1999

Overview

Behind the Music wraps up the year with a recap of the trends and talents that made 1999 so significant. You'll see sexy teen bands like 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys as well as belly-baring temptresses like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. Of course, everybody went loco for Latin music in '99 – making Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez household names. The decidedly less photogenic Carlos Santana stepped back into the limelight as well. And punk-funk godfathers the Red Hot Chili Peppers showed their scars to the whole world and closed Woodstock '99, the concert that would officially put an end to the peace and love era. The year's darkest hour was the massacre at Columbine High, around which the music community rallied in defense of free expression. MP3 shook up the music distribution world, but one thing remained constant: Cher, who topped the charts this year with "Believe."