No Doubt
Gwen Stefani's bindi, bleached-blonde hair, and midriff on full display, fronting a bouncy ska-punk band out of Anaheim. "Just a Girl" and the aching "Don't Speak" made Tragic Kingdom one of the decade's defining albums.
No Doubt formed in Anaheim, California in 1986, years before anyone had heard of them — Gwen Stefani moved from backing to lead vocals in 1988, alongside bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont, and drummer Adrian Young. So the band was nearly a decade old by the time it broke through, which makes the 'overnight success' framing wrong.
The breakthrough was Tragic Kingdom (1995), which went on to sell around 16 million copies worldwide. 'Just a Girl' was the breakout single, and 'Don't Speak' — written by Gwen and her brother Eric about her breakup with Kanal — became a massive hit, spending a record 16 weeks atop Billboard's airplay chart (it wasn't released as a commercial single, which kept it off the main Hot 100). Stefani's look and voice made her one of the era's biggest stars.
The band returned in 2001 with the dancehall- and reggae-flavored Rock Steady, winning Grammys for 'Hey Baby' and 'Underneath It All,' before going on hiatus after 2004 as Gwen launched a solo career. They reunited in 2008 and again for later one-off appearances, but Tragic Kingdom remains their defining moment.
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