And that next big thing was already waiting in the wings.
In the age of the “sensitive singer-songwriter,” Jewel was queen. Billboard combined the two sides of this single into one entry. You couldn’t walk into a coffee shop or a dorm room without hearing her yodel-esque vibrato. Pure, unadulterated adult contemporary gold. billboard year-end hot 100 singles of 1997
Let’s break down the biggest songs of the year, the trends, and the acts that defined 1997. Here is how the year-end list shook out. Spoiler: The #1 song is not a ballad. And that next big thing was already waiting in the wings
| Rank | Song | Artist | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | "Candle in the Wind 1997" | Elton John | | 2 | "Foolish Games" / "You Were Meant for Me" | Jewel | | 3 | "I'll Be Missing You" | Puff Daddy & Faith Evans ft. 112 | | 4 | "Un-Break My Heart" | Toni Braxton | | 5 | "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" | Puff Daddy ft. Mase | | 6 | "I Believe I Can Fly" | R. Kelly | | 7 | "Don't Let Go (Love)" | En Vogue | | 8 | "Return of the Mack" | Mark Morrison | | 9 | "How Do I Live" | LeAnn Rimes | | 10 | "Wannabe" | Spice Girls | You couldn’t walk into a coffee shop or