3 One-Hit Wonders From 1999 That Straddle Two Worlds

For those old enough to remember, the late 1990s was quite the era to be alive. Not only was there a booming bubblegum pop phase that included boy bands and starlets but it was also the time when everyone thought things would go to crud thanks to Y2K fears. As people wanted to party with Prince because it was 1999, there were also weird feelings about the changing millennium.

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But how was that reflected in the one-hit wonders of the day? You know, those songs that raced up the charts by artists who never quite had the same success again. Which of those garnered success and were they more reflective of the past 1990s or the oncoming 2000s? That’s what we wanted to look at here. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from 1999 that straddle two worlds.

“Praise You” by Fatboy Slim from ‘You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby’ (1999)

This tune, which hit No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, is all about dance. It marked the rise at the time of electronic music and the mainstreaming of beat making. Of course hip-hop music had been around for two decades at this time, but now the public was really catching on. And Britisth-born Fatboy Slim released a pleasant song that was as indicitive of the 1990s as it was of the oncoming 2000s. Some tracks are just perfect bridges between two eras and this is an example of that.

“All The Small Things” by Blink-182 from ‘Enema Of The State’ (1999)

This pop punk track, which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, was definitely a harbinger of what was to come. In the 2000s, pop punk enjoyed a revival, building on what bands of the past had created and turning the genre into something bright and biting at the same time. The eye of that particular music storm was most certainly occupied by the the California-born band Blink-182, whose energetic songs were infused with at times-thoughtful lyrics and showcased via silly music videos. How very 2000 of them!

“I Try” by Macy Gray from ‘On How Life Is’ (1999)

This song, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, isn’t really emblematic of any time period. Instead, it’s more of a timeless track that could have been released in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s or 2000s. Macy Gray’s voice is unique and therefore of whatever time she wishes. And the song itself, lyrically speaking, is about the difficulties of love. Of course, that’s another timeless motif. So, congrats to Gray! She achieved the rare timeless one-hit wonder!

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