On this day (April 18) in 2020, the Cranberries became the first Irish music group to get a billion views on a YouTube video. The official video for their nostalgic hit “Zombie” gave the band the distinction. Released in 1994, the song remains the band’s best-known song.
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The Cranberries released “Zombie” at a pivotal time in Irish history. A decades-long conflict between the Irish Republican Army and British forces and British Loyalist paramilitary groups, known as The Troubles, was raging across Northern Ireland at the time. The song dropped on September 19, 1994, just weeks after the IRA declared a ceasefire on August 31. They would revoke the ceasefire less than two years later, and the conflict would finally end with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
[RELATED: The Meaning Behind the Protest Rock Song “Zombie” by the Cranberries]
Samuel Bayer, who created Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, flew to Belfast before the first ceasefire to gather footage for the “Zombie” video, according to Songfacts. As a result, he was able to capture footage of British forces and local children for the finished product. This glimpse into the ongoing conflict added weight to the music video.
Dolores O’Riordan Wrote the Cranberries’ Classic After a Traumatic Event
When the Cranberries released “Zombie,” fans around the world already knew them for their first two singles, “Dreams” and “Linger.” “Zombie” was intentionally darker and heavier than the first two singles. Dolores O’Riordan wanted the song to convey her feelings on every level.
The Cranberries were on tour in England when a bomb attack killed two children. Three-year-old Johnathan Ball and 12-year-old Tim Perry walked to a local store to buy Mother’s Day cards when a bomb in a trash can exploded, killing both of them.
“We were on a tour bus and I was near the location where it happened, so it really struck me hard,” O’Riordan recalled. “I was quite young, but I remember being devastated about the innocent children being pulled into that kind of thing. So, I suppose that’s why I was saying, ‘It’s not me’–that even though I’m Irish, it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it,” she added. “Being Irish, it was quite hard, especially in the UK when there was so much tension.”
“Zombie” Was a Surprise Success
No one had high expectations for “Zombie.” The band’s label, Island Records, was unsure about releasing the politically-charged song as the lead single from No Need to Argue. O’Riordan knew the song would be controversial. However, she didn’t predict that it would also be hugely successful. “I suppose I was kind of taken aback with the success of the song. I didn’t know it was going to be that successful,” she said.
“Zombie” saw international chart success before it made the Cranberries the first Irish group to draw a billion views on a YouTube video. It went to No. 1 in the United States, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, France, and Germany. It was a No. 3 hit for the band in their home country, making it one of their most successful singles on the Irish charts.
Featured Image by Araldo Di Crollalanza/Shutterstock
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