# List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1997

These are the Billboard magazine number-one albums of 1997, per the Billboard 200.

## Chart history

Key :
| † | Indicates best performing album of 1997 |
| Issue date | Album | Artist(s) | Label | Sales |
| January 4 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Trauma | 484,500 |
| January 11 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Trauma | 506,000 |
| January 18 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Trauma | 251,000 |
| January 25 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Trauma | 155,500 |
| February 1 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Trauma | 143,000 |
| February 8 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Trauma | 144,000 |
| February 15 | Gridlock'd | Soundtrack | Death Row | 150,000 |
| February 22 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Trauma | 119,000 |
| March 1 | Unchained Melody: The Early Years | LeAnn Rimes | Curb | 166,000 |
| March 8 | Secret Samadhi | Live | Radioactive | 227,000 |
| March 15 | Howard Stern Private Parts – The Album | Soundtrack | Warner Bros. | 177,590 |
| March 22 | Pop | U2 | Island | 349,000 |
| March 29 | The Untouchable | Scarface | Rap-A-Lot | 168,000 |
| April 5 | Nine Lives | Aerosmith | Columbia | 139,000 |
| April 12 | Life After Death | The Notorious B.I.G. | Bad Boy | 689,535 |
| April 19 | Life After Death | The Notorious B.I.G. | Bad Boy | 307,000 |
| April 26 | Life After Death | The Notorious B.I.G. | Bad Boy | 197,000 |
| May 3 | Life After Death | The Notorious B.I.G. | Bad Boy | 165,000 |
| May 10 | Share My World | Mary J. Blige | MCA | 240,000 |
| May 17 | Carrying Your Love with Me | George Strait | MCA | 178,000 |
| May 24 | Spice † | Spice Girls | Virgin | 138,000 |
| May 31 | Spice † | Spice Girls | Virgin | 134,000 |
| June 7 | Spice † | Spice Girls | Virgin | 136,000 |
| June 14 | Spice † | Spice Girls | Virgin | 137,000 |
| June 21 | Wu-Tang Forever | Wu-Tang Clan | Loud | 612,069 |
| June 28 | Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) | Bob Carlisle | Jive | 233,000 |
| July 5 | Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) | Bob Carlisle | Jive | 123,000 |
| July 12 | Spice † | Spice Girls | Virgin | 123,000 |
| July 19 | The Fat of the Land | The Prodigy | Maverick | 201,000 |
| July 26 | Men in Black: The Album | Soundtrack | Columbia | 178,000 |
| August 2 | Men in Black: The Album | Soundtrack | Columbia | 168,000 |
| August 9 | No Way Out | Puff Daddy and the Family | Bad Boy | 560,862 |
| August 16 | The Art of War | Bone Thugs N Harmony | Ruthless | 394,000 |
| August 23 | No Way Out | Puff Daddy and the Family | Bad Boy | 228,000 |
| August 30 | No Way Out | Puff Daddy and the Family | Bad Boy | 186,000 |
| September 6 | The Dance | Fleetwood Mac | Reprise | 199,000 |
| September 13 | No Way Out | Puff Daddy and the Family | Bad Boy | 153,000 |
| September 20 | Ghetto D | Master P | No Limit | 260,000 |
| September 27 | You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs | LeAnn Rimes | Curb | 186,000 |
| October 4 | Butterfly | Mariah Carey | Columbia | 235,000 |
| October 11 | Evolution | Boyz II Men | Motown | 211,000 |
| October 18 | You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs | LeAnn Rimes | Curb | 175,000 |
| October 25 | The Velvet Rope | Janet Jackson | Virgin | 202,000 |
| November 1 | You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs | LeAnn Rimes | Curb | 131,000 |
| November 8 | The Firm – The Album | The Firm | Aftermath | 147,000 |
| November 15 | Harlem World | Mase | Bad Boy | 273,000 |
| November 22 | Harlem World | Mase | Bad Boy | 175,000 |
| November 29 | Higher Ground | Barbra Streisand | Columbia | 207,000 |
| December 6 | ReLoad | Metallica | Elektra | 435,000 |
| December 13 | Sevens | Garth Brooks | Capitol | 896,932 |
| December 20 | Sevens | Garth Brooks | Capitol | 609,000 |
| December 27 | Sevens | Garth Brooks | Capitol | 529,000 |