Foreign poll 1998
At the same time people voted for Swedish Electronic Music Awards they could vote for the best foreign/non-Swedish newcomer, live artist, song, album and artist of 1998. Many did - and here is the interesting result.
We present it in English so that everybody can read this. But please note that only Swedes has participated in this poll. Therefore everything is seen from a Swedish perspective. Artists with no Swedish distribution were not likely to get many votes in, say, the album category. Artists that haven't played in Sweden had some difficulties collecting votes in the live artist part. This is however of little concern since Swedish distribution and media covers almost everything and lots of artists go here on tour.
Foreign newcomer of 1998


The British VNV Nation made a fast break-through in Sweden. At this picture, they are one of the headlines at Virtual X-Mas in the end of 1998.
Photo for Release by: Anders Ekne.

1. VNV Nation
2. Add N to (X)
3. Blue October
4. Shadowdance
5. Rx
6. Vast
7. Komputer
8. Matter of Fact
9. Hooverphonic
10. Purity

Comment: Many people didn't vote in this category. Some vasted their votes on established bands like Rammstein, Mesh and Evil's Toy.

Foreign live artist of 1998


Martin Gore live in Stockholm 1998.
Photo for Release by: Peter Åstedt.

1. Depeche Mode
2. Das Ich


Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters of Mercy caught backstage at the Arvika Festival in Sweden.
Photo for Release by: Linda Papirnij.

3. The Sisters of Mercy
4. Apoptygma Berzerk
5. DAF/DOS
6. Kraftwerk
7. Rammstein
8. De/Vision
9. Marilyn Manson
10. And One

11. Mesh
12. Rational Youth
13. VNV Nation
14. Moby
15. Dance or Die
16. Komputer
17. Beborn Beton
18. Portishead
19. Front 242
20. Clan of Xymox

21. Welle Erdball
22. Björk
23. Gary Numan
24. PJ Harvey
25. The Legendary Pink Dots

Comment: Obviously most people saw their top live artist at festivals like the Arvika Festival. The Sisters of Mercy and Apoptygma Berzerk, for example, did their only gigs there. Few foreign artists toured Sweden. But Depeche Mode did and received three times more votes than number two, Das Ich. Some bands that visited Sweden didn't get a single vote, like Second Decay, Cobalt 60 and Mono.

Foreign song of 1998


1. Depeche Mode: "Only When I Lose Myself"
2. Mesh: "Trust You"
3. VNV Nation: "Solitary"
4. Marilyn Manson: "Dope Show"
5. Apoptygma Berzerk: "Paranoia"
6. Massive Attack: "Teardrop"
7. Das Ich: "Destillat"
8. And One: "Get You Closer"
9. Das Ich: "He Mensch"
10. And One: "Pimmelmann"

11. De/Vision: "New Drug"
12. Garbage: "Paranoid"
13. The Smashing Pumpkins: "Pug"
14. Marilyn Manson: "I Don't Like the Drugs (but the Drugs Like Me)"
15. Garbage: "You Look so Fine"
16. The Smashing Pumpkins: "Perfect"
17. De/Vision: "Strange Affection"
18. And One: "Evil Boys"
19. Marilyn Manson: "Great Big White World"
20. Dance or Die: "Teenage Makeup"

21. Komputer: "The Perfect Pop Band"
22. Das Ich: "Erde Ruft"
23. And One: "Love and Fingers"
24. Mesh: "My Defender"
25. Depeche Mode: "Surrender"

Comment: All the Release genres are hardly dependent on songs. A lot of bands never releases any singles and are never or seldom played on radio or dancefloors. Most of them focuses on the albums which usually consists of several average good songs. Some artists doesn't care if they write a huge hit. Nevertheless, the voters found lots of great songs to vote for.

Foreign album of 1998


And One at Swedish Electronic Music Awards 99.
Photo for Release by: Peter Åstedt.

1. And One: "9.9.99 9 Uhr"
2. De/Vision: "Monosex"
3. VNV Nation: "Praise the Fallen"
4. Massive Attack: "Mezzanine"
5. Marilyn Manson: "Mechanical Animals"
6. Garbage: "Version 2.0"
7. Das Ich: "Egodram"
8. Project Pitchfork: "Eon: Eon"
9. The Smashing Pumpkins: "Adore"
10. Madonna: "Ray of Light"

11. Evil's Toy: "Angels Only"
12. Welle Erdball: Der Sinn des Lebens"
13. Komputer: "The World of Tomorrow"
14. Dance or Die: "Dehumanizer"
15. Das Ich: "Morgue"
16. Cobalt 60: "Twelve"
17. Beastie Boys: "Hello Nasty"
18. The Jesus and Mary Chain: "Munki"
19. Rx: "Bedside Toxicology"
20. Fear Factory: "Obsolete"

21. Barry Adamson: "As Above, so Below"
22. Love Like Blood: "Snakekiller"
23. Sow: "Sick"
24. Death in June: "Take Care and Control"
25. Red Flag: "Caveat Emptor"

Comment: As usual lots of albums were released during 1998 and the votes were scattered on several records. Depeche Mode's "The Singles 86-98" got the most votes, but this category is only about real studio albums, no compilations.
It's interesting that the winner, And One's "9.9.99 9 Uhr", is considered far from their best album among most people.
VNV Nation released their first studio album 1998 and managed to reach no three in both the song and album category.

Foreign artist of 1998


Depeche Mode does it again. Dave Gahan live in Sweden 1998.
Photo for Release by: Peter Åstedt.

1. Depeche Mode
2. Das Ich
3. Mesh
4. And One
5. De/Vision
6. Marilyn Manson
7. Apoptygma Berzerk
8. The Sisters of Mercy
9. Rammstein
10. Madonna

11. VNV Nation
12. Garbage
13. Manic Street Preachers


14. DAF/DOS
15. Alphaville
16. Nick Cave
17. Rational Youth
18. Front Line Assembly
19. Beborn Beton
20. Welle Erdball

21. Gary Numan
22. Evil's Toy
23. Recoil
24. Front 242
25. Massive Attack

Comment: The heaviest category which summarises everything. Depeche Mode won again.