Charting 1997: Album chart 26th April

01.(NE) Depeche Mode - Ultra (Spotify)
Perhaps surprisingly only their second Number One album (and also their last) the big comeback after Dave Gahan's well-documented addictions and the departure of Alan Wilder. My brother bought this.
02. (2) Spice Girls - Spice
03.(NE) Cast - Mother Nature Calls (Spotify)
The second album I never got round to buying, although I still thought All Change was a decent debut. The title is of course a reflection of John Power's rather hippyish attitude to life.
04. (1) The Chemical Brothers - Dig your own hole
05. (4) Texas - White On Blonde
06. (3) Wet Wet Wet - 10
07.(10) Blur - Blur
08.(NE) Mary J Blige - Share My World
09. (5) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
10.(12) Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself
11. (6) Lisa Stansfield - Lisa Stansfield
12.(11) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
13. (7) The Beautiful South - Blue is the colour
14. (8) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
15. (9) Reef - Glow
16.(17) U2 - Pop
17.(18) Erykah Badu - Baduizm
18.(19) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
19.(14) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
20.(15) The Bee Gees - Still Waters
21.(21) Kula Shaker - K
22.(20) Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World
23.(24) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
24.(NE) Sacred Spirit - Volume 2 Culture Clash
25.(22) George Michael - Older
26.(27) The Monkees - The Greatest hits
27.(38) Suede - Coming Up
28.(25) Original Soundtrack - Evita
29.(30) Toni Braxton - Secrets
30.(13) Damage - Forever
31.(29) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
32.(26) Beck - Odelay
33.(35) Heart - These Dreams Greatest Hits
34.(34) Fugees - The Score
35.(36) Celine Dion - Falling into you
36.(23) Eternal - Before The Rain
37.(31) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
38.(40) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
39.(16) INXS - Elegantly Wasted
40.(32) Robert Miles - Dreamland

55.(NE) Luscious Jackson - Fever In Fever Out (Spotify)
Like Cast, an act who've recently reunited. Quite a good album, as I recall, but don't pay 99p to download the track "Door".
56.(RE) Tina Turner - Simply The Best

62.(NE) Foster & Allen - Shades of Green
They're a month late for St. Patrick's Day there.

Charting 1997: Album chart 19th April

01.(NE) The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole (Spotify)
The single may have fallen off the top fairly quickly, but there was never any real doubt that Tom & Ed would get their first Number One album with this second set, one of the key works in the crossover of dance music to rock audiences. Obviously, part of the reason would have been the guest appearances by the likes of Noel Gallagher, Beth Orton and Mercury Rev, as well as the duo's reputation as remixers, but there is a sense of melody and riffage that distinguishes this from less NME-friendly fare like Haddaway and Clock.
02. (1) Spice Girls - Spice
03. (2) Wet Wet Wet - 10
04. (9) Texas - White On Blonde
05. (3) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
06. (4) Lisa Stansfield - Lisa Stansfield
07. (5) The Beautiful South - Blue is the Colour
08. (6) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
09. (7) Reef - Glow
10.(18) Blur - Blur
11.(11) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
12.(14) Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself
13.(NE) Damage - Forever
Boy bands have indeed been with us forever, although few seem to have combined this level of success with such little impression on the public memory.
14.(12) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
15. (8) The Bee Gees - Still Waters
16.(NE) INXS - Elegantly Wasted
The last proper INXS album, though they've done at least one without Michael Hutchence.
17.(13) U2 - Pop
18.(26) Erykah Badu - Baduizm
19.(17) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
20.(19) Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World
21.(15) Kula Shaker - K
22.(21) George Michael - Older
23.(16) Eternal - Before The Rain
24.(20) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
25.(22) Original Soundtrack - Evita
26.(24) Beck - Odelay
27.(32) The Monkees - The Greatest Hits
28.(10) Erasure - Cowboy
29.(31) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
30.(33) Toni Braxton - Secrets
31.(34) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
32.(27) Robert Miles - Dreamland
33.(25) Ocean Colour Scene - B sides seasides and freerides
34.(29) Fugees - The Score
35.(NE) Heart - These Dreams Greatest Hits
36.(30) Celine Dion - Falling into you
37.(23) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
38.(51) Suede - Coming Up
39.(35) The Notorious BIG - Life After Death
40.(38) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

46.(NE) Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Barafundle(Spotify)
Is there any greater sign of the influence Britpop had on the record industry than the fact that a major label signed up these Welsh psychedelic oddballs with a name barely pronounceable to Anglophones, and paid for an album which is partly in Welsh, partly in English and just a little bit in Latin. There are even chunks of mediaeval music and what sounds like a sample of Patrick Moore. 
Of course they were dropped by the end of 1998, but they did leave behind this, one of my favourite albums of this or any other year. Behind all the quirks, Euros Childs must be one of our most underrated songwriters. 
55.(NE) Bis - The New Transistor Heroes
In those days you could sometimes get cassette versions of albums cheap as a form of promotion, and thus it was that I paid £4:99 for this on my brother's behalf. Yes kids, there was a time when that was considered cheap for a cassette.
56.(RE) Bryan Adams - 18 til I Die
63.(RE) Kenny G - The Moment
69.(RE) The Lightning Seeds - Dizzy Heights
74.(RE) Cast - All Change

Charting 1997: Album chart 12th April

Not the most dramatic week in album chart history. Only two new entries in the entire Top 40, and not the most exciting ones either.

01. (1) Spice Girls - Spice
02.(NE) Wet Wet Wet - 10
We didn't know it then, but this was to be the last album of their original career.
03. (4) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
04. (2) Lisa Stansfield - Lisa Stansfield
05.(10) The Beautiful South - Blue is the Colour
06. (5) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
07.(11) Reef - Glow
08. (3) The Bee Gees - Still Waters
09.(22) Texas - White On Blonde
10.(NE) Erasure - Cowboy
Still getting those decent chart entries but I don't think there was a lot of excitement beyond the fans at this stage. Was that fair? Possibly not.
11. (7) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
12. (9) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
13. (6) U2 - Pop
14.(35) Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself
15.(13) Kula Shaker - K
16. (8) Eternal - Before The Rain
17.(19) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
18.(29) Blur - Blur
19.(15) Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World
20.(20) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
21.(18) George Michael - Older
22.(17) Original Soundtrack - Evita
23.(14) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
24.(26) Beck - Odelay
25.(21) Ocean Colour Scene - B sides seasides and freerides
26.(40) Erykah Badu - Baduizm
27.(25) Robert Miles - Dreamland
28.(12) Gina G - Fresh
29.(30) Fugees - The Score
30.(31) Celine Dion - Falling into you
31.(36) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
32.(27) The Monkees - The Greatest hits
33.(32) Toni Braxton - Secrets
34.(39) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
35.(23) The Notorious BIG - Life After Death
36.(24) Aerosmith - Nine Lives
37.(34) Crowded House - Recurring Dream - The Very Best of
38.(38) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
39.(28) John Denver - The Rocky mountain collection
40.(37) 10cc - The Very Best Of

42.(NE) The Kinks - The Very Best Of
Thirty years after they'd last charted a studio album, but this was just the latest in a long line of compilations, presumably intended to attract people who'd discovered the band through Britpop.
47.(RE) Wet Wet Wet - Popped In Souled Out
Their 1987 debut album. I presume there was some sort of tie-in deal if you bought this alongside the new one.
59.(RE) Bryan Adams - So far so good
60.(RE) Garbage - Garbage
63.(RE) Eagles - The Very best of
64.(NE) Kerbdog - On The Turn
70.(NE) Morcheeba - Who Can You Trust?
73.(RE) Daft Punk - Homework
74.(RE) Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club

Charting 1997: Album chart 5th April

01. (1) Spice Girls - Spice
02.(NE) Lisa Stansfield - Lisa Stansfield
(Spotify)
Possibly not an act you'd instantly associate with 1997, but this is jointly her highest-charting album.
03. (2) The Bee Gees - Still Waters
04. (6) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
05. (5) Manic Street Preachers - Everything must go
06. (4) U2 - Pop
07. (7) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
08. (3) Eternal - Before The Rain
09. (8) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
10.(10) The Beautiful South - Blue is the colour
11.(23) Reef - Glow
12.(NE) Gina G - Fresh
Yeah, this happened.
13.(11) Kula Shaker - K
14.(19) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
15.(14) Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World
16.(NE) Machine Head - The More Things Change
They're still going, apparently.
17.(22) Original Soundtrack - Evita
18.(16) George Michael - Older
19.(13) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
20.(21) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
21.(12) Ocean Colour Scene - B sides seasides and freerides
22.(27) Texas - White On Blonde
23.(NE) The Notorious BIG - Life After Death

An apt title, or rather a prophetic one as he was shot a couple of weeks earlier and it must already have been in the supply chain by then. In terms of his UK chart career, perhaps the final song being called 'You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)' was too. 

24. (9) Aerosmith - Nine Lives
25.(17) Robert Miles - Dreamland
26.(18) Beck - Odelay
27.(15) The Monkees - The Greatest hits
28.(20) John Denver - The Rocky mountain collection
29.(35) Blur - Blur
30.(25) Fugees - The Score
31.(28) Celine Dion - Falling into you
32.(29) Toni Braxton - Secrets
33.(34) Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack
34.(24) Crowded House - Recurring Dream - The Very Best of
35.(38) Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself
36.(30) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
37.(NE) 10cc - The Very best of
38.(41) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
39.(32) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
40.(42) Erykah Badu - Baduizm

53.(NE) Cake - Fashion Nugget
56.(NE) Clock - About Time 2
See what they've done there?
64.(NE) Nanci Griffith - Blue Roses From The Moons
68.(RE) The Beautiful South - Carry On Up The Charts The Best of
71.(NE) Hank Marvin - Hank Plays Live
73.(NE) Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - A World Without Dave (Spotify)
After a brief split in the mid-1990s, they returned on the Cooking Vinyl label, who had a policy at the time of launching acts with mini-albums. 
74.(RE) Peter Andre - Natural

Charting 1997: Album chart 29th March

Not the most inspiring of weeks to be honest with you.

01. (1) Spice Girls - Spice
02. (2) The Bee Gees - Still Waters
03.(NE) Eternal - Before The Rain
See, this largely forgotten girl-group effort is the highest new entry. Their third album, for the record.
04. (3) U2 - Pop
05. (5) Manic Street Preachers - Everything must go
06. (8) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
07. (6) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
08. (9) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
09. (4) Aerosmith - Nine Lives
10.(14) The Beautiful South - Blue is the colour
11.(10) Kula Shaker - K
12. (7) Ocean Colour Scene - B sides seasides and freerides
13.(12) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
14.(29) Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World
15.(21) The Monkees - The Greatest hits
16.(13) George Michael - Older
17.(11) Robert Miles - Dreamland
18.(17) Beck - Odelay
19.(15) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
20.(19) John Denver - The Rocky mountain collection
21.(28) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
22.(18) Original Soundtrack - Evita
23.(34) Reef - Glow
24.(20) Crowded House - Recurring Dream - The Very Best of
25.(25) Fugees - The Score
26.(16) Van Morrison - The Healing game
27.(27) Texas - White On Blonde
28.(22) Celine Dion - Falling into you
29.(24) Toni Braxton - Secrets
30.(23) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
31.(NE) Live - Secret Samadhi
Entered the US chart at 1, but not as big a deal over here.
32.(31) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
33.(NE) Mary Black - Shine
The Irish folk-rock singer who seems to sell mainly to the diaspora over here. This album is notable for including five covers of songs by David Gray (including the title cut), a couple of years before he was famous even in Ireland.
34.(39) Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack
35.(35) Blur - Blur
36.(26) Elkie Brooks - The Very Best of Elkie Brooks 1997
37.(RE) The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Two of the ex-members were of course about to emerge.
38.(37) Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself
39.(30) Eels - Beautiful Freak
40.(46) Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?

46.(NE) Queensryche - Hear In The Now Forever
52.(NE) Death In Vegas - Dead Elvis
Debut album from Richard Fearless (not his real name) and then-collaborator Tim Holmes. Paved the ground for the massive acclaim and relative commercial success of The Contino Sessions in 1999.
62.(RE) Radiohead - Pablo Honey
68.(RE) Spearhead - Chocolate Supa Highway
70.(RE) The Commitments - The Commitments (OST)
72.(NE) Gladys Knight & The Pips - The Singles Album

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.

Charting 1997: Album chart 15th March

01.(NE) U2 - Pop(Spotify)
The last album of their experimental phase, before they embarked on trying very hard to sound like U2 at the turn of the century. They admit that this album was rushed to fit in with a planned tour and it seems a bit written out of their history. Not that this apparent dissatisfaction stopped them releasing singles from it at the time, but they all seem to appear in reworked versions on later compilations.
02. (1) Spice Girls - Spice
03. (2) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
04.(NE) Ocean Colour Scene - B-sides Seasides and Freerides
Actually, it's just B-sides really. But in those days of multi-format releases, the offcuts from one album easily yielded enough material for a full album, which catches them in a more relaxed mood than the A-sides. I loved this at the time and still like some of it now, including the opener 'Huckleberry Grove' which has one of the best trombone solos ever on a B-side.
05. (3) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
06.(30) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
07.(14) Original Soundtrack - Evita
08.(11) Robert Miles - Dreamland
09. (8) George Michael - Older
10.(NE) Van Morrison - The Healing Game
One of his 90s albums where Brian Kennedy repeats everything Van sings. Don't know about you but I like him even less than I like Van himself.
11.(10) Kula Shaker - K
12. (7) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
13.(15) The Beautiful South - Blue Is The Colour
14.(12) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
15. (4) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
16. (6) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
17. (5) Eels - Beautiful Freak
18.(22) Celine Dion - Falling into you
19.(29) Beck - Odelay
20.(16) Texas - White On Blonde
21.(18) Fugees - The Score
22.(NE) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call (Spotify)
Released after a relative commercial breakthrough, this is a relatively sombre and reflective collection, with the famous opening lyric "I don't believe in an interventionist God." As with Van Morrison, I've never been interested enough in Cave to bother listening to one of his albums.
23.(NE) Elkie Brooks - The Very Best of Elkie Brooks 1997
24.(31) Crowded House - Recurring Dream: The Very Best of
25.(24) Toni Braxton - Secrets
26. (9) James - Whiplash
27.(21) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
28.(25) Gabrielle - Gabrielle
29.(17) Blur - Blur
30.(NE) Ben Folds Five - Whatever And Ever Amen (Spotify)
Another big favourite of mine at the time and just in time for my birthday. Easily the best work in Folds' long career with a good balance between well-observed serious lyrics and the more humorous songs he's better known for. Unsurprisingly, some students have made videos for the album tracks, but it's nice to see some ducks in this one:

Incidentally, buying this album the week it came out means I have an original pressing with some studio dialogue between tracks and a hidden track at the end. Apparently that was all dropped from later copies.;
31.(NE) Republica - Republica
A whole album of Essex techno-rock. It was the mid 1990s alright.
32.(26) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
33.(42) Simply Red - Greatest Hits
34.(NE) Hypnosis - Voices Of Tranquility Vol 2
35.(23) Space - Spiders
36.(20) Warren G - Take A Look Over Your Shoulder (Reality)
37.(27) Reef - Glow
38.(32) Adiemus - Adiemus II Cantata Mundi
39.(13) 911 - The Journey
40.(39) Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack

49.(NE) Celine Dion - C'est Pour Vivre
A collection of early French-language recordings.
60.(RE) Tina Turner - Simply The Best
61.(RE) Robson And Jerome - Take Two
62.(NE) Apollo Four Forty - Electro Glide In Blue (Spotify)
Not a band I'd generally have much time for, but this does feature one of the last performances by the late Billy MacKenzie, who'd died a couple of months earlier. It also features a track that became rather better known a few months later.
68.(RE) Queen - Greatest Hits II
69.(NE) Anthony Way - Wings Of A Dove
Reality TV has been around a bit longer than people remember.
70.(RE) Massive Attack - Blue Lines
72.(37) Gene - Drawn To The Deep End
One of favourite albums lives down to its title, in its third and last chart week.
75.(NE) Entombed - To Ride Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth

Charting 1997: Album chart 8th March

Something like normal service resumes, and a strong dose of the Brits Effect, perhaps most obvious in the top two positions. Also several re-entries from classic Beatles albums; I presume there was a reason for that but I can't remember why now. 

01. (3) Spice Girls - Spice
02.(24) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
03. (9) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
04. (1) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
05.(RE) Eels - Beautiful Freak (Spotify)
A minor chart success on its original "soft" UK release earlier in the year: before that it had done relatively well on import, and I remember Stuart Maconie playing various tracks on his short-lived Radio Album Show back in 1996. Now it got full distribution on the back of the 'Novocaine For The Soul' single and brought E his highest ever UK chart position - meanwhile it never made the Top 100 in the US.
Whilst personally I think Eels went on to make better records, this is certainly one of the debuts of the year. And one of my Dad's favourites too, oddly enough.
Exactly a year later, Eels won their own Brit Award.
06. (2) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
07. (5) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
08.(21) George Michael - Older
09.(NE) James - Whiplash (Spotify)
Highest genuine new entry of the week from the indie veterans. The title proved unfortunately apt when Tim Booth injured his neck during a concert in the US a few months later. At least they had the sense of humour to call the next album Millionaires.
10.(20) Kula Shaker - K
11.(29) Robert Miles - Dreamland
12.(19) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
13.(NE) 911 - The Journey
A common sight in charity shops. So far I've managed to resist the temptation.
14. (7) Original Soundtrack - Evita
15.(10) The Beautiful South - Blue is the colour
16. (6) Texas - White On Blonde
17. (4) Blur - Blur
18.(36) Fugees - The Score
19.(NE) The Orb - Orblivion
Their last studio album to bother the Top 75 until a collaboration with Dave Gilmour in 2010. Apparently it was in the can for almost a year before the record company could be bothered to release it.
20.(NE) Warren G - Take A Look Over Your Shoulder (Reality)
The second album that seemed to guarantee nobody would ever take him seriously again.
The best track is of course 'Reel Tight Intro'.
21.(33) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
22.(17) Celine Dion - Falling into you
23.(14) Space - Spiders
24.(18) Toni Braxton - Secrets
25.(27) Gabrielle - Gabrielle
26.(16) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
27.(12) Reef - Glow
28.(28) Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
29.(52) Beck - Odelay
30.(58) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
31.(34) Crowded House - Recurring Dream: The Very Best of
32.(15) Adiemus - Adiemus II Cantata Mundi
33.(13) Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys
34.(25) Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley shoals
35.(30) Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
36.(11) Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 7-13
37. (8) Gene - Drawn To The Deep End
38.(23) LL Cool J - All world
39.(63) Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack
40.(31) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

43.(NE) Suzanne Vega - Nine Objects Of Desire (Spotify) (Amazon)
A twelve-track album, despite the title, and part of her collaboration with Mitchell Froom which had by this point extended to marriage and parenthood. The former didn't last but the latter inspired one of the least sick-making songs of its type in 'World Before Columbus'.
54.(RE) Radiohead - The Bends
56.(RE) The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
58.(RE) The Beatles - Abbey Road
62.(NE) QFX - Alien Child
64.(RE) The Beatles - Revolver
72.(RE) Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon
73.(RE) The Beatles - Rubber Soul

Charting 1997: Album chart 1st March

As the album chart seems to be going the way of the singles chart, we get another change at the top with Blur surprisingly losing the top spot after only one week - and to labelmates too. I can't now remember why the barrage of "classic" re-entries low in the chart.

01.(NE) Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern (Spotify) (Amazon)
The unusual debut album from the cult prog revivalists was a bit of a surprising Number One, even after four hit singles. It's a pseudo-concept album with all the tracks running into each other (although as I bought it on vinyl, my copy still stops every two or three songs). They were always an easy band to dislike but buried beneath wanky song titles like 'Mansun's Only Love Song' are some good tunes.
02. (5) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
03. (3) Spice Girls - Spice
04. (1) Blur - Blur
05. (9) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
06. (2) Texas - White On Blonde
07. (4) Original Soundtrack - Evita
08.(NE) Gene - Drawn To The Deep End (Spotify) (Amazon)
Ah, now we're talking. Followers of my various online activities may already be aware that I root for Gene as one of the most underrated indie acts of this era, and whilst there have been some signs of reassessment in the last couple of years much of the fuss still seems to be about their first and most successful album Olympian. I like that one too, but for me this is the masterpiece, the meticulously-arranged songs about Martin Rossiter's depression did a lot for me at the time. Conventional wisdom suggests that the first side of the album is much better than the second, and I do tend to agree but there are some subtly brilliant overlooked tracks there too, including 'The Accidental'.
09. (8) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
10. (6) The Beautiful South - Blue is the colour
11.(NE) Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 7-13
A sequel to the original Oxygene album, which I could never be bothered with. Apparently the last record he made in this style.
12. (7) Reef - Glow
13.(21) Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys
14.(30) Space - Spiders
15.(NE) Adiemus - Adiemus II Cantata Mundi
And to add to the diversity of the chart, the second album from Karl Jenkins and his classical/world music project thing. I've never listened to them, please let me know if I'm missing out.
16.(16) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
17.(11) Celine Dion - Falling Into You
18.(14) Toni Braxton - Secrets
19.(17) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
20.(24) Kula Shaker - K
21.(10) George Michael - Older
22.(15) Placebo - Placebo
23.(RE) LL Cool J - All World
24.(22) Manic Street Preachers - Everything must go
25.(NE) Nuyorican Soul - Nuyorican Soul
A nice bit of smooth disco soul from Kenny "Dope" Gonzales, "Little" Louis Vega and their guest stars.
26.(12) Suede - Coming Up
27.(18) Gabrielle - Gabrielle
28.(34) Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
29.(26) Robert Miles - Dreamland
30.(29) Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
31.(25) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
32.(20) Simply Red - Greatest Hits
33.(32) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
34.(31) Crowded House - Recurring Dream - The Very Best of
35.(13) The Divine Comedy - A Short Album About Love
36.(33) Fugees - The Score
37.(28) The Lightning Seeds - Dizzy Heights
38.(19) Rod Stewart - If We Fall In Love Tonight
39.(RE) Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
40.(RE) The Commitments - The Commitments (OST)

43.(RE) Robson And Jerome - Robson & Jerome
53.(RE) Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton
54.(RE) Seal - Seal
59.(RE) Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
60.(RE) M People - Elegant Slumming
61.(RE) Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion II
62.(RE) Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
66.(RE) Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
70.(NE) Erykah Badu - Baduizm
74.(RE) Dodgy - Homegrown (Amazon)
One of the other classic albums of Britpop.

75.(RE) kd Lang - Ingenue

Charting 1997: Album chart 22nd February

01.(NE) Blur - Blur (Spotify) (Amazon)
The reinvented album that Damon Albarn called "More Iggy Pop than Britpop", though actually "More Sub Pop than Britpop" might be an even more accurate spin on their wholesale embrace of US indie styles. As you can imagine, I had some trepidation when I brought this home - particularly since it's an example of one of my musical pet hates, putting the single at the start of the album - but I was pleased to find that they had, perhaps despite themselves, allowed their natural flair for melody to shine through and come out with a record of some brilliance. It only sounds slightly less good now.

02. (1) Texas - White On Blonde
03. (4) Spice Girls - Spice
04. (2) Original Soundtrack - Evita
05.(NE) The Smurfs - The Smurfs Hits 97 Vol 1
In chart terms, they were a bigger deal in the Nineties than the Seventies, though they failed to score a hit single from this album. The track listing on the Smurfs Wiki includes such joys as 'Ooh Aaah Smurf A Little Bit' and 'Smurf Billy Rock, Smurf Billy Roll'.
06. (7) The Beautiful South - Blue is the colour
07. (3) Reef - Glow
08. (9) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
09.(10) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
10.(11) George Michael - Older
11.(13) Celine Dion - Falling into you
12. (8) Suede - Coming Up
13.(NE) The Divine Comedy - A Short Album About Love (Spotify)(Amazon)
Rushed out in time for Valentine's Day of course, a seven-song mini-album supposedly recorded live at soundchecks with a thirty-piece orchestra (though they did later admit to a little touching-up in the studio). Apparently it was all a vehicle for the song 'I'm All You Need'. Arguably Neil Hannon's best work.
14.(16) Toni Braxton - Secrets
15. (5) Placebo - Placebo
16.(12) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
17.(15) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
18.(20) Gabrielle - Gabrielle
19.(22) Rod Stewart - If We Fall In Love Tonight
20.(19) Simply Red - Greatest Hits
21.(RE) Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys
22.(18) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
23. (6) David Bowie - Earthling
24.(23) Kula Shaker - K
25.(21) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
26.(24) Robert Miles - Dreamland
27.(NE) Pavement - Brighten The Corners (Spotify)(Amazon)
Possibly the most-cited influence on Blur's new direction, which is certainly how the album came to my attention. But actually releasing it in the same week as Blur may have done more harm than good, keeping it from adding to their tally of Top 20 albums.
28.(25) The Lightning Seeds - Dizzy Heights
29.(26) Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
30.(33) Space - Spiders
31.(29) Crowded House - Recurring Dream - The Very Best of
32.(27) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
33.(32) Fugees - The Score
34.(31) Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
35.(28) Daft Punk - Homework
36.(37) Mark Owen - Green man
37.(34) Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley shoals
38.(35) The Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation
39.(17) The Offspring - Ixnay on the hombre
40.(14) Thunder - The Thrill of it all

44.(RE) The Bee Gees - The Very Best Of
59.(NE) Cyndi Lauper - Sisters Of Avalon
64.(RE) Celine Dion - The Colour of my love
72.(RE) Paul Weller - Stanley Road
73.(RE) Van Morrison - The Best Of Van Morrison
75.(RE) M People - Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II

Chartin 1997: album chart 15th February

01.(NE) Texas - White On Blonde (Spotify) (Amazon)
The fourth album that finally made them stars. We'll keep seeing hits from this throughout the year, so no need to say too much about it right now.
02. (2) Original Soundtrack - Evita
03. (1) Reef - Glow
04. (3) Spice Girls - Spice
05.(RE) Placebo - Placebo (Amazon)
An album that had dropped out of the Top 200, now redistributed and revived off the back of the Nancy Boy single and touring with David Bowie.
06.(NE) David Bowie - Earthling (Spotify) (Amazon)
Yes, it's his Drum N Bass album. No, that's not as bad an idea as it sounds although it is a bit of its time now - the namecheck for Boyzone is a bit of a giveaway there.
07. (4) The Beautiful South - Blue Is The Colour
08. (5) Suede - Coming Up
09. (6) Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
10. (9) No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
11. (7) George Michael - Older
12.(12) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
13. (8) Celine Dion - Falling into you
14.(NE) Thunder - The Thrill of it all
15.(10) Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
16.(15) Toni Braxton - Secrets
17.(NE) The Offspring - Ixnay on the hombre
Apparently there was some big lawsuit about which record company got to release this album. Epitaph seem to have lost, because they ended up doing it.
18.(13) Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
19.(11) Simply Red - Greatest Hits
20.(28) Gabrielle - Gabrielle
21.(19) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
22.(20) Rod Stewart - If We Fall In Love Tonight
23.(14) Kula Shaker - K
24.(21) Robert Miles - Dreamland
25.(16) The Lightning Seeds - Dizzy Heights
26.(25) Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
27.(22) Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
28.(18) Daft Punk - Homework
29.(23) Crowded House - Recurring Dream - The Very Best of
30.(NE) Paul Rodgers - Now
Who knew he'd end up with Queen?
31.(17) Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
32.(24) Fugees - The Score
33.(30) Space - Spiders
34.(27) Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley shoals
35.(31) The Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation
36.(35) Baby Bird - Ugly Beautiful
37.(43) Mark Owen - Green man
38.(NE) Silverchair - Freak Show
Australian grunge band. Possibly not the best time for that.
39.(26) Slade - Greatest hits feel the noize
40.(NE) Spacehog - Resident Alien
They of the slow-burning hit 'In The Meantime', but possibly better remembered now for the fact that one of them was married to Liv Tyler.

44.(NE) Curtis Mayfield - New World Order (Spotify) (Amazon)
His final album, recorded over a number of years while he was paralysed after an accident with a lighting rig. Sadly he never really recovered and died a couple of years later.
58.(RE) Sleeper - The It Girl
61.(RE) Babyface - The Day
63.(RE) Radiohead - Pablo Honey
72.(RE) Radiohead - The Bends