1999 in British music
Encyclopedia
This is a summary of 1999 in music
in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
emphasized the massive changes in music. Whereas a thousand years previously was dominated by instrumental music propagated by oral tradition
, music was now transformed to a time where the consumer had access to a vast spectrum of music both new and old, at their fingertips.
The most successful album, Come on Over by Shania Twain
, spent a cumulative total of ten weeks at the top, followed by Boyzone
's By Request
with nine weeks in total. Ricky Martin
's "Livin' La Vida Loca", Eiffel 65
's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and Cliff Richard
's "The Millennium Prayer" all topped the singles charts for three weeks. It also saw the return of Blondie
and their number one single "Maria
". Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time
" was the highest selling single of the year.
One of the first number one singles of the year came from music producer, Fatboy Slim
who topped the charts for one week with his single "Praise You". January became a very successful month for the DJ, real name Norman Cook, whose new album You've Come A Long Way Baby topped the charts for 4 weeks. The album produced many other hit singles, the followup to his chart topper "Right Here Right Now" peaking at number two, marking his third consecutive top three hit.
, with four remaining members, reached number one with their first single without Geri Halliwell
, claiming the official number one Christmas single at the end of 1998 with "Goodbye"; it was the group's third consecutive number one Christmas single. As for other girl groups, Cleopatra
scored one Top 30 hit with "A Touch Of Love", peaking at number 24, Their T.V sitcom was a smash hit and was No1 in its time slot. Hepburn
and the Thunderbugs
, both girl bands who played their own instruments, had lesser success. Neither the Spice Girls nor All Saints, both popular in the previous year, released a single in 1999.
topped the charts twice, first with a remake of a Billy Ocean
song, "When the Going Gets Tough", made for Comic Relief and then with a remake of Canadian singer Anne Murray
's hit "You Needed Me". Their album By Request, containing both chart-toppers along with the million-selling "No Matter What" from 1998, topped the albums chart for nine weeks and became the most successful album in their career. With six #1 singles to their name, they unofficially disbanded with both Ronan Keating
and Stephen Gately
going on to solo success. Keating reached #1 with his debut single "When You Say Nothing At All" later in the year; it was featured in the soundtrack to the hit movie Notting Hill
.
5ive scored their first number one single with "Keep On Movin'" after numerous consecutive top ten hits. Their peak of popularity as a boy band was short-lived as many more successful groups eclipsed them. A1
were another British boy band who joined the music scene during the year, scoring three top ten singles, including "Be The First To Believe" and "Summertime Of Our Lives". Their album fared less well, only reaching number 20 on the charts.
American boy bands were also very successful in the UK during the course of the year, with *NSYNC scoring two top ten hits, though their album only made number 30. With seven consecutive top ten singles behind them, The Backstreet Boys
made number one with "I Want It That Way". The song was taken from their album, Millennium
which sold millions worldwide and made number two in the UK.
Despite these successes, all boy bands paled in comparison to Westlife, managed by Ronan Keating. Their first four singles ("Swear It Again", "If I Let You Go", "Flying Without Wings" and "I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun") all entered the charts at number one, equalling the record set by B*Witched earlier in the year. "Flying Without Wings" was voted The Record of the Year
by the public in the annual ITV
poll, and Westlife's debut self-titled album reached number two in the charts.
, having scored a number one hit in the US with "If You Had My Love", had two top five hits in the UK. Martine McCutcheon
, who left her role as Tiffany in the soap EastEnders
to begin singing topped the UK charts for two weeks with her second single "Perfect Moment". Her singing career was relatively short-lived and she soon returned to acting.
clocked up her 14th number one single in the US, with "Heartbreaker", a collaboration with rapper Jay Z, which made number five in the UK. Her newest album Rainbow could only make it to number eight in the UK and sold just 12 million copies worldwide - her lowest global count at the time. TLC topped the US charts twice during the year with "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty". They had their most successful year in the UK since 1995, and "No Scrubs" became their highest peaking single making number three. Hip hop trio, Destiny's Child
topped the US charts for the first time with "Bills, Bills, Bills". It made number six in the UK charts and set them on course for massive success in the new millennium. Enrique Iglesias
also topped the US charts with his debut single, "Bailamos", which made number four in Britain – he was to become much more successful in the UK in the new millennium.
White rapper, Eminem
was very successful with his debut in the UK; his debut single "My Name Is" peaking at number two and his follow-up also hitting the top five. He was much more successful in the US, however his success grew in both countries and he quickly made a name for himself based on controversy through his lyrics and music videos. Southern Californian band, The Offspring
are also not as successful in the US as they are in the UK, with their number one single being scored in January with "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)". They followed it up with a number two hit and went on to great success around the world.
, Tatyana Ali
(who played Ashley Banks), reached number three with her second single "Boy You Knock Me Out", a follow-up to her debut "Daydreamin'", which had been number six the previous November. Her third single released in June fared less well, peaking at number 20. Will Smith also made number two in the UK with a follow-up release to "Wild Wild West": "Will 2K" became his last UK top three hit until 2003.
became an international star after the release of his massively successful single "Livin' La Vida Loca
". Heading up the summer Latino craze in the UK and the US, he hit number one in several countries and topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. He became a phenomenon in the US; his debut self-titled
album even went on to appear in the Top 100 best selling albums of all time in the US. Lou Bega
scored success with his only UK single "Mambo No.5". Still used in Cricket
matches as their title song, it managed to hit #31 on import sales alone and topped the charts for two weeks when officially released in the UK.
The biggest success to come out of the Europop phenomenon was "Blue (Da Ba Dee)
" by Eiffel 65
. Topping the UK charts for three weeks, the song managed to sell a million copies and remained in the charts until 2000. It had also managed to make #39 on import sales. Their followup single "Move Your Body
" made number three in 2000, saving them from one hit wonder status though some still consider them candidates. Dutch based multi-national dance act, The Vengaboys
followed up their number four debut "Up And Down" of 1998 with four consecutive top three singles. "We Like To Party (Vengabus)
", hit number three early on in the year, "Boom Boom Boom Boom
" & "We're Going To Ibiza
" both became one week chart toppers for the group and "Kiss (When The Sun Don't Shine)
" became another number three hit for the group in December. Their songs filled European holiday discos throughout the year. Three of their singles made the Top 40 best-selling singles of the year list.
hit number one in early January for one week with a special release "Chocolate Salty Balls". The voice on the track is the voice of Chef in the cartoon, Isaac Hayes
, who had previously courted the UK singles chart way back in 1971 with "Theme from Shaft
". Australian film director, Baz Luhrmann
also scored a number one hit with a song explaining the way you should live life, passing on advice. "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)". He was already massively successful as a director with films such as Strictly Ballroom and Romeo and Juliet. He was later to direct the hugely successful Moulin Rouge!
. The song was based on "Desiderata", a number seven hit for Les Crane
in 1972. Probably the most successful novelty act of the year was French act Quentin Dupieux, who under the name of Mr. Oizo
scored a number one single, "Flat Beat". First featured in a television advert for Levi's Jeans
, its wobbly bass riff catapulted it to the top of the charts for two weeks. The accompanying cuddly toy featured in the video also sold well.
created a dance track "King Of My Castle", with a female vocalist adding to the song. With a remix in Italy by a production team entitled Wamdue Project the track topped the UK charts for a week towards the end of the year. The two biggest production team hits came from Shanks & Bigfoot
and ATB. Shanks & Bigfoot were British production duo Stephen Meade and Daniel Langsman who hit the top for two weeks with their release "Sweet Like Chocolate". Vocals on the track were provided by Sharon Woolf. ATB is German producer André Tanneberger, whose single "9pm (Till I Come)
" hit number one for two weeks. It is widely regarded as the first trance
track to reach the top spot in the UK. Both this and "Sweet Like Chocolate" were in the top ten best selling singles of the year. Alice Deejay
also scored two top 5 hits with "Better Off Alone" and "Back In My Life
". Mr Oizo, Armand Van Helden
, Fatboy Slim
, Vengaboys
and Eiffel 65
all had chart toppers this year. Production number ones and Latin/Europop/Eurodance number ones showed the variety of countries chart-toppers were coming from during the year – Germany, France, America, Italy, The Netherlands, Ireland & Australia.
Despite not being a direct production team Basement Jaxx
are in a similar vein and they also enjoyed great success during this year. Only having charted once before in 1997, they scored two consecutive top five hits and one top 15 hit during the year. Their album release Remedy is also their highest peaking throughout their career, making #2.
Other successful acts were DJ Sakin & Friends, Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Artful Dodger, Chicane, Yomanda, Emmie, Wiseguys, Phats & Small, DJ Jean, Moloko, William Orbit, Ann Lee, amongst others.
Melanie B was Melanie G throughout the year, having been recently married; she reverted to her maiden name the following year. Her solo career was slowly dying out with her followup single to her 1998 chart topper making a mere number 14. The single, "Word Up" was a remake of Cameo
's number three hit from 1986. Emma Bunton
hit the charts for the first time, being featured on Tin Tin Out
's single "What I Am". The single made number two and her success was only to grow from here.
Melanie C released her debut solo single, "Goin' Down", which made number four and was the followup to her number three duet with Bryan Adams
from the previous year. Her album, Northern Star made number four on the charts, and is the biggest selling solo album by a Spice Girl with over 3 million copies sold worldwide. The title track from the album also made number four later on in the year. She would experience greater success with her singles the following year.
Geri Halliwell
was by far the most successful Spice Girl during the year. Having quit the group, the previous year, she announced she would be back. She came back to the music scene with a new image and a new sound. Her debut single "Look at Me
", only made number two, however she scored two chart toppers by the end of the year. "Mi Chico Latino
" cashed in on the mood of the moment and hit the top for a week during the summer Latino craze of 1999. "Lift Me Up
" became a second chart topper for the ex-Spice Girl and is perhaps Geri's strangest song, with an equally weird music video, in which she befriends a group of aliens and helps them fix their ship. Her debut album, Schizophonic
peaked at number four in the albums chart, and was well received in the UK and sold over two million copies worldwide.
, Cleopatra
& Billie
joined forces to create "Thank ABBA For The Music", which reached number four in the charts, ending B*Witched's run of consecutive entries at the top. ABBA
were at their peak of popularity again this year, despite not being around with the A-Teens, an ABBA tribute band making their mark on the UK charts with two top 20 hits, remakes of two previous #1 hits for the Swedish quartet, "Super Trouper" & "Mamma Mia".
By far the British artist whose success grew more than any other during the year (who was not a debuting act) was Robbie Williams
. His second album, I've Been Expecting You returned to the top of the charts for one week and he also scored a second chart topping single with "She's The One". The single became strongly associated with the video in which Williams is a skating instructor of a man and woman, and has to replace the man in the competition after an injury. The chart-topper followed two number four hits, "Strong" & "No Regrets" which were all taken from his second album.
Eurythmics won the BRIT Award for "Most Outstanding Contribution to British Music", giving Annie Lennox another BRIT Award to the eight she had already. Eurythmics re-united for the night, performing with Stevie Wonder, and announced they were re-uniting for a new studio album - "Peace".
, with her chart topping greatest hits package All The Way...A Decade Of Song. Whitney Houston
had her most successful year on the singles chart since 1992. Following the success of her 1998 collaboration with Mariah Carey
on "When You Believe", she scored a further three consecutive top five singles, each stalling a place higher than the previous; 4 to 3 to 2. "My Love Is Your Love" marked the first time she had been in the top two of the UK singles chart for over 6 years.
The battle for pop princess of the new millennium began when fellow Mouseketeers, Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera both headed their careers and released their debut singles. February saw Britney start a phenomenon, her debut single, "...Baby One More Time" sold 1.45 million copies in the UK, becoming the second largest selling single by a female solo artist and also the fastest selling single by a female solo artist, with 0.46 million copies shifted in its first week of sale. She became the youngest female artist to debut at #1 on the singles and albums chart in the US. Her debut album of the same name as her debut single has been massively successful, and has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. It only managed to reach #4 on the albums chart in the UK, but it did span 2 other hits during the year - the innocent pop ballad "Sometimes" (#3) and the upbeat dance tune "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (#5). Rival diva, Christina Aguilera released her debut single, "Genie in a Bottle" in October. It also shot to #1 for 2 weeks just like "...Baby One More Time", but did not clock up such high sales, however in the US, it was much more successful than "...Baby One More Time", where it spent 5 weeks at the top. However, based on worldwide performance, thanks to the success of her debut album, Britney was winning the pop diva competition, but the race for these two was far from over.
Despite not being a pop diva, Macy Gray
has become a neo-soul diva in her own right, becoming one of the most successful female artists of the year. She kickstarted her career in the UK with the long-running Top 10 hit, I Try
, which entered the singles chart at #10 and eventually made its way up to #6. Her debut, On How Life Is
, found success both in the UK (#3) and the US (#4). In spite of her initial success, momentum swiftly tailed off and she has yet to enjoy another UK Top 10 hit.
Pop
singer Shania Twain
became an international sensation this year. She was back on the music scene with her third album, Come on Over
. Her previous album, The Woman In Me had set various records for country albums and female artists, however Come On Over exceeded those records and became one of the biggest selling albums in the world ever. It spanned hits such as the orchestral "From This Moment On", the upbeat "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
", the untouchable "That Don't Impress Me Much
" and the soft love ballad "You're Still the One
". All reaching the Top 10 in the UK, the most successful of these singles was a remix of "That Don't Impress Me Much", which despite only reaching number three in the singles chart became the seventh biggest selling single of the year. The album itself is the 11th biggest selling album in the UK with over 3 million copies sold and the second largest selling by a female solo artist, under Alanis Morissette
's Jagged Little Pill
. The album has sold 29 million copies worldwide and is her most successful album to date, making her a superstar in her own right. The album also topped the charts for a total of ten weeks during the year (11 weeks in total) and took the Christmas number one album position.
reached the top with their debut single "Bring It All Back" in June and quickly became the most successful mixed pop group since ABBA. The only thing they failed to achieve was international success, despite making and releasing 4 successful TV series' three of which were filmed in different locations in the US. The group seemed to peak at #2 non-stop throughout the rest of the year with their two follow up singles and their debut album all reaching this position.
British pop singer Lolly (real name Anna Kumble) was very successful scoring three Top 10 hits (two of which went Top 5) and her album also went Top 25. Her songs are well remembered for being criticised everywhere for being "cheesy", however still being very successful.
1970s punk rock band Blondie
also made a surprise resurgence at the very beginning of the year, making #1 18 years after their previous Top 10 hit (and 19 years after their previous #1). "Maria", the band's sixth #1, was the first track taken from their #3 album, No Exit. The band started fresh as member differences and conflicts outside of the group had all been settled. Lead singer Debbie Harry
continued to pursue acting as well as being a member of the group. She is the oldest female to make number one at 54 years of age, however Cher still holds the record for oldest solo female to reach the top. Despite topping the charts in several countries "Maria" never made number one in their US homeland.
, Catatonia
, Suede
, Texas
, Jamiroquai
, The Chemical Brothers, Travis
& Leftfield
all hit number one on the albums chart, showing how rock, dance, and adult pop could also be big album sellers
Despite resistance from other genres, pop was not kept completely off the top. Steps' new album, Steptacular
containing the million selling single "Tragedy
", which hit #1 for one week in January topped the albums chart for 4 weeks and sold very well. A third re-issue of ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits
pushed up sales of the album to over 3.6 million. It is the sixth biggest selling album of all time in the UK. Continuing the success of their album from 1998 were The Corrs
with "Talk On Corners", which topped the charts for a further 4 weeks during 1999, making its total count 10 weeks.
shot straight to the top of the charts in early December with his special millennium release "The Millennium Prayer". It topped the UK charts for 3 weeks and everyone expected him to make the Christmas number one, however in Christmas week, the position he strongly desired to maintain was stolen from him by new phenomenon boyband, Westlife
. Their covers of ABBA's #2 hit from 1979, "I Have A Dream" and Terry Jacks' #1 hit from 1974 "Seasons In The Sun", saw them steal the Christmas #1 spot and have their longest stay at the top of the charts - a 4 week stay.
", Lou Bega
's "Mambo No 5", Christina Aguilera
's "Genie in a bottle
", Wamdue Project's "King of My Castle
" and Eiffel 65
's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)
" all charted within the Top 75 prior to their UK release, with Eiffel 65 entering the Top 40 on import. Without doubt the most impressive performance on import was ATB
's "9pm (Till I Come)
" which saw three separate imports charting within the Top 75 in addition to subsequent single "Don't Stop!" also entering the Top 75 on import before the UK release of 9pm.
Many other singles, particularly of the trance genre, also managed to reach the Top 200 prior to their official UK release.
died, shortly after celebrating his 91st birthday, forty years after his last significant work. Hong Kong-born Raymond Yiu
produced his first major orchestral work, Tranced. Other new works by British composers included Edward Gregson
's violin concerto, commissioned by the Hallé Concerts Society and premièred in Manchester the following February.
, best-known for Oliver!
, was widely mourned. The major new production in London's West End this year was Mamma Mia!
, with book by Catherine Johnson
and songs by Björn Ulvaeus
and Benny Andersson
; the musical went on to be a major stage hit worldwide and eventually a film. The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
established its new fellowship, the first recipient being Martin Gore
.
Issue Date
Issue Date
winners were:
- Ok
.
was awarded to "Flying Without Wings
" by Westlife
.
1999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary
This final year of the millenniumMillennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
emphasized the massive changes in music. Whereas a thousand years previously was dominated by instrumental music propagated by oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
, music was now transformed to a time where the consumer had access to a vast spectrum of music both new and old, at their fingertips.
The most successful album, Come on Over by Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
, spent a cumulative total of ten weeks at the top, followed by Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
's By Request
By Request (Boyzone album)
By Request is a greatest hits compilation from Boyzone. The album contains material recorded between 1994–1999, and was released on May 31, 1999 by Universal. As well as containing the band's fifteen singles, the album also includes the three bonus tracks from the US release of their previous...
with nine weeks in total. Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
's "Livin' La Vida Loca", Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65 is an Italian three-piece group formed in the late 1990s and best known for pioneering in pitch-correction and autotune, and for their international hit "Blue ". Their other hit singles include "Move Your Body" and "Too Much of Heaven", all of which appeared on their album Europop,...
's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
's "The Millennium Prayer" all topped the singles charts for three weeks. It also saw the return of Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
and their number one single "Maria
Maria (Blondie song)
"Maria" is a song by the American band Blondie, taken from their 1999 album No Exit. This song was Blondie's comeback single, their first since "War Child" in July 1982. In the UK, it was the band's sixth no.1 single, topping the charts exactly 20 years after their first UK no.1 "Heart of Glass" in...
". Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
" was the highest selling single of the year.
One of the first number one singles of the year came from music producer, Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
who topped the charts for one week with his single "Praise You". January became a very successful month for the DJ, real name Norman Cook, whose new album You've Come A Long Way Baby topped the charts for 4 weeks. The album produced many other hit singles, the followup to his chart topper "Right Here Right Now" peaking at number two, marking his third consecutive top three hit.
The demise of Girl Groups
1999 emphasised the trend away from girl groups, with solo acts and boy bands dominating the charts. B*Witched, with a fourth and final release from their debut self titled album, "Blame It On The Weatherman" became the first (and as of April 2011 only) girl group for their first four releases to debut at #1; their success declined quickly thereafter. The Spice GirlsSpice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
, with four remaining members, reached number one with their first single without Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
, claiming the official number one Christmas single at the end of 1998 with "Goodbye"; it was the group's third consecutive number one Christmas single. As for other girl groups, Cleopatra
Cleopatra (band)
Cleopatra are a platinum-selling, BRIT Awards and MOBO Awards nominated, R&B/pop girl group from the UK whose members are sisters Cleo, Yonah, and Zainam Higgins.The girls were signed to Madonna's Maverick record label...
scored one Top 30 hit with "A Touch Of Love", peaking at number 24, Their T.V sitcom was a smash hit and was No1 in its time slot. Hepburn
Hepburn (band)
Hepburn were a four-piece British all-girl pop rock band. The band released an album and three singles in 1999-2000, but is best known for their first single, "I Quit", which reached #8 on the UK charts, and was best known to American audiences when it appeared on the soundtrack to the TV series,...
and the Thunderbugs
Thunderbugs
Thunderbugs were a British girl group, briefly popular in 1999. Unlike most other girl groups, they played their own instruments. Their one hit, "Friends Forever", reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1999. Their follow-up single, "It's About Time You Were Mine", failed to reach...
, both girl bands who played their own instruments, had lesser success. Neither the Spice Girls nor All Saints, both popular in the previous year, released a single in 1999.
The rise of boy bands
Boy bands were very popular during 1999 and probably bigger than they had been compared to any other year during the 1990s. BoyzoneBoyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
topped the charts twice, first with a remake of a Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
song, "When the Going Gets Tough", made for Comic Relief and then with a remake of Canadian singer Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
's hit "You Needed Me". Their album By Request, containing both chart-toppers along with the million-selling "No Matter What" from 1998, topped the albums chart for nine weeks and became the most successful album in their career. With six #1 singles to their name, they unofficially disbanded with both Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
and Stephen Gately
Stephen Gately
Stephen Patrick David Gately was an Irish pop singer–songwriter, actor, dancer, musician and author, who, with Ronan Keating, was one of two lead singers of the pop group Boyzone. All of Boyzone's studio albums hit number one in the United Kingdom, their third being their most successful...
going on to solo success. Keating reached #1 with his debut single "When You Say Nothing At All" later in the year; it was featured in the soundtrack to the hit movie Notting Hill
Notting Hill (film)
Notting Hill is a 1999 British romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999. The screenplay was by Richard Curtis, who had written Four Weddings and a Funeral. It was produced by Duncan Kenworthy and directed by Roger Michell...
.
5ive scored their first number one single with "Keep On Movin'" after numerous consecutive top ten hits. Their peak of popularity as a boy band was short-lived as many more successful groups eclipsed them. A1
A1 (band)
A1 are a British-Norwegian boyband. They were originally made up of Mark Read, Ben Adams, Christian Ingebrigtsen and Paul Marazzi. Their first single, "Be the First to Believe", entered the UK singles chart at #6 in early 1999. They had a huge amount of success worldwide and charts with two number...
were another British boy band who joined the music scene during the year, scoring three top ten singles, including "Be The First To Believe" and "Summertime Of Our Lives". Their album fared less well, only reaching number 20 on the charts.
American boy bands were also very successful in the UK during the course of the year, with *NSYNC scoring two top ten hits, though their album only made number 30. With seven consecutive top ten singles behind them, The Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
made number one with "I Want It That Way". The song was taken from their album, Millennium
Millennium (Backstreet Boys album)
Millennium is the third album by American boyband Backstreet Boys. It was a highly anticipated follow-up to both their United States debut album, and their second internationally released album. It was their first album to be released in both the U.S...
which sold millions worldwide and made number two in the UK.
Despite these successes, all boy bands paled in comparison to Westlife, managed by Ronan Keating. Their first four singles ("Swear It Again", "If I Let You Go", "Flying Without Wings" and "I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun") all entered the charts at number one, equalling the record set by B*Witched earlier in the year. "Flying Without Wings" was voted The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is an award voted by the UK public. For many years it was given in conjunction with television programmes of the same name...
by the public in the annual ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
poll, and Westlife's debut self-titled album reached number two in the charts.
From Film To Music
Two successful actresses launched successful singing careers. Jennifer LopezJennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, having scored a number one hit in the US with "If You Had My Love", had two top five hits in the UK. Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK...
, who left her role as Tiffany in the soap EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
to begin singing topped the UK charts for two weeks with her second single "Perfect Moment". Her singing career was relatively short-lived and she soon returned to acting.
American successes
Many acts during the year managed to be successful in the UK, but did not manage to match the chart topper they had scored in the US. Mariah CareyMariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
clocked up her 14th number one single in the US, with "Heartbreaker", a collaboration with rapper Jay Z, which made number five in the UK. Her newest album Rainbow could only make it to number eight in the UK and sold just 12 million copies worldwide - her lowest global count at the time. TLC topped the US charts twice during the year with "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty". They had their most successful year in the UK since 1995, and "No Scrubs" became their highest peaking single making number three. Hip hop trio, Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
topped the US charts for the first time with "Bills, Bills, Bills". It made number six in the UK charts and set them on course for massive success in the new millennium. Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
also topped the US charts with his debut single, "Bailamos", which made number four in Britain – he was to become much more successful in the UK in the new millennium.
White rapper, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
was very successful with his debut in the UK; his debut single "My Name Is" peaking at number two and his follow-up also hitting the top five. He was much more successful in the US, however his success grew in both countries and he quickly made a name for himself based on controversy through his lyrics and music videos. Southern Californian band, The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
are also not as successful in the US as they are in the UK, with their number one single being scored in January with "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)". They followed it up with a number two hit and went on to great success around the world.
Movie soundtracks
Film music remained popular throughout the year. In addition to than Ronan Keating reaching number one with his song from Notting Hill, Madonna and Will Smith both reached number two with soundtrack singles: Madonna with "Beautiful Stranger" from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Will Smith with his US chart-topping single, "Wild Wild West", taken from the movie of the same name. Another member of the cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
, Tatyana Ali
Tatyana Ali
Tatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress and R&B singer, best known for her childhood role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air...
(who played Ashley Banks), reached number three with her second single "Boy You Knock Me Out", a follow-up to her debut "Daydreamin'", which had been number six the previous November. Her third single released in June fared less well, peaking at number 20. Will Smith also made number two in the UK with a follow-up release to "Wild Wild West": "Will 2K" became his last UK top three hit until 2003.
Latin & Europop
Two main crazes began in the UK during the year – the summer Latino craze and high demand for Europop & Eurodance. As a result, many acts in these styles of music received great success. Ricky MartinRicky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
became an international star after the release of his massively successful single "Livin' La Vida Loca
Livin' la Vida Loca
"Livin' la Vida Loca" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on March 23, 1999 from Martin's self-titled debut English album. The song was composed by Desmond Child and Draco Rosa and topped the charts during 1999...
". Heading up the summer Latino craze in the UK and the US, he hit number one in several countries and topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. He became a phenomenon in the US; his debut self-titled
Ricky Martin (1999 album)
Ricky Martin is the fifth album by the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin released on Columbia Records on May 11, 1999. The album has sold 22 million copies, worldwide....
album even went on to appear in the Top 100 best selling albums of all time in the US. Lou Bega
Lou Bega
David Lubega , also known as Lou Bega, is a German musician of Italian and Ugandan descent, and is famous for his song "Mambo No. 5 ". This song is a remake of the Perez Prado instrumental from 1949...
scored success with his only UK single "Mambo No.5". Still used in Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
matches as their title song, it managed to hit #31 on import sales alone and topped the charts for two weeks when officially released in the UK.
The biggest success to come out of the Europop phenomenon was "Blue (Da Ba Dee)
Blue (Da Ba Dee)
"Blue " is a eurodance song released in 1999 by Italian group Eiffel 65, as a single from their debut album Europop ....
" by Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65 is an Italian three-piece group formed in the late 1990s and best known for pioneering in pitch-correction and autotune, and for their international hit "Blue ". Their other hit singles include "Move Your Body" and "Too Much of Heaven", all of which appeared on their album Europop,...
. Topping the UK charts for three weeks, the song managed to sell a million copies and remained in the charts until 2000. It had also managed to make #39 on import sales. Their followup single "Move Your Body
Move Your Body
"Move Your Body" is a 1999 song recorded by the Italian band Eiffel 65. It was released as the second single from their album Europop, on November 30, 1999. This song achieved a huge success in many countries, topping the charts of Austria, Denmark, France, Italy and Spain. The song was not a huge...
" made number three in 2000, saving them from one hit wonder status though some still consider them candidates. Dutch based multi-national dance act, The Vengaboys
Vengaboys
Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going...
followed up their number four debut "Up And Down" of 1998 with four consecutive top three singles. "We Like To Party (Vengabus)
We Like to Party
"We Like to Party" is a popular 1998 electronica dance song by Dutch music group Vengaboys. It is played in A-flat major. The song became their biggest hit in the United States, peaking at #26 in the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 and selling 405,000 copies....
", hit number three early on in the year, "Boom Boom Boom Boom
Boom Boom Boom Boom
"Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" is a song by the Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys. It was released as a single on 14 June 1999. It topped the UK Singles Chart on 26 June 1999. The song is not based on Paul Lekakis's "Boom Boom ", from 1987, despite similar lyrics.In the UK, the song is the Vengaboys'...
" & "We're Going To Ibiza
We're Going to Ibiza
"We're Going to Ibiza", a single by the Vengaboys released on 30 August, 1999, was one of the Vengaboys' most successful singles. The song was based on Typically Tropical's 1975 number one hit "Barbados," with modified lyrics...
" both became one week chart toppers for the group and "Kiss (When The Sun Don't Shine)
Kiss (When the Sun Don't Shine)
"Kiss " is a single by the Vengaboys released in November, 1999.The song title and words in the chorus are often misinterpreted as "Kiss Where the Sun Don't Shine"...
" became another number three hit for the group in December. Their songs filled European holiday discos throughout the year. Three of their singles made the Top 40 best-selling singles of the year list.
Novelty acts
Novelty acts found great success during 1999. Chef, a character from the popular animated television show, South ParkSouth Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
hit number one in early January for one week with a special release "Chocolate Salty Balls". The voice on the track is the voice of Chef in the cartoon, Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, who had previously courted the UK singles chart way back in 1971 with "Theme from Shaft
Theme from Shaft
"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, Shaft...
". Australian film director, Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
also scored a number one hit with a song explaining the way you should live life, passing on advice. "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)". He was already massively successful as a director with films such as Strictly Ballroom and Romeo and Juliet. He was later to direct the hugely successful Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
. The song was based on "Desiderata", a number seven hit for Les Crane
Les Crane
Les Crane , born Lesley Stein, was a radio announcer and television talk show host, a pioneer in interactive broadcasting who also scored a spoken word hit with his 1971 recording of the poem Desiderata, winning a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy.Born in Long Beach, New York , Crane...
in 1972. Probably the most successful novelty act of the year was French act Quentin Dupieux, who under the name of Mr. Oizo
Mr. Oizo
Mr. Oizo is the stage name of French electronic musician and film director Quentin Dupieux. His pseudonym is a corruption of the French , meaning "bird". He is currently signed to French electro record label, Ed Banger Records.-Beginning:...
scored a number one single, "Flat Beat". First featured in a television advert for Levi's Jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
, its wobbly bass riff catapulted it to the top of the charts for two weeks. The accompanying cuddly toy featured in the video also sold well.
Dance acts
Dance acts great success on the singles chart during the year. In particular, a wave of Trance acts from Europe entering the Top 40 throughout the year, some of which initially entered the lower reaches of the Top 100 on import. Shaft hit number two with "Mucho Mambo Sway", which is dance-associated. US producer Chris BrannChris Brann
Chris Brann is an American electronic music producer and remixer. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Brann is known for his work under the monikers Wamdue Project and Ananda Project.-Career:...
created a dance track "King Of My Castle", with a female vocalist adding to the song. With a remix in Italy by a production team entitled Wamdue Project the track topped the UK charts for a week towards the end of the year. The two biggest production team hits came from Shanks & Bigfoot
Shanks & Bigfoot
Shanks & Bigfoot were a British duo of dance music/UK garage producers Steven Meade and Danny Langsman, best known for their hit single "Sweet Like Chocolate". They were originally known as Doolally, recording the pirate anthem "Straight from the Heart" under this name in 1998. It was the first...
and ATB. Shanks & Bigfoot were British production duo Stephen Meade and Daniel Langsman who hit the top for two weeks with their release "Sweet Like Chocolate". Vocals on the track were provided by Sharon Woolf. ATB is German producer André Tanneberger, whose single "9pm (Till I Come)
9pm (Till I Come)
"9pm " is a song by German trance music producer ATB, released as his debut single from the album Movin' Melodies in 1998. The single entered at number one in the United Kingdom for the week ending July 3, 1999 and stayed there for a fortnight. It was also number one in the Republic of Ireland for...
" hit number one for two weeks. It is widely regarded as the first trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
track to reach the top spot in the UK. Both this and "Sweet Like Chocolate" were in the top ten best selling singles of the year. Alice Deejay
Alice DeeJay
Alice DeeJay was an electronic music group, who achieved success from 1999 to 2002.-Members:The group consisted of record producers Pronti , Kalmani and DJ Jurgen with Marc Lee-Smith remixing and the DJ's From Mars lead singer Judith Anna Pronk...
also scored two top 5 hits with "Better Off Alone" and "Back In My Life
Back In My Life
"Back In My Life" is a 1999 song by Alice DeeJay from the album, Who Needs Guitars Anyway?.- Chart performance :The song peaked at #4 on the United Kingdom in November, 1999. Though not as successful as the previously released single "Better Off Alone" in the US, it still managed to peak at #27 on...
". Mr Oizo, Armand Van Helden
Armand Van Helden
Armand Van Helden is a record producer, DJ and remixer whose biggest commercial successes came from his remixes of the 1996 Tori Amos song "Professional Widow" , which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1997, and his own track "U Don't Know Me ", which went to number 1...
, Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
, Vengaboys
Vengaboys
Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going...
and Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65 is an Italian three-piece group formed in the late 1990s and best known for pioneering in pitch-correction and autotune, and for their international hit "Blue ". Their other hit singles include "Move Your Body" and "Too Much of Heaven", all of which appeared on their album Europop,...
all had chart toppers this year. Production number ones and Latin/Europop/Eurodance number ones showed the variety of countries chart-toppers were coming from during the year – Germany, France, America, Italy, The Netherlands, Ireland & Australia.
Despite not being a direct production team Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
are in a similar vein and they also enjoyed great success during this year. Only having charted once before in 1997, they scored two consecutive top five hits and one top 15 hit during the year. Their album release Remedy is also their highest peaking throughout their career, making #2.
Other successful acts were DJ Sakin & Friends, Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Artful Dodger, Chicane, Yomanda, Emmie, Wiseguys, Phats & Small, DJ Jean, Moloko, William Orbit, Ann Lee, amongst others.
Solo Spices
Ex-Spice GirlSpice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
Melanie B was Melanie G throughout the year, having been recently married; she reverted to her maiden name the following year. Her solo career was slowly dying out with her followup single to her 1998 chart topper making a mere number 14. The single, "Word Up" was a remake of Cameo
Cameo (band)
Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
's number three hit from 1986. Emma Bunton
Emma Bunton
Emma Lee Bunton is an English pop singer/songwriter and TV and radio presenter. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010, she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing on Ice...
hit the charts for the first time, being featured on Tin Tin Out
Tin Tin Out
Tin Tin Out is a UK electronic dance music duo comprising Darren Stokes and Lindsay Edwards.-Career:They are well known as active remixers, working on increasingly higher-profile songs as the 1990s progressed, however also have their own recording careers...
's single "What I Am". The single made number two and her success was only to grow from here.
Melanie C released her debut solo single, "Goin' Down", which made number four and was the followup to her number three duet with Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
from the previous year. Her album, Northern Star made number four on the charts, and is the biggest selling solo album by a Spice Girl with over 3 million copies sold worldwide. The title track from the album also made number four later on in the year. She would experience greater success with her singles the following year.
Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
was by far the most successful Spice Girl during the year. Having quit the group, the previous year, she announced she would be back. She came back to the music scene with a new image and a new sound. Her debut single "Look at Me
Look at Me (Geri Halliwell song)
"Look at Me" is a pop song written by British singer-songwriter Geri Halliwell and Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins PKA Absolute. It was released as the first single from her debut solo album Schizophonic. It peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, and at number three in both Australia and...
", only made number two, however she scored two chart toppers by the end of the year. "Mi Chico Latino
Mi Chico Latino
"Mi Chico Latino" , is a song by English singer Geri Halliwell and second single from her debut solo album Schizophonic. It was released on 16 August 1999...
" cashed in on the mood of the moment and hit the top for a week during the summer Latino craze of 1999. "Lift Me Up
Lift Me Up (Geri Halliwell song)
"Lift Me Up" is a song by Geri Halliwell, the third single from her debut solo album Schizophonic. It was released on 1 November 1999, and debuted and peaked at number-one in the United Kingdom, winning the battle against Emma Bunton's "What I Am" by 33,000 copies.-Chart performance:Geri released...
" became a second chart topper for the ex-Spice Girl and is perhaps Geri's strangest song, with an equally weird music video, in which she befriends a group of aliens and helps them fix their ship. Her debut album, Schizophonic
Schizophonic (Geri Halliwell album)
Schizophonic is the debut solo album by pop singer Geri Halliwell. The album was released after her split from popular girl group the Spice Girls...
peaked at number four in the albums chart, and was well received in the UK and sold over two million copies worldwide.
BRIT awards
The BRIT Awards ceremony of 1999 was the last one in that millennium and as a result a special song combining some of the hottest acts of the moment was released. B*Witched, Steps, Tina CousinsTina Cousins
Tina Cousins is an English singer-songwriter and former fashion model. She has had five singles in the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with others. She has also achieved popularity in Australia. She started her career as a model...
, Cleopatra
Cleopatra (band)
Cleopatra are a platinum-selling, BRIT Awards and MOBO Awards nominated, R&B/pop girl group from the UK whose members are sisters Cleo, Yonah, and Zainam Higgins.The girls were signed to Madonna's Maverick record label...
& Billie
Billie Piper
Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
joined forces to create "Thank ABBA For The Music", which reached number four in the charts, ending B*Witched's run of consecutive entries at the top. ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
were at their peak of popularity again this year, despite not being around with the A-Teens, an ABBA tribute band making their mark on the UK charts with two top 20 hits, remakes of two previous #1 hits for the Swedish quartet, "Super Trouper" & "Mamma Mia".
By far the British artist whose success grew more than any other during the year (who was not a debuting act) was Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
. His second album, I've Been Expecting You returned to the top of the charts for one week and he also scored a second chart topping single with "She's The One". The single became strongly associated with the video in which Williams is a skating instructor of a man and woman, and has to replace the man in the competition after an injury. The chart-topper followed two number four hits, "Strong" & "No Regrets" which were all taken from his second album.
Eurythmics won the BRIT Award for "Most Outstanding Contribution to British Music", giving Annie Lennox another BRIT Award to the eight she had already. Eurythmics re-united for the night, performing with Stevie Wonder, and announced they were re-uniting for a new studio album - "Peace".
Pop divas
Compiling the greatest songs of what had been a very successful decade in music for her was Céline DionCeline Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, with her chart topping greatest hits package All The Way...A Decade Of Song. Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
had her most successful year on the singles chart since 1992. Following the success of her 1998 collaboration with Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
on "When You Believe", she scored a further three consecutive top five singles, each stalling a place higher than the previous; 4 to 3 to 2. "My Love Is Your Love" marked the first time she had been in the top two of the UK singles chart for over 6 years.
The battle for pop princess of the new millennium began when fellow Mouseketeers, Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera both headed their careers and released their debut singles. February saw Britney start a phenomenon, her debut single, "...Baby One More Time" sold 1.45 million copies in the UK, becoming the second largest selling single by a female solo artist and also the fastest selling single by a female solo artist, with 0.46 million copies shifted in its first week of sale. She became the youngest female artist to debut at #1 on the singles and albums chart in the US. Her debut album of the same name as her debut single has been massively successful, and has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. It only managed to reach #4 on the albums chart in the UK, but it did span 2 other hits during the year - the innocent pop ballad "Sometimes" (#3) and the upbeat dance tune "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (#5). Rival diva, Christina Aguilera released her debut single, "Genie in a Bottle" in October. It also shot to #1 for 2 weeks just like "...Baby One More Time", but did not clock up such high sales, however in the US, it was much more successful than "...Baby One More Time", where it spent 5 weeks at the top. However, based on worldwide performance, thanks to the success of her debut album, Britney was winning the pop diva competition, but the race for these two was far from over.
Despite not being a pop diva, Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
has become a neo-soul diva in her own right, becoming one of the most successful female artists of the year. She kickstarted her career in the UK with the long-running Top 10 hit, I Try
I Try
"I Try" is the second single from Macy Gray's debut album On How Life Is, released in North American in January 2000 . It was Gray's biggest hit to date...
, which entered the singles chart at #10 and eventually made its way up to #6. Her debut, On How Life Is
On How Life Is
On How Life Is is the debut album by American recording artist Macy Gray, released in the United States on July 27, 1999 by Epic Records. Produced by Andrew Slater, it became Gray's best-selling album to date, selling 3.2 million copies in the United States and seven million copies worldwide.-Track...
, found success both in the UK (#3) and the US (#4). In spite of her initial success, momentum swiftly tailed off and she has yet to enjoy another UK Top 10 hit.
Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
became an international sensation this year. She was back on the music scene with her third album, Come on Over
Come on Over (Shania Twain album)
Come On Over is the third studio album recorded by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997. It became the world's best-selling country music album and the best-selling studio album ever released by a female artist in any genre...
. Her previous album, The Woman In Me had set various records for country albums and female artists, however Come On Over exceeded those records and became one of the biggest selling albums in the world ever. It spanned hits such as the orchestral "From This Moment On", the upbeat "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
Man! I Feel like a Woman!
"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" is the seventh single released from Shania Twain's 1997 album Come on Over. It was written by Mutt Lange and Twain. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," originally released to North American country radio stations in early 1999, was the opening song on both Twain's Come on Over...
", the untouchable "That Don't Impress Me Much
That Don't Impress Me Much
That Don't Impress Me Much is a song by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was the sixth country single released from her 1997 album Come on Over. It was third to pop and fourth to international markets. The song was written by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and Shania Twain, and was originally released to...
" and the soft love ballad "You're Still the One
You're Still the One
"You're Still the One" is a song by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was the third country single from Shania Twain's 1997 album, Come on Over, while it was the first to be released to pop and international markets. Released in 1998, the single peaked at number two becoming Twain's first top ten...
". All reaching the Top 10 in the UK, the most successful of these singles was a remix of "That Don't Impress Me Much", which despite only reaching number three in the singles chart became the seventh biggest selling single of the year. The album itself is the 11th biggest selling album in the UK with over 3 million copies sold and the second largest selling by a female solo artist, under Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
's Jagged Little Pill
Jagged Little Pill
Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian recording artist and songwriter Alanis Morissette. It was Morissette's first internationally released album, and her first studio album after the three year hiatus following her break with MCA Records. The album marked a shift from her style...
. The album has sold 29 million copies worldwide and is her most successful album to date, making her a superstar in her own right. The album also topped the charts for a total of ten weeks during the year (11 weeks in total) and took the Christmas number one album position.
Pop acts
S Club 7S Club 7
S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, were a pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, consisting of members Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, de facto lead singer Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens. The group rose to fame by starring in their...
reached the top with their debut single "Bring It All Back" in June and quickly became the most successful mixed pop group since ABBA. The only thing they failed to achieve was international success, despite making and releasing 4 successful TV series' three of which were filmed in different locations in the US. The group seemed to peak at #2 non-stop throughout the rest of the year with their two follow up singles and their debut album all reaching this position.
British pop singer Lolly (real name Anna Kumble) was very successful scoring three Top 10 hits (two of which went Top 5) and her album also went Top 25. Her songs are well remembered for being criticised everywhere for being "cheesy", however still being very successful.
1970s punk rock band Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
also made a surprise resurgence at the very beginning of the year, making #1 18 years after their previous Top 10 hit (and 19 years after their previous #1). "Maria", the band's sixth #1, was the first track taken from their #3 album, No Exit. The band started fresh as member differences and conflicts outside of the group had all been settled. Lead singer Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
continued to pursue acting as well as being a member of the group. She is the oldest female to make number one at 54 years of age, however Cher still holds the record for oldest solo female to reach the top. Despite topping the charts in several countries "Maria" never made number one in their US homeland.
Albums of 1999
The albums to top the chart during the year were from a balance of genres. Although usually it is a domination of pop acts, rock and other acts were starting to top the charts more which were the first signs of a change towards wider appeal of other genres of albums to the public which continued to grow in the new millennium – 2004's album charts for example being dominated by rock bands. BlurBlur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, Catatonia
Catatonia (band)
Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews on vocals, Mark Roberts on guitar, Paul Jones on bass , Owen Powell on...
, Suede
Suede (band)
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
, Texas
Texas (band)
Texas are a Scottish pop band from Bearsden, near Glasgow, Scotland. They were founded by Johnny McElhone in 1986 and feature Sharleen Spiteri on lead vocals. Texas made their performing debut in March 1988 at Scotland's University of Dundee...
, Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
, The Chemical Brothers, Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
& Leftfield
Leftfield
Leftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
all hit number one on the albums chart, showing how rock, dance, and adult pop could also be big album sellers
Despite resistance from other genres, pop was not kept completely off the top. Steps' new album, Steptacular
Steptacular
Steptacular is the second studio album by British pop group Steps, released in the United Kingdom on 25 October 1999. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, where it remained on the position for three weeks, selling 260,000 copies in the same time frame...
containing the million selling single "Tragedy
Tragedy (song)
"Tragedy" is a song recorded by the Bee Gees, included on their 1979 album Spirits Having Flown. The single reached number one in the UK in February 1979 and repeated the feat the following month on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
", which hit #1 for one week in January topped the albums chart for 4 weeks and sold very well. A third re-issue of ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits
ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits
Gold: Greatest Hits is a compilation album of recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on September 21, 1992 through PolyGram, the first compilation to be released after the company had acquired Polar Music and thus the rights to the ABBA back catalogue. In 1998, PolyGram was in turn...
pushed up sales of the album to over 3.6 million. It is the sixth biggest selling album of all time in the UK. Continuing the success of their album from 1998 were The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
with "Talk On Corners", which topped the charts for a further 4 weeks during 1999, making its total count 10 weeks.
Christmas Number One
This particular Christmas number one was seen of great importance because it would be the one which would span into the new millennium. Many acts fought to claim this position including the likes of S-Club, Artful Dodger, Vengaboys & Steps, however only one act could claim it. Even John Lennon's 1981 #1 hit "Imagine" was re-issued, upon which it made #3. With strong desire to claim the Christmas number one that would span into the new millennium due to his longstanding association with Christmas chart toppers and Christmas releases, Cliff RichardCliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
shot straight to the top of the charts in early December with his special millennium release "The Millennium Prayer". It topped the UK charts for 3 weeks and everyone expected him to make the Christmas number one, however in Christmas week, the position he strongly desired to maintain was stolen from him by new phenomenon boyband, Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
. Their covers of ABBA's #2 hit from 1979, "I Have A Dream" and Terry Jacks' #1 hit from 1974 "Seasons In The Sun", saw them steal the Christmas #1 spot and have their longest stay at the top of the charts - a 4 week stay.
The rise of imports
1999 was notable for the number of number one hits that had already charted on import. The Vengaboys "We're Going to IbizaWe're Going to Ibiza
"We're Going to Ibiza", a single by the Vengaboys released on 30 August, 1999, was one of the Vengaboys' most successful singles. The song was based on Typically Tropical's 1975 number one hit "Barbados," with modified lyrics...
", Lou Bega
Lou Bega
David Lubega , also known as Lou Bega, is a German musician of Italian and Ugandan descent, and is famous for his song "Mambo No. 5 ". This song is a remake of the Perez Prado instrumental from 1949...
's "Mambo No 5", Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
's "Genie in a bottle
Genie in a Bottle
"Genie in a Bottle" is the second single by American pop recording artist, Christina Aguilera, taken from her self-titled debut album. It was co-written by David Frank, Steve Kipner, and Pamela Sheyne, and produced by Frank and Kipner respectively...
", Wamdue Project's "King of My Castle
King of My Castle
"King of My Castle" is a song by American electronic music producer Chris Brann under his Wamdue Project alias, with vocals by Gaelle Adisson. It was originally released in 1997 as a downtempo song, but became a worldwide club hit in 1999 when it was remixed by house producer Roy Malone...
" and Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65 is an Italian three-piece group formed in the late 1990s and best known for pioneering in pitch-correction and autotune, and for their international hit "Blue ". Their other hit singles include "Move Your Body" and "Too Much of Heaven", all of which appeared on their album Europop,...
's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)
Blue (Da Ba Dee)
"Blue " is a eurodance song released in 1999 by Italian group Eiffel 65, as a single from their debut album Europop ....
" all charted within the Top 75 prior to their UK release, with Eiffel 65 entering the Top 40 on import. Without doubt the most impressive performance on import was ATB
ATB
ATB may refer to:*The US Reorder tone is often referred to as an ATB, for All Trunks Busy*Active Time Battle system is a feature of role-playing games*Mountain bike is an off-road bicycle...
's "9pm (Till I Come)
9pm (Till I Come)
"9pm " is a song by German trance music producer ATB, released as his debut single from the album Movin' Melodies in 1998. The single entered at number one in the United Kingdom for the week ending July 3, 1999 and stayed there for a fortnight. It was also number one in the Republic of Ireland for...
" which saw three separate imports charting within the Top 75 in addition to subsequent single "Don't Stop!" also entering the Top 75 on import before the UK release of 9pm.
Many other singles, particularly of the trance genre, also managed to reach the Top 200 prior to their official UK release.
Classical music
Northern Irish composer Howard FergusonHoward Ferguson (composer)
Howard Ferguson was a British composer and musicologist. He composed instrumental, chamber, orchestral and choral works. While his music is not widely-known today, his Piano Sonata in F Minor and his Five Bagatelles for piano are still performed...
died, shortly after celebrating his 91st birthday, forty years after his last significant work. Hong Kong-born Raymond Yiu
Raymond Yiu
Raymond Yiu , born 1973; is a composer, conductor, jazz pianist and music writer.-Biography:Born in Hong Kong, he now lives in London. He went to England in 1990 and started piano lessons at the age of four. He began writing music as a teenager, and took up composing again while he was studying at...
produced his first major orchestral work, Tranced. Other new works by British composers included Edward Gregson
Edward Gregson
Edward Gregson is an English composer of international standing, whose music has been performed, broadcast, and recorded worldwide. He was born in Sunderland, England, in 1945. He studied composition and piano at the Royal Academy of Music from 1963-7, winning five prizes for composition...
's violin concerto, commissioned by the Hallé Concerts Society and premièred in Manchester the following February.
Musical theatre and songwriting
The death of Lionel BartLionel Bart
Lionel Bart was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for Oliver!-Early life:...
, best-known for Oliver!
Oliver!
Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
, was widely mourned. The major new production in London's West End this year was Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
, with book by Catherine Johnson
Catherine Johnson
Catherine Johnson is a British playwright, producing works for stage and television. She is best known for her script for the musical Mamma Mia! and screenplay for the film of the same name, which became the highest grossing UK film of all time and the biggest selling UK DVD of all time in January...
and songs by Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
; the musical went on to be a major stage hit worldwide and eventually a film. The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors was founded in 1947.It represents its members within the industry, to the government and to the European Commission....
established its new fellowship, the first recipient being Martin Gore
Martin Gore
Martin Lee Gore is an English songwriter, lyricist, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, remixer and DJ. He is a founding member of Depeche Mode and has written the vast majority of their songs...
.
Number-one singles
| Song | Artist(s) | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 January | "Heartbeat Heartbeat (Steps song) "Heartbeat / Tragedy" was the fourth single released by British pop group Steps. "Heartbeat", written by Jackie James was the first ballad released as a single by the group... " / "Tragedy Tragedy (song) "Tragedy" is a song recorded by the Bee Gees, included on their 1979 album Spirits Having Flown. The single reached number one in the UK in February 1979 and repeated the feat the following month on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100... " | Steps | 98,000 |
| 10 January | "Praise You Praise You "Praise You" is a song by English big beat musician Fatboy Slim. It was released as the third single from his second studio album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby, in 1999. It reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1999 and No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States on 11 May 1999.... " | Fatboy Slim Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s... | 80,913 |
| 17 January | "A Little Bit More A Little Bit More "A Little Bit More" is a song written and first performed by Bobby Gosh. The first hit version was recorded by the band Dr. Hook and was released as a single in 1976. It made #11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #2 on the UK Singles Chart... " | 911 911 (band) 911 is a British boyband that consists of Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable Spike Dawbarn and for a short period Lee Womack who left the band to study at Huddersfield University. The band were formed in 1995 and released their debut single in May 1996... | 75,400 |
| 24 January | "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) -Australia CD Maxi:-Europe CD Maxi:-Composition and lyrics:Beginning with a sample of the pseudo-German nonsense phrase "Gunter glieben glauchen globen" from Def Leppard's song "Rock of Ages," chanted as a replacement for the traditional "1, 2, 3, 4" to start the recording, the song ridicules a... " | The Offspring The Offspring The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada... | 140,000 |
| 31 January | "You Don't Know Me You Don't Know Me (Armand Van Helden song) "U Don't Know Me" is a single by the American house music producer Armand Van Helden from the album 2 Future 4 U. It features Duane Harden on vocals.... " | Armand Van Helden Armand Van Helden Armand Van Helden is a record producer, DJ and remixer whose biggest commercial successes came from his remixes of the 1996 Tori Amos song "Professional Widow" , which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1997, and his own track "U Don't Know Me ", which went to number 1... feat. Duane Harden Duane Harden Duane Harden is a male African American dance music vocalist and songwriter who has sung on several big nightclub hits by various producers.Harden is particularly famous in the United Kingdom, having sung on two best selling dance singles in 1999: "U Don't Know Me" by Armand Van Helden and "I Got... | 118,500 |
| 7 February | "Maria Maria (Blondie song) "Maria" is a song by the American band Blondie, taken from their 1999 album No Exit. This song was Blondie's comeback single, their first since "War Child" in July 1982. In the UK, it was the band's sixth no.1 single, topping the charts exactly 20 years after their first UK no.1 "Heart of Glass" in... " | Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... | 128,000 |
| 14 February | "Fly Away Fly Away (Lenny Kravitz song) "Fly Away" is a song by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, the fourth single from his 1998 album 5.-Chart performance:"Fly Away" is one of Kravitz's most successful songs to date. The song was a hit in both the United Kingdom and United States... " | Lenny Kravitz Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads... | 123,000 |
| 21 February | "...Baby One More Time" | Britney Spears Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album... | 463,722 |
| 28 February | 231,000 | ||
| 7 March | "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" is a popular English language proverb. A song of the same name was recorded by Billy Ocean in 1985 at Battery Studios North London.-Phrase:... " | Boyzone Boyzone Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12... | 213,000 |
| 14 March | 197,000 | ||
| 21 March | "Blame It on the Weatherman Blame It on the Weatherman "Blame It on the Weatherman" is a song by B*Witched, released as the fourth single from their debut album. Like the other three singles from the album, "Blame It on the Weatherman" reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. With this B*Witched became, at the time, the first act to have their first four... " | B*Witched | 90,000 |
| 28 March | "Flat Beat Flat Beat "Flat Beat" is a single released by French house musician Mr. Oizo in 1999, featured as a bonus track on his debut album Analog Worms Attack. An accompanying music video was released on VHS. The music video features Flat Eric, a puppet, head banging to the track... " | Mr. Oizo Mr. Oizo Mr. Oizo is the stage name of French electronic musician and film director Quentin Dupieux. His pseudonym is a corruption of the French , meaning "bird". He is currently signed to French electro record label, Ed Banger Records.-Beginning:... | 283,000 |
| 4 April | 184,000 | ||
| 11 April | "Perfect Moment Perfect Moment "Perfect Moment" is a song written by Jim Marr and Wendy Page, originally recorded by Polish singer Edyta Górniak in 1997 but the best known version is by English actress Martine McCutcheon that reached number one in the UK in 1999. It was McCutcheon's first single in which she launched a music... " | Martine McCutcheon Martine McCutcheon Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK... | 200,000 |
| 18 April | 140,000 | ||
| 25 April | "Swear It Again Swear It Again "Swear It Again" is a song by the Irish pop band Westlife, released as the band's first single. It peaked at #1 in the UK for two weeks. It moved to 182,000 units in the first two weeks of its release and spent 13 weeks on the charts. This made it the first of fourteen UK number 1 hit singles... " | Westlife Westlife Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one... | 102,000 |
| 2 May | 80,000 | ||
| 9 May | "I Want It That Way I Want It That Way "I Want It That Way" is a song by the Backstreet Boys, and their first single from their 1999 album Millennium. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson along with other producers. The song was highly played on the radio and the video, directed by Wayne Isham, was well played on television... " | Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys... | 93,000 |
| 16 May | "You Needed Me You Needed Me "You Needed Me" became the second single for Irish Boyband Boyzone from their album By Request. The single became number #1 on the UK Singles Chart, beating the debut solo single of Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, outselling her by just 700 copies... " | Boyzone | 142,901 |
| 23 May | "Sweet Like Chocolate Sweet Like Chocolate "Sweet Like Chocolate" is a number 1 hit single by the musical duo Shanks & Bigfoot with vocalist Sharon Woolf. The track was later added to the duo's album Swings and Roundabouts.... " | Shanks & Bigfoot Shanks & Bigfoot Shanks & Bigfoot were a British duo of dance music/UK garage producers Steven Meade and Danny Langsman, best known for their hit single "Sweet Like Chocolate". They were originally known as Doolally, recording the pirate anthem "Straight from the Heart" under this name in 1998. It was the first... | 251,000 |
| 30 May | 141,000 | ||
| 6 June | "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" | Baz Luhrmann Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!... | 206,000 |
| 13 June | "Bring It All Back Bring it All Back "Bring It All Back" is the debut single by British pop group S Club 7. It was co-written by S Club 7, Eliot Kennedy, Mike Percy and Tim Lever for the group's debut album S Club, which was released in 1999. Kennedy, Percy and Lever also produced the song, which received a mixed reception from music... " | S Club 7 S Club 7 S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, were a pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, consisting of members Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, de facto lead singer Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens. The group rose to fame by starring in their... | 190,000 |
| 20 June | "Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" is a song by the Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys. It was released as a single on 14 June 1999. It topped the UK Singles Chart on 26 June 1999. The song is not based on Paul Lekakis's "Boom Boom ", from 1987, despite similar lyrics.In the UK, the song is the Vengaboys'... " | Vengaboys Vengaboys Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going... | 134,279 |
| 27 June | "9pm (Till I Come) 9pm (Till I Come) "9pm " is a song by German trance music producer ATB, released as his debut single from the album Movin' Melodies in 1998. The single entered at number one in the United Kingdom for the week ending July 3, 1999 and stayed there for a fortnight. It was also number one in the Republic of Ireland for... " | A.T.B. | 270,000 |
| 4 July | 108,000 | ||
| 11 July | "Livin' la Vida Loca Livin' la Vida Loca "Livin' la Vida Loca" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on March 23, 1999 from Martin's self-titled debut English album. The song was composed by Desmond Child and Draco Rosa and topped the charts during 1999... " | Ricky Martin Ricky Martin Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide... | 131,000 |
| 18 July | 125,000 | ||
| 25 July | 96,600 | ||
| 1 August | "When You Say Nothing at All When You Say Nothing at All "When You Say Nothing at All" is the debut solo single by Irish singer-songwriter Ronan Keating. The song was recorded in 1999 for the soundtrack of the film Notting Hill. It also appeared on Keating's debut solo album, Ronan. The song was released on July 26, 1999 in the United Kingdom. It peaked... " | Ronan Keating Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and... | 197,565 |
| 8 August | 100,000 | ||
| 15 August | "If I Let You Go If I Let You Go "If I Let You Go" is a song by Westlife, released in the United Kingdom on 9 August 1999, as the band's second single. It became the second of the band's fourteen UK number 1 hit singles, spending eleven weeks on charts... " | Westlife | 90,491 |
| 22 August | "Mi Chico Latino Mi Chico Latino "Mi Chico Latino" , is a song by English singer Geri Halliwell and second single from her debut solo album Schizophonic. It was released on 16 August 1999... " | Geri Halliwell Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic... | 132,000 |
| 29 August | "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...) Mambo No. 5 "Mambo No. 5" is a mambo and jive dance song originally recorded and composed by Pérez Prado in 1949.The song's popularity was renewed by Lou Bega's sampling of the original, released under the same name on Bega's 1999 debut album A Little Bit of Mambo.... " | Lou Bega Lou Bega David Lubega , also known as Lou Bega, is a German musician of Italian and Ugandan descent, and is famous for his song "Mambo No. 5 ". This song is a remake of the Perez Prado instrumental from 1949... | 224,000 |
| 5 September | 175,000 | ||
| 12 September | "We're Going to Ibiza We're Going to Ibiza "We're Going to Ibiza", a single by the Vengaboys released on 30 August, 1999, was one of the Vengaboys' most successful singles. The song was based on Typically Tropical's 1975 number one hit "Barbados," with modified lyrics... " | Vengaboys | 142,809 |
| 19 September | "Blue (Da Ba Dee) Blue (Da Ba Dee) "Blue " is a eurodance song released in 1999 by Italian group Eiffel 65, as a single from their debut album Europop .... " | Eiffel 65 Eiffel 65 Eiffel 65 is an Italian three-piece group formed in the late 1990s and best known for pioneering in pitch-correction and autotune, and for their international hit "Blue ". Their other hit singles include "Move Your Body" and "Too Much of Heaven", all of which appeared on their album Europop,... | 226,500 |
| 26 September | 164,500 | ||
| 3 October | 141,000 | ||
| 10 October | "Genie in a Bottle Genie in a Bottle "Genie in a Bottle" is the second single by American pop recording artist, Christina Aguilera, taken from her self-titled debut album. It was co-written by David Frank, Steve Kipner, and Pamela Sheyne, and produced by Frank and Kipner respectively... " | Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994... | 172,600 |
| 17 October | 123,000 | ||
| 24 October | "Flying Without Wings Flying Without Wings "Flying Without Wings" is a song released by Irish boyband Westlife from their self-titled debut album.-Background:The song became an instant hit in the United Kingdom and many parts of the world. The song became the group's third UK number 1 single, spending 13 weeks on charts. It is also one of... " | Westlife | 92,000 |
| 31 October | "Keep on Movin'" | Five | 137,000 |
| 7 November | "Lift Me Up Lift Me Up (Geri Halliwell song) "Lift Me Up" is a song by Geri Halliwell, the third single from her debut solo album Schizophonic. It was released on 1 November 1999, and debuted and peaked at number-one in the United Kingdom, winning the battle against Emma Bunton's "What I Am" by 33,000 copies.-Chart performance:Geri released... " | Geri Halliwell | 139,000 |
| 14 November | "She's the One" / "It's Only Us It's Only Us "It's Only Us" is a song released in 1999 by British singer Robbie Williams, as a double A-side with a cover of "She's the One". It was the fourth single from I've Been Expecting You. The single became Williams' second number-one single in the United Kingdom, spending one week at number one. "It's... " | Robbie Williams Robbie Williams Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams... | 120,000 |
| 21 November | "King of My Castle King of My Castle "King of My Castle" is a song by American electronic music producer Chris Brann under his Wamdue Project alias, with vocals by Gaelle Adisson. It was originally released in 1997 as a downtempo song, but became a worldwide club hit in 1999 when it was remixed by house producer Roy Malone... " | Wamdue Project | 148,000 |
| 28 November | "The Millennium Prayer The Millennium Prayer "The Millennium Prayer" is a 1999 charity single by Cliff Richard. The song features Richard singing the words of the Lord's Prayer to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne". It was not written to be entered into the charts, instead being written to form part of the Share Jesus International production,... " | Cliff Richard Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide.... | 147,000 |
| 5 December | 158,000 | ||
| 12 December | 159,000 | 19 December | "I Have a Dream I Have a Dream (ABBA song) "I Have a Dream" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. The song was written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and was taken from the group's 1979 album, Voulez-Vous. Anni-Frid Lyngstad sang the lead vocals. It was released as a single in December 1979 with a live version of "Take a Chance on Me"... " / "Seasons in the Sun Seasons in the Sun Apart from the versions noted above, there have been numerous cover versions of the song. Generally, these use the same translation as the Terry Jacks version, and thus inherit that version's less harsh interpretation of the song's storyline.... " | Westlife | 213,000 |
| 26 December | 231,000 |
Number-one albums
| Song | Artist(s) | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 January | Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael | George Michael George Michael George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley... | 80,000 |
| 10 January | I've Been Expecting You I've Been Expecting You I've Been Expecting You is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.-Success:Williams and Chambers started the writing process of the album in Jamaica in the spring of 1998. I've Been Expecting You was released in October 1998. It debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart,... | Robbie Williams Robbie Williams Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams... | 39,000 |
| 17 January | You've Come a Long Way, Baby You've Come a Long Way, Baby You've Come a Long Way, Baby is the second studio album by English big beat musician Fatboy Slim, released on 19 October 1998 through the label Skint Records. The album liner notes state that the album was made at The House of Love. The album peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number... | Fatboy Slim Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s... | 37,500 |
| 24 January | 41,600 | ||
| 31 January | |||
| 7 February | 30,000 | ||
| 14 February | I've Been Expecting You | Robbie Williams | 38,000 |
| 21 February | Talk on Corners Talk on Corners Talk on Corners is the second album by Irish band The Corrs, released in 1997. The name of the album is derived from a line from the album's song "Queen of Hollywood".... | The Corrs The Corrs The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the... | 42,041 |
| 28 February | 65,800 | ||
| 7 March | 60,000 | ||
| 14 March | Performance and Cocktails Performance and Cocktails Performance and Cocktails is Stereophonics' second album. It was released by V2 on 8 March 1999. The album was sponsored by Fender guitars which were used by the band on the album. All three members of the band were given equal credit for writing all the songs on this album... | Stereophonics Stereophonics The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing... | 119,954 |
| 21 March | 13 13 (Blur album) 13 is the sixth album by English band Blur, released in March 1999. The album reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and number 80 in the US Billboard 200. 13 spawned three hit singles: "Tender", "Coffee & TV" and "No Distance Left to Run"... | Blur Blur (band) Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing... | 92,000 |
| 28 March | 33,000 | ||
| 4 April | Talk on Corners | The Corrs | |
| 11 April | ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits Gold: Greatest Hits is a compilation album of recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on September 21, 1992 through PolyGram, the first compilation to be released after the company had acquired Polar Music and thus the rights to the ABBA back catalogue. In 1998, PolyGram was in turn... | ABBA ABBA ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... | 26,000 |
| 18 April | Equally Cursed and Blessed Equally Cursed and Blessed Equally Cursed and Blessed is the third album by Welsh band Catatonia, released in April 1999 via Blanco y Negro Records. Like its predecessor, International Velvet, it reached number one in the UK Album Chart... | Catatonia Catatonia (band) Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews on vocals, Mark Roberts on guitar, Paul Jones on bass , Owen Powell on... | 60,000 |
| 25 April | Gold - Greatest Hits | ABBA | 35,000 |
| 2 May | 56,000 | ||
| 9 May | Head Music Head Music Head Music is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Suede, released by Nude Records in May 1999.Produced and mixed by Steve Osborne, Head Music features a more electronic sound, which was a new approach to their music... | Suede Suede (band) Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted... | 32,884 |
| 16 May | Hush | Texas Texas (band) Texas are a Scottish pop band from Bearsden, near Glasgow, Scotland. They were founded by Johnny McElhone in 1986 and feature Sharleen Spiteri on lead vocals. Texas made their performing debut in March 1988 at Scotland's University of Dundee... | 92,000 |
| 23 May | Gold - Greatest Hits | ABBA | 70,000 |
| 30 May | 59,000 | ||
| 6 June | By Request By Request (Boyzone album) By Request is a greatest hits compilation from Boyzone. The album contains material recorded between 1994–1999, and was released on May 31, 1999 by Universal. As well as containing the band's fifteen singles, the album also includes the three bonus tracks from the US release of their previous... | Boyzone Boyzone Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12... | 329,176 |
| 13 June | 145,000 | ||
| 20 June | Synkronized Synkronized Synkronized is the fourth studio album released by Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1999, the album contains funk, disco, and acid jazz elements... | Jamiroquai Jamiroquai Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as... | 98,000 |
| 27 June | Surrender Surrender (The Chemical Brothers album) Surrender is the third studio album by British big beat duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 21 June 1999. It features Noel Gallagher , Hope Sandoval , and Bernard Sumner as guest vocalists... | The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background... | 70,000 |
| 4 July | By Request | Boyzone | 38,000 |
| 11 July | 54,000 | ||
| 18 July | 52,000 | ||
| 25 July | 44,000 | ||
| 1 August | 40,000 | ||
| 8 August | 39,000 | ||
| 15 August | 34,000 | ||
| 22 August | The Man Who The Man Who The Man Who is the second studio album from the Scottish indie pop band Travis. The album was released on 24 May 1999, becoming the album that gave the band international recognition. The album peaked at #1 in the UK and #8 in Australia. It was later released in the United States in Early 2000... | Travis Travis (band) Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose... | 45,000 |
| 29 August | 48,000 | ||
| 5 September | Come on Over Come on Over (Shania Twain album) Come On Over is the third studio album recorded by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997. It became the world's best-selling country music album and the best-selling studio album ever released by a female artist in any genre... | Shania Twain Shania Twain Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million... | 57,000 |
| 12 September | 62,000 | ||
| 19 September | 70,072 | ||
| 26 September | Rhythm and Stealth Rhythm and Stealth Rhythm and Stealth is an album by Leftfield released on 20 September 1999. It was the follow-up to 1995's Leftism. The album reached #1 in the UK album chart... | Leftfield Leftfield Leftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England... | 74,000 |
| 3 October | Reload | Tom Jones Tom Jones (singer) Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records... | 80,000 |
| 10 October | Come on Over | Shania Twain | 72,700 |
| 17 October | 59,000 | ||
| 24 October | 58,500 | ||
| 31 October | Steptacular Steptacular Steptacular is the second studio album by British pop group Steps, released in the United Kingdom on 25 October 1999. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, where it remained on the position for three weeks, selling 260,000 copies in the same time frame... | Steps | 111,000 |
| 7 November | 84,000 | ||
| 14 November | 67,000 | ||
| 21 November | All the Way… A Decade of Song | Céline Dion Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record... | 74,000 |
| 28 November | Steptacular | Steps | 108,000 |
| 5 December | Come on Over | Shania Twain | 105,000 |
| 12 December | 175,000 | ||
| 19 December | 184,000 | ||
| 26 December | 239,559 |
Top 40 Singles of 1999
| Position | Song Title | Artist | Sales | Highest Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "...Baby One More Time ...Baby One More Time (song) "...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,... " |
Britney Spears Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album... |
1,445,300 | 1 |
| 2 | "Blue (Da Ba Dee) Blue (Da Ba Dee) "Blue " is a eurodance song released in 1999 by Italian group Eiffel 65, as a single from their debut album Europop .... " |
Eiffel 65 Eiffel 65 Eiffel 65 is an Italian three-piece group formed in the late 1990s and best known for pioneering in pitch-correction and autotune, and for their international hit "Blue ". Their other hit singles include "Move Your Body" and "Too Much of Heaven", all of which appeared on their album Europop,... |
956,100 | 1 |
| 3 | "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...) Mambo No. 5 "Mambo No. 5" is a mambo and jive dance song originally recorded and composed by Pérez Prado in 1949.The song's popularity was renewed by Lou Bega's sampling of the original, released under the same name on Bega's 1999 debut album A Little Bit of Mambo.... " |
Lou Bega Lou Bega David Lubega , also known as Lou Bega, is a German musician of Italian and Ugandan descent, and is famous for his song "Mambo No. 5 ". This song is a remake of the Perez Prado instrumental from 1949... |
850,200 | 1 |
| 4 | "9PM (Till I Come) 9pm (Till I Come) "9pm " is a song by German trance music producer ATB, released as his debut single from the album Movin' Melodies in 1998. The single entered at number one in the United Kingdom for the week ending July 3, 1999 and stayed there for a fortnight. It was also number one in the Republic of Ireland for... " |
ATB | 791,500 | 1 |
| 5 | "Livin' La Vida Loca Livin' la Vida Loca "Livin' la Vida Loca" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on March 23, 1999 from Martin's self-titled debut English album. The song was composed by Desmond Child and Draco Rosa and topped the charts during 1999... " |
Ricky Martin Ricky Martin Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide... |
775,700 | 1 |
| 6 | "That Don't Impress Me Much That Don't Impress Me Much That Don't Impress Me Much is a song by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was the sixth country single released from her 1997 album Come on Over. It was third to pop and fourth to international markets. The song was written by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and Shania Twain, and was originally released to... " |
Shania Twain Shania Twain Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million... |
763,000 | 3 |
| 7 | "The Millennium Prayer The Millennium Prayer "The Millennium Prayer" is a 1999 charity single by Cliff Richard. The song features Richard singing the words of the Lord's Prayer to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne". It was not written to be entered into the charts, instead being written to form part of the Share Jesus International production,... " |
Cliff Richard Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide.... |
860,900 | 1 |
| 8 | "Sweet Like Chocolate Sweet Like Chocolate "Sweet Like Chocolate" is a number 1 hit single by the musical duo Shanks & Bigfoot with vocalist Sharon Woolf. The track was later added to the duo's album Swings and Roundabouts.... " |
Shanks and Bigfoot | 706,700 | 1 |
| 9 | "Flat Beat Flat Beat "Flat Beat" is a single released by French house musician Mr. Oizo in 1999, featured as a bonus track on his debut album Analog Worms Attack. An accompanying music video was released on VHS. The music video features Flat Eric, a puppet, head banging to the track... " |
Mr Oizo | 678,000 | 1 |
| 10 | "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" is a popular English language proverb. A song of the same name was recorded by Billy Ocean in 1985 at Battery Studios North London.-Phrase:... " |
Boyzone Boyzone Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12... |
671,400 | 1 |
| 11 | "Bring It All Back Bring it All Back "Bring It All Back" is the debut single by British pop group S Club 7. It was co-written by S Club 7, Eliot Kennedy, Mike Percy and Tim Lever for the group's debut album S Club, which was released in 1999. Kennedy, Percy and Lever also produced the song, which received a mixed reception from music... " |
S Club 7 S Club 7 S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, were a pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, consisting of members Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, de facto lead singer Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens. The group rose to fame by starring in their... |
623,600 | 1 |
| 12 | "Better Off Alone" | DJ Jurgen DJ Jurgen DJ Jurgen is a DJ, remixer, producer, and artist from the Netherlands.He is best known for producing Alice DeeJay's international dance hit, "Better off Alone" in 1999; and for his 2000 Eurodance hit "Higher & Higher", featuring English vocalist, Karen David.Jurgen still DJs, but he is usually... presents Alice Deejay Alice DeeJay Alice DeeJay was an electronic music group, who achieved success from 1999 to 2002.-Members:The group consisted of record producers Pronti , Kalmani and DJ Jurgen with Marc Lee-Smith remixing and the DJ's From Mars lead singer Judith Anna Pronk... |
606,400 | 2 |
| 13 | "Perfect Moment Perfect Moment "Perfect Moment" is a song written by Jim Marr and Wendy Page, originally recorded by Polish singer Edyta Górniak in 1997 but the best known version is by English actress Martine McCutcheon that reached number one in the UK in 1999. It was McCutcheon's first single in which she launched a music... " |
Martine McCutcheon Martine McCutcheon Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK... |
592,600 | 1 |
| 14 | "Genie in a Bottle Genie in a Bottle "Genie in a Bottle" is the second single by American pop recording artist, Christina Aguilera, taken from her self-titled debut album. It was co-written by David Frank, Steve Kipner, and Pamela Sheyne, and produced by Frank and Kipner respectively... " |
Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994... |
608,000 | 1 |
| 15 | "Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" is a song by the Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys. It was released as a single on 14 June 1999. It topped the UK Singles Chart on 26 June 1999. The song is not based on Paul Lekakis's "Boom Boom ", from 1987, despite similar lyrics.In the UK, the song is the Vengaboys'... " |
Vengaboys Vengaboys Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going... |
578,900 | 1 |
| 16 | "No Scrubs No Scrubs "No Scrubs" is a 1999 song recorded by R&B girl groupTLC for their album FanMail. Released as the album's first single, "No Scrubs" became TLC's third number-one single and eighth top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned them their second Grammy nomination for Record of the Year... " |
TLC TLC (band) TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats... |
553,200 | 3 |
| 17 | "When You Say Nothing at All When You Say Nothing at All "When You Say Nothing at All" is the debut solo single by Irish singer-songwriter Ronan Keating. The song was recorded in 1999 for the soundtrack of the film Notting Hill. It also appeared on Keating's debut solo album, Ronan. The song was released on July 26, 1999 in the United Kingdom. It peaked... " |
Ronan Keating Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and... |
528,600 | 1 |
| 18 | "Heartbeat / Tragedy" | Steps | 522,900 | 1 |
| 19 | "My Love Is Your Love My Love Is Your Love My Love Is Your Love is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. The album, her first studio album in eight years since I'm Your Baby Tonight, was composed of mid-tempo R&B, hip hop, ballads, urban-dance, reggae, and torch songs, produced... " |
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... |
493,400 | 2 |
| 20 | "2 Times" | Ann Lee Ann Lee (singer) Ann Lee is a British Electropop/Eurodance singer, who rose to fame in the late 1990s.-Career:... |
496,100 | 2 |
| 21 | "I Try I Try "I Try" is the second single from Macy Gray's debut album On How Life Is, released in North American in January 2000 . It was Gray's biggest hit to date... " |
Macy Gray Macy Gray Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,... |
501,400 | 6 |
| 22 | "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" is a song by R. Kelly, released as the fifth single from his 1998 album, R.. The song is a sweeping ballad about a man wishing he could go back in time and repair his relationship with his girlfriend... " |
R. Kelly R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play... |
536,600 | 2 |
| 23 | "Beautiful Stranger Beautiful Stranger "Beautiful Stranger" is a Grammy Award winning dance-pop song written and produced by American singer Madonna and British song-writer and musician William Orbit, drawing heavily on the 1966 song "She Comes in Colors" by Love. "Beautiful Stranger" was written for the film soundtrack Austin Powers:... " |
Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... |
490,700 | 2 |
| 24 | "Turn Around" | Phats & Small Phats & Small Phats & Small are a dance music duo from the UK. The duo consists of Jason "Phats" Hayward and Russell Small, they are best known for their 1998 hit "Turn Around"-Career:... |
487,500 | 2 |
| 25 | "It's Not Right But It's Okay It's Not Right but It's Okay "It's Not Right but It's Okay" is a 1999 R&B/dance song by American singer Whitney Houston, from her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love. Initially featured as the B-Side of "Heartbreak Hotel," it became the album's third single and peaked at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart on... " |
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... |
485,500 | 3 |
| 26 | "I Have a Dream I Have a Dream "I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination... " |
Westlife Westlife Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one... |
479,000 | 1 |
| 27 | "Witch Doctor Witch Doctor "Witch Doctor" is a song written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., and released in 1958 by Liberty Records under the name David Seville, a character whom Bagdasarian portrayed.-Song information:... " |
Cartoons Cartoons (band) Cartoons, also known as Cartoons DK are a technobilly/glam pop band from Denmark, best known for their 1998 Eurodance cover of the 1958 novelty song, "Witch Doctor" by Ross Bagdasarian, as well as for their outlandish plastic costumes and wigs used in live performances as caricatures of 1950s... |
478,700 | 2 |
| 28 | "King of My Castle King of My Castle "King of My Castle" is a song by American electronic music producer Chris Brann under his Wamdue Project alias, with vocals by Gaelle Adisson. It was originally released in 1997 as a downtempo song, but became a worldwide club hit in 1999 when it was remixed by house producer Roy Malone... " |
Wamdue Project | 475,700 | 1 |
| 29 | "We Like to Party! (The Vengabus) We Like to Party "We Like to Party" is a popular 1998 electronica dance song by Dutch music group Vengaboys. It is played in A-flat major. The song became their biggest hit in the United States, peaking at #26 in the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 and selling 405,000 copies.... " |
Vengaboys Vengaboys Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going... |
474,900 | 3 |
| 30 | "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) -Australia CD Maxi:-Europe CD Maxi:-Composition and lyrics:Beginning with a sample of the pseudo-German nonsense phrase "Gunter glieben glauchen globen" from Def Leppard's song "Rock of Ages," chanted as a replacement for the traditional "1, 2, 3, 4" to start the recording, the song ridicules a... " |
The Offspring The Offspring The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada... |
457,900 | 1 |
| 31 | "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" | Baz Luhrmann Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!... |
456,100 | 1 |
| 32 | "Wild Wild West" | Will Smith Will Smith Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood... |
453,000 | 2 |
| 33 | "Sometimes Sometimes (Britney Spears song) "Sometimes" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her debut studio album ...Baby One More Time . Written by Jörgen Elofsson and produced by Per Magnusson and David Krueger, the song was released as Spears' second single on April 30, 1999 by Jive Records... " |
Britney Spears Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album... |
427,600 | 3 |
| 34 | "Maria Maria (Blondie song) "Maria" is a song by the American band Blondie, taken from their 1999 album No Exit. This song was Blondie's comeback single, their first since "War Child" in July 1982. In the UK, it was the band's sixth no.1 single, topping the charts exactly 20 years after their first UK no.1 "Heart of Glass" in... " |
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... |
427,000 | 1 |
| 35 | "I Want It That Way I Want It That Way "I Want It That Way" is a song by the Backstreet Boys, and their first single from their 1999 album Millennium. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson along with other producers. The song was highly played on the radio and the video, directed by Wayne Isham, was well played on television... " |
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys... |
423,300 | 1 |
| 36 | "Keep on Movin'" | Five Five (band) Five were an English boyband put together in 1997 by the same team that managed the Spice Girls before they launched their career. The five members were Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville, J Brown, Abs Breen and Sean Conlon. Signed by Simon Cowell, they were a manufactured band and held several... |
421,700 | 1 |
| 37 | "Re-Rewind Re-Rewind "Re-Rewind " is a song by The Artful Dodger featuring Craig David on vocals. Released in the UK in 1999 and reaching No.2, it was David's first chart success and is also considered by many to be the point when the Garage genre had crossed into the mainstream.-Background:The melody in the verses was... " |
The Artful Dodger featuring Craig David Craig David Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album... |
401,500 | 2 |
| 38 | "We're Going to Ibiza! We're Going to Ibiza "We're Going to Ibiza", a single by the Vengaboys released on 30 August, 1999, was one of the Vengaboys' most successful singles. The song was based on Typically Tropical's 1975 number one hit "Barbados," with modified lyrics... " |
Vengaboys Vengaboys Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going... |
400,000 | 1 |
| 39 | "Tender Tender (song) "Tender" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur. It is the first track on Blur's sixth album 13 and was also released as the lead single before the album's release... " |
Blur Blur (band) Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing... |
389,100 | 2 |
| 40 | "You Get What You Give You Get What You Give "You Get What You Give" is a song by the New Radicals. It was an international hit, the first and most successful single from their album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. It reached No. 30 on Billboard Hot 100 Airplay in January 1999, No. 36 on the overall Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard... " |
New Radicals New Radicals New Radicals were an American pop rock band active in the late 1990s, centered on frontman Gregg Alexander, who wrote and produced all of their songs and was the sole constant member... |
380,500 | 5 |
Top 10 albums
| Position | Song Title | Artist | Sales | Highest Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Come On Over Come on Over (Shania Twain album) Come On Over is the third studio album recorded by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997. It became the world's best-selling country music album and the best-selling studio album ever released by a female artist in any genre... |
Shania Twain Shania Twain Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million... |
1 | |
| 2 | By Request By Request (Boyzone album) By Request is a greatest hits compilation from Boyzone. The album contains material recorded between 1994–1999, and was released on May 31, 1999 by Universal. As well as containing the band's fifteen singles, the album also includes the three bonus tracks from the US release of their previous... |
Boyzone Boyzone Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12... |
1 | |
| 3 | The Man Who The Man Who The Man Who is the second studio album from the Scottish indie pop band Travis. The album was released on 24 May 1999, becoming the album that gave the band international recognition. The album peaked at #1 in the UK and #8 in Australia. It was later released in the United States in Early 2000... |
Travis Travis (band) Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose... |
1 | |
| 4 | Gold - Greatest Hits ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits Gold: Greatest Hits is a compilation album of recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on September 21, 1992 through PolyGram, the first compilation to be released after the company had acquired Polar Music and thus the rights to the ABBA back catalogue. In 1998, PolyGram was in turn... |
Abba Abba ABBA is the name of a former Swedish pop music group.Abba may also refer to:* ABBA , a self-titled album by the Swedish pop music group ABBA* "Abba ", a song by Christian pop and rock artist, Rebecca St... |
1 | |
| 5 | Performance and Cocktails Performance and Cocktails Performance and Cocktails is Stereophonics' second album. It was released by V2 on 8 March 1999. The album was sponsored by Fender guitars which were used by the band on the album. All three members of the band were given equal credit for writing all the songs on this album... |
Stereophonics Stereophonics The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing... |
1 | |
| 6 | I've Been Expecting You I've Been Expecting You I've Been Expecting You is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.-Success:Williams and Chambers started the writing process of the album in Jamaica in the spring of 1998. I've Been Expecting You was released in October 1998. It debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart,... |
Robbie Williams Robbie Williams Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams... |
1 | |
| 7 | Steptacular Steptacular Steptacular is the second studio album by British pop group Steps, released in the United Kingdom on 25 October 1999. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, where it remained on the position for three weeks, selling 260,000 copies in the same time frame... |
Steps | 1 | |
| 8 | Westlife Westlife (album) Westlife is the Irish boyband Westlife's debut studio album. It was released on 1 November 1999 in the UK, and contains five singles - "Swear It Again", "If I Let You Go", "Flying Without Wings", the double A-side "I Have a Dream" / "Seasons in the Sun" and "Fool Again", all of which peaked at #1... |
Westlife Westlife Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one... |
2 | |
| 9 | Talk On Corners Talk on Corners Talk on Corners is the second album by Irish band The Corrs, released in 1997. The name of the album is derived from a line from the album's song "Queen of Hollywood".... |
The Corrs The Corrs The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the... |
1 | |
| 10 | On How Life Is On How Life Is On How Life Is is the debut album by American recording artist Macy Gray, released in the United States on July 27, 1999 by Epic Records. Produced by Andrew Slater, it became Gray's best-selling album to date, selling 3.2 million copies in the United States and seven million copies worldwide.-Track... |
Macy Gray Macy Gray Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,... |
3 |
BRIT Awards
The 1999 BRIT AwardsBrit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
winners were:
- Best soundtrack: "TitanicTitanic (1997 film)Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
" - British album: Manic Street PreachersManic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
– "This Is My Truth Tell Me YoursThis Is My Truth Tell Me YoursThis Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the fifth album by Welsh band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in September 1998 on Epic Records, and in the United States the following year, on Virgin Records.- Background :...
" - British breakthrough act: Belle & SebastianBelle & SebastianBelle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
- British dance act: Fatboy SlimFatboy SlimNorman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
- British female solo artist: Des'reeDes'reeDes'ree is an English pop/soul singer who was popular during the 1990s. She is well known for her hits: "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be", "Life", and "Kissing You"...
- British group: Manic Street PreachersManic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
- British male solo artist: Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
- British single: Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
– "Angels" - British video: Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
– "Millennium" - International breakthrough act: Natalie ImbrugliaNatalie ImbrugliaNatalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
- International female: Natalie ImbrugliaNatalie ImbrugliaNatalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
- International group: The CorrsThe CorrsThe Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
- International male: BeckBeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
- Outstanding contribution: EurythmicsEurythmicsEurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
Mercury Music Prize
The 1999 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Talvin SinghTalvin Singh
Talvin Singh Matharoo , is a producer and composer and tabla player, known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass...
- Ok
Ok (album)
Ok is the debut release of tabla player and music producer Talvin Singh, and it was nine months in the making. The title was chosen because of the universality of the word OK, which can be understood almost anywhere in the world...
.
Record of the Year
The Record of the YearThe Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is an award voted by the UK public. For many years it was given in conjunction with television programmes of the same name...
was awarded to "Flying Without Wings
Flying Without Wings
"Flying Without Wings" is a song released by Irish boyband Westlife from their self-titled debut album.-Background:The song became an instant hit in the United Kingdom and many parts of the world. The song became the group's third UK number 1 single, spending 13 weeks on charts. It is also one of...
" by Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
.