Well, the final results are in, and while there are a few surprises, the
year was pretty much dominated by three bands: Radiohead, Spiritualized,
and The Verve. Over 90 albums and over 200 songs received votes, which is
one indication of how much the list has grown. In some of the categories,
I've listed more slots than last year, to give a broader perspective of
the list.

The Excellent Mailing List Top 20 Albums of 1997

1. The Verve - Urban Hymns
2. Radiohead - OK Computer
3. Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen...
4. Charlatans UK - Tellin' Stories
5. Primal Scream - Vanishing Point
6. Blur - Blur
7. Stereolab - Dots and Loops
8. Gene - Drawn to the Deep End (tie)
9. Portishead - Portishead (tie)
10. Bjork - Homogenic
11. Oasis - Be Here Now
12. Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
13. Supergrass - In It For the Money
14. Suede - Coming Up (was #2 album on our 96 list)
15. Boo Radleys - C'Mon Kids (was #4 album on our 96 list)
16. Dandy Warhols - The Dandy Warhols Come Down (first amerks)
17. Ben Folds 5 - Forever and Ever Amen
18. Catherine Wheel - Adam and Eve
19. Gus Gus - Polydistortion
20. Echo & the Bunnymen - Evergreen

Basically a close race among the top 3, with a few anti-Radiohead and
anti-Spritualized votes swinging it to the Verve.

The Excellent List Top 30 Songs of 1997

1. Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
2. Radiohead - Paranoid Android
3. Radiohead - Karma Police
4. Spiritualized - Cop Shoot Cop
5. Verve - The Drugs Don't Work
6. Blur - Song 2
7. Blur - Beetlebum
8. Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats
9. Oasis - D'You Know What I Mean?
10. Primal Scream - Kowalski
11. Hurricane #1 - Step Into My World
12. Spiritualized - Electricity
13. Gene - We Could Be Kings
14. Pulp - Help the Ages
15. Spiritualized - Think I'm In Love
16. Spiritualized - Broken Heart
17. Radiohead - No Surprises
18. Blur - On Your Own
19. Boo Radleys - Ride the Tiger
20. Chumbawumba - Tubthumping (see also worst song...)
21. Gus Gus - I Believe
22. Yo La Tengo - Autumn Sweater (Kevin Shields mix)
23. Echo & the Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever
24. Bjork - Joga
24. Verve - Catching the Butterfly (tie)
26. Bjork - Bachelorette
26. Cornershop - Brimful of Asha (tie)
28. Kula Shaker - Hush
29. Charlatans - One to Another (on last year's list as well)
29. Underworld - Moaner (tie)

Spiritualized had 4 of the top 16 songs, while Radiohead, Verve and Blur
had three each. Last year, Lush had 5 of the top 30, which still stands as
the records.

As to songs by one band receiving any votes, the old record of 7 held by
the Bluetones last year fell, as 8 different Verve songs received votes
this year. Radiohead and Oasis both had 7 different songs receive votes,
while Blur, the Charlatans, and Spiritualized each had 6.

Top 20 Albums of the 90's

1. Ride - Nowhere
2. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
3. Radiohead - The Bends
4. Slowdive - Souvlaki
5. Charlatas - Some Friendly (tie)
5. Lush - Split (tie)
5. Primal Scream - Screamadelica (tie)
8. Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
9. Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen...
10.The Verve - A Storm in Heaven
11.Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas (tie)
11.Oasis - What's the Story... (tie)
13.Trash Can Sinatras - Cake
14.Adorable - Against Perfection (tie)
14.Suede - Dog Man Star (tie)
16.Blur - Parklife (tie)
16.Blur - The Great Escape (tie)
18.Spiritualized - Laser Guided Melodies
19.Lush - Spooky (tie)
19.Oasis - Definitely Maybe (tie)

Some other notes: "Nowhere" won best album in a landslide. It had more
people vote for it than any other record, more #1 votes than any other
record, and more than double the points than "Loveless" at #2.

10 Different artists tied with 3 albums each receiving votes: Blur, the
Boo Radleys, the Charlatans, Morrissey, Oasis, Pulp, Ride, Saint Etienne,
Stone Roses, and the Trash Can Sinatras. Oh, and the 3 Stone Roses albums,
for those who found that a bit confusing are: Complete Stone Roses, Second
Coming, and Turns Into Stone.

106 different albums received votes in the poll.

The Excellent List Top 15 Bands (Last Year's Spot)

1. Charlatans UK(3)
2. Blur(2)
3. Radiohead(new)
4. Spiritualized(new)
5. The Verve(new)
6. The Boo Radleys(7)
7. The Smiths(erm...new)
8. Pulp(4)
9. Suede(1)
10. Oasis(6)
11. Stereolab(new)
12. The Stone Roses(10)
13. Ride(5)
14. Trash Can Sinatras(new)
15. Cocteau Twins(new)

Fell Out: Crowded House, Chemical Brothers
The Next Five: The Beatles, The Cure, Lush, Slowdive, and St. Etienne
Basically, I'm not sure that this means much more than that the
Charlatans don't really have an "anti" contingent on the list as, say,
Oasis, Radiohead, Blur, and Suede all do.

Most Loveable Indie Boy

Tim Burgess from the Charlatans

14 different people got votes, with Jarvis running 2nd.

Most Loveable Indie Girl

TIE: Rachel Goswell (Mojave3/Slowdive), Bjork, and Sarah Cracknell.

13 different people got votes.

Best Movie

The Full Monte

Unlike last year, in which damn near everybody voted for either Trainspotting or Fargo, this year 13 different movies got votes.

Event of the Year

Cure Live

Others were quite happy to see Echo and the Bunnymen, Mark Gardener, the Verve, the Rolling Stones, and Morrissey back in action.

Best Thing about 97

Verve Reunion

Although meeting Vroo, hanging with the Boos, and discovering Spiritualized were all top notch answers.

Worst Thing about 97

Death of Princess Di

Also mentioned were the (relative) failures of Squire and Bell, the end of VOLUME, and the Prodigy and Radiohead U.S. takeovers.

Best Concert

Charlatans/Dandy Warhols tour

Spiritualized and Verve running close seconds.

Worst Song

Chumbawumba - Tubthumping

Which edged out D'You Know What I Mean?, both of which, of course, also ended up in our year's top 30.

Worst Person

TIE! Liam and Noel will, predictably, have to duke it out for this award

with Kieth Prodigy scheduled to fight the winner in a cage match.

Worst Band

Prodigy

Also receiving consideration: Oasis, Sublime, Menswear, Cast, the Manics, Bis, Chumbawumba, and, erm.. Radiohead.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Mikey from INXS and Ride

Best response: John Squire's talent.

Brightest Hope

no real winner

although Dubstar, Elastica, the Bluetones, Travis, Cecil, Embrace, Symposium and Jadsie's child all were reasonable enough selections.

Psychic Prediction

Boy, do I wish I hadn't asked this one. All I'll say is that there's MORE THAN A LITTLE pre-mellinium tension floating around the collective pshyce of the Excellent Mailing list.

THE EXCELLENT LIST HALL OF FAME INAUGURAL INDUCTEES

The Stone Roses

Ride

together in a landslide. By far, the most collective decision reflected in
this year's poll.

Next year's frontrunners, based on the 97 returns, are Lush and The
Smiths, with Slowdive, Adorable, and the fab 4 not far behind.