There is really no way to narrow this down to just ten songs, so I’ve created sublists, one of band releases, of which there were many, and one of female releases, again numerous. And then there’s the (dis)honorable mentions I’ll toss in at the end, because while most of them suck, they are iconic and emblazoned on my brain as a part of 1997.

Push, by Matchbox 20: I consider MB20 sort of the newer, edgier Hootie  and the Blowfish (and they’re only edgier because everything is edgier than Hootie). I remember the exact first moment I heard Push, and I was on my way to the mall (as usual), turning off of Liberty Road, and I tried to relate the song to the spanking new relationship I was in, but it didn’t quite work (not to be confused, of course, with a new spanking relationship, right?). That was the case at the time, at least, because now that the relationship didn’t work either, I see the irony. Rob Thomas wasn’t dancing yet, but he was part of what I shall now christen the "strong-band, singer/song-writer, but not in the John Mayer sort of sense" era.

Monkey Wrench, by Foo Fighters: I’m just now coming to fully appreciate the Foo Fighters, and I would probably have chosen Everlong, except my cousin just wrote about that song and I figured I'd mix it up a bit. Hell, download them both. Rachel Ray will love you for it, in that same awkward way you feel when you walk in on your sister in the shower.

Lakini’s Juice by Live: Easily in my top three favorite Live songs of all-time, I’ll share with you a fact I’ve learned many a time when this song comes up in not-so-polite conversation: This song has the ability to make one as hard as a week old brown biscuit. And thus ends the PG rating of my entry.

Walkin’ on the Sun by Smashmouth: I’m not a Smashmouth fan and I don’t even adore this song so much anymore, but at the time I thought it was revolutionary, and I still remember Michelle Stolzer’s little dance in the Baserunner room (please, view Hoodwink's other photos while you are there) when it came on the radio.

And now I’d like a quick aside, based on the fact that I just inadvertently invited Michelle Stolzer to visit my blog the next time she Googles herself. I owe Kerry Stossel of entry #2 an apology. She emailed me after finding her name on here and after re-reading my entry, I thought it was fairly complimentary, until I reached the end and boasted of my superior fashion knowledge. According to Kerry’s MySpace, she works in the fashion industry, so chances are, her knowledge probably (still) far outweighs mine. Then again, "in fashion" could mean she’s a sales girl at DEB, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. My apologies, Kerry. I’m glad you, Megan and Heather are still friends.

Moving on…

Santeria by Sublime: Another song I grew to enjoy more as time passed. Learn about Santeria here.

Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind: There’s a mystery verse* to this song that was only played once in a great while on Baltimore Radio. While everyone outside of that listening area is probably thinking "What an idiot. It’s just part of the song," it was cause enough for me to call Erica every single time the song was played, in hopes it would be one of the rare mystery verse occasions. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Don’t Go Away, by Oasis: This is my favorite Oasis song, so download it, learn all of the words and sing it to me. But please don’t be as mean as the Gallagher brothers.

Discotheque by U2: Not one of my personal favorites by U2, but it was interesting to learn what they were doing  while my other favorite bands were creating their career best. Speaking of which…

Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band: Personally, I have entirely too many stories concerning this song and the entire album, and I could create an entire entry unto itself if I so desired. I do not. And considering every woman in her early to mid-30’s can say the same, I’m just part of the boring majority. I encourage you to listen to the song over and over and ignore everything else Dave Matthew’s has done since 2002.

Long December by Counting Crows: You’ll love it even more if you’re a Courtney Cox fan. Adam Duritz, however, is not anymore.

On to the ladies…

Each of the following women in the list below contributed to 1997 with albums, singles releases, and/or a big-ass music festival that provided popular culture with lots of shaving jokes and a chance to make out with a girl and not be judged. (I’m not speaking from experience, of course, because I was drowning in a sea of men at that time and wasn’t able to get to the concert when it folk-danced its way through Maryland.) So, in addition to Lilith Fair, 1997 was sort of the year of chick-created music, and while much of my personal preferences lean toward the men on the list, the women provided a few gems.

Paula Cole, Shawn Colvin, Meredith Brooks and Merrill Bainbridge were not, in fact, the same person and you know this because everyone knows Meredith Brooks sang Bitch. Shawn Colvin sings about a woman that burns down an entire town, which sort of makes her a bitch, but I’m guessing Sunny was justified (check it out, it's creative and fascinating). I’m not really sure what Bainbridge** sang, and I could look it up but I’m too lazy, and Paula Cole makes middle-aged women shriek in disgust when her CD is played in its entirety during a long roadtrip. Clearly, I am not an authority on the work of these four artists, so make your own determiniations of what material of theirs you wish to download.

#1 Crush by Garbage was not a standout for me in 1997, but I later downloaded it on Kazaa and let me assure you, it has stood the test of time.

Veruca Salt however, has not. Well, the music maybe, but not the band. They hate eachother now, due to a boyfriend saga the likes of Brenda, Kelly and Dylan. I’m not sure though if it was Veruca or Salt that played the Brenda role, and thus do not know who’s solo career to support. But c’mon?! Veruca Salt?! I will always love them for paving the way for my one day band, Augustus Gloop. Dowload Seether because it was a song before it was a band.

Let’s wrap this up a little more quickly and just say Sarah McLachlan, Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Fiona Apple, No Doubt (sorry boys in No Doubt), Alanis Morissette, and Lucious Jackson all had songs released in ’97 that were infinitely better than the Spice Girls, and yet I’d recommend downloading Say You’ll Be There anyway.

Lastly, the (dis)honorable mentions go to the following songs, regardless of their artistic credibility because they will always remind me of the most fun year of my life.

Mmm… Bop by Hanson

Hypnotize by Biggie

Your Woman by White Town (Hi Erica!)

Tubthumpin’ by Chumbawumba

In My Bed by Dru Hill (disclaimer: I’ve never heard this song and I know nothing about it, but it’s 1997 release gives me an opportunity to tell you that these guys worked at The Fudgery in Baltimore and used to sing while they made fudge. If you go there today, there’s still boys making fudge and singing. It isn’t nearly as homosexual as it sounds and it’s a little like Baltimore’s version of The Pike Place fish market.)

*Hey, what do you know! It's common knowledge. Thank you Wikipedia!
**Oh hey, she sang Mouth. Yeah... didn't love it. Download it anyway! It's part of a great year!