Nineteen ninety-eight was the year I was supposed to have graduated from college, but that feat didn’t actually happen until 2003. Instead, I was moving to Tennessee that year. That was back before my self-imposed exile from radio, so I was still grooving to N*Sync and Mariah Carey back-to-back every fifteen minutes on EVERY RADIO STATION. That didn’t dampen my love of music, however, and 1998 had some of the catchiest music to ever be produced. The top five songs of 1998, according to Billboard magazine, were:
5. How Do I Live – LeAnn Rimes
4. Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden
3. You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
2. The Boy is Mine – Brandy and Monica
1. Too Close – Next
Wow, I can’t believe that was fifteen years ago, because I feel like it was just yesterday, and for the most part those songs have stood the test of time. Funny, though, how the #1 song of 1998 is one I don’t remember. At all. And it’s on my iPod too. Actually, all five of those songs are on my iPod. But those were the popular songs, the ones that sold at least a million singles (back when there were actual CD singles that are now rare and collectibles). Which songs were my top 5 from 1998? Here they are:
5. Dangerous – Busta Rhymes
I met him that year at Tower Records in Philadelphia, and it was a real highlight.
4. Crush – Jennifer Paige
This was the “Call Me Maybe” of 1998.
3. Frozen – Madonna
And yes, I love the long version much better than the radio edit.
2. From This Moment On – Shania Twain (duet with Bryan White)
Don’t even get me started on the Shania only version that was on the single. This is the duet from the album.
1. Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It – Will Smith
“Give it to me now, nice and easy. Since I moved up like George and Weezy…”
Time to break out my 1998 playlist again. What was your favorite song of the year?
Sam
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