Photo Gallery: Guitar World Magazine Covers Throughout the Years — 1999

Y2K bugs notwithstanding, 1999 was a payoff year for patient music fans.

Several artists made comebacks -- perhaps fearful they had only a few months before computer systems would revert back to 1900 -- and CD players would explode.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers rang in the summer with Californication, but the big news for fans was the return of guitarist John Frusciante, who had not played with the band in eight years. Californication went on to sell more than 13 million copies.

Later in the year, the rock world saw Trent Reznor release The Fragile, Nine Inch Nails' first album in five years. And then there was Peace, Eurythmics' first album in 10.

But ,of course, the comeback king of 1999 was Carlos Santana. The legendary guitarist had begun the decade with dismal record sales and eventually found himself without a contract. By the end of the Nineties, at the recommendation of Arista Records' Clive Davis, Santana recorded Supernatural, with a star-studded cast of musicians including Eric Clapton, Cee-Lo Greene and Dave Matthews. The first single, "Smooth," recorded with Rob Thomas on vocals, spent 12 weeks at Nol. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 -- Santana's first No. 1 single -- and won three Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year.

Carlos Santana was again the force to reckoned with that he was in the Seventies. But there were other artists pushing for their spot in the limelight in 1999. See who found some in this week's gallery of GW covers from 1999.

Image 1 of 12