"Truly Madly Deeply" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, released in March 1997 as the third single from their self-titled debut album (1997) by Roadshow and Warner Music. It won the 1997 ARIA Music Award for both Single of the Year and Highest Selling Single, and was nominated for Song of the Year. Written by bandmates Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, the song is a reworking of a song called "Magical Kisses" that the pair wrote together during the recording of their debut album.
"Always on My Mind" is a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee, and first released by Gwen McCrae in March 1972. Lee's version was released three months later in June 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Elvis Presley's recording was the first hit version of the song.
"Men in Black" is a song by American rapper and actor Will Smith from the 1997 film Men in Black, in which he also starred. The song was released by Columbia Records on June 3, 1997, as the lead single from both the Men in Black soundtrack and Smith's debut solo album, Big Willie Style (1997), and it was Smith's first solo single following his work with DJ Jazzy Jeff. The song plays during the movie's closing credits and samples "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen. It features Smith rapping about how the Men in Black "Walk in shadow, move in silence" and play the role of "first, last and only line of defense, against the worst scum of the universe", while SWV singer Coko sings the chorus and background vocals. "Men in Black" reached number one in several countries and won Smith a Grammy Award in 1998 for the Best Rap Solo Performance.
"Gettin' Jiggy wit It" is a song by American rapper and actor Will Smith, released as the third single from his debut solo album, Big Willie Style (1997). The verse is based around a sample of "He's the Greatest Dancer" by Sister Sledge, and the chorus is sampled from "Sang and Dance" by the Bar-Kays. Released on January 26, 1998, the song was Smith's second hit produced by Poke & Tone and L.E.S., who replaced his long-time partner Jazzy Jeff, though the record-scratching techniques of Jazzy Jeff can be heard in the song.
"Wonderful Tonight" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton. It was included on Clapton's 1977 album Slowhand. Clapton wrote the song about Pattie Boyd. The female vocal harmonies on the song are provided by Marcella Detroit and Yvonne Elliman.
Ill Na Na is the debut studio album by American rapper Foxy Brown, released on November 19, 1996, by Def Jam Recordings. It was reissued on September 29, 1997, in the United Kingdom with an addition of the song "Big Bad Mamma". Brown began working on the album after being discovered by the production team Trackmasters and appearing on a number of singles by other artists, such as LL Cool J, Case and Jay Z. The immediate success of the singles led to a bidding war at the beginning of 1996, and in March, Def Jam Recordings won and signed the then 17-year-old rapper to the label. Mostly produced by Trackmasters, Ill Na Na features guest appearances from Blackstreet, Havoc, Method Man, Kid Capri and Jay Z. Lyrically, the album mainly focuses on themes of fashion, sex and mafia.
Big Willie Style is the debut solo album by American rapper and actor Will Smith. It was released on November 25, 1997, by Columbia Records. The album was primarily produced by Poke & Tone, with other contributors including L.E.S. and Smith's former collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff. The album was the first to be released by Smith since 1993's Code Red, the last by the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Five singles were released, including Smith's first US Billboard Hot 100 number one, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It".
"I Feel Love" is a song by Donna Summer. Produced and co-written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, it was recorded for Summer's fifth studio album, I Remember Yesterday (1977). The album concept was to have each track evoke a different musical decade; for "I Feel Love", the team aimed to create a futuristic mood, employing a Moog synthesizer.
"If God Will Send His Angels" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fourth track on their 1997 album, Pop, and was released as its fifth single on 8 December 1997. It was also featured on the City of Angels soundtrack.
"Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad written by former The Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song was originally offered to Barbra Streisand for her album project but later declined. It was first recorded as a single by Rose Royce in 1977 and has since been recorded by numerous other artists, including The Cover Girls in 1992, Seal in 2011, Jay-Z in 1998 and Beyonce in 2005.
"Piece of My Heart" is a romantic funk/soul love song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967.
"Shout" is a song by English pop/rock band Tears for Fears, released as the second single from their second studio album, Songs from the Big Chair (1985), on 23 November 1984. Roland Orzabal is the lead singer on the track. The single became the group's sixth UK top 40 hit, peaking at No. 4 in January 1985. In the US, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 3 August 1985 and remained there for three weeks; also topping the Cash Box chart. "Shout" became one of the most successful songs of 1985, eventually reaching No. 1 in multiple countries. It is regarded as one of the most recognizable songs from the mid-eighties, and is recognized by Chris True of AllMusic as a "Tears for Fears signature moment".
"Miami" is a song by American rapper and actor Will Smith from his debut solo album, Big Willie Style (1997). It samples the Whispers's 1979 single "And the Beat Goes On". Released on November 23, 1998, the song charted at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the UK Singles Chart.
"When I Need You" is a popular song written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager. Its first appearance was as the title track of Hammond's 1976 album When I Need You. Leo Sayer's version, produced by Richard Perry, was a massive hit worldwide, reaching number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in February 1977 after three of his earlier singles had stalled at number 2. It also reached number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week in May 1977; and the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song of 1977. Sayer performed it on the second show of the third season of The Muppet Show.
"Just the Two of Us" is a song by American rapper Will Smith. It was released as the fourth single from his debut solo studio album, Big Willie Style (1997), on July 20, 1998. The song was inspired by Bill Withers' and Grover Washington, Jr.'s love song of the same title; Smith's version samples and incorporates lyrics from the original. Instead of love between a couple, "Just the Two of Us" focuses on the relationship between a father and son. The song features Fuzzy and Sauce from the R&B group Somethin' for the People with Fuzzy providing the chorus and ad-libs, while Sauce is a credited as a producer on the track.
"Baby, Come Back" is a song by the English band The Equals from their 1967 album Unequalled Equals. Written by Eddy Grant, the song was originally released as a B-side in 1966 and was later released as a single in continental Europe before being released as a single in the UK in 1968. "Baby, Come Back" charted in multiple countries, including no. 1 in the Belgian, Rhodesian, and UK charts in 1967 and 1968.
American rapper Will Smith has released four studio albums, one compilation album, 18 singles, one video album and 20 music videos. After working in the late 1980s and early 1990s with Jeff Townes as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Smith began his solo career in 1997 with the release of "Men in Black", the theme song for the film of the same name, which topped singles charts in several regions across the world, including the UK. "Men in Black" was later included on Smith's debut solo album Big Willie Style, which reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200 and was certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The third single from the album, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It", became Smith's first Billboard Hot 100 number one when it was released in 1998.
"I'll Be" is a song recorded by American rapper Foxy Brown for her debut studio album, Ill Na Na (1996), featuring Brooklyn-based rapper Jay-Z. It was released as the second single from the album on March 4, 1997, by Violator and Def Jam Recordings. The song was written by Shawn Carter, Jean-Claude Olivier, Samuel Barnes, Angela Winbush, René Moore, Bobby Watson and Bruce Swedien with production by Trackmasters, and samples René & Angela's 1985 song "I'll Be Good". It was recorded at Chung King Studios in New York City, while the mixing of the track was finished at The Hit Factory. "I'll Be" is a hip hop and R&B song with explicit lyrics that revolve around sex and money.
"Big Bad Mamma" is a single by American rapper Foxy Brown and American R&B group Dru Hill from the soundtrack to the 1997 film, How to Be a Player. The song also appeared on the European re-issue of Foxy Brown's debut album, Ill Na Na.
"Freakin' It" is a song by American rapper Will Smith. It was released as the third and final single from his second studio album, Willennium. The single was released on March 22, 2000. The song was written and composed by Smith with a selection of other songwriters, including those of the Diana Ross chart single "Love Hangover," whose fast-paced bassline it samples, and was produced by two of those others, "Trackmasters" Samuel Barnes and Lennie Bennett. The single peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.
