What Actually Happened During the Summer of ’99?

What actually happened during the summer of ’99?

Credit to Creed for giving us the “Summer of ’99 and Beyond” cruise and the “Summer of ’99 + Beyond” festival. They’re now in their second year of stirring up nostalgic feelings for one of the most dominant periods in rock music.

We get that it’s a catchy title and a reason to provide audiences with a trip down memory lane with some of the bands that were thriving during that era, but the lineups do blur the lines a bit along the 1999 theme, giving a platform to some acts who success came a bit prior and others who found stardom a bit after the penultimate year of the 20th century — the “beyond” part.

So what actually did happen in the rock world during the summer of 1999? Find out below.

The Music of the Summer of 1999

The ’90s had largely been dominated by grunge, which had started to fade out by 1997. There was initially an influx of different styles of music vying for attention, ranging from a ska revival, an electronic music boom, the emergence of pop-punk and, yes, the ascent of nu-metal.

By 1998, many of the alternative radio stations had veered away from the grunge and melodic alternative that had a strong presence for much of the ’90s. Instead, they began to embrace the rap-rock and alternative metal sounds that had been emerging, giving it a platform for greater acceptance. Alternative had become “alternative” once again, en route to bringing heavier music to the mainstream.

While nu-metal would definitely rule by 2000 with the emergence of Linkin Park, Disturbed, Papa Roach and a wealth of upstart bands completing their first records for major labels, 1999 was still a bit of a mish-mosh of sounds.

Now, let’s look at some of the bands and songs that dominated the summer of 1999.

The Pop-Punk Evolution

The undeniably catchy riffs and sophomoric lyrics just spoke to the youth of the day in 1999. “What’s My Age Again?” arrived as the lead single off Blink-182’s Enema of the State on June 1, 1999, making superstars of the emerging SoCal trio. They were also helped by the risque streaking video for the song which was in constant rotation all over MTV.

You also can’t mention pop-punk in 1999 without throwing out two other big radio songs — The Offspring’s “Why Don’t You Get a Job” that pulled from The Beatles classic “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” and Lit’s Alternative Airplay chart-topper “My Own Worst Enemy” with its instantly recognizable guitar riff.

Blink-182, “What’s My Age Again?”

Rap-Rock Before It Got Nu

Though nu-metal is the catch-all term often associated with the music of the latest ’90s and early 2000s that dominated rock radio, pre-2000 many listeners were just referring to it as rap-rock. This hybrid of sounds often had elements of rap and hip-hop fused in with the pure aggression of metal.

Over the summer of ’99, there was no bigger band in the land than Limp Bizkit. The red baseball-cap wearing Fred Durst was seemingly everywhere over the summer, while his band’s song “Nookie” commanded the airwaves as a rather macho approach to writing a heartbreak song.

The other two acts that most exemplified this increasingly popular style of music in 1999 were Korn, who were hitting with “Freak on a Leash” leading into the summer of ’99, Kid Rock, whose Devil Without a Cause album was hitting peak saturation with the standout single, “Bawitdaba.”

Limp Bizkit, “Nookie”

A Red Hot Return

The summer of ’99 also saw the resurgence of Red Hot Chili Peppers wth John Frusciante’s return to the band. With his presence, the group regained their magic touch with the standout single “Scar Tissue” and its late summer follow-up, “Around the World,” both which dominated the alternative rock radio airwaves over the summer months.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Scar Tissue”

What About Creed?

Honestly, much of Creed’s “Summer of ’99” was actually preparing for some big musical things to come. The band did appear at Woodstock ’99, sharing the stage with The Doors’ Robby Krieger sitting in for the final three songs of their set. During Krieger’s guest turn, the band performed “Roadhouse Blues” and “Riders on the Storm,” which served as a precursor to the Stoned Immaculate Doors tribute album that would arrive a year later.

Not too long after Woodstock ’99, Creed released the single “Higher” on Aug. 31, officially kicking off promotion for their second studio album, Human Clay, which would arrive on Sept. 28. That gave them a sliver of the summer of ’99 to use as a springboard for bigger things to come in the fall of that year.

Creed, “Higher”

The Festivals of 1999

It’s hard not to start with Woodstock ’99, the disastrous third iteration of the legendary peace and love festival that originated in 1969. High prices, high temperatures and a lack of working facilities led to frustration amongst concertgoers that were taken out in physical assaults, rioting and massive fires and destruction emerging amongst the crowd.

READ MORE: Do You Remember These Bands Who Played Woodstock ’99?

Before things got too out of hand delivered memorable sets from Creed, Korn, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, The Offspring, Kid Rock, Megadeth, Godsmack and plenty more, while Limp Bizkit’s set came under attack for allegedly escalating the hostilities.

It was during the Red Hot Chili Peppers set that candles handed out amongst the crowd for a peaceful recognition during their performance ended up being used to light trash and debris on fire that led to the music weekend’s chaotic conclusion. The ills of Woodstock ’99 eventually led to the formation of the first Coachella which would take place in California in the fall taking notes from what went wrong and staging a new festival that was more festival goer-friendly.

The year 1999 was also a great year for Ozzfest, which saw their festival only expand in popularity with a greater platform for heavier acts. The reunited Black Sabbath headlined the main stage, while Rob Zombie, Deftones, Slayer, Primus, System of a Down, Godsmack and Static-X provided support. Even the second stage was rocking with future headliners Slipknot joined by emerging bands Fear Factory, (hed) p.e., Drain STH, Pushmokey, Puya, Flashpoint and Apartment 26.

Realizing that a moment was happening for heavy music, documentary cameras were on hand for Ozzfest ’99 with the Penelope Spheeris-directed film We Sold Our Souls for Rock ‘n’ Roll capturing what it was like to be an attendee and a band taking part in the traveling festival.

Meanwhile, Vans Warped Tour ’99 also showcased some of the emerging variety of bands that were getting attention that summer. Among the participants were Blink-182, Lit, Less Than Jake, The Living End, Pennywise, Suicidal Tendencies, Sevendust, Eminem, Ice-T, The Bouncing Souls and more.

Movie Impact on the Summer of ’99 Music

Simply put, soundtracks were becoming a great way to get rock music another outlet in 1999.

It started in the spring and carried over into the summer of movies such as Go (No Doubt’s “New” and Len’s “Steal My Sunshine”), Never Been Kissed (Jimmy Eat World’s “Lucky Denver Mint”), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Lenny Kravitz’s “American Woman”), American Pie (Tonic’s “You Wanted More”), and Mystery Men (Smash Mouth’s “All Star”) all yielded hit rock songs that populated the airwaves over the Summer of ’99.

There was even a rock film from that summer as Detroit Rock City, released in August 1999, used the desire to attend a KISS concert as a central plot point.

Tonic, “You Wanted More” (from American Pie)

What Other Memorable Moments Came From the Summer of ’99

On July 10, Brandi Chastain scored the game winning penalty kick for the U.S. in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final against China.

The day of July 16 brought a sorrowful loss as John F. Kennedy Jr. dies in a plane crash off of Martha’s Vineyard.

There was also tragedy taking place in Turkey on August 17 as a 7.8 earthquake struck.

Meanwhile, at the box office, the summer of ’99 gave us such standouts as Star Wars Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Big Daddy, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, American Pie, The Blair Witch Project and The Sixth Sense.

The Sixth Sense Trailer