25 Albums Turning 25 in 2024

There was a time that a portion of the population sincerely feared that society as they knew it would come crashing down for good when the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31, 1999. The internet would collapse, and society would go down with it.

“The internet carries the flag of being subversive and possibly rebellious and chaotic, nihilistic,” David Bowie said in an interview with the BBC that year. “I don’t think we’ve seen the tip of the iceberg. It’s almost if we’re on the cusp of something both exhilarating and terrifying.”

As we know, nothing happened to the internet or to civilization as a whole, but it made for a pretty electrifying year nonetheless. Artistically, what better time to release new music? It might be your last. And you may as well get some good old fashioned song inspiration from all that mysterious energy, too.

READ MORE: 1999’s Best Rock Albums

“This is about a new beginning, a new start,” Sting said in a 1999 press release, speaking about his then forthcoming album, Brand New Day. “It coincides with this millennium thing, but you know, we have to turn the clocks to zero, so that’s a great metaphor for saying let’s wipe the slate clean, and we’ll begin again.”

Our below list of 25 Albums Turning 25 in 2024 is, obviously, not exhaustive, but it does offer a window into one of the most eclectic years in music.