FORMED: 1987

With the return of the punks in the mid-'90s came a resurgence of their slightly more commercial rivals, new wave bands. No Doubt found a niche as a new wave/ska band, on the strength of vocalist Gwen Stefani's persona -- alternately an embrace of little-girl-lost innocence and riot grrl feminism -- exemplified on the band's breakout single, "Just a Girl."Formed in early 1987 as a ska band inspired by Madness, the lineup of No Doubt initially comprised John Spence, Gwen Stefani and her brother Eric. While playing the party-band circuit around Anaheim, the trio picked up bassist Tony Kanal, born in India but raised in Great Britain and the U.S. Hardened by the suicide of Spence in December 1987, No Doubt nevertheless continued; Gwen became the lone vocalist and the group added guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young.No Doubt's live act began to attract regional interest, and Interscope Records signed them in 1991. The band's debut a year later, an odd fusion of '80s pop and ska, sank without a trace in the wake of the grunge movement. As a result, Interscope refused to support No Doubt's tour or further recordings. The band responded by recording on their own during 1993-94; the result was the self-released The Beacon Street Collection, much rawer and more punk-inspired than the debut. Eric Stefani left just after its release, later working as an animator for The Simpsons.By late 1994, Interscope allowed recordings to resume, and Tragic Kingdom was released in October 1995. The album served as a document of the breakup of Gwen Stefani and Kanal, whose relationship had lasted seven years. Thanks to constant touring and the appearance of "Just a Girl" and "Spiderwebs" on MTV's Buzz Bin, the album hit the Top Ten in 1996. Stefani, who has made no secret of her pop ambitions, became a centerpiece of attention as an alternative to the crop of tough girls prevalent on the charts. By the end of the year, Tragic Kingdom hit number one on the album charts, almost a year after its first release; the record's third single, the ballad "Don't Speak," was the band's biggest hit to date. No Doubt's much-anticipated follow-up, The Return of Saturn, was released in the spring of 2000. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Rock Steady

Return Of Saturn

01. Ex-Girlfriend
02. Simple Kind Of Life
03. Bathwater
04. Six Feet Under
05. Magic's In Makeup
06. Artificial Sweetner
07. Marry Me
08. New
09. Too Late
10. Comforting Lie
11. Suspension Without Suspense
12. Staring Problem
13. Home Now
14. Dark Blue

Tragic Kingdom

01. Spiderwebs
02. Excuse Me Mr.
03. Just A Girl
04. Happy Now?
05. Different People
06. Hey You
07. The Climb
08. Sixteen
09. Sunday Morning
10. Don't Speak
11. You Can Do It
12. World Go 'Round
13. End It On This
14. Tragic Kingdom

Beacon Street Collection

01. Open The Gate
02. Blue In The Face
03. Total Hate 95
04. Stricken
05. Greener Pastures
06. By The Way
07. Snakes
08. That's Just Me
09. Squeal
10. Doghouse

No Doubt

01. Bnd
02. Let's Get Back
03. Ache
04. Get On The Ball
05. Move On
06. Sad For Me
07. Doormat
08. Big City
09. Trapped In A Box
10. Sometimes
11. Sinking
12. A Little Something Refreshing
13. Paulina
14. Brand New Day