The Cranberries remain one of Ireland’s most iconic rock bands. They are famous the world over for their lead singer’s haunting voice and their emotional lyrics, which have captured the imagination of not only their Irish fans but listeners globally. Hits like Zombie and Linger made them famous, and in this article we’ll look at their journey to stardom.
A Band for the Ages
The Cranberries created their most popular music in the 90s, but their songs have recently had a bit of a renaissance. Zombie became popular with Irish rugby supporters at last year’s World Cup, while Derry Girls, a Netflix show about life in Derry, samples many of their songs. Irish culture in general has started to influence many parts of the entertainment industry. Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan are two of the most famous recent exports, while even in the iGaming sector we can see the influence of the Irish. Bingo games like Luck of the Irish Fortune Play 2 sample the culture and allow gamers to play surrounded by pots of gold and leprechauns and the usual bingo features like fortune spins and scatters. The Cranberries have most certainly contributed to the global appeal of Irishness from their small beginnings in Limerick.
From Humble Beginnings
The band formed in 1989 with just two, Mike and Noel Hogan, and was called ‘The Cranberry Saw Us’. However, just a year later, Dolores O’Riordan joined, and their lives changed forever, along with their names. With her unique voice and excellent lyrics, the band was propelled into the international spotlight in 1993 with their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?
From that came their biggest songs and fame on both sides of the Atlantic. The personal lyrics of songs such as Linger resonated with crowds, while her politically motivated lyrics in hits like Zombie from their second album brought continued success. They were one of the few genuinely famous bands who were able to blend Celtic music into rock or pop and make it commercially successful on a large scale. In what was a traditionally male-dominated industry, the voice and music of a female lead had a huge impact.
The Ending
Success can’t last forever, and that was the case for the band. Behind the scenes, things began to fall apart, in part due to a heavy touring schedule as well as the impact of fame and lack of anonymity. The band took a break in the early 2000s to then reform in 2009. They didn’t reach their previous height, but fans could still enjoy their music with the release of Something Else in 2017, an album that revisited their previous hits.
It is fair to say that the Cranberries are legends in their field. For those of a certain age, their music brings with it nostalgia, but for the younger generation, it continues to inspire. They may have created most of their music in the 90s, but it will live on for years to come.
