Eleven years into the game, the Phoenix/WFNX Best Music Poll got its best voter turnout yet. You can attribute that to a few serendipitous convergences. For one, our voters have found the Web, and much prefer the online ballot to our traditional clip-and-mail version (which also collected a nice bounty). For another, local bands have taken our poll to heart with massive get-out-the vote campaigns. Fine by us. As long as everybody votes only once (and the Web poll makes ballot-stuffing -- if you'll pardon the expression -- virtually impossible), we're happy to have folks like the e-mail-mad local jazz crew Saturnalia draw their huge fan base to the ballot and increase overall participation. And, finally, we attribute the massive turnout to our readers' and listeners' faith in WFNX and the Phoenix. We take it that you not only like what you're hearing, but consider this a good place to be heard. Thanks for reading, for listening, and for talkin' back at us.

-- Jon Garelick
Associate Arts Editor

Meet the winners

Everyone you loved in '98-'99, from the Beasties and Lauryn to the Dropkick Murphys and Buffalo Tom.
by the Phoenix staff

National trends '99

Two words: hip and hop
by Matt Ashare

Local music '99

The here and gone
by Brett Milano

Saturday summit

Chris Colbourn and Juliana Hatfield reflect on a decade of rocking Boston
by Matt Ashare

Mars needs guitars

The Best Music Poll party blasts off
by Jonathan Perry

The winner's gallery

10 Years of music history