# 1997 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.

## Specific locations

* 1997 in British music
* 1997 in Norwegian music
* 1997 in South Korean music

## Specific genres

* 1997 in classical music
* 1997 in country music
* 1997 in heavy metal music
* 1997 in hip hop music
* 1997 in Latin music
* 1997 in jazz
* 1997 in South Korean music

## Events
### January

* January 1 – Townes Van Zandt dies of a cardiac arrhythmia.
* January 6 – Scottish band Texas release first single, "Say What You Want" from their 6× Platinum album "White on Blonde"
* January 7 – The Spice Girls release their debut single, "Wannabe" in the U.S. and premiere the music video eighteen days later.
* January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, with the opening act Placebo. Proceeds from the concert went to the Save the Children fund.
* January 10 – James Brown receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, USA.
* January 17–February 2 – The Big Day Out festival takes place in Australia and New Zealand, headlined by Soundgarden, The Offspring and The Prodigy. Sepultura are originally named in the lineup, but cancel their performance after the departure of former frontman Max Cavalera in December 1996. They are later replaced by Fear Factory.
* January 19 – Madonna wins Best Actress In A Motion Picture, Musical Or Comedy, for her part in Evita, at the 54th annual Golden Globe Awards in the USA.
* January 20 – Daft Punk releases their debut studio album, Homework.
* January 28
** The Virginia Senate votes to retire "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" as the official state song, and begins looking for a replacement.
** Clive Davis gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

### February

* February 2 – Rich Mullins' musical The Canticle of the Plains receives its première in Wichita, Kansas.
* February 3 – Scottish band Texas release their fourth album "White on Blonde"
* February 12 – David Bowie receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, USA.
* February 13
** Michael Jackson's first son, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., is born.
** The Spice Girls knock Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" off the top spot in the US singles chart. They are the first female British group to have a US number one with their debut single.
* February 20 – Ben and Jerry's introduce "Phish Food", a new flavor of ice cream named after the rock group Phish. The ingredients are chocolate ice cream, marshmallows, caramel and fish-shaped fudge.
* February 24 – The Spice Girls win Best Video for "Say You'll Be There" and Best Single for "Wannabe" at the BRIT Awards. Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress from the girls' live performance hogs the headlines the next day.
* February 26 – The 39th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in New York, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. Babyface wins the most awards with four, while Celine Dion's Falling into You wins Album of the Year and Eric Clapton's "Change the World" wins both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. LeAnn Rimes wins Best New Artist.
* February 28 – Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight is sentenced to nine years in prison for violating his probation. He would be released in August 2001.

### March

* March 1
** Pianist David Helfgott performs at the Boston Symphony Hall, in Boston, USA, during his world tour. The Boston Globe describes his performance as "without phrasing, form, harmonic understanding, differentiation of style and often basic accuracy; worst of all, it was without emotional content".
** The jam band Phish records "Slip Stitch and Pass" live at Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany.
* March 9
** The Notorious B.I.G. is shot dead while sitting in the passenger seat of a car after a post Soul Train Awards party in Los Angeles, CA.
** The Spice Girls become the first act in the history of the UK Top 40 singles charts to have four consecutive number one hits with "Mama"/"Who Do You Think You Are". Profits from the single go to Comic Relief and provide the biggest individual contribution of 1997.
* March 10 – A Marilyn Manson concert in Columbia, South Carolina is canceled in response to pressure from religious and civic groups.
* March 11 – Paul McCartney is knighted by Elizabeth II.
* March 17 – Whirlwind Heat play their first show.
* March 19–20 – The reunited The Monkees perform two sold-out concerts at Wembley Arena in London, UK.
* March 30 – The Spice Girls launch Britain's new television channel, Channel 5.

### April

* April 2 – Joni Mitchell is reunited with her daughter, Kilauren Gibb, whom she gave up for adoption 32 years earlier.
* April 7 – Wynton Marsalis becomes the first jazz artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
* April 10 – Nigel Kennedy, now calling himself simply Kennedy, returns to the stage at the Royal Festival Hall after a five-year absence from the concert stage resulting from neck surgery.
* April 14 – Creed releases their debut studio album My Own Prison.
* April 15 – Hanson releases "MMMBop", one of the most successful debut singles of all time, reaching number one in 27 countries.
* April 25–27 – The first Terrastock festival is held in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

### May

* May 3
** 5ive's musical career begins after auditions are held in London, UK to find potential band members, with over 3,000 hopefuls showing up to audition.
** The Spice Girls attend the Cannes Film Festival to announce their plans to hit the big screen with Spiceworld: The Movie. A photo call on top of the Hotel Martinez entrance brings the area to a standstill.
** At the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest, held in Dublin's Point Theatre, the UK win with "Love Shine a Light", sung by Katrina and the Waves.
** The Notorious B.I.G.'s single "Hypnotize" is #1 for three weeks.
* May 6 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is held in Cleveland at the site of the hall itself for the first time. Prior to this year, the ceremony had only been held in New York City.
* May 11 – The Spice Girls perform their first British live gig for the Prince's Trust 21st anniversary concert at the Manchester Opera House. They break royal protocol by kissing the Prince of Wales (now Charles III) on the cheeks and even pinching his bottom.
* May 15 – The Spice Girls' album Spice reaches number one on the US charts, making them the first British act to top the charts with a debut album.
* May 20 - Foo Fighters release their second studio album The Colour and the Shape.
* May 21 – Radiohead releases OK Computer.
* May 23 – Brainiac frontman Tim Taylor is killed in a car crash at age 29 driving to his Dayton, Ohio home. The band announces they will not continue.
* May 24 – The first Ozzfest tour kicks off at the Nissan Pavilion in Washington, D.C., featuring Pantera and a reconstituted Black Sabbath with three of the four original members.
* May 26 – NSYNC releases their debut album NSYNC.
* May 27 - Kirk Franklin releases his fourth album (first collaboration album with God’s Property) God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation which spawned the crossover hit single “Stomp”
* May 28 – Japanese pop singer and songwriter Miho Komatsu releases her first and debut song entitled Nazo. It is used as an opening soundtrack in popular hit anime Detective Conan.

### June

* June 14 – Puff Daddy and The Family's "I'll Be Missing You" single is #1 on the Hot 100 charts for the next 11 weeks, only to be replaced by The Notorious B.I.G. posthumous single "Mo Money Mo Problems", also featuring Puff Daddy.
* June 24 – Disney-owned Hollywood Records drops Insane Clown Posse from their roster and pulls the album The Great Milenko after only six hours of release, in an attempt to placate the Southern Baptist Church who were threatening to boycott the company for straying from its family-friendly image. The controversy generates tremendous publicity for the band, who soon sign with Island Records.
* June 29 – Missy Elliott releases the single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" from her debut album Supa Dupa Fly.

### July–August

* July 1 – Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to China: Tan Dun's Symphony 1997: Heaven, Earth, Mankind for orchestra, biānzhōng bells, children's chorus and solo cello is premièred as part of the official ceremony.
* July 5 – The first Lilith Fair tour kicks off at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Chapman and Jewel are among the performers.
* July 15–20 – The second Yoyo A Go Go punk and indie rock festival opens in Olympia, Washington.
* August 3 – The Black Crowes perform their last show with Johnny Colt and Marc Ford.
* August 4 – Nigerian afrobeat pioneer and dissident pop star Fela Anikulapo-Kuti dies in Lagos, Nigeria, of HIV-related illness.
* August 7 – Garth Brooks performs to an estimated 800,000 to one million people during a free concert given in Central Park, New York City.
* August 11 – The Backstreet Boys release their second international album, Backstreet's Back.
* August 12 – The Backstreet Boys release their U.S. debut album, Backstreet Boys.
* August 14 – Godspeed You! Black Emperor releases debut album, F♯ A♯ ∞
* August 16–17 – Phish perform at the two-day music festival, The Great Went, at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine, US. They play 500 minutes of music, six sets and two encores. There is an estimated attendance of between 65,000 and 70,000, and it is the top-grossing concert of the season, making over $4,000,000 in box office receipts.
* August 19 – The reunited Fleetwood Mac begin a concert tour in the United States.
* August 30 – "Mo Money Mo Problems" reaches #1 on the Hot 100 singles chart, making Notorious B.I.G. the first artist to achieve two posthumous #1 singles.

### September–October

* September 6 – Elton John performs "Candle in the Wind" at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales; John Tavener's "Song for Athene" is performed at the same ceremony, with soprano Lynne Dawson singing the solo part.
* September 16
** After a tumultuous divorce from her first husband, Mariah Carey releases the album Butterfly, which moved her sound in a more hip-hop/R&B direction.
** Aaliyah releases the single "Hot Like Fire"/"The One I Gave My Heart To".
* September 17 – The KLF return for 23 minutes with their performance of "Fuck the Millennium".
* September 19 – While on his way to a benefit concert in Kansas, USA, Rich Mullins loses control of his Jeep, flipping the automobile and throwing both Mullins and passenger Mitch McVicker out onto the road. A tractor-trailer approaching the scene swerves to miss McVicker, striking and killing Mullins instantly. McVicker survives, but suffers major injuries.
* September 20 – U2 plays at Reggio Emilia during their PopMart Tour to over 150,000 people.
* September 22 – Björk releases Homogenic, moving towards a darker sound and away from her 'pixie' image.
* September 23 – U2 perform a concert in Sarajevo during their PopMart Tour.
* September 27 – Bob Dylan performs for Pope John Paul II at a Catholic youth event in Bologna, Italy.
* September 29
** The Rolling Stones release Bridges to Babylon.
** The Verve release Urban Hymns. In a controversial legal dispute, the majority of their royalties and songwriting credit for their single "Bitter Sweet Symphony" go to The Rolling Stones.
* October 7 – Everclear release their multi-platinum third album So Much for the Afterglow, containing "Father of Mine" and "I Will Buy You a New Life".
* October 13 – The "Prince Igor" single, jointly performed by The Rhapsody, Warren G and Sissel Kyrkjebø is released.
* October 15 – Michael Jackson ends the HIStory World Tour, which included an attendance record of 4,500,000 fans, in Durban, South Africa.
* October 22 – Namie Amuro shocks her fans when she announces that she has recently married and is three months pregnant. She subsequently begins a one-year hiatus from the music industry.
* October 23 – R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry announces his departure from the group.

### November–December

* November 3 – The Spice Girls release Spiceworld, their second number one album, making the group the first British band since The Beatles to have two albums in the US chart at the same time. Spice and Spiceworld have amassed enough sales for one out of every two people in Britain to own a Spice Girls album.
* November 4 – Shania Twain releases her album Come On Over which goes on to sell over 40 million copies worldwide to date and later became the biggest selling album in country music history and the biggest selling album by a female music artist.
* November 6 – The Spice Girls make the decision to take over the running of the group and drop Simon Fuller as their manager.
* November 18 – American indie rock band Modest Mouse release their second full-length album, The Lonesome Crowded West.
* November 19 – Gary Glitter is arrested after images of child pornography are found on a laptop computer that he had taken in for repairs.
* November 22 – INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence is found dead in a Sydney, Australia hotel room, aged 37.
* November 25 – Will Smith releases his debut solo studio album Big Willie Style.
* November 26 – In a performance billed as the "highest" gig on Earth, Spiritualized play in the deck of the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for an audience of 150 people.
* November 27 – Namie Amuro releases her ninth single under Avex Trax, "Dreaming I Was Dreaming."
* December 1 – Aaron Carter bursts onto the music scene at the age of 10 with the release of his debut album Aaron Carter, making him the youngest male artist in the world since Michael Jackson in 1969.
* December 4-5 – Black Sabbath perform a pair of reunion shows in their hometown of Birmingham, England. They are the first full-length concerts by the original lineup of the band since 1978.
* December 26 – The Spice Girls release their big screen debut Spiceworld: The Movie, starring Richard E. Grant, Roger Moore, Elton John and Stephen Fry. The movie makes £6.8m in its first week of release.
* December 31
** The Home of Country Music, the Opryland USA theme park, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA closes and is subsequently demolished.
** Namie Amuro performs on NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the last time before beginning her maternal hiatus.

### Also in 1997

* Mikael Åkerfeldt and Peter Lindgren fire Johan De Farfalla from Opeth; then Anders Nordin quits the band. To replace the ex-members, Mike and Pete hire Martin Lopez and Martin Mendez.
* The companies Memorex, Maxell, and TDK introduce blank recordable CDs.
* The first John Lennon Songwriting Contest is held.
* Rob Gommerman leaves Finger Eleven due to extensive touring.
* Derrick Green replaces Max Cavalera in Sepultura.
* Glenn Ljungström and Johan Larsson leave In Flames.
* Big Audio Dynamite's final album Entering a New Ride, which features Ranking Roger from The Beat, gets rejected for release by their record label, so is released independently as one of the first ever well known musical downloads, for free on their website.

## Bands formed

* See Category:Musical groups established in 1997

## Bands disbanded

* See Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1997

## Bands reformed

* As Friends Rust (reformed with a new line-up and in a new location after breaking up earlier that year)
* Blondie (reformed after broke up in 1982)
* Depeche Mode (reformed after being on hiatus since 1995)
* Echo & the Bunnymen (reformed after being on hiatus since 1992)
* Jane's Addiction (reformed after broke up in 1991)
* Sunny Day Real Estate (reformed after being on hiatus since 1995)

## Albums released

* See: Category:1997 albums

### January – March

| Date | Date | Album | Artist | Notes |
| J A N U A R Y | 7 | Six of Hearts | Kenny G | EP |
| J A N U A R Y | 7 | Enjoy Incubus | Incubus | EP |
| J A N U A R Y | 10 | The Best and the Rest | Savatage | Compilation |
| J A N U A R Y | 10 | Firefly | TNT | - |
| J A N U A R Y | 14 | Justuss | Snow | - |
| J A N U A R Y | 14 | Live Stages | Vertical Horizon | Live |
| J A N U A R Y | 14 | Rhyme & Reason | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J A N U A R Y | 20 | Homework | Daft Punk | UK |
| J A N U A R Y | 21 | Dragon Attack: A Tribute to Queen | Various Artists | Tribute |
| J A N U A R Y | 21 | Vivir | Enrique Iglesias | - |
| J A N U A R Y | 21 | Slick Shoes EP | Slick Shoes | EP |
| J A N U A R Y | 21 | Soft Effects | Spoon | EP |
| J A N U A R Y | 23 | Clumsy | Our Lady Peace | Canada |
| J A N U A R Y | 27 | Glow | Reef | - |
| J A N U A R Y | 28 | 11 Transistor | Lazlo Bane | - |
| J A N U A R Y | 28 | The Full Sentence | Pigeonhed | - |
| J A N U A R Y | 28 | Gridlock'd | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J A N U A R Y | 28 | In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy | Pat Boone | Covers CD |
| J A N U A R Y | 28 | Lie to Me | Jonny Lang | - |
| J A N U A R Y | 28 | Perfect from Now On | Built to Spill | - |
| J A N U A R Y | 28 | Uptown Saturday Night | Camp Lo | - |
| J A N U A R Y | ? | Come My Fanatics... | Electric Wizard | |
| F E B R U A R Y | 3 | C'est pour vivre | Celine Dion | Compilation |
| F E B R U A R Y | 3 | Earthling | David Bowie | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 3 | Sex Style | Kool Keith | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 3 | White on Blonde | Texas | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 4 | Bombs & Butterflies | Widespread Panic | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 4 | Handsome | Handsome | Debut |
| F E B R U A R Y | 4 | Ixnay on the Hombre | The Offspring | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 4 | Freak Show | Silverchair | Sophomore |
| F E B R U A R Y | 4 | Love Travels | Kathy Mattea | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 4 | Old Friends from Young Years | Papa Roach | Debut |
| F E B R U A R Y | 4 | Tony Bennett on Holiday | Tony Bennett | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 7 | SubUrbia | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| F E B R U A R Y | 7 | True Believer | Troy Cassar-Daley | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 10 | Blur | Blur | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 10 | A Short Album About Love | The Divine Comedy | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Baduizm | Erykah Badu | Debut |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Beautiful World | Big Head Todd and the Monsters | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Brighten the Corners | Pavement | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Built to Last | Sick of It All | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | City | Strapping Young Lad | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Coal Chamber | Coal Chamber | Debut |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Dangerous Ground (Music from the Original Motion Picture) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Eight Arms to Hold You | Veruca Salt | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | I Like It When You Die | Anal Cunt | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Paco... Drop the Chicken | Salmon | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Show World | Redd Kross | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Sweet Homewrecker | Thrush Hermit | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 11 | Unchained Melody: The Early Years | LeAnn Rimes | Recorded 1994–96 |
| F E B R U A R Y | 17 | Oxygene 7-13 | Jean Michel Jarre | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 17 | Attack of the Grey Lantern | Mansun | Debut |
| F E B R U A R Y | 17 | Live at the Wireless | Ash | Live |
| F E B R U A R Y | 18 | Lost Highway | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| F E B R U A R Y | 18 | Payable on Death Live | P.O.D. | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 18 | Petra Praise 2: We Need Jesus | Petra | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 18 | Secret Samadhi | Live | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 18 | Terra Incognita | Chris Whitley | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 24 | Women in Technology | White Town | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 24 | Orblivion | The Orb | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 24 | 'Til Death Do Us Unite | Sodom | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum | L7 | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | Becoming X | Sneaker Pimps | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | Booty Call | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | Either/Or | Elliott Smith | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | Goodbye Ellston Avenue | Pinhead Gunpowder | Debut |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | Marcy Playground | Marcy Playground | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | Maximum Abduction | Hypocrisy | EP |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | Slush | OP8 | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | ...Somewhere More Familiar | Sister Hazel | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | 25 | Whiplash | James | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | ? | All Wound Up... | Godsmack | - |
| F E B R U A R Y | ? | Best of Gloria Estefan | Gloria Estefan | Compilation |
| F E B R U A R Y | ? | Kingdom of Madness | Edguy | - |
| M A R C H | 3 | 10 | Wet Wet Wet | - |
| M A R C H | 3 | The Boatman's Call | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | - |
| M A R C H | 3 | Electro Glide in Blue | Apollo 440 | - |
| M A R C H | 3 | Pop | U2 | - |
| M A R C H | 4 | Dan Bern | Dan Bern | Debut |
| M A R C H | 4 | Darkside | Necrophobic | - |
| M A R C H | 4 | Goldfly | Guster | - |
| M A R C H | 4 | The Healing Game | Van Morrison | - |
| M A R C H | 4 | The Soul Assassins, Chapter I | Soul Assassins | - |
| M A R C H | 7 | From the Gecko | The Slip | - |
| M A R C H | 10 | Extinct Instinct | Threshold | - |
| M A R C H | 10 | Still Waters | Bee Gees | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | Before You Were Punk | Various Artists | Compilation |
| M A R C H | 11 | City of Industry Soundtrack | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| M A R C H | 11 | The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World | Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel | Collaboration between American guitarist Chet Atkins and Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel |
| M A R C H | 11 | Disciplined Breakdown | Collective Soul | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | Dutch Harbor – Where the Sea Breaks Its Back | Boxhead Ensemble | Soundtrack |
| M A R C H | 11 | Fake Can Be Just as Good | Blonde Redhead | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | Human | Christine Glass | Debut |
| M A R C H | 11 | Let's Face It | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | Like Swimming | Morphine | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | Live at Hammersmith '79 | Ted Nugent | Live 1979 |
| M A R C H | 11 | Lula Divinia | Shiner | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | Message for Albert | Five for Fighting | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | Music from the Motion Picture Touch | Dave Grohl | Soundtrack |
| M A R C H | 11 | Rapture | Bradley Joseph | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | The Untouchable | Scarface | - |
| M A R C H | 11 | Violent Demise: The Last Days | Body Count | - |
| M A R C H | 17 | The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified | The Dismemberment Plan | - |
| M A R C H | 17 | The Future of War | Atari Teenage Riot | - |
| M A R C H | 18 | Aftertaste | Helmet | - |
| M A R C H | 18 | Euphoria | Leftover Salmon | - |
| M A R C H | 18 | Grosse Point Blank (Original Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| M A R C H | 18 | Happy Town | Jill Sobule | - |
| M A R C H | 18 | Made in America | Aerosmith | EP |
| M A R C H | 18 | Nine Lives | Aerosmith | - |
| M A R C H | 18 | Selena | Selena | Soundtrack |
| M A R C H | 18 | Songs in the Key of Springfield | The Simpsons | - |
| M A R C H | 18 | Stealing Second | Chris Thile | - |
| M A R C H | 18 | Whatever and Ever Amen | Ben Folds Five | - |
| M A R C H | 20 | Blizzard Beasts | Immortal | - |
| M A R C H | 21 | In This Room | The 3rd and the Mortal | - |
| M A R C H | 23 | Sóknardalr | Windir | - |
| M A R C H | 24 | Aquí | Julieta Venegas | - |
| M A R C H | 24 | Now That's What I Call Music! 36 (UK series) | Various Artists | Compilation |
| M A R C H | 24 | Saturday Teenage Kick | Junkie XL | - |
| M A R C H | 24 | Skyscraping | ABC | - |
| M A R C H | 24 | Solid | U.D.O. | - |
| M A R C H | 24 | Some Things Never Change | Supertramp | - |
| M A R C H | 24 | White Trash Hell | Everclear | EP |
| M A R C H | 25 | Blue Sky on Mars | Matthew Sweet | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | The Buffalo Club | The Buffalo Club | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Carnival of Chaos | GWAR | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Chocolate Supa Highway | Spearhead | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Come In and Burn | Rollins Band | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Dust Bunnies | Bettie Serveert | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Everything I Touch Runs Wild | Lori Carson | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Everything You Want | Ray J | Debut |
| M A R C H | 25 | Hand It Over | Dinosaur Jr. | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Hear in the Now Frontier | Queensrÿche | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Homework | Daft Punk | US |
| M A R C H | 25 | Life After Death | The Notorious B.I.G. | Sophomore |
| M A R C H | 25 | Livin' or Dyin' | Jack Ingram | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Mingus Plays Piano | Charles Mingus | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | The More Things Change... | Machine Head | Sophomore |
| M A R C H | 25 | Must've Been High | Supersuckers | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Natty Dread | Charlie Hunter | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Nowhere: Music from the Gregg Araki Movie | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| M A R C H | 25 | One More Time | Real McCoy | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | R&B Transmogrification | Quasi | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | So Long So Wrong | Alison Krauss | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | Take a Look Over Your Shoulder | Warren G | - |
| M A R C H | 25 | That Old Feeling (Music from the Motion Picture) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| M A R C H | 25 | Then: The Earlier Years | They Might Be Giants | Compilation |
| M A R C H | 26 | Aquarium | Aqua | Denmark |
| M A R C H | 26 | The Fawn | The Sea and Cake | - |
| M A R C H | 26 | Restless Heart | Whitesnake | Japan |
| M A R C H | 26 | Wild & Mild | Tokio | - |
| M A R C H | 27 | Kolme | Apulanta | Finland |
| M A R C H | 31 | Cowboy | Erasure | UK |
| M A R C H | ? | Wild Orchid | Wild Orchid | - |
| M A R C H | ? | Space Avenue | Waltari | Finland |
| M A R C H | ? | Blue Roses from the Moons | Nanci Griffith | - |

### April – June

| Date | Date | Album | Artist | Notes |
| A P R I L | 1 | The Dillinger Escape Plan | The Dillinger Escape Plan | EP |
| A P R I L | 1 | Midget Tossing | Yellowcard | Debut |
| A P R I L | 1 | Sisters of Avalon | Cyndi Lauper | Worldwide; released in Japan in '96 |
| A P R I L | 1 | Songs: Ohia | Songs: Ohia | - |
| A P R I L | 1 | The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation | Zao | - |
| A P R I L | 1 | Tripping the Light Fantastic | Lit | Debut |
| A P R I L | 2 | A Triumph for Man | Mew | - |
| A P R I L | 2 | Clumsy | Our Lady Peace | US |
| A P R I L | 4 | Christie Front Drive | Christie Front Drive | - |
| A P R I L | 4 | En el Jardín del Corazón | Gandhi | - |
| A P R I L | 4 | The Phantom Lodge | Diabolical Masquerade | - |
| A P R I L | 7 | Barafundle | Gorky's Zygotic Mynci | - |
| A P R I L | 7 | Dig Your Own Hole | The Chemical Brothers | - |
| A P R I L | 7 | Eld | Enslaved | - |
| A P R I L | 7 | Enter | Within Temptation | - |
| A P R I L | 7 | How You Luv That | Big Tymers | - |
| A P R I L | 8 | 12 Picks | Ace Frehley | Compilation |
| A P R I L | 8 | Broadway & 52nd | Us3 | - |
| A P R I L | 8 | Dig Me Out | Sleater-Kinney | - |
| A P R I L | 8 | Retreat from the Sun | That Dog | - |
| A P R I L | 8 | Flesh And Bone | Richard Marx | - |
| A P R I L | 8 | Have I Offended Someone? | Frank Zappa | Compilation |
| A P R I L | 8 | Future Road | The Seekers | Australia. Their first studio album since 1968 |
| A P R I L | 8 | The Messenger | Kurt Elling | - |
| A P R I L | 8 | Rock Collection | Pond | - |
| A P R I L | 8 | Third Eye Blind | Third Eye Blind | Debut |
| A P R I L | 8 | Whole | Pedro the Lion | EP |
| A P R I L | 9 | A Toda Cuba le Gusta | Afro-Cuban All Stars | - |
| A P R I L | 9 | Everlasting | Every Little Thing | - |
| A P R I L | 9 | This Strange Engine | Marillion | - |
| A P R I L | 11 | Stardust We Are | The Flower Kings | - |
| A P R I L | 12 | Ljubavi Moja Jedina | Maja Blagdan | Croatia |
| A P R I L | 14 | Mother Nature Calls | Cast | - |
| A P R I L | 14 | My Own Prison | Creed | Debut |
| A P R I L | 14 | Ultra | Depeche Mode | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Adriana Evans | Adriana Evans | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | All Star United | All Star United | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Austin Powers (Original Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| A P R I L | 15 | Blue Pony | Julie Miller | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Blues for the Lost Days | John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Burnin' Daylight | Burnin' Daylight | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Dominion | Kamelot | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Elegantly Wasted | INXS | Final album with Michael Hutchence on lead vocals |
| A P R I L | 15 | Free Mars | Lusk | Debut |
| A P R I L | 15 | Glee | Bran Van 3000 | Debut |
| A P R I L | 15 | In the Mirror | Yanni | Compilation |
| A P R I L | 15 | Rome | Rome | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (Original Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| A P R I L | 15 | Savage Garden | Savage Garden | US, Debut |
| A P R I L | 15 | Secret Robot Control | Baboon | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Sevendust | Sevendust | Debut |
| A P R I L | 15 | Shadowlife | Dokken | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Six Days on the Road | Sawyer Brown | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | That's Them | Artifacts | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | TMOTD | Scar Tissue | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | Twenty-Eight Teeth | Buck-O-Nine | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | White Stones | Secret Garden | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | You and I | Teddy Pendergrass | - |
| A P R I L | 15 | You Betta' Move Somethin'! | Huck-A-Bucks | - |
| A P R I L | 16 | Travma | Anna Vissi | - |
| A P R I L | 17 | Ten Rapid (Collected Recordings 1996–1997) | Mogwai | Compilation |
| A P R I L | 18 | Anclado En Mi Corazón | Anahí | - |
| A P R I L | 18 | Lifter Puller | Lifter Puller | - |
| A P R I L | 18 | Spoonful - Tales Begin to Spin | Will Hoge | - |
| A P R I L | 20 | For Monkeys | Millencolin | Sweden |
| A P R I L | 21 | Ashtrayhead | Ashtrayhead | - |
| A P R I L | 21 | In It for the Money | Supergrass | - |
| A P R I L | 21 | The Mind's I | Dark Tranquillity | - |
| A P R I L | 21 | Tellin' Stories | The Charlatans | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | Back from the Dead | Obituary | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | Bekka & Billy | Bekka & Billy | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | Carrying Your Love with Me | George Strait | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | Full Circle | Pennywise | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One | Yo La Tengo | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | Living in Clip | Ani DiFranco | Live |
| A P R I L | 22 | Monsoon | Caroline's Spine | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | A Pleasant Shade of Gray | Fates Warning | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | Share My World | Mary J. Blige | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin | Various Artists | Red Hot Benefit series |
| A P R I L | 22 | Sound of Lies | The Jayhawks | - |
| A P R I L | 22 | Waterbed Hev | Heavy D | - |
| A P R I L | 27 | Through Times of War | Keep of Kalessin | - |
| A P R I L | 28 | Blackrock (Original Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Australia, Soundtrack |
| A P R I L | 28 | Visions | Stratovarius | - |
| A P R I L | 28 | It's Me God | Breach | - |
| A P R I L | 29 | Anywhere But Here | The Ataris | - |
| A P R I L | 29 | Cheap Trick | Cheap Trick | - |
| A P R I L | 29 | Kill Fuck Die | W.A.S.P. | - |
| A P R I L | 29 | Picnic | Robert Earl Keen | - |
| A P R I L | 29 | Port of Mystery | Yanni | Compilation |
| A P R I L | 29 | Shaming of the Sun | Indigo Girls | - |
| A P R I L | 29 | Tammy Graham | Tammy Graham | - |
| A P R I L | 29 | Twenty | Lynyrd Skynyrd | - |
| A P R I L | 30 | UnMerry Melodies | Bigwig | - |
| A P R I L | ? | One More Megabyte | The Toy Dolls | - |
| M A Y | 1 | Ed Mort | Arrigo Barnabé | Brazil, Soundtrack |
| M A Y | 1 | Juicy Planet Earth | Flapjack | Poland |
| M A Y | 5 | Baile de Los Locos | Voodoo Glow Skulls | - |
| M A Y | 5 | Flaming Pie | Paul McCartney | - |
| M A Y | 5 | Honky | Melvins | - |
| M A Y | 5 | Sweet Potato Pie | Robert Cray | - |
| M A Y | 6 | Allure | Allure | - |
| M A Y | 6 | Blurring the Edges | Meredith Brooks | - |
| M A Y | 6 | Middle of Nowhere | Hanson | - |
| M A Y | 6 | Retrospective I | Rush | Compilation |
| M A Y | 6 | Return to Paradise | Styx | Live |
| M A Y | 6 | What My Heart Already Knows | Julian Austin | - |
| M A Y | 12 | Halim | Natacha Atlas | - |
| M A Y | 13 | American Psycho | Misfits | - |
| M A Y | 13 | Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) | Bob Carlisle | - |
| M A Y | 13 | The Fruit That Ate Itself | Modest Mouse | EP |
| M A Y | 13 | Get Some | Snot | Debut |
| M A Y | 13 | I'm Bout It | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| M A Y | 13 | Lee Ann Womack | Lee Ann Womack | Debut |
| M A Y | 13 | Pure Chewing Satisfaction | Lard | - |
| M A Y | 13 | Quality Soft Core | Mad Caddies | - |
| M A Y | 13 | Terror & Magnificence | Elvis Costello and John Harle | - |
| M A Y | 15 | Liquid White Light | Poi Dog Pondering | Live |
| M A Y | 19 | Polythene | Feeder | - |
| M A Y | 19 | Dark Fields | Show of Hands | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Blessid Union of Souls | Blessid Union of Souls | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix | Michael Jackson | Remix/New |
| M A Y | 20 | Blue Moon Swamp | John Fogerty | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Blues Brothers & Friends: Live from House of Blues | The Blues Brothers | Live |
| M A Y | 20 | Bruiser Queen | Cake Like | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Coil | Toad the Wet Sprocket | - |
| M A Y | 20 | The Colour and the Shape | Foo Fighters | - |
| M A Y | 20 | For Monkeys | Millencolin | US |
| M A Y | 20 | Happy Birthday to Me | The Muffs | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Hourglass | James Taylor | - |
| M A Y | 20 | I Got Next | KRS-One | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Mag Earwhig! | Guided by Voices | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Marching to Mars | Sammy Hagar | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Play | Great Big Sea | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Red Apple Falls | Smog | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Remanufacture – Cloning Technology | Fear Factory | Remix |
| M A Y | 20 | Something to Remember Me By | Ben Lee | - |
| M A Y | 20 | Standing in My Shoes | Leo Kottke | - |
| M A Y | 20 | You're the Inspiration: A Collection | Peter Cetera | Compilation |
| M A Y | 20 | Zuckerbaby | Zuckerbaby | Canada, Debut |
| M A Y | 21 | OK Computer | Radiohead | Japan; UK release date 16 June |
| M A Y | 26 | Direction Reaction Creation | The Jam | Compilation |
| M A Y | 26 | NSYNC | NSYNC | Germany |
| M A Y | 26 | Tumuli Shroomaroom | Acrimony | - |
| M A Y | 27 | Across America | Art Garfunkel | Live |
| M A Y | 30 | Enthrone Darkness Triumphant | Dimmu Borgir | - |
| M A Y | ? | Curious Corn | Ozric Tentacles | UK |
| M A Y | ? | Karma Cleansing | Harem Scarem | - |
| M A Y | ? | The Stereo Bus | The Stereo Bus | New Zealand, Debut |
| J U N E | 2 | Dark Days in Paradise | Gary Moore | - |
| J U N E | 2 | Timeless | Sarah Brightman | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Accident of Birth | Bruce Dickinson | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Album of the Year | Faith No More | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Big Notebook For Easy Piano | Fluid Ounces | Debut |
| J U N E | 3 | Blood Rooted | Sepultura | Compilation |
| J U N E | 3 | Creature | Moist | Album |
| J U N E | 3 | Days of the New | Days of the New | Debut |
| J U N E | 3 | Fun and Games | The Huntingtons | - |
| J U N E | 3 | G3: Live in Concert | Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson | Live |
| J U N E | 3 | Gospel Oak | Sinéad O'Connor | EP |
| J U N E | 3 | Greatest Hits | Boston | Compilation +3 new tracks |
| J U N E | 3 | Innamorata | Pat Benatar | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Inside the Torn Apart | Napalm Death | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Jet | Katell Keineg | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Junction Seven | Steve Winwood | - |
| J U N E | 3 | One for the Road | Kevin Fowler | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Prime Cuts | Suicidal Tendencies | Compilation |
| J U N E | 3 | Resigned | Michael Penn | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Retrospective II | Rush | Compilation |
| J U N E | 3 | RockCrown | Seven Mary Three | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Songs from a Parent to a Child | Art Garfunkel | - |
| J U N E | 3 | Under These Rocks and Stones | Chantal Kreviazuk | US |
| J U N E | 3 | Wu-Tang Forever | Wu-Tang Clan | - |
| J U N E | 4 | Clodhopper | Glueleg | Canada |
| J U N E | 6 | Days of Purgatory | Iced Earth | Remix |
| J U N E | 6 | Nighttime Birds | The Gathering | - |
| J U N E | 6 | A Portable Model Of... | Joan of Arc | Debut |
| J U N E | 9 | Music for Pleasure | Monaco | - |
| J U N E | 10 | 1212 | Barbara Manning | - |
| J U N E | 10 | Batman & Robin | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J U N E | 10 | A Crime for All Seasons | My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult | - |
| J U N E | 10 | Dream with the Fishes Soundtrack | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J U N E | 10 | Drag | k.d. lang | Covers album |
| J U N E | 10 | Full Force Galesburg | The Mountain Goats | - |
| J U N E | 10 | Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope | Jimmie's Chicken Shack | - |
| J U N E | 10 | SYR1: Anagrama | Sonic Youth | EP |
| J U N E | 10 | Vibrolush | Vibrolush | Debut |
| J U N E | 16 | Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space | Spiritualized | - |
| J U N E | 16 | Destination Anywhere | Jon Bon Jovi | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Body Language | Jonathan Cain | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Con Air | Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin | Soundtrack |
| J U N E | 17 | Crazy Nights | Lonestar | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Cryptic Writings | Megadeth | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Declaration of Conformity | Wellwater Conspiracy | - |
| J U N E | 17 | The Devil You Know | Econoline Crush | Canada |
| J U N E | 17 | Do It Yourself | The Seahorses | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Dude Ranch | Blink-182 | - |
| J U N E | 17 | EV3 | En Vogue | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Feelings | David Byrne | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Ghostyhead | Rickie Lee Jones | - |
| J U N E | 17 | The Legend of Chin | Switchfoot | Debut |
| J U N E | 17 | Love Always | K-Ci & JoJo | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Love Among the Ruins | 10,000 Maniacs | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Love, Peace & Nappiness | Lost Boyz | - |
| J U N E | 17 | My Best Friend's Wedding (Music from the Motion Picture) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J U N E | 17 | Now | Paul Rodgers | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Now Playing | Chopper One | Debut |
| J U N E | 17 | Other Songs | Ron Sexsmith | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Psycho's Path | John Lydon | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Pure Juice | Summercamp | Debut |
| J U N E | 17 | Resolution | 38 Special | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Too Far to Care | Old 97's | - |
| J U N E | 17 | The Very Best of 10cc | 10cc | Compilation |
| J U N E | 17 | The War Report | Capone-N-Noreaga | - |
| J U N E | 17 | We've Been Had Again | Huffamoose | - |
| J U N E | 17 | The Will to Live | Ben Harper | - |
| J U N E | 17 | Year of the Horse | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | Live |
| J U N E | 21 | Happy End of the World | Pizzicato Five | Japan |
| J U N E | 23 | Heavy Soul | Paul Weller | - |
| J U N E | 23 | New Forms | Roni Size & Reprazent | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Demonic | Testament | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Adrenaline Rush | Twista | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Candy Toy Guns and Television | 20 Dead Flower Children | - |
| J U N E | 24 | The Carnival | Wyclef Jean | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Curtains | Tindersticks | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Floored | Sugar Ray | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Flying Away | Smoke City | Debut |
| J U N E | 24 | Fly Stereophonic | Lida Husik | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Generation Swine | Mötley Crüe | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Glory to the Brave | HammerFall | - |
| J U N E | 24 | The Great Milenko | Insane Clown Posse | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Hipnosis | Shootyz Groove | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Interiors | Brad | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Let Me Play With Your Poodle | Marcia Ball | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Misguided Roses | Edwin McCain | - |
| J U N E | 24 | The Mollusk | Ween | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Morningrise | Opeth | US |
| J U N E | 24 | Operation: Get Down | Craig Mack | Sophomore |
| J U N E | 24 | Pristine Smut | The Murmurs | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Rusty | Slick Shoes | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Some Other Sucker's Parade | Del Amitri | - |
| J U N E | 24 | Stuff | Holly McNarland | Canada, Debut |
| J U N E | 30 | The Fat of the Land | The Prodigy | - |
| J U N E | 30 | Guns in the Ghetto | UB40 | - |
| J U N E | 30 | Iron Savior | Iron Savior | - |
| J U N E | 30 | Lunatic Harness | μ-Ziq | UK |
| J U N E | 30 | Spiritech | Alchemist | - |
| J U N E | ? | It's My Life – The Album | Sash! | - |
| J U N E | ? | Two Feet Stand | Gardenian | - |

### July – September

| Date | Date | Album | Artist | Notes |
| J U L Y | 1 | The A Files | Sham 69 | - |
| J U L Y | 1 | Keep Your Receipt | Reel Big Fish | EP |
| J U L Y | 1 | Love Is a Dog from Hell | Maggie Estep | - |
| J U L Y | 1 | Men in Black: The Album | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J U L Y | 1 | Straight on Till Morning | Blues Traveler | - |
| J U L Y | 1 | Three Dollar Bill, Yall | Limp Bizkit | Debut |
| J U L Y | 1 | Zoot Suit Riot | Cherry Poppin' Daddies | Compilation |
| J U L Y | 3 | Equalizeher | Baby Vox | South Korea, Debut |
| J U L Y | 4 | The Collection 1982–1988 | Celine Dion | EU Compilation |
| J U L Y | 7 | Boys on the Docks | Dropkick Murphys | EP |
| J U L Y | 7 | The Drop | Brian Eno | - |
| J U L Y | 7 | Ghetto Machine | Loudness | - |
| J U L Y | 7 | Thylacine | Monique Brumby | Australia, Debut |
| J U L Y | 7 | Vanishing Point | Primal Scream | - |
| J U L Y | 8 | Another Lesson in Violence | Exodus | Live |
| J U L Y | 8 | Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk | Emperor | - |
| J U L Y | 8 | Bound, Gagged and Blindfolded | Skinlab | Debut |
| J U L Y | 8 | Brown Album | Primus | - |
| J U L Y | 8 | Fush Yu Mang | Smash Mouth | Debut |
| J U L Y | 8 | The Uneventful Vacation | Commander Venus | - |
| J U L Y | 8 | Via Satellite | Super Deluxe | - |
| J U L Y | 11 | Progressive Attack 6 | Various Artists | Compilation |
| J U L Y | 14 | Drive | Bic Runga | New Zealand |
| J U L Y | 14 | Evergreen | Echo & the Bunnymen | - |
| J U L Y | 14 | Now That's What I Call Music! 37 (UK series) | Various Artists | Compilation |
| J U L Y | 14 | One Second | Paradise Lost | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down | The Dandy Warhols | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | Deadly Sting: The Mercury Years | Scorpions | Compilation + 2 new tracks (US version) |
| J U L Y | 15 | End of the Summer | Dar Williams | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | Home Grown | Blue Mountain | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | I Will Stand | Kenny Chesney | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | Metropolis | Sister Machine Gun | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | Musical Monkey | Guttermouth | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | Supa Dupa Fly | Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | Surfacing | Sarah McLachlan | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | Tremolo | Blue Rodeo | - |
| J U L Y | 15 | Under the Covers | Dwight Yoakam | Covers album |
| J U L Y | 21 | Ocean Machine: Biomech | Devin Townsend | - |
| J U L Y | 22 | Breed | Lauren Christy | - |
| J U L Y | 22 | Elemental Soul | Marlena Shaw | - |
| J U L Y | 22 | No Way Out | Puff Daddy and the Bad Boy Family | - |
| J U L Y | 22 | Outcast | Kreator | - |
| J U L Y | 22 | Funcrusher Plus | Company Flow | - |
| J U L Y | 24 | Concentration 20 | Namie Amuro | Studio album |
| J U L Y | 29 | Adam and Eve | Catherine Wheel | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | All That I Am | Joe | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | Angry Fist | Hi-Standard | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | The Art of War | Bone Thugs-n-Harmony | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | Dispepsi | Negativland | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | 98 Degrees | 98 Degrees | Debut |
| J U L Y | 29 | A Fistful of Alice | Alice Cooper | Live |
| J U L Y | 29 | Give 'Em the Boot | Various Artists | Compilation |
| J U L Y | 29 | The Last Time I Committed Suicide | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J U L Y | 29 | Nothin' but the Taillights | Clint Black | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | Official Live: 101 Proof | Pantera | Live |
| J U L Y | 29 | Pup Tent | Luna | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | Shrinking the Blob | Oleander | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | Size 14 | Size 14 | Debut |
| J U L Y | 29 | Songs from Northern Britain | Teenage Fanclub | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | Spawn: The Album | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J U L Y | 29 | Star Maps (Original Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| J U L Y | 29 | Strangers Almanac | Whiskeytown | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | The Virginian | Neko Case | - |
| J U L Y | 29 | Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? | Harvey Danger | - |
| J U L Y | ? | Fabulosos Calavera | Los Fabulosos Cadillacs | - |
| A U G U S T | 5 | Chance and Circumstance | Neal Coty | - |
| A U G U S T | 5 | How to be a Player | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| A U G U S T | 5 | Overcast! | Atmosphere | Debut |
| A U G U S T | 5 | Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars | Killarmy | - |
| A U G U S T | 5 | Buster's Spanish Rocketship | Buster Poindexter | - |
| A U G U S T | 5 | Transistor | 311 | - |
| A U G U S T | 6 | Irāvatī | Megumi Hayashibara | Japan |
| A U G U S T | 11 | Maladjusted | Morrissey | - |
| A U G U S T | 11 | Backstreet's Back | Backstreet Boys | Not released in US |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Backstreet Boys | Backstreet Boys | US only |
| A U G U S T | 12 | A Deeper Kind of Slumber | Tiamat | - |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Double Plaidinum | Lagwagon | - |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Gun Shy, Trigger Happy | Jennifer Trynin | - |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Hed PE | Hed PE | Debut |
| A U G U S T | 12 | No Holds Barred | Biohazard | - |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Phobos | Voivod | - |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Release Some Tension | SWV | - |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Romances | Luis Miguel | - |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Shakin' Things Up | Lorrie Morgan | - |
| A U G U S T | 12 | Spoke | Calexico | - |
| A U G U S T | 14 | F♯A♯∞ | Godspeed You Black Emperor! | Vinyl Edition |
| A U G U S T | 18 | In Deep | Tina Arena | - |
| A U G U S T | 18 | MiLight | DJ Krush | International |
| A U G U S T | 18 | Already | Jesus Jones | - |
| A U G U S T | 19 | The Fourth World | Kara's Flowers | - |
| A U G U S T | 19 | The Dance | Fleetwood Mac | Live |
| A U G U S T | 19 | Daisy | Dog's Eye View | - |
| A U G U S T | 19 | Lip Service | Tom Grant | - |
| A U G U S T | 19 | Making Friends | No Use for a Name | - |
| A U G U S T | 19 | Money Talks: The Album | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| A U G U S T | 19 | Transmission | The Tea Party | - |
| A U G U S T | 21 | Be Here Now | Oasis | - |
| A U G U S T | 22 | Sehnsucht | Rammstein | - |
| A U G U S T | 25 | Age of Love | Scooter | Germany |
| A U G U S T | 25 | Word Gets Around | Stereophonics | - |
| A U G U S T | 25 | Somewhere Out in Space | Gamma Ray | - |
| A U G U S T | 25 | Bad Timing | Jim O'Rourke | - |
| A U G U S T | 25 | Ghosts | Wendy Matthews | Australia |
| A U G U S T | 25 | Latyrx | Latyrx | - |
| A U G U S T | 25 | Radiator | Super Furry Animals | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | ¿Dónde Jugarán las Niñas? | Molotov | Mexico |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Boom! Boom! Boom! | The Kelley Deal 6000 | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Conspiracy No. 5 | Third Day | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Devotion: The Best of Yanni | Yanni | Compilation |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Evolution | Martina McBride | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | The First Session | Hole | EP |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Fresh Meat | Arkarna | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Likwidation | Tha Alkaholiks | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Last of the Sharpshooters | Down by Law | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Love Scenes | Diana Krall | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Midnite Lover | Shaggy | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | My Soul | Coolio | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Raybon Brothers | Raybon Brothers | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Saliva | Saliva | Debut |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Singles 1–12 | Melvins | Compilation |
| A U G U S T | 26 | (Songbook) A Collection of Hits | Trisha Yearwood | Compilation |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Smile from the Streets You Hold | John Frusciante | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Sweet 75 | Sweet 75 | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Tip | Finger Eleven | Canada |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Trysome Eatone | Love Spit Love | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Vegas | The Crystal Method | - |
| A U G U S T | 26 | Welcome to the Freak Show | dc Talk | Live |
| A U G U S T | ? | A Day in the Life | Jane Siberry | Canada |
| S E P T E M B E R | 1 | Bajeczki | Patrycja Kosiarkiewicz | Poland |
| S E P T E M B E R | 1 | Calling All Stations | Genesis | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 1 | Way Out West | Way Out West | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 1 | Tubthumper | Chumbawamba | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 1 | Makaa Maka | Reggie Rockstone | Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 2 | Despite Yourself | Headswim | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 2 | Ghetto D | Master P | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 2 | Heaven and Hell | Joe Jackson | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 2 | Indoor Living | Superchunk | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 2 | SYR2: Slaapkamers met slagroom | Sonic Youth | EP |
| S E P T E M B E R | 2 | Talk Show | Talk Show | Debut, Stone Temple Pilots side project |
| S E P T E M B E R | 3 | Abrasive | Puddle of Mudd | Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 3 | Clover | Shikao Suga | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 3 | Fantasma | Cornelius | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 8 | Good Feeling | Travis | UK |
| S E P T E M B E R | 8 | Girl | Dannii Minogue | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 8 | Let's Get Killed | David Holmes | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 8 | Slightly Odway | Jebediah | Australia, Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 8 | Chrome Matrix | Superheist | Australia, EP |
| S E P T E M B E R | 8 | When I Was Born for the 7th Time | Cornershop | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Behind the Eyes | Amy Grant | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Fire Down Below (Music from the Motion Picture) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Full Blown Possession | Grifters | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Hang-Ups | Goldfinger | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | It Means Everything | Save Ferris | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Let Me In | Chely Wright | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | The Magic City | Helium | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Más | Alejandro Sanz | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Modus Operandi | Photek | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Moon Hut | Kim Fox | Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Re-Animation Festival | Groovie Ghoulies | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Samantha Cole | Samantha Cole | Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | S.C.I.E.N.C.E. | Incubus | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes | Cursive | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Total Madness – The Very Best of Madness | Madness | US Compilation |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Troublizing | Ric Ocasek | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs | LeAnn Rimes | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 9 | Lovesongs for Underdogs | Tanya Donnelly | Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 11 | Butterfly | Mariah Carey | UK |
| S E P T E M B E R | 15 | Marchin' Already | Ocean Colour Scene | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 15 | We Have the Technology | Custard | Australia |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | Based on a True Story | Mack 10 | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | Buena Vista Social Club | Buena Vista Social Club | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | Butterfly | Mariah Carey | US |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | Film Noir | Carly Simon | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | The Greatest Hits Collection | Brooks & Dunn | Compilation |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | Guide to Better Living | Grinspoon | Australia, Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | Much Afraid | Jars of Clay | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | Music from the Soul Food Motion Picture | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | My Way | Usher | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | Rated X Mas | Matt Rogers | Christmas |
| S E P T E M B E R | 16 | When Disaster Strikes... | Busta Rhymes | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 17 | Marigold Sky | Hall & Oates | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 18 | El Gran Orgo | At the Drive-In | EP |
| S E P T E M B E R | 21 | Four the Hard Way | Danger Danger | Japanese release date |
| S E P T E M B E R | 22 | Barely Legal | The Hives | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 22 | Boas Notícias | Xuxa | Brazil |
| S E P T E M B E R | 22 | ESCM | BT | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 22 | Homogenic | Björk | |
| S E P T E M B E R | 22 | Dots and Loops | Stereolab | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 22 | Static & Silence | The Sundays | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 22 | The Big Picture | Elton John | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 22 | The Hollowing | Crisis | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | An American Werewolf in Paris (Music from the Motion Picture) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Anytime | Brian McKnight | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Back in Business | EPMD | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Blame It on Me | Alana Davis | Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | The Bouncing Souls | The Bouncing Souls | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | B-Sides and Otherwise | Morphine | Compilation |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Evolution | Boyz II Men | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Falling into Infinity | Dream Theater | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Gone From Danger | Joan Baez | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | The Hangover | Gilby Clarke | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Happy? | Jann Arden | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Man & His Music (Remixes from Around the World) | Boogie Down Productions | Remix |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Me Estoy Enamorando | Alejandro Fernández | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne | Jackson Browne | Compilation |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Novelty Forever | Bracket | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Sentimental Education | Free Kitten | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Sit Stand Kneel Prey | Whiplash | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | Songs of a Circling Spirit | Tom Cochrane | Compilation |
| S E P T E M B E R | 23 | A Very Special Christmas 3 | Various Artists | Christmas |
| S E P T E M B E R | 26 | Ma-KING | Masami Okui | Japan |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Bridges to Babylon | The Rolling Stones | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Portishead | Portishead | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Levitate | The Fall | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Life thru a Lens | Robbie Williams | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Meet the Family | Frenzal Rhomb | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Paul McCartney's Standing Stone | Paul McCartney | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | The Promised | Simple Minds | Compilation |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Relief Through Release | Tura Satana | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Symbols | KMFDM | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | Urban Hymns | The Verve | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 29 | With a Twist | Todd Rundgren | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | The Book of Secrets | Loreena McKennitt | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | E-lux | Human Waste Project | Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | Four Minute Mile | The Get Up Kids | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | Hunger | Janis Ian | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | I'm Your Man | Jason Sellers | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | Lo Mejor de Mí | Cristian Castro | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | Long Stretch of Lonesome | Patty Loveless | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | 100 Million Eyeballs | Miss Angie | Debut |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | One Day It'll All Make Sense | Common | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | Peace and Noise | Patti Smith | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | Time Out of Mind | Bob Dylan | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | 30 | Tone Soul Evolution | The Apples in Stereo | - |
| S E P T E M B E R | ? | King Without a Clue | Mark Seymour | Australia, Debut |

### October – December

| Date | Date | Album | Artist | Notes |
| O C T O B E R | 1 | Blutsabbath | Belphegor | - |
| O C T O B E R | 1 | Payin' the Dues | The Hellacopters | - |
| O C T O B E R | 1 | Shadows in the Banquet Hall | Carbon Leaf | - |
| O C T O B E R | 6 | 21st Century Fox | Samantha Fox | - |
| O C T O B E R | 6 | Apartment Life | Ivy | - |
| O C T O B E R | 6 | Come to Daddy | Aphex Twin | EP |
| O C T O B E R | 6 | Death to the Pixies | Pixies | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 6 | Milk and Blood | Jim Martin | - |
| O C T O B E R | 6 | Proud Like a God | Guano Apes | Germany |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | 60 Cycle Hum | Pulley | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | The Day the Sun Went Out | Boysetsfire | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | A Dead Poem | Rotting Christ | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | El Corazón | Steve Earle | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | Give It Back! | The Brian Jonestown Massacre | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | In Loving Memory Of... | Big Wreck | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | More Best of Leonard Cohen | Leonard Cohen | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | So Much for the Afterglow | Everclear | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | South Saturn Delta | Jimi Hendrix | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | Thicker Than Water | H$^2$O | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | Trouble Is... | Kenny Wayne Shepherd | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | Underdogs | Matthew Good Band | Canada |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | The Velvet Rope | Janet Jackson | - |
| O C T O B E R | 7 | Willis | The Pietasters | - |
| O C T O B E R | 8 | National Steel | Colin James | - |
| O C T O B E R | 10 | blackmail | blackmail | - |
| O C T O B E R | 10 | The Fantastic Plastic Machine | Fantastic Plastic Machine | - |
| O C T O B E R | 10 | I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Album | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| O C T O B E R | 10 | I Like to Score | Moby | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 10 | Review | Glay | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 13 | 20,000 Watt R.S.L. | Midnight Oil | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 13 | Jurassic 5 | Jurassic 5 | EP |
| O C T O B E R | 13 | Pleased to Meet You | Sleeper | UK |
| O C T O B E R | 13 | Quarashi | Quarashi | Iceland, Debut |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Dauði Baldrs | Burzum | Norway |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Medazzaland | Duran Duran | - |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Nimrod | Green Day | - |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Nothing Feels Good | The Promise Ring | - |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Phenomenon | LL Cool J | - |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel | Gravediggaz | - |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Soundbombing | Various Artists | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Switchback: Songs from the Soundtrack | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Unleash the Beast | Saxon | - |
| O C T O B E R | 14 | Urban Rapsody | Rick James | - |
| O C T O B E R | 20 | Coma Divine – Recorded Live in Rome | Porcupine Tree | Live |
| O C T O B E R | 20 | Exile | Gary Numan | UK |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | A Jagged Era | Jagged Edge | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album | The Firm (Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature) | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Brand New | Salt-n-Pepa | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Cattlemen Don't | Triplefastaction | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Extreme Honey | Elvis Costello | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Kashmir: Symphonic Led Zeppelin | Jaz Coleman and The London Philharmonic Orchestra | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Gattaca | Michael Nyman | Soundtrack |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album | Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Getting Past the Static | Jen Wood | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Go! | Letters to Cleo | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Half Dead and Dynamite | Lifter Puller | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Under the Western Freeway | Grandaddy | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | I Never Even Asked for Light | Lullaby for the Working Class | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Joya | Will Oldham | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | The Other Side | Wynonna Judd | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Phoenix Rising | Artension | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | The Remixes | Shakira | Remix |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Serpents of the Light | Deicide | - |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Transister | Transister | Debut |
| O C T O B E R | 21 | Young Team | Mogwai | - |
| O C T O B E R | 22 | Impossible Princess | Kylie Minogue | Japan |
| O C T O B E R | 24 | Talk on Corners | The Corrs | - |
| O C T O B E R | 27 | Echo Dek | Primal Scream | Remix |
| O C T O B E R | 27 | Legendary Tales | Rhapsody | Debut |
| O C T O B E R | 27 | Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon | John Lennon | UK, Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 27 | Endless Nameless | The Wildhearts | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Around the Fur | Deftones | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Baïda | Faudel | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Be Good at It | Neal McCoy | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | The Best | David Lee Roth | Compilation +1 new track |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | The Black Bossalini (a.k.a. Dr. Bomb from Da Bay) | Spice 1 | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions | Kiss | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Chupacabra | Imani Coppola | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Eros | Eros Ramazzotti | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Forever and Counting | Hot Water Music | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | The Fury of the Aquabats! | The Aquabats | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Galore | The Cure | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Get It How U Live! | Hot Boys | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Harlem World | Mase | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | The Jackal (Music from and Inspired by) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Jugulator | Judas Priest | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Looking for Butter Boy | Archie Roach | Australia |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | More Human Heart | Acumen Nation | |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | My Body, the Hand Grenade | Hole | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Nightbird | Yanni | Compilation |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | The Psycho Realm | Psycho Realm | Debut |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Slip Stitch and Pass | Phish | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Yeah, It's That Easy | G. Love & Special Sauce | - |
| O C T O B E R | 28 | Zaireeka | The Flaming Lips | - |
| O C T O B E R | 31 | Soon | Far | EP |
| N O V E M B E R | 1 | Mix Gently | The Gentle People | Remix |
| N O V E M B E R | 3 | Spiceworld | Spice Girls | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 3 | Paint the Sky with Stars | Enya | Compilation +2 new tracks |
| N O V E M B E R | 3 | Queen Rocks | Queen | Compilation +1 new track |
| N O V E M B E R | 3 | Keys to Ascension 2 | Yes | Live/Studio |
| N O V E M B E R | 3 | Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 | HIM | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 3 | Colours | Adam F | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 3 | Distant Horizons | Hawkwind | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 3 | [FLA]vour of the Weak | Front Line Assembly | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | All That Matters | Michael Bolton | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Chapter 2: World Domination | Three 6 Mafia | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Come On Over | Shania Twain | Over 40 million copies sold worldwide |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Excess Baggage | John Lurie and Red House Painters | Soundtrack |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | The 18th Letter | Rakim | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Greatest Hits | Richard Marx | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Heavy Petting | Bad Manners | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | If I Don't Stay the Night | Mindy McCready | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 | Jay-Z | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Kettle Whistle | Jane's Addiction | Compilation of unreleased and live tracks |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | The Pet Sounds Sessions | The Beach Boys | Box Set |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Signs of Chaos | Testament | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Tibetan Freedom Concert | Various Artists | Live |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Tracks and Traces | Harmonia '76 | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 4 | Tribute | Yanni | Live |
| N O V E M B E R | 5 | Don't Knock the Baldhead: Live | Bad Manners | Live |
| N O V E M B E R | 7 | American Lesion | Greg Graffin | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 7 | Gummo (Original Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| N O V E M B E R | 7 | Unit | Regurgitator | Australia |
| N O V E M B E R | 10 | Sampleslaya: Enter the Meatmarket | Armand Van Helden | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Best of King's X | King's X | Compilation |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Deconstructed | Bush | Remix |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | The Final Chapter | Hypocrisy | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Firecracker | Lisa Loeb | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Higher Ground | Barbra Streisand | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | The Omega Sessions | Bad Brains | EP |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | The Ozzman Cometh | Ozzy Osbourne | Compilation +1 new track |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Satisfaction is the Death of Desire | Hatebreed | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Second-hand Smoke | Sublime | Compilation |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | See It Through My Eyes | Meredith Brooks | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes | AFI | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes | NOFX | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Sympathique | Pink Martini | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | To See You | Harry Connick Jr. | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Welcome To Our World | Timbaland & Magoo | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 11 | Unpredictable | Mystikal | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 12 | Live Trax | Megadeth | EP |
| N O V E M B E R | 16 | Something Wild | Children of Bodom | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 17 | Let's Talk About Love | Celine Dion | 31 million copies sold |
| N O V E M B E R | 17 | BBC Sessions | Led Zeppelin | Live |
| N O V E M B E R | 17 | Breed to Breathe | Napalm Death | EP |
| N O V E M B E R | 17 | Caring and Killing | Converge | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 17 | Dionysos | Lux Occulta | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 17 | Here Comes Da Hool | Da Hool | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 17 | Now That's What I Call Music! 38 (UK series) | Various Artists | Compilation |
| N O V E M B E R | 17 | Scum | Anti-Nowhere League | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Whoracle | In Flames | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 | John Mellencamp | Compilation |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Bonfire | AC/DC | Box Set |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Inna Heights | Buju Banton | LP |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Kenny G – Greatest Hits | Kenny G | Compilation |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Live | Erykah Badu | Live |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | The Lonesome Crowded West | Modest Mouse | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Orama | On Thorns I Lay | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | ReLoad | Metallica | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Scream 2: Music from the Dimension Motion Picture | Various Artists | Soundtrack |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Snowed In | Hanson | Christmas |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Songs from The Capeman | Paul Simon | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | Titanic | James Horner | Soundtrack; 30 million copies sold |
| N O V E M B E R | 18 | We're Outta Here! | Ramones | Live |
| N O V E M B E R | 19 | Survive | B'z | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 24 | All Saints | All Saints | Debut |
| N O V E M B E R | 24 | Left of the Middle | Natalie Imbruglia | UK |
| N O V E M B E R | 24 | Open Your Eyes | Yes | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 24 | Stupid Stupid Stupid | Black Grape | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 25 | Big Willie Style | Will Smith | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 25 | In tha Beginning...There Was Rap | Various Artists | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 25 | Mostasteless | Twiztid | Debut |
| N O V E M B E R | 25 | R U Still Down? (Remember Me) | 2Pac | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 25 | Remix & Repent | Marilyn Manson | EP |
| N O V E M B E R | 25 | Sevens | Garth Brooks | - |
| N O V E M B E R | 25 | Truly: The Love Songs | Lionel Richie | Compilation |
| N O V E M B E R | 30 | Somber Eyes to the Sky | Shadows Fall | - |
| N O V E M B E R | ? | Sixpence None the Richer | Sixpence None the Richer | - |
| N O V E M B E R | ? | The 1999 Party | Hawkwind | Live |
| N O V E M B E R | ? | Lustra | Echobelly | - |
| N O V E M B E R | ? | Savoir aimer | Florent Pagny | - |
| D E C E M B E R | 1 | 23am | Robert Miles | Europe |
| D E C E M B E R | 1 | Aaron Carter | Aaron Carter | Europe |
| D E C E M B E R | 1 | Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute | Various Artists | 2-CD charity album |
| D E C E M B E R | 4 | Six | Loverboy | - |
| D E C E M B E R | 8 | Sounds of Decay | Katatonia | - |
| D E C E M B E R | 8 | This Could Be Heaven | Pandora | Swedes |
| D E C E M B E R | 9 | MTV Unplugged | Bryan Adams | Live |
| D E C E M B E R | 9 | Dragon Ball Z: Original USA Television Soundtrack | Ron Wasserman | American soundtrack for season 1 and season 2 of Dragon Ball Z |
| D E C E M B E R | 9 | Eye & I | Kardinal Offishall | Canada, Debut |
| D E C E M B E R | 10 | Cloudy Cloud Calculator | Takako Minekawa | Japan |
| D E C E M B E R | 16 | Featuring...Ice Cube | Ice Cube | Compilation |
| D E C E M B E R | 16 | Riverfenix | Riverfenix | - |
| D E C E M B E R | 23 | Blindside | Blindside | - |
| D E C E M B E R | 25 | Maximum II | MAX | Japan |
| D E C E M B E R | ? | It's All About the Girls | A New Found Glory | EP |

### Release date unknown
## Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest positions in the charts of 1997.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Chart Entries |
| 1 | Elton John | Candle in the Wind 1997 | 1997 | UK 1 – Sep 1997, US BB 1 of 1997, Netherlands 1 – Sep 1997, Austria 1 – Oct 1997, Switzerland 1 – Sep 1997, Norway 1 – Jan 1997, Poland 1 – Sep 1997, Germany 1 – Jan 1998, Republic of Ireland 1 – Sep 1997, New Zealand 1 for 6 weeks Oct 1997, Australia 1 for 6 weeks Dec 1997, Global 2 (35 M sold) – 1997, Australia 4 of 1997, Japan 11 of all time (international songs), Italy 12 of 1997, TOTP 33, Germany 37 of the 1990s, RYM 85 of 1997, OzNet 433 |
| 2 | Sean Combs & Faith Evans and 112 | I'll Be Missing You | 1997 | UK 1 – Jun 1997, US BB 1 of 1997, Netherlands 1 – Jun 1997, Sweden 1 – Aug 1997, Austria 1 – Jul 1997, Switzerland 1 – Jul 1997, Norway 1 – Jul 1997, Italy 1 of 1997, Germany 1 – Jun 1997, Republic of Ireland 1 – Jul 1997, New Zealand 1 for 5 weeks Jul 1997, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Oct 1997, Poland 5 – Jul 1997, Australia 5 of 1997, Germany 12 of the 1990s, POP 16 of 1997, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1997, Europe 50 of the 1990s, RYM 99 of 1997 |
| 3 | Aqua | Barbie Girl | 1997 | UK 1 – Oct 1997, US BB 1 of 1997, Netherlands 1 – Sep 1997, Sweden 1 – Sep 1997, Switzerland 1 – Oct 1997, Norway 1 – May 1997, Germany 1 – Jan 1998, Republic of Ireland 1 – Oct 1997, New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks Sep 1997, Australia 1 for 3 weeks Jan 1998, POP 1 of 1997, Italy 2 of 1997, Austria 3 – Oct 1997, France 6 – May 1997, US BB 7 of 1997, Australia 8 of 1997, Germany 36 of the 1990s, Scrobulate 53 of happy |
| 4 | No Doubt | Don't Speak | 1997 | UK 1 – Feb 1997, Netherlands 1 – Dec 1996, Sweden 1 – Nov 1996, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1997, Norway 1 – Dec 1996, Poland 1 – Jan 1997, Republic of Ireland 1 – Feb 1997, New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks Jan 1997, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Apr 1997, Austria 2 – Feb 1997, Germany 2 – Jan 1997, Australia 7 of 1997, France 10 – Feb 1997, RYM 10 of 1996, Europe 22 of the 1990s, POP 38 of 1996, Scrobulate 44 of rock, Italy 76 of 1997, Germany 77 of the 1990s, Acclaimed 1098 |
| 5 | Hanson | MMMBop | 1997 | UK 1 – Jun 1997, US BB 1 of 1997, Sweden 1 – May 1997, Austria 1 – Jun 1997, Switzerland 1 – Jun 1997, Republic of Ireland 1 – Jun 1997, New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks Jun 1997, Australia 1 for 9 weeks Aug 1997, Netherlands 2 – May 1997, Norway 2 – Jun 1997, Australia 2 of 1997, Germany 2 – Jun 1997, Poland 9 – Jun 1997, US BB 17 of 1997, POP 18 of 1997, Scrobulate 69 of fun, RYM 81 of 1996, Germany 187 of the 1990s, Acclaimed 516 |

## Top 40 Chart hit singles

| Song title | Artist(s) | Release date(s) | US | UK | Highest chart position | Other Chart Performance(s) |
| "2 Become 1" | Spice Girls | January 1997 | 4 | 1 | 1 (Ireland, Israel, Scotland, Spain, United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "3 AM" | Matchbox Twenty | November 1997 | n/a | 64 | 1 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "4 Seasons of Loneliness" | Boyz II Men | September 1997 | 1 | 10 | 1 (United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "5,6,7,8" | Steps | November 1997 | n/a | 14 | 1 (Australia) | See chart performance entry |
| "6 Underground" | Sneaker Pimps | May 1997 | 45 | 9 | 9 (United Kingdom) | 7 (US Billboard Alternative Airplay) - 11 (Scotland) - 31 (US Billboard Adult Top 40) - 62 (Australia) |
| "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Dub" | Apollo 440 | February 1997 | n/a | 7 | 1 (Romania) | See chart performance entry |
| "Ain't That Just the Way" | Lutricia McNeal | November 1997 | 63 | 6 | 1 (Sweden) | See chart performance entry |
| "Alane" | Wes Madiko | May 1997 | n/a | 11 | 1 (4 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "All I Want" | The Offspring | January 1997 | n/a | 31 | 4 (Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Alone" | Bee Gees | February 1997 | 28 | 5 | 1 (Poland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Alright" | Jamiroquai | April 1997 | 78 | 6 | 2 (Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Angel of Mine" | Eternal | September 1997 | n/a | 4 | 3 (Norway) | See chart performance entry |
| "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" | Madonna | March 1997 | n/a | 7 | 6 (Belgium) | See chart performance entry |
| "Anywhere for You" | Backstreet Boys | February 1997 | n/a | 4 | 1 (Lithuania) | See chart performance entry |
| "Around the World" | Daft Punk | April 1997 | 61 | 5 | 1 (Iceland, Italy) | See chart performance entry |
| "As Long As You Love Me" | Backstreet Boys | September 1997 | n/a | 3 | 1 (Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania) | See chart performance entry |
| "Avenues" | Refugee Camp All-Stars & Pras & Ky-Mani Marley | 1997 | 35 | n/a | 2 (Norway) | See chart performance entry |
| "Baby Can I Hold You" | Boyzone | November 1997 | n/a | 2 | 2 (Ireland, Scotland, United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| "Bailando" | Paradisio | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 1 (5 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Barbie Girl" | Aqua | April 1997 | 7 | 1 | 1 (14 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Barrel of a Gun" | Depeche Mode | February 1997 | 47 | 4 | 1 (6 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Because It's Love" | The Kelly Family | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 2 (Austria, Switzerland) | 3 (Germany) - 6 (Netherlands [Dutch Top 40]) - 11 (Belgium) - 13 (Netherlands [Single Top 100]) |
| "Been Around the World" | Puff Daddy & The Notorious B.I.G. & Mase | November 1997 | 2 | 20 | 2 (United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "Beetlebum" | Blur | January 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (Scotland, United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| "Bellissima" | DJ Quicksilver | January 1997 | n/a | n/a | 4 (Germany) | See chart performance entry |
| "Bitch" | Meredith Brooks | March 1997 | 2 | 6 | 2 (Australia, Canada, United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "Bitter Sweet Symphony" | The Verve | June 1997 | 12 | 2 | 1 (Scotland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Block Rockin' Beats" | The Chemical Brothers | March 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| *"Blood on the Dance Floor" | Michael Jackson | March 1997 | 42 | 1 | 1 (4 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Brimful of Asha" | Cornershop | August 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (Scotland, United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| "Burnin'" | Cue | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 1 (Sweden) | 4 (Norway) - 9 (Finland) - 19 (Finland) |
| "C U When U Get There" | Coolio | June 1997 | 12 | 3 | 2 (Norway, Sweden, Switzerland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Call the Man" | Celine Dion | June 1997 | n/a | 11 | 5 (Netherlands) | See chart performance entry |
| "Candle in the Wind '97" | Elton John | September 1997 | 1 | 1 | 1 (21 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" | Puff Daddy & Mase | January 1997 | 1 | 19 | 1 (United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "Casanova" | Ultimate Kaos | February 1997 | n/a | 24 | 2 (Netherlands) | See chart performance entry |
| "Cherish" | Pappa Bear & Van der Toorn | October 1997 | n/a | 47 | 1 (New Zealand) | See chart performance entry |
| "Clementine" | Mark Owen | February 1997 | n/a | 3 | 2 (Japan, Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Come into My Life" | Gala | November 1997 | n/a | 38 | 1 (Italy, Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Con te partirò (Time to Say Goodbye)" | Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 1 (Belgium, France) | 10 (Europe) - 18 (Netherlands [Single Top 100]) - 20 (Netherlands [Dutch Top 40] |
| "Crush on You" | Aaron Carter | August 1997 | n/a | 9 | 5 (Germany, Switzerland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Da Funk" | Daft Punk | February 1997 | n/a | 7 | 5 (Ireland, Scotland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" | N-Trance | October 1997 | n/a | 7 | 1 (Czech Republic, New Zealand) | See chart performance entry |
| "D.I.S.C.O." | N-Trance | March 1997 | n/a | 11 | 8 (Scotland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Discothèque" | U2 | February 1997 | 10 | 1 | 1 (7 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" | Madonna | January 1997 | 8 | 3 | 1 (6 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "The Drugs Don't Work" | The Verve | September 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (Scotland, United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| "Du Hast" | Rammstein | July 1997 | n/a | 186 | 5 (Germany) | See chart performance entry |
| "Du liebst mich nicht" | Sabrina Setlur | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 1 (Germany) | 3 (Austria, Switzerland) |
| "D'You Know What I Mean?" | Oasis | July 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (5 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Ecuador" | Sash! | April 1997 | n/a | 2 | 1 (4 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Elegantly Wasted" | INXS | March 1997 | n/a | 20 | 1 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "Encore Une Fois" | Sash! | January 1997 | n/a | 2 | 1 (Europe, Greece, Ireland) | See chart performance entry |
| "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" | The Smashing Pumpkins | March 1997 | n/a | 10 | 3 (Iceland, Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" | Backstreet Boys | June 1997 | 4 | 3 | 1 (Hungary, Romania, Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" | Sweetbox | October 1997 | 46 | 5 | 2 (Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)" | Aerosmith | February 1997 | 35 | 22 | 1 (Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Feel So Good" | Mase | October 1997 | 5 | 10 | 5 (United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "Fire" | Scooter | March 1997 | n/a | 45 | 1 (Finland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Fire Water Burn" | Bloodhound Gang | February 1997 | n/a | n/a | 2 (Norway) | See chart performance entry |
| "Fix" | Blackstreet | July 1997 | 58 | 7 | 3 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "Flash" | B.B.E. | January 1997 | n/a | 5 | 3 (Scotland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Fly" | Sugar Ray | May 1997 | n/a | 58 | 1 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "Fly Like an Eagle" | Seal | January 1997 | 10 | 13 | 2 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "Foolish Games" | Jewel | July 1997 | 2 | n/a | 2 (Canada, United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "For You I Will" | Monica | February 1997 | 4 | 27 | 2 (New Zealand) | See chart performance entry |
| "Formula" | DJ Visage | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 1 (Belgium) | 5 (Austria) - 6 (Netherlands) - 24 (France) - 34 (Australia) |
| "Free" | DJ Quicksilver | June 1997 | n/a | 7 | 3 (Ireland) | 4 (Spain, Germany) - 9 (Norway) - 11 (Switzerland) - 12 (Austria) - 13 (Sweden) |
| "Free" | Ultra Naté | March 1997 | 75 | 4 | 1 (Italy) | See chart performance entry |
| "Freedom" | Robert Miles | November 1997 | n/a | 15 | 2 (Italy) | See chart performance entry |
| "Gotham City" | R. Kelly | June 1997 | 9 | 9 | 3 (Germany) | See chart performance entry |
| "Got 'til It's Gone" | Janet Jackson & Q-Tip & Joni Mitchell | September 1997 | n/a | 6 | 3 (Hungary) | See chart performance entry |
| *"Guantanamera" | Wyclef Jean & Celia Cruz & Lauryn Hill & Jeni Fujita | October 1997 | n/a | 25 | 15 (New Zealand) | See chart performance entry |
| "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" | Az Yet & Peter Cetera | February 1997 | 8 | 7 | 1 (New Zealand) | See chart performance entry |
| "Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)" | Skunk Anansie | January 1997 | n/a | 13 | 1 (Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "He's Comin'" | Nana | September 1997 | n/a | n/a | 4 (Germany) | 11 (Switzerland) - 14 (Austria) |
| "Here We Go" | NSYNC | May 1997 | n/a | n/a | 5 (Switzerland) | 8 (Austria, Germany) - 10 (Netherlands [Dutch Top 40]) - 66 (Netherlands [Single Top 100]) |
| "HIStory/Ghosts" | Michael Jackson | 1997 | n/a | 5 | 3 (Italy) | 4 (Spain) - 14 (Germany, Netherlands) - 16 (Switzerland) - 26 (France) - 29 (New Zealand) |
| "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" | B-Real& Coolio & Method Man& LL Cool J& Busta Rhymes | January 1997 | n/a | 8 | 1 (Norway) | See chart performance entry |
| "Home" | Depeche Mode | June 1997 | 88 | 23 | 1 (Italy) | See chart performance entry |
| "Honey" | Mariah Carey | August 1997 | 1 | 3 | 1 (Canada, United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "How Come, How Long" | Babyface & Stevie Wonder | July 1997 | n/a | 10 | 2 (Netherlands [Dutch Top 40]/[Single Top 100]) | See chart performance entry |
| "How Do I Live" | LeAnn Rimes | May 1997 | 2 | 7 | 2 (United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "Hypnotize" | The Notorious B.I.G. | March 1997 | 1 | 10 | 1 (United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "I Do" | Lisa Loeb | October 1997 | 17 | 83 | 1 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "I Don't Want To" | Toni Braxton | March 1997 | 19 | 9 | 7 (Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "I Finally Found Someone" | Bryan Adams & Barbra Streisand | January 1997 | 8 | 10 | 1 (Ireland) | See chart performance entry |
| "I Know Where It's At" | All Saints | August 1997 | 36 | 4 | 2 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "I Never Loved You Anyway" | The Corrs | December 1997 | n/a | 43 | 31 (Australia) | 37 (Scotland) - 49 (Canada Adult Contemporary) |
| "I Shot the Sheriff" | Warren G | February 1997 | 20 | 2 | 1 (New Zealand) | See chart performance entry |
| "I Wanna Be the Only One" | Eternal & BeBe Winans | May 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (Scotland, United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| "I Want You" | Savage Garden | February 1997 | 4 | 11 | 1 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "I Will Come to You" | Hanson | November 1997 | 9 | 5 | 1 (Sweden) | See chart performance entry |
| "If God Will Send His Angels" | U2 | December 1997 | n/a | 12 | 4 (Belgium, Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "I'll Be Missing You" | Puff Daddy and The Family | May 1997 | 1 | 1 | 1 (19 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "It's All About The Benjamins (Remix)" | Puff Daddy and The Family | August 1997 | 2 | 18 | 2 (United States) | 1 (U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles) - 2 (U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales) |
| "It's No Good" | Depeche Mode | March 1997 | 38 | 5 | 1 (4 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version)" | Moby | November 1997 | n/a | 8 | 1 (Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Johnny B" | Down Low | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 4 (Germany) | 7 (Finland) - 8 (Switzerland) |
| "Jojo Action" | Mr. President | June 1997 | n/a | 73 | 1 (Hungary) | See chart performance entry |
| "Just for You" | M People | September 1997 | n/a | 8 | 8 (Scotland, United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| "Karma Police" | Radiohead | August 1997 | n/a | 8 | 1 (Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Kiss the Rain" | Billie Myers | September 1997 | 15 | 4 | 2 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "Laura non c'è" | Nek | February 1997 | n/a | 59 | 1 (Italy) | See chart performance entry |
| "Let a Boy Cry" | Gala | January 1997 | n/a | 11 | 1 (Belgium, France, Italy, Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Lonely" | Nana | March 1997 | n/a | n/a | 1 (Germany, Romania, Switzerland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Look Into My Eyes" | Bone Thugs-N-Harmony | June 1997 | 4 | 16 | 3 (New Zealand) | 4 (US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) - 6 (UK Hip Hop/R&B charts) - 15 (US Billboard Rhythmic charts) |
| "Love Gets Me Every Time" | Shania Twain | September 1997 | 25 | n/a | 4 (Canada) | 1 (Canada country Tracks, US Billboard Hot Country Songs) |
| "Love Shine a Light" | Katrina and the Waves | April 1997 | n/a | 3 | 1 (Israel) | See chart performance entry |
| "Love Won't Wait" | Gary Barlow | April 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (Lithuania, Spain, United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| "Lovefool" | The Cardigans | May 1997 | n/a | 2 | 1 (Scotland, New Zealand) | See chart performance entry |
| "Mama" | Spice Girls | March 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (4 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "María" | Ricky Martin | 1997 | 88 | 6 | 1 (18 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Meet Her at the Love Parade" | Da Hool | August 1997 | n/a | 15 | 1 (Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "The Memory Remains" | Metallica | November 1997 | 28 | 13 | 1 (Finland, Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Men in Black" | Will Smith | June 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (11 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Midnight in Chelsea" | Jon Bon Jovi | June 1997 | n/a | 4 | 1 (Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "MMMBop" | Hanson | April 1997 | 1 | 1 | 1 (12 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Mo Money Mo Problems" | The Notorious B.I.G. | July 1997 | 1 | 6 | 1 (Netherlands, United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "Mr. DJ" | Dr. Alban | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 3 (Spain) | 6 (Sweden) - 8 (Finland) - 21 (Austria) - 70 (Germany) - 79 (Europe) |
| "My Heart Will Go On" | Celine Dion | November 1997 | 1 | 1 | 1 (25 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "My Love Is the Shhh!" | Somethin' for the People | August 1997 | 4 | n/a | 2 (Germany) | See chart performance entry |
| "My Oh My" | Aqua | February 1997 | n/a | 6 | 2 (Denmark, Scotland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Nancy Boy" | Placebo | January 1997 | n/a | 4 | 4 (United Kingdom) | 5 (Scotland) - 19 (Europe) - 19 (Iceland) |
| "No Tengo Dinero" | Los Umbrellos | May 1997 | 42 | 33 | 1 (Austria) | See chart performance entry |
| "Nobody's Wife" | Anouk | 1997 | n/a | n/a | 1 (Iceland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Oh La La La" | 2 Eivissa | June 1997 | n/a | 13 | 1 (Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Old Before I Die" | Robbie Williams | April 1997 | n/a | 2 | 1 (Scotland, Spain) | See chart performance entry |
| "Older" | George Michael | January 1997 | n/a | 3 | 3 (Spain, United Kingdom) | See chart performance entry |
| "On Your Own" | Blur | July 1997 | n/a | 5 | 5 (Scotland, United Kingdom) | 20 (Iceland) - 27 (Ireland) - 33 (Europe) - 69 (Australia) |
| "One Headlight" | The Wallflowers | January 1997 | n/a | 54 | 1 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
| "The One I Gave My Heart To" | Aaliyah | August 1997 | 9 | 30 | 9 (United States) | See chart performance entry |
| "Open Your Eyes" | Guano Apes | August 1997 | n/a | n/a | 5 (Germany) | 10 (Austria) - 11 (Switzerland) - 14 (Belgium) - 18 (Netherlands [Dutch Top 40]) - 19 (Netherlands [Single Top 100]) - 24 (U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock - charted in 2000) |
| "Paranoid Android" | Radiohead | May 1997 | n/a | 3 | 2 (Scotland) | See chart performance entry |
| "Perfect Day" | Lou Reed & Various Artists | November 1997 | n/a | 1 | 1 (4 countries) | See chart performance entry |
| "Picture of You" | Boyzone | July 1997 | n/a | 2 | 1 (Scotland) | See chart performance entry |

### Other Chart hit singles

* "All Cried Out" – Allure & 112 (#4 US)
* "Ameno" - Era (#2 BE, #5 FR, SWE)
* "The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson
* "Break Me Shake Me" - Savage Garden
* "Breathe" - Midge Ure
* "Breathe" – The Prodigy (#1 DEN, FIN, NOR, SP, SWE, UK)
* "Don't Let Go (Love)" – En Vogue (#1 DEN, NOR, #2 NLD, US)
* "Don't Speak" – No Doubt (#1 AUS, BE, CAN, DEN, IRL, NLD, NOR, SWE, SWI, UK)
* "Du fehlst mir" - Cappuccino
* "I Have a Dream/Bellissima" – DJ Quicksilver (#2 IRL, #3 SP, #4 GER, UK)
* "I'll Be There for You" - Solid HarmoniE
* "Je t'aime [fr]" – Lara Fabian
* "Nothing Lasts Forever" – Echo & the Bunnymen (#8 UK)
* "Piece of My Heart" - Shaggy & Marsha Morrison
* "Please" – U2 (#6 IRL, NLD, #7 FIN, IT, UK)
* "Please Don't Go" – No Mercy (#4 UK, #5 AUT, #6 NLD)
* "Prince Igor" – Warren G (#1 NOR, #3 BE, SWE, #6 FR, NLD)
* "Push" - Matchbox Twenty
* "Remember Me" – Blue Boy
* "Rescue Me" - Bell, Book & Candle
* "Rumble in the Jungle" - The Fugees
* "Quanto amore sei" – Eros Ramazzotti (#3 SP, #7 FIN, #10 IT)
* "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)" – Backstreet Boys (#1 AUT, GER, SWI, #2 UK, US)
* "The Rascal King" – Mighty Mighty Bosstones (#4 CAN)
* "The Real Thing" – Lisa Stansfield
* "A Red Letter Day" - Pet Shop Boys
* "The Saint" - Orbital
* "Samba de Janeiro" – Bellini (#2 GER, SWI, #3 AUT, FR)
* "Saturday Night" – Suede (#4 DEN, #6 UK, #7 FIN)
* "Say What You Want" – Texas (#3 UK)
* "Say You'll Be There" – Spice Girls (#1 UK, FIN, SCO, #3 US)
* "Secret Garden" - Bruce Springsteen
* "Semi-Charmed Life" – Third Eye Blind (#2 CAN, #4 US)
* "Sex on the Beach" – T-Spoon (#2 UK, #3 IRL, NLD, #4 BE)
* "She's a Star" – James (#9 UK)
* "Show Me Love" – Robyn (#2 CAN, #7 US, #8 UK)
* "Sick with Love" - Robyn Loau (# 21 AUS)
* "Smack My Bitch Up" – The Prodigy (#1 FIN, SP, #6 IRL)
* "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" – Elton John (#1 US)
* "Something Goin' On (In Your Soul)" - Todd Terry & Martha Wash & Jocelyn Brown
* "Song 2" – Blur (#2 UK, #4 AUS, #8 BE)
* "A Song for Mama" – Boyz II Men (#7 US)
* "Spice Up Your Life" – Spice Girls (#1 UK, #2 BE, CAN, DEN, NLD, NZ, SP, SWE)
* "Stand by Me" – Oasis (#2 UK)
* "Star People '97" – George Michael (#1 DEN, #2 UK, #4 SP)
* "Staring at the Sun" – U2 (#2 CAN, #3 UK, #4 FIN, IRL, NZ)
* "Stay" – Sash! (#2 IT, UK, #3 DEN, NOR)
* "Step by Step" – Whitney Houston (#2 SP, #6 AUT, #8 GER)
* "Sunchyme" – Dario G (#2 DEN, UK, SWI)
* "Sunny Came Home" – Shawn Colvin (#7 US)
* "Superhero" - Daze
* "Tearin' Up My Heart" – 'N Sync (#3 CAN, #4 AUT, GER)
* "Tic, Tic Tac" – Chilli & Carrapicho (#2 AUT, #4 NOR, #5 GER)
* "To the Moon and Back" – Savage Garden (#1 AUS, #3 UK, #4 NZ)
* "Together Again" – Janet Jackson (#1 US, NLD)
* "Tomorrow Never Dies" – Sheryl Crow
* "Tout" – Lara Fabian
* "Truly Madly Deeply" – Savage Garden (#1 AUS, CAN, US)
* "Tell Him" – Barbra Streisand & Celine Dion (#1 NLD, #2 IRL, #3 BE, UK)
* "Time Is Tickin' Away" – C-Block (#5 GER, #9 SWI)
* "Tubthumping" – Chumbawamba (#1 CAN, IRL, IT, NZ)
* "Uh La La La" – Alexia (#1 SP, #2 FIN, #5 IRL, IT)
* "Vamos a la Discoteca" – Paradisio (#3 FIN, SWE, #6 NOR)
* "Vivo per lei" – Andrea Bocelli & Giorgia Todrani (#1 BE, FR, SP, SWI)
* "Walk on By" – Young Deenay & Sascha Schmitz
* "Walkin' on the Sun" – Smash Mouth (#3 CAN, IT, #5 SP)
* "Wannabe" – Spice Girls (#1 UK, US, AUS, BE, DEN, FIN, FR, GER, HK, IRL, ISR, NLD, NOR, NZ, SP, SWE, SWI)
* "Warum?" – Tic Tac Toe (#1 AUT, GER, SWI)
* "We Trying to Stay Alive" - Wyclef Jean & John Forté & Pras
* "When I Die" – No Mercy (#1 AUT, NLD, #2 AUS)
* "When Susannah Cries" – Espen Lind
* "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" – Paula Cole (#8 US)
* "Where's the Love" – Hanson (#2 AUS, CAN, #4 UK)
* "Who Do You Think You Are" – Spice Girls (#1 UK, IRL, #2 NLD)
* "You Have Been Loved/The Strangest Thing '97" – George Michael (#2 UK)
* "You Make Me Wanna..." – Usher (#1 UK, #2 US)
* "You Might Need Somebody" – Shola Ama (#4 UK, #8 NLD, NZ)
* "You Sexy Thing" – T-Shirt
* "You Were Meant for Me" – Jewel (#2 CAN, US, #3 AUS)
* "Your Woman" – White Town (#1 UK, SP, #3 IT)
* "You're Not Alone" – Olive (#1 UK, #3 IRL, #4 DEN)

## Notable singles

| Song title | Artist(s) | Release date(s) | Other Chart Performance(s) |
| "Autumn Sweater" | Yo La Tengo | April 1997 | n/a |
| "Come to Daddy" | Aphex Twin | August 1997 | 5 (UK Dance) - 9 (UK Indie Singles Chart) - 10 (Denmark) - 36 (United Kingdom) |
| "Karma Police" | Radiohead | August 1997 | See chart performance entry |
| "Miss Modular" | Stereolab | September 1997 | n/a |
| "My Own Summer (Shove It)" | Deftones | December 1997 | 29 (United Kingdom) - 33 (Scotland) |
| "Over" | Portishead | November 1997 | 25 (United Kingdom) - 159 (Australia) |
| "Song 2" | Blur | April 1997 | See chart performance entry |
| "Underwater Love" | Smoke City | March 1997 | See chart performance entry |
| "You Know My Steez" | Gang Starr | November 1997 | 5 (US Billboard Hot Rap Songs) - 32 (US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) - 76 (United States) |

### Other Notable singles

* "Can't Get Free" - Cranes
* "Rock City" - The Avalanches
* "Sick with Love" - Robyn Loau

## Classical music
### Premieres

Sortable table :
| Composer | Composition | Date | Location | Performers |
| Davies, Peter Maxwell | Concerto for Piano and Orchestra | 1997-11-7 | Nottingham | Stott, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Davies |
| Enescu, George | Symphony No. 4 | 1997-10-2 | Bucharest | George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra – Cristian Mandeal [ro] |

### Compositions

* Leonardo Balada – Concierto Magico for guitar and orchestra
* Silvie Bodorova – Terezin Ghetto Requiem
* Peter Maxwell Davies – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
* Henri Dutilleux
** The Shadows of Time, for three children's voices and orchestra
** Slava's Fanfare, for spatial ensemble
* Lorenzo Ferrero
** Capriccio for piano and string orchestra
** Concerto for violin, cello, piano and orchestra
** Storie di neve, music for the Sestriere Alpine World Ski Championships opening ceremony of 1997
** Championship Suite, for large orchestra
** Three Baroque Buildings
* Andrew Glover – The Fickle Virgin of Seventeen Summers: A Quartet for Strings
* Sofia Gubaidulina – The Canticle of the Sun
* Jaakko Mäntyjärvi – Canticum Calamitatis Maritiamae
* David Sawer – The Greatest Happiness Principle
* Tan Dun – Symphony 1997: Heaven, Earth, Mankind
* Takashi Yoshimatsu
** Around the Round Ground for guitar and bells
** Piano Concerto Memo Flora for piano and orchestra
** And Birds Are Still... for string orchestra, Op. 72

## Opera

* Robert Ashley – Balseros
* Antonio Braga – San Domenico di Guzman (oratorio)
* Michael Daugherty – Jackie O
* Peter Lieberson – Ashoka's Dream
* Einojuhani Rautavaara – Aleksis Kivi

## Musical theater

* 1776 – Broadway revival
* Annie – Broadway revival
* Candide (Leonard Bernstein) – Broadway revival
* Dream – Broadway production opened at the Royale Theatre and ran for 109 performances
* Forever Tango – Broadway production
* Jekyll & Hyde – Broadway production opened at the Plymouth Theatre and ran for 1543 performances
* The Life – Broadway production opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and ran for 463 performances
* The Lion King – Broadway production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre and is still running, with over 6700 performances to date, making it the third longest run in Broadway history.
* The Scarlet Pimpernel – Broadway production opened at the Neil Simon Theatre and ran for 772 performances
* Side Show – Broadway production opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre and ran for 91 performances
* Snow.Wolf.Lake – Hong Kong's first modern musical opened at the Hong Kong Coliseum and ran for 42 performances
* Steel Pier – Broadway production opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre and ran for 76 performances
* Street Corner Symphony – Broadway production
* Titanic – Broadway production opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and ran for 804 performances
* Triumph of Love – Broadway production opened at the Royale Theatre and ran for 85 performances

## Musical films

* Amy
* Anastasia (animated feature)
* Cats Don't Dance (animated feature)
* Cinderella (telefilm)
* Hercules (animated feature)
* Holiday in Your Heart (telefilm)
* Rhyme & Reason
* Selena
* Slaves to the Underground
* Spiceworld
* The Next Step
* The Tango Lesson
* The Wiggles Movie
* Wild Man Blues
* Year of the Horse

## Births

* January 1 – Noah Kahan, American folk musician
* January 9 – Daigo Nishihata, Japanese singer (Naniwa Danshi)
* January 11 – Cody Simpson, Australian surf pop singer-songwriter, musician and athlete
* January 14 – Jaira Burns, American singer-songwriter
* January 17 – Jack Vidgen, Australian singer, 2011 Australia's Got Talent winner, activist and television personality
* January 20 – Blueface, American rapper
* January 21 – Edan Lui, Hong Kong singer (MIRROR)
* January 24 – CK Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter (STRAYZ)
* January 28 – Nutsa Buzaladze, Georgian singer
* January 31 – Miyeon, South Korean singer, ((G)I-dle)
* February 1 – Jihyo, South Korean singer (TWICE)
* February 8
** Bella Poarch, Filipino American singer, songwriter, activist, veteran and internet star (Friend of Grimes)
** Rude-α, Japanese rapper
* February 10 – Maan de Steenwinkel, Dutch singer, actress
* February 11
** Nasty C, South African rapper
** Rosé, Korean-New Zealand singer and dancer (Blackpink)
* February 15 – Mia Boyka, Russian singer
* February 16 – Ren Meguro, Japanese singer (Snow Man)
* February 23 – Shiena Nishizawa, Japanese singer
* March 2 – Becky G, Mexican-American singer-songwriter, actress
* March 3 – Camila Cabello, Cuban-American singer/songwriter, dancer and actress
* March 4 – Daoko, Japanese singer
* March 8 – Jurina Matsui - Japanese idol, actress, talent, and model (former SKE48)
* March 21 – Tini Stoessel, Argentine actress, singer, songwriter, dancer and model.
* March 24 – Mina, Japanese singer and dancer (TWICE)
* March 26 – Glowie, Icelandic singer
* March 27 – Lisa, Thai singer, dancer, rapper (Blackpink)
* April 2 – Peach PRC, Australian pop singer, songwriter, activist, and internet personality
* April 3 – Kiana Lede, American singer-songwriter, actress, pianoist and actress
* April 8 - Saygrace, Australian singer-songwriter
* April 27 – Sayuki Takagi, Japanese singer
* May 6 – Scene Queen, American metal musician
* May 7
** Irori Maeda, Japanese singer
** Rico Nasty, American rapper and trap metal artist
* May 11
** Lana Condor, American actress and dancer
** Coi Leray, American rapper, singer-songwriter and dancer
* May 20 - Omar Apollo. American bilingual singer and songwriter
* May 26 - Grace Carter, English singer-songwriter
* May 27 – Soccer Mommy, American singer-songwriter
* May 31 – Cupcakke, American rapper, LBTQ+ advocate
* June 9 - Tay Iwar, a Nigerian singer, songwriter, composer, sound engineer and record producer
* June 11
** Kodak Black, American rapper
** Jorja Smith, British singer
* June 13 – 070 Shake, American rapper
* June 14 – Fujii Kaze, Japanese singer
* June 15 – Bali Baby, American rapper
* June 17 - 070 Shake, American rapper and singer
* June 21 – Rebecca Black, American singer-songwriter, YouTube artist
* June 22 – Dinah Jane, American singer and member of the girl group Fifth Harmony
* June 25
** Jacquie Lee, American singer, and 2013 The Voice contestant
** Faye Webster, American singer-songwriter
** Raylee, Norwegian singer, dancer and actress
* June 26
** Abi Ann, American singer-songwriter
** Baek Ye-rin, Korean singer-songwriter and former member of 15&
* June 27 – H.E.R., American singer-songwriter
* July 1 – Indigo De Souza, American singer
* July 5
** Cloud Wan, Hong Kong singer and actress
** Park Ji-min South Korean singer-songwriter, television host and former member of 15&
* July 7 - James Marriott, British YouTuber and musician
* July 8 – Lauran Hibberd, British singer-songwriter
* July 10 – Rena Katō, Japanese singer
* July 28 - Gabbriette, American model and musician
* July 30 – Finneas O'Connell, American singer-songwriter, actor, record producer and musician, brother of and collaborator with Billie Eilish
* August 5
** Olivia Holt, American actress and singer
** KennyHoopla, American singer
* August 7
** Yungblud, English alternative rock musician, singer-songwriter
** Evaluna Montaner, a Venezuelan actress, singer, music director, dancer, television presenter
** Valentina Cho, Hong Kong singer-songwriter (STRAYZ)
* August 9 – Kazuya Ohashi, Japanese singer (Naniwa Danshi)
* August 10 – Sara Takatsuki, Japanese actress, model and singer
* August 11
** Kanon Kimoto, former Japanese idol and actress (former SKE48)
** Saba, Danish singer, musical theatre actress
* August 16 – Greyson Chance, American singer, songwriter, and pianist
* August 19 – Baby Queen, British singer-songwriter born in Durban South Africa
* August 24 – Alan Walker, English-Norwegian DJ and record producer
* August 25 – Maty Noyes, American singer (Kygo)
* August 26
** Cordae, American rapper, singer, and songwriter
** Mae Muller – British singer-songwriter who represented the United Kingdom at Eurovision Song Contest 2023
* August 27 - Guitarricadelafuente, Spanish singer-songwriter, guitarist and musician based in Zaragoza
* August 28 – Bazzi (singer), American singer-songwriter (Camilla Cabello)
* September 1 – Jungkook, South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, and member of BTS
* September 2 – Sanah, Polish singer, songwriter, violinist, and composer
* September 14 – Benjamin Ingrosso, Swedish singer-songwriter
* September 24 – Malaya Watson, American singer
* October 1 – Sam Verlinden, New Zealand singer and actor
* October 2 - Rubi Rose, American rapper, songwriter and model
* October 6 – Michael J. Woodard, American singer
* October 7 – J. Rey Soul, Filipino-American singer
* October 8 – Bella Thorne, American actress and singer
* October 9 – Megan Moroney, American country singer
* October 10 – DDG, American rapper, singer and YouTuber
* October 14 – Miru Shiroma, Japanese singer and model
* October 23 – Minnie, Thai singer-songwriter, record producer, and member of (G)I-dle
* October 24
** Arthur Gunn, American singer
** Raye, British singer-songwriter and activist
* November 23
** Akari Takeuchi, Japanese singer
** Kim Dracula, Australian metal musician
* November 24 – Reiley, Faroese singer
* December 5 – Maddie Poppe, American singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist (Winner of American Idol 16)
* December 16
** Snot, American rapper
** Zara Larsson, Swedish singer-songwriter, musician, and activist
** Nat Ćmiel (born Natasha Yelin Chang), Singaporean songwriter and producer known for the musical project, Yeule
* December 20 – Suzuka Nakamoto, Japanese singer (Babymetal)
* December 21
** Kida, Kosovan singer
** Pedro Sampaio, Brazilian singer and music producer
* December 29 – Dylan Minnette, American actor, musician and singer (Wallows)

## Deaths

* January 1
** Ivan Graziani, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist, 51
** Townes Van Zandt, country-folk musician, 52
* January 2 – Randy California, rock guitarist, 45 (drowned)
* January 5 – Burton Lane, composer and lyricist, 84
* January 10 – Kenny Pickett, vocalist (The Creation), 54
* January 18 – Keith Diamond, songwriter, 46
* January 21 – Colonel Tom Parker, manager of Elvis Presley, 87
* January 22
** Richard Berry, songwriter (notably wrote "Louie Louie"), 61
** Billy Mackenzie, Scottish vocalist of The Associates, 39 (suicide)
* January 27 – Gerald Marks, American songwriter, 96
* February 10 – Brian Connolly, vocalist (Sweet), 51 (liver failure)
* February 23 – Tony Williams, jazz drummer, 51
* March 3 – Finn Høffding, Danish composer, 97
* March 9 – The Notorious B.I.G., rapper, 24 (shot)
* March 10 – LaVern Baker, R & B singer, 67
* March 17 – Jermaine Stewart, vocalist, 39 (AIDS)
* March 24 – Harold Melvin, soul musician, 57
* April 8 – Laura Nyro, singer-songwriter, 49 (ovarian cancer)
* April 9
** Mae Boren Axton, songwriter and music promoter, 82
** Yank Rachell, blues guitarist, 87
* April 19 – Eldon Hoke, metal/punk singer and drummer, 39
* May 9 – Willy Hess, Swiss musicologist and composer, 90
* May 11 – Ernie Fields, American trombonist, pianist and bandleader, 93
* May 29 – Jeff Buckley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist, 30 (drowned)
* June 2 – Doc Cheatham, jazz trumpeter, 91
* June 4 – Ronnie Lane, member of The Small Faces, 51 (multiple sclerosis, pneumonia)
* June 7 – Arthur Prysock, jazz singer, 68
* June 16 – John Wolters (Dr Hook), 52 (liver cancer)
* June 19 – Bobby Helms, country singer, 63
* June 20 – Lawrence Payton (The Four Tops), 59
* June 23 – Prince Nico Mbarga, Nigerian highlife musician, 47
* June 26 – Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, Hawaiian musician, 38
* July 5 – Mrs. Elva Miller, American singer, 89
* August 1 – Sviatoslav Richter, pianist, 82
* August 2 – Fela Kuti, Nigerian musician and composer, 58 (Kaposi's sarcoma)
* August 5 – Don Steele, American disc jockey, 61
* August 10 – Conlon Nancarrow, composer, 84
* August 12 – Luther Allison, blues guitarist, 57
* August 16 – Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, qawwali singer and world music ambassador, 48
* September 5 – Sir Georg Solti, conductor, 84
* September 8 – Derek Taylor, press agent for The Beatles, 65
* September 17 – Anthony Franchini, Italian American guitarist, 99
* September 18 – Jimmy Witherspoon, blues singer, 77
* September 19 – Rich Mullins, singer, 41
* September 28 – Munir Bashir, musician and oud player, 66–67
* October 5 – Arthur Tracy, singer, 98
* October 12 – John Denver, American folk singer-songwriter and folk rock musician, 53 (air crash)
* October 19 – Glen Buxton, guitarist for the original Alice Cooper Band, 49 (pneumonia)
* October 20 – Henry Vestine, guitarist (Canned Heat), 52
* November 3 – Ronald Barnes, carillonist, 70
* November 6 – Epic Soundtracks, English singer-songwriter, drummer of Swell Maps, Crime and the City Solution and These Immortal Souls, 38
* November 12 – Carlos Surinach, Spanish-American composer and conductor, 82
* November 20 – Robert Palmer, writer, musicologist, clarinetist and producer, 52
* November 22 – Michael Hutchence, singer of INXS, 37 (suicide by hanging)
* December 1 – Stephane Grappelli, French violinist, 89
* December 2 – Michael Hedges, composer and guitarist, 43 (car accident)
* December 16 – Nicolette Larson, pop singer ("Lotta Love"), 45 (cerebral edema)
* December 19 – Jimmy Rogers, blues musician, 73
* December 21 – Amie Comeaux, American singer and actress, 21 (traffic accident)
* December 28 – Henry Barraud, French composer, 97
* December 31 – Floyd Cramer, pianist, 64

## Awards

* 1997 Country Music Association Awards
* Eurovision Song Contest 1997: won by Katrina and the Waves (UK) with the song "Love Shine a Light".
* Gospel Music Hall of Fame: Inductees include Gloria Gaither, and Billy Ray Hearn (founder of Myrrh Records).
* Grammy Awards of 1997
* Mercury Music Prize: Awarded to Roni Size/Reprazent for the album New Forms.
* 1997 MTV Video Music Awards
* Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The following artists are inducted: The (Young) Rascals; the Bee Gees; Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills and Nash; The Jackson 5; Joni Mitchell; and Parliament-Funkadelic.

## Charts

* List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1997
* 1997 in British music#Charts
* List of Oricon number-one singles of 1997