The Mix Tapes Of The Year

1999

You know it's almost Christmas when the charts of the year start to come out. And the Billboard rundown has always been of special interest to me. Not least because a tape of the biggest hits is a handy way of remembering the year gone by.

Extending this idea, I've constructed a mix tape for the decade and a 3 CD box set for 1999.

These charts are based on those published in Billboard between the issues dated 98.12.05 and 99.11.27. They cover airplay - and sales, for the country, pop and R&B charts - between 98.11.17 and 99.11.15.

This is the first year that singles have been eligible to chart on the pop and R&B charts without being available in stores; the pop airplay panel also included full representation for country stations this year.

The lists I'll be looking at are:
Pop - the Billboard Hot 100 (tm)
Cn - Hot Country Sales and Tracks
R&B - Hot R&B Tracks.
AC - Adult Contemporary Tracks.
MR - Modern Rock. Known as "Alternative" until 1997.

Ordering by positioning on a good mix tape, without breaking order of chart (so #3 will come before #2.) A chart based on the calendar year would give a far stronger showing to Santana's "Smooth", which spent the last six weeks of the year atop the Hot 100, and has remained there for the following four weeks. It makes #19 pop.

These twenty songs will easily fit on a C90.
Billboard Hits of the Year
Pop #10 Livin La Vida Loca
- Ricky Martin The track that broke Ricky to the mass market spent five weeks at #1 in July and August.
Cn #3 Lesson In Leavin'
- Jo Dee Messina Three weeks at the top in April.
Pop#9, R&B#2 Nobody's Supposed To Be Here
- Deborah Cox Top of the R&B standings for five weeks at the start of the year, and #2 pop.
AC#3 You'll Be In My Heart
- Phil Collins. From the Tarzan soundtrack, Phil spent a record-equalling 19 weeks at the summit from late June. Though Phil is the only British act to get a sniff of these lists, there's more UK talent later. Confused? You won't be.
Pop#8 Every Morning
- Sugar Ray. Never released as a single, but made #5 in April. Remained popular all year.
MR#3, Pop#34 Scar Tissue
- Red Hot Chili Peppers. It spent a record-breaking 16 weeks at the top from June, but is overtaken by records hot throughout the year.
Pop#7 Genie In A Bottle
- Christina Aguilera. In a great year for young, Latin influenced acts, this lady qualified on both counts. Five weeks at the summit in August and September.
Cn#2 Write This Down
- George Strait. This promise of faithfulness spent a single week on top in May, but hung around the top 20 for six months.
Pop#6 Kiss Me
- Sixpence None The Richer. The most played song globally this year, and a #2 hit in the US.
AC#2 From This Moment On
- Shania Twain. The fourth single lifted from 'Come On Over', and the biggest on the AC lists.
Pop#5 ...Baby One More Time
- Britney Spears. The biggest debut single of the year spent three weeks at the top in January.
MR#2, Pop#28 What It's Like
- Everlast. The former House of Pain frontman took this a subtle rap to the top for three weeks in January.
Pop#4, R&B#3 Heartbreak Hotel
- Whitney Houston, Faith Evans and Kelly Price. The first release from 'My Love Is Your Love' spent seven weeks at the top of the R&B lists in spring, but only made #3 pop.
AC#1, Pop#18 Angel
- Sarah MacLachlan. Started out as the b-side to "Adia", but got its own release in March.
Cn#1 Amazed
- Lonestar Those of you picking this tune up now that adult radio is spinning it will be surprised to find it spent a record-smashing eight weeks at the top from July. It's the longest run since 1966.
Pop#3 Angel Of Mine
- Monica Written and recorded by British soul trio Eternal in 1996, Monica took this note-for-note cover to the chart summit for three weeks in February.
R&B#1, Pop#24 Fortunate
- Maxwell Written and produced by R Kelly, this track from the 'Life' soundtrack spent eight weeks in pole position from May to July.
Pop#2 No Scrubs
- TLC The comeback song for T-boz, Left Eye and Chilie was a surefire chart-topper, spending three weeks at the top in May.
MR#1 My Own Worst Enemy
- Lit Seven weeks leading the way between March and May meant this was always looking to lead the annual charge.
Pop#1 Believe
- Cher Produced and mixed by an all-British team, and the UK's biggest-selling single of 1998, Cher staged one of the most unlikely comebacks of the year when this single spent five weeks ahead of all comers in April and May.

Tape of the Decade
Set You Free (Lost Souls Mix)
- N-Trance Originally a very minor hit in April 1994, this sax-heavy female vocal - with a rapping middle from Ricardo da Force - looked like being one of the decade's biggest slipped discs. Until the team remixed the version into a hard house genre, and took a #2 hit in February 1995.
Second Nature
- Electronic Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner haven't been the most prolific pairing, releasing just three full-length albums. This track, from the sophomore set, is Sumner's autobiography set to a simple beat and cascading chords. From their 1996 album, "Release the Pressure".
Iris
- Goo Goo Dolls A towering monument to the ravages of time, "Iris" became the soundtrack to summer 98. Re-creating much of the angst rock of the early part of the decade, combining with an epic guitar sound and crushing, plagent structure to give an unforgettable classic. Only ever a minor hit in the UK, but #1 MR in the States. From the 1998 "City Of Angels" soundtrack and album "Dizzy Up The Girl".
Regret
- New Order When not busy with Electronic, Bernard Sumner returned to his original band, New Order. The album "Regret" was inspired by the Ibiza dance culture of the early 90s, and sings of sun-kissed beaches and heady optimism. From the 1993 album "Regret", a #4 hit single in the UK.
Staring At The Sun
- U2 Veering away from the stadium rock that brought them as much critical flak as punter pound during the 1980s, U2 slowly reinvented themselves as a dance-rock act. The evolution can be traced through the experimental "Achtung Baby!" and the dancified "Zooropa" before arriving at "Pop". This track defines the U2 sound of the decade, fusing Bono's deep lyrics with a slide guitar and heavy beat pattern. From the 1997 album "Pop", a #3 UK hit.
One Headlight
- The Wallflowers How can the son of a famous father ever live up to his heritage? If you are Jakob Dylan, son of Bob, the answer is simple; write this song. Structurally simple, Jakob talking over a guitar sequence, the song has more depths than any of Pater's work this decade. From the 1996 album "Tearing Down The House", never a UK hit but #1 MR in the US.
Swallowed
- Bush Aside from the Spice Girls, Gavin Rossendale's band has been the biggest UK export to the US this decade, effortlessly elbowing aside such fly-by-night men as George Michael, EMF and Phil Collins. Yet they remain unknown in their home country. As this monolith of grunge shows, they will remain acceptable long after the fashion has faded. From the 1996 album "Sixteen Stone", a #8 UK hit and #1 MR.
#1 Crush
- Garbage If the visual imagery in the video for "Swallowed" invoked Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet", this was the definitive article. The lead track off the soundtrack album saw Shirley Manson and the boys display a crushing vow of the finality of this emotion. It's on the basis of this track that they got the James Bond theme three years later. From the 1996 soundtrack to "Romeo + Juliet", a #1 MR hit.
Yes
- McAlmont & Butler After leaving fey rockers Suede, Bernard Butler needed something to pay the bills. He worked for a week with David McAlmont, the man with the voice of an angel. This - and ten other tracks - was the result, existing in an overoptimistic world where anything is possible. From the 1995 album "The Sound Of McAlmont & Butler", a #9 UK hit.
High Enough
- Damn Yankess From the early part of the decade, proof that there was life before grunge. This was one of many soft rock ballads that rose in the USA without making any dent in the UK. Crashing guitars, soaring vocals in a minor key, it's all here. From the 1990 album "High Enough", a #3 US hit.
Perfect Day
- Various Artists Brought together by the BBC for a 1997 promotional video, and later a single, this is nothing less than a galaxy of stars recreating Lou Reed's classic "Perfect Day". Thanks to superb production and sensitive editing, the whole is a great deal more than the sum of its parts. Notable also as the final recording of Tammy Wynette. From the 1997 single "Perfect Day", a #1 UK hit.
I Will Remember You
- Sarah MacLachlan Before embarking on the self-promotion tour that was "Lilith Fair", the Halifax native had already built up a cult following on the basis of her ability to play piano and sing at the same time. This track is a prime example; a live version on 1999's "Mirrorball" gave her a #12 US hit. From the 1995 album "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy".
Winter
- Tori Amos Before Sarah came Tori. The preacher's daughter rose to fame in 1991 off her haunting live shows, and retained a massive, hugely loyal fan base as her music moved from simple piano-vocal songs to complex, experimental and dancey styles. From the 1992 album "Little Earthquakes", and a #23 UK hit.
You Were Meant For Me
- Jewel The story of Jewel Kilcher has been related often enough that Reader's Digest did a cover article on it. Suffice to say that this was the song that raised Jewel from folk-singer-signed-to-a-major-label obscurity to you-know-she-who-sings-that-song fame. With a lot of help from beneficial chart rules, the song spent 67 weeks on the Billboard charts, a record that looks set to last a very long time indeed. From the 1995 album "Pieces Of You", a #2 BB hit, #1 AC and Adult Top 40, but only #32 UK.
She Cries Your Name
- Beth Orton If Britain must have an answer to Jewel, it would be a female singer-songwriter who combines folk with a modern sensibility. Step forward, then, Beth Orton, who has been turning heads and gaining fans ever since her 1996 debut. From the 1997 album "She Cries Your Name", a #40 UK hit.
Your Woman
- White Town The song had one-hit wonder written over it right from the start. Jyhoti Mishra got his distribution label deal on the strength of this song being heard on Marc Radcliffe's radio show, and could proudly say he'd recorded it all in his own bedroom. After the hit became the first song sung by a man from a woman's point of view ever to top the charts, White Town vanished into obscurity. From the 1997 album "Women And Technology", #1 UK, #6 MR.
If I Had A Million Dollars
- Barenaked Ladies Before they became famous with "One Week", the BNL had been writing quirky numbers all decade, and building up a huge touring fan base. This live favourite describes what the band members would do with a million bucks. Kraft dinners... ready... aim... fire. From the 1992 album "Gordon", a Canadian #1.
Susan's House
- Eels The combination of piano figure and vocoder vocals should never work, but they do. Perhaps it's the haunting piano figure, reminiscent of every Mike Post television theme ever, or the imagery the song generates. From the 1997 album "Beautiful Freak", a #10 UK hit.
I Believe I Can Fly
- R Kelly One of the decade's most prolific writers and producers is also a major recording artist in his own right. This track, the first lifted from his third studio album, remains one of the most uplifting songs of the decade. From the 1996 soundtrack to "Space Jam", and the 1997 album "R". #1 in UK and US.
Give Me A Little More Time
- Gabrielle The top British R&B singer of the decade hasn't been prolific at all; just three albums under her belt by the end of the decade. This was the Mowtown-esque standout from the second set. From the 1996 album "Gabrielle", a #4 UK hit.
No Matter What
- Meatloaf Meatloaf and Jim Steinmann reunited this decade for "Bat Out Of Hell II" before going their separate ways again. Their paths crossed again when Steinmann was writing with Andrew Lloyd Webber on "Whistle Down The Wind" and was looking for a heavy vocal for the musical's lead track. Mr Loaf fitted the bill, though the hit version was recorded by Irish boy band Boyzone. From the 1999 single "Is Nothing Sacred".

Box Set of the Year
50 every morning -sugar ray #4 US, #6 UK. From the album "Astro Lounge".
49 at my most beautiful - rem #10 UK. From the album "Up".
48 bugs - hepburn #16 UK. From the album "Hepburn".
47 its only us - robbie williams #1 UK. From the soundtrack to "FIFA 2000".
46 that dont impress me much - shania twain #1 UK, #2 US. From the 1997 album "Come On Over".
45 amazed - lone star #1 Country.
44 summer girls - lfo #10 US, #13 UK. From the album "LFO".
43 tender - blur #2 UK. From the album "13".
42 tears from a willow - ooberman #61 UK. From the album "The Magic Treehouse".
41 inside out - Eve 6 #1 MR, #8 US. From the album "Eve 6".
40 diamond of light - Estonia's entry to Eurovision 99.
39 before you - chantal krezivauk #1 Canada.
38 lovestruck - madness #10 UK, the drinking song of the year, from the album "Wonderful".
37 down so long - jewel #6 Canada, #35 UK, from the album "Spirit".
36 keep a lid on things - crash test dummies #4 Canada, most obscure and confusing lyrics of the year, from the album "Keep A Lid On Things".
35 smile - vitamin c #34 US.
34 learn to fly - foo fighters With the drag video. #21 UK, #1 MR. "There Is Nothing Left To Lose"
33 praise you - fatboy slim With the people in the hotel lobby video. #2 UK, #46 US. "You've Come A Long Way Baby"
32 buses and trains - bachelor girl From the slipped discs pile.
31 girl of my dreams - moffatts #1 Canada. "Volume 1: A New Beginning".
30 my own worst enemy - lit #1 MR, #16 UK. "A Place In The Sun"
29 smooth - santana featuring rob thomas #1 US, #75 UK. "Supernatural"
28 you'll be in my heart - phil collins #1 AC, #19 UK. "Tarzan OST"
27 everything is everything - lauryn hill #7 US, #15 UK. "The Miseducation Of..."
26 maria - blondie The first new single after a twenty year absence. #1 UK, #18 AT40. "No Exit"
25 the animal song - savage garden From the soundtrack to "The Other Sister", #24 US, #17 UK. "Affirmation"
24 blue (da ba dee) - eifell 65 The European smash of the summer. #1 UK, #17 (and climbing) US. "Europop"
23 drinking in la - bran van 3000 Re-released from May 98. #2 UK. "Bran Van 3000"
22 walk like a panther - all seeing i Written and performed by Jarvis Cocker. #10 UK. "Pickled Eggs and Sherbert"
21 heartbreak hotel - whitney houston, faith evans, kelly price #1 RB. "My Love Is Your Love"
20 bobcaygeon - tragically hip Canada's biggest hidden talents. #1 Canada.
19 give it to you - jordan knight Former New Kid has another hit. #10 US, #12 UK.
18 steal my sunshine - len Took six months to cross the Atlantic. #1 Canada, #8 US, #7 (and climbing) UK. "You Can't Stop The Bum Rush"
17 seventeen again - eurythmics The one where Annie revisits "Sweet Dreams". #18 MR; UK release in the new year. "Peace".
16 what it's like - everlast #1 MR, #32 UK. "...changes"
15 goddess on a hiway - mercury rev Re-released from '98. #31 UK. "Deserter's Songs"
14 hey leonardo (she likes me for me) - blessid union of souls Recorded after a chance encounter with Mr DiCaprio in a restaurant. #24 US.
13 scar tissue - red hot chili peppers #1 MR, #14 UK. "Californication"
12 better days (and the bottom drops out) - citizen king A boppy, upbeat tune about a disaster. #2 MR, #33 US.
11 love lift me - amanda marshall The comeback single from the original medusa of the pop world. #1 Canada. "Tuesday's Child"
10 it's all been done - barenaked ladies The one with the goldfish in the bowl video. #1 Canada, #32 US, #37 UK. "Stunt"
9 kiss me - sixpence none the richer #1 UK, #2 US. "Sixpence None The Richer"
8 eleven to fly - tintinout featuring shelly nelson The four minute pop symphony. #32 UK. "Eleven To Fly"
7 last kiss - pearl jam From Christmas single to charity support track. #1 MR, #2 US, #42 UK. "No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees".
6 iris - goo goo dolls See above.
5 you get what you give - new radicals The rebellious youth song of the year. #3 UK, #6 MR, #37 US
4 higher - creed The upbeat, optimistic track of the year. #1 MR; UK release 2000-01-03.
3 closing time - semisonic From #2 last year. #1 MR, #13 US, #19 UK. "Feeling Strangely Fine"
2 beautiful day - 3 colours red The ballad of the year. #10 UK. "Revolt"
1 i try - macy gray Just listen. #3 UK. "On How Life Is"

Billboard Hits of the Year
Pop #10	Livin La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin	The track that broke Ricky to the mass market spent five weeks at #1 in July and August.
Cn #3	Lesson In Leavin' - Jo Dee Messina	Three weeks at the top in April.
Pop#9, R&B#2	Nobody's Supposed To Be Here - Deborah Cox	Top of the R&B standings for five weeks at the start of the year, and #2 pop.
AC#3	You'll Be In My Heart - Phil Collins.	From the Tarzan soundtrack, Phil spent a record-equalling 19 weeks at the summit from late June. Though Phil is the only British act to get a sniff of these lists, there's more UK talent later. Confused? You won't be.
Pop#8	Every Morning - Sugar Ray.	Never released as a single, but made #5 in April. Remained popular all year.
MR#3, Pop#34	Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers.	It spent a record-breaking 16 weeks at the top from June, but is overtaken by records hot throughout the year.
Pop#7	Genie In A Bottle - Christina Aguilera.	In a great year for young, Latin influenced acts, this lady qualified on both counts. Five weeks at the summit in August and September.
Cn#2	Write This Down - George Strait.	This promise of faithfulness spent a single week on top in May, but hung around the top 20 for six months.
Pop#6	Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer.	The most played song globally this year, and a #2 hit in the US.
AC#2	From This Moment On - Shania Twain.	The fourth single lifted from 'Come On Over', and the biggest on the AC lists.
Pop#5	...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears.	The biggest debut single of the year spent three weeks at the top in January.
MR#2, Pop#28	What It's Like - Everlast.	The former House of Pain frontman took this a subtle rap to the top for three weeks in January.
Pop#4, R&B#3	Heartbreak Hotel - Whitney Houston, Faith Evans and Kelly Price.	The first release from 'My Love Is Your Love' spent seven weeks at the top of the R&B lists in spring, but only made #3 pop.
AC#1, Pop#18	Angel - Sarah MacLachlan.	Started out as the b-side to "Adia", but got its own release in March.
Cn#1	Amazed - Lonestar	Those of you picking this tune up now that adult radio is spinning it will be surprised to find it spent a record-smashing eight weeks at the top from July. It's the longest run since 1966.
Pop#3	Angel Of Mine - Monica	Written and recorded by British soul trio Eternal in 1996, Monica took this note-for-note cover to the chart summit for three weeks in February.
R&B#1, Pop#24	Fortunate - Maxwell	Written and produced by R Kelly, this track from the 'Life' soundtrack spent eight weeks in pole position from May to July.
Pop#2	No Scrubs - TLC	The comeback song for T-boz, Left Eye and Chilie was a surefire chart-topper, spending three weeks at the top in May.
MR#1	My Own Worst Enemy - Lit	Seven weeks leading the way between March and May meant this was always looking to lead the annual charge.
Pop#1	Believe - Cher	Produced and mixed by an all-British team, and the UK's biggest-selling single of 1998, Cher staged one of the most unlikely comebacks of the year when this single spent five weeks ahead of all comers in April and May.

Tape of the Decade
Set You Free (Lost Souls Mix) - N-Trance	Originally a very minor hit in April 1994, this sax-heavy female vocal - with a rapping middle from Ricardo da Force - looked like being one of the decade's biggest slipped discs. Until the team remixed the version into a hard house genre, and took a #2 hit in February 1995.
Second Nature - Electronic	Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner haven't been the most prolific pairing, releasing just three full-length albums. This track, from the sophomore set, is Sumner's autobiography set to a simple beat and cascading chords. From their 1996 album, "Release the Pressure".
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls	A towering monument to the ravages of time, "Iris" became the soundtrack to summer 98. Re-creating much of the angst rock of the early part of the decade, combining with an epic guitar sound and crushing, plagent structure to give an unforgettable classic. Only ever a minor hit in the UK, but #1 MR in the States. From the 1998 "City Of Angels" soundtrack and album "Dizzy Up The Girl".
Regret - New Order	When not busy with Electronic, Bernard Sumner returned to his original band, New Order. The album "Regret" was inspired by the Ibiza dance culture of the early 90s, and sings of sun-kissed beaches and heady optimism. From the 1993 album "Regret", a #4 hit single in the UK.
Staring At The Sun - U2	Veering away from the stadium rock that brought them as much critical flak as punter pound during the 1980s, U2 slowly reinvented themselves as a dance-rock act. The evolution can be traced through the experimental "Achtung Baby!" and the dancified "Zooropa" before arriving at "Pop". This track defines the U2 sound of the decade, fusing Bono's deep lyrics with a slide guitar and heavy beat pattern. From the 1997 album "Pop", a #3 UK hit.
One Headlight - The Wallflowers	How can the son of a famous father ever live up to his heritage? If you are Jakob Dylan, son of Bob, the answer is simple; write this song. Structurally simple, Jakob talking over a guitar sequence, the song has more depths than any of Pater's work this decade. From the 1996 album "Tearing Down The House", never a UK hit but #1 MR in the US.
Swallowed - Bush	Aside from the Spice Girls, Gavin Rossendale's band has been the biggest UK export to the US this decade, effortlessly elbowing aside such fly-by-night men as George Michael, EMF and Phil Collins. Yet they remain unknown in their home country. As this monolith of grunge shows, they will remain acceptable long after the fashion has faded. From the 1996 album "Sixteen Stone", a #8 UK hit and #1 MR.
#1 Crush - Garbage	If the visual imagery in the video for "Swallowed" invoked Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet", this was the definitive article. The lead track off the soundtrack album saw Shirley Manson and the boys display a crushing vow of the finality of this emotion. It's on the basis of this track that they got the James Bond theme three years later. From the 1996 soundtrack to "Romeo + Juliet", a #1 MR hit.
Yes - McAlmont & Butler	After leaving fey rockers Suede, Bernard Butler needed something to pay the bills. He worked for a week with David McAlmont, the man with the voice of an angel. This - and ten other tracks - was the result, existing in an overoptimistic world where anything is possible. From the 1995 album "The Sound Of McAlmont & Butler", a #9 UK hit.
High Enough - Damn Yankess	From the early part of the decade, proof that there was life before grunge. This was one of many soft rock ballads that rose in the USA without making any dent in the UK. Crashing guitars, soaring vocals in a minor key, it's all here. From the 1990 album "High Enough", a #3 US hit.
Perfect Day - Various Artists	Brought together by the BBC for a 1997 promotional video, and later a single, this is nothing less than a galaxy of stars recreating Lou Reed's classic "Perfect Day". Thanks to superb production and sensitive editing, the whole is a great deal more than the sum of its parts. Notable also as the final recording of Tammy Wynette. From the 1997 single "Perfect Day", a #1 UK hit.
I Will Remember You - Sarah MacLachlan	Before embarking on the self-promotion tour that was "Lilith Fair", the Halifax native had already built up a cult following on the basis of her ability to play piano and sing at the same time. This track is a prime example; a live version on 1999's "Mirrorball" gave her a #12 US hit. From the 1995 album "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy".
Winter - Tori Amos	Before Sarah came Tori. The preacher's daughter rose to fame in 1991 off her haunting live shows, and retained a massive, hugely loyal fan base as her music moved from simple piano-vocal songs to complex, experimental and dancey styles. From the 1992 album "Little Earthquakes", and a #23 UK hit.
You Were Meant For Me - Jewel	The story of Jewel Kilcher has been related often enough that Reader's Digest did a cover article on it. Suffice to say that this was the song that raised Jewel from folk-singer-signed-to-a-major-label obscurity to you-know-she-who-sings-that-song fame. With a lot of help from beneficial chart rules, the song spent 67 weeks on the Billboard charts, a record that looks set to last a very long time indeed. From the 1995 album "Pieces Of You", a #2 BB hit, #1 AC and Adult Top 40, but only #32 UK.
She Cries Your Name - Beth Orton	If Britain must have an answer to Jewel, it would be a female singer-songwriter who combines folk with a modern sensibility. Step forward, then, Beth Orton, who has been turning heads and gaining fans ever since her 1996 debut. From the 1997 album "She Cries Your Name", a #40 UK hit.
Your Woman - White Town	The song had one-hit wonder written over it right from the start. Jyhoti Mishra got his distribution label deal on the strength of this song being heard on Marc Radcliffe's radio show, and could proudly say he'd recorded it all in his own bedroom. After the hit became the first song sung by a man from a woman's point of view ever to top the charts, White Town vanished into obscurity. From the 1997 album "Women And Technology", #1 UK, #6 MR.
If I Had A Million Dollars - Barenaked Ladies	Before they became famous with "One Week", the BNL had been writing quirky numbers all decade, and building up a huge touring fan base. This live favourite describes what the band members would do with a million bucks. Kraft dinners... ready... aim... fire. From the 1992 album "Gordon", a Canadian #1.
Susan's House - Eels	The combination of piano figure and vocoder vocals should never work, but they do. Perhaps it's the haunting piano figure, reminiscent of every Mike Post television theme ever, or the imagery the song generates. From the 1997 album "Beautiful Freak", a #10 UK hit.
I Believe I Can Fly - R Kelly	One of the decade's most prolific writers and producers is also a major recording artist in his own right. This track, the first lifted from his third studio album, remains one of the most uplifting songs of the decade. From the 1996 soundtrack to "Space Jam", and the 1997 album "R". #1 in UK and US.
Give Me A Little More Time - Gabrielle	The top British R&B singer of the decade hasn't been prolific at all; just three albums under her belt by the end of the decade. This was the Mowtown-esque standout from the second set. From the 1996 album "Gabrielle", a #4 UK hit.
No Matter What - Meatloaf	Meatloaf and Jim Steinmann reunited this decade for "Bat Out Of Hell II" before going their separate ways again. Their paths crossed again when Steinmann was writing with Andrew Lloyd Webber on "Whistle Down The Wind" and was looking for a heavy vocal for the musical's lead track. Mr Loaf fitted the bill, though the hit version was recorded by Irish boy band Boyzone. From the 1999 single "Is Nothing Sacred".

Box Set of the Year
50	every morning -sugar ray	#4 US, #6 UK. From the album "Astro Lounge".
49	at my most beautiful - rem	#10 UK. From the album "Up".
48	bugs - hepburn	#16 UK. From the album "Hepburn".
47	its only us - robbie williams	#1 UK. From the soundtrack to "FIFA 2000".
46	that dont impress me much - shania twain	#1 UK, #2 US. From the 1997 album "Come On Over".
45	amazed - lone star	#1 Country.
44	summer girls - lfo	#10 US, #13 UK. From the album "LFO".
43	tender - blur	#2 UK. From the album "13".
42	tears from a willow - ooberman	#61 UK. From the album "The Magic Treehouse".
41	inside out - Eve 6	#1 MR, #8 US. From the album "Eve 6".
40	diamond of light -	Estonia's entry to Eurovision 99.
39	before you - chantal krezivauk	#1 Canada.
38	lovestruck - madness	#10 UK, the drinking song of the year, from the album "Wonderful".
37	down so long - jewel	#6 Canada, #35 UK, from the album "Spirit".
36	keep a lid on things - crash test dummies	#4 Canada, most obscure and confusing lyrics of the year, from the album "Keep A Lid On Things".
35	smile - vitamin c	#34 US.
34	learn to fly - foo fighters	With the drag video. #21 UK, #1 MR. "There Is Nothing Left To Lose"
33	praise you - fatboy slim	With the people in the hotel lobby video. #2 UK, #46 US. "You've Come A Long Way Baby"
32	buses and trains - bachelor girl	From the slipped discs pile.
31	girl of my dreams - moffatts	#1 Canada. "Volume 1: A New Beginning".
30	my own worst enemy - lit	#1 MR, #16 UK. "A Place In The Sun"
29	smooth - santana featuring rob thomas	#1 US, #75 UK. "Supernatural"
28	you'll be in my heart - phil collins	#1 AC, #19 UK. "Tarzan OST"
27	everything is everything - lauryn hill	#7 US, #15 UK. "The Miseducation Of..."
26	maria - blondie	The first new single after a twenty year absence. #1 UK, #18 AT40. "No Exit"
25	the animal song - savage garden	From the soundtrack to "The Other Sister", #24 US, #17 UK. "Affirmation"
24	blue (da ba dee) - eifell 65	The European smash of the summer. #1 UK, #17 (and climbing) US. "Europop"
23	drinking in la - bran van 3000	Re-released from May 98. #2 UK. "Bran Van 3000"
22	walk like a panther - all seeing i	Written and performed by Jarvis Cocker. #10 UK. "Pickled Eggs and Sherbert"
21	heartbreak hotel - whitney houston, faith evans, kelly price	#1 RB. "My Love Is Your Love"
20	bobcaygeon - tragically hip	Canada's biggest hidden talents. #1 Canada.
19	give it to you - jordan knight	Former New Kid has another hit. #10 US, #12 UK.
18	steal my sunshine - len	Took six months to cross the Atlantic. #1 Canada, #8 US, #7 (and climbing) UK. "You Can't Stop The Bum Rush"
17	seventeen again - eurythmics	The one where Annie revisits "Sweet Dreams". #18 MR; UK release in the new year. "Peace".
16	what it's like - everlast	#1 MR, #32 UK. "...changes"
15	goddess on a hiway - mercury rev	Re-released from '98. #31 UK. "Deserter's Songs"
14	hey leonardo (she likes me for me) - blessid union of souls	Recorded after a chance encounter with Mr DiCaprio in a restaurant. #24 US.
13	scar tissue - red hot chili peppers	#1 MR, #14 UK. "Californication"
12	better days (and the bottom drops out) - citizen king	A boppy, upbeat tune about a disaster. #2 MR, #33 US.
11	love lift me - amanda marshall	The comeback single from the original medusa of the pop world. #1 Canada. "Tuesday's Child"
10	it's all been done - barenaked ladies	The one with the goldfish in the bowl video. #1 Canada, #32 US, #37 UK. "Stunt"
9	kiss me - sixpence none the richer	#1 UK, #2 US. "Sixpence None The Richer"
8	eleven to fly - tintinout featuring shelly nelson	The four minute pop symphony. #32 UK. "Eleven To Fly"
7	last kiss - pearl jam	From Christmas single to charity support track. #1 MR, #2 US, #42 UK. "No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees".
6	iris - goo goo dolls	See above.
5	you get what you give - new radicals	The rebellious youth song of the year. #3 UK, #6 MR, #37 US
4	higher - creed	The upbeat, optimistic track of the year. #1 MR; UK release 2000-01-03.
3	closing time - semisonic	From #2 last year. #1 MR, #13 US, #19 UK. "Feeling Strangely Fine"
2	beautiful day - 3 colours red	The ballad of the year. #10 UK. "Revolt"
1	i try - macy gray	Just listen. #3 UK. "On How Life Is"

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dec 23 99

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