1999: The Year In Music

1999 – US President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate in his impeachment trial. The Columbine High School massacre kills 13 and injures 24 people. The six billionth living human in the world is born. The Sopranos debuts on HBO. Lance Armstrong wins his first of seven consecutive Tour de France titles. I got whiplash from this year in news … so let’s hope the music can cure me!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Livin’ la Vida Loca (Ricky Martin)

… Is it bad that I remember “Livin’ la Vida Loca” as the Shrek song?

It’s lots of fun and catchy as hell, so I suppose I can’t have any complaints.

9 – Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here (Deborah Cox)

A slow, RnB ballad that hasn’t stood the test of time.

8 – Every Morning (Sugar Ray)

“Every Morning” is far more relaxing than I was expecting, but I liked the vibe.

Sugar Ray sounds like if Weezer took a chill-pill.

7 – Genie in a Bottle (Christina Aguilera)

“Genie in a Bottle”, unlike some other songs in the 90’s, has stood the test of time.

It’s a classic for a reason – the drum beat and synths are catchy, and Aguilera’s vocals are smooth.

6 – Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer)

This is the kind of ballad I can get behind.

“Kiss Me” is sweet and yet melancholic, with a vocal hook that gets stuck in your brain.

5 – …Baby One More Time (Britney Spears)

Britney Spears was the break-out star of 1999 – to be honest, I was surprised when “…Baby One More Time” didn’t finish in at least the top three of the Billboard hits.

It’s not the kind of song I personally listen to, but I can bop my head to it all the same.

4 – Heartbreak Hotel (Whitney Houston feat. Faith Evans and Kelly Price)

“Heartbreak Hotel” won’t be my least favourite song of the year – spoiler alert – but I didn’t like it at all.

Whitney Houston shouldn’t waste her talents on a soppy, spoken-word at points, uninspired song.

3 – Angel of Mine (Monica)

Not as good as “The Boy Is Mine”, Monica’s other hit from the era, but “Angel of Mine” is harmless.

2 – No Scrubs (TLC)

The ultimate girl power song of 1999.

It’s super catchy – you already know it’s a classic from its opening acoustic guitar riff alone.

1 – Believe (Cher)

Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.

“Believe” has always been one of my least favourite songs of all time, and I hope it one day fades into obscurity.

FAVOURITE – “No Scrubs” (TLC)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “Believe” (Cher)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – Staralfur (Sigur Ros)

I have one word for “Staralfur” – gorgeous.

The production and string arrangement are fantastic and it picks up the pace nicely in the second half.

9 – Coffee & TV (Blur)

One of my favourite Blur songs.

“Coffee & TV” is soft and mildly unsettling, and while it’s simple at points it’s still effective.

8 – In The Air (Fishmans)

Fishmans have a very dreamy style that I didn’t think would translate to a live format, but “In The Air” is just as good as any studio recording from 1999.

I love the production and the ethereal vocals.

7 – Vidrar vel til loftarasa (Sigur Ros)

It takes a little while to get started, but once it does “Vidrar vel til loftarasa” is lovely.

This time it’s the piano that sucks me in before the finale blows my socks off.

6 – Still D.R.E. (Dr. Dre)

It used to be a mark of pride in school if you could play the “Still D.R.E.” riff on piano – needless to say, this song has had quite the cultural impact.

That piano riff paired with the slick lyrical flow and the subtle strings and synths never gets stale.

5 – Moya (Godspeed You! Black Emperor)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor are classed as making “repetitious Chamber Rock”, which I think sums this track up quite nicely.

“Moya” is a ten minute instrumental packed with emotion, but it’s a bit too repetitious for my tastes.

4 – Carry The Zero (Built To Spill)

It feels strange to get Indie Rock amid all of these more obscure musical subgenres, but I appreciated the return to basics.

I like “Carry The Zero” but I can’t see why it made the top five highest rated songs of 1999.

3 – In The Flight (Fishmans)

“In The Flight” is a lot shorter than the other big Fishmans songs, so as a result it feels much punchier.

It’s even more dreamy than “In The Air” if that’s possible, and the odd production and stylistic choices work in the long run.

2 – Svefn-g-englar (Sigur Ros)

We’ve had lots of long songs in 1999, but “Svefn-g-englar” is definitely one of the best.

It’s haunting and cosmic, and yet it feels like slipping into a warm bath.

1 – Long Season (Fishmans)

41 minutes long. 41 minutes!

“Long Season” is repetitive by design, but if you let yourself get transported by the performance it becomes a different way to experience music entirely.

BEST SONG OF 1999 – “Svefn-g-englar” (Sigur Ros)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – 13 (Blur)

I know Blur for their high-octane tracks like “Parklife” and “Song 2”, so the mellow tones of “13” caught me by surprise.

“Tender” is a really nice opener and “Coffee & TV” is a classic, but the slower style doesn’t generally suit them.

4 – 98.12.28 Otokotachi No Wakare (Fishmans)

It’s no exaggeration to say “98.12.28” is one of the cleanest, best-sounding live albums I’ve ever heard.

Not many of the track titles are in English, so I’ll just say the whole album – especially “Long Season” – is worth the experience.

3 – Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Red Hot Chili Peppers are a band I’ve loved since I was a kid, and “Californication” is an album I’ve always liked as a result.

It has a lot of my favourite RHCP songs like “Around the World”, the title track, “Scar Tissue” and “Otherside” … My only complaint is that the second half (except “Road Tripping”) is leagues less interesting than the first.

2 – The Soft Bulletin (The Flaming Lips)

You can always count on The Flaming Lips to provide the weird goods.

“The Soft Bulletin” is yet another strange Alternative Rock display, with favourites including “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton” and “Waitin’ for a Superman”.

1 – Agaetis Byrjun (Sigur Ros)

I don’t think I’d heard Sigur Ros before making this retrospective, and now I’m glad I gave them a listen.

“Agaetis Byrjun” is a step above the rest production-wise, and a lot of the best songs from the year – like “Svefn-g-englar” and “Vidrar vel tir loftarasa” – come from it.

BEST ALBUM OF 1999 – “Agaetis Byrjun” (Sigur Ros)

Final Thoughts

There were a couple of good hits and high-rated songs, but for the most part I found 1999 more boring than most of the years that came before. It’s passable, at the very least.

Overall Grade: C

BONUS – The Decade Reviewed

The 90’s began and ended with some boring years, but there was a stretch in the middle where I was really enjoying the music being put out.

Decade Grade: B-

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: