This week: 1997
Next week: 1976
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On the surface, 1997 seems to be a pretty thin year as far as music is concerned. Case in point: A total of eight songs for the entire year ascended to the top of Billboard's Hot 100 Chart, most either hip-hop/rap or safe, radio-friendly music. Of course, Elton John scored big with his reissue of "Candle In The Wind" after the tragic death of Princess Diana. But listeners as a whole seemed to agree with our assessment based on the consistency of their listening habits that year.
Number One On Billboard's Hot 100 In 1997
01.01.97 to 02.21.97 -- Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton
02.22.97 to 05.21.97 -- Wannabe by The Spice Girls
05.22.97 to 06.13.97 -- MMMBop by Hanson
06.14.97 to 08.30.97 -- I'll Be Missing You by Puff Daddy/Faith Evans/112
08.31.97 to 09.12.97 -- Mo' Money Mo' Problems by The Notorious B.I.G.
09.13.97 to 10.03.97 -- Honey by Mariah Carey
10.04.97 to 10.10.97 -- Four Seasons Of Loneliness by Boyz II Men
10.11.97 t0 12.31.97 -- Candle In The Wind by Elton John
Conversely, what 1997 lacked in quantity it surely offered in unparallelled quality, at least as far as the late 1990s were concerned. On the whole, we witnessed the unpredicted popularity of cult music by artists like the Verve, Sleater-Kinney, Modest Mouse, the Verve Pipe and Blur as well as the unforeseen brilliance of Erykah Badu. Artistically speaking, 1997 was teeming with developments large and small, but all significant. Established alternative acts like Björk, Radiohead, Spiritualized, and Stereolab issued some of their most sprawling and creative work. Critically acclaimed music was released by R.E.M., Beck, Massive Attack, Guster, Green Day and Whiskeytown. However, the majority of music sold and downloaded in 1997 skewed toward the rap/hip-hop and pop side of music.
Musically, the effusive atmosphere of the age combined with the introduction of true digital recording devices led to the evolution of new musical genres: post-rock, trip-hop, drum'n'bass, house and trance, etc. If the early 1990s had been devoted to nostalgia and history, the late 1990s laid the foundations for a completely different culture. Music was developing a sense of separation and disorientation. Popularly speaking, the music of 1997 began to experience the thumping rhythms and repetitive melodies of house and trance while the new genres hinted at a latent existential angst and malaise. Consequently, there was a widening gap between the collective psyche and the individual psyche, and nowhere was it more evidenced than in the new underground. Digital recording artists, producers and the deejays embraced this form of progressive neo-expressionism under the pretense of post-modernism.
House, trance and trip-hop evolved thanks to the collective search for the next musical revolution. Purely instrumental and featuring dub-influenced basslines, this was a radical change as compared to previous incarnations of what was considered truly underground. By taking advantage of supreme advances in digital technology, the music, and not the lyric, was the dominant means of expression. This type of expressionism was virtually and digitally infinite and released the producer from the burden of finding an artist or band before being able to deliver new and/or digitally altered music to its rapidly expanding audience.
Progressive House is thought to have served as an influence for at least four different electronic dance music genres that strongly influenced each other in the latter half of the 1990s: House/Trance, Breaks, Drum 'N' Bass (neofunk) and Techno. Two of the most precursory of these elements, house and trance music, had been colliding in style on numerous occasions during this time. 1997 is considered to be the first peak of the progressive underground within the United States, taking it's lead from the widespread popularity of the progressive house movement in England and Europe.
Likewise, 1997 saw the birth of Electric Daisy Carnival, an annual electronic/house and trance rave as well as copycat festivals that had previously been considered strictly underground. Similar festivals included Together As One, Monster Massive, Nocturnal Festival, and Beyond Wonderland.
I find the idea of today's icons being teenagers incredibly uninspiring:
LeAnn Rimes's "How Do I Live" lasted 69 weeks in Billboard's Hot 100 staring in late 1996 and lasting until early 1998. Rimes became the youngest person ever to win the Best New Artist Grammy. Similarly, "MMMBop", by Hanson, was nominated for two Grammy Awards. The song was phenomenally successful, especially for a debut single, reaching number one in 27 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Mexico. In the United Kingdom, the song sold 710,000 copies and stayed at number one for 3 weeks. It was voted the best single of the year in The Village Voice Jazz & Pop critics poll, while also topping critics' polls from such media as Rolling Stone Magazine, Spin Magazine, and VH1, and was ranked as #20 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
Due perhaps to the song's extraordinary success as well as its sugary-sweet pop music sound, "MMMBop" is also the target of considerable criticism and parody. The song was ranked at #17 on the list of AOL Radio's 100 Worst Songs Ever in 2010.
A Caveat:
"Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose" is a remake of 1973's "Candle in the Wind" as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. Released in 1997, the song peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, becoming John's fourth No. 1 single. John said he would never again sing this version live except at the request of Prince William of Wales or Prince Harry of Wales. It has, apparently, only been played three times: once during the memorial services and again shortly thereafter when it was recorded for the single, which was produced by George Martin, and lastly at the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011.
Sexual Perversity Down Under:
The rumors of death by sexual asphyxiation were simply untrue. On the morning of November 22, 1997, Michael Hutchence, lead singer of INXS, was found dead in Room 524 at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Double Bay, Sydney.
On February 6, 1998, after an autopsy inquest, New South Wales State Coroner, Derrick Hand, presented his report which ruled that Hutchence's death was a suicide while depressed and under the influence of drugs and alcohol, rather than by self-induced sexual asphyxiation, which was the rumor making the rounds at the time.
Hutchence's body was discovered by a hotel maid at 11:50 am. Police reported that, "He was in a kneeling position facing the door. He had used his fat Jesus snake skin belt to tie a knot on the automatic door closure at the top of the door, and had strained his head forward into the loop so hard that the buckle had broken".
An analysis report of Hutchence's blood indicated the presence of alcohol, cocaine, Prozac and other prescription drugs. On consideration of the entirety of the evidence gathered, Hutchence was said to be in a severely depressed state on the morning of his suicide, due to a number of factors, including the relationship with Paula Yates and the pressure of an ongoing dispute with Bob Geldof, combined with the effects of the substances that he had ingested at that time. So there you have it, no scandal.
Hip Hop Violent Death Of The Year:
On March 9, 1997, at around 12:30 a.m., Christopher George Latore Wallace, aka The Norious B.I.G., left with his entourage in two GMC Suburbans to return to his hotel after the Fire Department closed a party he had attended because of overcrowding and public endangerment. Wallace traveled in the front passenger seat alongside his associates, Damion "D-Roc" Butler, Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Cease and driver, Gregory "G-Money" Young. Sean Combs traveled in the other vehicle with three bodyguards. The two trucks were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying the director of security for rap star Bad Boy.
By 12:45 a.m., the streets were crowded with people leaving the event. Wallace's truck stopped at a red light 50 yards from the museum where the party had been held. A black Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up alongside Wallace's truck. According to the police report, the driver of the Impala, an African-American male dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired at the GMC Suburban; four bullets hit Wallace in the chest. Wallace's entourage rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m.
Wallace's murder remains unsolved and there are many theories regarding the identities and motives of the murderers. Basketball player Shaquille O'Neal was a close friend of Wallace's and on the night of Wallace's death, he was supposed to meet him at an after party. O'Neal has reportedly struggled with guilt about Wallace's death since that night.
Sometimes Bad Is Bad-Assed:
"Baduizm," the debut LP by Erykah Badu, received numerous reviews lauding her masterpiece as a return to the simplicity of early-1970s soul. And, - like the conscious soul era of the early 1970s it invoked - including the music of Stevie Wonder , Sly & The Family Stone, Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield - its politics and social comment strove to be inclusive, to be understood and to imply that a vicious, materialist attitude had permeated black culture since the Reagan '80s.
"Baduizm" serves as a landmark album in the neo-soul genre, as it helped develop its popularity and commercial visibility at the time of the album's release. It's commercial and critical success earned Badu unparallelled popularity and established her as one of neo-soul's emerging artists.
Playlist For Friday Flashback 1997
01. Head Over Feet by Alanis Morissette
02. Barbie Girl by Aqua
03. The New Pollution by Beck
04. Jack-Ass by Beck
05. Dry The Rain by Beta Band
06. Song 2 by Blur
07. 'Til I Fell In Love With You by Bob Dylan
08. Secret Garden by Bruce Springsteen
09. The Ghost Of Tom Joad [Live] by Bruce Springsteen & Tom Morello
10. Greedy Fly by Bush
11. Lovefool by The Cardigans
12. Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
13. Forgiveness by Collective Soul
14. Listen by Collective Soul
15. Precious Declaration by Collective Soul
16. A Long December by Counting Crows
17. Crash Into Me by The Dave Matthews Band
18. Say Goodbye by The Dave Matthews band
19. My Own Summer (Shove It) by Deftones
20. Around The Fur by Deftones
21. Barely Breathing by Duncan Shiek
22. Change The World by Eric Clapton
23. On & On by Erykah Badu
24. Next Lifetime by Erykah Badu
25. Drama by Erykah Badu
26. Shadowboxer by Fiona Apple
27. Criminal by Fiona Apple
28. Riding To Work In The Year 2025 by The Flaming Lips
29. Monkey Wrench by Foo Fighters
30. Everlong by Foo Fighters
31. Hitchin' A Ride by Green day
32. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) by Green Day
33. Demons by Guster
34. Perfect by Guster
35. Grin by Guster
36. Getting Even by Guster
37. Favorite Things by Incubus
38. Elegantly Wasted by INXS
39. Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai
40. Who Will Save Your Soul? by Jewel
41. You Were Meant For Me by Jewel
42. A Hundred And Ten In The Shade by John Fogerty
43. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl by Jonny Lang
44. Naked Eye by Luscious Jackson
45. Sex & Candy by Marcy Playground
46. Risingson by Massive Attack
47. 3 A.M. by Matchbox Twenty
48. Real World by Matchbox Twenty
49. Push by Matchbox Twenty
50. Girl Like That by Matchbox Twenty
51. Back 2 Good by Matchbox Twenty
52. Bitch by Meredith Brooks
53. The Impression That I Get by Mighty Mighty Bosstones
54. Trailer Trash by Modest Mouse
55. Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice On Ice, Alright by Modest Mouse
56. That's Entertainment by Morrissey
57. Spiderwebs by No Doubt
58. Don't Speak by No Doubt
59. Superman's Dead by Our Lady Peace
60. Where Have All The Cowboys Gone by Paula Cole
61. I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly
62. Electrolite by R.E.M.
63. How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us by R.E.M.
64. Paranoid Android by Radiohead
65. Let Down by Radiohead
66. Karma Police by Radiohead
67. Lucky by Radiohead
68. Building A Mystery by Sarah McLachlan
69. Everyday Is A Winding Road by Sheryl Crow
70. All For You by Sister Hazel
71. Happy by Sister Hazel
72. Wanted It To Be by Sister Hazel
73. Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney
74. Walkin' On The Sun by Smash Mouth
75. Thirty-Three by Smashing Pumpkins
76. Lady Picture Show by Stone Temple Pilots
77. And So I Know by Stone Temple Pilots
78. Adhesive by Stone Temple Pilots
79. Santeria by Sublime
80. Caress Me Down by Sublime
81. What I Got by Sublime
82. Fly by Sugar Ray
83. Jumper by Third Eye Blind
84. Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind
85. Lucky Man by The Verve
86. Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve
87. The Drugs Don't Work by The Verve
88. The Freshman by Verve Pipe
89. 6th Avenue Heartache by The Wallflowers
90. One Headlight by The Wallflowers
91. God Don't Make Lonely Girls by The Wallflowers
92. 16 Days by Whiskeytown
93. Radio Child by Widespread Panic
94. Aunt Avis by Widespread Panic
95. Tall Boy by Widespread Panic
96. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo
97. The Lie And How We Told It by Yo La Tengo
98. More than This by 10,000 Maniacs
99. All Mixed Up by 311
Album art from 1997 - Click album cover to purchase at Amazon.com
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