the summer of
What it was like to be 15 in 1999 in America
To be fifteen in America in 1999 was to have “...Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears everywhere, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace on every screen, and Friends on after school. That year, gas cost $1.17 and TiVo (the first DVR) was the new thing. Born in 1984? You turned 15 in 1999 — a teenager from 1997 to 2003, right in the window a soundtrack bonds to you for life.
Compiled by the Original Lore archive from period charts, box-office and price records. How we build these · sources noted throughout.
▶ Play your 1999 reel with sounda 30-second video of your year — the song, the screen, the turn.
the mixtape of 1999
...Baby One More Time — Britney Spears
- ...Baby One More Time — Britney SpearsBritney owned the hallways and the radio, the bright, doomed dawn of a whole new pop era.
- Genie in a Bottle — Christina AguileraChristina's slinky debut had every teenager blushing and singing along in the very same breath.
- No Scrubs — TLCThe girl-group kiss-off that became gospel, blasted from every car full of laughing friends.
- Livin' la Vida Loca — Ricky MartinRicky's horn-blast frenzy made the whole summer feel like one long, reckless, sweat-soaked dance.
- All Star — Smash MouthThe goofy, unkillable anthem of millennium optimism, right before everything got complicated.
why this one mattered
The teen-pop big bang. Released the week of the new school year and inescapable on TRL, the Catholic-schoolgirl video and that 'Oh baby, baby' hook were the cultural detonation that DEFINED being 15 in 1999. Decades later the first three piano notes still drop a millennial straight back into middle school.
the year-end #1 was Believe — Cher.
the movies you are watching in 1999
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
- The Matrix
- The Sixth Sense
- Toy Story 2
- The Blair Witch Project
the tv shows you are binging in 1999
- Friends
- ER
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
- The Sopranos
- The Simpsons
the games you are playing in 1999
- Super Smash Bros.
- Pokémon Yellow
- Donkey Kong 64
- Crash Team Racing
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
- Counter-Strike
what things cost in 1999
| a first-class stamp | 33¢ |
|---|---|
| a gallon of gas | $1.17 |
| a movie ticket | $5.08 |
| minimum wage | $5.15/hr |
| the average income | $40,816 |
trending this year
the gadgets you just got
what everyone is snacking on
what everyone is drinking
what made the news in 1999
- The US Senate acquits President Clinton on both articles of impeachment
- Two teen gunmen kill thirteen at Columbine High School in Colorado
- Y2K fears mount as the world braces for the millennium rollover
- The US women win the World Cup as Brandi Chastain celebrates her decisive penalty
what everyone is saying
top-performing stocks in 1999
| Company | Ticker | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm | QCOM | $176 | +2600% |
| Amazon.com | AMZN | $76 | +40% |
| Yahoo! | YHOO | $216 | +265% |
| Broadcom | BRCM | $272 | +450% |
| JDS Uniphase | JDSU | $161 | +800% |
worst-performing stocks in 1999
| Company | Ticker | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola | KO | $58 | -30% |
| Service Corporation Intl | SRV | $7 | -80% |
| Rite Aid | RAD | $11 | -70% |
| Gillette | G | $41 | -25% |
| Goodyear Tire | GT | $28 | -45% |
the summer of 1999.
the best of it still feels like it's coming.