Hey everyone, Drake known online as Urtar Reviews here. I know I haven't posted in months, I have just not had the motivation to do anything here lately, until now of course. Anyway, I'm gonna be stepping back in time even further with a look at the end of the 90s, and the first Billboard chart year where the Hot 100 was considered an all-genre chart, and that airplay-only singles were allowed to chart. Because of this, even though for the other 90s years I am planning on allowing any song that made the top 20 of the Billboard Pop Radio for the lists to make up for the fact that they didn't allow airplay-only singles to chart, I will be sticking only to the Billboard Year End list for 1999 for this list. And any song that made the top 20 of the airplay chart in 1998 will not be eligible for 1999. Now, I was going to do a worst list for this year, but, this year gave me so few songs I dislike, and most of the ones I do I have basically nothing to say about, so I will not be doing one. Instead here is my rough worst list without my picks explained, so you can still see what would be making it.
10. My Love Is Your Love - Whitney Houston
9. Give It To You - Jordan Knight
8. Steal My Sunshine - LEN
7. The Hardest Thing - 98 Degrees
6. (God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You - NSYNC (Feat. Alabama)
5. Satisfy You - Diddy, R. Kelly
4. I'm Your Angel - R. Kelly, Celine Dion
3. Amazed - Lonestar
2. When A Woman's Fed Up - R. Kelly
DM. I Do (Cherish You) - 98 Degrees
DM. Stay The Same - Joey McIntyre
1. Lullaby - Shawn Mullins
As the fact I couldn't make a normal worst list would imply, I think 1999 is a absolutely fantastic year for pop music. So many absolute classics. Just like 2009 and 2019 afterward it is fascinating to observe the transition between decades, and this year not only had a great variety of music in general, but a variety of fantastic music. Narrowing this list down was extremely hard. And it's a top 20! Well, without further ado, let's get into My Top 20 Favorite Hit Songs of 1999!
And we start with a song that I went forever not knowing that the band that made it is a Christian band?
20. Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer
And the reason for that of course is that this song, their biggest hit, has nothing to do with Christianity at all. And neither does their second biggest hit There She Goes. Although that one is a cover. Anyway, this is just a really sweet love song. The silky guitar and violin is so beautiful and really gives the image of a romantic evening under the twilight. I also remember hearing this song a lot when I was very young, so it has massive nostalgia for me.
19. Man! I Feel Like A Woman! - Shania Twain
Even though this song was not as big as That Don't Impress Much or From This Moment On at the time (at least on Billboard), I feel like it has a lot more lasting relevance, mainly cause of that iconic guitar line. And yeah of course that guitar line is f*cking awesome, but Shania carries it so goddamn well. She just oozes charisma here singing about how much she loves being a woman. I feel like if I was a woman I would love this song even more, but it's still a great time.
I bet some if not a lot of you are shocked this next song isn't higher, given what I've said about this band in the past, but here we are.
18. Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of both my parent's (but especially my mom's) favorite bands. And I heard a lot of their music all the time growing up. And now I love a lot of it. Snow (Hey Oh) is still my favorite hit song of 2007. But I've never loved this one as much as a lot of their other big songs. Like from the same album I'd take Californication and Otherside over this one any day. But like, it's still fantastic. The guitar line is fantastic, gives me the image driving through the desert in Southern California (which is probably helped by the music video), reminding me as I'm writing of when I visited Joshua Tree last summer (which was super cool btw). The lyrics about struggling with drug addiction are fantastic and the singing is great. The mixing is a bit dated which is why I don't love this one as much as some of their other big songs but this song is still great.
17. Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin And another incredibly iconic song that has lived on multiple decades later. And for good reason. Ricky Martin has such incredible charisma and just absolutely owns this song. And the fast paced instrumentation is incredible. Just an absolute blast to listen to. Nothing more to say. 1999 like a lot of the late 90s years was a huge year for R&B. And even though it's not really my genre, I did want to find something to represent it on this list. Sadly, I couldn't find much, other than... 16. Heartbreak Hotel - Whitney Houston, Faith Evans, Kelly Price Just an incredible duet between our 3 singers with well written lyrics about heartbreak. And they sell it very well. Held together by a fantastic instrumental track. All I really have to say. 15. She's All I Ever Had - Ricky Martin Is it weird that I have more nostalgia for this song than Livin' La Vida Loca? And I also like it more. I have a big soft spot for a lot of ballads from this time (although not all of them as the worst list above would imply) and this song just feels huge, and Ricky Martin sounds absolutely in love with this girl. With how huge the song sounds it just really adds to the feeling of how much he loves her, which I can't help but love. It also just sounds so beautiful and otherworldly.
14. All Star - Smash Mouth
If you'd told me like five years ago that this song wouldn't even make my top 10 for this list I would have said "yeah and Trump is gonna give To Pimp A Butterfly a 10/10 review". But I didn't realize both how stacked with songs I adore, and how stacked with songs I heard a lot as a kid but didn't know the name of this year was. But still this song is just absolutely incredible. I heard it all the time growing up, including in one of my favorite movies, Mystery Men. And Shrek too. Where the memes for this song come from. Every single second of this song is just so engaging and fun to listen to, from the meme-able first verse to the iconic chorus, to the great guitar solo, to the part about someone asking him to spare some change for gas, to the final chorus that just finishes the song off so well. It's a song that just really uplifts me when I hear it. Also rest in peace Steve Harwell. You will be remembered.
Some of you may be shocked this song didn't make the top 10 given that I have seen it near the top of every best list for this year or for the next one if people use different rules. And it's one of the biggest Billboard hits of all time. And I mean, I get why it's made so many top 10s, but there was so much competition this year for me, although some of the things I put above this you might have judgements about me for...
13. Smooth - Santana, Rob Thomas
The number 3 song on Billboard's Biggest Songs of All Time list as of 2021. The only song in Billboard history to make two Decade End lists. The song that made people realize that Rob Thomas and Matchbox 20 were not going to just be a one album wonder. All for good reason. There was a time where this would have had more of a chance of making the top 5. I at one point considered it one of my favorite songs I have ever heard. But now, it isn't even my favorite Santana song. But I mean, it's still absolutely killer. The latin-inspired guitar rhythm is just absolutely impeccable, and Rob Thomas just absolutely kills his vocals. This song is just an absolute blast to listen to, and deserved all the success it got.
And we are already starting off with a song that I will get judged by a lot of you for putting above Smooth. And I would probably get judged for putting it here it all, but I mean look, are you surprised at this point? I like a lot of stupid cheesy music, especially when I have a lot of nostalgia for it...
12. Every Morning - Sugar Ray
I heard this song and the other big Sugar Ray songs, so much growing up, they were everywhere in public, and my parents played it a lot. I found it fun whenever I heard it then, but hearing it now, man this song brings back memories of a lot of the best times I had growing up, from sleepovers, to parties, to just hanging out with my friends at school. I totally get hating it, maybe I would too if not for my nostalgia. It's absolutely incredibly cheesy, and I get hating some of the vocal effects they throw on. But I just absolutely love this song. He doesn't admittedly have a great voice, but he has a lot of charisma and he uses it very well here. And that instrumental track is just so much fun. And I don't mind the vocal stutters at all.
And back to more popular opinions...
11. ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
As much as I have mixed opinions on her music after like 2001, everything I have heard from Britney before then is fantastic or better. And, while not my favorite thing she did this year, this song is no different. This was the song that put Britney on the map, made her the massive pop icon she was. and for good reason. While she would go on to make some even better songs in my opinion, this is still an absolute classic. The instrumental is an all time Max Martin beat, just absolutely timeless, and Britney just sounds so incredible. Every single second of this song is both iconic and just incredibly enjoyable to listen to. I'm so happy that Britney is finally free of her conservatorship. Hopefully she releases music again soon.
Thanks for reading. Part 2 will be out soon.
