Top Tens of 1997 Local Top Ten

1. Robert Earl Keen, Picnic (Arista Austin)
2. Jon Dee Graham, Escape From Monster Island (Freedom)
3. Silver Scooter, The Other Palm Springs (Peek-A-Boo)
4. The Derailers, Reverb Deluxe (Sire/Watermelon)
5. Wayne Hancock, That's What Daddy Wants (Ark 21)
6. Bad Livers, Hogs on the Highway (Sugar Hill)
7. Ana Egge, River Under the Road (Lazy SOB)
8. Jean Caffeine, Knocked Down 7 Times Got Up 8 (Joe)
9. The Damnations, Live Set
10. Buick MacKane, The Pawn Shop Years (Rykodisc)

Honorable Mentions: Daddy Longhead, "Daddy Lonhead" 10-inch, David Garza, The 4-Track Manifesto, Glorium, Eclipse, Fred Sanders, East of Vilbig, Starfish, Frustrated

Greg Beets

1. Bill Hicks, Rant in E Minor (Rykodisc)
2. The Dropouts, Come On! (Unclean)
3. Silver Scooter, The Other Palm Springs (Peek-A-Boo)
4. Bill Hicks, Arizona Bay (Rykodisc)
5. Windsor for the Derby, Metropolitan Then Poland
(Trance Syndicate)
6. The Adults, Soothing Sounds for Baby (Fume)
7. Various Artists, "A Lump of Coal" 7-inch (Shamrock)
8. Glorium, Eclipse (Golden Hour)
9. Prima Donnas, Prima Donnas Live on KVRX (Golden Hour)
10. The Hamicks, Ventriloquist Conartist (Framed)

Michael Bertin

1. James McMurtry, It Had to Happen (Sugar Hill)
2. Ant Man Bee, Cut Bait and Run (Charcoal)
3 Abra Moore, Strangest Places (Arista Austin)
4. Trish Murphy, Crooked Mile (Raven)
5. Jean Caffeine, Knocked Down 7 Times Got Up 8 (Joe)
6. Slobberbone, Barrel Chested (Doolittle)
7. Kacy Crowley, Anchorless (Atlantic)
8. Robert Earl Keen, Picnic (Arista Austin)
9. The Derailers, Reverb Deluxe (Sire/Watermelon)
10. Bad Livers, Hogs on the Highway (Sugar Hill)

Christopher Gray

1. Miss Lavelle White, It Haven't Been Easy (Antone's)
2. Robert Earl Keen, Picnic (Arista Austin)
3. Glorium, Eclipse (Golden Hour)
4. Starfish, Frustrated (Trance Syndicate)
5. Mike Nicolai, Mike Nicolai
6. Charlie Burton & the Texas 12-Steppers, Rustic Fixer-Upper (Lazy SOB)
7. Silver Scooter, The Other Palm Springs (Peek-a-Boo)
8. Ana Egge, River Under the Road (Lazy SOB)
9. Trish Murphy, Crooked Mile (Raven)
10. Derailers, Reverb Deluxe (Sire/Watermelon)

Christopher Hess

1. Bad Livers, Hogs on the Highway (Sugar Hill)
2. Fred Sanders, East of Vilbig (Leaning House)
3. James McMurtry, It Had to Happen (Sugar Hill)
4. The American Analog Set, From Our Living Room to Yours
(Trance Syndicate)
5. Damnations, Live Set
6. Starfish, Frustrated (Trance Syndicate)
7. Hot Buttered Rhythm, Hot Buttered Rhythm
8. Pat McDonald, ...Sleeps With His Guitar (Ark 21)
9. Kacy Crowley, Anchorless (Atlantic)
10. Adults, Soothing Sounds for Baby (Fume)

Andy Langer

1. Jon Dee Graham, Escape From Monster Island (Freedom)
2. Kacy Crowley, Anchorless (Atlantic)
3. David Garza, The 4-track Manifesto (Wide Open)
4. Spoon, The Soft Effects EP (Matador)
5. Trish Murphy, Crooked Mile (Raven)
6. Abra Moore, Strangest Places (Arista Austin)
7. [tie] Hot Buttered Rhythm, Hot Buttered Rhythm/M.C. Overlord, The Dark Side (Lorship)
8. [tie] Stephen Doster, Rosebud (Villa Muse)/Pat MacDonald, ...Sleeps With His Guitar (ARK 21)
9. Billy Harvey, Billy Harvey (Ultrafly)
10. [tie] Fastball, "This Guys In Love With You"/Derailers, "Raspberry Beret"

Margaret Moser

1. Abra Moore, Strangest Places (Arista Austin)
2. Jon Dee Graham, Escape From Monster Island (Freedom)
3. Kacy Crowley, Anchorless (Atlantic)
4. Jean Caffeine, Knocked Down 7 Times Got Up 8 (Joe)
5. Toni Price, Sol Power (Antone's/Discovery)
6. Lavelle White, It Haven't Been Easy (Antone's)
7. The Damnations, Live Set
8. Ana Egge, River Under the Road (Lazy SOB)
9. Buick MacKane, The Pawn Shop Years (Rykodisc)
10. [tie] Marcia Ball, Let Me Play With Your Poodle (Rounder)/The Derailers, Reverb Deluxe (Sire/Watermelon)

Jay Trachtenberg

1. Denny Freeman, A Tone for My Sins (Dallas Blues Society)
2. Jon Dee Graham, Escape From Monster Island (Freedom)
3. Doug Hall Trio, Three Wishes (Igmod)
4. Wayne Hancock, That's What Daddy Wants (ARK 21)
5. Killer Bees, All Abuzz (Mozelle)
6. Toni Price, Sol Power (Antone's/Discovery)
7. Ragga Massive, Rise to the Top
8. Fred Sanders, East of Vilbig (Leaning House)
9. Townes Van Zandt, Documentary (Normal)
10. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Live at Carnegie Hall (Epic)