Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

10 Iconic Albums From 1998 We're Still Playing

11/12/2018

In 1998, Google was born, Japan hosted the Winter Olympics, and Titanic won a record 11 Oscars. While that may feel like a lifetime ago, the decade's best music is still relevant as ever.

And as streaming data from these 1998 albums proves, we're still listening.

There was no singular music trend that defined the year. As commercial, candy-coated pop began to dominate the charts, rising artists across genres like electronic, indie pop, punk, and alternative made their marks behind the scenes. Meanwhile, global superstar Madonna defended her title as queen of reinvention, and budding hip-hop masterminds OutKast pushed the limits of rap for a new generation.

Maybe you were front row at 1998's biggest concerts-or maybe you weren't born yet. Regardless, check out these 10 iconic records from the year that still hold up.

Air, Moon Safari Released January 16, 1998

2018 Total Streams: Over 3.3 million

Moon Safari, the debut from French duo Air, is appropriately light and breezy-but it's far from fluff. Across 10 delicate tracks, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Beno t Dunckel experiment in soft, playful electronica with instruments from synths and organs to bongos and castanets. The result is a gentle assessment of space and atmosphere; elevator music for the time-traveling hipster set of the future.

Neutral Milk Hotel, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea Released February 10, 1998

2018 Total Streams: Over 10.6 million

An indie rock concept album inspired by Anne Frank? Sounds like a hard sell, and yet the tender, explosive power that drives In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has mesmerized listeners for two straight decades. An unlikely cult classic from a band that only released two studio albums, Aeroplane is a sweeping epic fueled by the dense, gut-wrenching lyricism of Neutral Milk Hotel leader Jeff Mangum.

Madonna, Ray of Light Released February 22, 1998

2018 Streams: Over 2.2 million

Madonna's Ray of Light didn't so much mark a comeback as it did a full-blown renaissance; at the time of the record's release in early 1998, the pop superstar was basking in the glow of a whole new identity. A new mom, Madonna embraced spiritual practices like yoga and Kabbalah and underwent extensive vocal training before recording her seventh studio album. As a result, she sings in a wider, fuller tone that complements her newfound maturity and lush, techno-pop sound.

Massive Attack, Mezzanine Released April 20, 1998

2018 Streams: Over 7 million

In the '90s, Bristol, England, became known for its experiments in trip-hop, a chill blend of hip-hop and electronic. Massive Attack's landmark Mezzanine was born from this rich scene, but ultimately transcended the city limits. Shrouded in eerie tension and cold, sparse beats, Mezzanine highlighted the talents of guest vocalists like reggae legend Horace Andy and Liz Fraser of Cocteau Twins; Fraser lends her ethereal vocals to Teardrop, a soft anti-ballad that became the album's biggest hit (and the title sequence song for the TV show House ). The album's hypnotic legacy can be found coursing through the work of contemporary artists like James Blake and The xx.

Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Released August 25, 1998

2018 Total Streams: Over 29.7 million

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill begins with the ring of a school bell-a familiar sound to anyone who remembers (fondly or otherwise) back to the time when they were figuring out who they wanted to be. In many ways, Lauryn Hill's debut solo album is a coming-of-age story. There's the love and anxiety of being a young mother ( To Zion ), the ache of broken relationships ( I Used To Love Him ), and exploration of feminism and equality ( Doo Wop (That Thing) ). In breaking with her band Fugees, Hill shifted between singing and rapping with effortless ease, bursting solo into the boys club that is hip-hop with her own strong yet vulnerable style.

Elliott Smith, XO Released August 25, 1998

2018 Total Streams: Over 1 million

1998 was a turning point for Elliott Smith, the wistful crooner whose untimely death five years later would leave his legacy shrouded in myth. Months after he appeared at the Academy Awards to perform his nominated song Miss Misery (from Good Will Hunting ), he made his major label debut with XO, a characteristically melancholy release. And yet, even as he battled increasingly present inner demons, there was hope and light to be found on XO ; from the tender, jubilant Sweet Adeline to the cheery flourishes of Baby Britain.

Belle & Sebastian, The Boy With the Arab Strap Released September 7, 1998

2018 Total Streams: Over 1 million

To this day, Belle & Sebastian is one of the most prolific indie bands in the game, but their brilliant career first took shape with their third album, The Boy With the Arab Strap. A curious collection of enchanting sonic fables, the record saw Belle & Sebastian expand from a solo project into a full-fledged band, with Stuart Murdoch and company touching upon issues of isolation and angst across a quirky dream-pop landscape. They remain the poster children for Glasgow's weird and wonderful art scene, a hub for artists like Camera Obscura, CHVRCHES, and Franz Ferdinand.

Hole, Celebrity Skin Released September 8, 1998

2018 Total Streams: Over 3 million

The spotlight isn't easy for anyone, but when you're one-half of a tragic and infamous rock couple, it's especially hard to keep it together. Courtney Love did that and more on her band Hole's third record, Celebrity Skin, released just a few years after the death of her husband, Kurt Cobain. Driven by the force of the record's fiery title track, Celebrity Skin became the band's most popular release, a sophisticated departure from the rough, fuzzed-out grunge of their previo
LINK: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2018-12-11/10-iconic-albums-from-1998-wer...
See more stories from spotify

Most recent headlines

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

01/05/2025

Fired CPB Board Members Sue Trump Administration

WASHINGTON The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from firing three of its board members, claiming the pre...

01/05/2025

Riedel Opens Hong Kong Office

HONG KONG Riedel Communications today said it has opened a new office in Hong Kong, enhancing its presence in the Asia-Pacific region....

01/05/2025

NextGen TV: Sinclair Applauds New ATSC 3.0 D2M Phones

MUMBAI, India & BALTIMORE In a development that could advance efforts to bring NextGen TV to cellphones, FreeStream Technologies, Lava International and HMD hav...

01/05/2025

Screen Australia empowers 100+ distinctive Australian narratives

01 05 2025 - Media release Screen Australia empowers 100 distinctive Australian narratives All The Boys Are Here writer/director Goran Stolevski and It s All...

01/05/2025

How PFX Delivered 750 VFX Shots in Just Four Months For Anthony Hopkins Thriller Locked

How PFX Delivered 750 VFX Shots in Just Four Months For Anthony Hopkins Thriller...

01/05/2025

Careline's New Wave Makeup Commercial Shot With URSA Cine 12K LF

Careline's New Wave Makeup Commercial Shot With URSA Cine 12K LF Brie Clayton May 1, 2025 0 Comments CAD Studios relies on large format, full fram...

01/05/2025

RT Investigates reveals details of Christian Brothers who managed congregation's assets are now convicted jailed child sexual abusers

RT Investigates reveals details of Christian Brothers who were senior leaders a...

01/05/2025

RT Statement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project

RT Statement The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project is one of the projects that was funded from the proceeds of RT 's land sale in 2017, the init...

01/05/2025

RT is Supporting 28 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this May

Watch our promo: RT Supporting the Arts | What's on This May, RT is delighted to support Bealtaine Festival, Fastnet Film Festival, and Dublin Dance Fest...

01/05/2025

Wandercraft Begins Clinical Trials for Physical AI-Powered Personal Exoskeleton

For Nicolas Simon, advancing the field of robotics is a personal mission that could change his siblings' lives. Two-thirds of Simon's family members us...

30/04/2025

Inside the Archives: Preserving and Saving At-Risk Films Takes a Village

Film elements held at the Deluxe warehouse in March of 2015. Photo by Luis Silva...

30/04/2025

Spotify and EA SPORTS Team Up To Pilot a New Kind of Audio Experience

EA SPORTS FC 25 fans in Australia and Saudi Arabia, get ready to immerse yourselves in the beautiful game like never before. Spotify is excited to announce a n...

30/04/2025

Tucker Wetmore Celebrates His Debut Album Release With an Intimate Performance for Fans

The past year has been nothing short of a whirlwind for Tucker Wetmore. After th...

30/04/2025

Spotify Celebrates Mexico's Booming Podcast Scene With First-Ever Podcast Awards

Mexico's love for podcasts is no longer a trend-it's a lifestyle. With m...

30/04/2025

Slam poet Huda the Goddess wins 2025 Les Murray Award

Slam poet Huda the Goddess wins 2025 Les Murray Award 30 April, 2025 Media releases Australia for UNHCR and SBS are proud to announce that Huda Fadlelmawla...

30/04/2025

SBS, NITV and NIDA partner to empower the next generation of screen creatives

SBS, NITV and NIDA partner to empower the next generation of screen creatives 30 April, 2025 Media releases SBS, National Indigenous Television (NITV) and ...

30/04/2025

Why Now is the Perfect Time to Join HPA

By Joyce JC Cataldo The media and entertainment industry is evolving faster than ever. Technology is shifting the way we create, distribute, and experience c...

30/04/2025

On-Demand Imagery: Enhancing Monitoring and Analysis with Advanced Streaming Platforms

An image of Valencia, Spain, in the OneAtlas Living Library...

30/04/2025

WPSD-TV Taps Bitcentral To Modernize Playout

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. WPSD-TV, the NBC affiliate in Paducah, Ky., has selected Bitcentral's Central Control playout system to upgrade the station's mast...

30/04/2025

Baris Zavaroglu Appointed CEO of Zero Density

AMSTERDAM Zero Density, a global provider of virtual studio productions and on-air graphics, has appointed Baris Zavaroglu as its new CEO. Zavaroglu succeeds Of...

30/04/2025

The Avit Group Elevates Audio-visual Experiences with Mar...

The Avit Group, a forward-thinking audio-visual technology company, is bringing over 50 years of combined experience in delivering audio-visual design and insta...

30/04/2025

NXTGENbps brings portable, sustainable battery solutions...

NXTGENbps will be showcasing its latest sustainable battery power solutions at this year's Media Production & Technology Show (MPTS), appearing alongside pa...

30/04/2025

Van Dyke Scores Hit with Hockey Comedy Shoresy Shot on Ze...

Van Dyke skates and operates on Shoresy | photo by Dave Ferguson Toronto-based Cinematographer Brett Van Dyke (Heartland, Jann, Carter) stepped into the rink...

30/04/2025

PlayBox Neo presents Next-Generation Smart Media Solution...

Leading provider of media playout solutions PlayBox Neo will exhibit a vast array of significant upgrades to its range of smart media innovations at CABSAT from...

30/04/2025

QuickLink StudioEdge Transforms Remote Contributions for...

ITV Studios is renowned for its award-winning productions, including the reality TV phenomenon I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Produced by Lifted Ente...

30/04/2025

UK Pavilion exhibitors continue to impact at CABSAT and S...

The UK's presence at this year's CABSAT brings together 20 innovative companies under the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland banner. From advanced infra...

30/04/2025

Lightware Reinforces ESG Commitment with Participation in...

Lightware continues to strengthen its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives by fostering diversity, inclusion, and community engagement within...

30/04/2025

LiveU to Demonstrate LiveU IQ in UK For The First Time at...

LiveU is demonstrating for the first time in the UK, its revolutionary technological breakthrough in IP-video transport, LiveU IQ (LIQ ) and bringing its expand...

30/04/2025

Calrec MPTS 2025 Preview

Stand: A40 Calrec has been putting sound in the picture for more than six decades and is still pushing the boundaries of audio broadcasting with a full range o...

30/04/2025

Buckinghamshire New University opens advanced virtual pro...

Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) has opened its new virtual production studio, designed and integrated by CJP Broadcast. The installation equips students wi...

30/04/2025

Collective Newsroom chooses nxtedition for seamless workf...

Independent news producer in India focuses on delivering stories nxtedition has supplied a complete newsroom system to Collective Newsroom, based in New Delhi,...

30/04/2025

FOR-A Showcases Next-Generation Broadcast Solutions at CA...

Connecting the present, building the future FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, will showcase it...

30/04/2025

DAD by NTP Technology Highlights Upcoming Expansion Optio...

DAD by NTP Technology reports a successful NAB Show in Las Vegas where the company focused on upcoming expansion options in development for its Thunder | Core a...

30/04/2025

CVP and Canon unveil 2025 Canon Stories in Motion Young F...

CVP and Canon UK & Ireland are proud to announce the winning projects from the third annual Stories in Motion Young Filmmakers Awards, which took place on the e...

30/04/2025

beIN scores world first with new beIN STREAM using Syname...

Leading video software provider, Synamedia, today announced that beIN MEDIA GROUP ( beIN'), one of the foremost global sports and entertainment broadcasters...

30/04/2025

The Canadian Premier League launches new digital experien...

The Canadian Premier League (CPL) today launched a new-look website and app, offering supporters of Canada's men's domestic professional soccer league a...

30/04/2025

FCC's Carr Says Regulator Wants to Empower Local Broadcasters'

WASHINGTON In a wide-ranging press conference, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr had both good and bad news for broadcasters, stressing that ...

30/04/2025

Filipino Sports Streamer Leverages Quickplay Shorts for Video Prep

TORONTO Cignal TV is relying on Quickplay's Shorts tool for its recently launched Pilipinas Live Shorts service, available to millions of users of Pilipinas...

30/04/2025

TVB President and CEO Steve Lanzano to Retire

NEW YORK Steve Lanzano will retire as president and CEO of the Television Bureau of Advertising at year-end, the group said....

30/04/2025

Collective Newsroom Deploys Nxteditions Newsroom System

The news production tech provider nxtedition is reporting that it supplied a complete newsroom system to Collective Newsroom, an independent news producer based...

30/04/2025

IAB Double-Clicks on AI Efforts

NEW YORK As part of a major push to advance the role that artificial intelligence (AI) plays in the advertising industry, the Interactive Advertising Bureau has...

30/04/2025

SES Open Orbits Selected by Two National Carriers to Equip their Fleets with Truly Seamless Connectivity Services

Uzbekistan Airways is the latest airline to choose SES's network, while Thai...

30/04/2025

Loaded Uses Blackmagic Design for shroud Subathon Live Streams

Loaded Uses Blackmagic Design for shroud Subathon Live Streams Brie Clayton April 29, 2025 0 Comments Blackmagic Studio Cameras and Micro Studio Camer...

30/04/2025

Help shape the future of video creator tools with MIDiA

Help shape the future of video creator tools with MIDiA Brie Clayton April 29, 2025 0 Comments After a successful debut in 2024, MIDiA is calling once...

30/04/2025

Tania Len and Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Commencement Ceremony

Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Boston Conservatory at Berklee&...

30/04/2025

Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee College of Music 2025 Commencement

Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee College ...

30/04/2025

New RT News Podcast Behind the Story Available Now

You've seen the headlines, now it's time to go Behind the Story RT News has today (Wednesday) launched a brand-new news podcast, Behind the Story, h...

30/04/2025

Re-imagined series of Bergerac set to return to U and U&DRAMA in 2026

Damien Molony will head back to Jersey for a second series of Bergerac, written by Toby Whithouse alongside Ashley Sanders, Emilie Robson and Faebian Averies D...

30/04/2025

Advancing multi-domain EW operations: Rohde & Schwarz unveils latest innovations at AOC Europe

Advancing multi-domain EW operations: Rohde & Schwarz unveils latest innovations...