Top 71 Music Albums of 1998
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 4 days ago
- (Created: 04/11/2012 18:48).
- Chart size: 71 albums.
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1998 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By ROB CAVALLO & GOO GOO DOLLS
1. Dizzy
2. Slide
3. Broadway
4. January Friend
5. Black Balloon
6. Bullet Proof
7. Amigone
8. All Eyes On Me
9. Full Forever
10. Acoustic #3
11. Iris
12. Extra Pale
13. Hate This Place
One of the most unfortunately named rock bands of all time, Goo Goo Dolls spent years trying to shake off comparisons to The Replacements, which made about as much sense as their unfortunate name. By the release of Dizzy up The Girl, their sixth album, they had already had a decent sized taste of success with the song “Name” (from the unfortunately titled album A Boy Named Goo), but it was the inclusion of “Iris” in the film City Of Angels that really made them stars. This album boasted five singles, and is polished and cleaned up so much that previous recordings sound not much like this one. In short, the Goo’s set out to make a massively successful pop album, and in that regard, they accomplished what they were after. The reality, though, is that no matter how much you polish up a set of average songs, they are still going to be average songs. And Dizzy Up The Girl is nothing more than average.
The best song here is, of course, “Iris”, which is the strongest melody the band has ever written. The album balances the ballads and the rockers pretty evenly, and while “Slide”, “Black Balloon” and “Dizzy” are pretty good, there’s nothing that really sticks as “Iris” does. Johnny Rzeznik doesn’t have much to say, and the band never really kicks it into a higher gear. The result of all of this is that Dizzy Up The Girl is pleasant enough to not be off-putting, cleaned up enough to not be offensive, and poppy enough to make you believe that it might just be better than it really is. The reality is that this album is just perfectly average, decent but never great from beginning to end. Which has been the story of the Goo’s career. They have never been better than on this album…and they have never really been any worse. The one album that sits right at the very center of the musical universe, average in every way? Dizzy Up The Girl. [First added to this chart: 09/14/2012]
Produced By ROB CAVALLO & GOO GOO DOLLS
1. Dizzy
2. Slide
3. Broadway
4. January Friend
5. Black Balloon
6. Bullet Proof
7. Amigone
8. All Eyes On Me
9. Full Forever
10. Acoustic #3
11. Iris
12. Extra Pale
13. Hate This Place
One of the most unfortunately named rock bands of all time, Goo Goo Dolls spent years trying to shake off comparisons to The Replacements, which made about as much sense as their unfortunate name. By the release of Dizzy up The Girl, their sixth album, they had already had a decent sized taste of success with the song “Name” (from the unfortunately titled album A Boy Named Goo), but it was the inclusion of “Iris” in the film City Of Angels that really made them stars. This album boasted five singles, and is polished and cleaned up so much that previous recordings sound not much like this one. In short, the Goo’s set out to make a massively successful pop album, and in that regard, they accomplished what they were after. The reality, though, is that no matter how much you polish up a set of average songs, they are still going to be average songs. And Dizzy Up The Girl is nothing more than average.
The best song here is, of course, “Iris”, which is the strongest melody the band has ever written. The album balances the ballads and the rockers pretty evenly, and while “Slide”, “Black Balloon” and “Dizzy” are pretty good, there’s nothing that really sticks as “Iris” does. Johnny Rzeznik doesn’t have much to say, and the band never really kicks it into a higher gear. The result of all of this is that Dizzy Up The Girl is pleasant enough to not be off-putting, cleaned up enough to not be offensive, and poppy enough to make you believe that it might just be better than it really is. The reality is that this album is just perfectly average, decent but never great from beginning to end. Which has been the story of the Goo’s career. They have never been better than on this album…and they have never really been any worse. The one album that sits right at the very center of the musical universe, average in every way? Dizzy Up The Girl. [First added to this chart: 09/14/2012]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
751
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
13
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1998-MERCURY
Produced By RAY KENNEDY, STEVE EARLE, ROY BITTAN & LUCINDA WILLIAMS
1. Right In Time
2. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
3. 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
4. Drunken Angel
5. Concrete And Barbed Wire
6. Lake Charles
7. Can't Let Go
8. I Lost It
9. Metal Firecracker
10. Greenville
11. Still I Long For Your Kiss
12. Joy
13. Jackson
In 1998, Lucinda Williams was still a legend: elusive, slow recording, non prolific, beautiful, and a well of amazing music. After Car Wheels, she became more public and more prolific...and her product has never been the same. But there will always be Car Wheels. A simply stunning album of ridiculously great songs and performances, Williams became one of the best things about alt country. Every track is worthy of praise, and each one is loaded with hooks and emotion.
The guest list is impressive as well: Steve Earle (who said it was the worst recording experience of his life), Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, and Bruce Springsteen keyboardist Roy Bittan are here. This is a must have album: one of the best of the 90's, and one of the most heartfelt records ever made. [First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Produced By RAY KENNEDY, STEVE EARLE, ROY BITTAN & LUCINDA WILLIAMS
1. Right In Time
2. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
3. 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
4. Drunken Angel
5. Concrete And Barbed Wire
6. Lake Charles
7. Can't Let Go
8. I Lost It
9. Metal Firecracker
10. Greenville
11. Still I Long For Your Kiss
12. Joy
13. Jackson
In 1998, Lucinda Williams was still a legend: elusive, slow recording, non prolific, beautiful, and a well of amazing music. After Car Wheels, she became more public and more prolific...and her product has never been the same. But there will always be Car Wheels. A simply stunning album of ridiculously great songs and performances, Williams became one of the best things about alt country. Every track is worthy of praise, and each one is loaded with hooks and emotion.
The guest list is impressive as well: Steve Earle (who said it was the worst recording experience of his life), Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, and Bruce Springsteen keyboardist Roy Bittan are here. This is a must have album: one of the best of the 90's, and one of the most heartfelt records ever made. [First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,339
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Produced by Billy Bragg, Grant Showbiz and Wilco. The first edition of Mermaid Avenue contains happier and more upbeat material than the second, but both are excellent. Bragg, Wilco, and the ghost of Woody Guthrie...the only thing missing is Dylan. "California Stars" is the biggest standout, but the other sonsg (all of them) are interesting and very, very good. "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key" makes me smile every single time. Also a grteat showcase of the talents of the late Jay Bennett (Wilco).
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
780
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
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1998-RYKODISC
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON
1. To Call My Own
2. Looking Forward To Seeing you
3. Until You Came Along
4. Lost Love
5. If I Only Had A Car
6. Jane
7. Keys
8. I Can’t Keep From Talking
9. Reflections On My
10. Making Waves
11. White Shell Road
12. Please Tell My Brother
13. Fear Of Falling
14. All The Same To Me
15. Jennifer Save Me
Easily the most fun of any supergroup in history, Golden Smog began life in 1987 as Take It To The Limit, when they played a show of Eagles covers and “Walk Like An Egyptian”. Their next show was as Her Satanic Majesty’s Paycheck. The original recording band was Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum), Gary Louris and Marc Perlman (Jayhawks), Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run) and Chris Mars (The Replacements). Mars was eventually replaced by Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, and the band added Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. After an EP of covers called On Golden Smog, they released their first album, Down By The Old Mainstream, in 1995.
Weird Tales came next. Part of what makes Golden Smog so appealing, their sense of fun and not taking themselves too seriously, is what makes most of their albums a disappointment. And while the Louris and Tweedy material is fine, the songs by Murphy tend to be a downer, and Kraig Johnson is a pretty awful singer (you’ve got a band full of lead singers, Kraig…give it up!). You get the feeling that they could have taken their time a bit more and come up with a better finished product. Plus, on Weird Tales, there’s nothing as fine as the previous album’s “Radio King” or “Pecan Pie” to hold it up. Weird Tales is a good sounding album with nothing that will stick in your head to enjoy later. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON
1. To Call My Own
2. Looking Forward To Seeing you
3. Until You Came Along
4. Lost Love
5. If I Only Had A Car
6. Jane
7. Keys
8. I Can’t Keep From Talking
9. Reflections On My
10. Making Waves
11. White Shell Road
12. Please Tell My Brother
13. Fear Of Falling
14. All The Same To Me
15. Jennifer Save Me
Easily the most fun of any supergroup in history, Golden Smog began life in 1987 as Take It To The Limit, when they played a show of Eagles covers and “Walk Like An Egyptian”. Their next show was as Her Satanic Majesty’s Paycheck. The original recording band was Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum), Gary Louris and Marc Perlman (Jayhawks), Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run) and Chris Mars (The Replacements). Mars was eventually replaced by Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, and the band added Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. After an EP of covers called On Golden Smog, they released their first album, Down By The Old Mainstream, in 1995.
Weird Tales came next. Part of what makes Golden Smog so appealing, their sense of fun and not taking themselves too seriously, is what makes most of their albums a disappointment. And while the Louris and Tweedy material is fine, the songs by Murphy tend to be a downer, and Kraig Johnson is a pretty awful singer (you’ve got a band full of lead singers, Kraig…give it up!). You get the feeling that they could have taken their time a bit more and come up with a better finished product. Plus, on Weird Tales, there’s nothing as fine as the previous album’s “Radio King” or “Pecan Pie” to hold it up. Weird Tales is a good sounding album with nothing that will stick in your head to enjoy later. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
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[First added to this chart: 05/10/2012]
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[First added to this chart: 10/15/2013]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,836
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1998 – RCA
Produced By DON GILMORE
1. How Much Longer?
2. Inside Out
3. Leech
4. Showerhead
5. Open Road Song
6. Jesus Nitelite
7. Superhero Girl
8. Tongue Tied
9. Saturday Night
10. There’s A Face
11. Smalltown Trap
Eve 6 became a sudden big thing in 1998 on the heels of the single “Inside Out”, a song with a flurry of strange images that sounded almost literary but were actually more on the juvenile side. The image of “my tender heart in a blender” may be one of the most disturbing in popular music, and when coupled with the question “Or am I origami/Folded up and just pretend”, well, this is what you get with Eve 6. This pop punk band from Southern California features a strong, tight sound, but also has the unrealized potential of frontman/lyricist Max Collins. Instrumentally, Eve 6 is as good as any of their contemporaries. But a dive into their lyrics can be pretty off putting. Collins seems to have a lot of issues, and while he’s good at explaining what those issues are, he seems to have no clue as to how to resolve any of them.
Outside of “Inside Out”, there isn’t really a lot to recommend here. Musically, this sounds like a lot of fun, but the subject matter squashes that pretty quickly. And there wasn’t a whole lot of growth from this point, either. Eve 6 made a couple more middling albums before calling it quits in 2004, and they’ve made one more since coming back. Unfortunately, Collins still hasn’t figured things out, and Eve 6 still sounds like a band that almost could have maybe been great. We’ll never know, because Collins as a writer never grew much. This debut album disappoints, and it’s really all of the Eve 6 you will ever need or really want to hear. This is not quite what Green Day or Bad Religion had in mind when they embarked on their journeys…there are definitely bands that make this kind of music that you will find to be much more satisfying. [First added to this chart: 04/28/2014]
Produced By DON GILMORE
1. How Much Longer?
2. Inside Out
3. Leech
4. Showerhead
5. Open Road Song
6. Jesus Nitelite
7. Superhero Girl
8. Tongue Tied
9. Saturday Night
10. There’s A Face
11. Smalltown Trap
Eve 6 became a sudden big thing in 1998 on the heels of the single “Inside Out”, a song with a flurry of strange images that sounded almost literary but were actually more on the juvenile side. The image of “my tender heart in a blender” may be one of the most disturbing in popular music, and when coupled with the question “Or am I origami/Folded up and just pretend”, well, this is what you get with Eve 6. This pop punk band from Southern California features a strong, tight sound, but also has the unrealized potential of frontman/lyricist Max Collins. Instrumentally, Eve 6 is as good as any of their contemporaries. But a dive into their lyrics can be pretty off putting. Collins seems to have a lot of issues, and while he’s good at explaining what those issues are, he seems to have no clue as to how to resolve any of them.
Outside of “Inside Out”, there isn’t really a lot to recommend here. Musically, this sounds like a lot of fun, but the subject matter squashes that pretty quickly. And there wasn’t a whole lot of growth from this point, either. Eve 6 made a couple more middling albums before calling it quits in 2004, and they’ve made one more since coming back. Unfortunately, Collins still hasn’t figured things out, and Eve 6 still sounds like a band that almost could have maybe been great. We’ll never know, because Collins as a writer never grew much. This debut album disappoints, and it’s really all of the Eve 6 you will ever need or really want to hear. This is not quite what Green Day or Bad Religion had in mind when they embarked on their journeys…there are definitely bands that make this kind of music that you will find to be much more satisfying. [First added to this chart: 04/28/2014]
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1998 – MONUMENT
Produced By BLAKE CHANCEY & PAUL WORLEY
1. I Can Love You Better
2. Wide Open Spaces
3. Loving Arms
4. There’s Your Trouble
5. You Were Mine
6. Never Say Die
7. Tonight The Heartache’s On Me
8. Let ‘Er Rip
9. Once You’ve Loved Somebody
10. I’ll Take Care Of You
11. Am I The Only One (Who’s Ever Felt This Way)
12. Give It Up Or Let Me Go
Before they were cancelled by the good folks who love to complain about cancelling…The (then) Dixie Chicks replaced lead singer Laura Lynch with Natalie Maines and hit paydirt with their fourth album, Wide Open Spaces. The talent of instrumentalists (and backup singers) Emily Strayler and Martie Seidel had never been in question, but it was the addition of Maines that made the difference. With a powerful and perfect country voice in the fold, The Chicks were suddenly a force to be reckoned with. This rollicking set of songs is mostly well chosen, and without exception well played and sung. The Chicks became stars here, and they became one hell of a fun group to listen to. And Natalie Maines became the star of the show without it going to her head.
Wide Open Spaces boasts five hit singles, and a whole lot more. “I Can Love You Better”, “Wide Open Spaces” and “There’s Your Trouble” are all great, but don’t sleep on the rest here. Particularly the last three songs, none of which were hits, but which were written by the likes of J.D. Souther, Maria McKee and Bonnie Raitt. Raitt's closing track, “Give It Up Or Let Me Go” finds the group, but especially Maines, cutting as loose as one can cut, and it’s a perfect way to end the album. They serve notice that the Chicks were setting course for a voyage of hits and great albums, and they did not disappoint. This is where the momentum started, where the Chicks found their footing, and where they finally found their leading voice. A great and fun album. [First added to this chart: 10/30/2023]
Produced By BLAKE CHANCEY & PAUL WORLEY
1. I Can Love You Better
2. Wide Open Spaces
3. Loving Arms
4. There’s Your Trouble
5. You Were Mine
6. Never Say Die
7. Tonight The Heartache’s On Me
8. Let ‘Er Rip
9. Once You’ve Loved Somebody
10. I’ll Take Care Of You
11. Am I The Only One (Who’s Ever Felt This Way)
12. Give It Up Or Let Me Go
Before they were cancelled by the good folks who love to complain about cancelling…The (then) Dixie Chicks replaced lead singer Laura Lynch with Natalie Maines and hit paydirt with their fourth album, Wide Open Spaces. The talent of instrumentalists (and backup singers) Emily Strayler and Martie Seidel had never been in question, but it was the addition of Maines that made the difference. With a powerful and perfect country voice in the fold, The Chicks were suddenly a force to be reckoned with. This rollicking set of songs is mostly well chosen, and without exception well played and sung. The Chicks became stars here, and they became one hell of a fun group to listen to. And Natalie Maines became the star of the show without it going to her head.
Wide Open Spaces boasts five hit singles, and a whole lot more. “I Can Love You Better”, “Wide Open Spaces” and “There’s Your Trouble” are all great, but don’t sleep on the rest here. Particularly the last three songs, none of which were hits, but which were written by the likes of J.D. Souther, Maria McKee and Bonnie Raitt. Raitt's closing track, “Give It Up Or Let Me Go” finds the group, but especially Maines, cutting as loose as one can cut, and it’s a perfect way to end the album. They serve notice that the Chicks were setting course for a voyage of hits and great albums, and they did not disappoint. This is where the momentum started, where the Chicks found their footing, and where they finally found their leading voice. A great and fun album. [First added to this chart: 10/30/2023]
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[First added to this chart: 09/08/2012]
Total albums: 71. Page 1 of 8
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Top 71 Music Albums of 1998 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| Lucinda Williams | 1 | 1% | |
| B.B. King | 1 | 1% | |
| Grant Lee Buffalo | 1 | 1% | |
| Jimmy Page & Robert Plant | 1 | 1% | |
| Big Joe Turner | 1 | 1% | |
| Better Than Ezra | 1 | 1% | |
| Queens Of The Stone Age | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
48 | 68% | |
 |
11 | 15% | |
 |
3 | 4% | |
 |
2 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 71 Music Albums of 1998 chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
 Up 3 from 12th to 9thWide Open Spaces by Dixie Chicks |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 9th to 10th Speak Of The Devil by Chris Isaak |
| Down 1 from 10th to 11th Try Whistling This by Neil Finn |
| Down 1 from 11th to 12th Mezzanine by Massive Attack |
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Other year charts by Romanelli
(from the 1990s)| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 68 Music Albums of 1999 | Romanelli | 1999 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 71 Music Albums of 1998 | Romanelli | 1998 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 83 Music Albums of 1997 | Romanelli | 1997 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 75 Music Albums of 1996 | Romanelli | 1996 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 71 Music Albums of 1995 | Romanelli | 1995 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 98 Music Albums of 1994 | Romanelli | 1994 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 92 Music Albums of 1993 | Romanelli | 1993 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 79 Music Albums of 1992 | Romanelli | 1992 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 93 Music Albums of 1991 | Romanelli | 1991 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 87 Music Albums of 1990 | Romanelli | 1990 year chart | 2025 | |
Top 71 Music Albums of 1998 ratings
86/100 (from 9 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 9 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 90/100  | 01/29/2025 21:37 | mrmcrook | | 92/100 |
| 95/100 | 08/09/2020 01:28 |  zwiebel | | 86/100 |
| 100/100 | 10/31/2019 02:34 | DJENNY | | 100/100 |
| 85/100 | 02/04/2014 18:56 | PauloPaz | | 89/100 |
| 95/100 | 10/17/2013 20:23 | JusticeDone | | 96/100 |
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75/100
From Johnnyo 01/14/2013 19:16
NIce choices
#61502 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From guigs13 01/10/2013 01:35
Great selections!
#60881 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From davidhuret 12/20/2012 08:50
Including "The Masterplan" is a good idea.
#58342 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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