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Tragic Kingdom 1995
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Tragic Kingdom

When No Doubt embarked on the creation of Tragic Kingdom, they already had a path behind them. Their first album, released in 1992, opted for a more festive ska sound, a marked contrast to the grunge current that dominated in the United States. However, sales were modest, and the band felt their music wasn't finding an echo on the radio. The situation became more complex when working on their second material; the record label rejected a large part of the compositions, which generated internal tensions, especially with Eric Stefani, who eventually left the group to dedicate himself to animation. Faced with a lack of progress with their label, the band decided to take the reins, recording and independently releasing The Beacon Street Collection in 1995. This move demonstrated their determination and, with around 100,000 copies sold, convinced their record label to finance a new album.

Year
1995
Songs
14
Duration
59 min 37 seg
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About the album

Tragic Kingdom, according to DoReSol

The recording of Tragic Kingdom spanned eleven different studios in Los Angeles, California, culminating in October 1995. It was during this process that they met Paul Palmer, who had already collaborated with Bush and showed interest in the project. After mixing the first single, "Just a Girl," Palmer took charge of the rest of the album, facilitating its release through Trauma Records, a division of Interscope Records. The album, which takes its name from a nickname a professor of Tom Dumont used to give Disneyland, saw the light of day on October 10, 1995. Seven singles were released from this work between 1995 and 1998, among which "Just a Girl" and "Don't Speak" stand out, the latter reaching number one on multiple international charts.

Tragic Kingdom was received with favorable comments from critics and became a sales phenomenon, exceeding seventeen million copies worldwide. In the United States and Canada, it achieved diamond certification, while in the United Kingdom it reached platinum and in Australia triple platinum. This album not only propelled No Doubt to global fame but also contributed to revitalizing ska in the 1990s, opening doors for other bands in the genre. In 2003, Tragic Kingdom was included in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, at number 441.