The Cranberries
The Cranberries were an Irish alternative rock band who formed in 1989. The band's music was primarily alternative rock with strong influences from Irish folk music and Dolores O'Riordan often included yodeling into her vocals. The band members said they took inspiration from a variety of popular 80s bands like the Cure, R.E.M., and the Smiths. For nearly all of the band's music, O'Riordan wrote lyrics and co-wrote the music with Noel Hogan.
The band was founded in 1989 under the name "The Cranberry Saw Us." The initial lineup consisted of guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, drummer Fergal Lawler and vocalist Niall Quinn. In 1990, before they had recorded their first studio album, Quinn was replaced as lead singer by Dolores O'Riordan and the band name was shortened to "The Cranberries." Their debut album in 1993 got minor attention, but their second album, No Need to Argue, released in 1994, was extremely popular worldwide. After releasing three more albums, the band went on hiatus in 2004 so that the members could pursue solo careers, but regrouped in 2009 and recorded new material. In 2018, O'Riordan drowned while intoxicated in a hotel bathtub and the band remained together long enough to finish and release the album they were recording.
Personal
I became aware of The Cranberries through their 1994 hit song, Zombie, which was receiving a lot of radio play. My brother liked the song, and I remember thinking the music sounded interesting, but not liking the annoying yodeling vocals. Shortly thereafter, my friend Kevin bought the album, and I remember making fun of the song, and especially the band's name which resulted in a fight between us, but, after he explained that the music had special meaning to him because he had Irish heritage, I backed off. I ultimately ended up buying and enjoying the album a few years later, so I guess he was right! In the early 2000s, using Kazaa, I downloaded songs from various other albums by the band, and ended up buying their first three albums, though there were only a handful of songs on them I enjoy. I was pleased to hear when the band regrouped, but, without hearing a new song to latch onto, I didn't follow them at all, and still haven't heard any of their new music. I remember being a bit shocked and sad when I learned about O'Riordan's death as I admired her musical talent and fashion sense. To this day, listening to their music makes me think of the mid-to-late 1990s.
Discography
Studio Albums
| Released | Title | Rank | Own |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-03-01 | Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? | 2 | CD |
| 1994-10-03 | No Need to Argue | 1 | CD |
| 1996-04-30 | To the Faithful Departed | 3 | CD |
| 1999-04-19 | Bury the Hatchet | 4 | |
| 2001-10-22 | Wake Up and Smell the Coffee | 5 | |
| 2012-02-27 | Roses | ||
| 2017-04-28 | Something Else | ||
| 2019-04-26 | In the End |
Songs
This is a list of some of my favorite Cranberries songs. For all their songs, see The Cranberries songs.
- Dreaming My Dreams
- Dreams
- Empty
- Everything I Said
- Free to Decide
- Just My Imagination
- Liar
- Linger
- Ode to My Family
- Twenty One
- Zombie
Media
A very early photo of the band. Circa 1990.
Prior to the release of No Need to Argue, circa 1993.
After the band had matured, circa 2000.
Post-reunion, circa 2010.
Late in the band's career, circa 2015.
Links
