If you were anywhere near a radio or MTV in the summer of 1999, you didn't just hear the limp bizkit significant other tracks—you lived them. They were inescapable. It was the year of the red Yankees cap, baggy JNCO jeans, and a very specific brand of suburban frustration that only Fred Durst seemed to know how to monetize.
Honestly, looking back from 2026, it’s easy to dismiss this era as a cringey fever dream. But the numbers don’t lie. The album sold over 16 million copies. It hit number one on the Billboard 200. While the critics at the time were busy clutching their pearls over the "immaturity" of the lyrics, an entire generation was busy memorizing every line of "Nookie."
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It wasn't just luck. The band—Wes Borland, Sam Rivers, John Otto, and DJ Lethal—were actually incredible musicians. They were tight. They were experimental. And with Terry Date (the guy who produced Pantera and Deftones) behind the board, they sounded like a rolling freight train.
The Tracks That Defined the Nu-Metal Peak
When people talk about the limp bizkit significant other tracks, they usually start and end with the big four: "Nookie," "Break Stuff," "Re-Arranged," and "N 2 Gether Now." But there's a lot more weirdness happening in the middle of this record than people remember.
Take "Just Like This." It’s the second track and basically serves as the mission statement for the whole album. It’s got that classic DJ Lethal scratch-heavy intro and a riff from Wes Borland that feels more like something off a Primus record than a standard metal song. It’s funky, it’s arrogant, and it perfectly sets the stage for the chaos that follows.
The Power of "Nookie" and "Break Stuff"
"Nookie" is probably one of the most misunderstood "hit" songs of the 90s. Durst has been pretty open about the fact that the song was inspired by a bad breakup where he felt used. The lyrics are definitely... of their time. But the groove? That's all Borland. He actually used a customized four-string baritone guitar to get that specific, rubbery sound. It shouldn't work, but it does.
Then there’s "Break Stuff."
If "Nookie" was the anthem for bad breakups, "Break Stuff" was the anthem for literally everything else.
Bad day at work? Break stuff.
Stuck in traffic? Break stuff.
It’s a masterclass in simplicity. The opening chords are iconic. It’s a song built on pure, unadulterated tension and release. It became the soundtrack to the infamous Woodstock '99 riot, which, for better or worse, cemented the band's legacy in rock history.
The Surprising Depth of the "B-Sides"
What really makes Significant Other interesting isn't just the radio hits. It’s the stuff that felt a little out of left field for a "rap-metal" band in 1999.
- "Re-Arranged": This is arguably the best song on the album. It’s melodic. It’s moody. Durst isn't even rapping for most of it; he’s actually singing. It showed a level of maturity that the band rarely got credit for.
- "No Sex": This track features Aaron Lewis from Staind on backing vocals. It’s a dark, brooding song about the complications of a purely physical relationship. It’s a far cry from the "mook rock" reputation the band had at the time.
- "Nobody Like You": You’ve got Jonathan Davis from Korn and Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots on the same track. It’s a nu-metal superstar summit. The energy is frantic, and it’s a great example of the community that existed within the genre at the peak of its powers.
Hip-Hop Credibility: "N 2 Gether Now"
One of the smartest moves Limp Bizkit ever made was collaborating with Method Man. At the time, the "rap" part of rap-rock was often treated as a gimmick. But "N 2 Gether Now" was produced by the legendary DJ Premier of Gang Starr.
That’s serious hip-hop royalty.
The track is a straight-up rap song. No guitars, just a beat and two guys trading verses. It gave the band a level of credibility in the hip-hop world that few of their peers could match. It also proved that Durst, despite his detractors, could actually hold his own on a mic next to one of the best in the game.
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Why the Sound Still Holds Up
A big reason these tracks still sound "expensive" is the production. Terry Date brought a muscular, heavy sound that made the band feel like a legitimate threat. While their debut, Three Dollar Bill, Y'all, was raw and confrontational (thanks to Ross Robinson), Significant Other felt polished without losing its edge.
Wes Borland’s guitar work is the secret sauce here. He was heavily influenced by bands like Tool and Helmet, and you can hear it in the weird, angular riffs of "9 Teen 90 Nine" and "Trust?" He was also experimenting with 7-string guitars for the first time on this record, inspired by his friends in Korn.
Actionable Insights for Re-listening
If you haven't sat down and listened to the limp bizkit significant other tracks in a while, do yourself a favor and skip the singles for a second.
- Listen to the rhythm section. Pay attention to Sam Rivers and John Otto. They are essentially a funk band playing metal. The pocket they find on tracks like "I'm Broke" is incredible.
- Focus on the layers. DJ Lethal’s atmospheric work is often buried under the riffs, but it’s what gives the album its "trippy" feel.
- Check out the demos. There is a version of "Don't Go Off Wandering" floating around the internet that features Serj Tankian from System of a Down. His vocals were cut from the final album version, but the demo gives you a glimpse into what could have been an even weirder record.
The album is a time capsule, sure. But it’s also a reminder of a time when rock music was the biggest thing on the planet, and a group of guys from Jacksonville, Florida, were the unlikely kings of the mountain.
To get the full experience of the album's production, try listening with a high-quality pair of headphones to catch the subtle string arrangements on "Don't Go Off Wandering"—which were arranged by Suzie Katayama—and the intricate turntable scratches that define the album's transitions.