MMMBop
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| "MMMBop" | |||||
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| Single by Hanson | |||||
| from the album Middle of Nowhere | |||||
| Released | April 1, 1997 | ||||
| Format | CD | ||||
| Recorded | 1995, 1996 | ||||
| Genre | Pop rock | ||||
| Length | 4:28 (Album Version) 4:01 (Single Version) |
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| Label | Mercury / Universal | ||||
| Producer | The Dust Brothers | ||||
| Certification | 2x platinum (ARIA) | ||||
| Hanson singles chronology | |||||
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"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. "MMMBop" was one of the biggest debut singles of all time; it reached number one in 27 countries, including the United States, the UK, Germany and Australia;[1] in the UK, the song sold 710,000 copies and stayed at number one for 3 weeks. It was voted the best single of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll, while also topping critics' polls from such media as Rolling Stone, Spin, and VH1. "MMMBop" was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in February 1998. It was the band's most successful single to date; MMMBop also ranks #20 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s."
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[edit] Music video
A music video was released to promote the single. It was directed by Tamra Davis, who also directed Hanson's second music video, "Where's the Love".[2]
[edit] Background
The song originally appeared on the 1996 independent album MMMBop as a ballad, but was reworked as an upbeat pop track by hit producers The Dust Brothers. The song's lyrics talk about the transient and unpredictable nature of friendship, referring to how friendships come and go in an "MMMBop", meaning a short period of time. The song therefore urges listeners to "hold on to the ones who really care. In the end they'll be the only ones there".
Like many songs that achieved extreme popularity, this song has experienced a backlash against its once ubiquitous airplay. Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pennsylvania held a student-created fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina called "Stop the Bop." The school played the song before classes begin in the morning, and between each period over the school PA system. The playing of this song was only stopped when the school raised $3,000 for hurricane relief and the school thereby "stopped the bop." [3] After the fundraising had concluded, Hanson responded by matching the students' donation as well as sending a copy of their 2004 album Underneath for every student in the school.
This tactic was also used again in the famous "Stop MMMBop" charity campaign at Mount Douglas Secondary School, when the song was played nonstop before and after classes and even during lunch hour. It would play until the school raised enough money to build a school in Sierra Leone. As well as students paying to stop "MMMBop", a small group of students created the "Keep MMMBop" charity, which got students to donate to the same cause, but it would keep "MMMBop" playing instead of stopping it. [4]
As "MMMBop" became more and more infamous due to massive airplay, Hanson appeared in a Saturday Night Live sketch with host Helen Hunt and castmember Will Ferrell. Two terrorists, played by Hunt and Ferrell, are so furious at the song's ubiquity they take the brothers hostage in an elevator and force them to listen to the song over and over until Zac and Isaac have gone completely insane and Hunt and Ferrell have killed each other, leaving Taylor unscathed.
On the Fox show House, Dr. House uses the song as his cell phone ringtone when the members of his team call him.
Since all members of Hanson went through puberty long ago, they have completely lost their juvenile singing voices and acquired deeper ones. Consequently, Hanson has since come to perform "MMMBop" in a noticeably lower key (five semitones lower) than when they were children.[5]
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, and Zac Hanson.
- "Mmmbop (Album Version)" – 4:01
- "Mmmbop (Dust Brothers Mix)" – 4:28
- "Mmmbop (Hex Mix)" – 3:26
- "Mmmbop (Single Version)" – 4:01
[edit] Chart positions
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 1 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Belgium (Flanders) | 1 |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | 4 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Finland | 4 |
| France | 4 |
| Ireland | 1 |
| Netherlands | 2 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Norway | 2 |
| Sweden | 1 |
| Mexico | 1 |
| Switzerland | 1 |
| UK | 1 |
| USA | 1 |
[edit] References
- ^ KFM - The Cape's No. 1 Hit Music Station
- ^ http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Tamra_Davis/189352
- ^ Brian Dakss (September 13, 2005). "'Stop The Bop' To Raise Katrina $$". The Early Show (CBS). http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/13/earlyshow/main838253.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-04-07.
- ^ "Backstage donates to UNICEF and stops MMMBop". Backstage. June 18, 2008. http://www.bstage.ca/backstage/2008/06/index.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-07.
- ^ Compare 1997 with 2008.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G. |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 24, 1997 - June 7, 1997 |
Succeeded by "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 |
| Preceded by "I Wanna Be the Only One" by Eternal featuring Bebe Winans |
UK Singles Chart Number 1 single June 1, 1997 – June 15, 1997 |
|
| Preceded by "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden |
ARIA Singles Chart Number 1 single June 1, 1997 – July 27, 1997 |
|
| Preceded by "You Were Meant for Me" by Jewel |
Billboard Hot 100 Airplay number-one single June 14 - July 5, 1997 |
Succeeded by "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin |
| Preceded by "I Want You" by Savage Garden |
Billboard Top 40 Mainstream number-one single May 24 - July 12, 1997 |
Succeeded by "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks |
| Preceded by "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" by Paula Cole |
ARC Weekly Top 40 number-one single May 31 - June 14, 1997 |
Succeeded by "Say You'll Be There" by Spice Girls |
