1999 No. 1, Which Almost Featured George Michael, Topped The Charts 27 Years Ago Today

As the 1900s finally drew to a close and the 2000s began, the song that reigned at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 was "Smooth," a collaboration between Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas that lived up to its name in every way. Thomas' vocals were sultry, Santana's guitar was even more slick than usual, and the song was so universally catchy that for a good portion of '99 and '00, it seemingly played everywhere on a loop. The soulfulness that Santana's playing added to the steamy vocals made the song paradoxically spicy and yet inoffensive — the perfect recipe for a smash hit.

Funnily enough, "Smooth" almost featured a very different singer. The late George Michael was one of the original choices before Thomas took over, and though the Michael version might have been something special, it's hard to imagine any voice but Thomas'. "Smooth" first took the No. 1 spot on the charts the week of October 23, 1999, and it stayed there for a remarkable 12 straight weeks until January 15, 2000.

Despite his decades-long career leading up to that point, "Smooth" was Santana's first No. 1 hit, and at the age of 52, no less. Since then, the song has come to be recognized as one the most successful and enduring hits in Billboard history, and beyond its own impressive life as a single, it also breathed new life into Santana's career.

For all of Carlos Santana's success in the '70s and '80s, including radio staples like "Black Magic Woman" and "Evil Ways," his career had begun to stagnate in the '90s. For a number of reasons, Santana couldn't even record for much of the decade, and nearing its end, he was desperate for a reinvention. Enter: Clive Davis, then president of Arista records, who had actually been the one to give Santana his first record deal back in the '60s. Santana and Davis began working together on an album that would combine Santana's guitar playing with a host of young and popular guest musicians. The idea was to finally bring mainstream commercial success to Santana's career, and the resulting album, "Supernatural," delivered and then some.

The album was certified Diamond, became one of the best-selling albums of the modern era, and earned a record nine Grammys. Unsurprisingly, "Smooth" captured the song of the year award, though owing to its inter-year reign, it might be more accurate to say it was song of two years in a row. As Santana told The New York Times about its recording, "We recorded it in one take, and in the middle of the take, time stopped and I entered into a vortex. I was like, 'Uh-oh. This is big.'"

"Big" is an understatement, as even decades after its release, "Smooth" is the type of song that just can't be avoided without total isolation. It's everywhere, and that's nothing but good news for fans who love the sound of Santana's seriously smooth guitar playing.