THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

595-The Cranberries-Zombie.

1994-Number 14 single.

Best Bit-At 0.14. In April 2020 The Cranberries became the first Irish band to surpass one billion views on You Tube, with this song.

The Cranberries were formed in Limerick, Ireland, in 1989, by Mike Hogan, (bass) his brother Noel Hogan, (guitar, and mandolin) Fergal Lawler, (drums) and Niall Quinn, (lead vocals, and guitar) in 1990 Quinn left the group, and was replaced by Dolores O’Riordan (1971-2018) (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, mandolin.) The Cranberries who were known as ‘The Cranberry Saw Us’ until 1990, and have made music in the genres of ‘Alternative Rock,’ ‘Indie Rock,’ ‘Pop Rock,’ ‘Jangle Pop,’ ‘Post-Punk,’ and ‘Dream Pop,’ were active between 1989-2002, then were on hiatus, until getting back together in 2009, and remaining active until 2019, when the group was retired.

The Cranberries who have sold in excess of 50 million records worldwide, released eight studio Albums between 1993-2019, and 23 singles between 1992-2013, there are also seven official compilation Albums, seven extended plays, and three live Albums available. In Ireland on the ‘Irish Recorded Music Association’ (IRMA) Album chart, all of their studio Albums have reached the top 20, with their debut ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ from 1993 making the Number 1 spot. On the Irish singles chart, 11 of their singles have reached the top 40, with both ‘Linger,’ (1993) and ‘Zombie,’ (1994) peaking the highest at Number 3. In the UK, they have had nine top 40 hits, with both ‘Salvation,’ (1996) and ‘Promises.’ (1999) charting the highest at Number 13, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, three of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Linger,’ (1993) peaking the highest at Number 8. In America ‘Zombie’ has never been issued as a single, with the thinking being that it would make more people buy the Album, but it did reach Number 1 on the ‘Billboard Alternative Airplay’ chart, which was then called the ‘Billboard Modern Rock Tracks’ chart.

Dolores O’Riordan was born Dolores Mary Eileen O’Riordan, on September 6th, 1971, in Ballybricken, County Limerick, Ireland, she died on January 15th, 2018, as a result of accidental drowning in a bath following sedation by alcohol intoxication. at the age of 46. Dolores O’Riordan had suffered with depression for many years, and in 2015 was diagnosed with ‘Bipolar Disorder.’ In the months following her death she was named ‘The Top Female Artist of All Time,’ on ‘Billboard’s Alternative Songs’ chart. After her death she received many tributes, including one by Philip Merrill of ‘The Recording Academy,’ in California, who wrote that she was ‘A gifted songwriter and vocalist, whose ballads helped define Alternative Pop in the 1990’s.’ He went on to write that ‘She was credited for her innovative style, embodied by her measured vocal power, her honest, vulnerable songwriting, reinforced by her Irish accent, thus helping the Cranberries to rise into worldwide stardom.’

‘Zombie’ was the first of four singles released from The Cranberries second studio Album ‘No Need to Argue,’ from October 1994, the song was written by Dolores O’Riordan, and produced by Stephen Street (see also best songs 940-256 and 21.) ‘Zombie’ is a protest song, inspired by the ‘IRA’ (Irish Republican Party) bombing in Warrington, England, on March 20th, 1993, when two children, Johnathan Ball, who was three years old, and Tim Parry, who was 12 years old, both lost their lives, when two devices hidden in litter bins were detonated. Dolores O’Riordan had previously been on a tour bus in London, and had heard a bomb going off close by, and this, along with her Irish heritage, inspired her to write the song.

Musically ‘Zombie’ was a departure from The Cranberries previous output, as the band had been known for a more mellow sound, but Dolores O’Riordan wanted to get her point across with a ‘harder’ sound, hence the elements of ‘Grunge,’ which was very popular at the time.

The ‘IRA’ were a militant group, that were determined to remove British troops from Northern Ireland. On August 31st, 1994, just a few weeks after ‘Zombie’ was released, the ‘IRA’ declared a ceasefire after 25 years of conflict.

‘It’s the same old theme, since nineteen-sixteen. In your head, in your head, they’re still fightin’. With their tanks, and their bombs, and their bombs and their guns. In your head, in your head, they are dyin’. In your head, in your head, zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie.’