Britney Spears, Cher, Whitney Houston, Shania Twain, and Christina Aguilera made 1999 the year of the woman in European record stores and radio, according to the year-end charts in Billboard sister magazine Music & Media (M&M).

Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Bliss Co.) and Lou Bega's RCA smash "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)" were, respectively, No. 1 and No. 2 on M&M's Eurochart Hot 100 Singles for the year. However, women locked out positions 3-7, with Spears' "...Baby One More Time" (Jive) at No. 3, followed by Cher's "Believe" (WEA), Aguilera's "Genie In A Bottle" (BMG), Emilia's "Big Big World" (Universal), and Houston's "My Love Is Your Love" (Arista).

Cher's "Believe" set was also Europe's No. 1 album of 1999, followed by Twain's "Come On Over" (Mercury) and the Offspring's "Americana" (Columbia). "...Baby One More Time" was Europe's most-played single, ahead of Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger" (Maverick/Warner Bros.) The year-end statistics on M&M's Border Breakers chart, which monitors mainland European records breaking out of their country of signing, showed five Swedish singles in the top 10. Roxette's "Wish I Could Fly" (Roxette Recordings/EMI) came in at No. 1; fellow Swedish tracks making the list included two by Emilia and one each by Jessica Folcker and the Cardigans. Norwegian singer Lene Marlin's "Sitting Down Here" (Virgin) made it six Scandinavian signings in the top 10, while Italy was twice represented with Eiffel 65 and British-born Ann Lee, who enjoyed a pan-European hit with "Two Times" (X-Energy).

-- Paul Sexton, London