Remember 'Sweet Like Chocolate' from the time, quite liked it even if it was a bit twee.

Definitely more interesting than Haven - I Run our current garage hit!

4 hours ago, gooddelta said:

No I don't think we did get them here! But sure it's a very similar art design to what was shown before Coronation Street.

Indeed they are similar. I remember these too because my parents watched Corrie. Skip to 9:54 for a bit of garage!

Edited Saturday at 16:484 days by TheSnake

'Right Here Right Now' is my favourite hit single of 1999, so I also prefer it to 'Praise You', but that is still brilliant as well and the flash mob video is a great watch.

I remember the Lou Bega song soundtracking one of my gymnastics classes as a young girl and my mind was blown to find out that it wasn't a Bob the Builder original my mind still goes to "...Bob the Builder man" despite the Bega song being such a smash hit. I do like a bit of Perez Prado, such as the source material, also aforementioned 'Guaglione' and his own #1 'Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White'.

I think Shrek 2 was my introduction to 'Livin' La Vida Loca'. It's undeniably energetic and good fun when it's on but not one I particularly seek out.

Good to see some UK Garage in the mix with 'Sweet Like Chocolate' I understand people's criticisms of it but I think the cutesy vocals and bouncy production are pretty dreamy. 'Straight From the Heart' was great too!

I am a big fan of "Livin' La Vida Loca" - that one is much higher in my list - one of the songs of 1999. It has that pure summer feel of freedom.

"Praise You", "Sweet Like Chocolate" and "Mambo #5" are all slightly higher for me and among my Top 15.

Here are my places 20 to 16:

20 S Club 7 - Bring It All Back 7.5/10

Nice teenie pop song, but there is so much quality ahead that this has to be ranked at #20

19 Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away 7.5/10

Quite similar to your ranking, but it is not as good as "It Ain't Over Til It's Over"

18 Vengaboys - Boom Boom Boom 7.5/10

Very catchy dance song, but a bit cheesy.

17 Vengaboys "We're Going To Ibiza" 8/10

Very catchy dance song, but a bit cheesy.

16 The Offspring - Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) 8/10

Nice alternative rock song - very catchy.

9 hours ago, gooddelta said:

No I don't think we did get them here! But sure it's a very similar art design to what was shown before Coronation Street.

Oh yes, those designs are very similar.

It may be bias but I do prefer the Australia ads, just for the use of Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys.

'Flying WithoutWings' is a nice enough track from them so no complaints about it being inside the top 20 likewise 'Blame It On The Weatherman'.

'Praise You' an utter classic and iconic video to go with it, would be higher for me. Lou's 'Mambo No 5' is a fun ditty that I enjoy when I hear it but not one I'd choose to listen to though.

'Livin La Vida Loca' another classic and 'Sweet Like Chocolate' is joyful and cute too. Both of these would be about the same position for me here!

I bought Sweet Like Chocolate at the time but I really don't like it much at all, I don't even think I did back in 1999 to be honest. It's fine but there were much better garage tracks around that I'd rather have seen have that level of success. I'd probably say it's a 6/10 maybe.

Praise You is up there with Lenny Kravitz as my favourite to fall so far. At the time I can remember being really surprised it made #1 as it seemed to me like a weaker single than either The Rockafeller Skank or Gangster Trippin had been, plus it was after the album release too... but I think it's aged well and I definitely prefer it to Gangster now, and maybe even Rockafeller on some days. I revisited the album last year and I think it's held up really well as one of the defining dance albums of the 90s, Soul Surfing in particular has always been a summer fave for me.

Lou Bega and Ricky Martin both have tracks that I hold in similar regard, they're tipping over into novelty but in a way that is just really fun and quite infectious. I'd never have dreamed of buying either but I did secretly quite like them, and that's still where I'm at with them today. Mambo no.5 is just a great example of the type of song that would periodically smash in the 90s - something I quite miss from the charts these days as those type of songs often end up being really memorable and help to almost anchor an era, albeit 1999 had more than its fair share of them with a few still to come in here. I'm possibly being a bit harsh calling Livin' La Vida Loca a novelty track as to be fair it is more of a decent pop track with quite a lot of hooks, I'd probably say this and Mambo are about 7.5-8/10s for me.

18 hours ago, My Random Music said:

Garage was having a bit of a dry spell in the Top 40 when "Sweet Like Chocolate" topped the charts. The only UK Garage records I can think of that we'd had in the Top 40 in 1999 up to that point was the two Da Click records. Then afterwards aside from the re-issue of "Straight From The Heart" I don't think there was anything until we got the Dreem Teem, Artful Dodger and DJ Luck & MC Neat at the end of the year.

I love UK Garage but "Sweet Like Chocolate" was far too cheesy for me. I thought garage was going to fizzle out commercially after it topped the charts but then it became bigger than ever the following year.

Yes, I think you're right, I can't think of any others either. Yet 2000 was littered with garage songs, lots of top 40 hits as well as the bigger classics and then pop hits with garage production. It's surprising that it took so long after Sweet Like Chocolate for another big hit to come along in the genre.

17 hours ago, TheSnake said:

Remember 'Sweet Like Chocolate' from the time, quite liked it even if it was a bit twee.

Definitely more interesting than Haven - I Run our current garage hit!

Indeed they are similar. I remember these too because my parents watched Corrie. Skip to 9:54 for a bit of garage!

Suno's attempt at garage.

Thanks for pointing that part of the video out as I didn't watch it all the way through. Garage before Corrie

17 hours ago, Jade said:

'Right Here Right Now' is my favourite hit single of 1999, so I also prefer it to 'Praise You', but that is still brilliant as well and the flash mob video is a great watch.

I remember the Lou Bega song soundtracking one of my gymnastics classes as a young girl and my mind was blown to find out that it wasn't a Bob the Builder original my mind still goes to "...Bob the Builder man" despite the Bega song being such a smash hit. I do like a bit of Perez Prado, such as the source material, also aforementioned 'Guaglione' and his own #1 'Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White'.

I think Shrek 2 was my introduction to 'Livin' La Vida Loca'. It's undeniably energetic and good fun when it's on but not one I particularly seek out.

Good to see some UK Garage in the mix with 'Sweet Like Chocolate' I understand people's criticisms of it but I think the cutesy vocals and bouncy production are pretty dreamy. 'Straight From the Heart' was great too!

Yeah Right Here Right Now was so good, definitely would have been high on my rank had it gone all the way. But Praise You is also strong, I liked all four singles from the album.

Haha, love that tale about Lou. That must have sounded like quite an inspired song from Bob if one wasn't aware it was a cover!

16 hours ago, DaTilt said:

I am a big fan of "Livin' La Vida Loca" - that one is much higher in my list - one of the songs of 1999. It has that pure summer feel of freedom.

"Praise You", "Sweet Like Chocolate" and "Mambo #5" are all slightly higher for me and among my Top 15.

Here are my places 20 to 16:

20 S Club 7 - Bring It All Back 7.5/10

Nice teenie pop song, but there is so much quality ahead that this has to be ranked at #20

19 Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away 7.5/10

Quite similar to your ranking, but it is not as good as "It Ain't Over Til It's Over"

18 Vengaboys - Boom Boom Boom 7.5/10

Very catchy dance song, but a bit cheesy.

17 Vengaboys "We're Going To Ibiza" 8/10

Very catchy dance song, but a bit cheesy.

16 The Offspring - Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) 8/10

Nice alternative rock song - very catchy.

I was surprised to find out Livin' La Vida Loca peaked only at No.6 in Germany, does it feel like a classic single that was overlooked at the time for a higher peak, or were there just loads of other gigantic hits out in Germany in summer 1999?

12 hours ago, Roba. said:

'Flying WithoutWings' is a nice enough track from them so no complaints about it being inside the top 20 likewise 'Blame It On The Weatherman'.

'Praise You' an utter classic and iconic video to go with it, would be higher for me. Lou's 'Mambo No 5' is a fun ditty that I enjoy when I hear it but not one I'd choose to listen to though.

'Livin La Vida Loca' another classic and 'Sweet Like Chocolate' is joyful and cute too. Both of these would be about the same position for me here!

Just realised that out of all seven Irish No.1s in 1999, Blame It On The Weatherman was the highest! Obviously if Runaway by The Corrs had gone a place higher it would have been a different story.

11 hours ago, dandy* said:

I bought Sweet Like Chocolate at the time but I really don't like it much at all, I don't even think I did back in 1999 to be honest. It's fine but there were much better garage tracks around that I'd rather have seen have that level of success. I'd probably say it's a 6/10 maybe.

Praise You is up there with Lenny Kravitz as my favourite to fall so far. At the time I can remember being really surprised it made #1 as it seemed to me like a weaker single than either The Rockafeller Skank or Gangster Trippin had been, plus it was after the album release too... but I think it's aged well and I definitely prefer it to Gangster now, and maybe even Rockafeller on some days. I revisited the album last year and I think it's held up really well as one of the defining dance albums of the 90s, Soul Surfing in particular has always been a summer fave for me.

Lou Bega and Ricky Martin both have tracks that I hold in similar regard, they're tipping over into novelty but in a way that is just really fun and quite infectious. I'd never have dreamed of buying either but I did secretly quite like them, and that's still where I'm at with them today. Mambo no.5 is just a great example of the type of song that would periodically smash in the 90s - something I quite miss from the charts these days as those type of songs often end up being really memorable and help to almost anchor an era, albeit 1999 had more than its fair share of them with a few still to come in here. I'm possibly being a bit harsh calling Livin' La Vida Loca a novelty track as to be fair it is more of a decent pop track with quite a lot of hooks, I'd probably say this and Mambo are about 7.5-8/10s for me.

Agreed, it's far from the best garage song, but apart from maybe Flowers I can't really think of one that had more widespread appeal to a span of age groups, so I do see why it was so huge.

Yes, on a personal level I prefer The Rockafeller Skank and Right Here, Right Now, both of which I listen to a lot, but I'm glad he got a No.1 to his name from this landmark album. I remember on Hits '99 they mistakenly included Build It Up - Tear It Down from the album (it was labelled as Gangster Trippin' on the back cover), I was very confused.

I know what you mean about those songs, I miss the days something just huge sounding from a continental European artist could go to No.1 just because it is fun and catchy. And you're right, 1999 was full of these songs.

13. Vengaboys - Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!

Rank: 8.5/10

Reason: After an impressive top five debut off the bat in late 1998 with Up and Down, and then the much bigger top three follow up We Like To Party! (The Vengabus) in early 1999, many Eurodance acts might have thought 'let's go home now, we've had our signature hit, we won't top this'. But Vengaboys had another ace up their sleeve in the summer single Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! Perfecting the Dutch act's formula, with amped up production and energy even on top of the previous two singles, a verse melody that rips off ABBA's Lay All Your Love On Me, and some very forward chorus lyrics that hardly try to hide their meaning like some pop bands did at the time.

I'm quite sure that teachers at schools across the land (and probably world) were delighted about children singing the chorus to this track ad nauseum. I was very innocent though and had far more fun as a 12-year-old constantly trying to imitate the robotic 'everybody getting down, Vengaboys are back in town' vocal to my classmates, who were either laughing with or at me, but still not quite sure.

This track getting to No.1 came as a shock to me at the time. I remember watching CD:UK on the day before the official chart was released and Britney going in at No.3 with Sometimes (I thought that would be No.1 after how big its predecessor was) and S Club 7 then falling to No.2, and saying to my sister 'WTF, what song is even still left to come?'. I doubt I'd even realised this was on the release schedule for that week - I had heard it before but thought it would get to No.5 or something. But clearly Vengaboys had built up a good following, and the song ticked many boxes, and slammed in to become their first of two chart toppers.

It was no flash in the pan either, spending seven weeks in the top ten, and it is by far their most streamed song on Spotify with over half a billion plays so also lays major claim as their signature hit, but truly I think they have two with this and We Like To Party! Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! (I don't remember the double exclamation mark either) also hit No.1 in The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and New Zealand, and No.2 in Australia and Italy but only No.84 in the US, where We Like To Party! had impressively got to No.26.

Edited Sunday at 11:123 days by gooddelta

I love Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! It's quite possibly my favourite Vengaboys song. It's just so damn catchy. I agree, I was 11 at the time and now I think what must our parents and teachers thought of us children singing this song!

The song itself is great, I loved it from when I first heard it, though the only Vengaboys cd I ever owned was Shalala Lala. Its predecessor We Like To PArty is also a great song. The Vengaboys really were on fire at this stage.

12. The Offspring - Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)

Rank: 8.5/10

Reason: One of my true favourite things about 1999 over and above any other year was the sheer diversity of songs, genres and artists that reached the top, from hot new superstars like Britney and Christina, to legends like Blondie and Cliff, through to Europop acts like Vengaboys and Eiffel 65, the sea of boybands, and just about everything in between; nothing was off limits. And this was surely music to the ears of US punk rock outfit The Offspring, who had charted a couple of top 40 hits in the UK before but never anything above No.31. But in 1999 they suddenly hit a purple patch with the album Americana and several of its singles, most notably in the UK the lead single Pretty Fly (For a White Guy).

The very infectious track tells the tale of a white guy immersed in a hip-hop culture he doesn't understand or love, but does so because he believes it makes him tough, trendy and attracts women. Verging slightly on comedic in places, particularly the female 'give it to me baby' part, it is a whole lot of fun and I completely see why it connected in a way none of their other singles did. The group very nearly then did the double with the follow-up, Why Don't You Get A Job, which peaked at No.2 a few months later.

Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) turned The Offspring into a much bigger concern overall in the UK, with the album climbing into the top ten when this single was peaking and then spending about a year on the chart in total. The track was also a major global hit, peaking at No.1 too in Australia, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden although only No.53 in their homeland. Another song from the same album though, The Kids Aren't Alright (No.11 in September 1999 in the UK) apparently left the biggest legacy, with 1.2 billion streams on Spotify, double the number of Pretty Fly (For A White Guy).

Pretty Fly (ForA White Guy), such an iconic song and music video. One of the defining songs of the late 90s.

I remember the follow-up single. Why Don’t You Get A Job? I didn’t realise until five years ago that it actually said put a song by The Beatles.

Gooddelta, it’s amazing how in sync our memories of this period are!

I hadn’t hear Boom Boom Boom Boom before release except it was played as music on a CBBC trail. My siblings and I could tell it was a new Vengaboys song but we hadn’t heard it on the radio or anything. I had assumed Britney would fly straight in to no.1 but it was CD:UK that revealed to be that Vengaboys would win out! I love this track for all the memories, it would probably be top 10 for me.

Offspring too would probably get top 10 for me as well.

3 minutes ago, T Boy said:

Gooddelta, it’s amazing how in sync our memories of this period are!

I hadn’t hear Boom Boom Boom Boom before release except it was played as music on a CBBC trail. My siblings and I could tell it was a new Vengaboys song but we hadn’t heard it on the radio or anything. I had assumed Britney would fly straight in to no.1 but it was CD:UK that revealed to be that Vengaboys would win out! I love this track for all the memories, it would probably be top 10 for me.

Offspring too would probably get top 10 for me as well.

How funny, glad my memories aren't malfunctioning anyway!

I could not compute how Britney missed. It felt like a wide open goal for her that week but Sometimes performed much worse than I expected it to. It's not like it's one of her biggest classics or anything, but I thought the hype around her would carry it there. I wonder if they should have switched singles 2 and 3 over, as (You Drive Me) Crazy probably would have retained a lot of Baby One More Time's fanbase better as an immediate follow-up, with a slower song working better towards the end of the year? But then I guess the release date wouldn't have lined up with that Melissa Joan Hart film so there was probably method to the madness.

Ahh I have a soft spot for the Vebgaboys, even if the Vengabus is better.

I was rather obsessed by the Offspring track at the time, it was and still is sharply observed and very funny. A brilliant number 1!

One thing I forgot to mention is that Pretty Fly was the first, but weirdly not only, No.1 to reference the chat show/host Ricki Lake.

It would later crop up in Sugababes’ 2003 No.1 hit Hole In the Head while other singles that referenced Ricki Lake included Strong by Robbie Williams, the Kesha and Nicki Minaj remix of Till The World Ends by Britney Spears, as well as songs by Lizzo, Netta, Megan Thee Stallion and many more. Maybe it just rhymed well with other words in a way that Jerry Springer didn’t?

Krista ❤️

In the mid-90s The Offspring were much bigger than their chart positions would suggest. Once Kurt Cobain died grunge fizzled out and punk was to be the next big thing with The Offspring and Green Day being the main bands. It didn't last long and Britpop quickly took over as the guitar music of choice for people in the UK.

1999 was the time some of these guitar acts who were popular pre-Britpop came back out of the wilderness, The Offspring and Lenny Kravitz getting their only number ones and another notable comeback that springs to mind was the Red Hot Chili Peppers with "Scar Tissue". They also all seemed to have haircuts whilst they'd been away.

Praise You would definitely be in my top 10, a fantastic, atmospheric song and video. Right Here Right Now is better, but I'm glad Norman Cook was able to get one number 1 with how influential a name he was in dance music. Enjoy Sweet Like Chocolate too, and glad that gave a gateway for garage music to take off.

Mambo No. 5 and Livin' La Vida Loca were absolute childhood classics that I can't help but still enjoy. I was obviously completely oblivious to the bigamous meaning to Lou Bega's song, but the beat was catchy enough to make me forget it, and the Bob the Builder song was a school disco classic. Livin' La Vida Loca will always, on the other hand, take me back to my parent's Yamaha keyboard where it was a soundbite, we had so much (probably very annoying) fun with this back in the day:

Boom Boom Boom was no Vengabus but still quite fun and enjoyable for what it is, Pretty Fly... took a while to click with me, it's perhaps a bit raunchy and in your face like a lot of US mainstream rock was at that time, but I have come round to it, iconic song. I do quite like Why Don't You Get a Job too, even if it shamelessly rips off Oblah-Dee Oblah-Da

In Pretty Fly... I always remember 'You know you can always GO ON RICKI LAKE!' Catchy song which I liked at the time.

Boom Boom Boom Boom is catchy too remember it from the time and not sure I was a big fan.

In my country "Why Don’t You Get a Job?" and "The Kids Aren’t Alright" were a little more popular than "Pretty Fly",