Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 1998

 Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 1998

Welcome back, everyone, for the second of two entries on the popular music of 1998. Now that I’ve looked at the worst hits of the year, I think it’s fitting that I look at what good stuff this year had to offer. Now, I’ve already established that 1998 was a pretty… inoffensive year for music, with not much standing out in either the positive or negative. However, just because there may have only been as many great hits (13) as there were in 2017 (the second worst year that I’ve looked at to date, narrowly beat out by 2016, although I’ll be looking at 2018 soon, so be prepared for both of these to be challenged), there’s still a lot packed into these lucky 13. Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B all have representation on this list, and while none of these songs may be exceptionally great, they’re still songs I thoroughly enjoy. So, without further ado, here are the Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 1998, starting with our three Honorable Mentions.

Honorable Mention: Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) by Backstreet Boys (Peak: #4, Year-End: #22)

To start off the Honorable Mentions, we have one of the defining hits from one of the defining Turn-of-the-Millennium boy bands. Produced by Max “I’m the biggest producer of the past 25 years” Martin, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) is a perfect example of what Todd In The Shadows calls an “I’m Back B*tch Single (or IBBS for short)” (even though it was only their second hit in the U.S.). The lyrics are pretty much about how awesome the Backstreet Boys are (as is typical for an IBBS), but the production more than pulls through, having a pounding, massive sound that has a strong resemblance to some of the New Jack Swing from earlier in the decade. Oh, and the boys’ performances are pretty good, too. While it isn’t quite as instantly recognizable as I Want It That Way, it’s still a really good representation of the Backstreet Boys’ strengths.

Honorable Mention: Turn It Up (Remix)/Fire It Up by Busta Rhymes (Peak: #10, Year-End: #73)

While I was making this list, I came to the realization that Busta Rhymes is a really, really good rapper. Sure, he was on my Worst List as a feature, but that wasn’t really as much on him as it was on other factors, and apart from single-handedly saving Chris Brown’s Look At Me Now from being completely awful, he also made one of the best Hip-Hop hits of the year. Built around a guitar lick from an Al Green song, this song is exactly what a Hip-Hop hype anthem should be (at least from my lame white boy perspective). Good job, Busta, good job.

Honorable Mention: Thinkin’ Bout It by Gerald Levert (Peak: #12, Year-End: #98)

The final cut from the list, R&B singer Gerald Levert scored one of his biggest hits with Thinkin’ Bout It. Combining smooth R&B production with Levert’s soulful vocals, Gerald laments over his partner cheating on him behind his back. There was a lot of R&B this year that was nothing but radio filler, but this is one of those songs that rises above the crowd and becomes something worthy of more than just a shrug. However, it could not make the list, so I think it’s time to move onto the Top 10.

#10: Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here by Deborah Cox (Peak: #2, Year-End: #99)

The #10 song on this list is an example of what I’ll dub the Havana Effect. A song comes out late in the year and racks up just enough points to make that year’s Top 100 list, but ends up far higher on the following year’s list. I bring this up because this barely made the 1998 list at #99, while it ended up in the Year-End Top 10 for 1999. However, because of my rules dictating that a song counts towards the Year-End it first appeared on, this is making my 1998 list rather than my 1999 list.

Got it? Good, time to talk about the song itself. As mentioned in the previous entry, 1998 (like most of the 90s) had a lot of R&B, much of which was pretty unremarkable. However, there were songs that stood out, one of them being this. The basic premise of the song is that Deborah, having had her heart broken time and time again, closes herself off from any relationships, only to find herself falling in love, leading her to give love one last chance.

“How did you get in?

Nobody's supposed to be here

I've tried that love thing for the last time

My heart says no, no

Nobody's supposed to be here

But you came along and changed my mind”

Now, having a well-written story wouldn’t mean anything if the rest of the song didn’t hold up, but fortunately for me, it did. The song incorporates many gospel-tinged elements in its production and delivery, particularly on the chorus, which has one of the prettiest melodies I’ve heard in a Pop song in quite a while. Deborah Cox’s voice holds up as well, as while she’s not quite Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey, she’s still got a pretty voice (and a pretty figure, but now I’m just simping over a singer from before I was born). Really, this kind of reminds me of The Only Exception by Paramore in some of the lyrical themes, and while it’s not as great as that song (one of the best hit songs of the 2010s), it’s still really dang good.

#9: Sock It 2 Me by Missy Elliott ft. Da Brat (Peak: #12, Year-End: #93)

You know how I said in my last seasonal ranking that my line for sexual content in music lies around Scream by Usher and Freak Like Me by Adina Howard? Well, this is a song that is testing those limits, but that I nonetheless like, for reasons I will explain below.

First, the rapping. Missy Elliott turns in a good performance, both as a rapper and a singer. Da Brat is probably even better here, as she’s spitting fire fast enough to make Eminem say “hey, that’s pretty good”. Now, granted, I can’t hear most of it behind the sample, but that might actually be a good thing, because the sample is great. 

Lyrically, the song can basically be summarized as this: “Hit me with your best shot, I can take it ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)”. Yeah, it’s pretty suggestive to say the least, but for the reasons above, it didn’t bother me like (also, I’ve heard much, MUCH dirtier songs). Overall, this is a song that snuck up on me, and somehow, someway, ended up making it onto the list.

#8: Still Not A Player by Big Pun ft. Joe (Peak: #24, Year-End: #85)

Moving from one Hip-Hop song to another, the #8 entry is Big Pun’s biggest solo hit, Still Not A Player. As with Sock It 2 Me, this was a song that snuck up on me, and I’m still not entirely sure how it ended up on the list, but it did, and I’m gonna try to explain why.

To start, the beat is really good. Built around multiple samples that I’m not gonna bother linking, it’s an effortlessly chill sound that I can easily get lost vibing with (aside from that one clicking sound in the background, but I can overlook that). Big Pun has the typical 90s rapper voice, but he’s still doing a good job here. When it comes to the lyrical content… well, I’ll put it this way: a significant amount of the YouTube video I played was censored, so it’s clearly quite dirty, but I was able to overlook it.

Unfortunately, after struggling with morbid obesity for years (he weighed as much as 700 pounds), Big Pun passed away of a heart attack at the age of 28. However, that wasn’t without leaving behind the Best Hip-Hop Hit of 1998, and in that way he will be remembered. R.I.P. Big Pun, 1971-2000.

#7: Together Again by Janet Jackson (Peak: #1, Year-End: #6)

My complicated relationship with Janet Jackson continues, as she makes a second appearance on one of my best lists, clocking in at #7 with Together Again. I’ve both praised and criticized MJ’s younger sister, and this is definitely going to be an instance of the former, as Together Again is one of my favorite hits of 1998.

To start, I’ll talk about the composition. Incorporating elements of House and Pop, it’s a mix that is simultaneously upbeat and wistful, tying in well to the lyrical content that I will get to shortly. Janet’s soft cooing vocals mix together wonderfully with said production, which brings me to the lyrical content.

In terms of lyrical content, this is a song about Janet longing for someone who has departed, yet also looking forward to the day that they could reunite in a better place. In that way it is quite similar to One Sweet Day, the smash hit from Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men from two years earlier, but whereas that song is bombastic and colossal in it’s grieving, this is more subdued in it’s longing. While this isn’t the only or even the best song on the list covering this type of subject, it’s still a fantastic song from someone who I should hear more from.

#6: Are You Jimmy Ray by Jimmy Ray (Peak: #13, Year-End: #65)

Alright everyone, are you ready for a patently ridiculous novelty song? I sure am, because while it may be incredibly corny, I can’t help but like this song. Granted, I might just have been predisposed to this by Todd’s One-Hit Wonderland on Jimmy Ray that came out earlier this year, but I immediately vibed with this (that’s not the first time I’ve used the word “vibe” in this post, I’m turning into a total Zoomer). Combining a groovy guitar lick with a throwback 50s aesthetic (or A E S T H E T I C), the song asks one question: Are You Jimmy Ray? That’s all the song is about, some folks asking if the narrator is, indeed, Jimmy Ray.

“Are you Johnny Ray?

Are you Slim Ray?

Are you Paid Ray?

Who wants to know? Who wants to know?

Are you Sting Ray?

Are you Nick Ray?

Are you Jimmy Ray?

Who wants to know? Who wants to know?”

Other than that, the song is just Jimmy Ray bragging about how cool he is and how much ass he kicks, which I should not buy nearly as much as I do, as I know it’s pretty much impossible to take him seriously (although that’s almost certainly not the point of this song, it’s a stupid novelty). Sure, it may not be the most conventional pick for a list like this, and I could see someone finding this song insufferable, but I’m sorry, this is so infectiously corny that I can’t help but love it.

#5: The Arms Of The One Who Loves You by Xscape (Peak: #7, Year-End: #53)

Y’all ready for the obligatory cheesy ballad that I always put on a list like this? I sure am, because while this may be an extremely middle of the road song objectively speaking, this hit my personal sweet spot of sappiness to end up on this list.

First, the instrumentation. I’ll be the first to say that it is a pretty standard 90s R&B slow jam in terms of its composition. Yeah, I’m kind of a sucker for this type of song. It follows a typical ballad progression, starting off quiet and building up as the song goes on before hitting a crescendo towards the end (including a key change). The ladies from Xscape follow the same pattern, starting quieter before becoming more bombastic towards the end.

With that said, I’d say that the strongest quality of this song would have to be the lyrical content. The subject of the song is that the narrators are willing to let their current lovers go, even though they’re still in love. However, if their former partner finds their heart broken, they’ll know where to turn.

“You just run to the arms of the one who loves you

You just run to these arms and these two arms will keep you warm

When rain has failed your heart, never fear, I'm never far

You just run to the arms of the one who loves you”

Listen, I could see if someone interprets that as “I’ll be waiting for you to run back to me after you inevitably get your heart broken”, because it kinda is, but I’m gonna give it the benefit of the doubt and see it as an example of loving someone so much that you’d be willing to sacrifice the relationship if it’d make them Happier (hey, it’s basically the same premise as that song), so if we have any difference in interpretation, well, let’s just agree to disagree. I’m second guessing myself as to whether this song deserves to be in the Top 5, but hey, that’s just how it ended up, and it’s still a great song… in my opinion.

#4: Frozen by Madonna (Peak: #2, Year-End: #32)

Well, it’s time to talk about the Queen of Pop at length. I’ve talked about her briefly in both the duds section of my Best of 1992 list and as an Honorable Mention on my Best of 1995 list, but this is the first time she’s ever made a list proper. Now, I tend to prefer a lot of her earlier material en whole (Holiday is a bop and Like A Virgin is a huge guilty pleasure), but this might be my favorite Madonna song (of the ones I’ve heard, there are some that I haven’t yet).

If I were to describe the sound of this song in one word, that word would be “haunting”. Whether it be the delicate strings, hits of percussion and synths or the combination of all of them on the chorus, the song sets an eerie and melodramatic sound that is unlike any other song I’ve ever heard in my life. Madonna’s voice has the same qualities, whether it be the quiet, restrained verses or the echoing “mmmmm” in the chorus, I’ve never heard her sound better.

When it comes to the lyrics, it’s about Madonna talking to a cold, emotionally distant person (presumably her SO) and attempting to convince them to open their heart. However, the lyrics really take a backseat to the vibe for me, as it’s such a unique and strangely beautiful sound that I’ve never heard anywhere else. However, it fell just short of the podium, so what could be in there? Well, the Bronze Medal goes to a song that was practically a shoe-in for the list.

#3: I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith (Peak: #1, Year-End: #23)

As mentioned directly above, this was pretty much a guarantee to make the list. Heck, I’m surprised it’s only #3, as I’ve loved this song for years. I’m not sure what the consensus on this song is, but I sure hope that it’s positive, because I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing is one of the best Power Ballads of the decade.

To begin, the composition could only be described as titanic. Beginning with a full orchestral intro, the song becomes a soft piano ballad when Steven Tyler (I’ll call him ST from now on) begins to sing, with touches of acoustic guitar and violin. From there, the percussion and strings come back in the chorus, before dying back down in the second verse (keeping the drums, though). The chorus repeats, and the song from there goes into a bridge, with both ST’s vocals and the composition behind him getting more dramatic. Finally, ST lets out a big “YEAAAAHHHH”, and that glorious final chorus kicks in. The song goes on for a bit, with ST yelping in the best way possible. Finally, the song dies down and comes to a close after a truly fantastic ride.

Oh, and I didn’t even mention the lyrics. Penned by Diane Warren (who wrote songs like When I See You Smile by Bad English and Un-Break My Heart by Toni Braxton), the lyrics describe laying awake at night looking at your partner sleeping, and not wanting to go to sleep, knowing that you’ll miss precious time together while you’re in dreamyland. For as mundane as this is, ST sells it like it’s the last night before the world ends (yeah, it was the theme to Armageddon, a movie about the end of the world). Overall, it’s a fantastic power ballad that deserved to become as successful as it was. Now, how about a song that I’d never heard before, but knew immediately that it was going to be high on the list?

#2: Crush by Jennifer Paige (Peak: #3, Year-End: #21)

You know, for a song I’d never heard before making this list, I had an instantly positive reaction to this song. Makes sense, considering that this was a huge sleeper hit that spread from one radio station to another based off of a hugely positive reaction from listeners.

First up, this is Late 90s Pop-Rock at it’s best. With its mix of upbeat and sunny guitar, percussion and keys, the song just exudes the feeling of summer effortlessly. The Late 90s were a shift towards a much more positive tone than the Grunge and Gangsta Rap of the preceding years, and this is one of the best examples of this time period.

Lyrically, the song is about Jennifer being friends with a guy that is head over heels in love with her, and telling him that, while she may have some feelings for him too, she can’t commit to a full relationship just yet, and that the two of them should play it cool for now.

“It's just a little crush 

Not like I faint every time we touch

It's just some little thing

Not like everything I do depends on you”

When it comes to Jennifer’s vocals, well, they’re pretty much perfect for this sound and subject matter, she’s effortlessly seductive and charismatic. Honestly, it reminds me a bit of Rob Thomas’s performance on Smooth by Santana, which came out the following year (and kinda feels like this song from the guy’s perspective now that I think about it). Yeah, I just went there, it’s that good. However, it wasn’t my #1, so what could that be?

 

This might be the most personally embarrassing pick that I’ve ever made for one of these lists. Sure, I put Rihanna at #1 on my Best of 2012 list, but I also put her at #1 on that year’s Worst List, thus offsetting it in my book. Yes, I’ve put Katy Perry on multiple Best Lists of mine (2012, 2008, 2010 as an HM), but her uncoolness has faded as Late 2000s/Early 2010s nostalgia has kicked in among my age bracket. Meanwhile, I have no such recourse for this song, as it’s evidently apparent that I  have the musical taste of a 40 year old wine mom. However, I’ve got to be completely, 100% honest with these lists, and thus, as humiliating as it may be, the sappy love ballad from Titanic was my favorite hit song of 1998.

#1: My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion (Peak: #1, Year-End: #13)

Yeah, I know. Make fun of me all you want, but this is my pick for the Best Hit of 1998. Now, part of it is that I’ve known the song for years and considered it the second most likely song to claim the honor of Best Hit of the Year (after I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing), but I’ll try to explain my more concrete reasons for calling it my favorite hit of the year, starting with the instrumentation.

Composed by James Horner (who also composed the score for the film itself), the instrumentation for this song combines typical 90s Ballad keys with a full orchestra and a Celtic-tinged flute. Now, I’ve stated in the past that I’m a sucker for soft keyboard ballads from the 80s and 90s (as long as it doesn’t sound too cheap, which this doesn’t), and yeah, that still holds true here, and the orchestral elements give it some extra elegance.

When it comes to the lyrics, written by Will Jennings (who also wrote Tears In Heaven, #6 on my Best of 1992 list and Didn’t We Almost Have It All, #4 on my Best of 1987 list), it’s from the perspective of someone (presumably Rose from the movie) who’s lover has passed on, but who believes as though they live on in some way, whether in spirit or even just in the memories they shared, which gives her the courage and faith to move on.

“Near, far, wherever you are

I believe that the heart does go on

Once more, you open the door

And you're here in my heart

And my heart will go on and on”

However, what really sends this song over the top for me is Celine Dion’s vocal performance, which is absolutely frickin’ perfect. No wonder this was a demo, there was no need to do a second take (and also that Celine herself didn’t want to record it at first). Now, I’m sure another 90s diva like Mariah or Whitney (both of whom I’ve praised in the past and will likely do so again in the future) could’ve knocked it out of the park as well, but I’m not sure if it would’ve been as special as Celine’s version. It is with this said that I will officially bestow My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion the honor of The Best Hit Song of 1998, as much of a guilty pleasure as it may be. I’ll get working on 2020 real soon, and I should have the lists out by the end of the month (and thus the year), but until then, have a very happy holiday season, I’ll see y’all next time.