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

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July–August

September–October

November–December

Also in 1997

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Bands reformed

Albums released

January – March

April – June

July – September

October – December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest positions in the charts of 1997.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

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 • "" – 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

Other Notable singles

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

Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Charts