The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 1997

 

The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 1997

Hi everyone!! It’s Fire, back with another list! Today, we’re looking at the top 10 BEST hit songs of 1997!!

As mentioned in my worst list, 1997 is probably the worst year of the 90s that I looked at so far. But let’s ask the bigger question: Why? I’m not sure there’s a simple answer...there’s plenty of songs I liked so I can’t really call it a result of an absence of good and the lows aren’t really worse than the lows of 1996 or 98 (okay maybe worse than 98). Then I took a second look at the Wikipedia article that showed the YE list for 1997 and I instantly saw why: “The list is also notable for featuring 14 songs that appeared in 1996's list, repeat onto to this list.[...]Only four more year-end [lists] would repeat the same feat, that being 2010, 2016, 2018 and 2022.” As soon as I saw that line, it immediately validated my gut instinct as I was listening to this year-end list. That being that it reminded me of 2025. A lot of the songs on this list have already made either my 1996 best list or for 98! I guess this is a bit of a spoiler for when I get to writing my 2025 lists, but expect 2024 repeats to dominate my best list. In that respect, it now makes complete sense to me why I had a hard time feeling particularly strongly about any of the songs on this list!! The songs that were exclusive to 1997 tended to be forgettable mush in adult contemporary and bland R&B. I feel like this year is only not among the worst years for pop music I’ve ever looked at because the staggering quality from 1996 and the very good quality of 1998 are holding it up. This might make this list feel a bit redundant (and I can’t promise there won’t be too much overlap between this list and my 1996 or 98 best lists) but there were some shifts you might be shocked by, you’ll see.

The songs eligible for this list include:

• Any song that debuted on the Hot 100 year-end for 1997

• If the song made the list in a previous year, it had to outdo its position on this year-end to qualify 

• UNLESS the repeat is in the top 20, where it’s eligible regardless of its position the previous year.

• The same rules applied to the Hot 100 airplay year-end list for 1997

So if you want the entire pool of songs in which I’m choosing from, you can check out this Spotify playlist right here. And again, with how rare and hard-to-find information regarding the Hot 100 Airplay year-end lists are, I could’ve very easily missed an eligible song or accidentally included an ineligible song. Anyways, let’s finally get things started with our honorable mentions!

HM #1: LeAnn Rimes - How Do I Live (YE: #9, PEAK: #2)

I know, it was a bigger hit in 1998 (it was actually a close cut from that best list), but I’ve always really liked “How Do I Live” even despite as much as it can admittedly fall a bit too close to generic AC ballad territory. But what really helps this song for me is LeAnn Rimes herself. I was actually shocked to learn she recorded this song when she was only 14, because she’s got incredible vocal control that you could only expect out of an adult singer in the industry. And she certainly sounds better than some of the other balladeers who were big this year like Michael Bolton or Bryan Adams or Bob Carlisle. It’s just a really pretty song that got elevated from generic boring AC ballad mush thanks to a great vocal performance. Great song!!

HM #2: Sarah McLachlan - Building A Mystery (YE: #63, PEAK: #13)

Okay, you shouldn’t be shocked that an alternative leaning singer-songwriter cut like this is making this list if you read my 1996 best list and saw that I put Alanis Morissette on it multiple times. I don’t know what to say, I just really like this sound generally, to the point where I rarely even listen to the lyrics of these cuts when I sing praise to them. That said, I will say that it’s hard not to feel that this song is earning a lot of its goodwill on its production being in a sound I like, because the melody does tend to meander at points. Still, it’s a great song in a sound I really like, so it’s landing on this list. Also was I the only one who didn’t realize there was an f bomb in this song the first couple times I heard it? But speaking of rock-leaning singer song-writer cuts...

HM #3: Shawn Colvin - Sunny Came Home (YE: #39, PEAK: #7)

This is a great murder ballad. It's a song about a girl named Sunny burning her house down out of revenge with a bright and happy hook. You would think that there would be a tonal clash out of this, and yet the happy hook seems to intensify the psychotic nature of the song in a great way. It certainly helps that the production actually has some edge to it to back up such a sentiment. It’s ultimately the same reasoning why “Kill Bill” by SZA works so well, except while in that song it’s clearly just a fantasy all in SZA’s head, Shawn Colvin sings with the sort of conviction that lets you know that Sunny did in fact carry out her plan. It’s that bright melody that makes this work so well, like “Yes, I burned my house down to escape my past and I’m proud of it.” This is a great ass song, highly recommended!!

HM #4: Elton John - Something About The Way You Look Tonight (YE: #1, PEAK: #1)

Another song that was eligible for my 1998 best list that missed the cut there, that is making it for 1997. Truthfully though, while I always found “Something About The Way You Look Tonight” great, I didn’t feel as strongly about this when I wrote my 1998 best list. But yeah, this really snuck up on me. Elton John is a very good singer with the charisma to make this feel like a grand expression of love without sacrificing any of the song’s flavor. The production also doesn’t fall into the generic AC ballad tropes that really bugged me in a lot of songs throughout the worst list, the percussion that builds up to crescendos feel earned and you can hear the individual instruments!! Great song!

HM #5: The Cranberries - When You’re Gone (YE: #95, PEAK: #22)

This is just a great blend of doo-wop and jangle pop. It takes the textures of jangle pop and slows it down to the rhythm of doo-wop and it makes do-be-da’s and other doo-wop adlibs feel natural. Also, well, yeah, Dolores O’Riordan has one of the most beautiful voices of the 90s. Her voice gives this an ethereal beauty that elevates this so much. No, this doesn’t measure up to some of The Cranberries’ more upbeat jangle pop like “Dreams” or “Linger”, but this is still great. But speaking of The Cranberries...

HM #6: The Cranberries - Free To Decide (YE: #95, PEAK: #22)

Yeah, as great as “When You’re Gone” is, “Free To Decide” is the side of The Cranberries that’s much more up my alley, even if I wouldn’t say that this song features Dolores O’Riordan’s best vocal performance by any stretch. But between the tighter guitar work, the jangle pop groove, and the lyrics that serve as an effective “fuck you” to the press, this is just a great little song that has a really low burn rate for me.

HM #7: Mariah Carey - Honey (YE: #32, PEAK: #1)

It’s Mariah Carey in her prime decade. Is there more I need to say? Okay but really, while “Honey” isn’t Mariah’s best song at all, I still have a fondness for this track, with its funky bassline, Mariah’s cooing which I’ve always liked, and the keyboards. It’s a really pretty song, great track!!

HM #8: White Town - Your Woman (YE: #65, PEAK: #23)

Honestly, this song made my list almost entirely on that synth riff alone. But the trip hop elements give this a really trippy vibe that I really like as well. Hell, the vocal delivery almost gives me a psychedelic feel and that’s a great thing! Dua Lipa definitely had taste when she used this song as a sample in 2021’s “Love Again”.

HM #9: Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye (YE: #81, PEAK: #36)

Well, isn't this a fun alternative dance bop! Frontwoman Gabby Glaser has a great rhythmic rap flow that complements the beat and her voice just radiates so much cool energy. I do think this song could’ve possibly used a more fuller soundscape to accentuate the beat but hey, this is still a great track regardless.

HM #10: Coolio f/40 Thevz - C U When U Get There (YE: #66, PEAK: #12)

Yeah, hip hop in 1997 did get a lot safer in the wake of Tupac’s death but that doesn’t mean we didn’t get great songs out of it! “C U When U Get There” seems on the surface like a song that’s a sincere tribute to a departed friend but then you actually look at the lyrics and realize this song is Coolio and 40 Thevz actually cheering you, the listener, on to reach your goals and dreams. Yeah, it’s a corny sentiment and the gospel ensemble singing the chorus feels like it’s amplifying that corniness, but I think what saves this song for me is that solemn yet aspirational melody. Yeah, again, the gospel ensemble is a pretty lame and cliche decision, but hey, just be glad it’s not a children’s choir. That would’ve for sure pushed this song off the list haha.

HM #11: Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack (YE: #8, PEAK: #2)

I mean, there’s a reason this is arguably one of the most remembered rap songs of the 90s. That hook is undeniably sticky and that bassline is smooth as hell. I also really like the keyboard accents on this song. As for why this isn’t higher, I’ll just be honest, Mark Morrison sounds like one of the Angry Birds, and it does really turn me off. But hey, if “The Mack” is Macklemore, maybe 2026 is about time we see the return of the Mack (/hj but seriously, last year he released a pro-Palestine song and it’s shockingly not corny haha).

HM #12: The Notorious B.I.G. f/Puff Daddy & Mase - Mo Money Mo Problems (YE: #20, PEAK: #1)

What happens when you make a song so iconic that it coins an entire style of rap song? Yeah, “Mo Money Mo Problems” was undeniably the song that coined the term “‘mo money mo problems’ song”. And this song in its essence is what you’d expect, the more money the narrator has, the more problems they have. All 3 rappers give pretty solid performances, striking a great balance of describing their struggles without sacrificing solid flows, especially The Notorious B.I.G.. And the sample on the hook works really well. Yeah, this is iconic and deservedly so, check it out!!

HM #13: Elton John - Candle in the Wind 1997 (YE: #1, PEAK: #1)

Yeah, “Something About The Way You Look Tonight” may have grown on me, but I’ve always liked “Candle In The Wind 1997” more for speaking to a sad moment in culture that Elton John sells note perfectly. I obviously can’t speak to how impactful this was considering I wasn’t alive at the time of Princess Diana’s death but I still can feel the collective grief of all the people mourning her loss. Yeah, great track but I don’t think I needed to explain why.

Alright, now for the list proper!

10…So I said in my worst list that R&B got bland in 1997, so I guess it makes sense that the only R&B song on this list (spoilers) is a leftover from 1996, a great year for the genre. Whatever, that doesn’t make this song any less great!....

10. Ginuwine  - Pony (YE: #62, PEAK: #6)

“Pony” might not be the best example of Timbaland’s production throughout his career, but it is definitely up there. The song takes so many weird sound effects and fuses them together and they come together to make a surprisingly sexy song. And I have to give props to Ginuwine here, he’s absolutely selling this song so well to make comparing his dick to a pony actually work!! This is a great sex jam and a prime example of why Timbaland was an acclaimed producer for years.

9...But speaking of songs that already made my 1996 best list...

9. Alanis Morisette - Head Over Feet (YE: #28 ON HOT 100 AIRPLAY)

Yeah, I already kinda foreshadowed this when I reviewed “Building A Mystery”, but fuck it, “Head Over Feet” is a goddamn great song! Yes, it’s very much in the rock-leaning singer-songwriter sound that I like a lot, but it’s elevated to being more than just the sum of its parts thanks to the harmonica and Alanis Morisette delivering a powerful performance that backs up the grittier(?) production while still sounding lovestruck. And yeah, that harmonica just sounds great. Not much else to say, this is just a great love song.

8...This song might be the most polarizing song on the year-end list for 1997, or at least second only to “Barbie Girl” (a good song, but won’t be making this list), you probably either love this song or fucking despise it. And those of you who fucking despise it probably think this is the worst thing to ever be created by humankind. But fuck it, I’ve never been too cool (or cool at all really lol) for a cute teen pop bop like this!...

8. Hanson - MMMBop (YE: #12, PEAK: #1)

I get why this song is so polarizing, the reason people hate it is the exact reason I really like it. “MMMBop” is basically vomiting bright colors nonstop for 4.5 minutes and depending on the person, those colors either form a rainbow or brown slop. I just love how bright and shiny this song is, the guitars sound so happy and that groove actually helps the scatting work! Even if the guys in Hanson sound like little girls here, hell, the fact that they were all less than 17 year old boys at the time and sound like little girls only should serve to highlight how much fun they’re having, right? Yeah, I’m not too good for this song, this song, if anything, is too good for me. Great track!!

7...But speaking of fun rock that borders on teen pop...

7. The Wallflowers - The Difference (YE: #69 ON HOT 100 AIRPLAY)

The Wallflowers had one other hit this year in “One Headlight” which is also great and would’ve made my 1998 best list if it were eligible (at least at the time), but “The Difference” just puts a smile on my face. Frontman Jakob Dylan reminisces on childhood memories like him and his friend telling riddles in the dark or even his friend kissing his older sister (at least I think that’s what the lyric is saying?) and then at the end of it, he says the only difference he sees in his friend now is that he’s exactly the same as he used to be. And there’s something kinda magical about that, when your lifelong friend maintains what made them so special to you in the first place as they grow up. Couple that with the great guitar melody that sounds imported from Disney in a good way, and you get a song that sounds like a perfect soundtrack to a coming of age movie (and I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a coming of age movie out there that uses this song) and it’s such a great track!!

6...I know that some of you might be shocked by how low this song is if you’ve been following my blog for a while, considering this song has actually already topped one of my best lists. And look, It’s not like I love this song less than I did when I wrote my 1998 best list, but as soon as I published the list, I immediately regretted my choice for my #1 pick. If you were curious, “The Boy Is Mine” would be #1 on that best list now. But hey, sometimes an anarchist punk band sells out and strikes a golden hook that sweeps you up...

6. Chumbawamba - Tubthumping (YE: #69, PEAK: #6)

Yeah, even if “Tubthumping” wouldn’t top my 1998 best list now, I still do love the song quite a lot. The guitars are strong as hell and they help the chorus, despite its repetitive nature, actually motivate you. This track is one that convinces you to get back up again when you get knocked down, even if it does so by using one of the most ridiculously repetitive hooks imaginable. And yeah, that hook did ultimately elbow what was last year my favorite hit song of 1998, down to just #6 on this list. Still, this is simply infectious; amazing song!!

5...So I haven’t really touched on eurodance/hi-NRG music in 1997 yet, and given how that genre dominated my 1996 best list, it feels like a bit of a conspicuous absence here. Well, there’s kinda a reason for that...outside of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl”, there just wasn't much eurodance on the year-end list for 1997. In fact, there was only ONE other eurodance song on the 1997 YE (unless you count “Coco Jamboo” ig but that’s more europop than eurodance anyway), good thing it was fucking incredible!....

5. Gina G. - Ooh Aah... Just A Little Bit (YE: #41, PEAK: #12)

There’s really not much to why I love “Ooh Aah… Just A Little Bit”, it’s got that energetic eurodance production that I’m a real sucker for, where the “ooh aah” scatting on the hook only serves to keep up the momentum. I also love the melodic synths that feel like they’re always building up to something. And rather than being all buildup with no resolve, there’s subtle payoff at every corner. Yeah, in a year where eurodance was sorely missed, I’ll absolutely take this, it’s a ton of fun!

4...When you think of boybands in the 90s, it’s likely the first (and potentially only) names that come to mind are *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. I think a group who are often forgotten in the 90s boybands conversation is Australian boyband Savage Garden. They had a lot of hits in the 90s and early 2000s, including one of the biggest hits of the 90s and probably their most remembered song today “”Truly Madly Deeply” and they even had a song on the 2000s decade-end in “I Knew I Loved You”. Both songs are good but nowhere near their best hits, and it’s a damn shame that their best hits aren’t better remembered, such as this...

4. Savage Garden - I Want You (YE: #22, PEAK: #4)

Seriously, Savage Garden’s best hits deserve to be remembered, “Crash And Burn” made my best list for 2000 and I still do love that song, but “I Want You” might be even better. That alternative dance/new jack swing groove is undeniable and all the guys in Savage Garden are locked in here to keep up with the groove. “I Want You” just steamrolls over you with purpose and all the guys here prove that they can be credibly forceful guys. Yeah, this is amazing and underrated, check it out!!

3...Funny story I have with this one, when I was in 9th grade my AP Gov teacher (yes, I really had to take AP Gov in 9th grade, private high school for you everyone) offered extra credit to anyone who rapped an Amendment rap to this song. I’d honestly be lying if I said that memory didn’t play at least part of a role in this song placing all the way up here haha. That said, I can appreciate this song on its own merits...

3. The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize (YE: #25, PEAK: #1)

That anecdote I gave in the intro there was real. I didn’t do that extra credit for some reason (probably because COVID had just hit and I couldn’t do it with the friends I didn’t have) so I suppose I can’t claim any personal connection to this. But fuck it, “Hypnotize” is still incredible; that boom bap groove is tight and Biggie has awesome flows here. The hook is also incredibly catchy, with Pamela Long from Total interpolating the hook of “La Di Da” by Slick Rick and Doug E Fresh and making this song not feel overshadowed by the interpolation. Because the attitude that “Hypnotize” radiates is entirely its own. Yeah, this is an awesome track that holds up so well!

2..Okay, this song really doesn’t take a lot to explain why I love it, so let’s keep it short because well, its surface level qualities are the best...impression that I get…

2. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get (YE: #46 ON HOT 100 AIRPLAY)

Yeah, I’ll keep this short: the guitars are super powerful, the groove is really fun, and the horns sound terrific. And frontman Dicky Barrett has the sort of looseness in his delivery that allows him to careen across the song effortlessly and sound like he’s having a ton of fun. Yeah, this is incredible and could’ve very easily been my best hit song of 1997...so what’s better?

1...I’ve mentioned a lot throughout this list that many songs here made either my 1996 or 98 lists already. This song was not eligible for my 1998 list and if it were, it probably wouldn’t have finished super high. But also while writing this list, I think I came to the realization that rock, if nothing else, had a really strong year in 1997. So I suppose it only makes sense that a rock song is my best hit of this year...

1. Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life (YE: #17, PEAK: #4)

“Semi-Charmed Life” is well-remembered culturally today for a damn good reason, the song is sonically very upbeat happy pop rock down to the doo-doo-doo’s that makes this just cheery enough to disguise the darker lyrics about crystal meth addiction. The anthemic nature of the song is what seems to give this song its darker edge where as the narrator is descending into the cycle of addiction, it’s like the addiction is what’s giving him his euphoria before his body eventually develops a tolerance to it. Soon the narrator is clinging to it just because he can’t stand the withdrawal. He’s searching for something else to give him his euphoria. But honestly more than anything, “Semi-Charmed Life” is just a really fun power pop song that feels really timeless to the point where most people, myself included, don't notice the lyrics. And fuck it, it just kicks so much ass, “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind: the best hit song of 1997!!

Aaaaaaaaaaaand, that’s the best list done!! I’m probably gonna take a break from these lists until my 2025 lists which will drop either at the end of the year or early next year. Outside of that, my chill pick articles should come out as scheduled. Spotify playlist with every song mentioned on this list is linked right here. So until the next article, remember to keep it Fire!!