The Cranberries' classic hit Zombie has been revealed as the most streamed song ever by an Irish band, becoming the first track to break the 1 billion stream barrier in the process.
The 1994 classic was already one of Ireland's most popular songs ever, but was boosted by a cover by Miley Cyrus that directed a whole new generation of fans to the original. The death of lead singer Dolores O'Riordan in early 2018 brought the song to greater prominence too, and contributed to it garnering more views than the likes of U2, Van Morrison and Boyzone.
"We are so delighted with the news that 'Zombie' has reached 1 billion views on YouTube," said Fergal Lawler, who played drums on the song. "We are sure Dolores has a big, proud smile on her face too. Thank you so much to all our fans around the world for supporting us over so many years. Hopefully, you are all safe and well and managing to find some hope and positivity in our music."
Noel Hogan, one of the founders of the band, added, "For 'Zombie' to reach 1 billion views has been a long road and another milestone for the band. Little did we think twenty something years ago that this song would stand the test of time and mean so much to so many. All we can say is thank you to the fans for all they have done for us."
His brother, co-founder Mike Hogan added, "I can still remember making such a great video and seeing the impact that it had - and still does - on people. Big shout out to all The Cranberries fans around the world - thanks so much."
The Cranberries are Ireland's fourth biggest ever act in terms of records sold, trailing U2, Enya and Westlife. Their more than 50 million record sales are particularly impressive given that the vast majority of them occurred across three albums in just three years. Indeed, 10% of those sales were accrued in just six months when No Need To Argue, the album that features Zombie, was released in late 1994.Featured Image Credit:
Topics: Ireland,