The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland, in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was replaced as lead singer by Dolores O'Riordan in 1990. The band classified themselves as an alternative rock group, but incorporated aspects of indie pop, post-punk, folk rock, and pop rock into their sound.
The Cranberries rose to international fame in the 1990s with their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, which became a commercial success. The band's hit singles include "Linger" (1994), "Dreams" (1994), "Zombie" (1994), and "Salvation" (1996). Five of the band's albums reached the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart, and eight of their singles reached the Top 20 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In early 2009, after a six-year hiatus, the Cranberries reunited and began a North American tour followed by shows in Latin America and Europe. The band's sixth studio album, Roses, was released in February 2012, and its seventh, Something Else, followed in April 2017. On 15 January 2018, lead singer Dolores O'Riordan was found dead of drowning in a London hotel room. The Cranberries confirmed in September 2018 that they would not continue as a band; their final album, In the End, was released in April 2019 and they disbanded afterward.
As of 2019, the Cranberries had sold nearly 50 million albums worldwide. The band ranks as one of the best-selling alternative acts of the 1990s. They have received an MTV Europe Music Award, a World Music Award, an International Group nomination at the Brit Awards, a Juno nomination, a Juno Award win, an Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement, and a BMI Award with a Special Citation of Achievement. The band's final album, In the End, earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. With the video for their song "Zombie", the Cranberries became the first Irish band to reach one billion views on YouTube.
Last Updated: June 9, 2021
