This year we've asked some of our writers and fave musicians to tell us what

they think kicked it for '97. Here’s Addicted To Noise contributor

Matthew Budman's Top 10.

1) Jonatha Brooke, 10¢ Wings: Thanks for making Shawn Colvin a

superstar. Now it's time for this clear-voiced singer/songstress to break

through.

2) Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen: Geek rock lives! An

abundance of wit and pathos make Folds' piano-based sophomore release a winner.

3) Guided by Voices: Mag Earwhig!: Backed by an actual rock band,

Robert Pollard's hypermelodic songs sound unfamiliarly coherent and compelling.

4) Hanson, Middle of Nowhere: Sure, it's bubblegum, but the

Jackson Five were never this good, and no one disses them anymore.

5) Kara’s Flowers, The Fourth World: Just out of high school, this

L.A.-based guitar-pop quartet punchily updates The Outfield for the '90s.

6) Led Zeppelin, BBC Sessions: History's best hard-rock band,

caught live sounding like a Yardbirds rave-up, only with vocals by an unusually

loose Robert Plant.

7) Pat MacDonald, Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar: A quiet,

spooky, laconic acoustic set about the personal and creative split of Timbuk 3.

8) Metallica, Re-Load: If you didn't like Load, you won't

like this swquel. But just because it's catchy doesn't mean it's not great metal.

9) Shudder to Think: 50,000 B.C.: Another completely original set

of arty hard rock, driven by the riveting voice and non-sequitur poetry of Craig

Wedren.

10) The Verve, Urban Myths: Sometimes the critics are wrong, but not

about this lovely mix of Oasis' grandiloquence and Big Star's calm resonance.