We got that anniversary fever. After rolling out round-ups of 1993 albums turning 25 and 2003 albums turning 15 this year, we’ve turned our attention now to that dreaded time-period that elicits all types of love/hate reactions: The late-’90s. For the purposes of 2018 celebrations, the spotlight today falls on 1998 — and 40 notable albums of that year that are turning 20 over the next 12 months. It was a weird and very un-wild time; Britpop enjoyed its last gasp, our current identity and appreciation of emo was starting to take shape, and nu-metal’s growl was starting to grow louder. Some still-admired classics dominate the timeline — Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Mezzanine by Massive Attack, and Jay-Z’s Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life — and who could forget sitting in your friend’s car in some suburban parking lot hearing Lo-Fidelity Allstars’ “Battleflag” and New Radicals “You Get What You Give” for the very first time. It was a time of $17.99 compact discs, influential rock radio, and Tower Records. Ahhh, to go back to 1998 and do it all over again. If only. [Note: Release dates are pulled from a variety of online sources.]
January 16: Air, Moon Safari
