Hanson

Best-known for their infectious '90s number one "MMMBop," prodigious brothers Hanson later transitioned from a teen-pop sensation to a fiercely independent act indebted to the classic rock of the baby boomer generation. Guitarist Isaac (born 1980), keyboardist and lead vocalist Taylor (b.1983) and drummer Zac (b.1985) began performing together from a young age, making their live debut at their Tulsa hometown's Mayfest Arts Festival in 1992 and self-releasing their debut album, Boomerang, in 1995. Following 1996 sophomore MMMBop, the group headed to SXSW where they were spotted by manager Christopher Sabec, who subsequently helped them land a deal with Mercury Records. Combining the joyous pop melodies of The Jackson 5 with the sparkling production of Beck cohorts The Dust Brothers, their 1997 first single, "MMMBop," instantly catapulted the brothers into the big league, peaking at number one on the US Hot 100, picking up two Grammy nods and selling millions of copies worldwide. Parent album, Middle of Nowhere cemented the trio's new-found teen idol status, spawning several further hits, while Christmas album, Snowed In, and a compilation of their earlier material, 3 Car Garage were then released to keep things ticking over until its follow-up. Unfortunately, record company interference delayed This Time Around until 2000, an issue later documented on behind-the-scenes movie "Strong Enough to Break" (2006), by which time the band had lost their momentum. The relative commercial disappointment of the record inspired Hanson to form their own label, 3CG Records, and gravitate towards a more adult alternative pop-rock sound. This DIY approach may have failed to produce any further hit singles, but it helped Hanson establish a modest but loyal following which regularly pushed the band into the Top 30 of the album chart. Indeed, 2004's Underneath shifted an impressive 37,000 copies in its first week, while 2007's The Walk and 2010's Shout It Out were both supported by sell-out national tours. Having previously staged their own songwriters' retreat, Hanson diversified further with the launch of their very own festival, Hop Jam, and craft beer, MMMHops, before returning to their day job with 2013's 80s-inspired Anthem.