Retroverse Year

1997

Girl power meets boy-band precision — the charts rediscover the joy of a choreographed hook and a slogan you can't stop chanting. Hip-hop and R&B keep pushing forward with Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy turning grief into anthems, while Radiohead reminds the album format it still matters. Pop becomes a team sport again. Pop becomes a team sport again, and the chants are loud enough to drown out the cynics.