May 23rd 2024.
Apple Music has officially declared Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as the greatest album of all time in the neo-soul and R&B genre. This incredible achievement has been recognized by music lovers worldwide as Hill's only solo studio album topped Apple Music's 100 Best Albums of All Time list. The countdown for this prestigious list began 10 days ago, and the excitement has been building up since then. The selected top 100 albums were announced last week, and it was revealed that five artists, including Beyoncé, The Beatles, Prince, Radiohead, and Stevie Wonder, had two albums on the list.
The albums on this list were selected by members of Apple Music's internal team, who submitted their personal favorites via the company's voting microsite. These votes were then weighted according to the album's placement on the list. This means that the higher a particular album was ranked, the more votes it received. The same voting method was used for a select group of artists, songwriters, producers, and a handful of media members who served as external participants.
Ebro Darden, the global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B for Apple Music, emphasized that this list was not a popularity contest. Instead, they challenged everyone to vote based on their knowledge and love for music, rather than just their personal favorites. This ensured that the final list was a true representation of the greatest albums of all time. And it was no surprise that Hill's masterpiece, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, came out on top.
Released on August 25, 1998, just one year after her group, The Fugees, disbanded, Hill's album is a reflection of her personal progression. The lyrics are inspired by her relationship with Rohan Marley, her pregnancy with their son, Zion, and the tension within The Fugees at the time. The album features fan favorites like "Nothing Even Matters," featuring D'Angelo, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," "Doo Wop," "Ex-Factor," and many other songs where Hill bares her heart and soul to the world.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2021, Hill shared that the motivation behind this album was to surpass the success of The Fugees' album, The Score, and to establish herself as a solo artist, separate from her fellow bandmate, Wyclef Jean. She felt that she didn't receive enough support from him for her solo endeavor, and this album was her way of proving herself.
After hearing the news of topping the top 100 list, Hill expressed her gratitude, saying, "This is my award, but it's a rich, deep narrative that involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love." This album has been recognized not only by Apple Music but also by the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry and the Grammy Hall of Fame, where it was inducted in 2024. Hill received 10 nominations and five wins from this album, making her the first woman to achieve such a feat in one night.
Fans have been eagerly waiting for Hill's highly-anticipated sophomore studio album, and she has promised that it will be released "soon." In the meantime, she has released a live album and a compilation album. This recognition of her first solo album as the greatest of all time has only increased the anticipation for her future projects. We can't wait to see what Hill has in store for us next.
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