20 June 1999 Obviously being a rocket scientist, Brad Pitt or car gotter pales in comparison to, taking a random example, a tall dark handsome Kerry person who speaks fluent French, runs marathons and writes sparkling, thought-provoking prose about chart-topping pop songs. Still, we should be considerate to the less impressive - right, Shania? The … Continue reading Shania Twain – ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ →

6 June 1999 The voice isn't Baz Luhrmann's but that of an Australian actor called Lee Perry. The words aren't Baz Luhrmann's either; it's the text of a 1997 column written by Chicago Tribune journalist Mary Schmich. The music barely rises above the level of a Bontempi keyboard demo setting. So, what exactly does Baz … Continue reading Baz Luhrmann – ‘Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)’ →

23 May 1999 I don't remember 'Candle For Kosovo', but I remember why Kosovo was in the world headlines in 1999. A decade that had begun so optimistically, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the European communist regimes behind it, plus the end of apartheid and the liberation of Nelson Mandela, had quickly … Continue reading Various Artists – ‘Candle For Kosovo’ →

9 May 1999 Truth be told, I didn't even know what a shorty was, which may explain other things. Thankfully, TLC introduce us to the concept of a scrub—also known as a buster—with the greatest piece of pop music exposition since the theme from The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. With some relief I can … Continue reading TLC – ‘No Scrubs’ →

4 April 1999 Our new golden age of pop continues. Soon after Britney's '...Baby One More Time' we get something equally wondrous; take the familiar sight of five boyband lads with their matching white suits, air grabs and cruciform poses, give them what seems like just another romantic R&B-lite ballad with a key change at … Continue reading Westlife – ‘Swear It Again’ →

21 February 1999 Anyone born after February 1999 may disagree, but this feels like our first present-day number one. In chart pop terms, we've been living in a Britney and '...Baby One More Time' world ever since. The song made Britney Spears an instant icon and new type of pop star: the real-life girl whose … Continue reading Britney Spears – ‘…Baby One More Time’ →

31 January 1999 It's clear that the anti-hero of 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)', played memorably in the video by a young actor whose actual first name is Guy, is the village Vanilla Ice and really putting his back into crass cultural appropriation and stereotyping. I suppose it's just a bit awkward that the … Continue reading The Offspring – ‘Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)’ →

3 January 1999 The last year of the decade, the first of chart pop's new golden age, begins in early-'90s throwback style with a TV cartoon show tie-in at number one. Okay, so it's Isaac Hayes, an actual soul star, which has to be better than Sabrina Carpenter's aunt rapping on 'Do The Bartman' and … Continue reading Chef – ‘Chocolate Salty Balls’ →