Music: Best Albums of the Year series: 1998

[WeThreeKings]

SOAD

and throw a vote for Goo Goo Dolls.

Weak year.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I honestly feel like In the Aeroplane Over the Sea gets underrated because of stupid meme culture. I go back to that album over and over and over again.

Completely agree. It's an amazing album, but the memes have reached the point where it's detracts from meaningful discussion and level-headed appreciation (or criticism) of it.

What's the story there? I don't like the album at all but I didn't know it was a meme thing.

Same, never heard anything about that meme story, don't really care either. I like the album a lot, but I fail to see how it's underrated (or we really don't have the same understanding of what underrated is). If anything, the previous (and better IMO) one is the underrated one, I really was wondering how it only got 2 votes on the 96 poll... This one here has the lead.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Same, never heard anything about that meme story, don't really care either. I like the album a lot, but I fail to see how it's underrated (or we really don't have the same understanding of what underrated is). If anything, the previous (and better IMO) one is the underrated one, I really was wondering how it only got 2 votes on the 96 poll... This one here has the lead.

I think there was just a weird balancing effect. It's a combination of a lot of people from the newer generation hearing about it through it being a meme, along with it being talked about so much more because of it being a meme. I think it has an effect where people start thinking of it as "overrated" because it gets talked about so much in different circles like that.

 

[Saturated Fats]

I appreciate that The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill making a charge.

I just re-listened to that album for the first time in over a decade, while making dinner. Great production, some real solid grooves. Might have to amend my vote.

 

[Mikeaveli]

Mostly IDM from this year for me.

1. Sweet Trip - Halica: Bliss Out vol.11



2. Autechre - LP5
3. Boards of Canada - Music has the Right to Children

HM: Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star

 

[kihei]

Mark Hollis: Mark Hollis
Bill Bruford/Tony Levin: Upper Extremities
Garbage: Version 2.0
Brad Melhdau: The Art of the Trio, vol. 3 "Songs"
Neil Finn: Try Whistling This
Djavan: Bicho Solto O XIII
Caetano Veloso: Liivro
Jan Garbarek: Rites
King Sunny Ade: Odu
Mercury Rev: Deserter's Songs

Bob Dylan's Albert Hall concert was also released officially this year, I think.

 

[Langdon Alger]

And thus a great time for music.

Maybe, but sadly the average person likely hasn’t heard a lot of this music since the stuff that most people hear is the really popular radio and (back then) muchmusic/mtv videos.

The late 90’s had some bands I liked, but also had bands like Limp Bizkit, Chumbawumba, Smash Mouth and Matchbox 20 all over the radio. Not really my cup of tea. Not to mention the boy bands and female singers like Britney and Christina.

In 1999, I liked a band called Travis that a lot of people likely have never heard of. They released an album that year called “the man who” that I really liked a lot, but again, most people likely haven’t heard of them. Too bad that the songs and bands everyone knows often aren’t that great.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Maybe, but sadly the average person likely hasn’t heard a lot of this music since the stuff that most people hear is the really popular radio and (back then) muchmusic/mtv videos.

The late 90’s had some bands I liked, but also had bands like Limp Bizkit, Chumbawumba, Smash Mouth and Matchbox 20 all over the radio. Not really my cup of tea. Not to mention the boy bands and female singers like Britney and Christina.

In 1999, I liked a band called Travis that a lot of people likely have never heard of. They released an album that year called “the man who” that I really liked a lot, but again, most people likely haven’t heard of them. Too bad that the songs and bands everyone knows often aren’t that great.

We will come to 1999 at some point, hold on! (I know I am, my favorite album is from 1999)

These threads got me to discover a few things, I think it's great. Don't be sad for the "average person", with only YouTube and threads like these, they might not be "average" for long. ;-)


Edit - I was confused, my favorite album is from 1995 - 1999 is still a hell of a year.

 

[plank]

Maybe, but sadly the average person likely hasn’t heard a lot of this music since the stuff that most people hear is the really popular radio and (back then) muchmusic/mtv videos.

The late 90’s had some bands I liked, but also had bands like Limp Bizkit, Chumbawumba, Smash Mouth and Matchbox 20 all over the radio. Not really my cup of tea. Not to mention the boy bands and female singers like Britney and Christina.

In 1999, I liked a band called Travis that a lot of people likely have never heard of. They released an album that year called “the man who” that I really liked a lot, but again, most people likely haven’t heard of them. Too bad that the songs and bands everyone knows often aren’t that great.

I've heard of Travis! I have their album The Invisible Band.



a little George Harrison?

 

[Langdon Alger]

I've heard of Travis! I have their album The Invisible Band.



a little George Harrison?

That’s the one that came out after “the man who”. Never listened to it. I’ll probably check it out though.

Check out “the man who” if you get a chance. I went back and listened to it several months back after not listening to it for close to 20 years or so. It holds up well.

 

[frisco]

Other:
Hologram Of Baal-The Church
Up-REM
Gran Turismo-The Cardigans
One Night Only-The Bee Gees

My Best-Carey

 

[Habsfunk]

A few of my favourites that deserve mention:

The Cheater Slicks - Forgive Thee
The Sadies - Precious Moments
Sloan - Navy Blues
Godspeed You Black Emperor - F♯ A♯ ∞ (Originally released on vinyl on 1997, but the CD came out in 1998 and is a very different album with 25 minutes of extra music)

 

[Cas]

I can't think of anything from 1998 I would consider "great," but this could be more me not having a good handle on late 90's black and death metal.

Helloween - Better Than Raw is a fun and pretty distinct album.

Rush - Different Stages is a very good live album that showcases mostly their 90's output and a few classics from the Farewell to Kings - Moving Pictures era, plus the entire "2112" suite. The production actually enhances more than a few songs off their studio versions.

Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth is decent enough, but I'm not a huge fan of it. I'll take speedy Blind Guardian over "how many layers of vocals can I fit into this song" Blind Guardian.

Death - The Sound of Perseverance is also alright, but Chuck really did need to take a break from Death for a while. Shame he never really got the chance.

Symphony X - Twilight in Olympus is a pretty good album, but I really wish they could have altered the vocals a little because they sound flat to me. Maybe they need more late Blind Guardian treatment...

Therion - Vovin is a welcome step forward from the Theli template and establishes their "middle" period of sound (roughly continuing through Lemuria/Sirius B).

Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse does kick you in the ass right at the start, but other than "April Ethereal" I don't remember any of these songs.

I'm going to go with Helloween - Better Than Raw. Tough choice but nothing really stands out for me.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

1. The Offspring - Americana (major omission in the poll)
2. Beck - Mutations
3. Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty

 

[Langdon Alger]

The Sadies - Precious Moments

Yeah, I like the Sadies. Definitely worth checking out.

 

[plank]

I like the Sadies too. Not familiar with Precious Moments, will check it out!

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Sloan - Navy Blues

I vote for this one as well. Might be the greatest Canadian album of all time. Don't @ me.

 

[Eisen]

Maybe, but sadly the average person likely hasn’t heard a lot of this music since the stuff that most people hear is the really popular radio and (back then) muchmusic/mtv videos.

The late 90’s had some bands I liked, but also had bands like Limp Bizkit, Chumbawumba, Smash Mouth and Matchbox 20 all over the radio. Not really my cup of tea. Not to mention the boy bands and female singers like Britney and Christina.

In 1999, I liked a band called Travis that a lot of people likely have never heard of. They released an album that year called “the man who” that I really liked a lot, but again, most people likely haven’t heard of them. Too bad that the songs and bands everyone knows often aren’t that great.

Travis was popular, no?

 

[Langdon Alger]

Travis was popular, no?

Not sure really. Not popular to the point where everyone had heard of them. They weren’t like Radiohead where everyone knows who they are.

 

[Eisen]

Not sure really. Not popular to the point where everyone had heard of them. They weren’t like Radiohead where everyone knows who they are.

That's true, but few bands are as popular as them. But I bet a lot of people who listened to music at that time have heard "Why does it always rain on me". It was a hit, at least in Europe.

 

[Fixxer]

For me, it's System of a Down and Hole's Celebrity Skin.
Still, there are many 1998 albums I should get to know...

 

[Stylizer1]

Blackstar was a great ablum