Who is The Cranberries

The Cranberries was an irish rock band that rose to mainstream popularity in the 1990s. Though not officially disbanded, as of 2003 they have been on hiatus.

Combining the melodic jangle of post-Smiths indie-guitar pop with the lilting, trance-inducing sonic textures of late-'80s dream pop and adding a slight celtic tint, The Cranberries became one of the more successful groups to emerge from the pre-brit-pop U.K. indie scene of the early '90s. Led by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, whose keening, powerful voice is the most distinctive element of the group's sound, the group initially made little impact in the dream United Kingdom.

It wasn't until the lush ballad Linger became an American hit in 1993 that the band also achieved mass success in the U.K. Following the success of Linger, The Cranberries quickly became international stars, as both their 1993 debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, and its 1994 follow-up, No Need to Argue, sold millions of copies and produced a string of hit singles. By the time of their third album, 1996's To the Faithful Departed, the group had added distorted guitars to its sonic palette and attempted to make more socially significant music, which resulted in a downturn in the band's commercial fortunes. During the next few years, the band cancelled a large tour and rumors of a breakup were widespread. They released Bury the Hatchet to mixed reviews in 1999.

In 2001, they released Wake Up and Smell the Coffee to rave reviews of "The magic is back." The album debuted at number 46 in the U.S. charts. (read more)