Here are top songs 1998. The late 90s were the last period of great artistic diversity, with many genres and artists producing some music of incredible creativity.
In this post, we revisit the biggest hits of 1998 and the people who wrote and performed them.
But there was something special for anyone who loved pop, rock, hip-hop or R&B in 1998.
A Year of Genre Blending
In 1998, one genre didn’t dominate the music landscape. Instead, it was a potpourri drawn from across electronic, pop, alternative rock, hip-hop and R&B.
These bands and artists populated the charts and influenced future generations, so this year was an important moment in music history.
Pop Domination: Top Songs 1998
Pop was on the rise in the late ’90s. Elated by all those charts, and as more and more pop stars scaled the world top, slick, high-end production and earworm-y hooks became a standard, pulling in more and more people from all walks of life.
1. “…Baby One More Time” — Britney Spears
Britney Spears’ debut single, released in late 1998, became a pop cultural phenomenon. With so many influences from bubblegum pop to R&B and a music video featuring Spears’ iconic schoolgirls outfit, the song helped cement Spears’ place in pop culture society.
The catchy chorus, “Hit me baby one more time,” resonated with a generation of teenagers and propelled Britney up an unprecedented trajectory.
2. You’re the One That I Want — John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” from the blockbuster movie “Armageddon,” became the band’s first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
Its sentimental lyrics and lilting chorus helped cement it as a quintessential love song of the late ’90s, and it remains a staple at weddings and romantic gatherings.
3. This Is How We Do It — Montell Jordan
This R&B duet between titans Brandy and Monica turned into a manifesto of rivalry and female empowerment. The song spent 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1, showcasing both artists’ vocal chops.
Its emotionally resonant tale of love and jealousy resonated with many, making it one of the defining songs of the decade.
4. The Rise of Rock
Get the latest from the pop music world In the late ’90s, rock was undergoing its own transformation, too.
The alternative rock scene was bubbling up, pioneering grunge and nu-metal, and established rock acts still sold millions of copies.
5. Semi-Charmed Life, Third Eye Blind
How Did The Song Perform: A bouncy little bop with uplifting melodies and somewhat deeper lyrics, this one was a sleeper hit.
“Semi-Charmed Life” is, above all, a maddeningly perfect slice of the easygoing late ’90s sensibility — and its chorus remains a nagging one in the popular ear.
6. Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
“Iris” is a woozy ballad that showcases the Goo Goo Dolls’ emotional and musical range.
Its tender lyrics and haunting melody struck a chord with listeners, and the song became one of the band’s signature hits. First featured in the movie “City of Angels,” the track only further secured its place in pop culture.
7. All the Small Things — Blink-182
This song helped set the stage for the pop-punk movement that would come to define the late ’90s. With its catchy chorus and wink-wink lyrics, “All the Small Things” remains a favorite singalong for fans of the genre.
With rousing performances and relatable thematic material (young love, the futility of life), the band defined a generation.
Hip-Hop’s Golden Age
The late 1990s was also hip-hop cares golden age, and rappers began digging into novel subject matter and bending the confines of the genre.
In 1998, hip-hop was more than music, it was a cultural shift that defined style, vernacular and culture.
1. Gettin’ Jiggy wit It — Will Smith
More than a decade ago, when Will Smith was taking rap to the masses, his “Gettin’ Jiggy wit It” was a cultural chart as a song that matched rap to a danceable, catchy beat.
Smith’s charisma and buoyant delivery turned the song into a summer anthem and made him a pop crossover.
2. Doo Wop (That Thing) — Lauryn Hill
Doo Wop (That Thing), Lauryn HillLauryn Hill had the rare genius of marrying hip-hop to soul and R&B.
The song became an empowering anthem for women, thanks to its infectious beat and feminist message, and won the Grammy for Best Female Rap Solo Performance.
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An indirect sequel to Dre’s previous work, “Still D.R.E.” boasts a nonchalant yet braggadocious rap from Dre and Snoop Dogg.
Its signature piano riff and smooth production reset the terms of Dre’s ownership of hip-hop and crystallized the song as a pillar of genre definition.
R&B’s Evolution
The late 1990s was a transitional period for R&B, as several artists emerged with breaking sound and direction.
But you had the new stars coming on with their new ideas and new inspirations.
1. Together Again [Album Version] @ Janet Jackson
The final one is “Together Again” — a celebration of love and friendship, but also loss and hope.
Featuring a catchy melody and Jackson’s signature vocal delivery, the song became a commercial hit, showcasing her ability to create an emotional connection with listeners.
2. My All – Mariah Carey
The gentle wisps of Mariah Carey’s “My All” one of the finest songs of the ’90s, and this is very much a killer.
The song, a meditation on romance and lust, helped establish Carey as a preeminent vocal stylist of her generation.
3. Floorfillers and Remixes
(Also in 1998, a dance music and remix explosion also cooked up music, learning about the power of the club.) Madonna’s Ray of Light drew on electronic influences and paved the way for a future in pop music.
Synth-pop refracted the pop experience like a multi-layered desert in a haze of sugar, offering a transitive experience of sound that changed the way that pop music was consumed.
A Fusion of Cultures
It was 1998, a moment of collusion of styles and sounds across geographies. Musicians from disparate corners collaborated on tracks that travelled worldwide.
1. Never Ever – All Saints
The British girl group All Saints burst into the scene with the pop and R&B-styled track “Never Ever.”
With its clean production and catchy hooks, it became an instant classic, and a staple of radio stations everywhere.
2. Los Del Río – Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)
The “Macarena” swept the world and the Bayside Boys remix was exiled family the song in the English-speaking world.
The accompanying dance moves helped make it a cultural phenomenon and a favorite at parties and in schools.
The Legacy of 1998
Next, we’re heading from our fastest list to what might be our loudest list: the best songs from 1998.
As pop superstars soared to new heights and rock changed shape and hip-hop and its offshoot R&B exploded, this year sowed the roots of genres and trends that would dominate in the years ahead.
The Systematic Path from Personal Impact to Cultural Resonance
But many songs from 1998 remain dear to us, such a loving response to a time when music was inextricable from life.
These songs capture youth, love, heartache and celebration.
Conclusion
That time again when we look back on what songs towered over all in 1998, a year in which human beings fell in love with the timeless idea that a song can bring us back to any moment in our lives.
Whether you were moving around your room in a giddy daze to Britney Spears or singing along to Lauryn Hill on the way to an elementary school classroom, the musical smorgasbord that was 1998 had an undeniable influence.
Even as sound and expression were becoming increasingly varied, 1998 remains a touchstone in music history for listeners worldwide.
Some of the artists and tracks introduced from this initial out pour of a galvanizing year would become staples of the music scene, influencing countless artists and endearing themselves to countless fans for many, many years to come.
There’s something about these beloved songs that as we hear them today we are reminded about the transformative power of music to unite, uplift, and narrate the human experience.
Dust off the old CDs or stream the playlists have created, and allow yourself to be soaked in the nostalgia of those songs released in 1998.
