Top Songs — 1999
▶ Spotify PlaylistAs a devoted fan of British music, I was thrilled about my first trip to London. What I didn't anticipate, however, was just how much "culture" would greet me in the form of confusion, danger, and awkward moments. For starters, I was shocked at how easily I could listen to people speaking my native language and still not understand a single word. Then there was the plumbing — proper water pressure, drainage, and temperature control appeared to be optional luxuries. I discovered London drivers don't have much patience for tourists who can't grasp the concept of "look right" before crossing. And I was brutally shamed when I accidentally skipped the line in a store, and a woman said to me with utter disdain, "Excuse me, it's kind of a queue."
Despite these bumpy moments, the trip cemented my love for British music. I geeked out at Berwick Street, where I took a photo recreating the cover of "What's the Story Morning Glory." But the real treasure came in the form of a magazine I picked up — Q Magazine, featuring a list of the Top 100 British Albums of All Time. This would become my Rosetta Stone for British music.
The list included the usual legends (The Beatles, The Smiths), some surprises (OK Computer at #2?), and a few new discoveries that reshaped my playlists for years to come. Chief among these was Travis. Thanks to a bit of recency bias, their album "The Man Who" had landed at #54. I bought it immediately and listened to it nonstop for the rest of the trip. To this day, the tracks remain fixtures on my playlists, and highlight my Top Songs of 1999.
1.⭐ Red Hot Chili Peppers — Californication
2.⭐ Wilco — I'm Always in Love
3.⭐ The Flaming Lips — Waitin' for a Superman
4.⭐ The Apples In Stereo — Strawberryfire
5.⭐ The Apples In Stereo — Benefits of Lying (With Your Friend)
6.⭐ Travis — Driftwood
7.⭐ Moby — My Weakness
8.⭐ Moby — South Side
9.⭐ Travis — Turn
10.⭐ Garageland — Not Empty
11.⭐ Red Hot Chili Peppers — Otherside
12.⭐ The Magnetic Fields — I Think I Need a New Heart
13.Built To Spill — The Plan
14.Nine Inch Nails — We're In This Together
15.Sigur Rós — Svefn-g-englar
16.Guided By Voices — Teenage FBI
17.Le Tigre — Deceptacon
18.The Frames — Seven Day Mile
19.Blackalicious — Deception
20.blink-182 — All The Small Things
21.The Apples In Stereo — Ruby
22.Luna — Superfreaky Memories
23.Sigur Rós — Starálfur
24.Sebadoh — Flame
25.TLC — Unpretty
26.LEN — Steal My Sunshine
27.The Flaming Lips — Race for the Prize
28.Mint Royale;Lauren Laverne — Don't Falter
29.Smash Mouth — All Star
30.The Promise Ring — Emergency! Emergency!
31.Joe Strummer;The Mescaleros — X-ray Style
32.μ-Ziq — The Fear
33.Madonna — Beautiful Stranger
34.The Magnetic Fields — I Don't Want to Get Over You
35.TLC — No Scrubs
36.Beck — Sexx Laws
37.Travis — Writing To Reach You
38.Rage Against The Machine — Testify
39.Guided By Voices — Hold On Hope
40.Red Hot Chili Peppers — Scar Tissue
41.The Apples In Stereo — The Shiney Sea
42.Blondie — Maria
43.The Chicks — Goodbye Earl
44.Shack — Comedy
45.Supergrass — Pumping on Your Stereo
46.Britney Spears — Sometimes
47.Rage Against The Machine — Guerrilla Radio
48.Garageland — Trashcans
49.The Magnetic Fields — All My Little Words
50.Christina Aguilera — Genie in a Bottle
51.Pavement — Spit on a Stranger
52.Built To Spill — Carry the Zero
53.Super Furry Animals — Northern Lites
54.Moby — Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad?
55.Old 97's — Murder (Or a Heart Attack)
56.Pavement — Carrot Rope
57.The Flaming Lips;Peter Mokran — Buggin'
58.The Promise Ring — Happiness Is All The Rage
59.Luna — Dear Diary
60.The Olivia Tremor Control — Hideaway
61.Garageland — Love Song
62.Pearl Jam — Last Kiss
63.Blur — Coffee & TV
64.Travis — Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
65.Kelly Willis — What I Deserve
66.Gay Dad — To Earth with Love
67.The Chemical Brothers — Let Forever Be
68.Rage Against The Machine — Sleep Now In the Fire
69.The Promise Ring — The Deep South
70.Wilco — A Shot in the Arm