The 25 best indie albums of 1998

23 December 2024, 20:00 | Updated: 11 March 2025, 17:03

Let's look back at memories of the year of Gran Turismo, Bring It On, International Velvet and This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours....

By Radio X

@RadioX

1. Air - Moon Safari: released 16th January 1998

   The French duo of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel released their debut album, which featured Sexy Boy and All I Need.

   

2. Catatonia - International Velvet: released 2nd February 1998

   The Welsh band released their second, most successful, album in 1998 that featured the singles Mulder And Scully and Road Rage.

   

3. Space – Tin Planet: release date 9th March 1998

   The second studio album from the Liverpool band included the singles Avenging Angels and The Ballad Of Tom Jones, featuring Cerys Matthews of Catatonia.

   

4. Pulp - This Is Hardcore: released 30th March 1998

   Jarvis and co released their sixth album featuring the title track, Help The Aged and Party Hard.

   

5. Gomez - Bring It On: released 13th April 1998

   Southport's finest released their debut, Mercury Music Prize-winning album which featured 78 Stone Wobble and Whippin' Piccadilly.

   

6. Massive Attack - Mezzanine: released 20th April 1998

   The band's third album was released, featured the big tune Teardrop.

   

7. Jeff Buckley – Sketches For (My Sweetheart The Drunk): release date 11th May 1998

   A year after his tragic death, Buckley's works in progress for the follow-up to Grace was issued, which included EVerybody Here Wants You, The Sky Is A Landfill and Morning Theft.

   

8. Garbage - Version 2.0: released 11th May 1998

   Shirley Manson and co released their second album featuring the hits I Think I'm Paranoid, When I Grow Up and Push It.

   

9. Smashing Pumpkins - Adore: released 2nd June 1998

   Billy Corgan's band - now a trio, minus drummer Jimmy Chamberlin - released their fourth album, featuring the single Ava Adore.

   

10. Embrace - The Good Will Out: released 8th June 1998

    Danny McNamara's band released their debut album, featuring the singles All You Good Good People and Come Back To What You Know.

    

11. Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty: release date 14th July 1998

    The fifth album from the alternative hip hop trio included the huge hits Intergalactic and Body Movin', later remixed by Fatboy Slim.

    

12. Belle And Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap: released 7th September 1998

    The Scottish band made their breakthrough with their third studio album. The title track was later used on the TV show Teachers.

    

13. Mansun – Six: released 7th September 1998

    The follow-up to the hugely successful debut Attack Of The Grey Lantern included the singles Legacy, Being A Girl and Negative.

    

14. Hole - Celebrity Skin: released 8th September 1998

    Courtney Love's band released their third studio album, including the title track and Malibu.

    

15. Manic Street Preachers - This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours: released 14th September 1998

    The band's fifth album was their first No 1 and spawned the single If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next, also a chart topper. The song is in the Guinness World Records as the number one single with the longest title without brackets.

    

16. Eels - Electro-Shock Blues: release date 21st September 1998

    The second album from Mark "E" Everett includes the singles Cancer For The Cure, Last Stop: This Town and Climbing To The Moon.

    

17. PJ Harvey - Is This Desire?: released 28th September 1998

    Peej released her fourth album, featuring the single A Perfect Day Elise.

    

18. The Beta Band - The 3 EP’s: release date 28th September 1998

    A compilation of the hard-to-find singles Champion Versions, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos, this collection from the Scottish post-rockers included the tracks Inner Meet Me. Dry The Rain and Needles In My Eyes.

    

19. Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs: released 29th September 1998

    The Buffalo, New York band released their third album, which included the memorable track Goddess On A Hiway.

    

20. Ash - Nu-Clear Sounds: released 5th October 1998

    The band released their second album and welcomed aboard their second guitarist Charlotte Hatherley.

    

21. Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing: released 12th October 1998

    Brian Molko's power pop trio released their second album, which featured Pure Morning and Every You Every Me.

    

22. The Cardigans - Gram Turismo: released 19th October 1998

    The fourth album from the Swedish band featured the hits My Favourite Game and Erase/Rewind.

    

23. Idlewild - Hope Is Important: released 26th October 1998

    The Edinburgh punk band released their first full-length album. The LP featured When I Argue I See Shapes and A Film For The Future.

    

24. R.E.M. - Up: released 26th October 1998

    The Athens, GA legends released their 11th album, featuring At My Most Beautiful and Daysleeper.

    

25. Beck - Mutations: released 3rd November 1998

    The musician's sixth studio album included Cold Brains, Tropicalia and Nobody's Fault But My Own.