The Cranberries are an alternative rock band from Limerick, Ireland, currently consisting of vocalist Dolores O’Riordan (previously Niall Quinn), guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler.

Formed as ‘The Cranberry Saw Us’ in Limerick in 1989, the group produced a demo tape of songs in the early 90s and sent it to several record companies in Ireland and the UK. It immediately attracted a lot of attention and, following a short industry bidding war, the group signed with Island Records.

After deciding to shorten their names to ‘The Cranberries’, the group released their debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? in 1993. It became an immediate commercial hit, reaching number one in the UK Albums chart and selling over five million copies in the United States. It produced two hit singles: Linger (which reached number eight in the US) and Dreams (which hit the UK Top 30).

The group released their second album, No Need to Argue, on 3^rd October 1994. Although a much darker record than its predecessor, focusing on subjects like war, death and destruction, it is the group’s most successful album to date. It produced the smash hit single Zombie – a song about The Troubles in Northern Ireland that topped the Australian and German pop charts, as well as the US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also produced the UK Top 30 singles Ode to My Family and I Can’t Be With You. To date, the album has sold sold over seventeen million copies around the world.

The band released three more albums during the 1990s and 2000s: To the Faithful Departed, Bury the Hatchet and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee.  Between them the records produced a string of hit singles, including Salvation, Free to Decide, When You’re Gone, Promises and Animal Instinct, before the group took a hiatus in 2003. However, they reunited six years later and are currently working on their sixth studio album.