Variations – Tom Waits
Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Play – Moby
I See a Darkness – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
There’s a Poison Goin’ On – Public Enemy
Ágætis byrjun – Sigur Ros
Guerrilla – Super Furry Animals
Up Up Up Up Up Up – Ani DiFranco
Dialogue – Four Tet
Keep It Like a Secret – Built to Spill
Good Morning Spider – Sparklehorse
When I Look in Your Eyes – Diana Krall
Apple Venus Volume 1 – XTC
Synkronized – Jamiroquai
Clarity – Jimmy Eat World
FanMail – TLC
The Mountain – Steve Earle with Del McCoury Band
The Slim Shady LP– Eminem
Performance and Cocktails – Stereophonics
Central Reservation – Beth Orton
Summerteeth – Wilco
Axxess & Ace – Songs: Ohia
13 – Blur
On How Life Is – Macy Gray
Windowlicker EP – Aphex Twin
Give Yourself a Hand – Crash Test Dummies
Come On Die Young – Mogwai
Burn to Shine – Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
69 Love Songs – The Magnetic Fields
I Am… – Nas
Utopia Parkway – Fountains of Wayne
I Am Shelby Lynne – Shelby Lynne
Christina Aguilera – Christina Aguilera
A Little Bit of Mambo – Lou Bega
Back at One – Brian McKnight
Magnolia – Aimee Mann
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner – Ben Folds Five
Head Music – Suede
Ricky Martin – Ricky Martin
Millenium – Backstreet Boys
Astro Lounge – Smash Mouth
Terror Twilight – Pavement
Supernatural – Santana
The White Stripes – The White Stripes
Da Real World – Missy Elliot
It’s Real – K-Ci & JoJo
The Soft Bulletin – The Flaming Lips
California – Mr. Bungle
Inside Wants Out – John Mayer
Jewels for Sophia – Robyn Hitchcock
Calculating Infinity – The Dillinger Escape Plan
Come On Now Social – Indigo Girls
Lost and Gone Forever – Guster
Something to Write Home About – The Get-Up Kids
Showbiz – Muse
Black on Both Sides – Mos Def
Emergency & I – The Dismemberment Plan
The Battle of Los Angeles – Rage Against the Machine
This Desert Life – Counting Crows
When the Pawn… – Fiona Apple
2001 – Dr. Dre
Willenium – Will Smith
