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The 25 Best Indie Songs of 1998
1 August 2025, 19:42 | Updated: 4 August 2025, 17:31
Take a trip back to the days of post-Britpop, Brimful Of Asha, Teardrop, Intergalactic and My Favourite Game.
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Ian Brown - My Star: release date 12th January 1998
Brown's first solo single since The Stone Roses officially called it a day in October 1996 was taken from the album Unfinished Monkey Business and was co-written by latter day Roses guitarist Aziz Ibrahim. My Star peaked at Number 5 on the UK charts.
Ian Brown - My Star
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Air - Sexy Boy: release date 9th February 1998
Britain's introduction to the French electronic duo of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel came with this track from their internationally-successful debut album Moon Safari.
AIR - Sexy Boy (from Moon Safari - Official Audio)
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Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha (Norman Cook Remix): release date 16th February 1998
The original version of the Leicester indie band's single Brimful Of Asha stalled at Number 60 in the charts on its initial release in the summer of 1997, but the Norman Cook remix of the track gained a wider audience, taking the song to Number 1 for . The song pays tribute to the superstar Indian "playback singer" Asha Bhosle.
Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha, Norman Cook Mix (Tjinder Singh) Official Music Video
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Space with Cerys Matthews - The Ballad Of Tom Jones: release date 23rd February 1998
Both the Liverpool band and the Welsh singer were enjoying some success in the post-Britpop era, so they teamed up for this tongue in cheek song, which peaked at Number 4 in the UK.
Space - Ballad Of Tom Jones
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Shed Seven - She Left Me On Friday: release date 2nd March 1998
The second single to be taken from Rick Witter and co's Let It Ride album, which made Number 11 in the UK charts.
Shed Seven - She Left Me On Friday (Stereo)
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Pulp - This Is Hardcore: release date 16th March 1998
The Sheffield band's follow-up to the hugely sucessful album Different Class was a darker affair, in part down to Jarvis Cocker's struggles with sudden stardom, and the departure of long-time member Russell Senior. The title track was released as the second single after the ponderous Help The Aged, and made Number 12 in the UK charts.
Pulp - This Is Hardcore (Adult Version)
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James - Destiny Calling: release date 9th March 1998
This and the sombre follow-up single Runaground were new tracks added to the veteran Manchester band's chart topping career collection, The Best Of James. Destiny Calling made Number 17 in the UK charts.
James - Destiny Calling
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Gomez - 78 Stone Wobble: release date 30th March 1998
The debut single from the Southport indie band that would go on to win the Mercury Music Prize for 1998 with their album Bring It On.
Gomez - 78 Stone Wobble
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Garbage - Push It: release date 20th April 1998
The lead single from the acclaimed album Version 2.0, which peaked at Number 9 on the UK charts.
Garbage - Push it (HQ)
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The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth: release date 20th April 1998
Armed with an incredible choreographed video, this single from the Portland band's album The Dandy Warhols Come Down was first issued in the summer of 1997, but made Number 13 on re-release in April 1998.
The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth
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Catatonia - Road Rage: release date 20th April 1998
Having broken through to mainstream chart success with their song Mulder & Scully, the Cardiff-based band featuring Cerys Matthews had a further Top 5 hit with this classic.
Catatonia - Road Rage (Official Music Video) [HD Remaster]
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Massive Attack - Teardrop: release date 27th April 1998
With vocals and lyrics by Elizabeth Fraser, the former lead singer of Cocteau Twins, this was the second single from the Bristol trip hop collective's Mezzanine album. It made Number 10 in the charts.
Massive Attack - Teardrop (Official Video)
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Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore: release date 18th May 1998
Three years on from the ambitious double album Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness, Billy Corgan returned with a more electronic sound for the follow-up, Adore. This was the lead single, which peaked at Number 11 in the UK.
The Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore (Official Music Video)
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Embrace - Come Back To What You Know: release date 25th May 1998
The fourth single from the excellent album The Good Will Out peaked at Number 6 in the UK and is one of the Yorkshire band's signature songs.
Embrace - Come Back To What You Know (Official Video)
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Super Furry Animals – Ice Hockey Hair: release date 25th May 1998
The lead track from a standalone EP from the Welsh group that appeared between the release of their albums Radiator (1997) and Guerilla (1999).
Super Furry Animals - Ice Hockey Hair
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Bran Van 3000 - Drinking In LA: release date 25th May 1998
The biggest hit from the Canadian collective, whose appearance in a beer ad in the UK led to the tune peaking at Number 3 in the charts.
Bran Van 3000 - Drinking in L.A. (Official Music Video) - Best Quality
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Beastie Boys - Intergalactic: release date 2nd June 1998
The lead single from the trio's Hello Nasty album was accompanied by a video directed by Adam Yauch and featured some nice fake "kaiju" monster action. Intergalactic was a Top 5 hit in the UK.
Beastie Boys - Intergalactic
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Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta: release date 20th July 1998
Originally issued on the album Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone? in June 1997, this classic indie floorfiller was given a release in the UK in the summer of '98, where it crept into the bottom end of the Top 75. The song achieved everlasting popularity when it became the theme tune to the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show from its second series onwards.
Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta (Official Music Video)
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Placebo - Pure Morning: release date 3rd August 1998
The first single from Brian Molko and co's album Without You I'm Nothing made Number 4 in the UK charts, their highest entry to date.
Placebo - Pure Morning (Official Music Video)
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Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next: release date 24th August 1998
The lead single from the trio's fifth album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours would give them their first Number 1 hit in the UK. The unsettling video was directed by Andrew "WIZ" Whiston, who'd also done the honours for Everything Must Go and Love's Sweet Exile.
Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (Official Video)
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Hole - Celebrity Skin: release date 8th September 1998
The title track from Courtney Love's third studio album with Hole topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the US and made Number 19 here.
Hole - Celebrity Skin (Video)
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PJ Harvey - A Perfect Day Elise: release date 14th September 1998
The lead single from Polly's fourth album Is This Desire? It's her biggest hit in the UK, peaking at Number 25.
PJ Harvey - A Perfect Day Elise
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The Cardigans - My Favourite Game: release date 5th October 1998
After their international hit with Lovefool in 1996, the Swedish band fronted by Nina Persson followed it up with the album Gran Turismo, which spawned the singles Erase/Rewind and this favourite, which peaked at Number 14 on the UK chart.
The Cardigans - My Favourite Game “Stone Version”
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Mercury Rev - Goddess On A Hiway: release date 2nd November 1998
The New York band's breakthrough album Deserter's Songs gave the world this epic tune.
Mercury Rev - Goddess on a Highway
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Stereophonics - The Bartender & The Thief: release date 16th November 1998
The lead single from the second album from the Welsh power pop tro, Performance & Cocktails. The Bartender & The Thief would peak at Number 3 in November 1998, with the album arriving the following March.
Stereophonics - The Bartender And The Thief (Official Music Video)
