Which albums are turning 25 in 2024?

There was a time in Jay-Z's career when he was known for releasing a new album every year, and in 1999, he released his fourth album, Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. On the album, he worked with several producers, including DJ Premier, DJ Clue, Swizz Beatz, and Irv Gotti — to name a few. The album's standout single, "Big Pimpin'," came with production from Timbaland, and it became a fan favorite across Jay's discography. 

Blink-182 was one the most recognized bands in the '90s to help push the punk rock sound. On their third album, Enema of the State, singles like "What's My Age Again?" and "All The Small Things" became iconic fan favorites and staple videos on shows like MTV's Total Request Live.

Just a year after Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut, they returned with their sophomore album, The Writing's on the Wall. It was more of a concept album inspired by the Ten Commandments, but they focused on commandments with relationships. Some of the album's biggest singles included "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Say My Name," and "Jumpin,' Jumpin.'"

Eminem was quickly on the mainstream radar when Dr. Dre signed him to his Aftermath record label and soon released his major-label debut album, The Slim Shady LP. With hit singles like "Guilty Conscious" and "My Name Is," Eminem won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. 

Although The Roots is a hip-hop band to the core, they know how to implement sounds like neo-soul and jazz into their music. Such was the case with their fourth album, Things Fall Apart, and particularly the first single, "You Got Me." The song was co-written by Jill Scott and featured Erykah Badu and Eve. The song ended up winning a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. 

Just two years after Mariah Carey released her critically acclaimed album Butterfly, she returned with her seventh album, Rainbow. Throughout the project, Carey teamed up with a number of producers, including Jermaine Dupri, DJ Clue, and iconic duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Some of the hit singles included "Heartbreaker," "Thank God I Found You," and the Snoop Dogg-assisted track "Crybaby."

Christina Aguilera has always stood out as one of pop music's essential vocalists due to her strong four-octave range. She showed that she was a force to be reckoned with on her debut album with hit singles like "Genie in a Bottle," "What a Girl Wants," and "I Turn To You." Aguilera's album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. 

Dr. Dre took a seven-year hiatus before releasing his sophomore album, 2001. He knew there was a lot of chatter as to whether Dre still had the juice to drop an album that was just as good, if not better, than his debut album, The Chronic. Dre proved that he was still a mastermind on his big singles like "Still D.R.E.," "Forgot About Dre," and "The Next Episode." 

Although rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been around since the mid-'80s, one of their most successful multi-platinum selling albums came in 1999 with Californication. Besides the eponymous single, they released four other singles, including "Around The World" and the Grammy Award-winning track "Scar Tissue." 

Between her futuristic sound and eccentric music videos, there's never been an artist like Missy Elliott. She's the type of artist who can do it all — rap, sing, write, and produce — and all of her talents were on full display with her sophomore album, Da Real World. Teaming up with her friend and frequent collaborator Timbaland, she released three singles, including "Hot Boyz" and "All N My Grill."  

Young pop stars had a resurgence in the late '90s, one of which was Britney Spears. Her debut album, ...Baby One More Time, shot to the top of the Billboard 200 chart thanks to the eponymous lead single. It was the perfect track for teeny boppers who loved pop music, so much that it helped Spears earn a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Some of the album's other singles included "Sometimes" and "(You Drive Me) Crazy."

Just a year after releasing a collaborative album alongside Talib Kweli, rapper Mos Def embarked on a solo career with his debut album, Black on Both Sides. Thanks to the lead single "Ms. Fat Booty," the album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart. 

Limp Bizkit may be known as a nu-metal and punk rock band at their core, but they wanted to incorporate some hip-hop elements on their sophomore album, Significant Other. Some of the album's hit singles include "Nookie," "Re-Arranged," and the Method Man-assisted track "N 2 Gether Now." The album sold over 500,000 copies in its first week of release and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. 

Five years after releasing their critically acclaimed album CrazySexyCool, TLC returned with their third album, FanMail. The trio continued to work with some of music's heavy-hitters on production, including Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, and the duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. With hit songs like "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty," it's no wonder the album became a massive commercial success. 

Early in Jennifer Lopez's career, she was known as an actress and dancer. However, her lead role in Selena seemed to spark her interest in a singing career. In 1999, she released her debut album, On the 6, which helped Lopez start her career as a triple-threat entertainer. Some of the album's hit singles included "If You Had My Love," "Waiting for Tonight," and "Let's Get Loud." 

Just two years after releasing their sophomore album, S.C.I.E.N.C.E., alternative rock band Incubus dropped their third album, Make Yourself. It featured three singles, including "Pardon Me" and the Billboard top-10 hit "Drive." 

By the time Nas released his third album, I Am..., he was riding high off the success of his sophomore album, It Was Written. On I Am..., Nas worked with producers such as DJ Premier, Timbaland, and Trackmasters. He also collaborated with artists to feature like Scarface, Aaliyah, and DMX. Nas called out all critics on his second single, "Hate Me Now." 

Backstreet Boys were taking over the pop music airwaves in the '90s, and they kept the momentum going with their third album, Millennium. The multi-platinum-selling album featured hit singles like "I Want It That Way" and "Larger Than Life." Also, it was the proper title as the world moved from 1999 into the new millennium 2000. 

There was a time in hip-hop when record labels or collectives had a female rapper who rode with the known boys' club. For Ruff Ryders, Eve represented the women and showcased that she could rap just as good, if not better, than the men. Her debut album, Let There Be Eve... Ruff Ryders' First Lady, was mostly produced by Swizz Beatz and featured hit singles like "Love Is Blind" and "Gotta Man." 

By the time Santana released their eighteenth album, Supernatural, the band wanted to show people that they could keep their Latin rock roots and appeal to new crowds. They did just that by collaborating with different artists like Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews, CeeLo Green, Rob Thomas, and more. Some of the album's hit singles include "Maria Maria," and the Grammy Award-winning hit "Smooth." 

Sugar Ray's 14:59 album is music that could be played on a relaxing drive or a day at the beach. Their smooth sound was evident on singles like "Every Morning" and their Billboard top-10 hit "Someday." 14:59 peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200. 

Donell Jones wrote and co-produced most of his sophomore album, Where I Wanna Be. In pure R&B essence, Jones made sure that his songs were filled with themes of love and relationships. The themes were evident on songs like "U Know What's Up," "Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me)," "All Her Love," and the eponymous single. 

Undoubtedly, Ricky Martin was one of the biggest artists to take over in 1999. Thanks to his self-titled album, Martin ran the Billboard charts with singles like "Shake Your Bon-Bon" and "Livin' la Vida Loca." He broke a record for the largest first-week sales by a Latin artist, selling over 600,000, and the album topped the Billboard 200. 

Just a year after releasing his sophomore album, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, DMX returned with his third album, And Then There Was X. The album became one of DMX's most commercially successful projects with hit singles like "What's My Name" and "Party Up (Up In Here)." 

Music fans can't talk about country music without discussing Faith Hill. In 1999, she released her critically acclaimed album Breathe, which featured hit songs like "The Way You Love Me," "Let's Make Love," and the eponymous single.