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

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

17/01/2026

Lightware and Google enhance meeting room flexibility wit...

Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is helping to elevate the Google Meet experience with the introduction of an integration with Taurus UCX. Th...

17/01/2026

Clear-Com Partners with NETGEAR to Deliver OEM Networking...

Clear-Com announced a strategic partnership with NETGEAR AV to offer four high-performance networking switches as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) solutio...

17/01/2026

QuickLink Expands US Reach With Midwich Distribution

QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, today announced a new U.S. distribution partnership wit...

17/01/2026

NUGEN Audio Launches the Next Evolution of MasterCheck

NUGEN Audio announces the latest evolution of MasterCheck, its industry-trusted optimization plug-in for cross-platform mastering and loudness verification. Des...

17/01/2026

BHV Introduces Pro AV Market to SportsBox at ISE 2026

BHV has announced that it will highlight its new SportsBox remote vision mixer and picture processor at ISE in Booth #4H900 marking its official introduction in...

17/01/2026

Clear-Com Reveals New 4-Channel HelixNet Beltpack and Adv...

Clear-Com will return to ISE 2026 to demonstrate its latest intercom solutions for broadcast, live production, and AV professionals. Exhibiting at Stand #4P700...

17/01/2026

Grass Valley Brings Scalable Creative Freedom to Broadcas...

Grass Valley, a leading provider in live production solutions, will exhibit at ISE 2026 in Barcelona from February 3 6, presenting its vision for how modern Bro...

17/01/2026

Utelogy Advances AI and Cloud-First Innovation at ISE 202...

Utelogy Corporation, the global leader in connected workplace management, monitoring, control, automation and analytics closes out a record-breaking 2025. The c...

17/01/2026

FOR-A Europe to Demonstrate Broadcast and Pro-AV Converge...

FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, will showcase its innovative production solutions at ISE 2026 ...

17/01/2026

Tim Jackson Appointed Sr Director of Sales and Business D...

Techex, the UK-based expert in live video solutions over IP and cloud, today announced that Tim Jackson has joined the company as Senior Director of Sales and B...

17/01/2026

Redflag AI Joins Akamais New ISV Catalyst Program as the...

Redflag AI, an AI-powered content protection platform, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online, today...

17/01/2026

Encompass Digital Media Strengthens Global Operations wit...

Encompass Digital Media has today announced the appointment of David Hunter as Chief Operating Officer (COO). As a highly respected technology and operations le...

17/01/2026

Glensound highlights quality practicality and innovation...

Glensound is set to showcase its audio and intercom solutions supporting broadcast, live events and professional AV environments at ISE 2026 (stand 7H800, Fira ...

17/01/2026

Matrox Video Showcases New AV-over-IP Capabilities Drivin...

As Matrox Video marks its 50th year of innovation, the company will use ISE 2026 to showcase the latest advancements across its AV-over-IP ecosystem, highlighti...

17/01/2026

Hollywood Professional Association Unveils 2026 HPA Award...

The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced the nominees for the 2026 HPA Awards Innovation & Technology, marking an expanded evolution of the ...

17/01/2026

Sinclair Asks FCC to Approve Nexstar/Tegna Deal

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

16/01/2026

From Berlin to London: Amazon Prime Video Delivers NBA Europe Games to Global Audience

From Berlin to London: Amazon delivers NBA Europe games for an international aud...

16/01/2026

How Vizrt, TriCaster Helped Harvard Athletics Embrace Vertical Video and More to Serve Fans

How Vizrt, TriCaster Helped Harvard Athletics Embrace Vertical Video and More to...

16/01/2026

SVG GameDay, Ep. 1: PMY Group's Mike Bonner

SVG GameDay, Ep. 1: PMY Group's Mike BonnerThe longtime industry veteran provides insight into his approach to producing live eventsBy Kristian Hern ndez, S...

16/01/2026

Attacking the Pin: Inside the PGA TOUR's Replay Remodel With Hawk-Eye Innovations

Attacking the Pin: Inside the PGA TOUR's Replay Remodel With Hawk-Eye Innova...

16/01/2026

Back to Unrivaled: TNT Sports Reconnects With Mediapro for the League's Sophomore Season

Back to Unrivaled: TNT Sports Reconnects With Mediapro for the League's Soph...

16/01/2026

FloSports Orchestrates Mega Weekend Spotlighted by Chili Bowl Nationals, UCA & UDA College Nationals

FloSports Orchestrates Mega Weekend Spotlighted by Chili Bowl Nationals, UCA & U...

16/01/2026

Sundance Institute Names 2026 Screenwriters Lab and Screenwriters Intensive Fellows

Eleven Projects to Be Developed at Annual January Screenwriters Lab; Nine Projec...

16/01/2026

5 Audiobooks to Help You Level Up in 2026

The start of a new year brings fresh possibilities. Whether you're diving in with big goals or simply setting new intentions, audiobooks can bring inspirati...

16/01/2026

1 Year In: How Creators Are Growing Their Shows and Connecting With Audiences Through the Spotify Partner Program

In 2025 we launched the Spotify Partner Program to give creators more ways to tu...

16/01/2026

NAB Spokesman Alex Siciliano to Depart

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

16/01/2026

Marshall Electronics Showcases the VMV 402 3GSH Seamless...

Marshall Electronics is showcasing its VMV-402-3GSH Seamless 4X Switch at ISE 2026 (Booth 4N900). Designed for presentation systems, control rooms and remote pr...

16/01/2026

HPA Announces Innovation & Technology Award Nominees

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

16/01/2026

Graduate Spotlight: Nadia Castagna

Graduate Spotlight: Nadia Castagna The educator, who grew up in Rochester, New York, shares how she went from Berklee to collaborating on meaningful programs ...

16/01/2026

Culinary Class Wars' Returns for Season 3, Raising the Stakes With a Team-Based Showdown

Back to All News Culinary Class Wars' Returns for Season 3, Raising the St...

15/01/2026

Milano Cortina 2026: OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos Previews Production Innovations

Milano Cortina 2026: OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos Previews Production InnovationsFirst Person View drones, AI-based tech target greater fan engagement, efficiencyBy...

15/01/2026

Clever With Cameras: Bringing the Drama of the 2026 ISU European Figure Skating Championships to Viewers with Sunset+Vine

Clever with cameras: Bringing the drama of the 2026 ISU European Figure Skating ...

15/01/2026

No Stranger to Ice: Host Broadcaster Sunset+Vine on Pressure and Planning for the 2026 ISU European Figure Skating Championships

No stranger to ice: Host broadcaster Sunset Vine on pressure and planning for th...

15/01/2026

SVG Campus Shot Callers: Leah Gill, Associate Athletic Director, Digital Media, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

SVG Campus Shot Callers: Leah Gill, Associate Athletic Director, Digital Media, ...

15/01/2026

National Sports Broadcaster Perspectives: What to Expect in Production in 2026

National Sports Broadcaster Perspectives: What to Expect in Production in 2026Leaders from ESPN, FOX Sports, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery share their pro...

15/01/2026

From Berlin to London: Amazon Delivers NBA Europe Games for an International Audience

From Berlin to London: Amazon delivers NBA Europe games for an international aud...

15/01/2026

Sundance Institute Appoints David Linde as CEO

LOS ANGELES, CA, January 15, 2026 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced the appointment of David Linde as Chief Executive Officer. Linde will assum...

15/01/2026

Excellent training at SGL Carbons Bonn site

The SGL Carbon site in Bonn has a long tradition of training. For many years, young talent has been successfully trained here, regularly achieving excellent exa...

15/01/2026

SGL Carbon and BMW Group receive JEC Innovation Award for Natural Fiber Composites Project

The JEC Composites Innovation Awards annually honor the most innovative and ambi...

15/01/2026

SGL Carbon signs long-term supply agreement with X-energy

X-energy Reactor Company, LLC ( X-energy ) and SGL Carbon LLC ( SGL ) have signed a 10-year framework agreement to provide graphite for the deployment of X-ener...

15/01/2026

Versant Completes Acquisition Of Free TV Networks

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

House Oversight Hearing on FCC Puts Chair in Spotlight

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

Radiant Media Player, Cloud DRM Partner on Integration

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

Telycam to Showcase New Mix One Video Switcher at ISE 2026

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

Pliant Names Adam Grede as Regional Sales Manager

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

NFL Wild Card Games Score With Viewers

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...