In 1997 I moved into a townhouse with strangers, my two-and-a-half year relationship well and truly over. I stayed in that townhouse, in Guelph, throughout the summer even though I had graduated. I wasn’t sure what I would do with my life. This particular summer may have been the low point of my adult life. In fact, it absolutely was.
Miserable over the loss of the girl (regardless of how well it turned out for me now – I certainly didn’t know it then), living in a townhouse in a city where all of my close friends had left except for one, and holding a Degree in Stats while not finding a job in that field and instead working two near-minimum wage paying jobs: Delivery driver, and counter guy in the music section at Zellers.
I was a delivery driver in a ratty-old pickup truck that I could hardly afford to fill up with gas. In fact, I don’t think I ever “filled up”. Side story: when you’re this poor, the ridiculous shit piles up. In late April, a couple of weeks after my birthday, I was driving delivery and a cop pulled me over. My sticker expired in “April” and I needed to renew it. It already was April. But, me being as poor as I was, I delayed getting the sticker until the last day of April. I figured why would a cop pull me over when my sticker still has the proper month? But he did. And he charged me. Like I could afford $100 bucks, right? Another side story: UofG threatened to not give me my degree unless I paid a parking ticket that they school gave me. Nothing I could say or do – they wouldn’t hear it. So I paid. And today, when the University of Guelph calls me for support or donations, I explain to them why I won’t give them a cent. No mercy for your former students when they are at their lowest? Then you get nothing from this student when he’s eventually successful!
The Zellers job was horrible. I felt so demeaned. I felt as though I was treated poorly and that all of the students in that job were 18 or 19 whereas I was 23. But at least I was in the Entertainment area and got to pick the music. The delivery job was fun in the sense that I heard nothing but music for six hours every Friday and I think Tuesday was the other day. But the pay was shit – worked out to just a tad less than minimum wage, and by the time you paid for gas it was barely two-thirds minimum wage. And I’m including tips with that statement. This is why I always tip delivery drivers handsomely, even if there is a “delivery fee” charged.
On those delivery nights, I remember listening to the Edge. Our Lady Peace came out with an album and Clumsy and Superman’s Dead got a lot of play, as did The Offspring’s new one (Gone Away), and Tea Party’s Temptation. Song 2 and Drinking in LA also reminds me of those nights. My trips to London to hang out with my friends and family, I have memories of Bitter Sweet Symphony, and anything by Third Eye Blind, as well as All For You (Sister Hazel) and of course Tubthumping.
In the end, in December, I made the decision to return to school. I had to get out of the tailspin and going back to school would give me two things. First, it would give me money because I could get back into student loans (yay more debt!). Second, it would give me my friends – because I would go to school in London. I rushed everything together and moved to London at the start of January, 1998. Another interesting year in music for me because – well, that’s coming up next time…
Unlike most rankings, I haven’t been simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because we can all agree that on some days, certain songs kick more ass than other songs – yet other days they do not. It all depends on mood and situation. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank 1st tomorrow – if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment and I start singing along. So I group them instead of presenting a hard-and-fast order:
Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with some inter-group splitting.
At the bottom is the full list in chart form. But here are the best from that list:
30 Great Songs from 1997
Santeria – Sublime
Touch, Peel And Stand – Days of the New
Blame – Collective Soul
My Own Prison – Creed
Everlong – Foo Fighters
Gone Away – The Offspring
Jumper – Third Eye Blind
Drinking in L.A. – Bran Van 3000
Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighter
Lakini’s Juice – Live
Clumsy – Our Lady Peace
Song 2 – Blur
Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
All For You – Sister Hazel
It’s Your Love – Tim McGraw
Your Woman – White Town
Mouth – Bush
I Will Survive – Cake
Listen – Collective Soul
Brimful Of Asha – Cornershop
My Hero – Foo Fighters
Flagpole Sitta – Harvey Danger
Tangerine – Moist
Automatic Flowers – Our Lady Peace
You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
Someone Who’s Cool – The Odds
Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind
Abuse Me – Silverchair
Blue On Black – Kenny Wayne Shepherd
All I Want – The Offspring
13 Truly Awesome Songs from 1997
Shelf In The Room – Days of the New
What’s This Life For – Creed
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) – Green Day
All Around The World – Oasis
Karma Police – Radiohead
Temptation – Tea Party
How’s It Going to Be – Third Eye Blind
Superman’s Dead – Our Lady Peace
Paranoid Android – Radiohead
This one’s my favorite from that year. As much as I love Superman’s Dead, Paranoid Android grew on me more with each passing year. It belongs as one of the great anthems in rock history.
Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve
Lucky Man – The Verve
Lucky – Seven Mary Three
Listen to these great 1997 songs on the YouTube list I created here
Here is the full list:
| Awesome – 1 | 4 AM | – | Our Lady Peace |
| Awesome – 1 | Superman’s Dead | – | Our Lady Peace |
| Awesome – 1 | Paranoid Android | – | Radiohead |
| Awesome – 1 | Bitter Sweet Symphony | – | The Verve |
| Awesome – 1 | Lucky Man | – | The Verve |
| Awesome – 1 | Inside Out | – | Eve 6 |
| Awesome – 1 | Lucky | – | Seven Mary Three |
| Awesome – 8 | What’s This Life For | – | Creed |
| Awesome – 8 | Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) | – | Green Day |
| Awesome – 8 | All Around The World | – | Oasis |
| Awesome – 8 | Karma Police | – | Radiohead |
| Awesome – 8 | Temptation | – | Tea Party |
| Awesome – 8 | How’s It Going to Be | – | Third Eye Blind |
| Awesome – 8 | Shelf In The Room | – | Days of the New |
| Great – 15 | Santeria | – | Sublime |
| Great – 15 | Touch, Peel And Stand | – | Days of the New |
| Great – 15 | Blame | – | Collective Soul |
| Great – 15 | My Own Prison | – | Creed |
| Great – 15 | Everlong | – | Foo Fighters |
| Great – 15 | Gone Away | – | The Offspring |
| Great – 15 | Jumper | – | Third Eye Blind |
| Great – 15 | All I Want | – | The Offspring |
| Great – 15 | Song 2 | – | Blur |
| Great – 15 | Tubthumping | – | Chumbawamba |
| Great – 15 | All For You | – | Sister Hazel |
| Great – 15 | Blue On Black | – | Kenny Wayne Shepherd |
| Great – 26 | Drinking in L.A. | – | Bran Van 3000 |
| Great – 26 | Monkey Wrench | – | Foo Fighters |
| Great – 26 | Lakini’s Juice | – | Live |
| Great – 26 | Clumsy | – | Our Lady Peace |
| Great – 26 | It’s Your Love | – | Tim McGraw |
| Great – 26 | Your Woman | – | White Town |
| Great – 26 | Mouth | – | Bush |
| Great – 26 | I Will Survive | – | Cake |
| Great – 26 | Listen | – | Collective Soul |
| Great – 26 | Brimful Of Asha | – | Cornershop |
| Great – 26 | My Hero | – | Foo Fighters |
| Great – 26 | Flagpole Sitta | – | Harvey Danger |
| Great – 26 | Tangerine | – | Moist |
| Great – 26 | Automatic Flowers | – | Our Lady Peace |
| Great – 26 | You’re Still the One | – | Shania Twain |
| Great – 26 | Someone Who’s Cool | – | The Odds |
| Great – 26 | Semi-Charmed Life | – | Third Eye Blind |
| Great – 26 | Abuse Me | – | Silverchair |
| Solid – 45 | Hole In My Soul | – | Aerosmith |
| Solid – 45 | The Down Town | – | Days of the New |
| Solid – 45 | Cold Contagious | – | Bush |
| Solid – 45 | When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down) | – | Great Big Sea |
| Solid – 45 | Ordinary Day | – | Great Big Sea |
| Solid – 45 | Cubically Contained | – | Headstones |
| Solid – 45 | Real World | – | Matchbox Twenty |
| Solid – 45 | Resurrection | – | Moist |
| Solid – 45 | Don’t Go Away | – | Oasis |
| Solid – 45 | From This Moment On | – | Shania Twain |
| Solid – 45 | Kiss Me | – | Sixpence None the Richer |
| Solid – 45 | Fly | – | Sugar Ray |
| Solid – 45 | Surrounded | – | Chantal Kreviazuk |
| Solid – 45 | Hey, Johnny Park! | – | Foo Fighters |
| Solid – 45 | Hitchin’ A Ride | – | Green Day |
| Solid – 45 | Torn | – | Natalie Imbruglia |
| Solid – 45 | Never Ever | – | All Saints |
| Solid – 45 | Man! I Feel Like a Woman! | – | Shania Twain |
| Solid – 45 | Walkin’ on the Sun | – | Smash Mouth |
| Solid – 45 | Release | – | Tea Party |
| Solid – 45 | The Jock Jam | – | ESPN Megamix |
| Solid – 66 | Volcano Girls | – | Veruca Salt |
| Solid – 66 | Turn My Head | – | Live |
| Solid – 66 | Brick | – | Ben Folds Five |
| Solid – 66 | If I Had My Way | – | Big Sugar |
| Solid – 66 | Precious Declaration | – | Collective Soul |
| Solid – 66 | I Will Buy You A New Life | – | Everclear |
| Solid – 66 | Walking After You | – | Foo Fighters |
| Solid – 66 | The Grouch | – | Green Day |
| Solid – 66 | Sex and Candy | – | Marcy Playground |
| Solid – 66 | Bitch | – | Meredith Brooks |
| Solid – 66 | D’you Know What I Mean | – | Oasis |
| Solid – 66 | Empty Cell | – | Rusty |
| Solid – 66 | Angel | – | Sarah McLachlan |
| Solid – 66 | There She Goes | – | Sixpence None the Richer |
| Solid – 66 | Mo Money Mo Problems | – | The Notorious B.I.G. |
| Solid – 66 | Truly Madly Deeply | – | Savage Garden |
| Not Bad – 82 | The Memory Remains | – | Metallica |
| Not Bad – 82 | Beautiful Disaster | – | 311 |
| Not Bad – 82 | Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees) | – | Aerosmith |
| Not Bad – 82 | Pink | – | Aerosmith |
| Not Bad – 82 | Remote Control | – | Age of Electric |
| Not Bad – 82 | Woke Up This Morning | – | Alabama 3 |
| Not Bad – 82 | Barbie Girl | – | Aqua |
| Not Bad – 82 | All That You Are | – | Econoline Crush |
| Not Bad – 82 | Father of Mine | – | Everclear |
| Not Bad – 82 | Raspberry | – | I Mother Earth |
| Not Bad – 82 | Elegantly Wasted | – | INXS |
| Not Bad – 82 | Hush | – | Kula Shaker |
| Not Bad – 82 | Father | – | LL Cool J |
| Not Bad – 82 | The Perfect Drug | – | Nine Inch Nails |
| Not Bad – 82 | Carnival | – | Our Lady Peace |
| Not Bad – 82 | The Lines You Amend | – | Sloan |
| Not Bad – 82 | Babylon | – | Tea Party |
| Not Bad – 82 | Firestarter | – | The Prodigy |
| Not Bad – 82 | Midnight Rain | – | Wide Mouth Mason |
| Not Bad – 101 | How Do I Live | – | LeAnn Rimes |
| Not Bad – 101 | Back 2 Back | – | Matchbox Twenty |
| Not Bad – 101 | I’ll Be Missing You | – | Puff Daddy |
| Not Bad – 101 | Adia | – | Sarah McLachlan |
| Not Bad – 101 | Building a Mystery | – | Sarah McLachlan |
| Not Bad – 101 | Sweet Surrender | – | Sarah McLachlan |
| Not Bad – 101 | That Don’t Impress Me Much | – | Shania Twain |
| Not Bad – 101 | The End Is The Beginning Is The End | – | Smashing Pumpkins |
| Not Bad – 101 | Block Rockin’ Beats | – | The Chemical Brothers |
| Not Bad – 101 | Hypnotize | – | The Notorious B.I.G. |
| Not Bad – 101 | Flamenco | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Not Bad – 101 | Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 101 | Staring At The Sun | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 101 | Battle of Who Could Care Less | – | Ben Folds Five |
| Not Bad – 101 | Beetlebum | – | Blur |
| Not Bad – 101 | Personal Holloway | – | Bush |
| Not Bad – 101 | All By Myself | – | Celine Dion |
| Not Bad – 101 | God Made Me | – | Chantal Kreviazuk |
| Not Bad – 101 | Zoot Suit Riot | – | Cherry Poppin’ Daddies |
| Not Bad – 101 | One | – | Creed |
| Not Bad – 101 | Little Wonder | – | David Bowie |
| Not Bad – 101 | Everything To Everyone | – | Everclear |
| Not Bad – 101 | Prosthetic Head | – | Green Day |
| Not Bad – 101 | MMMbop | – | Hanson |
| Not Bad – 101 | Numb | – | Holly McNarland |
| Not Bad – 101 | Virtual Insanity | – | Jamiroquai |
| Not Bad – 101 | Look Like Me | – | Killjoys |
| Not Bad – 101 | St. Joe on the School Bus | – | Marcy Playground |
| Not Bad – 101 | Make You Mad | – | Odds |
| Not Bad – 101 | Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down | – | Puff Daddy |
| Not Bad – 101 | No Surprises | – | Radiohead |
| Not Bad – 101 | Sunny Came Home | – | Shawn Colvin |
| Not Bad – 101 | Too Much | – | Spice Girls |
| Not Bad – 101 | Sonnet | – | The Verve |
| Not Bad – 101 | Discotheque | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 101 | Last Night On Earth | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 101 | Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It | – | Will Smith |
| Not Bad – 101 | Dammit | – | Blink-182 |
| Not Bad – 101 | Barrel Of A Gun | – | Depeche Mode |
| Not Bad – 101 | Where You Get Love | – | Matthew Sweet |
| Not Bad – 101 | The Impression That I Get | – | Mighty Mighty Bosstones |
| Not Bad – 101 | What You Want | – | Mase |
| Not Bad – 101 | Smile and Wave | – | Headstones |
Dobber's Take 
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