"Building a Mystery" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan from her fourth studio album, Surfacing (1997). At a live performance, Sarah explains the song as being "basically about the fact that we all... have insecurities to hide, and we often do that by putting on a facade." She also goes on to say that "unfortunately, if we just be who we are, that's usually the more attractive and beautiful thing".
Firecracker is the second solo studio album by Lisa Loeb. It was released in 1997 through Geffen Records. Its cover features original artwork by illustrator Mark Miller, who transposed Loeb on to one of his original artworks, "Kitten".
"I Know Where It's At" is a song by English girl group All Saints, released in August 1997 as their debut single from their first album, All Saints (1997). The song debuted on the National Lottery Live on 9 August 1997 and was first performed on Top of the Pops on 2 September same year. It became the group's first top-10 hit, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, the single reached to number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song additionally reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Israel and New Zealand.
"What I Am" is a song written by Edie Brickell and Kenny Withrow and recorded by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians for their debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars (1988). The song is highlighted by a guitar solo that notably features an envelope filter. It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart, and became a top-20 hit in Australia and New Zealand. "What I Am" was ranked number 23 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s".
"I Want You" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, originally released in Australia on 27 May 1996 as the lead single from their eponymous debut album, Savage Garden (1997). The single reached number one in Canada and peaked at number four in Australia and on the US Billboard Hot 100. Much of the song's chart success in the US was the result of Rosie O'Donnell playing the song on several episodes of The Rosie O'Donnell Show. In the United Kingdom, the single was issued twice, achieving its highest peak of number 11 during its initial release in 1997.
"Sunny Came Home" is a folk-rock song by American musician Shawn Colvin. It is the opening track on her 1996 concept album, A Few Small Repairs, and was released as a CD and cassette single on June 24, 1997. In the United Kingdom, the song was released in July 1997 but did not chart until a re-release in May 1998.
"3AM" is the third single and the third track from American rock band Matchbox 20's debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You (1996). Written by Rob Thomas, Jay Stanley, John Leslie Goff, and Brian Yale, the song was inspired by Thomas dealing with his mother's cancer as a teenager. The song was officially serviced to US modern rock radio in October 1997 and was given a commercial release outside North America the following month.
"Will You Be There (In the Morning)" is a song by American rock band Heart. The ballad was written by veteran songwriter and producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who was responsible for writing Heart's "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" in 1990, and was released as the first single from the band's 11th studio album, Desire Walks On (1993) (although "Black on Black II" was released to radio first). Unlike the majority of Heart songs, which feature Ann Wilson on lead vocals, the lead singer on the song is Nancy Wilson. The song was released in the United Kingdom in November 1993 and in the United States the following month by Capitol Records.
"I Never Loved You Anyway" is a song by Irish band the Corrs, released in December 1997 as the second single from their second album, Talk on Corners (1997). The music was written by the band with Carole Bayer Sager, who also wrote the lyrics alongside Andrea Corr. The song became a top-50 hit in Australia and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary chart. The track earned producer David Foster a nomination for Producer of the Year at the 1999 Juno Awards.
"So Help Me Girl" is a song written by Howard Perdew and Andy Spooner and recorded by American country music singer Joe Diffie. It was released in January 1995 as the third single from his fourth studio album, Third Rock from the Sun (1994). The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, where it debuted at number 59 for the week of February 4, 1995, and number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"The Impression That I Get" is a song by American ska punk band the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Let's Face It (1997), in February 1997. The track reached number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart while also charting highly in Australia, Canada, and on the UK Singles Chart. The song was certified gold in the United States and Australia. Chris Applebaum directed the song's music video while Adam Stern produced it.
"Adia" is a song by Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan from her fourth studio album, Surfacing (1997). It was co-written by McLachlan and her longtime producer, Pierre Marchand. McLachlan has said about the song, "...more than anything, it's about my problems in dealing with feeling responsible for everyone else". "Adia" was released as the third North American single from Surfacing on 2 March 1998; in Europe, it served as McLachlan's debut single, receiving a UK release in September 1998.
"I Don't Want to Wait" is a song written, recorded, and produced by American singer-songwriter Paula Cole. Cole wrote the song in mid-1996 and released it as second single from her second studio album, This Fire (1996), on October 14, 1997. The single release was successful, reaching no. 11 in the United States and no. 5 in Canada. VH1 ranked "I Don't Want to Wait" as one of the 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s at no. 81. The song later served as the opening theme for the American teen drama television series Dawson's Creek, which ran from 1998 to 2003.
"Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven" is a song by Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams from his sixth studio album, Waking up the Neighbours (1991). Penned by Robert Lange and Bryan Adams, the song became Adams' third chart-topper in his native Canada, reached No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at No. 8 in the United Kingdom.
"Rain King" is a single by the rock band Counting Crows. It was released as the band's fourth single. The title is a reference to Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King. "Rain King" peaked at number 66 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, number 18 in Canada, and number four in Iceland. In April 2022, American Songwriter ranked the song at number eight on their list of "The Top 10 Counting Crows Songs".
"Do You Sleep?" is a song by American band Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories. It was released on September 4, 1995, as the third single from their debut album, Tails. It reached number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number eight on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, becoming the band's last top-20 hit in both countries, although Loeb would earn another top-20 single as a solo artist with "I Do" two years later. Outside North America, "Do You Sleep?" reached the top 50 in Australia, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. The music video accompaying this song was directed by Sophie Muller.
"Desperately Wanting" is a song by American alternative rock group Better Than Ezra. It was released in December 1996 as the second single from their third studio album, Friction, Baby, and became a chart hit in the United States, Australia and Canada.
"If You Could Only See" is a song by American rock band Tonic from their debut studio album Lemon Parade (1996). It was released to radio as the third and final single from the album on March 18, 1997, by Polydor Records. Frontman Emerson Hart is the sole writer of the song, whilst production on the song was helmed by Jack Joseph Puig. According to Hart, the song was written as a result of his family disowning him due to their disapproval of Hart's relationship with an older woman. The song is Tonic's most successful, becoming a hit in several countries, and has been described as "rock radio's most played song of 1997."
"If I Were You" is a song written by Canadian songwriters k.d. lang and Ben Mink and performed by lang. It was the first single released from lang's third studio album, All You Can Eat (1995), by Warner Bros. on 18 September 1995. The single reached number 24 on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number four on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart. On the US Billboard charts, the single reached number 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and was lang's second and final number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Overseas, "If I Were You" peaked at number 23 in Australia, number 50 in New Zealand, and number 53 in the United Kingdom. In 2017, Billboard named "If I Were You" k.d. lang's sixth-best song.
"Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" is a song by American rock musician John Mellencamp. It was released as the first single from his 14th studio album, Mr. Happy Go Lucky (1996), and peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it his final top-40 hit in the US. In Canada, it gave Mellencamp his fourth number-one single on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, staying at number one for five weeks. It additionally reached the top 40 in Australia and New Zealand. The song's music video features American actor Matthew McConaughey.
