'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life

Huge music success doesn't mean a band will become rich and stay together, which is the case for The Verve.The Verve is an alternative rock band that formed in 1989, at the turn of the decade. However the band didn't get commercial success until 8 years later when their album Urban Hymns broke through, becoming one of the best-selling albums in British history. Their single off the album "Bitter Sweet Symphony" sky-rocketed on the charts, hitting number 12 in the U.S. They won two Brit awards and were nominated for a Grammy. Soon after their international hit, the band broke up, claiming internal conflicts.

So with this big rock ballad, what could go wrong? Well, they were sued. The song uses four bars of the Rolling Stone Classic "The Last Time." The band claims they got permission to use it. The deal was to have a 50/50 split of the money. However, the representative of the Stone's claimed too much of the song was used, and 100 percent royalties were sent to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Not just the music, but also the lyrics were credited to the Rolling Stones. Lead vocalist and writer Richard Ashcroft says the song is the best Rolling Stone hit written in decades. Keith Richards was quoted saying that the business was the lawyer's, and that the verve deserved credit.

After saying they would never reunite, the band got back together in 2007. After releasing an album and going back on tour, the band slit again in 2009. The band says that they will never get back together. The legacy of "Bitter Sweet Symphony" lives on. It was included on soundtracks for movies like Cruel Intentions, and other famous bands and singers, like Oasis, famously covered the songs.

Information courtesy of Wikipedia: Bitter Sweet Symphony
                                                        The Verve

Yo, it's about that time to bring forth the rhythm and the rhyme

Many have seen the great films of Mark Wahlberg, whether it be a dramatic or comedic film. However, many don't know where Wahlberg got his start. Mark's brother Donnie was already in the pop music spotlight with his band New Kids On The Block, he helped Mark get into the business too. In 1991, Mark Wahlberg's hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch released "Good Vibrations" on their debut album Music for the People. "Good Vibrations" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and also went number one in Switzerland and Sweden. It went on to get platinum status. Their follow-up song "Wildslide" did have commercial success, receiving gold status, but Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch are still considered  one-hit wonders. The album itself was certified platinum.

 Mark Wahlberg, being the front man of the band, received a high amount of attention from the media. In the video for "Good Vibrations," Wahlberg appears shirtless throughout. Many advertising companies marketed Mark Wahlberg because of this. He made a living through advertisement for a short time after the initial success of the song. In 1993 he dropped his stage name and Wahlberg started his acting career. He first movie, Renaissance Man, came out in 1993. He didn't get the attention of critics until The Basketball Diaries. He starred with Leonardo DiCaprio.

What's the future like for Marky Mark and the Funky Punch? Mark Wahlberg has put the Bunch behind him. He says he's grown up and he couldn't play forever. However, "Good Vibrations" still lives in the hearts of the fans. "Good Vibrations" landed at number 20 on VH1's 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90's.

Information and picture courtesy of: Wikipedia: Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
                                                                            Mark Wahlberg
                                                                            Good Vibrations

"Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginning's End"

                There’s nothing better than a rock anthem that politely says, “It’s time to go home,” and that’s exactly what Semisonic’s hit “Closing Time” does.  Semisonic released Feeling Strangely Fine in 1998 which included “Closing Time,” a rock anthem. The song received major mainstream success, peaking at number eight on the U.S. charts and number one for the modern rock songs. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song in 1999. The song, written by Dan Wilson, the lead singer, and produced by Nick Launay was originally supposed to be a sing-along to play at the end of Semisonic’s shows. The men determined the song would be better as a rock anthem. Semisonic had other songs that did relatively well on the rock charts, but never had remotely the same success as “Closing Time.”

            The song is still prevalent in today’s popular culture. It’s still used on movie soundtracks, like Due Date and American Reunion, and is referenced in many television shows today, like How I Met Your Mother and The Office, even more so than 20 years ago. While not many people know the band Semisonic, many can recite the lyrics to their most popular hit.

The song hasn’t faded, and neither has the band members. Wilson is still winning Grammys. He co-wrote songs with Adele for her album 21, including her song “Someone Like You,” which won seven Grammys. He was also nominated for a Grammy in 2007 for his work on “Not Ready to Make Nice,” performed by the Dixie Chicks. He is currently working on a solo album set to be released later in the year. The drummer, Jacob Slichter, wrote a book entitled So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star, that talks about the journey of the band and the song. 

Information courtesy of Wikipedia: Dan Wilson
Information courtesy of Wikipedia: Semisonic
Information and picture courtesy of Wikipedia: Closing time 

"I know what you're doing I see it all too clear"

There’s nothing that says hit song like an angst-filled ballad about your girlfriend cheating on you, and that’s how Duncan Sheik struck gold. In 1996, Duncan Sheik released a song of his debut self-titled album called “Barely Breathing”. The song’s relatable lyrics drove it to the top of the charts.

The road for “Barely Breathing” was a surprisingly successful one. Sheik originally didn’t like the song; he just put it on the album to complete it. He didn’t realize that “Barely Breathing” would be the song that solidified him as a star. It peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard charts. It stayed on the chart for 55 weeks—a record; it was the fourth longest running song on the chart. Sheik was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance in 1998 and was certified gold. Vh1 considered “Barely Breathing” to be number 88 on the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s and number 8 on the 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s.

Since then he’s traded in the Grammy for a Tony with Spring Awakening, the Broadway musical Sheik created. The musical received two Tony’s and one Grammy. He’s currently working on the soundtrack to a musical adaptation of American Psycho. While he has new projects, “Barely Breathing” is still in popular culture of today. The song was featured on this week’s episode of Glee. It’s hard to fathom that the hit came out sixteen years ago.

Photo and information courtesy of: Wikipedia "Duncan Sheik"
Information courtesy of: Wikipedia "Barely Breathing" 

All right stop, Collaborate and Listen

Rapper Vanilla Ice, also known as Rob Van Winkle, might not be the first to come to mind when talking about people who changed the hip-hop industry, but the 1990 hit “Ice Ice Baby” helped diversify hip-hop. Vanilla Ice and DJ Earthquake wrote the song about growing up in Florida and Ice’s rap style. The hit samples Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” for the bassline. 

Many people found Vanilla Ice comical, and didn’t take his other music seriously. At the peak of Ice's career, he made an appearance on Saturday Night Live, made an appearance on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, and even had his own doll. “Ice Ice baby” was the first hip-hop song to hit number 1 on the Billboard 200; however since the initial success, popularity has majorly declined. Bender declared “Ice Ice Baby” number 5 on its list of “50 Worst Songs Ever;” however, VH1 ranked it number 29 on the “100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.”

Even though he hasn’t had a hit since “Ice Ice Baby,” Vanilla Ice is still making music. His last record was released in August on 2011 but never got mainstream attention or radio play. His songs have more of a rock sound than a hip-hop sound. He starred on the UK show Dancing on Ice. He hosts a show on the DIY Network called The Vanilla Ice Project.

Picture and information courtesy of Wikipedia: Ice Ice Baby 
Information courtesy of Wikipedia: Vanilla Ice

"He sings the songs that remind him of the good times, he sings the songs that remind him of the better times"

You may not know the name "Chumbawamba," or even the song title, but "Tubthumping," also called "I Get Knocked Down," is a staple of 90s music. Chumbawamba, hailing from Britain, was a punk-pop band with anarchist influences. In 1997, Chumbawamba released "Tubthumping," a catchy pop song with a chant like structure. The song peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 on the UK Singles chart, however, it also placed on Rolling Stone's list of the 20 most annoying songs. It also ranked on  AOL Radio's 100 Worst Songs Ever at 35.

"Tubthumping" still is used in modern soundtracks such as Fired Up!, however the band announced in July of 2012 that they were breaking up. Since Tubthumping, 9 albums have been realesed by Chumbawamba, but no song has caught on like its biggest single. The band says it's always possible they will get back together.

Time for a Flashback

The 90s were a great time for mainstream musicians, such as Nirvana, Britney Spears, and Alanis Morissette, whose music took off and they became household names. However, some musicians had one big hit that took the world by storm, and never hit again.

Every week, a long forgotten artist and their success-bringing song will be featured. Where are they now? What other musical projects are they working on? These questions and more will be covered. Musicians ranging from rockers who had one break-out hit to hip-hop jams that got stuck in the last millennium will make you say, "Hey, I remember that song!" Here is a blast from the past with great one-hit wonders from the 90s.