Best Albums of 1998

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1.

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea 

 Neutral Milk Hotel

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"It's a strange phenomenon that this record has garnered so much critical acclaim. With its simplistic harmonic progressions and expectable cadences, and with its lo-fi production value, and Jeff Magnum's vocals (under normal circumstances, underwhelming), the tracks are not exactly complex in a m...""It's a strange phenomenon that this record has garnered so much critical acclaim. With its simplistic harmonic progressions and expectable cadences, and with its lo-fi production value, and Jeff Magnum's vocals (under normal circumstances, underwhelming), the tracks are not exactly complex in a musical context. But it's these very qualities that In the Aeroplane over the Sea owes its charm. If, on the other hand, we consider the highlights, what we have is a very carefully arranged and structured work with seamless transitions from track to track, and centering around (or influenced by) the birth, experiences, death, and memory of a miss Anne Frank. This can literally be considered an album - or a concept album, if you must need call it that - as opposed to a collection of songs, which has invariably become the norm for developing records. We have beautifully elementary horn arrangements by Robert Schneider and Scott Spillane. What we have are raw, realistic vocals relating stories naturally, sanguinely, and without restraint. What we have is Magnum's lyricism that's vivid in its descriptions. While it might not be impressive in ways normally envisioned by listeners and critics of rock, ItAotS is spirited enough to ameliorate most of the complaints that arise. This piece requires more than five listens to 'get it' - it's not an instant payoff. Allow it to grow on you. "  [+]  Reply

- soundguardian | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +18 votes (23 helpful | 5 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

2,430 charts

Rank Score:

30,568

Rank in 1998:

1

Rank in 1990s:

3

Overall Rank:

18

Average Rating:

 87 (2,976 votes)

Comments:

432

2.

Mezzanine 

 Massive Attack

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"Teardrop is one of those songs I'd call perfect."  Reply

- drakonium | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (9 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

1,059 charts

Rank Score:

9,749

Rank in 1998:

2

Rank in 1990s:

28

Overall Rank:

137

Average Rating:

 83 (1,301 votes)

Comments:

64

3.

Moon Safari 

 Air

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"Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in France."  Reply

- ButterThumbz | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +20 votes (20 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

863 charts

Rank Score:

6,733

Rank in 1998:

3

Rank in 1990s:

47

Overall Rank:

236

Average Rating:

 81 (1,018 votes)

Comments:

64

4.

The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill 

 Lauryn Hill

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"My god this site underrates this record"  Reply

- LebowskiRams | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +14 votes (14 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

675 charts

Rank Score:

6,041

Rank in 1998:

4

Rank in 1990s:

54

Overall Rank:

272

Average Rating:

 78 (834 votes)

Comments:

50

5.

Aquemini 

 OutKast

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"I have trouble understanding why this album isn't universally recognized as their best when it's far more consistent than Stankonia. Stankonia loses its steam after putting all its best songs towards the beginning and it just doesn't reach the watermark set by this album. I also don't understand ...""I have trouble understanding why this album isn't universally recognized as their best when it's far more consistent than Stankonia. Stankonia loses its steam after putting all its best songs towards the beginning and it just doesn't reach the watermark set by this album. I also don't understand why Da Art OF Storytelling (Part 1) doesn't get the acclaim it deserves because it's a fucking awesome song."  [+]  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

694 charts

Rank Score:

5,868

Rank in 1998:

5

Rank in 1990s:

55

Overall Rank:

278

Average Rating:

 83 (766 votes)

Comments:

38

6.

Music Has The Right To Children 

 Boards Of Canada

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"First listen : WTF? Second : WTF? Third : Why am I listening to this again? though I don't like... Oh, wait.. Forth :Oh.....I love it yeah...."  Reply

- SingingPeasant96 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +19 votes (20 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

640 charts

Rank Score:

4,964

Rank in 1998:

6

Rank in 1990s:

66

Overall Rank:

342

Average Rating:

 82 (761 votes)

Comments:

55

7.

XO 

 Elliott Smith

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"To fully appreciate and understand 'XO' context is really important The 'XO' journey really begins the year prior in 1997 with Smiths break through release 'Either/Or'as well as his appearance on the Good Will Hunting Soundtrack ("Miss Misery") and with their release the genie was out of the bott...""To fully appreciate and understand 'XO' context is really important The 'XO' journey really begins the year prior in 1997 with Smiths break through release 'Either/Or'as well as his appearance on the Good Will Hunting Soundtrack ("Miss Misery") and with their release the genie was out of the bottle - Smith was suddenly huge outside of the Portland area. Clearly the shy and reserved Smith struggled with his new found notoriety as his drinking , drug use and depression spiralled out of controlled around this same time , eventually friends and family would perform an intervention in Chicago resulting in Smith departing Portland and relocating to Brooklyn New York. Much of 'XO' was written around this tumultuous time in Smiths life Fast forward to 1998 and much the much of the angst Smith was feeling the year prior comes pouring out on 'XO' most notably in "Everybody Cares Everybody Understands" questioning the wisdom of the intervention and pretty much asking everyone to leave him the fuck alone , whilst "Waltz 2" (Lyrics: " XO, mom / It's ok, it's alright, nothing's wrong/Tell mr. man with impossible plans to just leave me alone" ) explores similar themes The title of 'XO' says it all - it's X (kiss ) O (Hug) , see ya later , all the best no hard feelings 'XO' is Smiths most accomplished work and is a diary of an artist struggling with fame and fraying apart at the seems seemingly into the abyss Its an often over used term but 'XO' isn't just Smith's masterpiece but it's a master class in song writing by a generational artist 'I'm never gonna know you now, but I'm gonna love you anyhow'"  [+]  Reply

- Brad1770 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

525 charts

Rank Score:

3,826

Rank in 1998:

7

Rank in 1990s:

77

Overall Rank:

442

Average Rating:

 82 (669 votes)

Comments:

18

8.

Ray Of Light 

 Madonna

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"After dipping her toe in the sea of electronica with Bjork's help on her last album, Madonna enlisted William Orbit to helm "Ray Of Light" and it sure paid off. Unlike other madonna albums that sound like singles & filler, this sounds like an "album" -- a thought-out, cohesive idea. And it's pret...""After dipping her toe in the sea of electronica with Bjork's help on her last album, Madonna enlisted William Orbit to helm "Ray Of Light" and it sure paid off. Unlike other madonna albums that sound like singles & filler, this sounds like an "album" -- a thought-out, cohesive idea. And it's pretty solid for a pop-electronica album. "drowned world / substitute for love" is humble and almost brooding with its shuffling backing beat breaking with madonna's passion near the end. "ray of light" is a kickin' club track as is "skin". "frozen" is easily the best track though, haunting even in hummed, unspoken word, beautiful with the opening notes. "how can life be what you want it to be? / You're frozen when your heart's not open." She sounds sad and hopeful and earnest. (The video matched the song's mood well, too.) "the power of good-bye" is a good epilogue to "frozen", playing off of the previous song's mood and content with an acoustic guitar skeleton while learning to say good-bye. The album trails off at the end, but doesn't break the cohesive thread, so the last 2 only-decent songs can be forgiven. It comes off as a successful experiment."  [+]  Reply

- paladisiac | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

440 charts

Rank Score:

2,726

Rank in 1998:

8

Rank in 1990s:

103

Overall Rank:

621

Average Rating:

 74 (641 votes)

Comments:

46

9.

Deserter's Songs 

 Mercury Rev

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"The legendary 'Deserters Songs' who's sum is greater than its parts I became obsessed with this album around the time it came out in 1998 and in many ways I still am obsessed. Need proof I was obsessed ?. I have 3 physical CD copies of 'Deserters Songs' - the original standard CD , a Limited Edit...""The legendary 'Deserters Songs' who's sum is greater than its parts I became obsessed with this album around the time it came out in 1998 and in many ways I still am obsessed. Need proof I was obsessed ?. I have 3 physical CD copies of 'Deserters Songs' - the original standard CD , a Limited Edition release with Bonus 5 track EP and finally a special numbered release with cardboard cover and post cards included Why do I love this album so much ? Well much like Neutral Milk Hotels 'In the Aeroplane ..' it has that X factor I struggle to put into words , its weird and wonky and feels old (but isn't ) and is almost perfect How I feel about 'Deserters Songs' is best encapsulated by the following Grasshopper liner notes from the demo's release 'Deserted Songs' “As we pulled these Deserted Songs to the surface whatever had been holding us hostage cracked and withered in the blistering power of this music, and these songs allowed us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time… It is the magic of the vibrating universe; the music of the Angels” As I write this late June 2019 'Deserters Songs' shamefully sits in the 600's on BEA All-Time album list , if ever an album deserved to be in the top 500 this is it "  [+]  Reply

- Brad1770 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

454 charts

Rank Score:

2,663

Rank in 1998:

9

Rank in 1990s:

107

Overall Rank:

642

Average Rating:

 80 (521 votes)

Comments:

30

10.

Electro-Shock Blues 

 Eels

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"This is one of many albums that I pondered over for ages. This is a dark concept album of serene beauty and humility inspired by all sorts of personal tragedies. Arrangements are overwhelmed with violins, woodwinds, keyboards, samplers and turntables. In part the vocals register Nick Drake while ...""This is one of many albums that I pondered over for ages. This is a dark concept album of serene beauty and humility inspired by all sorts of personal tragedies. Arrangements are overwhelmed with violins, woodwinds, keyboards, samplers and turntables. In part the vocals register Nick Drake while at others it resembles Tom Waits whilst musically it at times echoes the demented 'blues' of Beck. But Electro-Shock Blues is no mere imitation, but an original work of substance - a desolate and 'naked' exhortation of the deeper recesses of the human soul. The counterpoint to this programme is the closing track in which a deafening orchestra of violins play to a romantic theme while the protaganist yearns to find meaning in his life. This is not just a mournful requiem, but an uplifting affirmation for life."  [+]  Reply

- hairymarx1 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

383 charts

Rank Score:

2,427

Rank in 1998:

10

Rank in 1990s:

123

Overall Rank:

712

Average Rating:

 79 (482 votes)

Comments:

31

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 1998 composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Artist	Albums	%
Various Artists	19	2%
Miles Davis	3	0%
Valery Gergiev / Kirov Orchestra	2	0%
MxPx	2	0%
Fleetwood Mac	2	0%
The Rolling Stones	2	0%
Brighter Death Now	2	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	434	43%
	211	21%
	49	5%
	33	3%
	32	3%
	30	3%
	25	3%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	913	91%
Yes	87	9%

Live?	Albums	%
No	954	95%
Yes	46	5%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%