A brisk wind was coming off the Jersey Shore as the sun was hiding behind the arc of an amphitheater.

Green Day was nearing the end of “When I Come Around,” when drummer Tre Cool skipped to the side of the stage and returned with a can of gasoline.

As Billie Joe and Mike Dirnt enjoyed a game of feedback tag, Cool drenched his drum set and happily tossed a lit match into it.

Cool picked up the burning bass drum, climbed on top of Dirnt’s bass cabinet and pile-drived the drum into his kit. Dirnt unstrapped his bass and launched into the air as high as he could.

With feedback still blaring, a herd of security guards armed with fire extinguishers rushed the stage.

Minutes later, Billie Joe walked out from the enormous cloud of smoke that had swallowed the stage and played a beautiful version of “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life).”

Music has its defining moments, and that was one of them.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many others in 1998, especially in Iowa.

Hungover from a year of women rock and ska, 1998 wasn’t much of an improvement as the year of boy bands, swing and radio-friendly singles.

Album-wise, only the Beastie Boys were able to capture the same excitement as Beck and Radiohead did in years before.

Below is the third annual Moss Pit Bests of 1998. Please note that local bands are exempt and that live performances are limited to those in central Iowa. Otherwise, the above Green Day performance at the K-Rock festival this summer would be an easy No. 1.

Best Albums of 1998

10. “Urbal Beats 2,” Various Artists

9. “Master of Styles,” The Urge

8. “Marcy Playground,” Marcy Playground

7. “Electro-shock Blues,” Eels

6. “Decksanddrumsandrockandroll,” Propellerheads

5. “Pack Up The Cats,” Local H

4. “XO,” Elliot Smith

3. “Supermercado,” 2 Skinnee J’s

2. “Feeling Strangely Fine,” Semisonic

1. “Hello Nasty,” Beastie Boys

Best Debuts of 1998

10. “Here Here,” Wink

9. “Waste Of Mine,” Zebrahead

8. “Polythene,” Feeder

7. “It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot,” DMX

6. “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy,” Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

5. “Mr. Funny Face,” Sprung Monkey

4. “All The Pain Money Can Buy,” Fastball

3. “Decksanddrumsandrockandroll,” Propellerheads

2. “XO,” Elliot Smith

1. “Supermercado,” 2 Skinnee J’s

Best Singles of 1998

25. “The Mummer’s Dance,” Lorena McKennitt

24. “Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls

23. “Ghetto Superstar,” Pras with Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Mya

22. “Sweetest Thing,” U2

21. “Jumper,” Third Eye Blind

20. “Save Yourself,” Stabbing Westward

19. “Push It,” Garbage

18. “Get ‘Em Outta Here,” Sprung Monkey

17. “Don’t Drink The Water,” Dave Matthews Band

16. “Flagpole Sitta,” Harvey Danger

15. “Wishlist,” Pearl Jam

14. “Inside Out,” Eve 6

13. “Jump Right In,” The Urge

12. “Going Out Of My Head,” Fatboy Slim

11. “Never There,” Cake

10. “It’s All About The Benjamins,” Puff Daddy

9. “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy),” The Offspring

8. “Sunchyme,” Dario G

7. “Last Stop: This Town,” Eels

6. “Barbarella,” Scott Weiland

5. “No Shelter,” Rage Against The Machine

4. “Good Riddance (Time Of My Life),” Green Day

3. “Brick,” Ben Folds Five

2. “Intergalactic,” Beastie Boys

1. “Closing Time,” Semisonic

Best Live Performances

10. Digital Underground, The M-Shop

9. Sarah McLachlan, Stephens

8. Matt Wilson, People’s

7. Third Eye Blind, Supertoad

6. Tripping Daisy, The M-Shop

5. Stabbing Westward, Supertoad

4. My Scarlet Life, The M-Shop

3. Crystal Method, Rock Veishea

2. Semisonic, Supertoad

1. Local H, People’s

Buzzkills of 1998

10. No smoking at The M-Shop.

The Memorial Union voted to ban smoking at The M-Shop in late spring, leaving loyal M-Shoppers a bit pissed.

Rumor has it, cigars are allowed, but not for smoking.

9. Minors.

Here’s a tip: Drink before you go out. There’s a reason The Scene had to go 21-and-over. It’s called 10 people on a Friday night. Support all-ages clubs or they won’t support you.

8. Boy bands.

There can never be another New Kids On The Block. So stop trying.

7. VIBE.

VIBE was the only major music magazine that didn’t run a review of Vanilla Ice’s new record. Instead, I get a $25 kill fee and note that says, “I’m sure your review was good, but we just didn’t have room.”

6. Rammstein.

A sorry excuse for an industrial band, Rammstein proved getting a hit single is as easy as lighting yourself on fire and screaming German dialect. Du hast got to get some talent.

5. www.ourfirsttime.com.

This Web site got all kinds of press this summer as two young lovers were going to broadcast their devirginization over the Internet.

But when it came down to doin’ the nasty, they wussed out. Not that I was watching.

4. Run DMC.

The goal of this pioneering rap group’s latest tour was to educate kids about old school rap. Yet, Run DMC waited until 11 p.m. to take the stage at Supertoad in Des Moines, while a DJ spinning Puffy and Mase served as a three hour opening act.

Now that’s illin’.

3. Jesse.

I hate him. He’s annoying. I would rather listen to 100 babies crying. MTV: I will never forgive you.

2. Rock Veishea concert-goers.

So The Flaming Lips Experiment was a bit to experimental for Hilton Coliseum, but college students chanting “you suck?” Grow up kids.

1. People’s Theater.

Will it ever open? That is the question owner Tom Zmolek was sick of hearing in January, a year and a half after the 800-seat venue was scheduled to open.

So Zmolek issued a memo to us media types saying, “Please don’t ask. I promise you, 1998 will be the year People’s Theater will open.”

Well, there’s only a few weeks left and no theater. Meanwhile, Supertoad and Val Air Ballroom are snagging all the good acts.

Rumors flowed all year about why the old movie theater is not ready to open its doors. But when it comes down to it, we music-hungry college students don’t give a damn about rumors.

In the words of the great Twisted Sister, “We just wanna rock!”

Corey Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.