The musical landscape of 1999
Strong album sales, segmented radio and music television supported a wide range of hitmaking, from R&B and hip-hop to alternative rock, country and a renewed wave of teen pop.
The Top 20 is spread across 20 different credited artists, giving the year an unusually broad cast of performers.
What to listen for
Notice the sharp genre changes within a single year and the increasingly sophisticated use of sampling, vocal production and digital editing.
This list contains 20 different credited artists. The number gives a quick indication of whether the year was concentrated among repeat hitmakers or spread across a wider field.
Billboard Year-End Top 20 songs of 1999
| Rank | Song | Artist | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Believe | Cher | Spotify ↗ |
| 2 | No Scrubs | TLC | Spotify ↗ |
| 3 | Angel of Mine | Monica | Spotify ↗ |
| 4 | Baby One More Time | Britney Spears | Spotify ↗ |
| 5 | Genie in a Bottle | Christina Aguilera | Spotify ↗ |
| 6 | Livin la Vida Loca | Ricky Martin | Spotify ↗ |
| 7 | Bills Bills Bills | Destinys Child | Spotify ↗ |
| 8 | Smooth | Santana featuring Rob Thomas | Spotify ↗ |
| 9 | If You Had My Love | Jennifer Lopez | Spotify ↗ |
| 10 | I Want It That Way | Backstreet Boys | Spotify ↗ |
| 11 | Kiss Me | Sixpence None the Richer | Spotify ↗ |
| 12 | Heartbreak Hotel | Whitney Houston | Spotify ↗ |
| 13 | Every Morning | Sugar Ray | Spotify ↗ |
| 14 | Slide | Goo Goo Dolls | Spotify ↗ |
| 15 | Save Tonight | Eagle-Eye Cherry | Spotify ↗ |
| 16 | All Star | Smash Mouth | Spotify ↗ |
| 17 | Where My Girls At | 702 | Spotify ↗ |
| 18 | Have You Ever | Brandy | Spotify ↗ |
| 19 | Whats It Gonna Be | Busta Rhymes | Spotify ↗ |
| 20 | Jumper | Third Eye Blind | Spotify ↗ |
Build a 1999 playlist
Start with “Believe” by Cher, then alternate familiar high-ranking records with contrasting selections from the lower half of the list.
How this page should be used
Year-End charts summarize performance across an extended chart year. They are not simply a list of songs that reached number one, and historical methodology has changed. Treat this page as a guided listening resource and compact chart-history reference rather than a mathematical comparison with other eras.