Hanson and The Strange Success of MMMBop

Don’t even try to lie with this one. Everyone, I repeat EVERYONE, rocked out to Hanson‘s 1997 mega-hit “MMMBop.” It is definitely one of those songs that defines the 90s. It makes absolutely no sense, yet you can’t help but try to sing the chorus of mmmbops whenever you hear it.

Hanson is a band of three brothers (from left to right): Isaac, Taylor and Zac. I remember that the first time I saw this album on my sister’s desk, I asked her if the people on the cover were boys or girls. I was eight, and I was used to seeing girls with long hair and boys with short hair. Despite my confused first impression, I popped in the CD, and I was sold.

First of all, I gotta say, nice braids, Zac. And whose wonderful idea was it to perform in front of a background of a flower? Using the green screen is a privilege, guys, don’t abuse it. And someone needs to teach those boys how to correctly lip-sync for a music video. They seem way too happy-go-lucky and enthusiastic that they definitely don’t look believable. Again, the song isn’t amazing, but it’s fun to listen to and sing. You have to give the brother props for being so musically talented. Isaac plays the guitar, Taylor plays the keyboard and Zac, the youngest of the group, is an awesome drummer. They all started out by playing the piano.

Even though I loved “MMMBop,” that was about the only song of theirs that I liked. None of their other songs really stood out. After a few years, the hype around Hanson died down, and no one in school would be caught dead talking about them. Everyone denied loving that song. While the boys did go on to tour and make more albums, none of their songs were ever quite as successful as “MMMBop.” In 2002, they made a guest appearance on the television show Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

It’s nice to see the Hanson brothers all grown up. Apparently Isaac did grow out of his awkward, feminine phase. While I love “MMMBop,” Hanson’s musical stylings will never suit me. In my opinion, they are a part of 90s culture which should definitely stay in the 90s.