Editor's Summary of 1998
A person who looked solely at the pop charts in 1998 might wonder why many of the songs they heard on the radio - no matter *what* format - weren't on the charts.
The answer to that seeming paradox? Declining album sales.
Several years ago, some industry executives realized that when a consumer purchased a single, they would be less likely to purchase the same artist's album. Since a 45 (now a cassette-single, or CD maxi-single) generates less profit for a label than an album, those same corporations could be expected to maximize their profit by squeezing out commercial singles - when the bottom line would be seriously effected.
In 1998, the effects of this cutback became more evident.
Decreasing album sales by many of the industry's standby artists contributed to a singles chart top-heavy which didn't jive - no pun intended - with the songs heard on the radio. And with a decrease in the number of new and coming artists in 'traditional', American guitar-rock formats, European electronica performers from Mono to Fatboy Slim received opportunities which might not have been present several years earlier.
Buyouts and consolidations between major companies were confirmed near the end of the year. While the ramifications of these corporate restructurings have yet to be determined, we can only hope that 1999's new artists will get an opportunity to nurture their craft before being thrown to the public, without having honed their skills.
In the course of this, however, there are some artists who have earned our respect for some outstanding albums. We've included a list of our top 15 albums of 1998, along with some of our staffers including their own top 5 list, complete with an explanation of why those albums should be in your stocking this holiday season.
Thanks to all our loyal readers and staff members for supporting the Internet's oldest music reviews publication, Consumable Online. - Bob Gajarsky, Editor In Chief.
Consumable Online's Top 15 of 1998: 1) Garbage, Version 2.0 (Almo Sounds) 2) Massive Attack, Mezzanine (Virgin) 3) Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse/Columbia) 4) Billy Bragg & Wilco, Mermaid Ave. (Elektra) 5) Manic Street Preachers, This Is My Truth Now Tell Me Yours (Epic UK) 6) PJ Harvey, Is This Desire (Island) 7) R.E.M., Up (Warner) 8) Mercury Rev, Deserter's Songs (V2) 9) Belle & Sebastian, The Boy with the Arab Strap (Matador) 10) Fatboy Slim, You've Come A Long Way Baby (Astralwerks) 11) Semisonic, Feeling Strangely Fine (MCA) 12) Pulp, This Is Hardcore (Island) 13) Creeper Lagoon, I Become Small and Go (NickelBag) 14) Afghan Whigs, 1965 (Columbia) 15) Goo Goo Dolls, Dizzy Up The Girl (Warner) k
