Hoobastank is a band made up of high school buddies Douglas Robb on vocals, Dan Estrin on guitar, Markku Lappalainen on bass and Chris Hesse on drums. Estrin is the composer while Robb writes all the lyrics for the songs of the group. They made it to the top the usual way. They were discovered while playing gigs around California, then produced a recording all by themselves, They Don’t Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used to, which they released independently. This got them noticed and landed them a record deal. Their first album titled Hoobastank got good notices when it was released two years ago and has since then sold over a million copies.
The group’s second titled The Reason came out late last year and is now one of the biggest selling albums in the US. This one is a better production expected to go several times Platinum. That means two or three million pieces sold. The first single release, the anthemic Out of Control was well-received but it was the second song The Reason, which really went over the top and is now a big hit worldwide. It is interesting to note that while Out of Control pulled out all stops as a new metal tune, the inspirational The Reason which also rocks loud is actually a slow ballad.
Like Incubus and Weezer and other rock bands that emerged during these past few years. Hoobastank has mastered the art of combining various types of rock music to produce its own sound. The Reason offers all that, metal, punk, funk and others and these guys are really good at what they do. It must have surprised them no end that the simplest song in the album will also be their biggest hit. I see this as one more proof that you can play the most amazing riffs, bang the drums like mad and scream out the lyrics but in the long run what really keeps the attention of the listeners is a pretty melody with heartfelt lyrics.
I am sure everybody helped make The Reason a hit but a lot of credit should go to Robb and Erstin who make a very good songwriting team. The lyrics do seem cheesy at times but listeners like cheese in their music. Snobs say they don’t. Besides, Robb’s very personal musings do complement Erstin’s music. I see another hit in the poppy Let It Out while diehard rockers will surely like the loudest Same Direction. For a combination of both there is Just One, which has a commercial hook that must be the envy of lots of boy bands these days.
The Reason by Hoobastank remains in Billboard Magazine’s Top 200 Album list where it has been in the top 10 for 27 weeks. Number one this week is Contraband by the new group with old familiar faces Velvet Revolver. See if you recognize any of them; Confessions by Usher; Under My Skin by Avril Lavigne; Here for the Party by Gretchen Wilson; Musicology by Prince; The Reason by Hoobastank; Greatest Hits ‘93-03 by 311; Vans Warped Tour 2004 Compilation by Various Artists; D12 World by D12; Vol.3: The Subliminal Verses by Slip Knot.
In the Hot 100 Singles chart, The Reason is ranked at number three but Usher is still the top guy with three cuts from Confession in the top 10. Here goes: Burn by Usher; Confessions Part II also by Usher; The Reason by Hoobastank; I Don’t Wanna Know by Mario Winans featuring Enya and P. Diddy; If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys; Overnight Celebrity by Twista; Naughty Girl by Beyonce; This Love by Maroon5; Freek-A-Leek by Petey Pablo; and Yeah! again by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris.