Charting 1997: Albums 22nd March

The run of new Number Ones finally abates, with a return from the biggest stars of the year. Much of the rest seems aimed at the Mother's Day market.

01. (2) Spice Girls - Spice
02.(NE) The Bee Gees - Still Waters (Spotify)
See what I mean? Their umpeeenth studio album and their last of the 1990s.
03. (1) U2 - Pop
04.(NE) Aerosmith - Nine Lives
I suppose I should say something catty about this.
05. (3) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
06. (5) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
07. (4) Ocean Colour Scene - B sides seasides and freerides
08.(12) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
09. (6) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
10.(11) Kula Shaker - K
11. (8) Robert Miles - Dreamland
12.(14) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
13. (9) George Michael - Older
14.(13) The Beautiful South - Blue is the colour
15.(16) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
16.(10) Van Morrison - The Healing Game
17.(19) Beck - Odelay
18. (7) Original Soundtrack - Evita
19.(NE) John Denver - The Rocky Mountain Collection
As it turned out, the last release of his lifetime.
20.(24) Crowded House - Recurring Dream - The Very Best of
21.(NE) The Monkees - The Greatest Hits
RIP Davy Jones. Now we know that 1997 was the last time all four originals toured together (they made a new album too but that didn't chart). I can't remember precisely what was on this one, but I presume it covered most of the same ground as the other Monkees compilations.

22.(18) Celine Dion - Falling into you
23.(15) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
24.(23) Toni Braxton - Secrets
25.(21) Fugees - The Score
26.(23) Elkie Brooks - The Very Best of Elkie Brooks 1997
27.(20) Texas - White On Blonde
28.(27) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
29.(51) Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World
30.(17) Eels - Beautiful Freak
31.(32) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
32.(34) Hypnosis - Voices Of Tranquility Vol 2
33.(31) Republica - Republica
34.(37) Reef - Glow
35.(29) Blur - Blur
36.(NE) My Life Story - The Golden Mile
(Spotify)
Famously acclaimed by a now-defunct music magazine as the worst album ever made. It's not that bad but neither is it as good as Jake Shillingford sounds like he thinks it is. Ironically, I bought my copy in a sale months later in the same transaction as the best album ever made. 
Here's their most popular song, even if it does shortchange you slightly:

37.(48) Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself
38.(28) Gabrielle - Gabrielle
39.(40) Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack
40.(26) James - Whiplash

47.(RE) Queen - Made In Heaven
Apparently there was a big special offer on EMI catalogue albums, hence the re-entries in the last couple of weeks. 
63.(NE) John Lee Hooker - Don't look back
The last new recordings of his lifetime, produced by Van Morrison. Indeed the title track of Van's Healing Game album (see further up this chart) is also on this album.
65.(RE) The Divine Comedy - A Short Album About Love
Like My Life Story, only with good singing.
67.(RE) Queen - Greatest Hits
71.(RE) Babyface - The Day
72.(RE) The Beatles - With The Beatles
Their second album, which is the one with 'All My Loving' and George Harrison's first song 'Don't Bother Me'. The CD version on sale at the time was mono, the current one stereo, but t's debatable which is better.
74.(RE) Dodgy - Free Peace Sweet
The last album by the original line-up until a couple of weeks ago.