THE BEST MUSIC OF 1997

1 ERYKAH BADU BADUIZM (Kedar Entertainment/Universal) Some singers can break your heart; Badu can put it back together again. Her neo-soul songcraft draws from soul, jazz, blues and hip-hop--but instead of a chaotic swirl of sound, the result is a slow-burning, meditative album that brings all these genres together. This is healing music about magic and love, racism and reincarnation, late-night parties and Afro picks. Badu's voice is a natural wonder, sharp and metallic, wounded and sad, yearning for empathy in one song, decrying injustice in the next. Her brilliant companion CD, Live, which captures concert performances of the songs on Baduizm, shows she's more than another '90s studio creation. She's the most thrilling new voice in pop.

2 Anne Sofie von Otter Schubert: Lieder (Deutsche Grammophon) The cool radiance of Von Otter's mezzo-soprano voice lights up this cannily chosen, passionately sung program of 18 Schubert songs, stylishly accompanied by pianist Bengt Forsberg. Some are obscure, some ultrafamiliar, but either way they are irresistible; even the age-old Ave Maria sounds brand new.

3 Alana Davis Blame It on Me (Elektra) A fresh and uncommonly rich fusion of blues and folk-pop, Davis' debut is a stunningly mature work for a songwriter of just 23. Combining the twang of Bonnie Raitt and the soulfulness of Tracy Chapman, Davis uses her serene voice to breathe light and life into songs, creating a captivating, genre-bending sound.

4 U2 Pop (Island) The Dublin-based rock supergroup replenishes its creative batteries by drawing on the trendy electronic-music scene. The end product is rock charged with lightning, as well as winking cultural commentary that suggests the question, In a world built on images and style, is there anything to hold on to? This is smart, self-aware stuff, acknowledging pop's shallowness while panning for nuggets of truth.

5 Luciano Messenger (Island Jamaica) The Jamaican-born Luciano has a baritone voice as warm and deep as Montego Bay, and his songs boast ripe, mango-sweet melodies. His lyrics, however, focus on serious subjects such as poverty, spirituality and resisting oppression. The core of Luciano's brand of reggae is a smiling insurgency.

6 Portishead Portishead (Go! Beat/London) Distorted, wraithlike vocals, blaring Big Band noir horns and deconstructed hip-hop beats--Portishead's eponymous album is both bravely strange and weirdly compelling. This is futuristic and cerebral music, but always heartfelt. The sound of the next millennium, today.

7 Mary J. Blige Share My World (MCA). The woman known as "the queen of hip-hop soul" proves with her most confident, sustained work why she wears the crown. The tracks on this CD are gems: expertly cut, with sparkling vocals. Blige's voice, with its oak-dark shadings and unforced, round-the-way sexiness, keeps it all real.

8 Marc Anthony Contra la Corriente (RMM) In this collection, rising Latin star Anthony sings salsa with youthful vigor and old-school showmanship. His voice is a flash of gold, blinding and enticing in its purity. The songs are in Spanish, but whether you habla espanol or not, Anthony's talent comes through, no translation needed.

9 Leonard Rosenman East of Eden/Rebel Without a Cause (Nonesuch) The pick of Nonesuch's impressive new film series, this CD, handsomely performed by John Adams and the London Sinfonietta, contains suites from Rosenman's arresting scores for two of James Dean's legendary films. It's a long-overdue solo bow for one of America's most underrated composers.

10 Matraca Berg Sunday Morning to Saturday Night (Rising Tide). This top Nashville composer has the ideal voice to inhabit her best songs. Make that voices, for Berg has a tone for each tune: raunchy for the rockin' Back in the Saddle, pained and proud for the elegiac Back When We Were Beautiful. Here Berg is possessed by her music: she sings in tongues.