Britney Spears‘ debut single “…Baby One More Time” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 the week of Jan. 30, 1999, kicking off a year that radically transformed modern pop. “Baby” spent a mere two weeks on top, ...

“Blessed with a sweet voice and a wholesome, girl-next-door image,” the review continued, “Spears has hit a nerve among a teen fan base primed by the likes of Hanson, ‘N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.” ...

“For us, this is the launch of a signature artist,” then-RCA Records marketing vp Nick Cucci mused in the July 24, 1999, Billboard issue of Christina Aguilera, whose eponymous debut album arrived a ...

On Sept. 11, 1999, Chely Wright’s “Single White Female” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Shaye Smith wrote the song, the lead single and title track from ...

“I’m a singer who acts,” Jennifer Love Hewitt told Billboard in 2002. “It’s my spirit. I feel alive when I do it. I love acting, but it came unexpected in my life. Singing has always been a part of me ...