1998: Top Songs, Movies, TV Shows, Sporting Events, World Events And More
Climbing the ladder of time, we’re now in 1998. Take a look back at all the amazing things that happened back in the year and then think of how many of those are still part of our lives today. How many aren’t?
Check out everything that was from this decade, year by year – from the sporting events to world events, the top TV shows, songs, movies and more.
As you’re going back in time, think about some of the things in our lives today that you don’t see appearing here because they didn’t exist yet. Then, think about how many of those things we use, hear about or are part of our lives today were introduced in this year or the decade. Progress is amazing.
Let us know some of the things that come to mind below.
For more great memories from any of the years The Beat’s music focuses on, click a year below and we’ll transport you back in time to see everything you may remember or have forgotten.
TOP SONGS
1 Next Too Close
2 Brandy and Monica The Boy Is Mine
3 Shania Twain You’re Still The One
4 Savage Garden Truly Madly Deeply
5 LeAnn Rimes How Do I Live
6 Janet Together Again
7 K-Ci and JoJo All My Life
8 Elton John Candle In The Wind 1997
9 Usher Nice & Slow
10 Paula Cole I Don’t Want To Wait
11 Third Eye Blind How’s It Going To Be
12 Destiny’s Child No, No, No
13 Celine Dion My Heart Will Go On
14 Will Smith Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It
15 Usher You Make Me Wanna…
16 Usher My Way
17 Mariah Carey My All
18 Monica The First Night
19 Puff Daddy and The Family Been Around The World
20 Sarah McLachlan Adia
TOP ALBUMS
1. Titanic – Soundtrack
2. Let’s Talk About Love – Celine Dion
3. Sevens – Garth Brooks
4. Backstreet Boys – Backstreet Boys
5. Come On Over – Shania Twain
6. Yourself Or Someone Like You – Matchbox 20
7. City Of Angels – Soundtrack
8. Big Willie Style – Will Smith
9. Savage Garden – Savage Garden
10. Spiceworld – Spice Girls
GRAMMY WINNERS
Album of the Year: Time Out of Mind, Bob Dylan
Best New Artist: Paula Cole
Best Pop Album: Hourglass, James Taylor
Best Pop Duo or Group: Virtual Insanity, Jamiroquai
Best Pop Female Vocal: Building a Mystery, Sarah McLachlan
Best Pop Male Vocal: Candle in the Wind 1997, Elton John
Best Rock Duo or Group: One Headlight, the Wallflowers
Best Rock Album: Blue Moon Swamp, John Fogerty
Best Rock Female Vocal: Criminal, Fiona Apple
Best Rock Male Vocal: Cold Irons Bound, Bob Dylan
Best Rock Song: One Headlight
Record of the Year: Sunny Came Home, Shawn Colvin
Song of the Year: Sunny Came Home
Madonna – Ray Of Light
MOVIES
1 Saving Private Ryan DW $216,540,909
2 Armageddon BV $201,578,182
3 There’s Something About Mary Fox
4 A Bug’s Life BV $162,798,565
5 The Waterboy BV $161,491,646
6 Doctor Dolittle Fox $144,156,605
7 Rush Hour NL $141,186,864
8 Deep Impact Par. $140,464,664
9 Godzilla Sony $136,314,294
10 Patch Adams Uni. $135,026,902
OTHER MOVIES
Lethal Weapon 4, The Truman Show, Mulan, You’ve Got Mail, Enemy of the State, The Prince of Egypt, The Rugrats Movie,
Shakespeare in Love, The Mask of Zorro, Stepmom, Antz, The Wedding Singer, Hope Floats, U.S. Marshals
ACADEMY AWARDS (Winners in bold)
Picture:
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, “Elizabeth”, “Life is Beautiful” (Best Foreign Language Film winner), “Saving Private Ryan”, “The Thin Red Line”
Actor:
ROBERTO BENIGNI in “Life is Beautiful”, Tom Hanks in “Saving Private Ryan”, Ian McKellen in “Gods and Monsters”, Nick Nolte in “Affliction”, Edward Norton in “American History X”
Actress:
GWYNETH PALTROW in “Shakespeare in Love”, Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth”, Fernanda Montenegro in “Central Station”, Meryl Streep in “One True Thing”, Emily Watson in “Hilary and Jackie”
Supporting Actor:
JAMES COBURN in “Affliction”, Robert Duvall in “A Civil Action”, Ed Harris in “The Truman Show”, Geoffrey Rush in “Shakespeare in Love”, Billy Bob Thornton in “A Simple Plan”
Supporting Actress:
JUDI DENCH in “Shakespeare in Love”, Kathy Bates in “Primary Colors”, Brenda Blethyn in “Little Voice”, Rachel Griffiths in “Hilary and Jackie”, Lynn Redgrave in “Gods and Monsters”
Director:
STEVEN SPIELBERG for “Saving Private Ryan”, Roberto Benigni for “Life is Beautiful”, John Madden for “Shakespeare in Love”, Terrence Malick for “The Thin Red Line”, Peter Weir for “The Truman Show”
TOP TV SHOWS
Seinfeld, E.R., Veronica’s Closet, Friends, NFL Monday Night Football, Touched by an Angel, 60 Minutes, Union Square, CBS Sunday Movie,
Frasier, Home Improvement, Just Shoot Me, Dateline, NFL Monday Showcase, The Drew Carey Show, Fox NFL Sunday Post-Game Show, 20/20,
NYPD Blue, Primetime Live, The X-Files
EMMY AWARDS
Outstanding Drama Series The Practice (ABC)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Dennis Franz, N.Y.P.D. Blue
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Michael Badalucco, The Practice
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Holland Taylor, The Practice
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Edward Herrmann, The Practice
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Debra Monk, N.Y.P.D. Blue
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Paris Barclay, N.Y.P.D. Blue: “Hearts and Souls”
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series James Manos, Jr. and David Chase, The Sopranos: “College”
Outstanding Comedy Series Ally McBeal (Fox)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series John Lithgow, 3rd Rock from the Sun
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Helen Hunt, Mad About You
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series David Hyde Pierce, Frasier
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Kristen Johnston, 3rd Rock from the Sun
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Mel Brooks, Mad About You
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Tracey Ullman, Ally McBeal
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Thomas Schlamme, Sports Night: Pilot
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Jay Kogen, Frasier: “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz”
Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)
Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special The 1998 Tony Awards (CBS)
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program John Leguizamo, John Leguizamo’s Freak
Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program Paul Miller, The 1998 Tony Awards
Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program Tom Agna, Vernon Chatman, Louis CK, Lance Crouther, Gregory Greenberg, Ali Leroi, Steve O’Donnell, Chris Rock, Frank Sebastiano, Chuck Sklar, Jeff Stilson, Wanda Sykes-Hall, and Mike Upchurch, The Chris Rock Show
Outstanding Miniseries Horatio Hornblower (A&E)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Stanley Tucci, Winchell
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Helen Mirren, The Passion of Ayn Rand
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Peter O’Toole, Joan of Arc
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Anne Bancroft, Deep in My Heart
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Movie Allan Arkush, The Temptations
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Movie Ann Peacock, A Lesson Before Dying
Outstanding Made-for-Television Movie A Lesson Before Dying (HBO)
Outstanding Nonfiction Series (possibility of one or more than one award) The American Experience (PBS)
American Masters (PBS)
Outstanding Nonfiction Special Thug Life in D.C. (HBO)
Outstanding Children’s Program The Truth about Drinking: The Teen Files (Syndicated)
Outstanding Animated Program (one hour or less) King of the Hill : “And They Call It Bobby Love” (Fox)
SPORTS
Football
Superbowl XXXII : Denver 31 – GREEN BAY 24
Pro MVP: Barry Sanders, Detroit, RB & Brett Favre, Green Bay, QB
College Football: Michigan
Heisman Trophy: Charles Woodson, Michigan, DB-WR
Rose Bowl: Michigan 21, Washington St. 16
Orange Bowl: Nebraska 42, Tennessee 17
Cotton Bowl: UCLA 29, Texas A&M 23
Sugar Bowl: Florida St. 31, Ohio St. 14
Basketball
NBA Championship
Winner: CHICAGO 4-2 (WWLLWW) – Coach: Phil Jackson
Opposing Team: Utah – Coach: Jerry Sloan
NBA MVP: Karl Malone, Utah, F Ave Score: 27.4
NCAA National Champions: Arizona 25-9 – Coach: Lute Olson
Baseball
World Series
Winner: FLORIDA MARLINS 4-3 (WLWLWLW) – Coach: Jim Leyland
Opposing Team: Cleveland – Coach: Mike Hargrove
National League
MVP: Larry Walker, Col – OF
Rookie of the Year: Scott Rolen, Phi – OF
American League
MVP: Ken Griffey Jr., Sea – OF
Rookie of the Year: Nomar Garciaparra, Bos – SS
TOP WORLD EVENTS
Cyber Radio is the first internet radio station to broadcast on FM using Chicago’s 105.9 FM WCKG to transmit its broadcast from the internet to a terrestrial broadcast outlet proving the internet as a viable broadcast medium.
Linda Tripp Reveals Secret Tapes Of Her And Monica Lewinsky’s “Girl Talk”
Clinton Denies Sexual Relations With 21-Year-Old intern Monica Lewinsky, lying like a rug.
US Attorneys Allege Microsoft Tried To Control Internet. Later, the same attorneys would fight to say that Facebook and Google aren’t. Go figure.
Chrysler And Daimler Benz Merge, another brain-dead move by the over-educated college folk.
Dow Tops 9,000
After a 150 million dollar cash infusion from Microsoft, Apple debuts its new product, the iMac in ‘flavor colors’ Later they’d go on to “i” everything.
Gunman Gains Entry To Capital Killing Two Officers
Lewinsky Admits Sexual Relations With Clinton But Denies He Told Her To Lie
FBI Test Lewinsky’s Stained Dress For Clinton DNA dragging the Presidency even lower into an abyss of goo.
After Grand Jury testimony Clinton Admits He “Mislead” US For 6 Months. Not to be outdone, Hilary would go on to do the same thing for decades.
Exxon and Mobil Merge because… well, why not?
House Impeaches President For Perjury And Obstruction Of Justice, serves no purpose.
Northern Ireland Peace Agreement Is Reached
Senate approves the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary for NATO, more countries for us to pay for.
Unemployment is the lowest since 1970
Europeans agree on a single currency, the “euro” Now, they can go back to sleep for 12 hours a day while the U.S. pays for their defense.
India and Pakistan test nuclear weapons, it’s like Ohio and Indiana threatening each other with weapons… who the hell would survive so close to each other? Shhhh… don’t want to wake idiot class.
US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania bombed
US cruise missiles hit suspected terrorist bases in Sudan and Afghanistan
Boys 11 and 12 shoot 4 schoolmates in Jonesboro Ark.
President outlines first balanced budget in 30 years. Um, you too can play games with numbers to bullshit the masses if you like.
US Supreme Court rules line-item veto unconstitutional but all the other shit done to U.S. citizens… that’s OK.
Unabomber sentenced to four life terms. So, will his corpse be rotting away in a cell in 200 years? Stay tuned…
Life sentence meted out to Terry Nichols, convicted in Oklahoma City bombing fatal to 168. Justice prevails.
Russian debt default sets off world stock market plunge
Mark McGwire hits record 70 home runs, Sammy Sosa is second with 66 but no one was ‘juicing’
Study proves PMS is biological rather than psychological
First live online internet birth, too bad it wasn’t in 3D eh?
Fads include Rugrats, Teletubbies, anything Titanic-related, ginkgo, swing and ballroom dancing.
Viagra lands on the scene and the first ad? “Naturally, the response has been positive” Giving a new meaning to up and at ’em.
Furby is the holiday gift hit for people who look back now and realize whoever gave them one must never have really liked them.
Voyager I, launched in 1977 is still transmitting from 6.5 billion miles from earth, unfortunately, it hasn’t discovered anything smarter than what’s on Earth… yet.
Legendary crooner Frank Sinatra dies of a heart attack at age 82. Among other celebs, we also lost Gene Autry, Sonny Bono, Florence Griffith Joyner and Junior Wells.
NBC agrees to fork over $13 million an episode for the next three years for broadcast rights to the top-rated series ER. The total dollar figure, $850 million, eclipses any price ever paid for a television show. It’s that kind of money that creates idiot talking heads.
The American Film Institute announces its list of the top 100 films of all time. Citizen Kane tops the list.
Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet arrested in London
Titanic becomes the highest-grossing film in history at $850 million and would go on to over 1 Billion dollars in ticket sales, capture a record-tying 11 Academy Awards, including those for Best Picture and Best Director (James Cameron) and a whole new breed of kids who wanted to ‘do it ‘ in a car.
Seinfeld is the fourth highest-rated final show in TV history with an estimated 76 million viewers.
Interest in the latest home run ball mounts as Mark McGwire gets closer to the record, the ball is expected to bring $1 million at auction.
The Hubble telescope reveals that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate and…. “Leon’s getting larger.”
Yahoo’s original search engine was provided by a company called Google which debuted in 1998. Now, they both run your life and fill it with whatever they deem worthy for you to know. If you doon’t know what to think, don’t worry, they’ll tell you, they only have your best interests at heart.
The Millennium Countdown LCD clock for the Y2K countdown is $20
The Athena probe finds frozen water on the moon. Scientists say ice crystals mixed with soil could provide fuel for rockets exploring the solar system. Aliens are not happy with that idea.
Astronomers detect giant explosions, second in force only to the “Big Bang,” in deep space. Some thought it was JB Pritzker taking a jog.
Dow Corning Corporation agrees on $3.2 billion settlement for tens of thousands of women claiming injury from manufacturer’s silicone breast implants. In the future, there’s hope many may be able to sue Big Tech and Big Pharma as well as politicians who SEIZED their rights and LIED to them causing death, carnage and mayhem. Visions of Mussolini, his mistress and a few other slobs dance through our heads….
77-year-old Senator John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, returns to orbit in the space shuttle Discovery
The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour connects the first two modules of the international space station
The U.S.A.
President: Bill Clinton
Vice President: Al Gore
Population: 270,298,524
Dow-Jones
High: 9,374
Low: 7,539
Federal spending: $1675.88 billion
Federal debt: $5750.4 billion
Consumer Price Index: 163
Unemployment: 4.9%
Inflation: 1.6%
Prices
Cost of a new home: $181,900.00
Cost of a new car: $17,200.00
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.32
Median Household Income: $38,568.00
Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $1.06
Cost of a dozen eggs: $1.09
Cost of a gallon of Milk: $3.16