Tulsa, OK · pop-rock

Hanson

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MMMBop and beyond — three decades of brotherly pop craft, zero irony required, from teen phenomenon to sturdy adult power-pop institution.

Hanson formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1992, when brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac began singing a cappella covers and original songs as the Hanson Brothers, shortening the name the following year. Before signing to a major label they recorded two independent albums at home, Boomerang and MMMBop, the latter containing an early version of the song that would become their breakthrough single.

That song, MMMBop, led their 1997 debut album Middle of Nowhere, produced by Stephen Lironi and the Dust Brothers. The album sold ten million copies worldwide and earned three Grammy nominations, making the brothers, then aged sixteen, fourteen and eleven, one of the best-known pop acts of the decade.

Their label, Mercury, was absorbed into Island Def Jam, and after one further album there the band left major labels altogether, eventually releasing music through their own label, 3CG Records. Over their career they have sold more than sixteen million records worldwide, with three top-twenty albums and three top-twenty singles in the United States, and eight top-forty singles in the UK.

Live, they play their own instruments, with Taylor on keyboards and lead vocals, Isaac on guitar and Zac on drums, and all three contributing the close sibling harmonies that have remained the group's most recognisable feature. Since 2007 they have toured with additional support from guitarist and keyboardist Dimitrius Collins and bassist Andrew Perusi.

Every May 6, the anniversary of Middle of Nowhere's release, Tulsa marks Hanson Day, a designation made by the state's governor in 1997 that the band has turned into an annual gathering for fans in their hometown.

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pop-rock