# Best #1 Modern/Alternative Rock Song of the Year: 1999

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1999/705426>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 23, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1999/705426 "2014-11-23T19:53:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1999/705426/21 "2014-11-25T16:49:37Z")

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> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> I know there were better songs than this on the alt stations in 1999.

Sure, which is why I post the “also-ran” list which has dozens of other Modern Rock songs of the given year.

However, looking at some of the songs listed there, too much of the “meh” just stood out that year:  
LEN - “Steal My Sunshine” - Ugh.  
SMASH MOUTH - “All Star” - I’m sure there was some commercial which DIDN"T use that song that year.  
the afore-mentioned “Cowboy” and “Nookie” and (double ugh) “Pretty Fly”

OTOH. we did have  
FATBOY SLIM - Praise You  
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - Around The World  
HOLE - Malibu  
and of course - CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Let Forever Be  
(and I liked Creed’s “One”, but I realize that may be a minority opinion).  
So yeah, it wasn’t “all good”, but it wasn’t all bad either.

Cheer up - there’s at least 3 good songs (IMO) in the Billboard Top Modern Rock, and lots of good also-rans, coming up for 2000…

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**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1999/705426/22 "2014-11-25T18:24:55Z")

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> [@GoodOmens](#):
>
> Close race between “Scar Tissue” and “Learn to Fly”.

Those are also my choices.

> [@SirRay](#):
>
> HOLE - Malibu

That’s a really good song. Say what you will about Courtney Love, but Hole put out some good stuff.

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**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1999/705426/23 "2014-11-25T22:02:51Z")

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> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I’ve always wondered if there are actually people who like Foo Fighters. Apparently there are. How about that.

Their first album (which was written and performed exclusively by Dave Grohl – this was before the rest of the band existed) was, in my opinion, a freaking masterpiece.

I’m not happy with the direction they went after that, but it’s hard to argue they’re not one of the few really huge rock bands still around.

I’m going to vote for Red Hot Chilli Peppers, even though I didn’t like this album when it came out. It has grown on me. Honorable mention for Lit and Everlast, both of whom had a few good songs around this time, including the ones on this list, but who never really went anywhere after that.

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**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1999/705426/24 "2014-11-25T22:36:26Z")

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Only song from this list I know well is the a Peppers one, and it’s okay. I liked the video – neighborhood telephone/electric wires doubling as guitar or bass strings.

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**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1999/705426/25 "2014-11-26T02:23:32Z")

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I actually at least sorta like every song except the Creed and Limp Biskit. The Foo Fighters and RHCP still get play on alternative rock radio. The Lit song seems to live on somewhere- maybe the “Jack” radio, as I hear it all the time flipping through stations. Same with Everlast, which is my pick.

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1999/705426/26 "2014-11-26T02:58:17Z")

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> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#):
>
> That’s a really good song. Say what you will about Courtney Love, but Hole put out some good stuff.

I agree, although I prefer “Celebrity Skin”.

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