Lauryn Hill’s ‘Miseducation’ Named Greatest Album of All Time by Apple Music
Lauryn Hill’s seminal album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, has been honored as the greatest album of all time by Apple Music. The streaming platform began unveiling its ambitious ranking last week, with Hill’s 1998 debut LP topping the list announced on Wednesday, May 22.
Apple Music’s Ebro Darden delivered the news to Lauryn Hill in person during an intimate dinner in New York, sharing the moment on Instagram. In the video, Hill expressed her gratitude: “Thank you very much. This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative and involves so many people and so much sacrifice and so much time and so much collective love. This is as much mine as it is yours. This is our celebration.” She dedicated the award to her mother, who was present at the dinner.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill surpassed iconic albums such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller (No. 2), The Beatles’ Abbey Road (No. 3), Prince’s Purple Rain (No. 4), and Frank Ocean’s Blonde (No. 5). The list also included significant Hip Hop and R&B albums like Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city (No. 7), Beyoncé’s Lemonade (No. 10), and JAY-Z’s The Blueprint (No. 13).
Other notable entries were Dr. Dre’s The Chronic (No. 19), Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (No. 26), A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory (No. 29), Biggie’s Ready to Die (No. 32), and Nas’ Illmatic (No. 39).
While the list has sparked lively debate among fans on social media, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has long been celebrated for its impact. Inspired by Hill’s personal experiences, including her pregnancy and tensions within the Fugees, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 400,000 copies in its first week. It also made history at the 1999 Grammys, winning Album of the Year and making Hill the first female rapper to achieve this honor. She took home five awards that night, including Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Song for “Doo Wop (That Thing).”
Fans have eagerly awaited new music from Hill for years, and there may be renewed hope. Last week, Hill and her son, YG Marley, hinted at new music while speaking with TMZ in New York City. Marley suggested that new material might be on the way, while Hill nodded in response, leaving fans to speculate about a possible follow-up to her legendary debut.
