Jester

Doctor Jones is pure fun - I miss sings being unashamed at being silly, happy and pure pop.

Fair placing. It’s a shame when a great bands only chart topper is a bit rubbish up to their highlights.

Daysleeper is my favourite REM song so great to see it top 10!

Usher is ok - nothing amazing but it’s inoffensive enough.

My top 10: Gorillaz & Shaun Ryder - DARE Stereophonics - Dakota Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor Oasis - The Importance Of Being Idle Madonna - Hung Up Sugababes - Push The Button Nizlopi - JCB Song Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers Mcfly - All About You Oasis - Lyla

Agree that Rollercoaster is the lowest of the 3 number 1s they got in 1998. Not a bad song, enjoyed it on the TOTP reruns last week.

I’ll post my top 10 later, but brilliant number 1 which would be mine as well.

Freak Me is a vile song.

Oh and I’m hoping we share the number 1 (you can probably easily guess my preference)!

This would be number 3 for me as well (though we don’t have the same top 3)! I do share 4/5 of your top 5 but I would have Idle in instead of that Ghetto song.

Chocolate Salty Balls was played in full on the radio and on music TV. Iconic times!

On the subject of the Stereophonics, I have a big soft spot for Have a Nice Day and Maybe Tomorrow, but that’s about it after the glory of Dakota.

The right order for the Billie songs imo, Girlfriend is slightly less irritating.

Dakota would be fighting for my number 1 here - brilliant song. I agree it’s rare when a bands best song is also their solo number 1, but here we are!

Bootie Call - agree 100% with everything you say about it. Another non- number 1.

Ooh I agree on the other 2 best Oasis songs of the 00s.

Now we’re talking with Idle! A superb Oasis song and one of the very few I rate of the 2000s. Love it still and I also prefer Noel’s voice to Liams. This would also be in my top 5 (and probably top 3) of the year.

Yep, a non-number 1.

I agree on the last place, such a cheap rip off of a song idea that would have been fantastic if pulled off correctly.

It has been sampled by Dua Lipa yes (what hasn’t, tbh)!

Thanks to all of you that have commented on my journey through 1997's number 1s! Here is the full list: 1. The Verve - The Drugs Don’t Work 2. Olive - You’re Not Alone 3. Blur - Beetlebum 4. White Town – Your Woman 5. No Doubt – Don’t Speak 6. Various Artists – Perfect Day 7. Oasis - D’You Know What I Mean 8. Tori Amos - Professional Widow (It’s Got To Be Big) 9. Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life 10. Spice Girls - Who Do You Think You Are 11. Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin’ Beats 12. Eternal feat. Bebe Winans - I Wanna Be The Only One 13. Aqua – Barbie Girl 14. Spice Girls – Too Much 15. Hanson - MMMBop 16. Will Smith - Men In Black 17. Elton John - Something About the Way You Look Tonight 18. U2 - Discothèque 19. Spice Girls - Mama 20. Michael Jackson - Blood on the Dance Floor 21. Teletubbies - Teletubbies Say Eh-oh 22. Elton John - Candle in the Wind 1997 23. Gary Barlow - Love Won’t Wait 24. LL Cool J - Ain’t Nobody 25. Puff Daddy & Faith Evans ft 112 - I’ll Be Missing You 26. R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly Over to Gooddelta for 1998 next.

1. The Verve - The Drugs Don’t Work Number 1 for 1 week, September AI summary: Few singles captured the melancholy of late‑90s Britain like The Drugs Don’t Work. Released just days after Princess Diana’s death, its sombre tone resonated deeply with the public. Richard Ashcroft’s elegiac delivery, paired with sweeping strings, turned personal grief into a national moment. The track gave The Verve their first No.1, cementing their place in the pantheon of Britpop’s more reflective side. Alongside Urban Hymns, it remains a defining statement of the era — a song that made sadness sound transcendent. My take: This song superbly inadvertently summed up the public mood the week directly following Princess Diana's death and got to number 1 the day after her funeral. The release date and tone of the song were of course by accident and I suspect this would have reached number 1 anyway if things had been different, but somehow things aligned and this turned a song about personal grief into national grief. Easily the second best number 1 of the 90s just pipped by 1996's best. I sometimes cant believe how good this song is. Classic.

2. Olive - You’re Not Alone Number 1 for 2 weeks, May AI summary: In a year dominated by guitar bands, Olive’s trip‑hop ballad was an unlikely chart‑topper. You’re Not Alone blended haunting vocals with atmospheric beats, echoing the Bristol sound pioneered by Massive Attack and Portishead. Initially released in 1996 to modest success, the track found new life after a reissue, climbing all the way to No.1 in May 1997. Its success highlighted the mid‑90s appetite for electronic textures and downtempo moods, standing as one of the few dance‑leaning UK No.1s of the year. My take: I remember loving this for an age before it was released and was amazed when it got to number 1! Easily one of the best number 1s and dance tracks of the 90s, my friend described the sound as 'fragmented' which was a fair description! This is a superb dance classic.

3. Blur - Beetlebum Number 1 for 1 week, January AI summary: Britpop’s reigning tricksters opened 1997 with a curveball. Beetlebum was a woozy, downbeat departure from the laddish swagger of Parklife and Country House. Damon Albarn’s cryptic lyrics, often read as a nod to heroin culture, floated over a languid melody that owed more to Lennon than to Camden. Despite its introspective mood, the single stormed straight to No.1, proving Blur could reinvent themselves and still command the charts. It set the tone for their self‑titled fifth album — darker, more experimental, and a world away from the Britpop circus. My take: Well, my 21st birthday number 1 was quite the change of direction from the previously cockney cheeky chappy lads. They were suddenly dark, downbeat and frankly fantastic! A well deserved second number 1 for them.

Jester’s Top Tunes 1028 1 (1) Tame Impala – Dracula // 19-12-9-7-4-3-1-1 (8 wks) 2 weeks at number 1 2 (4) Taylor Swift – The Fate Of Ophelia // 15-13-12-8-5-4-2 (7 wks) 3 (5) Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Poppy Baskcomb – Think About Us // 21-16-12-5-3 (5 wks) 4 (3) Pulp – Tina // 5-1-1-1-3-4 (6 wks) 5 (2) MK & Clementine Douglas – Come Find Me // 21-13-10-8-5-4-2-5 (8 wks) 6 (10) Romy – Love Who You Love // 10-6 (2 wks) 7 (13) Olivia Dean – So Easy (To Fall In Love) // 15-13-7 (3 wks) 8 (7) Djo – Carry The Name // 12-9-4-3-1-3-3-6-7-8 (10 wks) 9 (8) Radiohead – Let Down // 9-5-1-1-4-6-5-6-7-8-9 (11 wks) 10 (9) Tame Impala – Loser // 11-8-5-3-1-4-4-7-8-9-10 (11 wks) 11 (11) Inhaler – Hole In The Ground // 14-11-11 (3 wks) 12 (6) Olivia Dean – Nice To Each Other // 20-15-11-7-3-2-2-2-6-12 (10 wks) 13 (12) Oasis – Slide Away // 10-7-4-4-1-1-3-5-6-8-9-10-11-12-13 (15 wks) 14 (-) Robyn – Dopamine // 14 (1 wk) 15 (18) Gorillaz feat. IDLES – The God Of Lying // 18-15 (2 wks) 16 (14) The Last Dinner Party – Second Best // 21-17-15-11-9-14-14 (7 wks) 17 (17) Pulp – Got To Have Love // 6-4-1-1-1-1-3-5-7-8-9-10-12-13-15-16-17-17 (18 wks) 18 (-) Taylor Swift - Opalite // 18 (1 wk) 19 (21) Cat Burns – How To Be Human // 22-21-19 (3 wks) 20 (20) Jamie xx – Dream Night // 8-5-3-2-2-1-4-4-6-8-11-14-14-18-18-20-20 (17 wks) 21 (19) Lady Gaga – The Dead Dance // 13-11-4-2-2-7-10-14-17-19-21 (10 wks) 22 (15) Olivia Dean – Man I Need // 19-17-14-11-11-9-13-15-22 (9 wks) 23 (22) Oasis – Acquiesce // 7-3-1-3-4-4-6-7-8-9-12-13-18-18-18-19-20-22-23 (19 wks) 24 (23) Oasis – Champagne Supernova // 5-1-1-3-4-5-5-7-8-10-10-13-14-19-19-19-20-21-23-24 (20 wks) 25 (16) Richard Ashcroft – Lovin’ You // 16-12-10-16-25 (5 wks) 26 (24) Mumford & Sons feat. Hozier – Rubber Band Man // 17-19-24-26 (4 wks) 27 (25) Coldplay – Sparks // 3-1-3-3-5-5-7-7-8-9-10-12-13-14-16-20-20-20-23-23-25-27 (22 wks) 28 (26) Gorillaz feat. Sparks – The Happy Dictator // 16-11-7-5-2-6-13-24-26-28 (10 wks) 29 (27) Coldplay & Ayra Starr – GOOD FEELiNGS // 5-4-1-2-4-6-8-8-9-10-11-14-15-16-18-22-22-23-25-25-27-29 (22 wks) 30 (28) Sombr - … 12 to 12 // 5-3-2-2-6-8-15-17-24-28-28-30 (12 wks) 31 (30) Bright Light Bright Light – Boys Etc. (Eric Krupper Remix Edit) // 17-14-16-18-17-15-9-16-24-26-29-30-31 (13 wks) 32 (32) Tame Impala – End Of Summer // 10-9-6-3-3-2-6-14-18-22-24-26-28-29-31-32-32 (17 wks) 33 (31) Pulp – Spike Island // 6-4-3-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3-4-5-8-9-10-13-14-14-15-17-19-20-20-23-25-27-28-30-31-33 (32 wks) 34 (34) Metronomy & Purple Disco Machine – The Bay // 19-16-13-9-2-7-10-12-16-23-26-32-34-34 (14 wks) 35 (35) Djo – Gasoline (Triple J Like A Version) // 10-7-2-2-10-16-20-21-23-24-26-25-27-30-31-33-35-35 (18 wks) 36 (37) Will Young – Me Without You // 17-15-13-7-3-7-10-17-24-29-33-35-37-36 (14 wks) 37 (38) Sabrina Carpenter – Tears // 21-18-17-23-24-26-28-31-34-36-38-37 (12 wks) 38 (39) Chappell Roan – The Subway // 20-15-12-11-6-19-25-26-27-27-29-33-35-37-39-38 (16 wks) 39 (36) MK feat. Chrystal – Dior // 19-11-7-6-2-2-6-9-18-20-22-24-27-27-30-30-30-32-32-34-36-39 (22 wks) 40 (29) Sam Fender feat. Elton John – Talk To You // 22-21-26-29-40 (5 wks)