Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1999.
For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Solar Eclipse in the middle of the day in Newcastle, UK
In 1999, the Euro currency is released, unemployment in the UK is at its lowest for 20 years, Harold Shipman a former GP is accused of murdering at least 15 female patients, director Stanley Kubrick, singer Dusty Springfield, actor Oliver Reed, child entertainer Rod Hull and comedian Ernie Wise all die, nail bombs explode in Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho killing 2 people (one of them is a pregnant woman) and injurs hundreds- a man is arrested and charged, TV presenter Jill Dando is murdered on her front door step, Prince Edward marries Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Solar Eclipse occurs across Europe, farmer Tony Martin is charged with murder after shooting dead an unarmed 16yr-old burglar on his property, the Ladbroke Grove rail crash kills 31 people, rock singer Gary Glitter is jailed for 4 months for downloading child pornography, Beatle George Harrison is stabbed 40 times in his own home by a man who is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, the Millennium Dome and the London Eye are opened, 20% of the UK population has internet access, Hurricane Floyd hits North Carolina in the US and 3 million people have to evacuate their homes, Helen Clark becomes the first female elected Prime Minister of New Zealand, Boris Yeltsin resigns as the President of Russia and is replaced by Vladimir Putin, the Queen opens the first Scottish parliament in 300 years, two boys aged 17 and 18 go on a rampage at Columbine High School in the US- shooting dead 13 people and injuring 21, the new US gun control bill is rejected, millennium celebrations take place across the world, the films The Matrix, Fight Club, The Blair Witch Project, The Sixth Sense, American Beauty, Being John Malkovich and the Green Mile (what a year for film!) are released and I turn 23 years old.
So, not only do we come to the end of the nineties today, we come to the end of the millennium. I spent New Year/Century/Millennium’s Eve in London watching fireworks fail on the River Thames, then getting crushed in the crowd, losing my bag of booze and more importantly losing my best friend (we found her again, randomly on some other street of London). 1999 is pretty special for me. I was now living in Leeds. I had finally got round to going to university and it was this year that I met my poor unsuspecting future husband. We had bought tickets with some other friends to go and see Macy Gray and I remember saying to myself “By the time we go to see her, we will be a couple” and do know what Reader, we were. Lots of new artists this week as well as some favourites, but most importantly- our George is back!
1. Hey Boy Hey Girl by Chemical Brothers
2. No Scrubs by TLC
3. Everything is Everything by Lauryn Hill
4. As by George Michael & Mary J Blige
5. I Try by Macy Gray
6. Coffee & TV by Blur
7. Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. At the River by Groove Armada
9. Back Together by Babybird
10. Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim
Me at university in 1999. Sorry Sarah.
This week, it’s easily Groove Armada that’s my favourite. What about you?
See you next week for the start of the Noughties- 2000!
Just Another Blog From a Woman 
What a year alright. Quite a memorable one for you dear Haley 😉
Thanks for the great clip pf George and Mary…I loved listening to this again….Boy I miss him. Xx
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I miss him too. I’m still so sad we lost him. Thank you Lorelle xx
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I know. Have a great weekend lovely 💕
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You too x
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What a year! I remember Hurricane Floyd all too well. I was living in coastal North Carolina, I had just bought my first home. When it hit, we lost power for 12 days and I had two small children at home…ugh. The heat, and the snakes…
I will vote for I Try with a close second of Scar Tissue
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Bloody hell that sounds horrific! A few hours without power with small children is bad enough, but 12 days!!! Aah I Try is the song that reminds me the most of first getting together with my husband. Nice choice. I love that Chili’s song too.
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I lived in the country, so all kinds of tress were down and lots of flooding. SO, stuck at the house for days alone with the kids…its was a set up for a horror movie.
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Shit, I hope you had lots of tinned food! Poor you. Sounds horrible.
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Well, looking at the big picture..12 days of heel isnt so bad when you live in a place that has beautiful, Carolina Blue skies the rest of the year. It really is an amazing place to live…most of the time
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Yes I’ve always fancied visiting the Carolinas. It looks so lovely in that part of the US. There could be worse places to live.
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No scrubs!!! Omg I still have that song on my phone and listen to it on a regular basis. I love it. Especially the little spoken word/rap part. I’ve got it down!
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Yes love it! It’s proved a very popular song this week.
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What a year!!! 1999 was the year I first discovered music like the Chemical Brothers and Crystal Method. What is that genre? House? Electronic? Dance-in-a-trance-like-state-for-hours music? Anyway, I moved back down to San Diego from San Fran soon after the world didn’t blow up from the Y2K bug, because I’d broken up with the boyfriend I’d followed/not followed to Berkeley. Time to start something like real life–kinda.
Now back to music–No Scrubs is my favorite. I played this song on my walkman every time I worked out. I think it was an excellent anthem for the on-life-support-relationship I was in.
The story about you and your husband is absolutely lovely. And watching the millennium dawn with fireworks on the Thames! That’s awesome. I honestly don’t even remember where I was. How sad is that?
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Haha I think your last description of the Chrmical Brothers is perfect. Ah 99 was quite a pivotal year for you then. It must’ve been a brave move to move back down to San Diego. I love No Scrubs. It’s such a classic. I think all of us can relate to it at some point of our lives ha.
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Yes! I have dated at least one scrub. Why? Apparently I should have listened to TLC more.
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99 was my favourite year in life. I was in First Year at Uni, I met my best sister-friend, life was fun and smelled like Tia Maria and coke. I played the shit out of Barenaked Ladies, Dixie Chicks, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, and um, Heather Nova.
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Oh I loved Heather Nova! Her song “Maybe an Angel” also reminds me of my husband (I know that’s quite slushy of me). Also, loved a bit of Fun Lovin Criminals too. I -Er- used to really fancy Huey Morgan!
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Me, too!
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1999, the year I broke my back for the first time… compressed fracture.
Horrendous, or so I thought until ten years later I broke it s again but did much more harm and nearly ending up in a wheelchair! Never mind as to the music it has to be Fat Boy Slim . My eldest was and still is a huge fan still goes to Norman’s gigs .😊😊
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Oh my gosh Willow! How did you do that?! Twice?!
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The first time was at work when some boxes fell on me!! Second time I fainted in the kitchen at home, falling back into the breakfast bar and then the slate tiled floor. Funnily enough both accidents happened the day after the works Christmas do’s and on both occasions we had been dancing to ABBAs Dancing Queen. Which is definitely not on myplay list anymore. 💜
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Uh-oh I’d better remove it from my 1976 playlist!! Oh gosh- poor you. How awful and what bad luck!!
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It was horrendous but hey I am up and running 💜😁😁
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That is the main thing. Well done you x
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Never give up 💜😁
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What a year for film! So many sad things happened too. My little brother was born and it was my last year in primary school. I think I’m torn between Scar Tissue and No Scrubs as my favourite this week!
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Got to be one of the best years for film ever! 1999 is quite an important year for you then. TLC & RHCP are fine choices.
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Ooo I’m a bit partial to Fatboy Slim, despite the competition
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Love a bit of Fatboy, me.
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All great artists but Ive got to go with The Red Hot Chili Peppers. One of my faves in the 90’s
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Very good choice my friend.
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No Scrubs! I Try! Love!!!
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Yes! They are such 90s classics x
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Totally!
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RHCP are great as long as you don’t listen to the lyrics too closely–they hardly ever make any sense!
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That’s so true!
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TLC or Macey for me. Wow 1999. It’s scary how long ago that seems now. The dawn of a new millennium, eh?
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It is scary. It only seems about 5 years ago and not 20! Two very excellent choices there by the way.
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Why thank you!
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