Albums: 1999
Remember way back in 1999, when we all thought The Chemical Brothers and Moby were surely going to release classic albums? We were all momentarily into David Gray and Kelis and CDs were up to about $18 a piece? The top selling albums of that year were by artists with names like Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Shania Twain, Ricky Martin, N’Sync, Limp Bizkit and The Dixie Chicks.
So, as far as mainstream releases in 1999 go, it was a pretty nasty year to be alive. That said, there were a whole lot of classic indie rock albums released in 1999. Tons, easily making it one of the best years of the 1990s - which is easily one of the best decades ever for recorded music. Also, indie hip-hop was getting super weird, which didn’t last long, but was great while it lasted.
40. Beth Orton - Central Reservation
39. Supergrass - Supergrass
38. GZA - Beneath the Surface
37. Sonic Youth - Goodbye 20th Century
36. Various Artists - Soundbombing II
35. Blur - 13
34. Superchunk - Come Pick Me Up
33. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency and I
32. Handsome Boy Modeling School - So … How’s Your Girl?
31. Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada
30. Luna - Days of Our Nights
29. Sleater-Kinney - The Hot Rock
28. Travis - The Man Who
27. The Roots - Things Fall Apart
26. Fiona Apple - When the Pawn Hits …
25. Tom Waits - Mule Variations
24. MF Doom - Operation Doomsday
23. Sigur Ros - Agaetis byrjun
22. Beulah - When Your Heartstrings Break
21. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
20. Modest Mouse - Building Nothing Out of Something
19. The Microphones - Don’t Wake Me Up
18. Rage Against the Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles
17. The White Stripes - The White Stripes
16. The Beta Band - The Three EPs
15. Damien Jurado - Rehearsals for Departure
14. The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs
13. Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
12. Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foilage
11. Them - Them
10. Low - Secret Name
9. Marmoset - Today It's You
8. The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
7. Buck 65- Man Overboard
6. Beck - Midnite Vultures
5. Smog - Knock Knock
4. Bonnie “Prince” Billy - I See a Darkness
3. Pavement - Terror Twilight
2. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret
1. Wilco - Summerteeth
Written by G. William Locke