1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.
Events
- January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia. At the same time, he grows out his hair and shaves off his moustache, radically changing his signature look.
- Feb – Six Feet Under Hired Steve Swanson.
- February 10 - Neutral Milk Hotel release their second album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, which will go on to be one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the decade.
- February 15 – Sir Edward Elgar's unfinished third symphony, completed by Anthony Payne was performed for the first time at the Royal Festival Hall, London, UK.
- February 17 – Illegal Art and ®™ark released Deconstructing Beck which quickly spawned reactions from Beck's publisher, record label, and personal lawyer.
- February 19
- February 22 – In Los Angeles, California, Stevie Wonder was honored as the 1999 MusiCares Person of the Year.
- February 24
- February 28 – A failed assassination attempt against the band RAM during the Port-au-Prince Carnival celebration in Haiti resulted in the death of eight innocent bystanders.
- March 13 – The Smashing Pumpkins filed a $1 million lawsuit against UK-based Sound And Media Ltd. alleging that the company released a book and CD about the band without proper clearances.[2]
- March 17- Van Halen III is released. It is the first Van Halen album to feature Gary Cherone on vocals.
- March 26 – Chuck Negron filed a lawsuit against his fellow Three Dog Night band mates alleging that they broke a 1990 settlement agreement and interfered with his career.
- April 7 – George Michael was arrested in a public restroom in Beverly Hills, California, USA for lewd conduct. He was subsequently sentenced to community service.
- 17 – April 19 – The second Terrastock festival took place in San Francisco, USA
- April 29 – Steven Tyler broke his knee at a concert in Anchorage, Alaska, USA delaying Aerosmith's Nine Lives Tour and necessitating camera angle adjustments for the filming of the video for "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing".
- May – The third European Festival of Youth Choirs was held in Basel, Switzerland.
- May 8 – A British court ruled in favor of The Beatles and John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, stopping the release of another Live at the Star Club recording. All copies of the recording and the original tape are awarded to the Beatles, as well as damages and legal costs.
- May 9 – The 43rd Eurovision Song Contest, held in Birmingham, United Kingdom, is won by Israel's transsexual performer Dana International with the song "Diva" See: [1]
- May 29 – Geri Halliwell went into hiding and her public relations representative, Julian Torton, confirmed that she had left the Spice Girls permanently.[3]
- July 3 – Westlife was formally formed and signed to the record label BMG as their new artist.
- July 15 – Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer suffered burns when his Ferrari caught fire at a gas station.
- August 18 – Korn released their third album Follow the Leader
- August 29 – The Bee Gees open their One Night Only tour in Dublin, Ireland[4]
- October 23 – Britney Spears' debut single, ...Baby one more time releases becoming the top selling single of 1999, and going on to sell over six million units worldwide.
- December 5 – Billboard changed its policy for its Hot 100 chart to allow airplay-only singles or album cuts to be accounted in the chart.
Undated
- Mikael Oretoft Quits Katatonia.
- Between Early '98 to December – Soilwork Hires, Ola Flink & Carlos Del Olmo Holmberg then Ludvig Svartz & Jimmy Persson Quit to both be Replaced Ola Frenning & Henry Ranta.
- Music group Fields of Aplomb was formed, taking their name from the Dropkick Murphys' song, "Fields of Athenry"
- Between September to December – Dark Tranquility Fired Fredrik Johansson.
- Allen West Quit Six Feet Under.
- The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra launched its own recording label, RLPO Live.
- Teen singer Billie Piper started her career by becoming the youngest British solo artist to debut at #1 on the UK singles charts..
- Singers Brandy and Monica dominate the Billboard charts with the duet, "The Boy Is Mine", holding the Billboard Hot 100 #1 spot for 13 weeks.
- The United States Congress passed the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act which gave the entertainment industry 20 more years of exclusive rights to all works created since 1923.
- Composer John Harbison was awarded a Heinz Award for the Arts and Humanities.
- The Goo Goo Dolls single, "Iris", set a new Billboard Hot 100 Airplay record in the U.S. by achieving 18 weeks at number one.
- Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee was arrested and charged with beating his wife, actress Pamela Anderson. Malibu, California, USA sheriff deputies responded to reports of a disturbance and found Anderson bleeding from an injury to her hand.
Bands formed
- See Musical groups established in 1998
Bands reformed
Bands disbanded
Albums released
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Release date unknown
Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest aggregated chart positions in 1998, according to TsorT.[5]
| # |
Artist |
Title |
Year |
Chart entries |
| 1 |
Celine Dion |
My Heart Will Go On |
1998 |
UK 1 – Feb 1998; US BB 1 of 1998; Holland 1 – Jan 1998; Sweden 1 – Feb 1998; Austria 1 – Feb 1998; Switzerland 1 – Jan 1998; Norway 1 – Feb 1998; Germany 1 – Jan 1998; Éire 1 – Feb 1998; Australia 1 for 4 weeks Apr 1998; Oscar in 1997; Grammy in 1998; Poland 2 – Jan 1998; Australia 3 of 1998; Italy 4 of 1998; Germany 7 of the 1990s; Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1997; POP 9 of 1998; Europe 14 of the 1990s; AFI 14; US BB 24 of 1998; Party 48 of 1999; Scrobulate 67 of soundtrack; OzNet 162; RIAA 246; Acclaimed 1784 |
| 2 |
Cher |
Believe |
1998 |
UK 1 – Oct 1998; US BB 1 of 1999; Holland 1 – Nov 1998; Sweden 1 – Nov 1998; Switzerland 1 – Nov 1998; Norway 1 – Jan 1998; Germany 1 – Jan 1999; Éire 1 – Nov 1998; New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Jan 1999; Australia 1 for 5 weeks May 1999; Austria 2 – Nov 1998; Poland 2 – Nov 1998; Italy 2 of 1999; Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1998; US BB 8 of 1999; POP 8 of 1999; Scrobulate 10 of gay; Australia 14 of 1999; Germany 31 of the 1990s; Europe 72 of the 1990s; OzNet 252; Acclaimed 1839 |
| 3 |
Aerosmith |
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing |
1998 |
US BB 1 of 1998; Sweden 1 – Aug 1998; Austria 1 – Aug 1998; Switzerland 1 – Aug 1998; Norway 1 – Aug 1998; Italy 1 of 1998; Germany 1 – Jul 1998; Éire 1 – Oct 1998; Australia 1 for 9 weeks Jan 1999; POP 1 of 1998; US BB 2 of 1998; Australia 2 of 1998; Holland 3 – Aug 1998; UK 4 – Sep 1998; Poland 4 – Jul 1998; Scrobulate 26 of soundtrack; Party 52 of 2007; Germany 71 of the 1990s; Europe 80 of the 1990s; RYM 100 of 1998; OzNet 974 |
| 4 |
Run DMC & Jason Nevins |
It's Like That |
1998 |
UK 1 – Mar 1998; Holland 1 – Dec 1997; Switzerland 1 – Dec 1997; Norway 1 – Feb 1998; Germany 1 – Jan 1998; Éire 1 – Mar 1998; New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks May 1998; Australia 1 for 1 weeks May 1998; Austria 2 – Jan 1998; Australia 4 of 1998; Sweden 6 – Jan 1998; RYM 29 of 1983; Italy 31 of 1997; Poland 33 – Feb 1998; Germany 34 of the 1990s; Acclaimed 1050 |
| 5 |
Shania Twain |
You're Still The One |
1998 |
US Country 1 – May 2; 1998; US Country Sales 1 – May 1998; US Adult 1- May 1998; Australia 1- May 10; 1998; Canada 1- March 1998; Philippines 1 – April 1998; US BB 2 – May 23; 1998; Canada RPM 2 – March 1998; US Dance 3- May 1998; US BB Top 40 3 – June 1998; Taiwan 4 – May 1998; US Adult Top 40 6- April 1998; Japan 16 – May 1998; Dutch 10 – May 1998; Belgium 16 – June 1998; The Biggest Hit in Country Music in 1998 winning Best selling Country Single; Song of the Year; Music Video of the Year; Single of the Year in all Country Music awards; and 2 Grammy Award for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Performance in 1998. |
Top hits
In alphabetical order by title.
Classical music
Opera
- Mark Adamo – Little Women
- Christopher Butterfield – Zurich 1916
- Phili Glass – White Raven
- Ryan Ostrander -Madame Butterfly
Musical theater
Deaths
- January 4 – Mae Questel, singer and actress, the voice of Betty Boop, Olive Oyl, Little Audrey & Little Lulu, 89
- January 5 – Sonny Bono, singer and songwriter, 63
- January 8 – Michael Tippett, composer, 93
- January 11 – Klaus Tennstedt, conductor, 71
- January 15 – Junior Wells, harmonica player, 64
- January 19 – Carl Perkins, 65, complications following a series of strokes,
- February 3 – Fat Pat, American rapper, shot
- February 6:
- February 17 – Bob Merrill, songwriter, suicide
- February 19 – Grandpa Jones, star of Hee Haw, comedian and musician, 84
- February 25 – Rockin' Sidney, soul musician, 59
- February 28 – Todd Duncan, first Porgy in Porgy and Bess, 95
- March 8 – Roger Christian, The Christians
- March 12 – Judge Dread, ska and reggae performer, 52, (died on stage)
- April 1 – Rozz Williams, founder of Christian Death, suicide (hanging)
- April 2 – Rob Pilatus, member of Milli Vanilli
- April 5 – Cozy Powell, drummer for Rainbow and Black Sabbath, 50, car accident
- April 6 – Tammy Wynette, country singer, 55
- April 7 – Wendy O. Williams, The Plasmatics, 48, suicide
- April 9 – Tom Cora, cellist and composer, 44
- April 11 – Lillian Briggs, US singer and trombonist, lung cancer
- April 15 – Rose Maddox
- April 17 – Linda McCartney, Wings, 56, breast cancer
- May 2 – Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto, Japanese rock artist, 33, hanging (apparently accidental)
- May 7 – Eddie Rabbitt, country singer, 56, lung cancer
- May 9 – Alice Faye, actress and singer, 83
- May 14 – Frank Sinatra, singer and actor, 82, heart attack
- June 10 – Steve Sanders, the Oak Ridge Boys, 45, suicide
- June 25 – Lounès Matoub, assassinated
- July 6 – Roy Rogers, actor, singer, 86
- July 21 – O'Landa Draper, O'Landa Draper and the Associates (gospel choir), 34, renal failure
- July 23 – André Gertler, violinist
- August 3 – Alfred Schnittke, composer
- August 24 – Gene Page, arranger, producer and conductor, 58
- August 29 – Charlie Feathers, country blues musician
- September 26 – Betty Carter, jazz singer, 69
- September 2 – Gene Autry, actor and country singer, 91
- October 14 – Frankie Yankovic, America's "Polka King," 83
- October 25 – Warren Wiebe, "Soulful Rain Man", vocalist and session artist, 45, suicide
- November 20 – Roland Alphonso, saxophonist, 67
- November 27 – Barbara Acklin, singer
- December 11 – Lynn Strait, Snot, 30
- December 21 – Karl Denver
Awards
Grammy Awards
Main article 40th Grammy Awards
Japan Record Awards
Main article 40th Japan Record Awards
Eurovision Song Contest
Main article Eurovision Song Contest 1998
Mercury Music Prize
MTV Video Music Awards
Main article 1998 MTV Video Music Awards
Charts
Triple J Hottest 100
Main article Triple J Hottest 100, 1998
See also
References
- ^ "Los Angeles’ House of Blues plays host…". ThisDayInRock.com. 1998. http://www.thisdayinrock.com/index.php/general/1998-los-angeles-house-of-blues-plays-host/. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
- ^ "The Beat: Pepsi's 'pop Culture' Cd Prize Features Atlantic Acts; Pumpkins File Suit | North America > United States from". AllBusiness.com. http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4633006-1.html. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
- ^ "Geri Halliwell Quits Spice Girls". MTV.com. 1998. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429905/19980531/halliwell_geri.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ "People". The Fresno Bee (Fresno, California: The McClatchy Company): p. A2. June 4, 1998. ISSN 08896070.
- ^ unattributed (October 26, 2008). "Songs from the Year 1998". TsorT. http://tsort.info/music/yr1998.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- ^ Aftonbladet 4 oktober 1998 – Stikkans son bakom nya stjärnskottet (accessed 8 April 2011)