Music was arguably one of the biggest talking points amongst teens; Smash Hits was one of the most popular magazines around, and MTV actually played music videos. (Reuters)
Backstreet’s back, alright. Following their first appearance in Dubai in 2008, the boys are returning – now as their original fivesome – for a sold-out appearance at the Blended Festival on 22 April. Tickets for this show have been like gold dust… in fact, they’re so hard to find that people on social media are still scrambling to find tickets.
There’s just something about 90s nostalgia that seems to get people going these days. It was a simpler time… LA Gears were in fashion, mobile phones were just about becoming a thing, and the closest thing to social media was in the form of ICQ and MSN Messenger.
Music was arguably one of the biggest talking points amongst teens; Smash Hits was one of the most popular magazines around, and MTV actually played music videos, many of which we tried to record by holding a cassette recorder as close to the TV as possible (and how annoying would it be when the channel cut off the song before it ended?)
So to celebrate the return of one of the biggest boybands to the region, here’s a look at 20 of the most popular pop songs of 1998. How many do you remember?
1) ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
Released: October 23, 1998
This has to be one of the most iconic songs of 1998 - the year that introduced the world to a 17-year-old pop princess in the making.
“Ah, yes the schoolgirl outfit,” says Tamer Hassan. “There was not a single teenage boy who didn’t have a crush on Britney at the time. And all the girls wanted to be her!”
2) Believe - Cher
Released: October 19, 1998
If there was one song you couldn’t avoid on the radio,...
