The '98 Music Hierarchy

Ranked by Preference:

10

THE AFGHAN WHIGS - 1965
FIREWATER - The Ponzi Scheme

9

THERAPY? - Semi-Detached
PJ HARVEY - Is This Desire?
TORI AMOS - from the choirgirl hotel
EELS - Electro-Shock Blues

8

R.E.M. - Up
THE BOREDOMS - Super Ae
MARILYN MANSON - Mechanical Animals
CONVERGE - When Forever Comes Crashing [Debut album from hardcore heroes sees them hitting the ground running -- the muscular, lean power of this album could blow the fur off a cat at twenty paces. The secret-emo side would emerge in full later (it's present in the lyrics but not harped upon), but here Converge is all about the ass-kicking.]
KORN - Follow the Leader
LIZ PHAIR - whitechocolatespaceegg
REFUSED - The Shape of Punk to Come

7

MESHUGGAH - Chaosphere
NINE INCH NAILS - The Fragile
LO-FIDELITY ALLSTARS - How to Operate with a Blown Mind
THE COUP - Steal This Album
VARIOUS - Pi : Music from the Motion Picture
LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES - The New Sound of the Venenzuelan Gozadera

6

MUDHONEY - Tomorrow Hit Today
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD - No Sleep Till Bedtime
LUCY'S FUR COAT - How to Survive an Air Crash
COURSE OF EMPIRE - Telepathic Last Words
FEAR FACTORY - Obsolete
MONSTER MAGNET - Powertrip
16VOLT - Supercoolnothing

5

RAMMSTEIN - Sehnsucht
CARTER THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE - I Blame the Government

4

SCOTT WEILAND - 12 Bar Blues

3

BAD RELIGION - No Substance
KING MISSILE - King Missile III: Failure

1

DROWN - Product of a Two Faced World [I thought these guys' debut album "Hold on to the Hollow" was superkool when I was in high school. Apparently in high school, I was stupid.]

PENDING

AS FRIENDS RUST - Fists of Time
AT THE DRIVE-IN - In/Casino/Out