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“MMMBop” (1997)

Performed by Hanson

Another debut album single, “MMMBop,” is performed by the band Hanson, comprised of three brothers (and a couple of other members)—Zac, Taylor, and Isaac. At the time when “MMMBop” became a #1 hit on the American and British charts, the three brothers were between 11- and 16-years-old, becoming sensations just for their young ages. It helped that “MMMBop” became a turbo pop rocket of a single, giving Hanson a great debut album success—though this one remains their most famous song even today.

“MMMBop” has a sunny melody and a massive but very simple chorus, with just the youthful voices of the Hanson brothers singing along; it’s pure teen-pop bliss. Interestingly, the song was initially slower, but the Dust Brothers—producers most famous for their work with Beck, Beastie Boys, and the original soundtrack for Fight Club—decided to flip it into a less soulful and more pop-ish track that can make even the grumpiest person sing along. “MMMBop” was a way of life in 1997.

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Dedicated Fans 

Since breaking into the pop music scene with their 1997 hit “MMMBop”, Hanson has built and kept a devoted fanbase from all over the world.

Fan Club for the Ages

In 2000, that effervescent fandom prompted Isaac, Taylor and Zac to create their own internet service provider, which quickly became an entire fan club community.

It includes: the website Hanson.net, exclusive EPs, and even an annual invite to Hanson Day – a weekend of Hanson-themed events hosted by the brothers themselves in their hometown of Tulsa, Okla.

A ‘Need’ for ‘Evolution’

In March, the band announced “significant changes” to the fan club are coming – including doing away with annual membership by March 2026.

Fan worried what these changes could mean for the future of Hanson, who started their own indie label in 2003. Before a special show in Conn. on Aug. 9, the group exclusively opened up to PEOPLE about the changes and their thought process. They also revealed they don’t have a set plan for what’s next just yet.

Taylor: the simple answer, which isn’t really an answer in details is, we are going through just a rethinking of what it means to have that platform for fans and it is true that you do have a different relationship when you have three decades and it’s incredible to have people that want to show up time after time and want to get a meet and greet and they want to hear extra music  and they want the exclusive stuff and so I just want us to hopefully honor that as much as we possibly can always. The first place we do that is always back to just making music and making sure when people, hey, I want to come to a show, that we have a chance. Every time before a show, the first people on the list are people that have been a part of our community, and just the chance to say, hey you’re the top of our list.

Creative Decisions 

Hanson stressed that keeping up with “the needs of the now” is an important part of their fan club overhaul process.

Zac: I think the thing about life, they say you’re either growing and changing or you’re dying. And I think for us you need to continuously be in a place where you can say what is it I feel like I need to be doing to be growing. So there’s not necessarily clarification but what people don’t need to worry about, I mean, just like, these shows we’re able to come out not because we have a new album or new single to promote, just because we have a band and a body of work and a history with fans. I think that all stays the same. There’s all the good things you say, but you have to say, ‘Hey, where am I supposed to be, what am I supposed to be doing? What’s the best thing for me as a creative person then?’ And so there are changes.

Isaac: We’re in a unique situation. A lot of bands don’t have fan clubs the way we do. A lot of bands have not had a fan club at the level that we’ve had for 25 years you know? So we are continually trying to think of ways to evolve, what things need to change, the social media evolution has been really dramatic in the last five years in particular so we’ve been kind of looking at the lay of the land and asking ourselves ‘Are we really serving the needs of the now?’ Not just specifically the fan club community because there are a lot of ways that we can achieve those relationships and continue that communication. So we’ll see.

Lost Without Each Other 

No matter what Hanson decides, we have a feeling they will take their own advice in “MMMBop” and continue to “hold on to” fans “who really care”