When’s the last time you listened to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill? If it’s been a while, now might be a good time to locate your copy and see how it’s held up: As of this week, it’s been exactly 10 years since the album hit stores. Five Grammys and eight platinum plaques later — but with no full-length studio follow-up in sight — Miseducation has accrued an aura of untouchable greatness. And I’m not inclined to differ with that. Just consider this album’s influence on popular music. Amy Winehouse is all well and good, but can anyone doubt that Ms. Hill made her career possible? If you like hearing real soul of any description on mainstream radio, you basically have "Doo Wop (That Thing)" to thank. And L Boogie is still an all-time great emcee in my book just on the basis of "Lost Ones," even if she’s showed little interest in actually rapping post-Miseducation. (On the other hand, I am also one of the vanishingly few people out there who will ride for her folky Unplugged album, cracking voice, basic chord sequences and all. At least I know Kanye’s with me on that.)
So who else is spinning Miseducation this week? If you’re want something to read while you re-listen, I recommend the oral history of the album’s creation and aftermath that Rolling Stone’s Laura Checkoway recently put together. It’s a fascinating read, with insightful new input from nearly all the major players — though (spoiler alert!) the quotes from Ms. Hill herself are taken from a 1999 interview…
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This type of music is not typically my thing, but I do have to admit that I LOVED this album. It makes me wish it was 10 years ago.
That’s crazy! I was just listening to this album this week because I’d forgotten how much I love it. I can’t believe it’s been ten years. I’m almost happy Lauryn has stayed away because it means we’re not talking about her craptastic follow-up album.
I’m an A/V cataloger, and this album is on the cart of CDs that I’m currently cataloging. What a coincidence!!
Still my desert island album 10 years later:)
that was the same year that Madonna came out with Ray of Light- since then Madonna has come out with 4 albums and Lauryn Hill 0. Just a fact
“Miseducation” came out when I was in 8th grade and we were all OBSESSED with it. I think Lauryn is the perfect example of how the media (record execs, marketing firms, and yes, even critics) can send a truly brilliant artist running for the hills. While I would have loved another full-fledged Hill album, I do have to say that I respect someone who can leave it all behind and decide that their personal happiness and family are more important than all the money and awards in the world.
This is so funny, I just listened to this maybe 2 weeks ago. Does it hold up? That’s debatable. I say it doesn’t, then reconsidered and thought that it’s due to so many who have bitten her style since.
Speaking of Amy, I just realized how awesome Lauryn would have sounded singing “Rehab.”
Paige, I wish it were Lauryn – 4 and Madonna – 0. The world would have been a better place.
I still love the songs on that album, and I still hate those awful spoken-word ‘lessons’ in between.
Loved this album, still listen to it. Loved her crazy unplugged album as well. WHy couldn’t she have remained sane?
If Lauren Hill was really interested in releasing another album she would have. Many artists are going to independent labels or even releasing virtual albums on-line onle (Think Darrens Hayes and Tate) to avoid the corp BS
NO WAY. The interludes are wonderful on the album! They feel very natural and I love the keyboard line throughout them. I never skip them. And any attempt to turn this into a Madonna VS Lauryn battle is downright bizarre.
Basically, acclaim scared the crap outta Lauryn. And now with message board culture, she’ll just be torn to shreds even more so. I bet some authors already have “Sophomore Slump” headlines saved on their computers somewhere
WOW! 10 years! This was the first album I bought and I played it so much it was also the 2nd album I bought. For a good 5 years I was strickly “Soulquarian” only listening to the likes of Common, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Musiq Solchild. Now I’m more mainstream but this album defined my own taste in music to this day.
I saw her perform at the Hollywood Bowl, post-Unplugged meltdown, and it was a shame to see such a talent forget her lyrics and look a hot mess, but I realized she was still Lauryn Hill went she gave a soul-stirring rendition of Zion that still gives me the chills when I think about it.
We miss you Lauryn!!!
Can you do this weekly? I love thinking back to the old days…about old albums….and how great they still are….
Soulquarian? Forgive the ignorant white boy, Tasia, but can you tell me exactly what that is? I listen to alot of that music you listen – absolutely LOVE Common – so I’m curious.
Not sure how you would argue Lauryn Hill made Amy Winehouse’s career possible. Did she supply her with her first drugs?
I love you Simon! What a great post. I think this is one of the best albums from beginning to end. Even the interstitials (and I generally hate them). Thanks for the link to the Rolling Stone article as well – it will make the listening even better!
Fletch – here you go! I am a lover of the soulquarian movement as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulquarians
I still love the cover of “you’re just so good to be true” she does, and my ears prop up like a puppy’s everytime “Doo Wop” is on the air.
I see the Fugees (Wyclef exempted) as being one of those lost stories. They had an amazing album, but split and did the solo thing. Pras’s album was no good, Wyclef became a great producer, and Lauryn gave us this one great album.
But her subsequent unplugged album made me wonder if it was her production team that was responsible.
That they attempted a comeback as a band a few years later with tunes that sounded like outtakes off the Score made the story that much sadder.
I hold out hopes that Lauryn Hill will comeback someday with some super hot track. Maybe guesting with kanye, Corine Bailey Rae, Amy Winehouse, Missy Elliot, Gwen Stefani or Estelle would get her back on track?
Thanks, idigress. I saw The Roots mentioned, too. I have ALWAYS loved them. I guess I’m into the movement, too. White guy into neo-soul music…is that weird? HAHAHA!!!
Nope, that’s me too! Just in case anyone wanted, a new Raphael Saadiq video premiered today and it’s great:)
I don’t think it’s accurate to say Lauryn Hill had no taste of fame before her album. The Score was a major album by the Fugees, won awards, had huge radio hits, and was great. What’s important to note, Ep Soto, is that she produced, wrote and recorded Miseducation largely on her own, so saying the magic was only when they were together isn’t really true.
I like Miseducation somewhat. There were some good songs on it, but I didn’t see it as groundbreaking. Loved “Doo Wop” and “Ex Factor” and some others but many also left me bored.
What I didn’t understand was how she was able to win Best New Artist when she had already won Grammys as a member of the Fugees.
I’ve always been a listener of mostly rock and alternative music. It’s rare that an album of any other genre makes it onto my radar. Miseduacation made it onto my radar. I don’t know if it was her nod to retro soul, or her deep and entrancic voice, or if it was both…but I love the album. I especially like Ex-Factor. She’s one of those women who I wish I could sing like.
Lauryn Hill is one of my favorite singer and “Miseducation” is in my Top 5 albums. Two of its songs are on my iTunes top 25 (“Ex Factor” and “Everything is Everything”) and another 2 songs from her live album are on there two. I may be in the minority but I think her live album is absolutely brilliant. I don’t see a crazy woman. I see an impassioned artist who really cares about her music and her message.
p.s. Oops on the typos. I do know the difference between “two” and “too.”
Miseducation was the soundtrack of my freshmen year of college! My friends and I shared the album, talked about the album, someone was always playing the album. Every event in the black community usually included Lauren playing in the background. I still, ten years later, could probably sing every word on that CD–including the interludes.
As I got a little older, I began appreciating certain songs even more, especially “Ex-Factor” and her duet with Mary J., “I used to love him”. When my favorite CDs were stolen from my car a few years ago, that was one of the only CDs I decided I needed to replace in the collection. I probably still listen to it on my iPod once a month–not counting the occasional appearance of “Doo-Wop” on R&B stations. To my ears, Miseducation could go toe-to-toe with most of the music out today.
Simon, thanks for bringing back alot of great memories.
so weird, my wife and i dug this one out last week to listen to in the car on a camping trip
I remembering reading that the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”’s author, Harper Lee, say that after that book she couldn’t write another because she had nothing else to say. Maybe it’s the same for Lauren. She, unlike much of today’s artists, at least was able to produce one great album, as opposed to a Beyonce, who comes out with something every three months just to keep herself relevant.
And, not to bash other artists, but does anyone think songs like “Naughty Girl”, “Irreplaceable”, or “Crazy in Love” are good enough to keep Beyonce relevant?
They are not very strong songs – maybe “Crazy in Love”, but that’s just because of the memorable horn part.
I don’t know. I’d rather Lauryn leave it as is rather than risk falling into that trap…if that’s even possible.
I still listen to this on the regular. Nothing spells heatbreak like “Ex-Factor.”