When I was a DJ on Cleveland commercial modern-rock station The End in the mid-'90s, I could never for the life of me figure why we played Hootie and the Blowfish. What on earth is "modern-rock" or "alternative-rock" about the chronically pleasant, strummy, poppy folk-rock of Blow and the Hootiefish (as we affectionately called them)?
The answer to this conundrum lies right here: note Hootie's Cracked Rear View sitting in 15th place all-time in albums sales at an absurd and obscene 16 million units. 16 million Americans paid someone actual American currency to obtain that particular disc, more than all but 14 other recordings in the history of recorded music.
Stations are always going to play the most popular artists and recordings that remotely fit their format, and since Hootie didn't fit anywhere else (basically no AAA at the time), they were deemed as fitting "modern rock" radio (which at the time stretched from the Indigo Girls to Nine Inch Nails), and at the time no one was more broadly popular than Hootie.
"Hold My Hand," "Let Her Cry," "Only Wanna Be With You," and "Time" are all no less than listenable, and Darius Rucker is a fine update on the Jim Nabors, unself-conscious, let-that-baritone-fly school of singing, but it just seems like a record owned by 7% of the entire U.S. population should be someting more than consistently not-unpleasant; but then again, the ways of the consuming public are a constant source of bewilderment.
Anyway, with all of that scratch burning holes in their collective pockets, Hootie is giving some of it back:
- Hootie and the Blowfish have donated $80,000 to eight troubled South Carolina school districts.
"The children in our state are our best resource and our most hopeful investment," said lead singer Darius Rucker, a South Carolina native. "From new computers to books for their libraries, we are going to help the students of these school districts get the tools they need to further their education."
....The Grammy-winning group ... also will hold their second annual Hootie and the Blowfish Homegrown Concert on Oct. 8 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston.
The show will be the first in a series of four concerts aimed at trying to improve the educational needs of schools in the Carolinas. Ticket holders are asked to bring school supplies as a donation. [AP]
Article comments
1 - Mike Kole
Nice cause and good for Hootie. It's still the alt-rock equivalent of muzak, aspiring to one day be as exciting as Cream of Wheat.
Now if only The End's play wheel had dictated the playing of a little Einsteurzende Neubauten or Throbbing Gristle after each Hootie track... That would have kept people on their toes.
2 - Mac Diva
Hootie and the Blowfish have also spoken out against neo-Confederate activities in South Carolina, one of the states with a very active movement. They supported the boycott of the state while the Confederate flag flew over the capitol. Instead of avoiding the topic, the group members have been staunch opponents of racism. [edited]
I also don't find them all that bad for light listening. Let's keep things in perspective. The Archies charted, including a number one.
3 - Eric Olsen
They are always pleasant, which is in no way bad, but also a rather alarming basis for selling 16 million copies of a single record.
And, in an epiphany the likes of which last turned Saul to Paul, I will now mention the neo-Confederate movement in every post I write, as should we all. And I've changed my name to Peric.
4 - Mark Saleski
wow, i didn't know you did radio DJing.
does that mean you can do "BIGDJVOICE"?
if so, you should record a "Welcome to Blogcritics" greeting and have it play when the main page loads.
5 - Eric Olsen
very cool idea Mark, I like that - I CAN do a big DJ voice, though I don't normally talk that way, even on the radio. I've been on the radio or TV much of the time since 1973. I've been off the air now for about 2 years, which means it's about time to get going again.
6 - Jim S
in the "I wouldn't admit to owning this dept": I bought that cassette and actually liked it for what it was... background music for doing other stuff (like homework or playing video games...)
MY GOD! I didn't know they actually had another album!!! (I'm only kidding slightly.....)
7 - Eric Olsen
FIVE more, to be precise, combined sales of which I am certain do not ad up to half of Cracked
8 - Mark Saleski
what the hell....
i own it too.
(hey, after admitting to owning, and liking, Shania Twain cd's...)
9 - Eric Olsen
again, there's NOTHING WRONG with that album in particular, it's just hard to find the cultural need it has fulfilled by selling 16 million+ copies
10 - Mark Saleski
yea, weird isn't it? i mean, why did that particular record catch fire? there was a bunch of other relatively inoffensive stuff out at the time: Dogs Eye View...uh...can't remember any more.
i only bought this about two months ago. i heard a Hootie snippet on a tv commercial, this induced some nostaglia for the 90's (how pathetic is that?!!) and i snagged a used copy for 5 bucks or something.
11 - Mac Diva
Talk about a band from South Carolina which has been involved in reform efforts there and not mention the neo-Confederate movement? No way. Why do you think S.C.'s schools are so underfunded, pray tell? The history of the state has a heck of a lot to do with that. I give kudos to Hootie and the Blowfish for having their heads, hearts and wallets in the right place.
Mark, do you have either a record or MP3 of something by the Archies? Come on. Tell.
12 - Mark Saleski
nope. no Archies.
closest i ever came to that kinda bubblegum was the Partridge Family.
my gawd...this is gettin' ugly!