By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun

Seeing as it's the first week of 1999, there's no time like the present to see what the year ahead holds for music fans in terms of big name releases and tours.

One of the most anticipated albums of the year has to be the new Spice Girls record, their first without Ginger, which is expected to be finished and in stores sometime in 1999.

Whether or not the girls will tour this year is anybody's guess, but considering two of the four remaining Spices are pregnant and due to give birth, don't hold your breath.

Also coming down the pike -- in terms of mass teen appeal -- are new releases from the Backstreet Boys, Aqua, Robyn, and fledgling teen acts B*Witched and Britney Spears.

As for the more seasoned acts releasing new albums in 1999, there are records coming from Radiohead, U2 (a greatest hits, part two), TLC, David Bowie, Van Morrison, Janet Jackson (a Velvet Rope remix album), Bush, Nine Inch Nails, Beck, Rage Against The Machine, No Doubt, Mary J. Blige, Neil Young, Iggy Pop, Neneh Cherry, former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, Sting, The Cranberries, Wilco, Missy Elliott, Collective Soul.

And The Cure, Tom Petty, Don Henley, LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill, Cassandra Wilson, Foxy Brown, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks,The Roots, George Strait, Sammy Hagar, Chumbawamba, Live, Erykah Badu, Lyle Lovett, Primus, the Black Crowes, Sugar Ray, Manic Street Preachers, D'Angelo, Jeff Beck, Silverchair, Babyface, Ben Folds Five, Jamiroquai, Underworld, Beth Orton, Supergrass, Ben Lee and Luscious Jackson.

Leading a strong Canadian contingent this year is Sloan, who will have both a double live and studio album in 1999, along with new releases from Ron Sexsmith, Crash Test Dummies, The Tea Party, Moist, I Mother Earth, Treble Charger, The Rascalz, Diana Krall and Kim Stockwood.

In terms of big tours, the most anticipated is Madonna's, which she confirmed to MTV News this week.

"This is definite," Madonna told MTV. "I'll be rehearsing all summer and then going on the road in September."

It will be Madonna's first outing since 1993's Girlie Show, and after scoring five Grammy nods this week for her work on her latest album, Ray Of Light, she couldn't be any hotter.

Other big road shows in 1999 will be staged by The Rolling Stones -- their first arena tour in almost two decades -- The Tragically Hip, Alanis Morissette, Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, Billy Joel, Sheryl Crow, Bryan Adams, Hole co-headlining with Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie & Korn, Lenny Kravitz and The Roots, not to mention such high-profile return engagements by Shania Twain, Rod Stewart and Celine Dion.

Smaller-scale tours will include those by The Cardigans, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Eve 6, Blur, The Tea Party, Moist, I Mother Earth, 98 Degrees, Kim Stockwood, Motley Crue, Placebo, Ron Sexsmith, Diana Krall, Rufus Wainwright, Tom Cochrane, Crash Test Dummies and The Watchmen. Possible tours may be staged by Sloan, Chumbawamba and Beck.

In terms of 1999 reunions, the return of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band -- their first tour together in a decade -- is undisputably the biggest of the bunch.

Meanwhile, Black Sabbath are also back on the road, as are Blondie, who are releasing a new album, and Eurythmics' Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, who are hooking up to perform at the Brit Awards in February.

So far there's no word on whether another solo album from Lennox, who has done quite well on her own in the post-Stewart years, is in the works.