Britney Spears in 1999
Photo: Joey Terrill/ WireImage

The pressure had been building up behind the scenes for longer than most music fans realized. But when the teen-pop explosion burst onto the charts in early 1999, it felt like the music world had been blindsided overnight by a flood of squeaky-clean acts who would dominate the charts for years to come.

And in some cases, those ripples are still being felt today. It's hard to believe it now, but over the course of a few months between late 1998 and early 1999, radio and MTV were inundated with the debuts and breakthroughs from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, 'NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and countless other boy bands and teen singers who would rule the charts well into the 2000s, and in the cases of Britney and Christina, continue to lord over them today.

Of course, that bum-rush of teen acts and copycat bands also produced a bunch of groups that were barely a blip on the screen then or now (Five, Natural, 3Deep, A1, Another Level, C-Note, BBMak or Dream Street anyone?), not to mention some other pop flashes in the pan, some of whom survived and some of whom are named Lou Bega.

Here are what some of the survivors and also-rans are up to:

Lou Bega
Why you know that name: The German-born Latin music revivalist had a hit with a summer 1999 remake of the 1952 instrumental "Mambo No. 5," to which he added an indelible string of women's names (shout-outs to Angela, Pamela, Monica and Jessica). The song hit #1 across the globe ... and then Bega was hardly ever heard from again.

Len
Why you know the name: This Canadian one-hit-wonder, brother-sister act graduated from its early punk roots to a fizzy pop sound on You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, featuring the bop-tastic hit "Steal My Sunshine." But the duo's next LP wasn't released outside Canada, and they've been talking up their upcoming album for several years now.

Sixpence None the Richer
Why you know the name: The Christian group hit #1 on the pop charts a year after its 1997 self-titled album was released when "Kiss Me" was used on "Dawson's Creek" and in the teen flick "She's All That." The group followed it with a cover of the "There She Goes," the legendary one-off hit by the La's, which was added to the 1999 re-release of Sixpence's album. The band broke up in 2004, and singer Leigh Nash went solo, later forming an ill-named side project called Fauxliage. And then the group got back together in 2008 to release a new EP, a Christmas album and tour the U.S. and Europe.

Orgy
Why you know the name: The synth-rock band signed to Korn's Elementree Records, released Candyass in 1998 and broke through with a grim cover of New Order's "Blue Monday." Orgy released another album that fizzled, toured on the Family Values outing, put out their third album on their own label and have been threatening to make another album for several years.

Tal Bachman
Why you know the name: The Canadian singer/songwriter released the top-10 hit "She's So High" from his self-titled debut, produced by Metallica homie Bob Rock. The son of Randy Bachman, lead guitarist/singer of 1970s rockers the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, released another album in 2006 that failed to chart in the U.S. Most recently, he can be seen in the Bill Maher documentary "Religulous," talking about his break with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Smash Mouth
Why you know the name: These chilled-out San Jose, California, pop rockers had a minor hit in 1997 with "Walkin' on the Sun," but busted it major in 1999 with their signature tune, "All Star," from their Astro Lounge album. The bouncy pop song made it into a string of movies ("Shrek," "Rat Race" and "Mystery Men") and then things got kinda quiet. They released another album, shelved one after that, and despite the departure of most of their members, they're now reportedly working on a new album, even as singer Steve Harwell is pulling a Hootie and prepping his solo country debut.

Everlast
Why you know the name: In 1998, the former lead growler for early '90s Irish-American rap crew House of Pain ("Jump Around") released his second solo album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which mixed hip-hop beats and rhymes with blues and acoustic guitars, spawning the inescapable ballad "What It's Like." His similar-sounding 2000 follow-up, Eat at Whitey's, didn't catch on, nor did a more country-tinged 2004 album, White Trash Beautiful, and his recently released Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford had not caught fire at press time.

The New Radicals
Why you know the name: Talk about a one-hit wonder. This Los Angeles band blew up with the Marilyn Manson/ Courtney Love-baiting power-pop hit "You Get What You Give" in early 1999 from the group's only album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. Reclusive leader and main songwriter Gregg Alexander broke the group up less than a year after the album's release and has quietly written songs for other artists since, including the 2002 Grammy-winning "The Game of Love" for Santana.

LFO
Why you know the name: The Lyte Funky Ones hit the jackpot on their self-titled debut with the 1999 song "Summer Girls," but faded soon after. Singer Rich Cronin appeared on VH1's "Mission: Man Band," and former hardware store clerk Devin Lima is releasing his rock-edged debut with his new band, Cadbury Diesel, in July 2008.

98 Degrees
Why you know the name: Featuring future "Newlyweds" star Nick Lachey, they debuted in 1997 but, like many boy bands of the era, hit their groove in 1999 with hits including "I Do (Cherish You)" and "The Hardest Thing" from 98 Degrees and Rising. After one more album, the guys went their separate ways in 2002, with Lachey going on to marry and divorce Jessica Simpson and release two solo albums, with another one due in 2009. The group has continued to discuss a comeback, but no plans have been announced yet.

And now, some names you might still recognize:

Jessica Simpson
Why you know the name: Like Katy Perry, Simpson started out in the Christian pop world, but crossed over into teen pop with her 1999 debut, Sweet Kisses, which spawned the hits "I Wanna Love You Forever" and "I Think I'm in Love With You." Less successful than Christina or Britney, Simpson released two more albums, married Lachey, appeared on "Newlyweds," divorced Lachey and moved on to roles in a series of flop movies such as "Employee of the Month" and "Blonde Ambition." After her 2006 pop album, A Public Affair, failed to catch fire, Simpson switched genres and had a top-20 hit in 2008 with her debut country single, "Come on Over."

Eminem
Why you know the name: It's hard to think of a time when Marshall Mathers wasn't in our lives, but the Detroit rapper burst onto the scene in 1999 with his major-label debut, The Slim Shady LP, which spawned the hits "My Name Is," "Guilty Conscience" and "Role Model." Em went on to world domination and a string of three huge albums before taking a hiatus in 2005 following a stint in rehab for a dependency on sleeping medication. He's laid low for several years, but is plotting his return in 2009 with an album called Relapse.

Kid Rock
Why you know the name: Fellow Detroit rapper Rock had been kicking around the industry for years, releasing albums on small labels, when he smashed the big time in 1998 with Devil Without a Cause. After a slow start, the disc blew up and became one of the best-selling rap albums of all time (11 million copies) thanks to hits — and "TRL" favorites — like "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy" and "I Am the Bullgod." Rock has continued to spin off hits with his signature country rock/hip-hop sound, most recently defying the odds (and iTunes) with the 2 million-selling Rock N Roll Jesus.

Getting pumped about the Britney Spears documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday, November 30, at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

• The Class Of '99: Britney, 'NSYNC, More

• Britney Spears
• *NSYNC
• Eminem
• Jessica Simpson
• Kid Rock

Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath
Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

We couldn't get enough of them. Their songs were our soundtrack, and we laughed, danced, cried and loved along with them. They flashed across our radio and TV burning brightly ... but where have they been lately? As you'll find out in this regular feature, sometimes the stories behind your favorite songs are more interesting than the hits themselves.

Who: Sugar Ray

Biggest hit: "Fly"

Why do I know that name?: For a minute in the late 1990s, Sugar Ray were one of the biggest pop/rock acts around. The combination of teen-magazine pin-up frontman Mark McGrath and a mash-up sound that borrowed from reggae, pop, new wave and white-boy funk propelled the Orange County, California, group to several platinum albums thanks to indelible radio hits like its breakthrough, "Fly," as well as "When It's Over," "Every Morning" and "Falls Apart." The band, which started out as a cheesy funk-metal act, hit its groove on 1997's Floored with the inescapable "Fly." Sugar Ray followed it up with 1999's 14:59, a nod to their signature self-deprecating attitude about their talent via Andy Warhol's maxim about everyone being famous for 15 minutes. Along with acts like Third Eye Blind, Everclear and Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray were among the leaders of what McGrath, now a co-host of "Extra," called the "class of '99." Ironically, it was their very success that he said caused their rapid downfall. "We all started out in the alternative world and then got huge crossover appeal in the late '90s," said McGrath. So, while Sugar Ray got love from pop radio, some of the tastemaker alt-rock stations that supported them early on turned their backs. "It was a poison pill," the perpetually upbeat, scratchy-voiced McGrath lamented. "Out there in the pop world we were selling millions, but you take a bite of that poisoned apple and that's who you are now. There's no going back once you start playing radio shows with Jessica Simpson."

Don't get me wrong, I loved it: Not that McGrath is complaining. The rocket ride to the top was great. "It's something I recommend to everyone," he said. After 2001's self-titled album spawned another couple of pop-radio hits, McGrath said he began to see the writing on the wall. By 2003, the band realized it had to adapt to a changing musical landscape, so Sugar Ray did what people are still doing today: They reached out to the Neptunes for some fresh beats. "Once you've had a hit, then you have to sustain that, but the cycle of music turns every day," McGrath said. Though they got together to try and jam on a song left over from the first N.E.R.D. record, the tune was a mess and the group knew it couldn't really back up the new direction. After 2003's In the Pursuit of Leisure tanked (selling 150,000 copies after the previous album clocked a million), the band realized it had reached the bottom of its creative well.

Pull the plug: "I said, 'I love you guys, I love playing with you, we all have all our body parts, so let's stop and smell the roses,' " McGrath said. With three members entering fatherhood and McGrath getting the surprise call for the "Extra" gig (after some good notices hosting a few VH1 specials), the band went on indefinite hiatus. Sugar Ray currently play 50-75 shows a year and McGrath joked, "If you can smell funnel cake, we're playing there." After a decade-long association, they were dropped from their contract with Atlantic Records earlier this year, and unless another major comes calling, McGrath said it's unlikely they'll go the indie route and start over again, so a new album seems unlikely. "I'd love to be on tour now playing sheds and selling out the world because music is my passion. But the one thing that would bum me out is walking through an airport and having some guy say, 'When's the new Sugar Ray album coming out?' when it was released a month ago." As for the rest of the guys, McGrath said guitarist Rodney Sheppard is jamming with reggae bands and teaching guitar; bassist Murphy Karges is working on his golf game and his charitable endeavors; and drummer Stan Frazier is part of a production/songwriting team credited with helping develop Ashlee Simpson's early demos — the team is currently prepping the debut from the band the Dirty Heads. And, after being taken under the wing of DJ AM, Craig "DJ Homicide" Bullock has been busy playing club shows from coast to coast between Sugar Ray gigs.

The moral: "We partied too hard, had business arguments, there were money issues, firing of managers — we've gone through it all, and to be able to sit here and pick up the phone and call any of these guys after 18 years, that's the biggest bonus," McGrath said. "I say I've done two jobs — being a singer and a host — that I can't really do. So I should be an inspiration for everyone."

Who: Lou Bega

Biggest hit: "Mambo No. 5"

Why do I know that name?: It was one of the most unlikely, and catchiest, pop hits of the new millennium. A frothy Latin confection cooked up by the son of a Sicilian mother and Ugandan father who was born in Munich, Germany, and spent time in Miami as a teenager. A remake of a 1950s instrumental by famed Cuban band leader Pérez Prado, "Mambo No. 5" rocketed Lou Bega to international renown after a decade trying to break into the music game as a teenage singer. "They think probably I'm dead," a cheery Bega, 31, said recently from his home in Germany about his millions of worldwide fans as he prepared to go on tour in support of his latest album, Lounatic. "I've read that on the Internet a few times." It's been an interesting few years for Bega, who spent more than 700 days on the road in support of his multiplatinum 1999 album A Little Bit of Mambo, which featured the name-dropping "Mambo No. 5." Since his star faded in the U.S. in 2001 following the end of "Mambo"-mania, Bega said he's been traveling with his Cuban band to places where he didn't have time to play during the height of his fame, countries like Kazakhstan (seriously, before Borat, even), Australia, South Africa, the Philippines and Russia.

Even your grandma knew it: "Mambo" became so massive, it charted high in Europe and the U.S. and became a crowd-pumping anthem at sporting events across the globe. "I never expected 'Mambo' to be that big, not at all," said Bega. "When I wrote it, I knew it would change something in my life. You have that gut feeling when you do something creatively that feels like that, but you never would dream a dream like that." Six years after the song exploded, Bega said he's constantly reminded of the song's impact, such as at a recent show where young people, their parents and grandparents were all dancing and singing along to lyrics like, "A little bit of Monica in my life/ A little bit of Erica by my side/ A little bit of Rita is all I need/ A little bit of Tina is what I see."

Pinch me: "There were a couple of moments when it was hard to believe," Bega said of the peak of his popularity in 2000, citing his appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." "For us, in Europe, you see all these Hollywood stars on there and it's something very unreal. So for some dude from Munich, Germany, to sit on Jay Leno's couch ... I had to pinch myself." Bega, who released his first album in 1991 when he was still a teenager, said he wasn't surprised when his hastily recorded 2001 follow-up, Ladies and Gentlemen, flopped in the U.S. And, unlike many one-hit-wonders, he isn't offended by the tag or precious about the song he readily admits he recorded with a knowing, cheesy wink. But he's hoping the strong overseas sales of Lounatic might earn him another shot in America. "It's hard to reach all the generations at once," he said. "But you can't have a plan. I didn't have a plan the first time out and I think the new stuff works just fine."

The moral: One hit + millions in sales + the right attitude = Hello, Kazakhstan!

Ever wonder what happened to Crazy Town? How about Snow? Ace of Base? Tell us which faded stars you'd like us to check up on, and you just might find them in a future edition of "Where Ya Been?" Send us your suggestions and we'll get digging ...

Past "Where Ya Been" Artist Profiles:

• "Where Ya Been?: The Electronica Years: Prodigy, Tricky, Goldie"
• "Where Ya Been? Lilith Fair Edition: Sarah McLachlan, Joan Osborne, Lisa Loeb"
• "Where Ya Been? '90s Hip-Hop Edition: Onyx, MC Lyte, Rob Base, Young Black Teenagers"
• "Where Ya Been? Grunge Edition: Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney"

• Sugar Ray: Where Ya Been?
• Lou Bega: Where Ya Been?

• Sugar Ray
• Lou Bega

Christina Aguilera and Lou Bega have been announced as the music performers for the 49th Annual Miss USA Pageant being held at the Grand Palace in Branson, Missouri.

-- David Basham

• Christina Aguilera
• Lou Bega

Mambo maniac Lou Bega is currently enjoying international success with his debut single, "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)," from his album, "A Little Bit Of Mambo."

• Lou Bega

• Lou Bega