Music
The Cranberries classic ‘Linger’ is set to reach 1 billion Spotify streams!
The Cranberries classic ‘Linger’ is set to reach 1 billion Spotify streams!
The much-loved ‘Linger’ by Limerick’s Cranberries is on the brink of reaching 1 billion streams on Spotify, the second track for the band to reach the milestone
‘Linger‘ by one of Limerick’s most iconic rock bands, The Cranberries, is approaching a major digital milestone – the hauntingly beautiful track is just shy of one billion streams on Spotify.
This is the band’s second song to do so, as in 2023 their song ‘Zombie’ reached one billion streams on Spotify on the 30th anniversary of its original release in 1993.
Originally appearing on the band’s debut ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ album, ‘Linger’ was the band’s first song to achieve major international success, which shot the band to international fame. Written by Dolores O’Riordan and Noel Hogan, and produced by Stephen Street, the track blends acoustic arrangements and orchestral strings, anchored by O’Riordan’s instantly recognisable vocals and a lyricism steeped in vulnerability and regret.
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First released as a single in February 1993 and re-released in January 1994, “Linger” soared up the charts, reaching number three in Ireland, number eight in the US, and number 14 in the UK. Its accompanying black-and-white music video, directed by Melodie McDaniel, received heavy rotation on MTV, helping cement the band’s rising star status.
Songwriter and guitarist Noel Hogan spoke to the Irish Times about ‘Linger’ in 2018, saying, “We scraped together money for a demo and sent it to record companies. The magnitude of Linger’s success was overwhelming. Michael Stipe came to the video shoot and the next thing we knew we were on tour with REM.”
The band became a huge success and was one of the most successful and popular rock bands of the 90’s, selling over 40 million albums worldwide, achieving four top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 Chart and also eight top 20 singles on Modern Rock Tracks.
After 13 years, the band took a break in 2003 and reunited in early 2010 for a North American tour, including tours in Latin America and Europe. In 2011, they recorded their sixth album, “Roses”, which was released in February 2012.
On January 15, 2018, Dolore O’Riordan sadly passed away suddenly in London at the age of 46; Linger’s legacy already runs deep with O’Riordan famously writing the lyrics after her first serious romantic experience, with the emotion captured in the music and lyrics resonating with fans worldwide, and guitarist Noel Hogan reflected on how his appreciation for the song deepened after O’Riordan’s passing in 2018, calling it “great for someone so young.”
The Cranberries—formed in Limerick in 1989—quickly rose to international prominence in the ‘90s, with hits like “Zombie”, “Dreams”, and of course “Linger”. The band ultimately disbanded in 2019 following O’Riordan’s death, releasing their final album In the End as a tribute to her legacy. With Linger approaching the one billion streams mark, the milestone serves as a reminder to the prominence and importance of the band, a piece of musical magic which had its beginnings in Limerick.
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