Hootie & The Blowfish

Hootie & the Blowfish emerged as a leading American pop rock band, gaining widespread recognition for their mainstream pop variation of blues-rock during a period when grunge music dominated the airwaves. Formed at the University of South Carolina, the group consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber and Jim Sonefeld. The band's name references two mutual friends of the members.

The band's debut album, "Cracked Rear View," achieved significant commercial success, propelled by the popularity of its first single, "Hold My Hand." The song reached the Top Ten, helping the album climb to number one and paving the way for additional Top 20 singles, including "Let Her Cry," "Only Wanna Be With You" and "Time."

"Cracked Rear View" became the top-selling album in the United States for its release year, with sales surpassing 13 million copies. The follow-up album, "Fairweather Johnson," debuted at number one and sold 2 million copies within its first four months, though it did not produce singles matching the chart performance of the band's earlier hits. The subsequent album, "Musical Chairs," saw a further decline in commercial impact, after which the band took a brief hiatus.

"Scattered, Smothered, and Covered" was released later, featuring previously unreleased material and cover songs. Hootie & the Blowfish returned with a self-titled studio album for Atlantic, followed by a "Best of" collection that included major singles and covers such as 54-40's "I Go Blind," which had appeared on the Friends Original TV Soundtrack. The band supported the hits collection with an extensive tour before releasing "Looking for Lucky" through their Sneaky Long imprint.

As the decade progressed, Rucker pursued a solo career in country music, achieving notable success with the album "Learn to Live," which sold over a million copies and produced three chart-topping country singles.

Hootie & the Blowfish continued to celebrate their legacy with tours commemorating milestones such as the 25th anniversary of "Cracked Rear View." The band's enduring influence is reflected in their contributions to pop rock, blues-rock and country crossover music.