Compiling a list can be really a hard job. It can be subjective. Who do you include and who do u leave out? Who really gets to decide that? Anyway, I thought I would do my best to create a list of some bands and their songs that I used to listen to back in the 90's. It was just one single song that caught my attention and my wait for another hit from these bands proved to be futile. Will they ever be able to produce another hit like the one before? Are they even a band now?
Blind Melon - No Rain
Their first album received no success when it was released. When the first video was released for "No Rain" it became a raging success and soon this song was heard on the radio and the video was regular on MTV. The album went platinum x 3. The little girl who played the bee girl became a common figure that would be associated with Blind Melon for a long time. Constant cocaine problems with the singer Shannon Hoon was a roadblock in creating more hits for the band. Hoon soon died while on tour with the band and that was the end of Blind Melon. They did release two more albums after their first, but it mostly went unnoticed and during its very short lifespan, the band rode on the success of "No Rain" and for some of us, that's all we know about Blind Melon.
4 Non Blondes - what's Up?
Four girls who choose the name "4 Non Blondes" because none of them had blonde hair in the band. Not very creative. With only one released album to their name in 1993, they managed a big hit with "what's Up?" which received huge airplay on radio and MTV. The band was well accepted because they were probably the first all girl band to emerge out of the alternative music scene with some success. Hanging on to the success of what's Up, they went on to record their second album which for some unknown reason was not released. The band broke up and they all went their different ways. We may never hear from them again, but we do have what's Up to remind us that such a band did exist.
Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm MmmHow can we forget the deep voice that sang about the girl who wouldn't change with others in the change room because she had birth marks all over her body and about the kid who got into an accident and could not come to school. Their album titled God Shuffled his Feet had gone platinum and earned the band three grammy nominations, based on the power of their single titled Mmm Mmm Mmm. It was this single that made the world take notice of this band, even though they did have an album before this. They released many more albums, even as recent as 2004. They even had a Christmas album titled Jingle All The Way but none of these came close to Mmm Mmm Mmm and as a result this is till date probably the only song by Crash Test Dummies that most people have heard.
Soul Asylum - Runaway Train
I really wish that all the above bands would spawn a few more hits and keep going. Some of them still play and release albums but go unnoticed. Some of them have broken up due to many reasons. Then there are some bands in whose case we should be so thankful that common sense prevailed and they stopped with just one hit. These would be bands like:
Chumbawumba - Tubthumper
Hanson - MMMBop
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy
There are plenty more to write about and as always the list can go on and on. Your inputs welcome.
Blind Melon - No RainTheir first album received no success when it was released. When the first video was released for "No Rain" it became a raging success and soon this song was heard on the radio and the video was regular on MTV. The album went platinum x 3. The little girl who played the bee girl became a common figure that would be associated with Blind Melon for a long time. Constant cocaine problems with the singer Shannon Hoon was a roadblock in creating more hits for the band. Hoon soon died while on tour with the band and that was the end of Blind Melon. They did release two more albums after their first, but it mostly went unnoticed and during its very short lifespan, the band rode on the success of "No Rain" and for some of us, that's all we know about Blind Melon.
4 Non Blondes - what's Up?
Four girls who choose the name "4 Non Blondes" because none of them had blonde hair in the band. Not very creative. With only one released album to their name in 1993, they managed a big hit with "what's Up?" which received huge airplay on radio and MTV. The band was well accepted because they were probably the first all girl band to emerge out of the alternative music scene with some success. Hanging on to the success of what's Up, they went on to record their second album which for some unknown reason was not released. The band broke up and they all went their different ways. We may never hear from them again, but we do have what's Up to remind us that such a band did exist.
Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm MmmHow can we forget the deep voice that sang about the girl who wouldn't change with others in the change room because she had birth marks all over her body and about the kid who got into an accident and could not come to school. Their album titled God Shuffled his Feet had gone platinum and earned the band three grammy nominations, based on the power of their single titled Mmm Mmm Mmm. It was this single that made the world take notice of this band, even though they did have an album before this. They released many more albums, even as recent as 2004. They even had a Christmas album titled Jingle All The Way but none of these came close to Mmm Mmm Mmm and as a result this is till date probably the only song by Crash Test Dummies that most people have heard.
Soul Asylum - Runaway Train
Its hard to believe that they were formed as early as 1983 and had 5 albums released before they saw some success. Their 1992 album Grave Dancers Union went platinum x 2 due to the strength of their single Runaway Train. This was the first big hit for the band and this song received huge airplay both on radio and MTV. The video of this song featured pictures of missing children and a contact number. In different parts of the world, this video featured missing children from that particular region. This video was also responsible for reuniting many lost children with their parents. Few more years down the line and three more albums later, people still associate Soul Asylum with Runaway Train. Can we expect another hit from them?
I really wish that all the above bands would spawn a few more hits and keep going. Some of them still play and release albums but go unnoticed. Some of them have broken up due to many reasons. Then there are some bands in whose case we should be so thankful that common sense prevailed and they stopped with just one hit. These would be bands like:
Chumbawumba - Tubthumper
Hanson - MMMBop
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy
There are plenty more to write about and as always the list can go on and on. Your inputs welcome.
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