The Magnetic Fields' breakthrough album was 69 Love Songs, from 1999 - a three disc set covering (m)any and all apsects of its chosen subject - love. The story has it that Merritt came up with the idea for 69 Love Songs while sitting in an elegant midtown Manhattan gay piano bar. He originally planned for it to be a live musical revue, performed with a rotating cast of singers in the plush hotel bars and cabarets of New York City. In fact, at first the concept had been "100 Love Songs", but Merritt soon realized that even at 2 minutes per song, the revue would last over 3 hours without an intermission. The number "69" seemed to be the next appropriate number down from a hundred, especially due to its visual appeal as a graphic design...

Merritt's first two albums, The Wayward Bus and Distant Plastic Trees, were recorded in 1991 and 1992 with singer Susan Anway, formerly of the early 80's Boston punk band "V". These two albums featured cover art paintings by Wendy Smith, who was also the cover artist for Weekend, an early-80's band on Rough Trade.

In 1991, Anway decided to relocate to Arizona and Stephin Merritt took up the vocal duties. The Fall of 1992 and Spring of 1993 saw the release of several 7"s with Merritt singing: Long Vermont Roads (Harriet) and The House Of Tomorrow ep (Feel Good All Over). Between the Fall of 1993 and Spring of 1996, Merritt released five albums on four cd's: the re-release of The Wayward Bus and Distant Plastic Trees (Merge), The Charm of the Highway Strip (Merge), Holiday ('Feel Good All Over', re-released by Merge) and Get Lost (Merge).

At the end of 1996, Merritt decided to put The Magnetic Fields on hold while he focused more time on his other musical projects/alter egos: The Gothic Archies; The 6ths; and Future Bible Heroes. While these projects served to satisfy the legions of fanatical Merritt fans to some degree, the masses had been eagerly anticipating the news of a new full-on Magnetic Fields release. This came, rather spectacularly, in the form of 69 Love Songs.

Thanks to Merge and Nonesuch Records.