Onto my GCSEs year. 1997. To the shock of many, I actually passed some exams! Not too many, of course, but enough to get me into sixth form. I also said goodbye to my braces (I'd had them for four years by this time), all the spots which plagued my face and erm...my virginity. Don't worry though, it's grown back now though :no:

The losing of my virginity occurred on holiday in Spain (I'll keep it P.G don't panic). It was deathly dull. Nothing to do except play I Spy with the family in dreadful cafes. One night I lied and said I was ill and needed to go back to the apartment and lie down. Staying in the next apartment was a very drunk slightly older girl. I sensed something was about to happen. I'd heard so much about sex with girls, I thought I'd might as well see what all the fuss was about. Long tedious story short, she dragged me into her room, I struggled and just laid there like a stunned gazelle. Help was at hand though. There was a poster of Robbie Williams on the wall behind her. I kept telling her to move her head.

Of course when I returned to sixth form I bragged to everyone I met. I assumed many didn't believe me. I was hardly a hunk in them days, and I was a geek. Still, it happened. I had finally hit adolescence. Just two years later I'd become a total slag. Happy days.

 

Another 66 tracks to whittle down this time. Those missing out on the Top 40 include Skunk Anansie, Sheryl Crow, Source Feat. Candi Staton, Louise, Natalie Imbruglia, Kylie Minogue, Bjork, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Republica, Apollo 440, Divine Comedy, Dario G, Rosie Gaines & Sneaker Pimps.

 

My Favourite Top 40 Hits Of 1997

 

1. White Town – Your Woman

2. Submerge Feat. Jan Johnston – Take Me By The Hand

3. Tori Amos – Professional Widow (It’s Got To Be Big) (Armand Van Helden Remix)

4. Pet Shop Boys – A Red Letter Day

5. Sash! – Encore Une Fois

6. Depeche Mode – Home

7. Dubstar – No More Talk

8. Monaco – Sweet Lips

9. Daft Punk – Da Funk/Musique

10. Dannii Minogue – All I Wanna Do

11. Disco Citizens – Footprint

12. Tina Moore – Never Gonna Let You Go

13. Todd Terry Feat. Shannon – It’s Over Love

14. Basement Jaxx – Fly Life

15. Lisa Stansfield – The Real Thing

16. Monaco – What Do You Want From Me

17. Age Of Love – The Age Of Love

18. Tin Tin Out – Strings For Yasmin

19. BT – Flaming June

20. The Verve – Lucky Man

21. North & South – Tarantino’s New Star

22. Smoke City – Underwater Love

23. Propellerheads Feat. Miss Shirley Bassey – History Repeating

24. Red 5 – I Love You…Stop!

25. Elate – Somebody Like You

26. Mrs Wood – Joanna

27. Eels – Susan’s House

28. The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

29. Lithium & Sonya Madan – Ride A Rocket

30. PF Project Feat. Ewan McGregor – Choose Life

31. Brainbug – Nightmare

32. Echo & The Bunnymen – Nothing Lasts Forever

33. Olive – Outlaw

34. Alisha’s Attic – Indestructible

35. JT Playaz – Just Playin’

36. Chicane – Lost You Somewhere

37. Primal Scream – Star

38. Daft Punk – Around The World

39. DJ Supreme – Tha Wild Style

40. David Bowie – Dead Man Walking

 

White Town - Your Woman is a good #1 in your list, and rather like Space - Female of The Species it has a quirky vocal. I like Naughty Boy, Wiley, Emeli Sande and Shy FX's version in 2010 too. Encore Une Fois - great synth melody, the Tori Amos remix is certainly a fierce dancefloor track, that Dannii Minogue song is her second best one imo after Who Do You Love (Stringer) with Riva in 2001. Flaming June is one of the best late 90s trance hits, Never Gonna Let You Go by Tina Moore is a good start to the UK garage genre, strange it took another two years or so for the genre to become a major chart trend. The Verve - Drugs Don't Work is epic. Don't know that Olive song but their 'You're Not Alone' has long been one of my favourite dance tracks.

 

Would add Alone by the Bee Gees, Belissima by DJ Quicksilver, Closer than Close by Rosie Gaines, Free by Ultra Nate, England ITV football theme Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, Todd Terry, Martha Wash and Jocelyn Brown - Something Goin' On (In Your Soul), Karma Police by Radiohead and Sunchyme by Dario G.

Edited June 8, 20205 yr by The Snake

from your list I really like Your Woman (amazing #1), the Daft Punk singles, Depeche Mode - Home, Underwater Love, The Verve singles

 

surprised you have Olive's Outlaw but not You're not Alone, the latter being a dance classic of classics and one of the best dance songs ever. Also surprised you don't have Bittersweet Symphony.

 

Other singles that I liked were Radiohead- Karma Police and Paranoid Android, Depeche Mode - It's no Good, Bush - Swallowed, Texas - Say what you want, Robbie - Angels, Natalie Imbruglia - Torn, All Saints - Never ever, Blur's Beetlebum and Song 2 (they really out-did Oasis in 97), No Doubt - Don't speak, Block Rockin' Beats, George Michael - You have been loved, Paula Cole - Where have all the cowboys gone

 

funnily, despite Tori Amos being my #1 singer, I do hate Professional Widow, in its original form the song is already bad, but that remix made it even worst, a 0/10 for me :/

Edited June 1, 20205 yr by Bjork

Continuing the trend, 1997 has a mere 4 chart-toppers for me (PSB, Monaco & 2 from The Verve), with my faves that came close being Dannii Minogue - yes I also was dancing along to dannii, albeit in my bedroom where no-one could see me, and using my unique dancing style where it was all about gyrating on the spot (my bedroom has 1 metre clearance space and wooden floors :lol: ) - and Eels, Monaco, Smoke City.

 

MY tippety top others of 1997 include Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli (admittedly not one I dance to in clubs), Texas' Halo/Put Your Arms Around me/Say What You want/ Black Eyed Boy, Torn, Alone, Perfect Day, Sunny Came Home, Where Do You Go (No Mercy), Tubthumping, You Got The Love, Where Have All The Cowboys Gone, Discotheque, Everybody (Backstreets Back), Spice Up Your Life, I Want You. My top rated dance track very much The Source/candi staton, then Salva Mea (Faithless), and you have to get outside my top 50 before others start popping up (Blue Boy, Ultra Nate, Sash!)

 

I guess the moral of your story is not under any circumstances to get involved in I Spy, it'll just lead to young people experimenting with Robbie Williams posters! That "stunned gazelle" look is one I've perfected over my lifetime. Brings out the mothering instinct in women :P

Good to see Your Woman at number 1. It just misses the top 10 on my list. 1997 was another very good year for chart music.

 

1. Radiohead - Paranoid Android

2. Depeche Mode - Home

3. Massive Attack - Risingson

4. The Orb - Toxygene

5. Olive - You're Not Alone

6. Eels - Susan's House

7. Radiohead - Karma Police

8. Prefab Sprout - A Prisoner Of The Past

9. The Chemical Brothers - Elektrobank

10. Pet Shop Boys - Somewhere

11. White Town - Your Woman

12. Republica - Ready To Go

13. The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats

14. Daft Punk - Da Funk

15. Echo and the Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever

16. Bentley Rhythm Ace - Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out!

17. The Source featuring Candi Staton - You Got The Love (remix)

18. Monaco - What Do You Want From Me?

19. The Future Sound Of London - We Have Explosive

20. DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima

MY tippety top others of 1997 include Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli (admittedly not one I dance to in clubs), Texas' Halo/Put Your Arms Around me/Say What You want/ Black Eyed Boy, Torn, Alone, Perfect Day, Sunny Came Home, Where Do You Go (No Mercy), Tubthumping, You Got The Love, Where Have All The Cowboys Gone, Discotheque, Everybody (Backstreets Back), Spice Up Your Life, I Want You. My top rated dance track very much The Source/candi staton, then Salva Mea (Faithless), and you have to get outside my top 50 before others start popping up (Blue Boy, Ultra Nate, Sash!)

 

I forgot about Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone, great song which reminds me too of the also brilliant Joan Osborne - One Of Us which is a similar style of music.

 

And yes to me Texas's songs seemed to be EVERYWHERE in the late 90s, a bit like Jamiroquai about the same time too.

Edited June 2, 20205 yr by The Snake

White Town - Your Woman is a good #1 in your list, and rather like Space - Female of The Species it has a quirky vocal. I like Naughty Boy, Wiley, Emeli Sande and Shy FX's version in 2010 too. Encore en Fois - great synth melody, the Tori Amos remix is certainly a fierce dancefloor track, that Dannii Minogue song is her second best one imo after Who Do You Love (Stringer) with Riva in 2001. Flaming June is one of the best late 90s trance hits, Never Gonna Let You Go by Tina Moore is a good start to the UK garage genre, strange it took another two years or so for the genre to become a major chart trend. The Verve - Drugs Don't Work is epic. Don't know that Olive song but their 'You're Not Alone' has long been one of my favourite dance tracks.

 

Would add Alone by the Bee Gees, Belissima by DJ Quicksilver, Closer than Close by Rosie Gaines, Free by Ultra Nate, England ITV football theme Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, Todd Terry, Martha Wash and Jocelyn Brown - Something Goin' On (In Your Soul), Karma Police by Radiohead and Sunchyme by Dario G.

 

Closer Than Close & Sunchyme just missed out. I adored You're Not Alone at the time, but overfamiliarity has pushed it down in my rankings, although I still adore the Oakenfold remix.

 

Thanks again for the comments :wub:

from your list I really like Your Woman (amazing #1), the Daft Punk singles, Depeche Mode - Home, Underwater Love, The Verve singles

 

surprised you have Olive's Outlaw but not You're not Alone, the latter being a dance classic of classics and one of the best dance songs ever. Also surprised you don't have Bittersweet Symphony.

 

Other singles that I liked were Radiohead- Karma Police and Paranoid Android, Depeche Mode - It's no Good, Bush - Swallowed, Texas - Say what you want, Robbie - Angels, Natalie Imbruglia - Torn, All Saints - Never ever, Blur's Beetlebum and Song 2 (they really out-did Oasis in 97), No Doubt - Don't speak, Block Rockin' Beats, George Michael - You have been loved, Paula Cole - Where have all the cowboys gone

 

funnily, despite Tori Amos being my #1 singer, I do hate Professional Widow, in its original form the song is already bad, but that remix made it even worst, a 0/10 for me :/

 

I adored You're Not Alone at the time (it made my Top 2 twice in '96 and '97) but overfamiliarity has pushed it down in my rankings. Ditto Bittersweet Symphony.

 

Of the others you mentioned Torn & Block Rockin' Beats just missed out. I also like Karma Police, It's No Good, Say What You Want, Never Ever, Song 2 & Don't Speak.

 

:lol: I can't fault the remix of Professional Widow at all. A classic. Angels, however, I could live very happily without ever hearing it again, despite liking Robbie.

 

Thanks again for the comments :wub:

Continuing the trend, 1997 has a mere 4 chart-toppers for me (PSB, Monaco & 2 from The Verve), with my faves that came close being Dannii Minogue - yes I also was dancing along to dannii, albeit in my bedroom where no-one could see me, and using my unique dancing style where it was all about gyrating on the spot (my bedroom has 1 metre clearance space and wooden floors :lol: ) - and Eels, Monaco, Smoke City.

 

MY tippety top others of 1997 include Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli (admittedly not one I dance to in clubs), Texas' Halo/Put Your Arms Around me/Say What You want/ Black Eyed Boy, Torn, Alone, Perfect Day, Sunny Came Home, Where Do You Go (No Mercy), Tubthumping, You Got The Love, Where Have All The Cowboys Gone, Discotheque, Everybody (Backstreets Back), Spice Up Your Life, I Want You. My top rated dance track very much The Source/candi staton, then Salva Mea (Faithless), and you have to get outside my top 50 before others start popping up (Blue Boy, Ultra Nate, Sash!)

 

I guess the moral of your story is not under any circumstances to get involved in I Spy, it'll just lead to young people experimenting with Robbie Williams posters! That "stunned gazelle" look is one I've perfected over my lifetime. Brings out the mothering instinct in women :P

 

:lol: Yep, that was the moral of the story. Funnily enough, the stunned gazelle pose is also one I've perfected over the years.

 

So many classics in '97 that a lot of more well known classics missed out. Over familiarity has played a part in the absence of a lot of them in my Top 40. At the time I bought Torn, Sunny Came Home, Where Do You Go, Discotheque, Salva Mea & You Got The Love (the '97 version being my favourite). Perfect Day & Everybody (Backstreet's Back) I've never much cared for tbh.

 

Thanks again for the comments John :wub:

Good to see Your Woman at number 1. It just misses the top 10 on my list. 1997 was another very good year for chart music.

 

1. Radiohead - Paranoid Android

2. Depeche Mode - Home

3. Massive Attack - Risingson

4. The Orb - Toxygene

5. Olive - You're Not Alone

6. Eels - Susan's House

7. Radiohead - Karma Police

8. Prefab Sprout - A Prisoner Of The Past

9. The Chemical Brothers - Elektrobank

10. Pet Shop Boys - Somewhere

11. White Town - Your Woman

12. Republica - Ready To Go

13. The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats

14. Daft Punk - Da Funk

15. Echo and the Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever

16. Bentley Rhythm Ace - Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out!

17. The Source featuring Candi Staton - You Got The Love (remix)

18. Monaco - What Do You Want From Me?

19. The Future Sound Of London - We Have Explosive

20. DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima

 

Great to see Home as your No.2 - that so deserved to be a much bigger hit. I see we share 5 others. You're Not Alone, Somewhere, Ready To Go, Block Rockin' Beats, Bentley'sGonna Sort You Out, You Got The Love & Bellissima are my picks of the others.

 

Thanks again Rollo :wub:

September 1998 saw the start of my last year at sixth form. I was still totally besotted with the straight Geordie who by now had a girlfriend. They seemed to be all over each other all the time. What made it even worse for me was that she was really lovely, so I couldn't hate her. Which was rather inconvenient for me. I'd also started going out a lot by this time with my best mate from primary school who took me under his wing and got me into all kinds of trouble. His mum was getting worried about his behaviour. She confided in my mum about him smoking, and figured (correctly) that if he was doing it, I would be too. Proving her eternal trust in me, my mum immediately went snooping around my coat pockets. She found the ciggies. She confronted me, saying how much she was disappointed in me, how disgusting smoking was and how much I'd let her down, whilst having a fag in her mouth, obviously. I didn't know how I was going to get out of this one and without thinking I blurted out "I'm gay!" I've no idea why I thought this was a smart move, but it did the trick. It shut her up.

It goes without saying me and my mum loved each other and we were very close. We were very very similar. I thought about how she'd react to my coming out all the time. I figured she'd be fine with it. She loved Johnny Mathis and Lily Savage after all. Boy, did I misjudge that!

She had absolutely no idea. I couldn't think why, I dropped more than enough clues over the years. She did hug me when I blurted it out and she did try to understand, but the truth is she never really accepted it, sadly. Still, at least now she could save herself a trip to the newsagents by nicking fags off me instead, so you know, every cloud.

 

59 tracks made the shortlist this time, including hits from Catatonia, Five, Energy 52, Storm, Another Level, Honeyz, Des’ree, Tatyana Ali, Placebo & Shawn Colvin, which miss out on my Top 40 of the year.

 

My Favourite Top 40 Hits Of 1998

 

1. Karen Ramirez – Looking For Love

2. Lucid – I Can’t Help Myself

3. Madonna – Frozen

4. Cher – Believe

5. Kylie Minogue – Breathe

6. Dannii Minogue – Disremembrance

7. Saint Etienne – Sylvie

8. Stars On 54 – If You Could Read My Mind

9. Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You

10. Maria Nayler – Naked And Sacred

11. Ace Of Base – Life Is A Flower

12. Wildchild – Renegade Master

13. Beastie Boys – Intergalactic

14. Electrasy – Morning Afterglow

15. Madonna – The Power Of Goodbye/Little Star

16. The Corrs – What Can I Do

17. Run DMC vs Jason Nevins – It’s Like That

18. Sash! Feat. Tina Cousins – Mysterious Times

19. Ruff Driverz Presents Arrola – Dreaming

20. Emilia – Big Big World

21. Tina Moore – Nobody Better

22. Madonna – Ray Of Light

23. Tin Tin Out Feat. Shelley Nelson – Here’s Where The Story Ends

24. DJ Rap – Bad Girl

25. Garbage – I Think I’m Paranoid

26. Lodger – I’m Leaving

27. Nalin & Kane – Beachball

28. Electribe 101 – Talking With Myself ‘98

29. Solid Harmonie – I’ll Be There For You

30. S-J – I Feel Divine

31. Green Day – Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance)

32. O.R.G.A.N – To The World

33. Fat Les – Vindaloo

34. Del Amitri – Don’t Come Home Too Soon

35. Aqua – Turn Back Time

36. Fatboy Slim – Gangster Trippin’

37. Natalie Imbruglia – Smoke

38. Skinny – Failure

39. Melanie B Feat. Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott – I Want You Back

40. Gomez – Whippin’ Piccadilly

 

 

not the best year, nothing amazing in singles or albums

the year was saved by Madonna (Frozen) and Massive Attack (Teardrop)

and of course Tori Amos but by now she was a cult act already. Her single Spark just spent a week in there top 20 but deserved much more.

other singles I liked were Alanis - Thank U, Catatonia - Mulder & Scully, Brimful of Asha and Rockefeller Skank,

the Corrs singles, Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight, Billie Myers - Kiss the Rain, all the Placebo singles

God is a DJ, Cardigans - My Favourite Game, all the Garbage singles

all the Air Singles, the 2 Manic singles

Edited June 8, 20205 yr by Bjork

ooh, 1998 down to a mere 2 chart-toppers from me there - Madonna's Power of Goodbye, Cher. Though lots of goodies, more madonna, Ramirez, Stardust, Ace Of base, Tin Tin Out (stood next to Shelly Nelson and her mum backstage at Radio 1 roadshow that year. Didn't say anything, too shy), Garbage, Green Day.

 

T'others I loved: Millennium/Let Me Entertain You, If You Tolerate This..., To The Moon & Back, Push It, Stay (Bernard Butler), Human beings (Seal), Uninvited, Carnaval De Paris, Last Stop: This Town (Eels), Alane, When You're Gone, Robyn's Show Me Love and many more

 

My mum sorted the whole smoking issue with me when I was 10 - she and dad both smoked, and gave me one to try. Totally hated it and never touched one again in my life, also got fed up breathing in second-hand smoke for the first 30 years of my life. I'm sure that's why I'm so short (compared to 21st Century generations that is, I was quite tall for the Middle Ages) :lol:

 

My mum also had me do the fag running from a young age, Liverpool 1966, 8 years old and earlier, she gave me a fiver to go and buy some from the local Newsagents (and that was like half the week's rent on the flat in those days, a huge amount of money) and I lost it (or was diddled by the shop-owner, hard to remember now, I was so upset and worried about it). Still, she gets her own back these days, refusing to do what I need her to do when she needs showering.

 

 

I like your no.1 by Karen Ramirez but it doesn't make my top 20. Your no.2 & no.3 are here. For 1998 by Binary Finary,the Matt Darey mix is the best one to listen to while for Cafe Del Mar,it's the Three 'N One mix.

 

1. Binary Finary -1998

2. Massive Attack - Teardrop

3. Energy 52 - Cafe Del Mar

4. Radiohead - No Surprises

5. Faithless - God Is A DJ

6. Massive Attack - Angel

7. Madonna - Frozen

8. Faithless - Take The Long Way Home

9. Pulp - This Is Hardcore

10. Rest Assured - Treat Infamy

11. Eels - Last Stop This Town

12. Air - Sexy Boy

13. BT - Flaming June

14. Lucid - I Can't Help Myself

15. Air - All I Need

16. Depeche Mode - Only When I Lose Myself

17. Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

18. Paul Van Dyk - For An Angel

19. Air - Kelly Watch The Stars

20. Da Hool - Meet Her At The Love Parade

Some great tracks in both charts guys!

 

I always for some reason thought 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack was released in like 1992 or something!

The Karen Rameirez track is very nice and makes a good #1. Mysterious Times is so relevant lyrically at the moment and easily my favourite of Sash's songs. Ace of Base - Life Is A Flower I already mentioned but brings back good memories of hearing it on the radio when I was younger, likewise the Tin Tin Out and Shelley Nelson song I remember a lot from when I was younger, liked it back then and its still a good chilled dance track. Remember It's Like That too from the time, it still sounds like a fierce dancefloor track. I also really like Jason Nevins follow up featuring Holly James I'm In Heaven in 2003, which is a really nice chilled dance track. The Corrs and Nalin and Kale tracks are good, Green Day's brief experiment with folk music turned out to be one of their best songs in my opinion. Aqua's Turn Back Time is a really nice song, its like a completely different group to their other songs!

 

Would add Flaming June, Meet Her At The Love Parade (although I think I prefer the 2001 version), Frozen and God Is A DJ from King Rollo's list to my 1998 favourites and When You're Gone by Mel C and Bryan Adams and the excellent To The Moon And Back by Savage Garden (which is like their sort of version of Wet Wet Wet - Wishing I Was Lucky in being more interesting than most of their other hits imo - the production also reminds me of it a bit in style too come to think of it) to my favourites from popchartfreak's list.

 

Would also add Camisra - Let Me Show You (it reminds me of the Cha Cha Slide for some reason too :lol: ), Encore - Le Disc Jockey and also Touch and Go - Would You because I remember that great brass instrumental from when I was younger.

 

Also remember Horny by Mousse T at the time and hated it because I was only 6 at the time and embarrassed me as I knew it was a rude song. Same with Sex On the Beach by T-Spoon. :lol:

Edited June 8, 20205 yr by The Snake

the Karen Ramirez hit was originally an EBTG b-side right?

the Karen Ramirez hit was originally an EBTG b-side right?

 

The Tin Tin Out hit was also a cover too of a song by a band called The Sundays.

The Sundays were one of my favourite bands ever, the singer voice was heaven and they made great melodies

so for me to see one of their best lost jewels (Here's where the story ends) turn into a dance track

with lacklustre production and mediocre vocals was a massive let down :/

 

 

not the best year, nothing amazing in singles or albums

the year was saved by Madonna (Frozen) and Massive Attack (Teardrop)

and of course Tori Amos but by now she was a cult act already. Her single Spark just spent a week in there top 20 but deserved much more.

other singles I liked were Alanis - Thank U, Catatonia - Mulder & Scully, Brimful of Asha and Rockefeller Skank,

the Corrs singles, Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight, Billie Myers - Kiss the Rain, all the Placebo singles

God is a DJ, Cardigans - My Favourite Game, all the Garbage singles

all the Air Singles, the 2 Manic singles

 

I have to disagree. Personally I think 1998 was a fantastic year for singles and albums. Albums wise Ray Of Light, Hello Nasty and You've Come A Long Way Baby remain three of my favourites.

 

Of the ones you mentioned I like Thank U, the Catatonia singles, Brimful Of Asha, Rockefeller Skank, The Corrs, Placebo, Cardigans, Garbage, Air & Manics.

 

Thanks for the comments :wub: