Best Songs of 1998

A pivotal year for my music fandom and consumption, 1998, embodied by this list, was a time of great change in my tastes and habits. In addition to overspending my bank account on too many trips to Tower Records (in Cambridge and on Newbury Street), I also was amassing quite the mp3 collection (before it all got wiped when a virus hit my computer), and even made my first online purchase of a CD (Neil Young’s Harvest, bought on the long-defunct CDNow).

All in all, I acquired a whopping 122 CDs (and one LP) in ’98, nearly double the year prior, increasing my music collection by nearly 50%. While not everything on this list was acquired twenty years ago, an overwhelming majority are songs that soundtracked my year—one in which I turned 20, finished a tumultuous freshman year of college, and began a new school year with a group of new roommates, some of whom I still am lucky enough to claim as friends decades later.

Looking at this list of songs and artists, I am struck by the still-adventurous nature of popular music of the time. These annual summaries of mine typically drift through genres and trends and float between massively popular and idiosyncratically me. This list certainly does that, but something about it seems even more attuned to what I and others like me were listening to in 1998, so much so that it feels like a document of one of the last eras where anything could be truly popular. Is that a stretch to say? I do not know, you tell me.

For these year-end lists, I like to undertake the seemingly impossibly task of creating an hours-long mix. The order you see below represents that effort, which you can listen to via Spotify and Apple Music. Sadly all 100 tracks aren't available, but you get the general idea. Track notes to come eventually or maybe never.

Show Grid

Tearin’ Up My Heart

*NSYNC

*NSYNC

Jive
via TK library: 5/5/2012

1998 U.S. release
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)

Backstreet Boys

Backstreet Boys

Jive
via TK library: 4/28/2012

1998 U.S. release
Fly Away

Lenny Kravitz

5

Virgin
via TK library: 10/27/2003 (TK)

Notes
Open Road Song

Eve 6

Eve 6

RCA
via TK library: 7/14/2009

Notes
Circles

Soul Coughing

El Oso

Slash
via TK library: 11/30/2007

Notes
Remote Control

Beastie Boys

Hello Nasty

Grand Royal
via TK library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
My Favourite Game

The Cardigans

Gran Turismo

Stockholm
via TK library: 12/20/2010

Notes
Ray of Light

Madonna

Ray of Light

Maverick
via TK library: 10/10/2008

Notes
Praise You

Fatboy Slim

You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

Astralwerks
via TK library: 1/1/2008

Notes
Music Sounds Better With You

Stardust

Music Sounds Better With You 12"

Virgin
via TK library: 1/21/2006

Notes
What’s It Gonna Be?!

Busta Rhymes featuring Janet Jackson

Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front

Elektra
via TK library: 4/17/2010

Notes
Anywhere

112

Room 112

Bad Boy
via TK library: 4/28/2012

Notes
Are You That Somebody

Aaliyah

Dr. Dolittle

Atlantic
via TK library: 8/21/2012

Notes
Rosa Parks

Outkast

Aquemini

LaFace
via TK library: 4/22/2009

Notes
Cut Chemist Suite

Ozomatli

Ozomatli

Almo Sounds
via TK library: 11/3/2003 (TK)

Notes
Plastic People

The Getaway People

The Getaway People

Tangerine
via TK library: 11/13/2003 (TK)

Notes
Never There

Cake

Prolonging the Magic

Capricorn
via TK library: 9/5/2009

Notes
In Love

Fear of Pop featuring William Shatner

Volume I

550 Music
via TK library: 12/3/2003 (TK)

Notes
All I Need

Air

Moon Safari

Astralwerks
via TK library: 11/5/2003 (TK)

Notes
Part of the Process

Morcheeba

Big Calm

Reprise
via TK library: 9/10/2005

Notes
Shanti

Béla Fleck & The Flecktones

Left of Cool

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 10/26/2003 (TK)

Notes
Nobody’s Fault But My Own

Beck

Mutations

DGC / Bong Load
via TK library: 11/1/2003 (TK)

Notes
Koto Song

Tuatara

Trading With the Enemy

Epic
via TK library: 11/5/2003 (TK)

Notes
Chanty

Son Volt

Wide Swing Tremolo

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
One Big Love

Patty Griffin

Flaming Red

A&M
via TK library: 9/10/2005

Notes
The Difficult Kind

Sheryl Crow

The Globe Sessions

A&M
via TK library: 10/30/2003 (TK)

Notes
Days

Train

Train

Aware
via TK library: 11/1/2003 (TK)

Notes
Suburban Sweetheart

Josh Rouse

Dressed Up Like Nebraska

Slow River
via TK library: 10/29/2003 (TK)

Notes
Believe

Scott Thomas Band

California

Elektra
via TK library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
Razorblades

Chris Stills

100 Year Thing

Atlantic
via TK library: 11/15/2003 (TK)

Notes
Baker Street

Foo Fighters

My Hero

Roswell
via TK library: 11/8/2009

Notes
Jesus or a Gun

Fuel

Sunburn

550 Music
via TK library: 7/14/2009

Notes
Car Radio

Spoon

A Series of Sneaks

Merge
via TK library: 7/28/2007

Notes
Got You (Where I Want You)

The Flys

Holiday Man

Trauma
via TK library: 8/13/2010

Notes
Private Helicopter

Harvey Danger

Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?

Slash
via TK library: 10/27/2003 (TK)

Limited 1997 release via Arena Rock Recording Company
Never Ending Math Equation

Modest Mouse

Never Ending Math Equation

Sub Pop
via TK library: 10/20/2008

Notes
Spacey and Shakin’

Pete Droge

Spacey and Shakin’

Sony
via TK library: 11/13/2003 (TK)

Notes
Fearless

Gerald Collier

Gerald Collier

Revolution
via TK library: 12/3/2003 (TK)

Notes
Ship Going Down

Citizens’ Utilities

Sunbreak

My Own Planet
via TK library: 1/18/2010

Notes
Free to Run

Gomez

Bring It On

Virgin
via TK library: 9/6/2004

Notes
In Hiding

Pearl Jam

Yield

Epic
via TK library: 10/27/2003 (TK)

Notes
Walk Unafraid

R.E.M.

Up

Warner Bros.
via past experience library: 10/26/2003

Notes
Spark

Tori Amos

From the Choirgirl Hotel

Atlantic
via TK library: 3/8/2010

Notes
Rubbed Out

Duncan Sheik

Humming

Atlantic
via past experience library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
Waltz #2 (XO)

Elliott Smith

XO

Dreamworks
via TK library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
Sinner

Neil Finn

Try Whistling This

Work
via TK library: 7/14/2009

Notes
Bitter Sweet Symphony

The Verve

Urban Hymns

Virgin
via TK library: 11/15/2003 (TK)

Notes
You Get What You Give

New Radicals

Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too

MCA
via TK library: 1/19/2008 (TK)

Notes
Singing in My Sleep

Semisonic

Feeling Strangely Fine

MCA
via TK library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
Malibu

Hole

Celebrity Skin

Geffen
via TK library: 12/3/2003 (TK)

Notes
Special

Garbage

Version 2.0

Almo Sounds
via TK library: 4/28/2012

Notes
Slide

Goo Goo Dolls

Dizzy Up the Girl

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 11/19/2009

Notes
Miles From Our Home

Cowboy Junkies

Miles From Our Home

Geffen
via TK library: 9/10/2005

Notes
Walk Slow

Chris Isaak

Speak of the Devil

Reprise
via TK library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
Ballad of Billy Jo McKay

Shawn Mullins

Soul’s Core

SMG
via TK library: 10/26/2003 (TK)

Notes
Summer

Noel Hartough

Aware 6: The Compilation

Aware
via TK library: 11/22/2003 (TK)

Notes
Glorified

Lotion

The Telephone Album

spinART
via TK library: 10/26/2003 (TK)

Notes
Tree

Sebadoh

The Sebadoh

Sub Pop
via TK library: 11/23/2004

Notes
The Boy With the Arab Strap

Belle & Sebastian

The Boy With the Arab Strap

Matador
via TK library: 6/23/2009

Notes
April Fools

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Dreamworks
via my sister library: 11/1/2003 (TK)

Notes
Bears

Lyle Lovett

Step Inside This House

MCA
via TK library: 11/22/2003 (TK)

Notes
Desperate Ain’t Lonely

Whiskeytown

Faithless Street

Outpost
via TK library: 4/25/2008

Bonus track from the 1998 reissue
Caleb Meyer

Gillian Welch

Hell Among the Yearlings

Almo Sounds
via TK library: 1/7/2009

Notes
Angel From Montgomery

Susan Tedeschi

Just Won’t Burn

Tone Cool
via TK library: 11/1/2003 (TK)

Notes
California Stars

Billy Bragg and Wilco

Mermaid Avenue

Elektra
via TK library: 2/22/2006

Notes
Smiling Up the Frown

Agents of Good Roots

One by One

RCA
via TK library: 11/15/2003 (TK)

Notes
Feast or Famine

Rustic Overtones

Rooms by the Hour

Ripchord
via TK library: 11/13/2003 (TK)

Notes
Pickin’ Up the Pieces

Widespread Panic

Light Fuse Get Away

Capricorn
via 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
Driver 8

Hootie & the Blowfish

I Will Wait

Atlantic
via TK library: 12/7/2004

Notes
Eileen’s Song

Burlap to Cashmere

Anybody Out There?

A&M
via TK library: 11/19/2009

Notes
The Dreaming Tree

Dave Matthews Band

Before These Crowded Streets

RCA
via past experience library: 10/26/2003 (TK)

Notes
Desireless

Eagle-Eye Cherry

Desireless

Sony
via Coloradio on Italian TV library: 10/29/2003

Notes
Please Send Me Someone to Love

Fiona Apple

Pleasantville

Sony
via past experience library: 11/13/2003 (TK)

Notes
Lean on Me

Beth Orton featuring Terry Callier

Best Bit EP

Dedicated
via past experience library: 11/13/2003 (TK)

1997 UK release
Windy Hill (Cornelius Mix)

The Pastels

Illuminati

Domino
via TK library: 3/4/2013

Notes
Two Fine Lovers

Sean Lennon

Into the Sun

Grand Royal
via TK library: 10/31/2003 (TK)

Notes
The Sweetest Thing

U2

The Best of 1980–1990

Island
via past experience library: 11/7/2003 (TK)

Notes
Sunshine

The Presidents of the United States of America

Pure Frosting

Columbia
via past experience library: 11/15/2003 (TK)

Notes
Nick Drake Tape

Clem Snide

You Were a Diamond

Tractor Beam
via TK library: 7/23/2005

Notes
Bobcaygeon

The Tragically Hip

Phantom Power

Sire
via past experience library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes
Demons

Guster

Goldfly

Aware
via TK library: 10/30/2003 (TK)

Notes
Little Blind Fish

CPR

CPR

Samson Music
via past experience (David Crosby), 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/4/2003 (TK)

Notes
Ariel Ramirez

Richard Buckner

Since

MCA
via TK library: 11/23/2004

Notes
Indian Summer

Chris Whitley

Dirt Floor

Messenger
via past experience library: 11/10/2003 (TK)

Notes
Fear of Falling

Golden Smog

Weird Tales

Rykodisc
via TK library: 10/27/2015

Notes
Can’t Let Go

Lucinda Williams

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Mercury
via 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/13/2003 (TK)

Notes
It’s Bad You Know

R.L. Burnside

Come On In

Fat Possum
via TK library: 11/11/2003 (TK)

Notes
Battleflag

Lo Fidelity Allstars

How to Operate With a Blown Mind

Columbia
via TK library: 7/21/2010

Notes
Teardrop

Massive Attack

Mezzanine

Virgin
via TK library: 9/11/2007

Notes
Rabbit in Your Headlights

UNKLE featuring Thom Yorke

Psyence Fiction

Mo Wax
via TK library: 8/24/2005

Notes
Every Shining Time You Arrive

Sunny Day Real Estate

How It Feels to Be Something On

Sub Pop
via past experience library: 11/16/2003 (TK)

Notes
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Neutral Milk Hotel

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Merge
via TK library: 11/29/2007

Notes
Great Escape

Chaser

Homegrown

Will
via Napster library: 11/19/2009

Notes
My Mom

Chocolate Genius

Black Music

V2
via TK library: 3/28/2006

Notes
Changes

2Pac

Greatest Hits

Death Row / Interscope
via past experience library: 11/13/2003 (TK)

Notes
Doo Wop (That Thing)

Lauryn Hill

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Sony
via past experience (Fugees) library: 7/20/2005 (TK)

Notes
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)

Jay-Z

Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life

Roc-A-Fella
via TK library: 11/24/2010

Notes
Déjà Vu (Uptown Baby)

Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz

Make It Reign

Columbia
via KUBE 93.3, MTV library: 2/7/2010

Notes
Joints & Jam

Black Eyed Peas

Behind the Front

Interscope
via TK library: 5/30/2012

Notes
Pad & Pen

A Tribe Called Quest

The Love Movement

Jive
via past experience library: 11/14/2003 (TK)

Notes