Lauryn Hill’s ‘Miseducation’ Crowned ‘Greatest Album Of All Time’

Apple Music has named Lauryn Hill’s neo-soul and R&B masterpiece, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the greatest album of all time.

Hill’s only solo studio album topped Apple Music’s inaugural 100 Best Albums of All Time list. The 10-day countdown began last week. Five artists—Beyoncé, The Beatles, Prince, Radiohead, and Stevie Wonder—had two albums on the list.

Members of Apple Music’s internal team submitted their personal list of projects by way of the company’s voting microsite. Votes were then weighted according to the album’s placement on the list. Thus, the higher a body of work was ranked, the more votes were assigned.

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.

“This list isn’t a popularity contest,” Ebro Darden, global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B for Apple Music, told The Associated Press. “We challenged everyone to not vote based on your favorites. You’re invited into the panel because you have music knowledge beyond what you listen to when you’re on the elliptical machine.”

Released on August 25, 1998, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill debuted just one year after Hill’s group, The Fugees, disbanded following the success of their 1996 multi-platinum sophomore album, The Score. 

Inspired by Carter G. Woodson’s 1933 book, The Mis-Education of the Negro and the 1974 film, The Education of Sonny Carson, HIll’s album is a reflection of personal progression, featuring lyrics inspired by the singer’s relationship with Rohan Marley, her pregnancy with their son, Zion, as well as 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 (That Thing),” “Ex-Factor,” and a host of other songs where Hill bears her heart and soul to the world.

In a 2021 Rolling Stone interview, Hill said the motivation behind the album was to exceed the success of The Score as well as separating herself from fellow Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean, citing lack of support for her solo endeavor.

“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,” said Hill after hearing the news of topping the top 100 list.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is also featured in the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2024. HIll received 10 nominations and five wins from that album, making her the first woman to receive that many nominations and awards in one night. 

As for her highly-anticipated sophomore studio album, Hill told TMZ it will be released “soon.” She has released a live album and a compilation album.

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