Best Albums of 1997

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11.

I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One 

 Yo La Tengo

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"I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One proved that Yo La Tengo could master any pop style, from bossanova swoon to pedal steel alt-country twang to a droning guitar swirl that verges on shoegaze. Funny that most of the arguments about this album center on whether or not it's shoegaze, since clearly ...""I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One proved that Yo La Tengo could master any pop style, from bossanova swoon to pedal steel alt-country twang to a droning guitar swirl that verges on shoegaze. Funny that most of the arguments about this album center on whether or not it's shoegaze, since clearly there's a bit of My Bloody Valentine's influence here, but there's also much more to this album than that. Here Yo La Tengo aspire to be the greatest indie rock, noise-collage, electronica collective ever, but it's also true that more than anything, they're just being themselves. And they were making albums that sounded a little like this dating way back to the mid-eighties."  [+]  Reply

- buzzdainer | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

514 charts

Rank Score:

3,551

Rank in 1997:

11

Rank in 1990s:

84

Overall Rank:

476

Average Rating:

 81 (607 votes)

Comments:

30

12.

The Fat Of The Land 

 The Prodigy

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"This shit was incredibly edgy when it first came out. There was an intensity and attitude that, while dwelling in a seedy undercurrent, was lifted somewhat euphorically by a breakbeat, in-your-face, bouncyness that drew shadowy characters to the dance floor. In fact it connected with the 'jilted ...""This shit was incredibly edgy when it first came out. There was an intensity and attitude that, while dwelling in a seedy undercurrent, was lifted somewhat euphorically by a breakbeat, in-your-face, bouncyness that drew shadowy characters to the dance floor. In fact it connected with the 'jilted generation' better than their album with that same title. Breathe is a classic track. The intro still gives me chills when I hear it as I remember the energy that the song is about to trigger. Some other songs on the album fail to measure up to such high standards as this incredible song but in their own right they still form the basis of a very solid album. When you consider that a melding of electronic and punk rock had never previously been so well produced as this album you would have to consider it as a groundbreaking, progressive classic in many ways."  [+]  Reply

- Strangel | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

530 charts

Rank Score:

3,386

Rank in 1997:

12

Rank in 1990s:

90

Overall Rank:

512

Average Rating:

 77 (728 votes)

Comments:

32

13.

The Mollusk 

 Ween

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"Everyone who dislikes this always just dismisses it as a comedy record even though it's so much more. It's absolutely gorgeous. Buckingham Green is lyrically a send up of pretentious prog rock but the music is incredible, the guitar solo is amazing, and the orchestral accompaniment is beautiful, ...""Everyone who dislikes this always just dismisses it as a comedy record even though it's so much more. It's absolutely gorgeous. Buckingham Green is lyrically a send up of pretentious prog rock but the music is incredible, the guitar solo is amazing, and the orchestral accompaniment is beautiful, all of this together making it one of the heart wrenching songs ive ever heard. The last three songs (including the aforementioned Buckingham Green) are definitely the high point, but the album is filled with great songs like the silly opener, the trippy title track, and the Prince-influenced It's Gonna Be (Alright). The only lull in the album is Pink Eye (On My Leg), but even Dark Side of the Moon had On The Run, Revolver had Dr Robert, and Blood On The Tracks had fucking Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts. God i fucking hate that song. One less than great song aside, The Mollusk is a wonderful album that i highly recommend to anyone who stumbles across it."  [+]  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +15 votes (15 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

368 charts

Rank Score:

3,047

Rank in 1997:

13

Rank in 1990s:

97

Overall Rank:

561

Average Rating:

 82 (515 votes)

Comments:

29

14.

Blur 

 Blur

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"Blur were after the group's major commercial successes with "Parklife" and "The Great Escape" tired of all the hype and the predicate pop band. Especially guitarist Graham Coxon wanted and needed to explore the possibilities his guitar playing and had a general urge to broaden the scope of Blur's...""Blur were after the group's major commercial successes with "Parklife" and "The Great Escape" tired of all the hype and the predicate pop band. Especially guitarist Graham Coxon wanted and needed to explore the possibilities his guitar playing and had a general urge to broaden the scope of Blur's music. The album "Blur" is also markedly different from its predecessors. Dave Albarn great sense of the melodic, however, shines through on many songs significantly despite the different and at times odd approaches. Maybe a little unexpected for the group itself, the album was a huge commercial success and indeed a breakthrough for the group in the U.S.. No less than four top twenty singles are featuring on the album, with the fantastic "Beetlebum" and "Song 2" as classics. "M.O.R" is as the title suggests middle of the road rock, while "On Your Own" must be classified as a very unusual choice of a single - nevertheless it is a highlight with its Bowie/Hunter approach. Among the actual album tracks "Death of a Party" and "Look Inside America" are also standouts. Some of the other tracks come out for me somewhat weaker in the picture - and you may get to feel that some parts of experimenting, are just for experiment's sake. And oh, I was almost forgetting another favorite "Country Sad Ballad Man" - acoustic, weird and melodic. CD 2 contains the many b-sides of the four singles, excerpts from a fine unplugged concert in Germany and three tracks from a live performance in Belgium. Most B-sides belong to the loose experimental end. Very good, however, is "All Your Life", which in my opinion, should have been included on the original album. Despite the slightly uneven general inpression, I will not hesitate to call the album a classic."  [+]  Reply

- Rovers | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

503 charts

Rank Score:

2,814

Rank in 1997:

14

Rank in 1990s:

100

Overall Rank:

600

Average Rating:

 78 (829 votes)

Comments:

44

15.

Buena Vista Social Club 

 Buena Vista Social Club

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"This album is an essential for me. This is definitely the kind of album that takes me somewhere, maybe a small Havana cafe or a little stand that sells guava ice cream."  Reply

- isaacf536 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

408 charts

Rank Score:

2,596

Rank in 1997:

15

Rank in 1990s:

112

Overall Rank:

662

Average Rating:

 80 (473 votes)

Comments:

26

16.

Time Out Of Mind 

 Bob Dylan

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"When time out of mind came out in September 1997, it had been seven years since Bob Dylan had released any original material, and that was the underwhelming, under the red sky. Since that mediocre album, Dylan released two acoustic records, a collection of covers of old blues and folk songs. He a...""When time out of mind came out in September 1997, it had been seven years since Bob Dylan had released any original material, and that was the underwhelming, under the red sky. Since that mediocre album, Dylan released two acoustic records, a collection of covers of old blues and folk songs. He also made an appearance on MTV's successful unplugged series. Dylan's performance though was again a disappointment. Dylan then started to suffer from health problems and was hospitalized for a time in 1996 with a heart problem. He made a successful recovery. So, after all of this it was a pleasant surprise that the new album was a much needed return to form. For the second time in his career, his new record was produced by Daniel Lanois, whose atmospheric soundscapes had made Dylan's, oh mercy, album such a success. He works his magic here too. Time out of mind though was different from other Dylan albums. Dylan was definitely older, maybe wiser, certainty grumpier, but still regained a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. The new record was dark, spooky, it was about loneliness, bitterness, aging, and mortality. The first thing you notice on opener, love sick, is Dylan's voice, it really is wrecked beyond repair, but it suits the material perfectly. He's the first of the rock stars to deal with the sadness and frustration of growing old. There's no better example of this than on the epic closing track, highlands, when Dylan alludes to, 'all the young men with the young women looking so good, well I'd trade places with any of 'em in a minute if i could'. This is coming from Bob Dylan, living legend, and this is the way he feels, he wants to be young again. Mortality, plays it's part in, tryin'to get to heaven, and, not dark yet, surely both inspired by his recent health scares. Everything and everyone is cold, he's standin'in the doorway cryin', he's sick of love, he left his life with someone back there along the line. Bob's not a happy camper. And what's more, he's running low, the party's over, he moans, and there's less and less to say, and everything looks far away, but it's not all doom and gloom, and there is some wonderful black comedy here and there, 'you don't read with binoculars, do you'?. The songs range from the slow burning, love sick, the railroad shuffle of, dirt road blues, the brooding, million miles,to the funeral dirge of, not dark yet, as well as, to make you feel my love, one of Dylan's most beautiful ballads for years, the metallic blues of, cold irons bound, and the midnight burning, can't wait. Time out of mind, is classic Dylan, it's up there with his best, a mortal masterpiece. "  [+]  Reply

- garycottier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (8 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

441 charts

Rank Score:

2,464

Rank in 1997:

16

Rank in 1990s:

121

Overall Rank:

704

Average Rating:

 79 (626 votes)

Comments:

28

17.

Homework 

 Daft Punk

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"There aren't too many standout tracks but that's really the only problem I can find with this album. It consistently sounds great and it has a very solid direction and the overall sound is very interesting, influential, and ahead of it's time."  Reply

- paranoidandroid5 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

434 charts

Rank Score:

2,164

Rank in 1997:

17

Rank in 1990s:

141

Overall Rank:

792

Average Rating:

 76 (674 votes)

Comments:

28

18.

Third Eye Blind 

 Third Eye Blind

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"It's hard for me to explain just how much I love this album.. For one thing, I think it's incredibly consistent from start to finish, without a really weak song. Also, I find the lyrics to be incredible.. The strange thing is, that I can't really relate to most of them, but I still "feel" them, I...""It's hard for me to explain just how much I love this album.. For one thing, I think it's incredibly consistent from start to finish, without a really weak song. Also, I find the lyrics to be incredible.. The strange thing is, that I can't really relate to most of them, but I still "feel" them, I know what the singer means/is trying to say... It seems to be a completely overlooked album by the critics, but at least it's getting some recognition on this site.."  [+]  Reply

- 19loveless91 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

278 charts

Rank Score:

1,965

Rank in 1997:

18

Rank in 1990s:

160

Overall Rank:

873

Average Rating:

 74 (398 votes)

Comments:

37

19.

Mogwai Young Team 

 Mogwai

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"I love a band that can be both wistfully beautiful and crushingly powerful within the same album. The amount of different sounds they tackle on this album is staggering. The playing is fantastic especially the drums. Clearly Like Herod and Mogwai Fear Satan are the big guns here if you’re thinkin...""I love a band that can be both wistfully beautiful and crushingly powerful within the same album. The amount of different sounds they tackle on this album is staggering. The playing is fantastic especially the drums. Clearly Like Herod and Mogwai Fear Satan are the big guns here if you’re thinking purely crescedo- core Post Rock with their head banging payoffs. Like Herod in particular reminds me at times of Sister-era Sonic Youth, Godflesh, and a more Kim Thayil focused Soundgarden. But the other tracks are killer too. Katrien is like Velvet Underground’s the Gift set to ferocious post rock and the drumming is superlative. Then there’s Radar Maker’s haunting, emotive piano and Summer’s Slint & Filosofem-style Burzum mashup. Tracy is simply drop dead gorgeous, and With Portfolio stuns with a white noise loop that seems to shoot from speaker to speaker. Then R U Still In It finally answers the question of what would happen if either Kurt Wagner (Lambchop) or Stuart Staples (Tindersticks) had decided to front a post-rock band. A Cheery Wave sounds like Faith-era The Cure if Robert Smith had been, um.. cheery. Finally, Mogwai Fear Satan recalls MBV era Loveless and probably most likely influenced Justin Broadrick’s Jesu. That’s a lot of ground to cover in just one hour. Highly Recommended! ****"  [+]  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

375 charts

Rank Score:

1,928

Rank in 1997:

19

Rank in 1990s:

169

Overall Rank:

897

Average Rating:

 80 (481 votes)

Comments:

14

20.

Dots And Loops 

 Stereolab

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"The more you listen to it, it keeps getting better and better, thanks to Youtube for showing me this in the recommended section."  Reply

- yuppie | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

247 charts

Rank Score:

1,763

Rank in 1997:

20

Rank in 1990s:

185

Overall Rank:

977

Average Rating:

 80 (274 votes)

Comments:

6

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 2 of 100

Best Albums of 1997 composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Artist	Albums	%
Various Artists	18	2%
Mogwai	3	0%
Grateful Dead	3	0%
Squarepusher	3	0%
David Bowie	3	0%
Delirious?	3	0%
John Denver	2	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	438	44%
	221	22%
	37	4%
	33	3%
	33	3%
	22	2%
	22	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	910	91%
Yes	90	9%

Live?	Albums	%
No	966	97%
Yes	34	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	982	98%
Yes	18	2%