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MMMBop

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This article is about the song. For the demo album, see MMMBop (album).

"MMMBop"
Single by Hanson
from the album Middle of Nowhere
B-side"Where's the Love"
ReleasedApril 15, 1997 (1997-04-15)
Recorded
Genre
Length
  • 4:28 (album version)
  • 3:58 (single version)
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Hanson singles chronology
"MMMBop"
(1997) 		"Where's the Love"
(1997)
Audio sample
Music video
"MMMBop" on YouTube

"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by American pop rock band Hanson. It was released on April 15, 1997 by Mercury Records, as the lead single from their first full-length studio album, Middle of Nowhere (1997). The song is the band's most successful single to date and was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards. "MMMBop" was a major success worldwide,[1] reaching number one in at least 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Its music video was directed by Tamra Davis.

The song 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, and was ranked number 20 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s", as well as number 98 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years". In 2023, Hanson released a new version of "MMMBop", entitled "MMMBop 2.0" in collaboration with English pop punk band Busted.

Background and composition

[edit]

The song originally appeared on the 1996 independent album MMMBop with a slower tempo, but was reworked as an upbeat pop track by producers the Dust Brothers. This became the hit version. In an August 2004 interview with Songfacts, Zac Hanson explained the song's origins:

That song started out really as the background part for another song. We were making our first independent album and we were trying to come up with a background part. We started singing a slightly different incarnation of what is now the chorus of "MMMbop". That sort of stuck in our heads and never really worked as a background part, and over a couple of years, that piece really has stuck in our heads and we really crafted the rest of the song – the verses and bridge and so on.

What that song talks about is, you've got to hold on to the things that really matter. "MMMbop" represents a frame of time or the futility of life. Things are going to be gone, whether it's your age and your youth, or maybe the money you have, or whatever it is, and all that's going to be left are the people you've nurtured and have really built to be your backbone and your support system.

They [the lyrics] weren't inspired by one artist in particular. The first music that we got into was '50s and '60s music. If anything, "MMMbop" was inspired by The Beach Boys and vocal groups of that era – using your voice as almost a doo-wop kind of thing. It was something we almost stumbled upon.[2]

"MMMBop" is written and composed in the key of A major.[3]

Critical reception

[edit]

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "The rush of youth-driven acts on radio accelerates with the onset of this candy-coated pop confection. Try to imagine what the Jackson 5 might sound like with the accompaniment of a skittling funk beat and scratchy faux-grunge guitars, and you will have a clear picture of where Hanson is coming from. Initially it's a mildly jarring combination, but it's ultimately quite cool. Factor in an instantly catchy chorus, and you have the making of a runaway smash."[4] A reviewer from Scottish Daily Record noted, "They're about half the age of the Spice Girls, but Hanson can sing, play their own instruments and string a sentence together. It must be their American upbringing."[5] Sara Scribner from Los Angeles Times named it "a lighthearted dollop of nonsensical pop."[6] A reviewer from Music Week gave the song four out of five, stating that "media attention is sky high for these three Tulsa brothers, aged 11, 14 and 16. And this cutesy, catchy pop song is the ideal debut single to cash in on that interest."[7]

Chuck Eddy of Rolling Stone felt it "sticks in your brain like Trident in your shag carpet." He explained, "Built on a turntable-scratch update of the soul rhythms that served as turn-of-the-'70s bubblegum rock's secret weapon, the song is as unintelligible as it is indelible. Its hooks suburbanize the Jackson 5 as expertly as the Osmonds used to, but whether its quivering lyrics really deal with chewing (a favorite bubble entendre since the Ohio Express' "Chewy Chewy") is anybody's guess."[8] Ben Knowles from Smash Hits said "MMMBop" sounded like "a one-off, tasty, unbelievably ear-tingling, perfect pop treat."[9] Ian Hyland from Sunday Mirror gave the song eight out of ten, commenting, "Teenage brothers from America who sound a bit like Sheryl Crow on helium. You'll love this at first, but in a few weeks you'll be kicking the TV in whenever their smiley faces appear."[10] David Sinclair from The Times concluded, "No 1 in America and all over British radio like a rash, it sounds like a gilt-edged pop standard already."[11]

"MMMBop" 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, and was ranked number 20 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s",[12] as well as number 98 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years".[13] In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it as the ninth-best boy band song of all time.[14]

Chart performance

[edit]

On chart dated May 3, 1997, "MMMBop" debuted at No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[15] On chart dated May 10, 1997, the song rise to No. 6.[16] It continued to rise the next week, reaching No. 2[17] On chart dated May 24, 1997, the song peaked at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100.[18] The song topped the Hot 100 for three weeks in a row before being dethroned by ”I'll Be Missing You" and stayed four weeks at No. 2.[19][20][21][22][23][24]

Music video

[edit]

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by American film, television and music video director Tamra Davis.[25] It features the Hanson brothers singing and playing their instruments in a suburban living room. In between, there are clips of them entering a cave, ending up on a beach. Other scenes show them playing around in a city, dancing on the Moon, driving a car or appearing in old footage of Albert Einstein.[26]

Track listings

[edit]

All songs were written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, and Zac Hanson. Additional songwriters are noted in parentheses.

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[88] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[89] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[90] Platinum 50,000*
Germany (BVMI)[91] Platinum 500,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[92] Platinum 10,000*
Sweden (GLF)[93] Platinum 30,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[94] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[96] Platinum 758,000[95]
United States (RIAA)[98] Platinum 1,500,000[97]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States March 24, 1997 Top 40 radio Mercury [99]
April 15, 1997
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [100][101]
United Kingdom May 26, 1997
  • CD
  • cassette
 [102]
Japan June 4, 1997 Mini-CD [103]
June 20, 1997 CD [104]

Notable cover versions

[edit]

Twenty years after the first recording of "MMMBop", approximately 93,000 cover versions of the song were counted by MTV reporter Patrick Hosken in March 2016, as represented on YouTube.[105] The Hansons told Rebecca Milzoff at Vulture that they had not heard any good cover versions, because "People can't sing the chorus right. Most of the time they syncopate it wrong," according to Isaac Hanson.[106] Later that year, Postmodern Jukebox recorded a cover in the style of 1950s swinging doo-wop with four male singers;[106] picking up 1.5 million views on YouTube in the first year.[107] In July 2019, the official Hanson Twitter feed shared a video by Scary Pockets, a band founded by keyboardist Jack Conte. The Scary Pockets version was fronted by Lucy Schwartz on lead vocals, and Adam Neely covered the electric bass.[108]

In 2023, English band Busted released a cover version of the song, in collaboration with Hanson. The new version, "MMMBop 2.0", was released as a single worldwide on May 26, 2023.[109][110][111] It peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Sales Chart.[112]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Pingitore, Silvia (May 19, 2022). "From the 1997 world hit MMMBop to 30 years in music: interview with Hanson". The Shortlisted. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Zac Hanson: Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  3. ^ Taylor, Hanson; Isaac, Hanson; Zachary, Hanson (January 13, 2020). "MMMBop". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Flick, Larry (April 5, 1997). "Reviews & Previews: Singles - New & Noteworthy". Billboard. p. 72.
  5. ^ "Charts Slot". Daily Record. June 6, 1997.
  6. ^ Scribner, Sara (May 25, 1997). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  7. ^ "Reviews: Singles". Music Week. May 17, 1997. p. 13.
  8. ^ Eddy, Chuck (June 26, 1997). "Recordings". Rolling Stone. Issue 763.
  9. ^ Knowles, Ben (June 4, 1997). "Albums". Smash Hits. p. 57. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  10. ^ Hyland, Ian (May 25, 1997). "Tune in to Six of the Best by Radiohead Tune into Six of the Best; Preview: Music". Sunday Mirror.
  11. ^ Sinclair, David (May 31, 1997). "The week's top pop releases; Records". The Times.
  12. ^ "VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s". VH1. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  13. ^ "VH1's '100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years'". The Sydney Morning Herald. June 12, 2003. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  14. ^ "75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. July 24, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  15. ^ "May 3, 1997". Billboard Hot 100.
  16. ^ "May 10, 1997". Billboard Hot 100.
  17. ^ "May 17, 1997". Billboard Hot 100.
  18. ^ "May 24, 1997". Billboard Hot 100.
  19. ^ "May 31, 1997". Billboard Hot 100.
  20. ^ "June 7, 1997". Billboard Hot 100.
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  22. ^ "June 21, 1997". Billboard Hot 100.
  23. ^ "June 28, 1997". Billboard Hot 100.
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  27. ^ US formats:
  28. ^ Australian formats:
    • MMMBop (Australian CD single liner notes). Hanson. Mercury Records. 1997. 574 500-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
    • MMMBop (Australian cassette single sleeve). Hanson. Mercury Records. 1997. 574 500-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ^ MMMBop (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Hanson. Mercury Records. 1997. 314 574 260-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ^ MMMBop (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Hanson. Mercury Records. 1997. 314 574 261-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ^ MMMBop (UK CD single liner notes). Hanson. Mercury Records. 1997. 574 499-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. ^ MMMBop (UK cassette single sleeve). Hanson. Mercury Records. 1997. 574 498-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  33. ^ MMMBop (European CD single liner notes). Hanson. Mercury Records. 1997. 574 498-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  48. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – MmmBop". Irish Singles Chart.
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  95. ^ "Flashback: Hanson's MmmBop was Number 1 19 years ago this week". Official Charts Company.
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  98. ^ "American single certifications – Hanson – MMMBop". Recording Industry Association of America.
  99. ^ Newman, Melinda (April 5, 1997). "Mercury Makes Way for Hanson". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 14. p. 15. ...'MMMBop,' which officially went to top 40 radio with a different mix March 24.
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  103. ^ "キラメキ☆MMM Bop | ハンソン" [Sparkle☆MMM Bop | Hanson] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
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  108. ^ @hansonmusic (August 5, 2019). "MMMBop ft. @LucySchwartz & @adamneelybass! Full video: http://youtu.be/fiShsfvbFUA" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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