Baby One More Time

This was Britney's first hit, and it propelled her to stardom. The slick sound earned plenty of radio play, but it was the image of the schoolgirl Spears, who was just 16 when the song was released on October 23, 1998, that made her a sensation. MTV played the video, but it was the internet that gave her the most traction, as teenage girls and guys of all ages logged into their AOL accounts and typed some variation of "Britney Spears" into Alta Vista to see more of the starlet. Over the next 10 years, Spears led the world in celebrity news, with one incident after another documented by eager paparazzi. But it all started with this: a very slick Pop song about a girl who wants another chance with the guy she broke up with.

Max Martin wrote this song and produced it. Martin is a Swedish citizen with a knack for catchy pop songs. He created hits for The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC in addition to Spears.

When Spears went on her first world tour, this was a centerpiece of the show, with two cannons at the front of the stage blasting confetti all over fans in the first few rows. The tour was a showcase for Spears' dancing, which critics appreciated a lot more than her singing.

The album has sold over 14 million copies in the United States and over 25 million worldwide. It is the biggest-selling album ever recorded by a teenage girl.

The video was shot at Venice High School in Los Angeles, which was the setting for Rydell High in the movie Grease.

This was first offered to the group TLC, who turned it down. It was later accepted by Britney.

In the UK, this was the biggest-selling single of 1999.

Spears performed this alongside *NSYNC at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards in a skintight outfit. She also performed it at a Nickelodeon special wearing a midriff-showing top without a bra, which made people wonder if she had her breasts augmented. Parents began wondering if their kids should be watching Spears. (thanks, Britney - Calabasas, CA)

It was rumored that Spears got breast implants around this time. Many people spoofed this as "Make My Boobies One More Size." (thanks, Scott Baddwin - edmonton, England)

Some people hear a backwards message in this: if you play the part where it says "With you I lose my mind give me a sign" backwards, it supposedly says, "Sleep with me I'm not too young." (thanks, Genevieve - Leongatha, Australia)

Spears performed this at the 2000 Grammy Awards along with the ballad "From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart." She was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal (for this song), but lost both. Christina Aguilera won Best New Artist and Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You" was awarded Best Female Pop Vocal. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

When Spears was booed by crowds outside a Leicester Square cinema for walking straight in and ignoring autograph hunters at a premiere, the London Metro headline was "Hiss Me Baby, One More Time". (thanks, Alexander Baron - London, England)

In a 1998 interview with MTV, Britney revealed that she wanted the video to reflect the lives of her fans, so she wanted to set it in a school. "The first idea we had for the video was so off the wall," she said. "I was like, 'I want something a lot of kids can relate to.' It's just a fun video."

In a 2009 interview with MTV News, the director of the video, Nigel Dick, gave full credit to Spears for coming up with her schoolgirl look. "My idea originally was just jeans and T-shirts, and we were at the wardrobe fitting and Britney holds up the jeans and T-shirts and says, 'Wouldn't I wear a schoolgirl outfit?' " he said. "Every piece of wardrobe in the video came from Kmart, and I was told at the time not one piece of clothing in the video cost more than $17. On that level, it's real. That probably, in retrospect, is a part of its charm."

The Scottish group Travis covered this in 2000. Bowling For Soup also recorded it in 2003 for the Disney film Freaky Friday staring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. (thanks, Chrissy - Manchester, England)

When asked by Out Magazine what the worst advice is that she ever received from a record executive, Britney replied: "Someone once told me that the '... Baby One More Time' video should be me as a superhero fighting a giant robot monster."