Loading AI tools
Overview of the events of 1997 in British music From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a summary of 1997 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Oasis released their highly anticipated third album, Be Here Now, on 21 August (in the UK). It sold 695,761 copies in its first three days and 813,000 copies in its first week. As of 2023, it is the fastest-selling album in UK history.[1] Radiohead's third album, OK Computer, was released in June and topped the UK Albums Chart 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.[2]
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 ones. The first was the double A-side songs "Mama" and "Who Do You Think You Are"; the latter of which was the Comic Relief single for 1997. 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. Spice Girls also had great success on the album charts as Spice and Spiceworld were two of the top five best sellers of 1997.
The Backstreet Boys released their second international album Backstreet's Back. The album was a massive success reaching number two 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 number three 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 ones 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 one 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 led to its showing on television being greatly restricted.
By far the biggest-selling single of the year, though, came from Elton John. In August, Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash. At her funeral, John 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. In April, Nigel Kennedy, now calling himself simply Kennedy, returned to the stage at the Royal Festival Hall after a five-year absence from the concert stage resulting from neck surgery. Towards the end of the year, veteran composer Sir Michael Tippett developed pneumonia while visiting Sweden, which would lead to his death early in 1998.
Chart date (week ending) | Song | Artist(s) | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
4 January | "2 Become 1" | Spice Girls | 301,000 |
11 January | 113,000 | ||
18 January | "Professional Widow" | Tori Amos | 80,000 |
25 January | "Your Woman" | White Town | 119,500 |
1 February | "Beetlebum" | Blur | 120,000 |
8 February | "Ain't Nobody" | LL Cool J | 80,000 |
15 February | "Discothèque" | U2 | 125,000 |
22 February | "Don't Speak" | No Doubt | 195,000 |
1 March | 140,000 | ||
8 March | 85,000 | ||
15 March | "Mama" / "Who Do You Think You Are" | Spice Girls | 248,000 |
22 March | 152,000 | ||
29 March | 85,000 | ||
5 April | "Block Rockin' Beats" | The Chemical Brothers | 84,700 |
12 April | "I Believe I Can Fly" | R. Kelly | 51,000 |
19 April | 76,000 | ||
26 April | 87,000 | ||
3 May | "Blood on the Dance Floor" | Michael Jackson | 85,000 |
10 May | "Love Won't Wait" | Gary Barlow | 92,000 |
17 May | "You're Not Alone" | Olive | 75,000 |
24 May | 74,000 | ||
31 May | "I Wanna Be the Only One" | Eternal featuring Bebe Winans | 150,000 |
7 June | "MMMBop" | Hanson | 260,000 |
14 June | 120,000 | ||
21 June | 86,000 | ||
28 June | "I'll Be Missing You" | Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112 | 109,000 |
5 July | 156,000 | ||
12 July | 167,000 | ||
19 July | "D'You Know What I Mean?" | Oasis | 377,000 |
26 July | "I'll Be Missing You" | Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112 | 124,000 |
2 August | 127,000 | ||
9 August | 100,000 | ||
16 August | "Men in Black" | Will Smith | 182,000 |
23 August | 133,000 | ||
30 August | 122,000 | ||
6 September | 105,000 | ||
13 September | "The Drugs Don't Work" | The Verve | 105,000 |
20 September | "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" | Elton John | 658,000 |
27 September | 1,546,688 | ||
4 October | 1,067,000 | ||
11 October | 572,000 | ||
18 October | 274,000 | ||
25 October | "Spice Up Your Life" | Spice Girls | 321,000 |
1 November | "Barbie Girl" | Aqua | 190,000 |
8 November | 239,000 | ||
15 November | 190,000 | ||
22 November | 165,000 | ||
29 November | "Perfect Day" | Various Artists | 385,082 |
6 December | 274,706 | ||
13 December | "Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!"" | Teletubbies | 317,000 |
20 December | 230,000 | ||
27 December | "Too Much" | Spice Girls | 252,000 |
Chart date (week ending) | Album | Artist | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
4 January | Spice | Spice Girls | 375,000 |
11 January | 119,000 | ||
18 January | 65,000 | ||
25 January | 54,000 | ||
1 February | Evita | Madonna | 49,000 |
8 February | Glow | Reef | 55,000 |
15 February | White on Blonde | Texas | 47,000 |
22 February | Blur | Blur | 92,000 |
1 March | Attack of the Grey Lantern | Mansun | 48,000 |
8 March | Spice | Spice Girls | 72,000 |
15 March | Pop | U2 | 152,000 |
22 March | Spice | Spice Girls | 62,000 |
29 March | 65,000 | ||
5 April | 85,000 | ||
12 April | 59,000 | ||
19 April | Dig Your Own Hole | The Chemical Brothers | 62,793 |
26 April | Ultra | Depeche Mode | 43,000 |
3 May | Tellin' Stories | The Charlatans | 68,000 |
10 May | 33,000 | ||
17 May | Spice | Spice Girls | 23,700 |
24 May | Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix | Michael Jackson | 37,000 |
31 May | 30,000 | ||
7 June | Open Road | Gary Barlow | 58,000 |
14 June | Wu-Tang Forever | Wu-Tang Clan | 26,000 |
21 June | Middle of Nowhere | Hanson | 24,000 |
28 June | OK Computer | Radiohead | 136,500 |
5 July | 48,200 | ||
12 July | The Fat of the Land | The Prodigy | 316,951 |
19 July | 98,000 | ||
26 July | 66,000 | ||
2 August | 49,000 | ||
9 August | 36,000 | ||
16 August | 30,500 | ||
23 August | White on Blonde | Texas | 30,000 |
30 August | Be Here Now | Oasis | 696,000 |
6 September | 235,000 | ||
13 September | 95,000 | ||
20 September | 64,000 | ||
27 September | Marchin' Already | Ocean Colour Scene | 64,000 |
4 October | Be Here Now | Oasis | 48,000 |
11 October | Urban Hymns | The Verve | 250,054 |
18 October | 97,000 | ||
25 October | 63,500 | ||
1 November | 56,000 | ||
8 November | 61,000 | ||
15 November | Spiceworld | Spice Girls | 192,000 |
22 November | 91,228 | ||
29 November | Let's Talk About Love | Céline Dion | 91,000 |
6 December | 91,000 | ||
13 December | Spiceworld | Spice Girls | 121,000 |
20 December | Let's Talk About Love | Céline Dion | 142,000 |
27 December | 219,918 |
Chart date (week ending) | Album |
---|---|
4 January | Now 35 |
11 January | |
18 January | The Annual II Mixed by Judge Jules & Boy George |
25 January | |
1 February | |
8 February | |
15 February | In the Mix 97 |
22 February | The Annual II Mixed by Judge Jules & Boy George |
1 March | Club Mix 97 2 |
8 March | |
15 March | The Soul Album |
22 March | The Best Album in the World...Ever! 5 |
29 March | Dance Nation 3 – Pete Tong & Judge Jules |
5 April | Now 36 |
12 April | |
19 April | |
26 April | New Hits 1997 |
3 May | |
10 May | |
17 May | |
24 May | Big Mix 97 |
31 May | |
7 June | Smash Hits Summer 97 |
14 June | The Best Club Anthems...Ever! |
21 June | |
28 June | |
5 July | |
12 July | The Best Disco Album in the World...Ever! |
19 July | |
26 July | Now 37 |
2 August | |
9 August | |
16 August | |
23 August | Fresh Hits 1997 |
30 August | |
6 September | |
13 September | Ibiza Uncovered |
20 September | |
27 September | |
4 October | Kiss in Ibiza 97 |
11 October | Ibiza Uncovered |
18 October | Big Mix 97 – Volume 2 |
25 October | The Best Anthems...Ever! |
1 November | Now Dance 97 |
8 November | Huge Hits 1997 |
15 November | The Annual III Mixed by Pete Tong & Boy George |
22 November | |
29 November | Now 38 |
6 December | |
13 December | Diana Princess of Wales – Tribute |
20 December | |
27 December |
Based on sales from 30 December 1996 to 28 December 1997.[4]
Notes:
Based on sales from 30 December 1996 to 28 December 1997.[6]
Notes:
Based on sales from 30 December 1996 to 28 December 1997.[9]
No. | Title | Peak position |
Sales[10] |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Now! 38 | 1 | 920,000 |
2 | Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute | 1 | 700,000 |
3 | Now! 37 | 1 | 600,000 |
4 | Now! 36 | 1 | 600,000 |
5 | The Annual III | 1 | 400,000+ |
6 | The Full Monty Original Soundtrack | 3 | 350,000 |
7 | The Greatest Hits of 1997 | 2 | |
8 | The Best '60s Album in the World... Ever! III | 5 | |
9 | The Annual II | 1 | |
10 | Ibiza Uncovered | 1 |
The 1997 Brit Awards winners were:
The 1997 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Roni Size/Reprazent – New Forms.
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.