Hanson look back on the 1990s success as their classic hit MMMBop turns 25.
The sibling trio topped the charts worldwide with their breakout hit, which featured on their 1997 LP ‘Middle of Nowhere’.
Speaking in the May 2022 issue of Retro Pop, Taylor Hanson recalls writing the band’s iconic single when he was just 11 years old and how the boys’ parents allowed them to follow their dreams.
“We basically took over our house at that age,” he says. “I mean, we’re talking about garage bands, but we were like a living room band.
“Our parents were obviously nuts. They supported us enough to essentially get rid of the furniture while we took over the house.
“I distinctly remember Isaac walked in and went, ‘Oh, what’s that?’ I said, ‘I think this is pretty good, check this out.’ And the combination of that hooky melodic chorus with an actual little narrative – it just works, it just came to life.
“So all of a sudden, this little hook started to just live there. And as a songwriter, oftentimes you kind of stockpile ideas; they go into the idea box and they hang around. It was over the course of a couple of years that it just sort of waited in the wings.”
The single remains one of the most recognisable tracks of the decade and, reflection on their success, Taylor insists the appeal of the MMMBop comes from it being a “very real song with a very real message”.
“You can be five or you can be 90 and you can enjoy the tune,” he reflects. “I mean, I think the beauty of a great pop song is its universal appeal. It reaches people, right?
“It’s actually the effort of whittling it down. Trying to make it accessible. Doesn’t mean it’s dumb. It doesn’t mean it’s not doesn’t have nuance, but it means it’s accessible.”
Read the full interview in the May 2022 edition of Retro Pop, out now. Order yours or subscribe via our Online Store or use our Store Finder to locate your nearest stockist.
