iheart.com: Hanson's 'MMMBop' Turns 20-Years-Old

Mar 23, 2016 | HANSON

Believe it or not, but this year marks the 20th year anniversary since the release of Hanson's biggest (and only) hit. Initially recorded in 1996, "MMMBop" was the lead single off the trio's major label debut, Middle of Nowhere, which went on to reach 4x platinum status after its 1997 release.

Instead of just putting the song on replay, Vulture celebrated the milestone with a sit-down interview with Zac, Taylor, and Isaac Hanson for a full-blown conversation to talk about the glorious three minutes and 53 seconds from '90s heaven. Take a look at some of the most interesting facts about the tune straight from their mouths.

1. "MMMBop" started as the background portion of one of the songs off their previous independent albums, Boomerang.

"'MMMBop' was started as a background part during the making of our previous independent album, called Boomerang. We were looking for background parts for a song, and somebody started singing what became the 'MMMBop' chorus." - Zac Hanson

2. The version you're probably familiar with is not, in fact, the rendition that ended up being released and featured on Middle of Nowhere.

"I'm pretty positive that That Thing You Do! took its story line from 'MMMBop' and us. I'm kidding, but they do speed the song up! And 'MMMBop,' the original version, started slow, and by the end it was up to the tempo people know the song at." - Zac Hanson

3. They tried their best to make sure that components of the original were kept in tact for the final rendition.

"We had a conversation about what the song was, and how to keep that, but how to also bring in the element of a groove. And we sat around with them in their studio house in Silver Lake and talked records. At first it was a very long discussion of "Are we really going to take out the sincerity of the song?" But we ultimately fell in love with it. And Stephen Lironi, who really doesn't get enough credit for producing that whole album, really helped shape it into what it finally became. There's this documentary about Picasso that I love, and it shows him actually painting, the whole process, and, not to compare us to Picasso, but to see all the iterations from the start to finish, several times you could be like, "That’s great!," but he kept changing and changing until he thought it was done. And with the song, it required those two elements to become what it was. I think that might be a terrible thing for me to reference. But I do find it really interesting to watch the twists and turns you take from concept to finish." - Taylor Hanson

4. It took Hanson a year to finish the record.

"'MMMBop' took about a year to actually get completed. The chorus idea had really been around for a long time, and then we built the song around it." - Isaac Hanson

5. The band has never heard a good cover of the song because no one is singing it correctly.

"People can't sing the chorus right. Most of the time they syncopate it wrong. Someone needs to either make it totally their own in a genuinely unique way, or it needs to be a band that has a sensibility for old R&B. Fitz & the Tantrums could maybe do it." - Isaac Hanson

6. But they're hopeful that Bruno Mars could kill a cover of it.

"If Bruno Mars were interested, he’d probably find a way to kill it." - Isaac Hanson

Link to Article

Forum Comments

isasafira

isabela safira dos santos carmo / Ananindeua-PA, Pará, BR

Bruno Mars <3 

MMmbop <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Posted Mar 24, 2016   06:11:54 PM

I do prefer the full-length vulture interview, but this is (imho) a better summary than most of the excerpts going around on social media right now that make them sound stuck-up. It will be interesting to see if anyone takes the bait and does a real kick-butt cover of Mmmbop now!

Posted Mar 24, 2016   03:09:57 PM

5 4 6 16

I'd take a Fitz & The Tantrums cover on the song! 

Posted Mar 26, 2016   02:17:54 AM

Yep, I'm officially old!

Posted Apr 6, 2016   06:53:05 PM

romanbrittany98

Brittany Roman / Ranson, WV, US

Kinda makes me feel old; lol. But, I am SO glad they're still performing their hearts out! Much luv to them all!

Posted Apr 6, 2016   08:49:01 PM

Lily_Hitz

Lily Buquiran / cainta, rizal, PH

it all started here.. MMMbop. and until now.. i love the song.

Posted Apr 10, 2016   03:34:18 AM

JessikaStigwood

It's started with MMMBop for me. I fell in love with songs on the album "Middle Of Nowhere". I've been a Hanson fan and following their musical ride ever since! 

Posted Apr 20, 2016   11:08:44 PM

Join Hanson.net to add your comments

Join Now