The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland, in 1989. The band was originally named The Cranberry Saw Us and featured singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler; Quinn was replaced as lead singer by Dolores O'Riordan in 1990, and the group changed their name to the Cranberries. The band classified themselves as an alternative rock group, but incorporated aspects of indie rock, jangle pop, dream pop, folk rock, post-punk, and pop rock into their sound.
In 1991, the Cranberries signed with Island Records, and released their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, to commercial success. Their second album, No Need to Argue, brought the band to international fame, and included the single "Zombie", which became a stadium anthem and one of the band's most recognizable songs. The band continued this success with the albums To the Faithful Departed and Bury the Hatchet, and were transferred to MCA Records in 2000. Their fifth album, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, did not meet the commercial success of their preceding albums, and the band cited their dissatisfaction with MCA's promotion.