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The Best Rock Albums of 1998 showcases continued movements away from the grunge era as alternative rock takes center stage with bands like Belle and Sebastian and Neutral Milk Hotel releasing groundbreaking astonishing albums that turned many heads towards independent artists. Female rockers continued to grow their audience as rock pop stars like Alanis Morissette, Liz Phair, Hole, and Sheryl Crow released strong albums. Metal music is as strong as ever as genres like death metal and progressive metal infiltrate the rock scene with growing loyal followings. Music has changed dramatically since the decades of the 60s, 70s, and 80s as the 90s begin to unwind towards a brand new century of music.
# 50 – Dig My Mood – Nick Lowe
# 49 – This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours – Manic Street Preachers
# 48 – Hellbilly Deluxe – Rob Zombie
# 47 – Americana – Offspring
# 46 – Dizzy Up the Girl – Goo Goo Dolls
# 45 – Is This Desire? – PJ Harvey
# 44 – Redneck Wonderland – Midnight Oil
# 43 – On a Day Like Today – Bryan Adams
# 42 – Contact from the Underworld of Redboy – Robbie Robertson
# 41 – Virtual XI – Iron Maiden
# 40 – A Rose Is Still a Rose – Aretha Franklin
# 39 – Success – The Posies
# 38 – Whitey Ford Sings the Blues – Everlast
# 37 – Painted from Memory – Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach
# 36 – Facing the Animal –Yngwie Malmsteen
# 35 – whitechocolatespaceegg – Liz Phair
# 34 – Radiation – Marillion
# 33 – Mutations – Beck
# 32 – Ophelia – Natalie Merchant
# 31 – Garage Inc. – Metallica
# 30 – Stunt – Barenaked Ladies
# 29 – Oceanborn – Nightwish
# 28 – All the Pain Money Can Buy – Fastball
# 27 – Up – R.E.M.
# 26 – Head Trip in Every Key – Superdrag
# 25 – Fundamental – Bonnie Raitt
# 24 – Van Halen III – Van Halen
# 23 – Before These Crowded Streets – Dave Matthews Band
# 22 – The Boy With the Arab Strap – Belle and Sebastian
# 21 – Hello Nasty – Beastie Boys
# 20 – Nightfall in Middle Earth – Blind Guardian
# 19 – Adore – Smashing Pumpkins
# 18 – From the Choirgirl Hotel – Tori Amos
# 17 – Yield – Pearl Jam
# 16 – Godsmack – Godsmack
# 15 – Follow the Leader – Korn
# 14 – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie –Alanis Morissette
# 13 – The Dirty Boogie – The Brian Setzer Orchestra
# 12 – Walking Into Clarksdale – Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
# 11 – Crystal Planet – Joe Satriani
# 10 – Little Plastic Castle – Ani DiFranco
# 9 – Dose – Gov’t Mule
# 8 – DLR Band – David Lee Roth Band
# 7 – The Globe Sessions – Sheryl Crow
# 6 – Pilgrim – Eric Clapton
# 5 – Version 2.0 – Garbage
# 4 – Celebrity Skin – Hole
# 3 – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – Neutral Milk Hotel
# 2 – System of a Down – System of a Down
# 1 – American Teenage Rock ‘n’ Roll Machine – The Donnas
Best Rock Albums Of 1998 article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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Why is The Donnas #1 for this year, above Neutral Milk Hotel, SOAD, Garbage, or Hole? Having listened to all of this, they’re not bad but it doesn’t sound like the best of the year. I think it would be better closer to such a high rating during the first wave of punk rock in the mid-70s if it had come out then.