Jester

Goodies strays into non number 1 territory.

7. Oasis - D’You Know What I Mean? Number 1 for 1 week, July AI summary: Oasis thundered back with the lead single from Be Here Now, a sprawling 7-minute Britpop epic that fused swagger, Morse code samples, and Beatles nods into a wall of sound. “D’You Know What I Mean?” debuted at #1 on 19 July 1997, spending 1 week at the summit, 3 weeks in the Top 10, and 12 weeks in the Top 100. The track’s cryptic lyrics and cinematic video—filmed in a post-apocalyptic wasteland—cemented Oasis’s mythic status at the peak of their fame. Noel Gallagher described it as a mission statement: defiant, introspective, and colossal. It also cheekily sampled N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton,” blending Britpop with hip-hop bravado. My take: Immense, sprawling, thunderous, epic - those words certainly apply to this. Bloated as well I think, it was the start of 'too big for their boots' Oasis. The video had parka and helicopters (and Liam looked oh so cool), the song had morse code and a huge wall of sound. This was massive (though not lengthy number 1 as it matched the 1 week of each of their chart toppers) but it lacked the quality of their first two albums. Follow up Stand By Me was miles better.

8. Tori Amos - Professional Widow (It’s Got To Be Big) 1 week at number 1, January AI summary: Originally a harpsichord-driven baroque rock track from Boys for Pele, “Professional Widow” was transformed into a club juggernaut by Armand Van Helden’s remix. The reworked version—subtitled It’s Got To Be Big—hit #1 on 11 January 1997, spending 1 week at the top, 5 weeks in the Top 10, and 15 weeks in the Top 100. The remix’s pounding house beats and provocative vocal snippets (“It’s gotta be big”) made it a dancefloor staple, while the original’s rumored inspiration—Courtney Love—added a layer of rock mythology. It also topped the US Billboard Dance chart, showcasing Amos’s unexpected crossover into club culture. My take: Well, Armand Van Helden certainly worked his magic on this absolute banger! This was Tori's only number 1, but with a cracker like this, who needs another?!

Sadly no video, was actually in 2001 🤣

9. Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life Number 1 for 1 week, October AI summary: Spice Up Your Life launched the Spice Girls’ second album with a carnival of chaos and colour. A Latin-tinged rallying cry for global girl power, it debuted at number one and marked their fifth chart-topper in under two years. With its “zig-a-zig-ah” energy dialled to eleven, the song doubled down on their mission to be everywhere — from Pepsi ads to movie screens. The futuristic video and relentless tempo made it a whirlwind opener for Spiceworld, capturing the band at their most maximalist and magnetic. My take: I think this is the most contemporary sounding Spice Girls song and got us out of the never ending depression of Candle In The Wind back in October 97. It really was a Spiceworld by this point, they were literally everywhere! This really is a hyper pop song and helped me with my left (slam it) and right (shake it).

10. Spice Girls - Who Do You Think You Are Number 1 for 3 weeks, March AI summary: The Spice Girls’ fourth consecutive UK number one, “Who Do You Think You Are” arrived as a disco-fuelled celebration of sass and self-awareness. Paired with Comic Relief’s official single “Mama,” it stormed the charts during the peak of Spice mania. With its Chic-inspired groove and cheeky lyrics about fame and identity, the track became a defining anthem of the Cool Britannia era. Their iconic Brit Awards performance — complete with Geri’s Union Jack dress — cemented the song’s place in pop history. A glittering, confident strut through the spotlight. My take: Way better than the other A side (Mama) this is a Spicey classic! The comic relief video is iconic, the performance at the BRITS with Geri's Union Jack dress is iconic, the performance by myself and others at our amateur dramatics as the Spice Boys to this was also iconic!

I am hyped!

48 copies?!

11. Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin’ Beats Number 1 for 1 week, April AI summary: A seismic blast of breakbeats and bass, Block Rockin’ Beats launched the Chemical Brothers into the mainstream with a #1 debut in spring 1997. As the opening track of Dig Your Own Hole, it helped define the big beat era, blending techno, hip hop, and indie rock influences. The track’s gritty sample from Schoolly D’s “Gucci Again” added raw edge to its club-ready swagger. It remains one of the duo’s most iconic hits and a staple of 90s electronic music. My take: A fantastic number 1 which benefited from the halo effect of Setting Sun being a huge number 1 in 1996. I do think this is a massive banger in its own right and was a whisker away from being in my top 10.

12. Eternal feat. Bebe Winans - I Wanna Be The Only One Number 1 for 1 week, May AI summary: Eternal’s gospel-tinged R&B anthem, featuring powerhouse vocals from Bebe Winans, became the group’s first and only UK number one. It topped the chart in May 1997, marking a high point in their career and cementing their crossover appeal. The track was the third most played song on British radio that year and the most played UK act on European radio, earning a BRIT nomination for Best Single. A radiant blend of soul and pop, it remains a defining moment in late-90s girl group history. My take: I do love a key change and gospel, so this was a no-brainer for me as Eternal's best song and finally a chart topper for them after many tries. Bebe Winans is an astonishingly good singer and although this suffered from mega overplay, it is still a 90s classic.

Cannot forgive the frog for keeping Coldplay off number 1. Bah bah! Although to this day I cannot listen to the original Axel F without adding some frog.

All About You is one of the best McFly songs - twee and quite sweet.

13. Aqua – Barbie Girl Number 1 for 4 weeks, October/November AI summary: Plastic, fantastic, and utterly unforgettable, Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” burst onto the UK charts in 1997 like a glitter cannon at a rave. With its Eurodance bounce and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, the Danish-Norwegian quartet turned a Mattel doll into a pop culture icon all over again. Despite legal tussles with Barbie’s makers, the single strutted to No.1 and stayed there for four weeks, becoming one of the most polarizing yet iconic hits of the decade. Love it or loathe it, you couldn’t escape it—and that was kind of the point. My take: A genuine ear worm and huge dose of marmite, this is the biggest pure pop song of 1997 and was righfully a massive hit. I love it ironically. I think. Or, I just love it!

14. Spice Girls – Too Much Number 1 for 3 weeks, December AI summary: The Spice Girls closed out 1997 with their second Christmas No.1, as “Too Much” glided to the top spot with cinematic flair. A sultry ballad from the Spiceworld era, it showcased a more mature sound while still delivering peak Spice charisma. Released alongside their feature film, the track proved their chart dominance was no fluke—five No.1s in a row and counting. “Too Much” was anything but, cementing their status as the UK’s reigning pop monarchs heading into 1998. My take: Doo-wop at Christmas! This is another cosy festive sounding Spice Girls Christmas number 1 and was from the massive Spiceworld: The Movie film and was at a time when they were everywhere. I really like this one, but they certainly had better songs in 1997.

Jester’s Top Tunes 1027 1 (3) Tame Impala – Dracula // 19-12-9-7-4-3-1 (7 wks) 1 week at number 1 2 (4) MK & Clementine Douglas – Come Find Me // 21-13-10-8-5-4-2 (7 wks) 3 (1) Pulp – Tina // 5-1-1-1-3 (5 wks) 4 (5) Taylor Swift – The Fate Of Ophelia // 15-13-12-8-5-4 (6 wks) 5 (12) Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Poppy Baskcomb – Think About Us // 21-16-12-5 (4 wks) 6 (2) Olivia Dean – Nice To Each Other // 20-15-11-7-3-2-2-2-6 (9 wks) 7 (6) Djo – Carry The Name // 12-9-4-3-1-3-3-6-7 (9 wks) 8 (7) Radiohead – Let Down // 9-5-1-1-4-6-5-6-7-8 (10 wks) 9 (8) Tame Impala – Loser // 11-8-5-3-1-4-4-7-8-9 (10 wks) 10 (-) Romy – Love Who You Love // 10 (1 wk) 11 (14) Inhaler – Hole In The Ground // 14-11 (2 wks) 12 (11) Oasis – Slide Away // 10-7-4-4-1-1-3-5-6-8-9-10-11-12 (14 wks) 13 (15) Olivia Dean – So Easy (To Fall In Love) // 15-13 (2 wks) 14 (9) The Last Dinner Party – Second Best // 21-17-15-11-9-14 (6 wks) 15 (13) Olivia Dean – Man I Need // 19-17-14-11-11-9-13-15 (8 wks) 16 (10) Richard Ashcroft – Lovin’ You // 16-12-10-16 (4 wks) 17 (16) Pulp – Got To Have Love // 6-4-1-1-1-1-3-5-7-8-9-10-12-13-15-16-17 (17 wks) 18 (-) Gorillaz feat. IDLES – The God Of Lying // 18 (1 wk) 19 (17) Lady Gaga – The Dead Dance // 13-11-4-2-2-7-10-14-17-19 (9 wks) 20 (18) Jamie xx – Dream Night // 8-5-3-2-2-1-4-4-6-8-11-14-14-18-18-20 (16 wks) 21 (22) Cat Burns – How To Be Human // 22-21 (2 wks) 22 (20) Oasis – Acquiesce // 7-3-1-3-4-4-6-7-8-9-12-13-18-18-18-19-20-22 (18 wks) 23 (21) Oasis – Champagne Supernova // 5-1-1-3-4-5-5-7-8-10-10-13-14-19-19-19-20-21-23 (19 wks) 24 (19) Mumford & Sons feat. Hozier – Rubber Band Man // 17-19-24 (3 wks) 25 (23) Coldplay – Sparks // 3-1-3-3-5-5-7-7-8-9-10-12-13-14-16-20-20-20-23-23-25 (21 wks) 26 (24) Gorillaz feat. Sparks – The Happy Dictator // 16-11-7-5-2-6-13-24-26 (9 wks) 27 (25) Coldplay & Ayra Starr – GOOD FEELiNGS // 5-4-1-2-4-6-8-8-9-10-11-14-15-16-18-22-22-23-25-25-27 (21 wks) 28 (28) Sombr - … 12 to 12 // 5-3-2-2-6-8-15-17-24-28-28 (11 wks) 29 (26) Sam Fender feat. Elton John – Talk To You // 22-21-26-29 (4 wks) 30 (29) Bright Light Bright Light – Boys Etc. (Eric Krupper Remix Edit) // 17-14-16-18-17-15-9-16-24-26-29-30 (12 wks) 31 (30) Pulp – Spike Island // 6-4-3-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3-4-5-8-9-10-13-14-14-15-17-19-20-20-23-25-27-28-30-31 (31 wks) 32 (31) Tame Impala – End Of Summer // 10-9-6-3-3-2-6-14-18-22-24-26-28-29-31-32 (16 wks) 33 (27) Cigarettes After Sex – Anna Karenina // 22-27-33 (3 wks) 34 (32) Metronomy & Purple Disco Machine – The Bay // 19-16-13-9-2-7-10-12-16-23-26-32-34 (13 wks) 35 (33) Djo – Gasoline (Triple J Like A Version) // 10-7-2-2-10-16-20-21-23-24-26-25-27-30-31-33-35 (17 wks) 36 (34) MK feat. Chrystal – Dior // 19-11-7-6-2-2-6-9-18-20-22-24-27-27-30-30-30-32-32-34-36 (21 wks) 37 (35) Will Young – Me Without You // 17-15-13-7-3-7-10-17-24-29-33-35-37 (13 wks) 38 (36) Sabrina Carpenter – Tears // 21-18-17-23-24-26-28-31-34-36-38 (11 wks) 39 (37) Chappell Roan – The Subway // 20-15-12-11-6-19-25-26-27-27-29-33-35-37-39 (15 wks) 40 (38) Djo – Potion // 7-4-2-1-2-2-4-6-7-8-9-14-17-20-20-21-21-23-24-26-27-27-28-29-29-31-33-33-36-38-38-40 (32 wks)