Charting 1997: 19th July

01.(NE) Oasis - D'You Know What I Mean?
Perhaps the last surprising Number One of the year so far, the first new Oasis material in 18 months was never going to slip out quietly, despite its inordinate length, which even Noel Gallagher would now admit was maybe a little overdone. ITN were even tempted to speculate on whether it could join the all-time biggest sellers (it didn't). Personally I'd already rather lost interest by this point.
02. (1) Puff Daddy And Faith Evans - I'll Be Missing You
03.(NE) Coolio - C U When U Get There ft 40 Thevz
Unsurprisingly, he got a lot of soundtrack jobs after 'Gangsta's Paradise', and this one from Nothing To Lose (me neither) became his second-biggest-selling single. It is of course based on Pachelbel's Canon.
04.(NE) Gala - Freed From Desire
One of the big dance hits of the year, which succeeds rather despite itself: it's a a very minimal composition and she doesn't have much of a voice, but somehow it's actually sort of good.
05.(NE) Michael Jackson - History/Ghosts
One of his least remembered Top 5s, this combines two more numbers from his remix album, though the former track was of course also the title song of (and thus arguably the sixth single from) his previous album.
The videos are excerpted from an extended longform movie.
06. (2) Sash! - Ecuador
07.(NE) Shaggy - Piece Of My Heart ft Marsha
Returning to his usual formula here. Neither terrible nor memorable.
08. (4) Ultra Nate - Free
09.(NE) R Kelly - Gotham City
Back to the movies. This is basically 'I Believe I Can Fly' again, but with an irritating school choir at the end. 
10.(NE) Babyface - How Come, How Long ft Stevie Wonder
A well-meaning song about domestic violence, allegedly inspired by the Nicole Simpson case. I'm fairly glad he wrote it but I wish he could have done a better job. It's perhaps especially unfortunate to give Stevie Wonder lyrics about opening your eyes.
11.(NE) Massive Attack - Risingson

Their highest-charting single to date (and indeed only once have they got higher since) thanks to a limited-edition release well before any prospect of an album. Their fans had been waiting even longer than the Oasis ones. It's rarely mentioned nowadays but I actually quite like this, one of their best claustrophobic tracks. I don't really know what "Toylike people make me boylike" means, but I sort of understand it anyway.
12. (6) The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
13. (5) Todd Terry - Something Goin' On
14. (7) Hanson - Mmm Bop
15.(10) No Doubt - Just A Girl {1997}
16. (9) Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One ft BeBe Winans
17. (3) 911 - The Journey
18.(13) Mr President - Coco Jamboo
19.(NE) BT - Flaming June
One of America's top trance producers, Brian Transeau. Calendar reading clearly wasn't such a strong point though, as this was released on the 7th of July. It was later re-released... in January 1998.
20.(NE) Dubstar - No More Talk
Comeback single from the Northern Saint Etienne, complete with sneaky sample from 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart'. Not their highest-charting single but reputedly their biggest seller and probably their best too.
21.(NE) Embrace - One Big Family EP
[One Big Family; Dry Kids; You've Only Got To Stop To Get Better; Butter Wouldn't Melt]
The inexorable rise continues with a second EP, again led by a not very good upbeat track. The difference is that this time the other tracks aren't any better. And the CD had a mastering error so one of the track divisions was in the wrong place.
22. (8) Sheryl Crow - A Change Would Do You Good
23.(NE) Paul McCartney - The World Tonight
Yet another hit for EMI (alongside Embrace, Dubstar, Massive Attack and Shaggy). All leave must have been cancelled in their promo department. I believe this was the first single from Flaming Pie in America, and if it wasn't it probably should have been as it's much tighter and catchier than our lead single 'Young Boy'. Not his sharpest work lyrically, although "I go back so far, I'm in front of me" is another of those great can't-explain-but-know-what-it-means phrases and the reference to hiding from paparazzi was almost prescient. 
He did put in an appearance on the Radio 4 news programme of the same name to promote this. 
24.(15) Sarah Brightman And Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)
25.(16) Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close
26.(NE) The Braxtons - Slow Flow
A bit like 'Slowhand' by the Pointer Sisters, only less interesting.
27.(11) Ghostface Killah - All That I Got Is You
28.(14) The Course - Ain't Nobody
29.(22) The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You {1997}
30.(24) Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?
31.(18) Ocean Colour Scene - Hundred Mile High City
32.(12) Alisha's Attic - Air We Breathe
33.(21) Fun Lovin' Criminals - I'm Not In Love/Scooby Snacks
34.(20) Celine Dion - Call The Man
35.(19) Echo & The Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever
36.(NE) Howie B - Angels Go Bald; Too
I think it was around this time he was on tour with U2 (whose album he'd done some production on) until he got busted for drugs. Not the only person in this chart that's happened to of course.
37.(27) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Love Rollercoaster
38.(25) Pet Shop Boys - Somewhere
39.(26) Az Yet - Hard To Say I'm Sorry
40.(NE) Silverchair - Abuse Me
Oh go and abuse yoursel- no, that didn't quite come out right.


51.(NE) Tracey Lee - The Theme (It's Party Time)
52.(NE) The Jungle Brothers - Brain
56.(NE) Tito Puente Jr And The Latin Rhythm - Oye Como Va {1997 remix}

58.(NE) Motley Crue - Afraid
59.(RE) George Michael - Star People '97
61.(NE) Scarfo - Alkaline
69.(RE) Robbie Williams - Old Before I Die
74.(RE) Wet Wet Wet - Strange