1997 in British music
Encyclopedia
This is a summary of 1997 in music
in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
released their highly anticipated 3rd album, Be Here Now, on the 21st August (in the UK). It sold 695,761 copies in its first three days to become the fastest selling album in UK history. Radiohead
's third album, OK Computer
, was released in May and topped the UK album charts for two weeks. Met with widespread critical acclaim, it was voted the greatest album of all time by Q Magazine readers barely months after its release.
Compared to just five years earlier
, singles sales were very high this year. From 22 June right through to the end of the year, every single #1 sold at least 100,000 copies a week. Like the previous year, 24 singles topped the chart, double as many as 1992.
The Spice Girls
continued their success from 1996, once again getting three number 1s. The first was "Who Do You Think You Are
" in March, which doubled as that year's official Comic Relief single. This ensured the group became the first act to have their first four singles all reach number 1. This was followed by "Spice Up Your Life
" in October, and "Too Much
" in December, which once again gave them the Christmas number one single. They had now become the first act to have their first six singles reach number 1, but this run would be broken in 1998, with "Stop
" only reaching #2.
Backstreet Boys
released their second international album Backstreet's Back
. The album was a massive success reaching number 2 and selling over 800,000 copies in the U.K. The three singles released from the album were massive hits with Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
reaching number 3 and As Long As You Love Me
also reaching 3 and staying in the charts for 19 weeks.
Six singles released this year went on to sell over a million. The first to do so was Puff Daddy & Faith Evans
' "I'll Be Missing You
", a tribute to the late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
. In November and December, three consecutive number 1s all sold over a million, for only the third time in UK chart history (it had previously happened in 1984 and 1995/6). These were Aqua
's "Barbie Girl
", the Children in Need
charity single "Perfect Day", and Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!", the theme tune to the popular children's television series Teletubbies
. In addition, All Saints
' "Never Ever" was released in November and also sold over a million, though it wouldn't reach number 1 until January 1998.
In November, The Prodigy
released Smack My Bitch Up
, which received huge international media attention, due to the fact that many people believed it to be misogynistic and / or that it promotes violence against women. Some stores refused to stock the single and / or album from which it came, and some radio stations refused to play it. A graphic video showing bad behaviour on the part of the protagonist in the music video lead to its showing on television being greatly restricted.
By far the biggest selling single of the year, though, came from Elton John
. In August this year, Diana, Princess of Wales
was killed in a car crash. At her funeral, he played a rewritten version of "Candle in the Wind
" known as "Candle in the Wind 1997
", a song originally written about Marilyn Monroe
(made #11 in 1974, with a live version reaching #5 in 1988). When released this year, it quickly overtook 1984's "Do They Know It's Christmas?
" to become the biggest selling UK single ever, selling 4.86 million copies, and the biggest selling in the world, selling 37 million. It continues to hold the record to this day.
Andrew Glover's string quartet The Fickle Virgin of Seventeen Summers was one of several new classical works by British composers. Others included Geoffrey Burgon
's City Adventures, a percussion concerto written for Scottish virtuoso Evelyn Glennie
and premièred by her during the 1997 Proms season. One of the UK's most prolific classical composers, Wilfred Josephs
, died on 17 November.
Issue Date
Issue Date
winners were:
/Reprazent
- New Forms
.
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary
OasisOasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
released their highly anticipated 3rd album, Be Here Now, on the 21st August (in the UK). It sold 695,761 copies in its first three days to become the fastest selling album in UK history. Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's third album, OK Computer
OK Computer
OK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous...
, was released in May and topped the UK album charts for two weeks. Met with widespread critical acclaim, it was voted the greatest album of all time by Q Magazine readers barely months after its release.
Compared to just five years earlier
1992 in British music
This is a summary of 1992 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.-Summary:1992 was a bleak time for the UK Singles Chart, with sales at a very low level. Due to several long chart runs, only 12 singles topped the chart this year , the lowest number since 1962,...
, singles sales were very high this year. From 22 June right through to the end of the year, every single #1 sold at least 100,000 copies a week. Like the previous year, 24 singles topped the chart, double as many as 1992.
The Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
continued their success from 1996, once again getting three number 1s. The first was "Who Do You Think You Are
Who Do You Think You Are
"Who Do You Think You Are" is a dance-pop song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins,—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s...
" in March, which doubled as that year's official Comic Relief single. This ensured the group became the first act to have their first four singles all reach number 1. This was followed by "Spice Up Your Life
Spice Up Your Life
"Spice Up Your Life" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members, with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World...
" in October, and "Too Much
Too Much (Spice Girls song)
"Too Much" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute—at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World, it was produced by Wilson and Watkins for the...
" in December, which once again gave them the Christmas number one single. They had now become the first act to have their first six singles reach number 1, but this run would be broken in 1998, with "Stop
Stop (Spice Girls song)
"Stop" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute—at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World...
" only reaching #2.
Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
released their second international album Backstreet's Back
Backstreet's Back
Backstreet's Back is an album by the Backstreet Boys released internationally in 1997, but not in the United States. It was a follow-up to their successful self-titled international debut. Some songs from this album, and the prior release were compiled into a second self-titled album whose release...
. The album was a massive success reaching number 2 and selling over 800,000 copies in the U.K. The three singles released from the album were massive hits with Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
"Everybody " is the first single from the Backstreet Boys' second international album Backstreet's Back in 1997, and the third single and fourth track from their debut US album in 1997. It is one of their signature songs. The US debut was originally released without the song, which references the...
reaching number 3 and As Long As You Love Me
As Long as You Love Me
"As Long As You Love Me" is the second single by the Backstreet Boys from their debut album in the United States and the second single from Backstreet's Back internationally. It was released in September 1997 internationally and in October of the same year in the United States. It is one of the...
also reaching 3 and staying in the charts for 19 weeks.
Six singles released this year went on to sell over a million. The first to do so was Puff Daddy & Faith Evans
Faith Evans
Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B...
' "I'll Be Missing You
I'll Be Missing You
"I'll Be Missing You" is a Grammy Award-winning song and hit single recorded by Puff Daddy, Faith Evans and 112, in memory of fellow Bad Boy Records artist Christopher "Notorious B.I.G" Wallace who was murdered on March 9, 1997...
", a tribute to the late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
. In November and December, three consecutive number 1s all sold over a million, for only the third time in UK chart history (it had previously happened in 1984 and 1995/6). These were Aqua
Aqua (band)
Aqua is a Danish dance-pop group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1989 and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles. The group released two...
's "Barbie Girl
Barbie Girl
"Barbie Girl" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, who released the song in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release...
", the Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
charity single "Perfect Day", and Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!", the theme tune to the popular children's television series Teletubbies
Teletubbies
Teletubbies is a BBC children's television series targeted at pre-school viewers and produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Ragdoll's creative director Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. The programme's original narrator was...
. In addition, All Saints
All Saints (band)
All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...
' "Never Ever" was released in November and also sold over a million, though it wouldn't reach number 1 until January 1998.
In November, The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
released Smack My Bitch Up
Smack My Bitch Up
"Smack My Bitch Up" is a song by The Prodigy, released as the band's twelfth single on 17 November 1997. It was the third and final single from the album The Fat of the Land....
, which received huge international media attention, due to the fact that many people believed it to be misogynistic and / or that it promotes violence against women. Some stores refused to stock the single and / or album from which it came, and some radio stations refused to play it. A graphic video showing bad behaviour on the part of the protagonist in the music video lead to its showing on television being greatly restricted.
By far the biggest selling single of the year, though, came from Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. In August this year, Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
was killed in a car crash. At her funeral, he played a rewritten version of "Candle in the Wind
Candle in the Wind
"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier....
" known as "Candle in the Wind 1997
Candle in the Wind 1997
"Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten and rerecorded version of Elton John's own 1973 hit "Candle in the Wind" that was released as a tribute single to the late Diana, Princess of Wales....
", a song originally written about Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
(made #11 in 1974, with a live version reaching #5 in 1988). When released this year, it quickly overtook 1984's "Do They Know It's Christmas?
Do They Know It's Christmas?
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984....
" to become the biggest selling UK single ever, selling 4.86 million copies, and the biggest selling in the world, selling 37 million. It continues to hold the record to this day.
Andrew Glover's string quartet The Fickle Virgin of Seventeen Summers was one of several new classical works by British composers. Others included Geoffrey Burgon
Geoffrey Burgon
Geoffrey Alan Burgon was a British composer notable for his television and film themes.-Life and career:Burgon was born in Hampshire in 1941, and taught himself the trumpet in order to join a jazz band at school...
's City Adventures, a percussion concerto written for Scottish virtuoso Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie
Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, DBE is a Scottish virtuoso percussionist. She was the first full-time solo percussionist in 20th-century western society.-Early life:Glennie was born and raised in Aberdeenshire...
and premièred by her during the 1997 Proms season. One of the UK's most prolific classical composers, Wilfred Josephs
Wilfred Josephs
-Life:Born in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, Wilfred Josephs had his first musical studies in Newcastle with Arthur Milner, and showed early promise, but was persuaded by his parents to take up a 'sensible' career. He subsequently became a dentist, qualifying as a Bachelor of Dental Surgery of the...
, died on 17 November.
Number-one singles
| Song | Artist(s) | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 January | "2 Become 1 2 Become 1 "2 Become 1" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996... " | Spice Girls Spice Girls The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30... | 95,000 |
| 12 January | "Professional Widow Professional Widow "Professional Widow" is a 1996 song written by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It was originally a harpsichord-driven rock dirge included on her 1996 album Boys for Pele, but it gained international popularity after being remixed by house music producer Armand van Helden... " | Tori Amos Tori Amos Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument... | 80,000 |
| 19 January | "Your Woman Your Woman "Your Woman" is a single released in 1997 by British one-man band White Town, also known as Jyoti Mishra. It features a muted trumpet line taken from "My Woman" by Al Bowlly and it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in 1997. It also hit number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100... " | White Town White Town White Town is a musical act from the United Kingdom, and is the work of one man, Jyoti Prakash Mishra.-Career:Mishra was born in Rourkela, Orissa, India on 30 July 1966 and has lived in England since the age of three... | 119,500 |
| 26 January | "Beetlebum Beetlebum "Beetlebum" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur. It was released as the lead single for the band's eponymous fifth album, Blur... " | Blur Blur (band) Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing... | 120,000 |
| 2 February | "Ain't Nobody Ain't Nobody "Ain't Nobody" is a 1983 hit single by Rufus & Chaka Khan. It was released as a studio bonus track on the band's live album Stompin' at the Savoy. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart... " | LL Cool J LL Cool J James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor... | 80,000 |
| 9 February | "Discothèque Discothèque (song) "Discothèque" is the lead single from Irish rock band U2's 1997 album, Pop. It peaked at number one in many countries' charts, including the UK Singles Chart. The song received mixed reviews from critics.-Release history:... " | U2 U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music... | 125,000 |
| 16 February | "Don't Speak Don't Speak "Don't Speak" is a song by the American rock band No Doubt. It was released in 1996 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Tragic Kingdom... " | No Doubt No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact... | 195,000 |
| 23 February | 140,000 | ||
| 2 March | 85,000 | ||
| 9 March | "Who Do You Think You Are Who Do You Think You Are "Who Do You Think You Are" is a dance-pop song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins,—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s... " / "Mama Mama (Spice Girls song) "Mama" is a song by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996... " | Spice Girls | 248,000 |
| 16 March | 152,000 | ||
| 23 March | 85,000 | ||
| 30 March | "Block Rockin' Beats Block Rockin' Beats "Block Rockin' Beats" is a song by English big beat duo The Chemical Brothers. It was released as the second single from their second album, Dig Your Own Hole, in March 1997. It reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 40 on the American Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart... " | The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background... | 84,700 |
| 6 April | "I Believe I Can Fly I Believe I Can Fly "I Believe I Can Fly" is a 1996 song by R&B singer R. Kelly. The song was written, produced and performed by Kelly and was featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. The song later appeared on Kelly's 1998 album R..... " | R. Kelly R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play... | 51,000 |
| 13 April | 76,000 | ||
| 20 April | 87,000 | ||
| 27 April | "Blood on the Dance Floor Blood on the Dance Floor (song) "Blood on the Dance Floor" is a song by Michael Jackson. The song was released as the first single from the remix album, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. Jackson and Teddy Riley created the track in time for the 1991 release of Dangerous. However, it did not appear on that record and... " | Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... | 85,000 |
| 4 May | "Love Won't Wait Love Won't Wait "Love Won't Wait" is the second solo single released by British singer-songwriter Gary Barlow from his debut solo album Open Road. The song was written by Madonna and Shep Pettibone, and was an unreleased demo from her 1994 album sessions... " | Gary Barlow Gary Barlow Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters... | 92,000 |
| 11 May | "You're Not Alone You're Not Alone (Olive song) "You're Not Alone" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on the 1996 album Extra Virgin. First released as a single in 1996, it found greater success in 1997 in a remixed single version, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart... " | Olive Olive (band) Olive was a breakbeat/trip hop group from the North of England. The founding membership consisted of producer, instrumentalist and songwriter Tim Kellett, producer and keyboard programmer Robin Taylor-Firth, and singer Ruth-Ann Boyle... | 75,000 |
| 18 May | 74,000 | ||
| 25 May | "I Wanna Be the Only One I Wanna Be the Only One "I Wanna Be the Only One" is a single by Eternal. It was the third single released from their album Before the Rain. In May 1997, the group joined forces with US singer BeBe Winans and scored their first - and only - UK chart-topper with this song... " | Eternal Eternal (band) Eternal were an English R&B girl group formed in 1992. The group featured two sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, alongside Kelle Bryan and Louise Nurding... featuring Bebe Winans BeBe Winans Benjamin "BeBe" Winans is a gospel and R&B singer. He is a member of the noted Winans family, most members of which are also gospel artists.-The PTL Club:... | 150,000 |
| 1 June | "MMMBop MMMBop "MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in February 1998, and is the band's most successful single to date.By any measure, "MMMBop" was phenomenally... " | Hanson Hanson (band) Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations... | 260,000 |
| 8 June | 120,000 | ||
| 15 June | 86,000 | ||
| 22 June | "I'll Be Missing You I'll Be Missing You "I'll Be Missing You" is a Grammy Award-winning song and hit single recorded by Puff Daddy, Faith Evans and 112, in memory of fellow Bad Boy Records artist Christopher "Notorious B.I.G" Wallace who was murdered on March 9, 1997... " | Puff Daddy and Faith Evans Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B... featuring 112 112 (band) 112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as "Only You", "Anywhere" and "Peaches & Cream"... | 109,000 |
| 29 June | 156,000 | ||
| 6 July | 167,000 | ||
| 13 July | "D'You Know What I Mean? D'You Know What I Mean? "D'You Know What I Mean?" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. Written by Noel Gallagher, it was released as the first single from their third album Be Here Now. It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, the third Oasis song to do so. It sold 162,000 copies in its first day in the shops... " | Oasis Oasis (band) Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher... | 377,000 |
| 20 July | "I'll Be Missing You" | Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 | 124,000 |
| 27 July | 127,000 | ||
| 3 August | 100,000 | ||
| 10 August | "Men In Black Men in Black (song) "Men in Black" is a song by Will Smith from the movie Men in Black, in which he also starred. The song plays during the movie's closing credits... " | Will Smith Will Smith Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood... | 182,000 |
| 17 August | 133,000 | ||
| 24 August | 122,000 | ||
| 31 August | 105,000 | ||
| 7 September | "The Drugs Don't Work The Drugs Don't Work "The Drugs Don't Work" is a song by the British rock band, The Verve and is featured on their third album, Urban Hymns. It was released on September 1, 1997 as the second single from the album, charting at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's most successful single in the UK... " | The Verve The Verve The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space... | 105,000 |
| 14 September | "Candle in the Wind 1997 Candle in the Wind 1997 "Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten and rerecorded version of Elton John's own 1973 hit "Candle in the Wind" that was released as a tribute single to the late Diana, Princess of Wales.... / Something About the Way You Look Tonight Something About the Way You Look Tonight "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is a song by Elton John, released in 1997 as the first single from The Big Picture. The song and its video were dedicated to the memory of Gianni Versace, murdered that year.... " | Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... | 658,000 |
| 21 September | 1,546,688 | ||
| 28 September | 1,067,000 | ||
| 5 October | 572,000 | ||
| 12 October | 274,000 | ||
| 19 October | "Spice Up Your Life Spice Up Your Life "Spice Up Your Life" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members, with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World... " | Spice Girls | 321,000 |
| 26 October | "Barbie Girl Barbie Girl "Barbie Girl" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, who released the song in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release... " | Aqua Aqua (band) Aqua is a Danish dance-pop group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1989 and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles. The group released two... | 190,000 |
| 2 November | 239,000 | ||
| 9 November | 190,000 | ||
| 16 November | 165,000 | ||
| 23 November | "Perfect Day" | Various Artists | 385,082 |
| 30 November | 274,706 | ||
| 7 December | "Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!"" | Teletubbies Teletubbies Teletubbies is a BBC children's television series targeted at pre-school viewers and produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Ragdoll's creative director Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. The programme's original narrator was... | 317,000 |
| 14 December | 230,000 | 21 December | "Too Much Too Much (Spice Girls song) "Too Much" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute—at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World, it was produced by Wilson and Watkins for the... " | Spice Girls | 252,000 |
| 28 December | 218,000 |
Number-one albums
| Song | Artist(s) | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 January | Spice Spice (album) Spice is the debut album by British pop group Spice Girls. Released on November 4, 1996 by Virgin Records, the album was recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London between 1995 and 1996, by producers Matt Rowe, Richard Stannard, Eliot Kennedy and the production duo Absolute... | Spice Girls Spice Girls The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30... | 119,000 |
| 12 January | 65,000 | ||
| 19 January | |||
| 26 January | Evita - The Motion Picture Music Soundtrack Evita (soundtrack) Evita is the third soundtrack album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1996 by Warner Bros. Records. It also includes performances by Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce and Jimmy Nail. It was released to promote and accompany the 1996 motion picture, Evita. The soundtrack... | Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... | |
| 2 February | Glow Glow (Reef album) Glow is the second album by rock band Reef released in 1997. The album peaked at #1 in UK Albums Chart.-Awards:* #49 in Kerrang!'s "Top 100 British Rock Albums of All Time" list.* #26 in Kerrang!'s "100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die " list.... | Reef Reef (band) Reef are an English band from Glastonbury. The band members includes Gary Stringer on vocals, Kenwyn House on guitar, Jack Bessant on bass and Dominic Greensmith on drums.-Early days:... | 55,000 |
| 9 February | White on Blonde White on Blonde White on Blonde is the fourth album by Texas, released by Mercury Records in 1997. In 1998 Q magazine readers voted it the 86th greatest album of all time... | Texas Texas (band) Texas are a Scottish pop band from Bearsden, near Glasgow, Scotland. They were founded by Johnny McElhone in 1986 and feature Sharleen Spiteri on lead vocals. Texas made their performing debut in March 1988 at Scotland's University of Dundee... | 47,000 |
| 16 February | Blur | Blur Blur (band) Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing... | 92,000 |
| 23 February | Attack of the Grey Lantern Attack of the Grey Lantern Attack of the Grey Lantern is the debut album by English rock band Mansun released in February 1997 via Parlophone. The album spent a total of 19 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number one.-Background:... | Mansun Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. The band broke up in May 2003.... | 48,000 |
| 2 March | Spice | Spice Girls | |
| 9 March | Pop | U2 U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music... | 152,000 |
| 16 March | Spice | Spice Girls | 60,000 |
| 23 March | 65,000 | ||
| 30 March | 85,000 | ||
| 6 April | 43,000 | ||
| 13 April | Dig Your Own Hole Dig Your Own Hole Dig Your Own Hole is the second studio album by British electronica duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 7 April 1997. It features Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Beth Orton as guest vocalists... | The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background... | 62,793 |
| 20 April | Ultra | Depeche Mode Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke... | 43,000 |
| 27 April | Tellin' Stories Tellin' Stories Tellin' Stories is an album by the British band The Charlatans , released on April 21, 1997. It includes the final contributions of founder-member and keyboard player Rob Collins who died in a car accident midway through recording... | The Charlatans The Charlatans (British band) The Charlatans are an English alternative rock band. The band's line-up currently comprises Tim Burgess , Mark Collins , Martin Blunt , Tony Rogers and Jon Brookes .Former members of the band include guitarist Jon Day , vocalist Baz Ketley... | 68,000 |
| 4 May | |||
| 11 May | Spice | Spice Girls | 23,700 |
| 18 May | Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix | Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... | 37,000 |
| 25 May | 30,000 | ||
| 1 June | Open Road | Gary Barlow Gary Barlow Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters... | 58,000 |
| 8 June | Wu-Tang Forever Wu-Tang Forever Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album of American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997 on Loud/RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects from various members of the group, and serves as the follow-up... | Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group... | 26,000 |
| 15 June | Middle of Nowhere Middle of Nowhere (Hanson album) Middle of Nowhere is the third album by American pop rock group Hanson, and the first to be released on a major label, which was Polygram Records and Mercury Records. Released in 1997, it features slicker studio production compared to their previous indie efforts Boomerang and MMMBop... | Hanson Hanson (band) Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations... | 24,000 |
| 22 June | OK Computer OK Computer OK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous... | Radiohead Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992... | 136,500 |
| 29 June | 48,200 | ||
| 6 July | The Fat of the Land The Fat of the Land The Fat of the Land is the third studio album by The Prodigy. The album was released by XL Recordings on 30 June 1997 and on 1 July 1997 in the United States by Maverick Records... | The Prodigy The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s... | 316,951 |
| 13 July | 98,000 | ||
| 20 July | 66,000 | ||
| 27 July | |||
| 3 August | |||
| 10 August | 30,500 | ||
| 17 August | White On Blonde | Texas | 30,000 |
| 24 August | Be Here Now | Oasis Oasis (band) Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher... | 695,761 |
| 31 August | 235,000 | ||
| 7 September | 95,000 | ||
| 14 September | 64,000 | ||
| 21 September | Marchin' Already Marchin' Already Marchin' Already is a 1997 album by Ocean Colour Scene.The album was a follow-up to the successful Moseley Shoals, and is in a similar style. The songs were taken from the band's catalogue that they had built up since forming several years earlier.... | Ocean Colour Scene Ocean Colour Scene Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :... | 64,000 |
| 28 September | Be Here Now | Oasis | 48,000 |
| 5 October | Urban Hymns Urban Hymns Urban Hymns is the third album by English rock band The Verve, released on 29 September 1997 on Hut Recordings. It earned nearly unanimous critical praise upon its release, and went on to become the band's best-selling release and one of the biggest selling albums of the year... | The Verve The Verve The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space... | 250,054 |
| 12 October | 97,000 | ||
| 19 October | 63,500 | ||
| 26 October | 56,000 | ||
| 2 November | 61,000 | ||
| 9 November | Spiceworld | Spice Girls | 192,000 |
| 16 November | 91,228 | ||
| 23 November | Let's Talk About Love Let's Talk About Love Let's Talk About Love is an album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 18, 1997. It is her fifth English-language album and twenty-third in total. Let's Talk About Love remains one of the best-selling albums in history with over 31 million copies sold worldwide... | Céline Dion Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record... | 91,000 |
| 30 November | 91,000 | ||
| 7 December | Spiceworld | Spice Girls | 121,000 |
| 14 December | Let's Talk About Love | Céline Dion | |
| 21 December | 219,918 | ||
| 28 December | Urban Hymns | The Verve | 225,000 |
Top 40 singles
| Issue Date | Song Title | Artist | Sales | Highest Position |
| 1 | Candle In The Wind 1997 Candle in the Wind 1997 "Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten and rerecorded version of Elton John's own 1973 hit "Candle in the Wind" that was released as a tribute single to the late Diana, Princess of Wales.... / Something About The Way You Look Tonight Something About the Way You Look Tonight "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is a song by Elton John, released in 1997 as the first single from The Big Picture. The song and its video were dedicated to the memory of Gianni Versace, murdered that year.... |
Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... |
4,770,000 | 1 |
| 2 | Barbie Girl Barbie Girl "Barbie Girl" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, who released the song in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release... |
Aqua Aqua (band) Aqua is a Danish dance-pop group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1989 and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles. The group released two... |
1,590,000 | 1 |
| 3 | I'll Be Missing You I'll Be Missing You "I'll Be Missing You" is a Grammy Award-winning song and hit single recorded by Puff Daddy, Faith Evans and 112, in memory of fellow Bad Boy Records artist Christopher "Notorious B.I.G" Wallace who was murdered on March 9, 1997... |
Puff Daddy & Faith Evans Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B... |
1,360,000 | 1 |
| 4 | Perfect Day | Various Artists | 1,270,000 | 1 |
| 5 | Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh! | Teletubbies Teletubbies Teletubbies is a BBC children's television series targeted at pre-school viewers and produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Ragdoll's creative director Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. The programme's original narrator was... |
900,000 | 1 |
| 6 | Men in Black Men in Black (song) "Men in Black" is a song by Will Smith from the movie Men in Black, in which he also starred. The song plays during the movie's closing credits... |
Will Smith Will Smith Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood... |
880,000 | 1 |
| 7 | Don't Speak Don't Speak "Don't Speak" is a song by the American rock band No Doubt. It was released in 1996 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Tragic Kingdom... |
No Doubt No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact... |
830,000 | 1 |
| 8 | Torn | Natalie Imbruglia Natalie Imbruglia Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,... |
810,000 | 2 |
| 9 | Spice Up Your Life Spice Up Your Life "Spice Up Your Life" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members, with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World... |
Spice Girls Spice Girls The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30... |
780,000 | 1 |
| 10 | Tubthumping Tubthumping "Tubthumping", informally known by its prominent lyric "I Get Knocked Down", is the title of a song released by the Anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba on 11 August 1997 through Universal Records and EMI Electrola. It was their most successful single, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart... |
Chumbawamba Chumbawamba Chumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music... |
780,000 | 2 |
| 11 | MMMBop MMMBop "MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in February 1998, and is the band's most successful single to date.By any measure, "MMMBop" was phenomenally... |
Hanson Hanson (band) Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations... |
710,000 | 1 |
| 12 | D'You Know What I Mean? D'You Know What I Mean? "D'You Know What I Mean?" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. Written by Noel Gallagher, it was released as the first single from their third album Be Here Now. It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, the third Oasis song to do so. It sold 162,000 copies in its first day in the shops... |
Oasis Oasis (band) Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher... |
700,000 | 1 |
| 13 | "Never Ever" | All Saints All Saints (band) All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton... |
690,000 | 1 |
| 14 | I Believe I Can Fly I Believe I Can Fly "I Believe I Can Fly" is a 1996 song by R&B singer R. Kelly. The song was written, produced and performed by Kelly and was featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. The song later appeared on Kelly's 1998 album R..... |
R. Kelly R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play... |
670,000 | 1 |
| 15 | Mama Mama (Spice Girls song) "Mama" is a song by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996... / Who Do You Think You Are Who Do You Think You Are "Who Do You Think You Are" is a dance-pop song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins,—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s... |
Spice Girls Spice Girls The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30... |
660,000 | 1 |
| 16 | I Wanna Be The Only One I Wanna Be the Only One "I Wanna Be the Only One" is a single by Eternal. It was the third single released from their album Before the Rain. In May 1997, the group joined forces with US singer BeBe Winans and scored their first - and only - UK chart-topper with this song... |
Eternal Eternal (band) Eternal were an English R&B girl group formed in 1992. The group featured two sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, alongside Kelle Bryan and Louise Nurding... featuring Bebe Winans BeBe Winans Benjamin "BeBe" Winans is a gospel and R&B singer. He is a member of the noted Winans family, most members of which are also gospel artists.-The PTL Club:... |
600,000 | 1 |
| 17 | Freed From Desire Freed from Desire "Freed from Desire" is a 1996 dance song recorded by the Italian artist Gala. Released as the first single from her second album Come into My Life, it was a hit in many countries, topping the charts in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Israel, Brazil, Greece and Denmark.The track was released in the... |
Gala | 560,000 | 2 |
| 18 | "Where Do You Go Where Do You Go (No Mercy song) "Where Do You Go" is the name of a song written by Peter Bischof and Franz Reuther. It was released in 1996 by No Mercy on their eponymous debut album. That same year, the group released it as their first single. It became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #5, and would be their... " |
No Mercy No Mercy (band) No Mercy is an American pop and dance music group formed by Frank Farian in Florida in 1995, consisting of Marty Cintron , and twin brothers, Ariel and Gabriel Hernández , from Miami, Florida.-Career:In 1996, No Mercy released their debut album titled No Mercy, later re-released in Europe retitled My... |
540,000 | 2 |
| 19 | Sunchyme | Dario G Dario G Dario G is the name of a dance music trio from Crewe, Cheshire, England. Despite popular belief the group are not named after the manager of Crewe Alexandra, Dario Gradi but changed their name from Dario to Dario G after being threatened with legal action from an artist of the same name... |
500,000 | 2 |
| 20 | Free Free (Ultra Naté song) "Free" is a song by American recording artist Ultra Naté and was a hit single around the world, peaking at number 4 in the UK. It was the first single released from her album Situation: Critical.-Track listing:# "Free" – 3:41... |
Ultra Naté Ultra Naté Ultra Naté is an American house music, Dance-pop and sometimes R&B musician who has achieved a respectable amount of success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free" and "If You Could Read My Mind" as part of Stars on 54.... |
480,000 | 4 |
| 21 | Encore Une Fois Encore Une Fois "Encore Une Fois" is a Trance song created by international DJ team Sash! in 1997. It found huge success in clubs throughout the world and is considered one of Sash!'s biggest hits to date... |
Sash! Sash! SASH! is a German DJ / producer team, fronted by Sascha Lappessen , who works in the recording studio with Ralf Kappmeier and Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke. They have sold over 18 million albums worldwide and earned more than 65 Gold and Platinum awards.-History:Sascha Lappessen, Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke,... |
470,000 | 2 |
| 22 | Too Much Too Much (Spice Girls song) "Too Much" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute—at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World, it was produced by Wilson and Watkins for the... |
Spice Girls Spice Girls The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30... |
470,000 | 1 |
| 23 | Time To Say Goodbye | Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident.... and Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register... |
470,000 | 2 |
| 24 | Bellissima | DJ Quicksilver DJ Quicksilver Orhan Terzi , better known by his stage name DJ Quicksilver is a Turkish DJ and music producer.-Biography:Terzi moved to Germany with his family in the late 1960s... |
440,000 | 4 |
| 25 | As Long As You Love Me As Long as You Love Me "As Long As You Love Me" is the second single by the Backstreet Boys from their debut album in the United States and the second single from Backstreet's Back internationally. It was released in September 1997 internationally and in October of the same year in the United States. It is one of the... |
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys... |
430,000 | 3 |
| 26 | Baby Can I Hold You Baby Can I Hold You "Baby Can I Hold You" is the third single from American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman, released in late 1988. The song succeeded in reaching the top fifty in the United States, unlike its predecessor, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", but it failed to become Chapman's second top forty hit,... / Shooting Star |
Boyzone Boyzone Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12... |
420,000 | 2 |
| 27 | Ecuador | Sash! Sash! SASH! is a German DJ / producer team, fronted by Sascha Lappessen , who works in the recording studio with Ralf Kappmeier and Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke. They have sold over 18 million albums worldwide and earned more than 65 Gold and Platinum awards.-History:Sascha Lappessen, Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke,... featuring Adrian Rodriguez Adrian Rodriguez Adrian Rodriguez is a trance producer and DJ from Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany who debuted in 1994, pairing with Sash! to create hits such as "Ecuador" and "Adelante".-Biography:... |
420,000 | 2 |
| 28 | Wind Beneath My Wings Wind Beneath My Wings "Wind Beneath My Wings" is the title of a song written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley. They recorded a demo of the song, which they gave to musician Bob Montgomery. Montgomery then recorded his own demo version of the song, changing it from the mid-tempo version he was given to a ballad... |
Steven Houghton Steven Houghton Steven Houghton is a British actor and singer.-Early life and career:Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Houghton trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. His first West End production was Children of Eden... |
410,000 | 3 |
| 29 | Don't Let Go (Love) Don't Let Go (Love) "Don't Let Go " is a 1996 Grammy-nominated single by En Vogue from the Set It Off soundtrack, also appearing on the group's third album, EV3. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of over 1,000,000 units. The song was the last single by En Vogue to feature former band member Dawn... |
En Vogue En Vogue En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music... |
400,000 | 5 |
| 30 | Stay | Sash! Sash! SASH! is a German DJ / producer team, fronted by Sascha Lappessen , who works in the recording studio with Ralf Kappmeier and Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke. They have sold over 18 million albums worldwide and earned more than 65 Gold and Platinum awards.-History:Sascha Lappessen, Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke,... featuring La Trec |
400,000 | 2 |
| 31 | The Drugs Don't Work The Drugs Don't Work "The Drugs Don't Work" is a song by the British rock band, The Verve and is featured on their third album, Urban Hymns. It was released on September 1, 1997 as the second single from the album, charting at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's most successful single in the UK... |
The Verve The Verve The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space... |
370,000 | 1 |
| 32 | Mo Money Mo Problems Mo Money Mo Problems "Mo Money Mo Problems" is a single by Notorious B.I.G., the second single from his album Life After Death. Released posthumously, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1997, replacing "I'll Be Missing You" from the chart, Puff Daddy's song about Notorious B.I.G's death... |
The Notorious B.I.G. The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough... |
370,000 | 2 |
| 33 | Tell Him Tell Him (Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion song) "Tell Him" is a duet between Barbra Streisand and Céline Dion. It was released on November 3, 1997 as the first single from Dion's Let's Talk About Love and Streisand's Higher Ground albums.... |
Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... & Celine Dion Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record... |
360,000 | 3 |
| 34 | Together Again | Janet Jackson Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years... |
360,000 | 4 |
| 35 | 2 Become 1 2 Become 1 "2 Become 1" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996... |
Spice Girls Spice Girls The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30... |
350,000 | 1 |
| 36 | You Might Need Somebody | Shola Ama Shola Ama Shola Ama is an English singer who scored her biggest hit in 1997 with a cover of Turley Richards' "You Might Need Somebody".-Early life and career:... |
340,000 | 4 |
| 37 | You're Not Alone You're Not Alone (Olive song) "You're Not Alone" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by Olive on the 1996 album Extra Virgin. First released as a single in 1996, it found greater success in 1997 in a remixed single version, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart... |
Olive Olive (band) Olive was a breakbeat/trip hop group from the North of England. The founding membership consisted of producer, instrumentalist and songwriter Tim Kellett, producer and keyboard programmer Robin Taylor-Firth, and singer Ruth-Ann Boyle... |
340,000 | 1 |
| 38 | Angels | Robbie Williams Robbie Williams Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams... |
340,000 | 4 |
| 39 | Everybody (Backstreet's Back) Everybody (Backstreet's Back) "Everybody " is the first single from the Backstreet Boys' second international album Backstreet's Back in 1997, and the third single and fourth track from their debut US album in 1997. It is one of their signature songs. The US debut was originally released without the song, which references the... |
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys... |
340,000 | 3 |
| 40 | C U When U Get There C U When U Get There "C U When U Get There" is a song by Coolio featuring 40 Thevz. It was released in 1997 as the first single from Coolio's album My Soul. "C U When U Get There" was also featured on the soundtrack to the 1997 comedy film Nothing to Lose. The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles... |
Coolio Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"... featuring 40 Thevz |
340,000 | 3 |
Top 10 Albums
| Issue Date | Album Title | Artist | Sales | Highest Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Be Here Now | Oasis Oasis (band) Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher... |
1,740,000 | 1 |
| 2 | Urban Hymns Urban Hymns Urban Hymns is the third album by English rock band The Verve, released on 29 September 1997 on Hut Recordings. It earned nearly unanimous critical praise upon its release, and went on to become the band's best-selling release and one of the biggest selling albums of the year... |
The Verve The Verve The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space... |
1,690,000 | 1 |
| 3 | Spice Spice (album) Spice is the debut album by British pop group Spice Girls. Released on November 4, 1996 by Virgin Records, the album was recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London between 1995 and 1996, by producers Matt Rowe, Richard Stannard, Eliot Kennedy and the production duo Absolute... |
Spice Girls Spice Girls The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30... |
1,320,000 | 1 |
| 4 | White on Blonde White on Blonde White on Blonde is the fourth album by Texas, released by Mercury Records in 1997. In 1998 Q magazine readers voted it the 86th greatest album of all time... |
Texas Texas (band) Texas are a Scottish pop band from Bearsden, near Glasgow, Scotland. They were founded by Johnny McElhone in 1986 and feature Sharleen Spiteri on lead vocals. Texas made their performing debut in March 1988 at Scotland's University of Dundee... |
1,280,000 | 1 |
| 5 | Spiceworld | Spice Girls Spice Girls The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30... |
1,265,000 | 1 |
| 6 | The Fat of the Land The Fat of the Land The Fat of the Land is the third studio album by The Prodigy. The album was released by XL Recordings on 30 June 1997 and on 1 July 1997 in the United States by Maverick Records... |
The Prodigy The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s... |
1,100,000 | 1 |
| 7 | Let's Talk About Love Let's Talk About Love Let's Talk About Love is an album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 18, 1997. It is her fifth English-language album and twenty-third in total. Let's Talk About Love remains one of the best-selling albums in history with over 31 million copies sold worldwide... |
Celine Dion Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record... |
1,090,000 | 1 |
| 8 | OK Computer OK Computer OK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous... |
Radiohead Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992... |
980,000 | 1 |
| 9 | Greatest Hits | Eternal Eternal (band) Eternal were an English R&B girl group formed in 1992. The group featured two sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, alongside Kelle Bryan and Louise Nurding... |
955,000 | 2 |
| 10 | Ocean Drive Ocean Drive (Lighthouse Family album) Ocean Drive is the debut album released by UK duo Lighthouse Family in 1995 on Wildcard / Polydor Records. The album produced one Top 10 hit and three Top 20 hits .-Track listing:... |
Lighthouse Family | 940,000 | 3 |
BRIT Awards
The 1997 BRIT AwardsBrit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
winners were:
- Best British producer: John LeckieJohn LeckieJohn Leckie is a British music producer, notable for producing many high-profile albums such as The Stone Roses's debut and Radiohead's The Bends...
- Best soundtrack: "Trainspotting'"'
- British album: Manic Street PreachersManic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
– "Everything Must Go" - British breakthrough act: Kula ShakerKula ShakerKula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles...
- British dance act: The ProdigyThe ProdigyThe Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
- British female solo artist: GabrielleGabrielle (singer)Louisa Gabrielle Bobb is a multi-platinum selling, BRIT Award winning English singer, who records under the name Gabrielle. Gabrielle began her career temping during the day and singing for free in London clubs at night...
- British Group: Manic Street PreachersManic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
- British male solo artist: George MichaelGeorge MichaelGeorge Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
- British single: Spice GirlsSpice GirlsThe Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
– "WannabeWannabe (song)"Wannabe" is the debut song by British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996...
" - British Video: Spice GirlsSpice GirlsThe Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
– "Say You'll Be ThereSay You'll Be There"Say You'll Be There" is a song by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the Spice Girls and Eliot Kennedy, for their debut album Spice, released in November 1996. Production duo Absolute incorporated a mix of pop and R&B into the song, which includes an harmonica solo, played by Judd...
" - International breakthrough act: Robert MilesRobert MilesRobert Miles is an Italian record producer, composer, musician and DJ in electronica and alternative music.-Biography:...
- International female: Sheryl CrowSheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
- International group: The FugeesThe FugeesFugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
- International male: BeckBeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
- Outstanding contribution: Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
Mercury Music Prize
The 1997 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Roni SizeRoni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
/Reprazent
Reprazent
Reprazent is a British drum and bass act formed by Roni Size. Their debut album New Forms won the Mercury Music Prize in 1997. Their follow-up album In The Mode featured artists including Rahzel, Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Method Man.Roni Size resurrected Reprazent in 2008...
- New Forms
New Forms
New Forms is the debut album by the drum and bass act Roni Size / Reprazent and was released in 1997. The double-disc set was the winner of the Mercury Music Prize in 1997, and often cited as their magnum opus. In the UK, the first disc was released by itself, while two different vinyl versions exist...
.