Regardless of the grasp that alternative, indie and even some remanents of grunge had on mainstream rock charts in 1997, let it be stated for the record: Metal still ruled.
Aside from the aptly appropriate top two albums on this list, even some of the more cult progressive metal acts took home big votes in our reader's poll. Dream Theater's Falling into Infinity made the cut, and Queensryche's Hear in the Now Frontier -- arguably one of the Seattle outfit's less-ambitious works -- did remarkably well.
Of course, some of the new-breed bands made the list. Radiohead's OK Computer did win the Grammy for 1997's Album of the Year, and its spot on this list is fitting. And Foo Fighters by now had really come into their own, with Dave Grohl's songwriting talents gaining a unique voice.
Overall, it's a varied but sensible list. Most, if not all of these records still stand up today (especially when propped up against a wall). Check out how they rank in the gallery below.
And thanks for voting!
