Charting 1997: 14th June

A bit of stability at the top end of the chart this week, although in 1997 stability still means 15 new entries in the Top 40.

01. (1) Hanson - Mmm Bop
Having sold a quarter of a million the week before, this could afford to tail off a fair bit in sales without losing the top position. 
02. (2) Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One ft BeBe Winans
03. (4) Sarah Brightman And Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)
04.(NE) Jon Bon Jovi - Midnight In Chelsea
His first official solo single, not counting the Blaze Of Glory soundtrack. It's fair to say that his songwriting style isn't radically different from his band work, although he does have a drum machine on this track.
05.(NE) Ultra Nate - Free
One of the biggest - and most platitudinous - dance tracks of the year. I hated this at the time although with hindsight it's not that bad. 
06. (5) Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close
07.(NE) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Love Rollercoaster
Scoring only their second UK Top 10 single with this track from the Beavis & Butthead movie (which is why it's not on their Greatest Hits album). The song itself is of course a cover of the old Ohio Players track, although as my brother pointed out the rap sounds like the one in 'Bodyshakin' by 911.
08.(NE) Mr President - Coco Jamboo
One of the big Europop hits of the year - though it was over a year old by the time it reached Britain, as there was assumed to be a limited window of opportunity to release this sort of thing here. I can probably admit now that my younger self was not wholly immune to the charms of the blonde woman in the video, although Shirtless Mockney Rapping Bloke can sod right off. 
09. (3) Radiohead - Paranoid Android
10.(NE) The Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Of The End
And another American rock group enjoying their second (and in this case last) Top 10 hit with a soundtrack single on a different label that is absent from their hits collection. The better of the two in my opinion.
11.(NE) Skunk Anansie - Brazen 'Weep'
You wouldn't have guessed it if you didn't already know, but this was actually their highest-charting single ever, even though it was the fourth single from the album. Timing is everything. A relatively quiet song for them, which is apt as it's about suppressed anger and all the more effective for it.
12. (7) The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You {1997}
13.(NE) Wet Wet Wet - Strange
For the video of this otherwise unremarkable Wets single, Marti Pellow adopted that odd bleached hair/dark goatee look that he retained for the remainder of the group's original career. 
14.(NE) En Vogue - Whatever
Yeah, pretty much my reaction too. 
15. (6) Olive - You're Not Alone {1997}
16.(NE) Joe - Don't Wanna Be A Player
A player in this context being a man who romances a lot of girls: according to this song he's so fond of his latest girlfriend he's not going to bother with any others. Aah.
Joe Thomas has had a relatively long chart career for this genre, although this is the only song of his I can actually remember the chorus of. 
17. (8) The Cardigans - Lovefool {1997}
18.(NE) Allure - Head Over Heels ft Nas
Rather samey but not unlistenable RnB from another entry in the girl group where are they now file.
19.(11) Gina G - Ti Amo
20.(14) DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima
21.(NE) Chicane - Sunstroke
Controversial I know but I don't really get the whole "trance" thing - a lot of it sounds to me like thirty seconds of music stretched over five minutes. Still, Chicane (aka Nick Bracegirdle) is one of the big pop stars of the style, still charting into the 2010s. 
22.(10) Toby Bourke/George Michael - Waltz Away Dreaming
23.(12) Shola Ama - You Might Need Somebody
24. (9) The Sneaker Pimps - Six Underground {1997}
25.(13) R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
26.(19) Toni Braxton - I Don't Want To
27.(15) Damage - Wonderful Tonight
28.(16) New Edition - Something About You
29.(NE) Code Red - Can We Talk
Yes, you probably can. Pity you can't sing though. The biggest hit this boyband ever managed in the UK although they were more successful in Asia. It's a cover of a song by Tevin Campbell.
30.(NE) Erykah Badu - Next Lifetime
A song that I remember having on a free CD from Q magazine but didn't realise until much more recently had actually been a hit single. Maybe a bit too relaxed sounding for its own good. I believe that's her then-boyfriend Andre 3000 (of Outkast) in the video. 
31.(17) Katrina And The Waves - Love Shine A Light
32.(24) Strike - I Have Peace
33.(21) Warren G - Smokin' Me Out ft Ron Isley
34.(23) Blackstreet - Don't Leave Me
35.(NE) Deni Hines - It's Alright
Australian singer who had a massive hit with this in her homeland and relocated here to try and spread the success. She didn't entirely succeed. 
36.(20) No Mercy - Please Don't Go
37.(NE) Roni Size/Reprazent - Share The Fall
"OK, you can keep Mark E. Smith and Karl Burns, but I want Brix, Marc Riley and both Paul and Steve Hanley." I've been waiting years to do that joke, hope somebody gets it.
38.(18) Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
39.(27) Daniel O'Donnell - The Love Songs EP
40.(NE) Beth Orton - She Cries Your Name
Her third chart appearance of the year and finally she makes it to the Top 40. It's third time around for this song too - she'd originally recorded it with the group Superpinkymandy in 1993 and had released this version as a single in 1996. 

43.(NE) Jon Secada - Too Late, Too Soon
44.(NE) Cable - Freeze The Atlantic
The only chart appearance from this under-appreciated British rock act, whom I saw at their last ever gig. This track had been assisted by its use in a TV commercial - not to give away what for, but the B-side of the single was called 'The We Did The Music For The Sprite Ad Blues' - though a principled decision to hold off releasing the single until well after the campaign had ended probably cost them a higher chart position. 

48.(NE) Billy And Sarah Gaines - I Found Someone
49.(NE) Jesus Jones - The Next Big Thing
A hopeful song title.
50.(NE) Terry Hall - Ballad Of A Landlord
Despite reaching Number One with The Specials, Top 5 with Fun Boy Three, Top 20 with the Colourfield etc, this was the highest he ever got as a solo artist.
Fans of cameos in videos will notice Gwen Stefani of No Doubt in here. 

60.(NE) Akin - Stay Right Here
61.(NE) Phat 'N' Phunky - Let's Groove/Makin' A Movie
70.(RE) Backstreet Boys - Anywhere For You
73.(RE) Damage - Love Guaranteed
75.(NE) Kaleef - Trials Of Life