The eight hundred sixty-seventh song: Doo Wop (That Thing) - Lauryn Hill
There's a really catchy chorus that anchors this track, while the rap verses have their message but go at such a speed that the R&B chorus, with their doo wop feeling, get their chance to stand out a lot more.
The eight hundred sixty-eighth song: Kelly Watch the Stars - Air
Oddly enough, the start of this song sounds more like a mid-90s adventure game soundtrack, something like Day of the Tentacle, than a 1998 song, but it's clear the electronic music from this track takes from a similar sound palette. The vocals are simple, their distortion to the musicality of them, but it's a fairly gentle, straightforward electronic pop sound through it. Lovely to listen to, but possibly fading into the background a bit too much.
The eight hundred sixty-ninth song: You Get What You Give - New Radicals
I've talked about the influence of Green Day on my music tastes earlier, and I'll be hitting more, but You Get What You Give had an earlier, bigger impact on me that I can't quite attribute. There's some association with the first time I tried acting, and it being a song in the play, but there's a joyful atmosphere that I've enjoyed anyway, something dreamy and out there while also keeping something fun about it. It's very personal, but this is really good.
The eight hundred seventieth song: Music Sounds Better with You - Stardust
Why does 1998 only have eight songs featured? I might be a bit biased, but there are so many good songs in this era that it suddenly feels really underserved compared to what came before - and maybe even after. We have the Daft Punk beat here, evocative lyrics - perhaps not deep, but it works - and a combination of instruments that's stripped back just enough to give you everything you need without feeling the need to add or produce anything more. Stripped down to its essentials, something good really came out here.
The eight hundred seventh-first song: Erase/Rewind - The Cardigans
There's a bit of a back to basics here - there's certainly some electronic effects in this, in particular with the amount of distortion much, but we're also back to a more classic alternative rock sound. I suppose it shows how the nineties changed music, hearing how electronic music got integrated into these sounds and built further. It's a strong showing here that's captivating to listen to.
The eight hundred seventh-second song: Teardrop - Massive Attack
Continuing the feeling of dreamlike songs being released this year, there's something otherworldly about Teardrop. The electronic beat is heavy, sitting deep in you through the song, but the slight, nervous vocals add some emotion to it that both contrasts the sound but also embodies a fear of that dark sound. The lyrics are abstract enough that you can read a lot of different things into it, but they set a tone and feeling for the song that complements it just as much. It's a track where everything mixes together as they should.
The eight hundred seventh-third song: Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
To follow my praise we get to this soft rock song, almost a ballad when it starts. You can sing along so well, there are moments where it feels real and raw and it still touches me that well.This is, again, so gorgeous and well put together.
According to studies, your music tastes start to form in your early teens, and while I did get some more addition in punkier and harder rock in the next few years, it's been eye opening to see how much 1998 made that true.
The eight hundred seventh-fourth song: Bok Espok - Kepa Junkera
This is what feels like the lyrical oddity of the year, a Basque-Irish waltz that has its modern influences but stays classic in how it sounds. Still, it's a nice party atmosphere and something new to hear here.