It’s hard to imagine, but long before No Doubt‘s top 5 must-listen-to songs came to be, Gwen Stefani was just a co-vocalist. Her older brother, Eric, put the band together with singer John Spence and a group of musicians, practicing in Stefani’s parents’ garage. Spence had a catchphrase, “No doubt!”
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Sadly, Pain Sells
Taking inspiration from British two-tone ska revivalists Madness and The Specials, No Doubt made Orange County suburban boredom sound fun. But darkness lurked below the jumping good times.
In 1987, Spence committed suicide before a high-profile show at the Roxy in West Hollywood. Gwen remained in the background. Their trumpet player, Alan Meade, took over on lead vocals, then exited, clearing room for Eric’s kid sister to step forward. They cycled through various members before solidifying with bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont, and drummer Adrian Young.
It took some time and a lot of miles touring in a filthy band van before No Doubt and Gwen Stefani became household names. The media, predictably, obsessed over Stefani’s personal life. She and Kanal’s relationship was documented in their hit, “Don’t Speak.” The obsession continued when Stefani married Bush’s frontman, Gavin Rossdale. Returning to Spence’s suicide, it seemed No Doubt was destined to be defined by internal drama.
But No Doubt was a real band, and they survived tabloid culture by consistently making catchy records backed by a powerful live show. They built a large following around Southern California and eventually caught the eye of Tony Ferguson at Interscope.
[AS OF THIS WRITING: No Doubt Tickets Are Available! – Get ‘Em Right Here]
Another Stratosphere
As their popularity grew, it became evident that Stefani was outgrowing the band. When singers from massive bands make solo albums, the results are often an overindulgent letdown. But Stefani rose to an even taller mountain with a string of hits, including “Hollaback Girl” and “The Sweet Escape.”
She leaped from a massive rock band into another stratosphere with artists like Madonna and Beyoncé. Like Madonna and Beyoncé, Stefani lives in a grander part of American pop-culture history like a ska-lite Marilyn Monroe.
With the 2024 announcement of No Doubt’s reunion appearance at Coachella, here are No Doubt’s five must-listen songs. Don’t be afraid to let the rest of the albums play after sampling the list below. No Doubt’s catalog is deeper than you might think.
5. “It’s My Life” from The Singles 1992–2003 (2003)
No Doubt’s cover of Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life” is a natural fit. New wave and post-punk are just as constant in their music as ska and reggae. Talk Talk’s chorus sounds designed exclusively for Gwen Stefani. And the bass line already sounds like Tony Kanal. No Doubt polishes its cover with soft synthesizers, and Stefani sounds positively desperate when she sings It’s my life; it never ends. The greatest hits collection marked the group’s hiatus, with Stefani pursuing a solo career.
4. “Hey Baby” from Rock Steady (2001)
A ray-gun introduces afterparty debauchery, bringing Jamaican dancehall to mainstream radio in the U.S. “Hey Baby” features a toast from Bounty Killer, followed by Gwen Stefani, sipping on chamomile, watching the boys in her band cycle through groupies. Feeling lonely, she’s missing her at-the-time long-distance love, Gavin Rossdale from Bush. Electronic programming replaces No Doubt’s live band, bringing them into 21st-century electro-pop.
3. “Spiderwebs” from Tragic Kingdom (1995)
“Just a Girl” may be No Doubt’s defining song, but “Spiderwebs” is a Southern California ska mix foreshadowing the difficulties ahead from a band on the verge of colossal success as well as Gwen Stefani’s ascent to becoming a cultural icon. It set the band apart from other American bands using Jamaican music as building blocks. Tom Dumont’s signature metal riff, Tony Kanal’s funky groove, and Adrian Young’s punk beat support Gwen Stefani’s cartoon-like Betty Boop vocals.
[RELATED: Behind the Song Lyrics: “Just A Girl,” No Doubt]
2. “Underneath It All” from Rock Steady (2001)
“Underneath It All” revisits No Doubt’s reggae roots, turning off-beat guitar stabs into a slow-burn ballad. Gwen Stefani co-wrote it with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, and Stefani’s love lament gets help from Lady Saw’s toast. The song’s best line is: You’ve used up all your coupons and all you got left is me. It’s no secret who this song aims for, and Stefani filled many lyric sheets on Rock Steady writing about Gavin Rossdale.
1. “Hella Good” from Rock Steady (2001)
No Doubt teamed with The Neptunes to bring California slang to the rest of the country. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo used Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” and The Commodores’ “Brick House” to write Stefani’s good-times dance hit. “Hella Good” results from No Doubt morphing influences into one song like a galactic mix tape. Stefani echoes early Madonna on this delicious electro-ska hit.
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