When mixtapes were gold and Mambo No. 5 was unavoidable
When mixtapes were gold and Mambo No. 5 was unavoidable
Gary Oberholzer
When mixtapes were gold and Mambo No. 5 was unavoidable
As the clocks ticked closer to the new millennium, 1999 was a year soaked in Y2K hysteria, futuristic fashion, mixtapes ruled the world and some of the most iconic pop anthems of all time. It was a time when CDs still ruled, Napster was quietly beginning to shake the music industry, and MTV was must-watch television.
It’s the featured year on this week’s HOT Classic Countdown with Steve Bishop, taking place every Sunday from 12 to 3pm on HOT 102.7FM.
One of the most unforgettable tracks of the time was Cher’s bold and futuristic “Believe”—a song that not only marked a massive comeback for the diva but also revolutionised pop music with its pioneering use of Auto-Tune. Its shimmering production and powerful message of resilience turned it into a global dancefloor anthem, perfectly capturing the forward-looking energy of a world about to step into the year 2000.
Did You Know?
Cher’s “Believe” is widely credited as the first commercial hit to use Auto-Tune as a deliberate effect. It was such a bold move at the time that many people thought her vocals were generated by a computer!
Not far behind, “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals became an anthem for youth rebellion with its feel-good melody and razor-sharp lyrics targeting everything from health fads to celebrities.
1999 also marked the arrival of a teen pop explosion. Britney Spears burst onto the scene in schoolgirl uniform with “…Baby One More Time”, while Christina Aguilera claimed her pop princess throne with “What a Girl Wants”. These were the early days of a rivalry that would define pop culture in the early 2000s.
On the local front, Mandoza’s “Nkalakatha” was blasting from taxis to backyard braais—a proudly South African anthem that transcended language and class barriers. Another standout SA track, Just Jinger’s “She Knows”, added a rock edge to the countdown and reminded us just how vibrant the local scene was becoming.
In cinema, 1999 gave us genre-defining films like The Matrix, Fight Club, and Notting Hill.
These pop culture cornerstones matched the boldness of the music scene, where artists weren’t afraid to experiment—from Fatboy Slim’s genre-bending “Praise You” to Santana’s chart-dominating collaboration with Rob Thomas, “Smooth”.
So whether you were living la vida loca with Ricky Martin or stealing sunshine with Len, 1999 had a beat for everyone—and we’re bringing it all back.
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