No Doubt

They came into the music scene in the late 1980's, rocked the charts in 1990's and continued to rule in the 2000's. With an amazing line-up of Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal and Adrian Young; "No Doubt" surely deserves the success it has achieved so far. Now today, when this band is all set to treat their fans with live concerts and more music, we follow the musical journey of No Doubt.

It was in 1986 when a band was formed in Anaheim comprising of John Spence, Eric Stefani and his sister Gwen Stefani. All of them had past musical experience and they soon included Tony Kanal whose relationship with Gwen Stefani made headlines later on. The band started off by playing in parties and small shows. Their first official gig was at Fender's Ballroom in Long Beach, California on March 1987. However, the band had to lose one of the lead vocalists Spence as he committed suicide later that year.

Following Spence's death, No Doubt disbanded for a few weeks. But the love of music bonded them back and they started recruiting different members. Till 1990, several replacements were made in the band while it continued to gain regional attention through gigs and other live shows. In 1991, the band grabbed a record deal with Interscope Records that released their self-titled debut a year later. Unfortunately, it did not gather the required attention thus resulting in the label's refusal to support them any further.

While hard luck struck with No Doubt in their initial years, the band's never-say-die spirit kept them intact. They released their next "Beacon Street Collection" all by themselves compelling the label to accommodate their next album, although Eric was no more with the band by then. This album, titled Tragic Kingdom, provided them the chance to hit the bull's eye and they did it quite wonderfully.

Released on October 1995, the album made No Doubt chart-buster phenomenon thanks to singles like "Just a Girl," "Spiderwebs" and "Don't Speak" that is the band's biggest hit to date. Tragic Kingdom was a mixture of ska, new wave, pop, punk and rock. Because of this variety, the album was highly appreciated both by the fans and critics.

Besides their music, No Doubt's constant touring and rock-star image of Gwen Stefani made the band hogged the limelight. Not to forget Gwen's breakup with Kanal after seven-years-long relationship. It took a good five years for No Doubt to come up with their next album, "Return of Saturn," and what a return it was. Singles like "Simple Kind of Life" and "Ex-Girlfriend" became instant blockbuster and the band reached new heights of popularity. While Stefani also collaborated with other artists after this, resulting in more fame and a Grammy for her; she never forgot her good old band and toured extensively with them.

December 2001 witnessed the next treat from No Doubt appropriately titled "Rock Steady". It contained the wonderful track "Hey Baby" and again ranked high in the charts. What is commendable about No Doubt is that all of its members also continued their other music commitments and still managed to keep the band intact and come up with one hit after another. Although, this caused a hiatus of some years, No Doubt never really disbanded. Its lead singer Gwen Stefani solo launched a successful solo career with her debut solo album, "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" in November 2004 followed by "The Sweet Escape" in 2006. Other members also collaborated with various other bands and artists.

As far as No Doubt's other contribution are concerned, their "I Throw My Toys Around" with Elvis Costello surely deserves accolades. This song appeared in the The Rugrats Movie. The band also contributed to The Clash's tribute album, titled "Burning London: The Clash Tribute".

One of the most important aspects of No Doubt's glorious success is their live performance charm. If they are wonderful in studio, they are simply the best when perform live. It was because of their irresistible live appeal that they built their early following in California. But once they made a transition from the underground-ska-scene to the mainstream; they cast their musical spell all over America.

After the stupendous success of Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt performed in various concerts and live shows, most of them were complete sold-out. Indeed a live video from their performance at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim was also released titled "Live in the Tragic Kingdom" and their "The Beacon Street Collection" was re-released as well during their tour. No after years and years of live performances, No Doubt has literary rocked the whole world be it Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, India or Singapore.

To sum up, there is never an end to No Doubt's musical charm. This band truly deserves all the success that it has seen so far. Catch No Doubt live and you will be delighted for sure.