‘The Cranberries’ are a famous Irish rock band that was formed in 1989. Originally, the group consisted of Niall Quinn as the lead vocalist, Noel Hogan as the lead guitarist, Mike Hogan playing bass, and Fergal Lawler on the drums. In 1990, Quinn left the group and Dolores O’Riordan replaced him as the lead vocalist. Although this group predominantly plays alternative rock, other genres they play include Irish folk, rock, pop, indie pop, and post-punk. This group was at the height of their fame internationally during the 1990s following the release of their debut album ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’.
During this decade, they released four top 20 albums and eight top 20 singles. In 2003, the band retired from the public eye but reunited in 2009 following a six-year hiatus. They toured North America and then released their sixth and seventh albums ‘Roses’ and ‘Something Else’, in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Sadly, lead singer Dolores O’Riordan was found dead in her hotel on January 15, 2018. Although her death is unexplained, the police are not treating it as a suspicious death. In memory of this talented artist, here are five of the best singles released by ‘The Cranberries’.
1. Zombie
‘Zombie’ is probably now the most famous track released by ‘The Cranberries’. It was released in 1994 and is a protest song about the IRA bombing in Warrington in 1993. It was intended to be in the memory of Jonathan Ball and Tim Parry who were two of the young victims of the bombing attack. Dolores O’Riordan, the lead singer, wrote the track and it won an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song in 1995. It reached the top spot in the charts in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, and Germany. It was also number one on the US Alternative Songs Billboard.
2. Linger
Released in 1993, ‘Linger’ was the second single released from the group’s debut album ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ which was released the previous year. Initially, neither the single or the album was successful and they did not gain much attention from either the public or the media. However, once people had listened to the song, they loved it. ‘Linger’ reached number three in the charts in the Republic of Ireland, number 14 in the United Kingdom, and number 8 in the United States. This track was the beginning of the band’ success.
3. Dreams
‘Dreams’ was the band’s debut single in 1992 and remains one of their best tracks. There are three different versions of this song and the backing vocals were sung by Mike Mahoney who is an ex-boyfriend of Dolores O’Riordan. This song was the main feature of the band’s performance at the Woodstock Rock Festival in 1994.
4. Ode to My Family
Dolores O’Riordan and Noel Hogan co-wrote this track which was released in 1994 as the second single from ‘No Need to Argue’, their second studio album. The song was a hit in Australia and many European countries. The song is about how O’Riordan wishes she could return to her simple childhood life after achieving success. The video is shot in black and white.
5. When You’re Gone
‘When You’re Gone’ is the third single from ‘The Cranberries’ third album ‘To the Faithful Departed’ which was released in 1996. Dolores O’Riordan wrote the track and the music video was directed by Karen Bellone. The band produced a second stripped-down, acoustic version of this song which features on their 2017 album ‘Something Else’
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