3 Eternal Hootie & The Blowfish Songs That Remind Us of the 90s

In 1994, you couldn’t escape Cracked Rear View. The debut album from the South Carolina-born band Hootie & The Blowfish was everywhere. And for good reason. Lead singer Darius Rucker wrote catchy songs that millions of people could fall in love with, and his tight group knew how to have fun.

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Here below, we wanted to highlight three songs from that album that will never leave the culture. These are three eternal Hootie & The Blowfish songs that remind us of the 1990s and bring us back to a simpler time in history.

“Hold My Hand” from ‘Cracked Rear View’ (1994)

One thing that’s amazing about this song and the other two on this list is that not only were they released on the same album, not only was that album Hootie’s debut LP, but these three tracks were all sequential on that record. Can you imagine listening to Cracked Rear View for the first time, knowing nothing about the band, and just hearing all these three in a row for the first time, starting with “Hold My Hand”? Sounds like a good day. This acoustic-driven track is hopeful and friendly. This was just a tune you wanted to hang out with.

“Let Her Cry” from ‘Cracked Rear View’ (1994)

When people think of Hootie & The Blowfish, they often think of the fun times, the collegiate, collegial vibe of a Saturday afternoon in the quad. But two of their most popular songs, this one and “Time”, are much more reflective. This lament is about the fissure between two people, a broken heart, the struggle with sobriety, and the need to let go. At first, we were holding hands (above), and now we are letting someone go.

“Only Wanna Be with You” from ‘Cracked Rear View’ (1994)

Now we get to the most famous song from the band, along with their most famous music video. An ode to togetherness shown through the lens of sports. The song is about a relationship, but the visuals are all about football, basketball, and other activities. It’s all so relatable, especially to those in the 90s who loved programs like ESPN’s SportsCenter. Check out Muggsy Bogues and other NBA players kick the band’s butt (playfully) on the court—and see if you can spot the Bob Dylan reference in the lyrics!

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