Sunday, September 3, 2017

The Best Albums of 1997

We are back with another Best Albums feature from a year gone by - if you missed 1982, check that out after you're done here. Let's go back 2 decades (really?!) to the year 1997. Bill Clinton began his second term as President of the United States, while J.K. Rowling published the first book in the Harry Potter series. Married...with Children ended its 11 season run, as South Park and Buffy the Vampire Slayer made their television debut. Titanic, Men in Black, Tomorrow Never Dies and The Lost World: Jurassic Park were making bank at the box office. Some very notable people passed in 1997 - singer/songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Jeff Buckley, pop star Jermaine Stewart, rapper The Notorious B.I.G., Princess Diana, author William S. Burroughs, legendary actors Jimmy Stewart and Burgess Meredith, and let us not forget about SNL fave Chris Farley, nor the Duke boys' Uncle Jesse - aka Denver Pyle. .

As always, Sarah and I enlisted the help of our regular contributors & friends to select Top 10 albums. In addition, everyone handpicked a track from each album for you to enjoy in our Best Albums of 1997 Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page (unfortunately there are a few albums not available on Spotify - we encourage you to locate those elsewhere). If you'd like to share your own 1997 favorites, please comment below. We will be back later in the week with a list of our Honorable Mentions. Stay tuned to see which year is coming next!

Bret Helm
Life on this Planet | Audra

10. Oasis - Be Here Now
09. Echo & the Bunnymen - Evergreen
08. Adrian Borland - 5:00 AM
07. Radiohead - OK Computer
06. David Bowie - Earthling
05. Morrissey - Maladjusted
04. U2 - Pop
03. Gary Numan - Exile
02. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call
01. James - Whiplash

Sarah Quarrie
Life on this Planet

10. Erasure - Cowboy
09. Delerium - Karma
08. C-Tec - Darker
07. Gary Numan - Exile
06. Portishead - s/t
05. Dubstar - Goodbye
04. Depeche Mode - Ultra
03. Bjork - Homogenic
02. The Verve - Urban Hymns
01. Gene - Drawn to the Deep End


Rob Clark
Rockford, Illinois

10. World Party - Egyptology
09 Portishead - s/t
08. Whiskeytown - Strangers Almanac
07. Del Amitri - Some Other Sucker's Parade
06. Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen
05. Tanya Donelly - Lovesongs for Underdogs
04. Chris Whitley - Terra Incognita
03. David Bowie - Earthling
02. Bjork - Homogenic
01. Steve Earle - El Corazon

Ron Marrs
New Orleans, Louisiana

10. David Bowie - Earthling
09. Maggie Estep - Love is a Dog From Hell
08. Tuatara - Breaking the Ethers
07. Cranes - Population Four
06. Blonde Redhead - Fake Can Be Just As Good
05. Buena Vista Social Club - s/t
04. Vapid Dolly - The Queen of Pseudo Psychos
03. 16 Horsepower - Low Estate
02. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A# Infinity
01. Portishead - s/t

Tim Brown
London, England

10. Buena Vista Social Club - s/t
09. Portishead - s/t
08. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
07. The Divine Comedy - A Short Album About Love
06. Supergrass - In It for the Money
05. Oasis - Be Here Now
04. Blur - s/t
03. U2 - Pop
02. The Verve - Urban Hymns
01. Radiohead - OK Computer

Jaymz Todd
Saturday Night Music Club

10. Knapsack - Day Three of My New Life
09. The Get Up Kids - Four Minute Mile
08. Depeche Mode - Ultra
07. Portishead - s/t
06. Mogwai - Young Team
05. Leaether Strip - Self-Inflicted
04. Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly
03. Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
02. James - Whiplash
01. Catherine Wheel - Adam and Eve

John Magness
Uttoxeter, England

10. Sixpence None the Richer - s/t
09. Steve Earle - El Corazon
08. Beth Orton - Trailer Park
07. Stereophonics - Word Gets Around
06. Teenage Fanclub - Songs From Northern Britain
05. Paul McCartney - Flaming Pie
04. The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land
03. Gene - Drawn to the Deep End
02. The Sundays - Static and Silence
01. Buena Vista Social Club - s/t


Jesse Deitermann
Saturday Night Music Club

10. Depeche Mode - Ultra
09. Portishead - s/t
08. Gene - Drawn to the Deep End
07. Echo & the Bunnymen - Evergreen
06. Stereolab - Dots and Loops
05. Radiohead - OK Computer
04. Travis - Good Feeling
03. Blur - s/t
02. U2 - Pop
01. Kent - Isola

STATS
55 different albums appeared in this feature
Which ones made it onto the most lists?
Portishead (6), Buena Vista Social Club (3), David Bowie (3), Depeche Mode (3), Gene (3), Radiohead (3) and U2 (3)



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1 comment:

  1. Great lists! This is mine:

    10. Bjork - Homogenic
    9. David Bowie - Earthling
    8. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call
    7. Pavement - Brighten the Corners
    6. Mansun - Attack of the Great Lantern
    5. Robert Wyatt - Shleep
    4. Ocean Machine - Biomech
    3. Elliott Smith - Either/Or
    2. Radiohead - OK Computer
    1. Depeche Mode - Ultra

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