1998 in music
 | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2010) |
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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.
Events
January–February
- January – Interscope Records pays a Portland, Oregon radio station $5000 to play the Limp Bizkit single "Counterfeit" fifty times. The business move is widely criticized in the media as "payola", but the controversy serves to further increase publicity for the band.[1]
- 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.
- January 31 – The Presidents of the United States of America play a farewell show in their hometown of Seattle. They would reunite in 2000.
- February 2 – Mark Hollis releases his only solo album, Mark Hollis, also the first time he recorded since 1991, to great critical claim.
- February 5 – Former Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford publicly reveals his homosexuality for the first time in an interview with MTV.[2]
- February 15 – Sir Edward Elgar's unfinished third symphony, completed by Anthony Payne is performed for the first time at the Royal Festival Hall, London, UK.[3]
- February 17 – Illegal Art and ®™ark release Deconstructing Beck which quickly spawned reactions from Beck's publisher, record label, and personal lawyer.[citation needed]
- February 19
- The Stray Cats reunite for a benefit show for the Carl Perkins Foundation at House of Blues in Los Angeles, USA.[4]
- Lorrie Morgan issues a statement denying a story reported in the tabloid Star magazine that claimed that the singer had an affair with US President Bill Clinton.[citation needed]
- February 22 – In Los Angeles, California, Stevie Wonder is honored as the 1999 MusiCares Person of the Year.[5]
- February 23 - Frozen, the first single from Madonna eight studio album, Ray of Light is released. The single is a worldwide hit, peaking at #2 on US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming her first single to debuted at #1 in UK.
- February 24
- Elton John is knighted by Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London, UK. He was mistakenly introduced as "Sir John Elton", but was renamed "Sir Elton John".[6]
- John Fogerty is awarded the 1998 Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award.[citation needed]
- Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee is 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.[citation needed]
- February 28 – A failed assassination attempt against the band RAM during the Port-au-Prince Carnival celebration in Haiti results in the death of eight innocent bystanders.[citation needed]
March–April
- March - The MPMan, the first mass-produced digital audio player, is introduced in Asia.
- March 3 - Madonna releases her seventh studio album Ray of Light. The album was a commercial success, selling over 16 millions worldwide and gained Madonna four Grammy Awards.
- March 13 – The Smashing Pumpkins file a US$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.[7]
- March 17 - Van Halen III is released. It is the first Van Halen album to feature Gary Cherone on vocals.
- March 26 – Chuck Negron files a lawsuit against his fellow Three Dog Night band mates alleging that they broke a 1990 settlement agreement and interfered with his career.[citation needed]
- April 3 – The Red Hot Chili Peppers part ways with Dave Navarro.
- April 6 – Organizers announce that Lollapalooza will not be staged in 1998 due to the inability to sign a major headlining act. The festival would return in 2003.
- 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.[citation needed]
- April 14 – The first VH1 Divas Live concert is broadcast on VH1, starring Aretha Franklin, Gloria Estefan, Céline Dione, Shania Twain and Mariah Carey.
- April 17-19 – The second Terrastock festival took place in San Francisco, USA.
- April 29 – Steven Tyler breaks 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".[citation needed]
May–June
- May – The third European Festival of Youth Choirs is 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 31 – Geri Halliwell goes into hiding as her public relations representative, Julian Torton, confirms that she has left the Spice Girls permanently.[8]
- June 1 – Scott Weiland's public problems with drugs continue when he is arrested in New York after buying heroin.
July–August
- July 3 – Westlife is formally formed and signed to the record label BMG as their new artist.
- July 5 – Teen singer Billie Piper starts her career by becoming the youngest British solo artist to debut at #1 on the UK singles charts with "Because We Want To".
- July 15 – Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer suffers burns when his Ferrari caught fire at a gas station.[citation needed]
- August 24 – Pearl Jam's "Do the Evolution" video premieres on MTV's 120 Minutes. It's the group's first music video in six years.
- August 29 – The Bee Gees open their One Night Only tour in Dublin, Ireland[9]
September–December
- September 14 – Total Request Live is broadcast for the first time on MTV.
- September 16 – Lou Reed performs for President of the Czech Republic Vaclev Havel at the White House.
- October 5 – MuchMoreMusic is launched in Canada.
- October 8 – The Recording Industry Association of America files in court against Diamond Multimedia in an attempt to block the release of the new Rio PMP300, arguing that the MP3 digital audio player is a music piracy device. The RIAA's application is denied on October 26, clearing the way for the PMP300 to become the first commercially successful MP3 player.
- October 23 – Britney Spears' debut single, "...Baby one more time", is released. It would become the top-selling single of 1999, selling over nine million units worldwide.
- October 27 – The Copyright Term Extension Act is signed into law, giving the entertainment industry 20 more years of exclusive rights to all works created since 1923.
- December 5 – Billboard changes its policy for its Hot 100 chart to allow airplay-only singles or album cuts to be accounted in the chart.[citation needed]
Also in 1998
- Carnatic vocalist M. S. Subbulakshmi becomes the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
- Guitarist Niklas Engelin quits In Flames. Drummer Bjorn Gelotte abandons drums to fill in Engeln's guitar position. The band then hires Daniel Svensson for the vacant drum spot in the band.
- Mikael Oretoft Quits Katatonia.
- Soilwork hires Ola Flink & Carlos Del Olmo Holmberg, then Ludvig Svartz and Jimmy Persson quit to be replaced by Ola Frenning & Henry Ranta.
- Music group Fields of Aplomb was formed, taking their name from the Dropkick Murphys' song, "Fields of Athenry"
- Allen West quits Six Feet Under.
- The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra launched its own recording label, RLPO Live.[citation needed]
- Singers Brandy and Monica dominate the Billboard charts with the duet, "The Boy Is Mine", holding the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 spot for 13 weeks.
- Composer John Harbison was awarded a Heinz Award for the Arts and Humanities.[citation needed]
- 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.[citation needed]
- Six Feet Under hire Steve Swanson.
Bands formed
Bands reformed
Bands disbanded
Albums released
January – March
April – June
July – September
October – December
Release date unknown
- Digilogue (compact disc version) – :zoviet*France:
- The First 40 Years, The Very Best of – Hank Marvin and The Shadows (2 CDs)
- Live at the Beeb – Nazareth
- The Star and the Wiseman: The Best of Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- Youth is Wasted on the Young – Caesars
Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest aggregated chart positions in 1998, according to TsorT.[10]
| # | 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
 | This section may contain information not important or relevant to the article's subject. (December 2010) |
In alphabetical order by title.
Classical music
- Leonardo Balada – Folk Dreams (Three Pieces for Orchestra)
- Osvaldas Balakauskas – Symphony No. 4
- Louis Andriessen – Writing to Vermeer
- John Barry – The Beyondness of Things
- George Crumb – Mundus Canis (A Dog's World) for guitar and percussion
- Mario Davidovsky – String Quartet No. 5
- Ludovico Einaudi – Arie
- Lorenzo Ferrero
- Memoria del fuego (symphonic poem)
- A Red Wedding Dress for organ
- Jake Heggie – Sophie's Song
- Frederik Magle – Cantata to Saint Cecilia
- Gordon McPherson – Miami
- Zbigniew Preisner – Requiem for my Friend
- Einojuhani Rautavaara – Piano Concerto No. 3 Gift of Dreams
- Juan Maria Solare – Spaghettisssimo
- Morton Subotnick – Echoes from the Silent Call of Girona
Opera
- Mark Adamo – Little Women
- Christopher Butterfield – Zurich 1916
- Philip Glass – White Raven
- Heinz Holliger - Schneewittchen
- Constantine Koukias - The Divine Kiss
- Ryan Ostrander -Madame Butterfly
Musical theater
- March 5 – The Boy from Oz, Sydney production opened.
- Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) – Broadway revival
- Footloose – Broadway production
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Stephen Trask) – off Broadway production
- High Society -Broadway production
- Ragtime – Broadway production
- The Sound of Music (Rodgers & Hammerstein) – Broadway revival
Musical films
- Blues Brothers 2000
- Meeting People Is Easy
- Mulan
- The Prince of Egypt
- Velvet Goldmine
- Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Births
- August 11 - Nadia Azzi, pianist
- August 25 - China Anne McClain,singer
Deaths
- January 2 – Nick Venet, record producer, 61 (Burkitt's Lymphoma)
- 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 7 - Owen Bradley, record producer, 82
- January 8 – Sir Michael Tippett, composer, 93
- January 11 – Klaus Tennstedt, conductor, 71
- January 15 – Junior Wells, harmonica player, 64
- January 17 – Junior Kimbrough, blues guitarist and singer, 67
- January 19 – Carl Perkins, singer 65, complications following a series of strokes
- January 22 - Anselmo Sacasas, jazz pianist and bandleader, 85
- January 24 – Justin Tubb, country music singer and songwriter, 62
- January 26
- Orlando DiGirolamo, jazz accordionist, pianist, composer, and teacher, 73
- Shinichi Suzuki, violinist and inventor of the international Suzuki method of music education, 99
- February 3 – Fat Pat, American rapper (shot)
- February 5
- February 6
- Carl Wilson, The Beach Boys, 51 (lung cancer)
- Falco, rock star, 40 (car accident)
- February 10 – Alex Kramer, Canadian songwriter, 94
- February 13 – Thomas Chapin, composer and saxophonist, 40 (leukemia)
- February 17 – Bob Merrill, songwriter, 76 (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 13 – Judge Dread, ska and reggae performer, 52 (heart attack on stage)[12]
- March 29 - Nada Tončić, operatic soprano, 88
- March 31 - Joel Ryce-Menuhin, pianist, 64
- April 1 – Rozz Williams, founder of Christian Death, suicide (hanging)[citation needed]
- April 2 – Rob Pilatus, member of Milli Vanilli, 32
- April 4 - Pierre Lantier, pianist and composer, 87
- 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)[citation needed]
- April 9 – Tom Cora, cellist and composer, 44
- April 11 – Lillian Briggs, US singer and trombonist, 65 (lung cancer)
- April 15 – Rose Maddox, country singer, 72
- April 17 – Linda McCartney, Wings, 56 (breast cancer)
- May 2 – Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto, Japanese rock artist, 33, (hanging, apparently accidental)
- May 5 – Tommy McCook, Jamaican saxophonist, 71
- May 7 – Eddie Rabbitt, country singer, 56, lung cancer
- May 9 – Alice Faye, actress and singer, 83
- May 10 – Lester Butler, blues harmonica player and singer, 38 (drug overdose)
- May 14 – Frank Sinatra, singer and actor, 82 (heart attack)
- May 19 - Dorothy Donegan, jazz pianist, 76
- May 22 – Royce Kendall, country musician, 62
- June 2 - Ricky Hyslop, violinist, conductor, composer, and arranger, 83
- June 8 - Harry Lookofsky, jazz violinist, 84
- June 10 – Steve Sanders, the Oak Ridge Boys, 45, suicide
- June 25 – Lounès Matoub, assassinated[citation needed]
- July 6 – Roy Rogers, actor and singer, 86
- July 14 - Herman David Koppel, pianist and composer, 89
- July 21 – O'Landa Draper, O'Landa Draper and the Associates (gospel choir), 34 (renal failure)
- July 23 – André Gertler, violinist, 90
- August 3 – Alfred Schnittke, composer, 63
- August 11 – Benny Waters, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, 96
- August 19
- Ilva Ligabue, operatic soprano, 66
- Sylvia Stahlman, operatic soprano, 69
- August 22 - Sergio Fiorentino, pianist, 70
- August 24 – Gene Page, arranger, producer and conductor, 58
- August 25 - Lamar Crowson, pianist, 72
- August 29 – Charlie Feathers, country blues musician, 66
- September 14 – Johnny Adams, blues, jazz and gospel singer, 66
- September 18 – Charlie Foxx, R & B and soul musician, 58 (leukemia)
- September 26 – Betty Carter, jazz singer, 69
- September 30 - Pavel Štěpán, pianist, 73
- October 2 – Gene Autry, actor and country singer, 91
- October 5 - Jacques Abram, pianiast, 83
- October 14 – Frankie Yankovic, America's "Polka King," 83
- October 17 - Antonio Agri, violinist, conductor and composer, 66
- October 25 – Warren Wiebe, "Soulful Rain Man", vocalist and session artist, 45 (suicide)
- November 8
- Consuelo Villalon Aleman, pianist, 91
- Lonnie Pitchford, blues musician, 43 (AIDS)
- November 12 – Kenny Kirkland, jazz keyboardist, 43 (congestive heart failure)
- November 20 – Roland Alphonso, saxophonist, 67
- November 27 – Barbara Acklin, soul singer, 55
- December 11 – Lynn Strait, (Snot), 30 (car accident)
- December 21
- Avril Coleridge-Taylor, pianist, conductor and composer, 95
- Karl Denver, Scottish singer, 67
- December 25 - Bryan MacLean, singer, guitarist and songwriter (Love), 52 (heart attack)
- December 30 - Johnny Moore, R & B singer, 64
- date unknown - Olga De Blanck Martín, pianist, guitarist and composer
Awards
- The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas & the Papas, Lloyd Price, Santana and Gene Vincent
- Inductees of the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame include Andrae Crouch, The Imperials, The Jordanaires and The LeFevres
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
- Bring It On – Gomez wins.
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
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (October 15, 1998). "On the RS Chart". Rolling Stone (797). Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.: 28.
- ^ "Rob Halford Discusses Sexuality Publicly For The First Time". MTV. February 5, 1998. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ BBC News: "Special Report - Anthony Payne on Elgar's Symphony No 3", 13 Feb 1998. Accessed 30 Nov 2012
- ^ "Los Angeles' House of Blues plays host…". ThisDayInRock.com. 1998. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
- ^ Billboard, 6 Feb 1999. Retrieved 8 October 2012
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/59754.stm
- ^ "The Beat: Pepsi's 'pop Culture' Cd Prize Features Atlantic Acts; Pumpkins File Suit | North America > United States from". AllBusiness.com. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
- ^ "Geri Halliwell Quits Spice Girls". MTV. 1998. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
- ^ "People". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California: The McClatchy Company. June 4, 1998. p. A2. ISSN 08896070 Parameter error in {{issn}}: Invalid ISSN..
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ unattributed (October 26, 2008). "Songs from the Year 1998". TsorT. Archived from the original on October 20, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Aftonbladet 4 oktober 1998 – Stikkans son bakom nya stjärnskottet (accessed April 8, 2011)
- ^ allmusic.com biography by Jo-Ann Greene