The 25 best Indie tracks of 1999

16 January 2026, 19:02

Radio X looks back at the final days of the old Millennium, with tunes that included Praise You, Tender, Pumping On Your Stereo, You Get What You Give and many more.

By Radio X

@RadioX

1. Fatboy Slim – Praise You: release date 4th January 1999

   Norman Cook's second album under the Fatboy Slim moniker was You've Come A Long Way Baby, released in October 1998. The third single, Praise You, turned out to be his biggest hit - the Camille Yarbrough-sampling tune reached Number 1 in the UK for one week.

   

   Fatboy Slim - Praise You [Official Video]

2. Terrorvision - Tequila: release date 18th January 1999

   Taken from the Yorkshire band's fourth album Shaving Peachers, the Mint Royale remix of Tequila peaked at Number 2 on the UK charts, making it Terrorvision's highest charting single.

   

   Terrorvision - Tequilla

3. The Offspring - Pretty Fly (For A White Guy): release date 18th January 1999

   Originally released in the US in November 1998, this big pop punk song made it to Number 1 over here on its release in January 1999.

   

   The Offspring - Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) (Official Music Video)

4. The Divine Comedy - National Express: release date 25th January 1999

   Taken from Neil Hannon's sixth album Fin de Siècle, this tribute to the wonders of coach travel peaked at Number 8.

   

   The Divine Comedy - National Express

5. Barenaked Ladies - One Week: release date 8th February 1999

   The Canadian alt rockers released this as the lead single from their album Stunt - it peaked at Number 5 in the UK.

   

   Barenaked Ladies - One Week (Official Music Video)

6. Blur - Tender: release date 22nd February 1999

   The respected British band went into the charts at Number 2 with the lead single from their 13 album - it was kept off the top by Baby One More Time by Britney Spears!

   

   Blur - Tender (Official Music Video)

7. The Cardigans - Erase/Rewind: release date 22nd February 1999

   Following the hit My Favourite Game, this was the second single from the Swedish band's Gran Turismo album. It peaked at Number 7.

   

   The Cardigans - Erase / Rewind “Director's Cut”

8. Manic Street Preachers - You Stole The Sun From My Heart: release date 8th March 1999

   The third single from this Is My Truth Tell Me Yours reached Number 5 - the Welsh band's seventh Top 10 hit in the UK.

   

   Manic Street Preachers - You Stole the Sun from My Heart (Official Video)

9. Catatonia - Dead From The Waist Down: release date 29th March 1999

   After the huge success of the album International Velvet, hopes were high for the follow-up, Equally Cursed And Blessed. This was the lead single, which peaked at Number 7 - but it would be the band's last visit to the British Top 10 and the band had split by September 2001.

   

   Catatonia - Dead From The Waist Down (Official Music Video)

10. Shed Seven - Disco Down: release date 24th May 1999

    A new track recorded for the York band's Going For Gold compilation album, which peaked at Number 13 on the singles chart.

    

    Shed Seven - Disco Down (Stereo)

11. Semisonic - Secret Smile: release date 28th June 1999

    1999 was a big year for the Minneapolis band: Secret Smile went to Number 12 in the UK, while the follow-up, Closing Time, peaked at 25. Paul Rudd was in the video!

    

    Semisonic - Secret Smile

12. Stereophonics - Just Looking: release date 1st March 1999

    The follow-up to the Bartender & The Thief single was issued a couple of weeks before its parent album, Performance And Cocktails. It peaked at Number 4 in the UK.

    

    Stereophonics - Just Looking (Official Music Video)

13. New Radicals – You Get What You Give: release date 22nd March 1999

    Taken from the only album released under the New Radicals name, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too, this classic 90s single peaked at Number 5 over here and topped the charts in New Zealand and Canada. Songwriter Gregg Alexander went on to write songs for Ronan Keating, Texas and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

    

    New Radicals - You Get What You Give (Official Music Video)

14. Smash Mouth - All Star: release date 4th May 1999

    The Californian rock band had an international hit with this tune from their album Astro Lounge. All Star reached Number 24 in the UK and went on to reach a wider audience when it appeared on the soundtrack to Shrek!

    

    Smash Mouth - All Star

15. Supergrass - Pumping On Your Stereo: release date 24th May 1999

    Couple with an amazing video that features the band as long-armed puppets, this was the lead single from the third, self-titled Supergrass album. It reached Number 11 on the UK singles chart.

    

    Supergrass - Pumping On Your Stereo (Official HD Video)

16. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue: release date 25th May 1999

    The first single from the acclaimed Californication album peaked at Number 15 in the UK.

    

    Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue [Official Music Video] [HD UPGRADE]

17. Suede - She's In Fashion: release date 21st June 1999

    The second single from the Head Music album made Number 13 in the British charts.

    

    Suede - She's In Fashion (Official Video)

18. The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be: release date 26th July 1999

    Noel Gallagher supplied the vocals on his second collaboration with the big beat duo (the first was Setting Sun in 1996). The track was the Chems' fourth Top 10 single, peaking at number 9.

    

    The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be

19. Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me? Release date 2nd August 1999

    After a rain-soaked performance at Glastonbury that June, this iconic song became the first Top 10 hit for Travis. Taken from the album The Man Who.

    

    Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me? (Official HD Music Video)

20. Bran Van 3000 - Drinking In L.A.: release date 9th August 1999

    Originally released in Britain in May 1998, the Canadian collective had their biggest hit in the UK when the song was reissued in the summer of '99, where it peaked at Number 3.

    

    Bran Van 3000 - Drinking in L.A. (Official Music Video) - Best Quality

21. Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly: release date 18th October 1999

    The lead single from the album There Is Nothing Left To Lose won a Grammy for its video featuring Jack Black and Kyle Gass from Tenacious D. The single peaked at 21 in the British charts.

    

    Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly (Official HD Video)

22. Ian Brown - Love Like A Fountain: release date 25th October 1999

    The lead single from the former Stone Roses frontman's second solo album made Number 23. He also had a Top 10 hit in 1999 as a guest on the UNKLE track Be There.

    

    Ian Brown - Love Like A Fountain

23. Muse - Muscle Museum: release date 22nd November 1999

    Originally the title track of the Teignmouth trio's second EP released in January 1999, Muscle Museum became the third single to be taken from their debut album Showbiz. The single peaked at Number 25.

    

    Muscle Museum - Muse HD

24. Len - Steal My Sunshine: release date 29th November 1999

    This summery song from the Canadian collective was originally issued on the soundtrack to the film Go in the summer of 1999, but by the time the track reached Britain, it was the dead of winter! Steal My Sunshine peaked at Number 8 in the final days of the year - and the Millennium.

    

    Len - Steal My Sunshine

25. The Charlatans - My Beautiful Friend: release date 6th December 1999

    The second single from the album Us And Us Only reached Number 31 just before Christmas 1999.

    

    The Charlatans - My Beautiful Friend [Video]