100 Greatest Albums of 1997

Criteria: These music albums from the year 1997 were chosen for their immediate and lasting popularity, impact, influence, and acclaim from critics and musicians. This list does not include 'Greatest Hits' albums.

Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.

1. OK Computer
Radiohead
2. Life After Death
The Notorious B.I.G.
3. Baduizm
Erykah Badu
4. Urban Hymns
The Verve
5. Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
6. The Fat of the Land
The Prodigy
7. Time Out of Mind
Bob Dylan
8. Homogenic
Björk
9. Dig Your Own Hole
Chemical Brothers
10. Homework
Daft Punk
11. Blur
Blur
12. Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
Spiritualized
13. Wu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Clan
14. The Colour and the Shape
Foo Fighters
15. Surfacing
Sarah McLachlan
16. The Velvet Rope
Janet Jackson
17. Savage Garden
Savage Garden
18. The Carnival
Wyclef Jean
19. Come on Over
Shania Twain
20. Either/Or
Elliott Smith
21. Portishead
Portishead
22. Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
23. Around the Fur
Deftones
24. Whatever and Ever Amen
Ben Folds Five
25. Big Willie Style
Will Smith
26. The Lonesome Crowded West
Modest Mouse
27. I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Yo La Tengo
28. Butterfly
Mariah Carey
29. The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
30. Funcrusher Plus
Company Flow
31. Nimrod
Green Day
32. Spiceworld
Spice Girls
33. My Own Prison
Creed
34. Perfect From Now On
Built to Spill
35. My Way
Usher
36. The Dance
Fleetwood Mac
37. Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
38. No Way Out
Puff Daddy & the Family
39. *NSYNC
*NSYNC
40. Be Here Now
Oasis
41. Live
Erykah Badu
42. F♯ A♯ ∞
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
43. Mogwai Young Team
Mogwai
44. Middle of Nowhere
Hanson
45. BBC Sessions
Led Zeppelin
46. Share My World
Mary J. Blige
47. Dude Ranch
Blink-182
48. Ultra
Depeche Mode
49. Uptown Saturday Night
Camp Lo
50. In It for the Money
Supergrass

51. In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Jay-Z
52. Flaming Pie
Paul McCartney
53. Ixnay on the Hombre
Offspring
54. Harlem World
Ma$e
55. Brighten the Corners
Pavement
56. Living in Clip
Ani DiFranco
57. One Day It'll All Make Sense
Common
58. So Much for the Afterglow
Everclear
59. Aquarium
Aqua
60. All That I Am
Joe
61. S.C.I.E.N.C.E.
Incubus
62. When Disaster Strikes...
Busta Rhymes
63. The Mollusk
Ween
64. Clumsy
Our Lady Peace
65. Tubthumper
Chumbawamba
66. The 18th Letter
Rakim
67. Radiator
Super Furry Animals
68. New Forms
Roni Size/Reprazent
69. Love Always
K-Ci & Jojo
70. Dots and Loops
Stereolab
71. Album of the Year
Faith No More
72. Ghetto D
Master P
73. Sehnsucht
Rammstein
74. Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
75. Anthems to the Welkins at Dusk
Emperor
76. ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down
Dandy Warhols
77. The War Report
Capone-N-Noreaga
78. When I Was Born for the 7th Time
Cornershop
79. The Great Milenko
Insane Clown Posse
80. Life Thru a Lens
Robbie Williams
81. Desireless
Eagle-Eye Cherry
82. Strangers Almanac
Whiskeytown
83. More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art
Carl Craig
84. Blue Moon Swamp
John Fogerty
85. Pop
U2
86. Anytime
Brian McKnight
87. Attack of the Grey Lantern
Mansun
88. Three Dollar Bill, Y'all
Limp Bizkit
89. Left of the Middle
Natalie Imbruglia
90. Jewelz
O.C.
91. Vegas
The Crystal Method
92. Fush Yu Mang
Smash Mouth
93. All Saints
All Saints
94. Talk on Corners
Corrs
95. Let's Face It
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
96. Word Gets Around
Stereophonics
97. R U Still Down?
2Pac
98. Tellin' Stories
Charlatans
99. Evolution
Boyz II Men
100. Songs from Northern Britain
Teenage Fanclub
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1997
Brian's choice - An unheralded great album from 1997
* Too Far to Care
Old 97s

Ryan's choice:
* Slip, Stitch & Pass
Phish

Lew's choice:
* Blurring the Edges
Meredith Brooks

Brett's choice:
* Tone Soul Evolution
The Apples In Stereo
1996   |   1998