Barenaked Ladies – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts
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Barenaked Ladies Biography
Canadian rock group Barenaked Ladies was established in Scarborough, Ontario, in 1988. The group gained a cult following in Canada, where their 1991 self-titled cassette became the country’s first independent record to receive a gold certification. When their 1992 album Gordon, with the hits “If I Had $1000000” and “Brian Wilson,” was published by Reprise Records, they were widely popular in Canada. The band’s fame then moved to the US, starting with cover versions of “Brian Wilson” and “The Old Apartment” from their 1996 live album Rock Spectacle and their fourth studio album Stunt, which became their breakthrough hit in 1998. The album included “One Week,” their most successful single, as well as “It’s All Been Done” and “Call and Answer.” The lead song from their fifth album, Maroon, with the title “Pinch Me,” also did well on the charts. The band gained notoriety in the 2010s for writing the tune for the series The Big Bang Theory.
Ed Robertson and Steven Page formed the band’s first-ever pair, and by 1990 it had expanded to a quintet with the addition of brothers Jim and Andy Creeggan and Tyler Stewart. In 1995, Andy Creeggan departed the band, and Kevin Hearn took his place. Page quit the group in 2009, leaving a foursome. The band’s aesthetic has changed throughout the course of their career, and their initially entirely acoustic music gradually expanded to include elements of pop, rock, hip hop, rap, etc. In between songs, the band performs live with hilarious banter and freestyle rapping. They have been nominated for two Grammy Awards and have won several Juno Awards. The trio was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in March 2018 and has sold over 15 million albums and singles.
The Yellow Tape, a 1991 album, served as the whole band’s debut commercial release. The band spent $2,000–$3,000 on a demo tape that was initially made for their South by Southwest performance. It was the first recording to include all five members. All of the Canadian labels they sent copies to turned them down. People started asking for the tape at nearby stores as they started selling more and more copies on stage and by word of mouth. The demo evolved into a commercial release when stores started requesting additional tapes from the band. Based solely on word of mouth and their live performances, sales started to soar. When Barenaked Ladies contributed a cover of Bruce Cockburn’s “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” to the Cockburn tribute album Kick at the Darkness in November 1991, the band received yet another significant break. It was the group’s first Canadian Top 40 hit.
Barenaked Ladies recorded and published a live album called Rock Spectacle from two performances on the Born on a Pirate Ship tour in 1996. The album’s first single, “Brian Wilson,” was a moderate radio hit in the United States. The success of “Brian Wilson” and “The Old Apartment” brought about a new situation for the band, and the album went on to become their first gold record in the United States. They were aware that their upcoming record would be their best shot to break out in the US. Their biggest commercial triumph was Stunt (1998), which was helped by the single “One Week,” which, ironically, spent one week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. In the US Billboard 200, stunt peaked at No. 3 and No. 9 in Canada. After obtaining bone marrow transplants from his brother, Kevin Hearn, who had been stricken with leukemia shortly after the album’s release, missed most of the Stunt tour.
For Barenaked Ladies nominations, they received their first four Juno Award nominations in 1993 for Canadian Entertainer of the Year, Gordon’s Album of the Year, Enid’s Single of the Year, and Group of the Year, which was their lone victory. In 1994 and 1995, the group received new nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Group of the Year, respectively. For “One Week” in the Pop Performance by a Duo or Group category in 1999, Barenaked Ladies received their first Grammy nomination, although they were unsuccessful. The group received a second Grammy nomination in 2001 with “Pinch Me” in the Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group category, but Steely Dan‘s “Cousin Dupree” won instead.After that, the band received five more Juno nominations, for a total of 18 nominations (in addition to the two songwriting nominations). Billboard magazine sponsors the annual Billboard Music Awards, which take place in December. From two nominations, Barenaked Ladies won two prizes.
Barenaked Ladies Discography
| Barenaked Ladies | |
| Variety Recordings | |
| Barenaked Ladies (The Yellow Tape) | |
| Barenaked Recess | |
| Barenaked Lunch | |
| Buck Naked |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Was Barenaked Ladies’s Biggest Hit?
“One Week” was Barenaked Ladies’ biggest hit, spending one week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1998. The song was released as the second single from the band’s fourth studio album, Stunt.
Why Barenaked Ladies Was Famous?
The Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies became famous in the early 1990s with their unique brand of quirky, funny pop music. The band’s popularity continued to grow throughout the decade, thanks to their humorous lyrics and catchy melodies. Today, Barenaked Ladies are still making great music and entertaining fans all over the world.
How Many Barenaked Ladies Albums Were Released?
The Barenaked Ladies have released a total of 13 studio albums, 8 of which are mainstream albums. The other 5 are children’s albums. They have also released 4 live albums and numerous other compilations and singles.
Which Barenaked Ladies Top Song Was The Most Famous?
The most famous song by Barenaked Ladies is “One Week”. It was released in 1998 and quickly rose to the top of the charts, becoming one of the band’s most well-known songs.
Most Searched For Barenaked Ladies Songs
| One Week | |
| Odds are | |
| The Old Apartment | |
| Big Bang Theory Theme | |
| If I Had $1,000,000 | |
| It’s All Been Done | |
| Way Of The Heart | |
| Pinch Me | |
| New Disaster |