I REALLY wanna know...

I was sadly revived when i heard ''Every Morning'' at a food truck today... some of the worst the 90's has too offer.

I really don't get how these guys got back... they started thir careers as ''funk metal'' trying to be a mix of The Chili Peppers and new school punk... then eventually went the route of nu-meta. Hell that shit isn't even nu-meta it's straight up pop with a dj! and Mark Mcgrath has a horrible voice... just boring and no personality.

One song there a watered down Sublime... next their a poor mans Nickleback. LAWD

I would go on record saying these mofos were worse than Limp Bizkit and that is saying something!

I am baffled how these guys were ''a thing'' for awhile...

[Edited 11/9/13 18:21pm]

I think this is a great topic, Guns cuz you are absolutely right!! I don't know how in the hell they were popular for a moment. Is it simply because Mark McGrath was cute?? These guys are pretty bad but you know who was actually worse?? Crazy Town! First off, what a fucking stupid name!! The name alone is horrid and then lets not even talk about their "music". They make Limp Bizkit seem like the Beatles.

Interesting. I HATE 90s music for the most part, but I think Sugar Ray cranked out some of the more tolerable singles.

I was unaware of their heavier roots, but their more widely known stuff was pretty listenable, if utterly safe, pop. I dug the beat, the bassline, the opening guitar riff and the Super Cat appearance from "Fly." I thought "When It's Over" had a catchy chorus and charmingly relatable lyrics. And "Every Morning," while slightly annoying in its overexposure, at least didn't make me want to vomit like most of the crap from around the same time.

And, no, it didn't hurt that Mark McGrath is OK looking. Plus he had a personality that was refreshing in the context of post-grunge's hipster schlock.

I didn't think they were THAT bad. I've always loved "Someday". It reminds me of the beach and going on vacation.

Gunsnhalen said:

I REALLY wanna know...

I was sadly revived when i heard ''Every Morning'' at a food truck today... some of the worst the 90's has too offer.

I really don't get how these guys got back... they started thir careers as ''funk metal'' trying to be a mix of The Chili Peppers and new school punk... then eventually went the route of nu-meta. Hell that shit isn't even nu-meta it's straight up pop with a dj! and Mark Mcgrath has a horrible voice... just boring and no personality.

One song there a watered down Sublime... next their a poor mans Nickleback. LAWD

I would go on record saying these mofos were worse than Limp Bizkit and that is saying something!

I am baffled how these guys were ''a thing'' for awhile...

[Edited 11/9/13 18:21pm]

I think most of the answer is right there in your own post--they weren't "funk metal" or "nu metal" (which you cite as a restriction) but instead they were exactly what makes you most likely to be (at least for a while) really big: they were "straight up pop" (with the added buzzy-at-the-time element of a dj). That, coupled with what you describe as McGrath's "horrible voice... just boring and no personality" meant that a Sugar Ray track wasn't just something to listen to--anybody (meaning, the vast majority of people, who really can't sing and don't want to listen to closely when they do listen) could quickly adapt to what the music asked of them (very little) and could actually creditably sing along to the singsong tune. "Watered down" and "poor man's" are words that could often be understood as "made for the masses"--which equals "ready to go big."

Like Lammastide, I thought the hits were "listenable"--I'll go farther, even. If one of those three tracks came on my radio, I'd choose to stay there today. I sometimes turned away during their time on the charts--but only sometimes. They were fun, at least, and I could listen to them. If I turned the dial, I might wind up with something less pleasant... and sometimes that's what you're talking about when you're talking about popularity.

Accidentally quoted myself--ignore this bolded bit.

Okay, I might turn if it were "Fly"--the other two I'd almost definitely stay for.

[Edited 11/10/13 5:52am]

Gunsnhalen said:

I was sadly revived when i heard ''Every Morning'' at a food truck today...

It must have knocked the taste out of your mouth that day

I like Sugar Ray I bought three of their CDs

Yeah,I know their music is simple and not very substantial,but they had some fun pop songs.Nothing wrong with that

"Someday" is a great song,and so is "When It's Over".

missfee said:

I didn't think they were THAT bad. I've always loved "Someday". It reminds me of the beach and going on vacation.

I forgot about "Someday." I thought that was OK as well.

SoulAlive said:

Fly still gets heavy airplay and though it's such a bland song, it just doesn't leave your head for days. I can understand the appeal, it was for those who liked hip hop and grunge, a good marriage of the two most popular genres of the first half of the 90's with some funk elements like the type the chilli peppers were doing, but catered to pop radio

[Edited 11/10/13 9:40am]

I was always a little annoyed by "Fly," but I love "Every Morning," "Someday," and "When It's Over." They also did a straight cover of "Abracadabra," which is kind of impressive when you think about it.

They were okay, if not great, and they benefited for coming out during the post-grunge era after Kurt Cobain killed himself, Layne Staley died of an overdose, and both Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins were in the process of imploding. I think a lot of music fans were sick of the whole angry, depressing grunge scene and wanted to hear something lighter, and Sugar Ray was aptly poised to take advantage.

It was my fault. I bought their first couple records. And I still play "I Just Wanna Fly" from time to time at jam sessions. I'm sure ASCAP spies hear it and forward money to those guys.

Sorry my peeps... but i don't see it. I was in a boba shop today... and they played Everytime again

Even whent hey were being ''funny'' or ''ironic'' it just seems forced...and Mark is just a borign frontman. Even when they're trying to joke it seems forced and not right. And the DJ in the mix just seemed like an ''ok why not'' kind of situation.

I think Enrique Iglesias has more rock cred then these dudes

Are you really gonna argue that this isn't a good song?

It was all about Iiiiiiiii just wanna fly!

The lead singer was cute, and had the "arms around me, baby" hook which made it fun to dance to, and get close to someone.

They also had the cross-format thing going for them, because they could be on rock radio, as well as pop. For me I liked the samples on it, especially at 2:20 when it breaks down, you hear "The Mexican" guitar, the bare drum loop, and "E.V.A." moog, so that with Supercat raps covered the Urban format I reckon.

alphastreet said:

Fly still gets heavy airplay and though it's such a bland song, it just doesn't leave your head for days. I can understand the appeal, it was for those who liked hip hop and grunge, a good marriage of the two most popular genres of the first half of the 90's with some funk elements like the type the chilli peppers were doing, but catered to pop radio

Yeah! This is about right.

They takes me back to being a young teen watching MTV and seeing people my age skateboard etc....

The Blink 182's, Sum 41's, Kid Rock's and Limp Bizcuit's of the world were big back then. All of them were big in the UK at the time too. Sugar Ray wern't half as big as those guys in the UK, but they must of still had a small following as I remember a few of their video's at the time....

I think our own Britpop sorta imploded with Oasis' "Be here now". I never liked much top 40 rock from the UK since then really...

I still own their album "14:59" somewhere, but the last song of theirs I remember seeing was actually my favourite song of they did. The video was cool too...

You got me looking for my album now LOL

Gunsnhalen said:

Sorry my peeps... but i don't see it. I was in a boba shop today... and they played Everytime again

Even whent hey were being ''funny'' or ''ironic'' it just seems forced...and Mark is just a borign frontman. Even when they're trying to joke it seems forced and not right. And the DJ in the mix just seemed like an ''ok why not'' kind of situation.

I think Enrique Iglesias has more rock cred then these dudes

Are you sure you're not in some sort of timeslip? You're sure hearing a lot of Sugar Ray.

SoulAlive said:

Are you really gonna argue that this isn't a good song?

Gunsnhalen said:

Sorry my peeps... but i don't see it. I was in a boba shop today... and they played Everytime again

Even whent hey were being ''funny'' or ''ironic'' it just seems forced...and Mark is just a borign frontman. Even when they're trying to joke it seems forced and not right. And the DJ in the mix just seemed like an ''ok why not'' kind of situation.

I think Enrique Iglesias has more rock cred then these dudes

You got that right!

Gunsnhalen said:

Sorry my peeps... but i don't see it. I was in a boba shop today... and they played Everytime again

Even whent hey were being ''funny'' or ''ironic'' it just seems forced...and Mark is just a borign frontman. Even when they're trying to joke it seems forced and not right. And the DJ in the mix just seemed like an ''ok why not'' kind of situation.

I think Enrique Iglesias has more rock cred then these dudes

See, this is what "art" is all about.

I like Sugar Ray, you don't understand how that is possible.

You like Nirvana, I don't understand how that is possible.

Neither one of us is right or wrong. We just like what we like and no one else's opinion of that means a thing.

Such is the nature of art.

Well, obviously Mark McGrath is very good looking. And they had some catchy tunes. Not my cup o' tea, but whatevs.

McGrath's been on Howard Stern many times (he's a superfan) and seems like an incredibly nice guy.

RodeoSchro said:

Gunsnhalen said:

Sorry my peeps... but i don't see it. I was in a boba shop today... and they played Everytime again

Even whent hey were being ''funny'' or ''ironic'' it just seems forced...and Mark is just a borign frontman. Even when they're trying to joke it seems forced and not right. And the DJ in the mix just seemed like an ''ok why not'' kind of situation.

I think Enrique Iglesias has more rock cred then these dudes

See, this is what "art" is all about.

I like Sugar Ray, you don't understand how that is possible.

You like Nirvana, I don't understand how that is possible.

Neither one of us is right or wrong. We just like what we like and no one else's opinion of that means a thing.

Such is the nature of art.

Funny seeing you around Music:Non-Prince just to argue against Gunsnhalen.

Nirvana >> Sugar Ray

Never been a Sugar Ray fan, but like with Nickelback it's no mystery why they got big. They peddled hook filled pop rock with a contemporary sound, nd had a marketable image.

Sugar Ray is Maroon 5's slightly older brother, with a slightly hairier nutsack.

They actually started out as a heavier, and came off like a cuter knock off of Guns N Roses...but "Fly" turned them into this 'safe' pop/rock band for girls.

I'm not sure, but probably this:

I first heard of them through the game Road Rash 3D. This song was the shyt!