As alternative went mainstream in the 1990s, Smash Mouth contributed some of the biggest songs of the decade, and continued to chart hit singles into the 2000s.
As previously reported, the band’s former lead singer, Steve Harwell died Monday (Sept. 4), a representative for the band confirmed to Billboard. Harwell, who performed as lead vocalist for the group until announcing his retirement in 2021, passed away at his home in Boise, Idaho, after being in hospice care. He was 56.
“Steve Harwell was a true American original,” reads a statement provided by Smash Mouth manager Robert Hayes. “A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve should be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom. And the fact that he achieved this near-impossible goal with very limited musical experience makes his accomplishments all the more remarkable.”
Harwell shared the news that he was leaving Smash Mouth due to his health issues in October 2021. In a statement he wrote, “Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a rock star performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream. To my bandmates, it’s been an honor performing with you all these years and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with.”
Below, browse a recap of Smash Mouth’s history on five key Billboard charts, starting with the group’s breakthrough with “Walkin’ on the Sun” in 1997 and continuing with such enduring fellow hits as “All Star” in 1999 and its cover of The Monkees’ Neil Diamond-penned “I’m a Believer” in 2001.
Smash Mouth has charted five albums on the Billboard 200. After its first entry, Fush Yu Mang, hit No. 19 in 1998, the group reached the top 10 with Astro Lounge, which features “All Star” (No. 6, 1999). The band has sold 6.4 million albums in the U.S. through Aug. 31, 2023, according to Luminate.
Smash Mouth hit a No. 4 high on the Hot 100 with “All Star” in August 1999. Notably, the band had performed the song at Boston’s Fenway Park before the 1999 Home Run Derby that July (and, according to WBUR, seemingly helped spark further interest in preserving the home of the Red Sox, which opened in 1912 and remains Major League Baseball’s longest-tenured stadium.)
The group charted seven songs on Pop Airplay between 1997 and 2003. Three hit the top 10: “Walkin’ on the Sun” (No. 2, 1998), “All Star” (No. 1 for six weeks, 1999) and “Then the Morning Comes” (No. 5, 2000). Two others hit the top 20: “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” (No. 18, 1998) and “I’m a Believer” (No. 15, 2001).
Smash Mouth fared even better on Adult Pop Airplay, with four top 10s among 10 chart entries in 1997-2006. “Walkin’ on the Sun” led for three weeks and “All Star,” for nine, while “Then the Morning Comes” reached No. 2 and “I’m a Believer” hit No. 4.
On Alternative Airplay, Smash Mouth launched with “Walkin’ on the Sun,” which reigned for five weeks, while “All Star” hit No. 2.