View source for Cracked Rear View

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Cracked Rear View
| type = studio
| artist = [[Hootie & the Blowfish]]
| cover = Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View.jpg
| alt = A collage of blurred photographs forms the album cover
| released = {{Start date|1994|07|05}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=#3 Most Added |journal=The Hard Report |date=1994-07-01 |issue=381 |page=9 |quote=from the debut album Cracked Rear View out July 5}}</ref><ref name="AM">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/cracked-rear-view-mw0000115821 |title=Cracked Rear View&nbsp;– Hootie & the Blowfish |work=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]] |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |access-date=December 1, 2010}}</ref>
| recorded = November 1993&nbsp;− March 1994
| studio = [[NRG Recording Studios|NRG]], [[North Hollywood, Los&nbsp;Angeles|North Hollywood]], California, US<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Cracked Rear View |author=[[Hootie & the Blowfish]] |year=1994 |type=CD liner |publisher=[[Atlantic Records]] |id=82613-2 |location=[[United States]]}}</ref>
| genre = {{hlist|[[Alternative rock]]|[[heartland rock]]|[[roots rock]]}}
| length = {{Duration|m=46|s=36}}
| label = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| producer = [[Don Gehman]]
| prev_title = [[Kootchypop]]
| prev_year = 1993
| next_title = [[Fairweather Johnson]]
| next_year = 1996
| misc = {{Singles
 | name = Cracked Rear View
 | type = studio
 | single1 = [[Hold My Hand (Hootie & the Blowfish song)|Hold My Hand]]
 | single1date = July 18, 1994
 | single2 = [[Let Her Cry (song)|Let Her Cry]]
 | single2date = December 17, 1994
 | single3 = [[Only Wanna Be with You]]
 | single3date = July 17, 1995
 | single4 = [[Time (Hootie & the Blowfish song)|Time]]
 | single4date = October 24, 1995
 | single5 = Drowning
 | single5date = November 1995
}}
}}
'''''Cracked Rear View''''' is the debut studio album by [[Hootie & the Blowfish]], released on July 5, 1994, by [[Atlantic Records]].<ref name="AM" /> Released to positive critical reviews, it eventually became one of the [[List of best-selling albums in the United States|highest-selling albums in the United States]], and also one of the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling albums worldwide]], with over 20 million units.

==Recording, release, and promotion==
Hootie and the Blowfish were established in 1986 and while they had recorded some self-released promos, such as 1993's ''[[Kootchypop]]'' EP, this was their first full-length release.<ref>{{Cite magazine |magazine=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]] |page=59 |title=Hootie & the Blowfish Pop-ROck Soars to Crossver Success with Black Singer |department=Entertainment |language=en-US |volume=88 |issue=9 |issn=0021-5996}}</ref> Some of the songs on ''Cracked Rear View'' had been previously recorded on these [[demo (music)|demos]] and had been honed by the band in live performances for several years.<ref name="grammyint">{{Cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/hootie-blowfish-talk-cracked-rear-views-25th-anniversary-being-secretly-political-and |title=Hootie & The Blowfish Talk 'Cracked Rear View'{{'s}} 25th Anniversary, Being Secretly Political And "Old Town Road" |language=en-US |accessdate=2024-06-29 |date=2019-07-31 |department=News |first=Dan |last=Weiss}}</ref> [[Don Gehman]] was chosen by [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] man [[Tim Sommer]] as a producer because of his previous work with [[John Mellencamp]] and [[R.E.M.]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://observer.com/2016/07/my-life-in-the-bush-of-hootie-how-i-signed-the-biggest-band-of-1995/ |title=My Life in the Bush of Hootie: How I Signed the Biggest Band of 1995 |last=Sommer |first=Tim |author-link=Tim Sommer |date=July 14, 2016 |work=[[The New York Observer]] |publisher=[[Jared Kushner]]}}</ref> Gehman's career had been in commercial decline for several years after having had successes in the 1980s, so he pivoted to accepting lower-profile artists, smaller budgets, and being more efficient in the studio to cut costs.<ref name="mix">{{Cite book |pages=174–182 |chapter=24: Don Gehman: Nice Guys Finish First |title=Music Producers: Conversations with Today's Top Hit Makers |isbn=9780872887305 |publisher=Mix Books |year=2000 |editor-first=Barbara |editor-last=Schultz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |pages=101–102 |first=Tim |last=Sommer |chapter=16: The Bones Were There |title=Only Wanna Be with You: The Inside Story of Hootie & the Blowfish |isbn=9781643362762 |date=2022-04-05 |publisher=[[University of South Carolina Press]]}}</ref> It cost US$200,000 to make<ref name="time">{{Cite magazine |last=Farley |first=Christopher John |date=1996-04-29 |title=Music: Can 13&nbsp;Million Hootie Fans Really Be Wrong? |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,984475-2,00.html |access-date=2024-03-12 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> and the label invested a relatively moderate $75,000 to Gehman for producing ({{Inflation|US|200000|1994|fmt=eq}} and ${{Inflation|US|75000|1994|fmt=c}}, respectively).<ref name="bb19950715">{{Cite magazine |title=Gehman's New Budget Multiplatinums |page=76 |first=Rick |last=Clark |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |department=Pro Audio |volume=107 |issue=28 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The recording and mixing process took 28&nbsp;days, made up of 20&nbsp;days of recording and 8 mixing; he kept costs down by [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]] the album himself and providing his own equipment for the band to use.<ref name="bb19950715" /><ref name="mix" /> In 1996, Gehman reflected on the expectations of the release, stating that no one at [[Atlantic Records]] expected it to be a blockbuster, but possibly selling a few hundred thousand copies to establish the band an audience building on their existing South Carolina fan base; as sales took off, the label became more invested and the promotion caused sales to continue to grow.<ref name="mix" /> Gehman later produced and mixed ''[[Fairweather Johnson]]'' (1996), ''[[Musical Chairs (Hootie & the Blowfish album)|Musical Chairs]]'' (1998), and ''[[Looking for Lucky]]'' (2005) by the band.

The album was promoted by a string of music videos, singles, and promotional tour appearances. Hootie & the Blowfish had been performing approximately 300 shows a year at this point<ref name="mix" /> and continued touring throughout the mid-1990s to support ''Cracked Rear View'', including high-profile television appearances,<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=''Billboard'' Awards Yield Sales Rewards |page=10 |first=Carrie |last=Borzillo |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |volume=107 |issue=51 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Between the Bullets |page=153 |first=Geoff |last=Mayfield |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |volume=107 |issue=8 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> including three episodes of ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'',<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=WEA'S Greatest Hits |page=36 |first=Fred |last=Bronson |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |volume=108 |issue=35 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> and [[benefit concert]]s such as [[FarmAid]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Seventh FarmAid Benefit in Kentucky Oct.&nbsp;1 |page=14 |first=Chet |last=Flippo |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |department=Artists & Music |volume=107 |issue=39 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> Atlantic successfully piloted a promotional strategy using [[Low-power broadcasting|low-power radio stations]] that targeted specific regional markets to promote ''Cracked Rear View'' and they expanded this project based on the strong sales of this album.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Atlantic Aims Low-Power Signal at Page/Plant Fans |page=90 |department=Radio |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |volume=107 |issue=17 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> Regular airplay on [[VH-1]] also helped to grow the audience for this album.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=One Year into VH1 Makeover, Change Evident, Image Slick |page=103 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |first=Brett |last=Atwood |volume=107 |issue=48 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Commercial reception===
''Cracked Rear View'' is Hootie & the Blowfish's most successful album. While initial sales were modest and it debuted at 127 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1994-07-23 |first=Geoff |last=Mayfield |title=Between the Bullets |page=135 |volume=106 |issue=30}}</ref> it topped that chart five times in 1995<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1995-12-23 |title=The Chart Toppers |department=Artists & Music |page=20 |volume=107 |issue=52}}</ref> and was the best-selling album of 1995 in the United States, selling 7&nbsp;million copies,<ref>{{Cite news |title=HOOTIE'S WHO IN 1995 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1996/01/17/hooties-who-in-1995/c63d26f1-f588-4c78-b658-5bc391c762fa/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> besting the second-place ''[[Crazysexycool]]'' by 2.2&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1996-01-20 |title=Best-Selling Records of 1995 |department=Merchants & Marketing |page=56 |volume=108 |issue=3}}</ref> This won the 1995 ''Billboard'' Music Award for Top ''Billboard''&nbsp;200 Album.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/12/06/Billboard-Music-Award-winners/2972818226000/ |date=1995-12-06 |accessdate=2024-06-29 |title=Billboard Music Award winners |language=en-US |publisher=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> Sales were strong enough that Hootie & the Blowfish were the best-selling group of 1996 in [[adult contemporary]] and [[pop music]] as well, between this album and follow-up ''[[Fairweather Johnson]]''<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=The Year in Charts |department=The Year in Music |pages=YE-8, YE-10 |date=1996-12-28 |first=Fred |last=Bronson |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=108 |issue=52}}</ref> and in April of that year, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reported that ''Cracked Rear View'' had generated over US$100&nbsp;million in gross [[revenue]]s for Atlantic Records ({{Inflation|US|100000000|1996|fmt=eq}}).<ref name="time" /> Both of the band's first two efforts were in the top 20 albums of 1996; ''Cracked Rear View'' was 20th, selling 1.9&nbsp;million copies.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Morrissette Tops Best-Selling Sets of '96 with 'Pill' |page=61 |date=1997-01-18 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=109 |issue=3}}</ref> In 1995 to 1996, ''Cracked Rear View'' sold more than 100,000 copies per week for 40&nbsp;weeks.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Seven Debuts Arrive in Billboard 200's Top&nbsp;10 |department=Charts |pages=41 |date=2012-01-07 |first=Keith |last=Caulfield |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=124 |issue=1}}</ref> This was during an industry-wide trend of depressed sales in both the United&nbsp;States<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Wall Street Credibility |department=NARM '96 |pages=68 |date=1996-03-30 |first=Don |last=Jeffrey |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=108 |issue=13}}</ref> and Canada.<ref name="bb19960120">{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1996-01-20 |first=Larry |last=LeBlanc |title=Late Christmas Rush Boosted Flat Canadian '95 Record Sales |department=Canada |page=48 |volume=108 |issue=3}}</ref>

The album moved 10&nbsp;million certified sales by October 1995,<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1995-11-11 |title=October Certs Benchmarks for Hootie, Elon |department=Artists & Music |first=Chris |last=Morris |page=16 |volume=107 |issue=45}}</ref> reaching 12&nbsp;million by February 1996, which made it the fifth-best selling debut album<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1996-02-10 |title='Led Zeppelin IV' No.&nbsp;4 Best Seller |department=Artists & Music |first=Chris |last=Morris |page=11 |volume=108 |issue=6}}</ref> and this increased by another million sales by June, reaching fourth place.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Between the Bullets |pages=136 |date=1996-08-31 |first=Geoff |last=Mayfield |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=108 |issue=35}}</ref> A 1999 assessment that it had sold 16&nbsp;million copies made it the most copies of a debut album sold.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Led Zep, Nirvana Go 'Diamond' in Certs |pages=75 |date=1999-04-10 |first=Chris |last=Morris |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=111 |issue=15}}</ref> It had sold 10.2&nbsp;million copies in the United States per [[Nielsen SoundScan]] by 2012,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |date=2012-07-05 |title=Usher's 'Confessions' Album Hits 10&nbsp;Million in U.S. Sales |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ushers-confessions-album-hits-10-million-in-us-sales-1084806/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> with an additional 3&nbsp;million copies sold through CD clubs, which are not included in SoundScan's total.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-06-10 |title=Four Columbia House insiders explain the shady math behind "8 CDs for a penny" |url=https://www.avclub.com/four-columbia-house-insiders-explain-the-shady-math-beh-1798280580 |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-us}}</ref> It is the joint [[List of best-selling albums in the United States|19th-best-selling album of all time in the United States]],<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100 RIAA Top 100] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701162536/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100 |date=July 1, 2007}}</ref> rising to 10th place if one excludes compilations.<ref name="nyt">{{Cite news |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522 |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=2024-06-29 |date=2019-06-06 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/06/arts/music/hootie-and-the-blowfish-cracked-rear-view.html |department=Music |title=Hootie & the Blowfish, Great American Rock Band (Yes, Really) |first=Jon |last=Caramanica}}</ref> Internationally, ''Cracked Rear View'' reached number one in [[Canada]],<ref name="ca chart">{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2735&type=2&interval=20&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3 |title=RPM&nbsp;— Item Display : Top Albums/CDs&nbsp;— Volume 62, No. 3, August 21, 1995 |date=March 31, 2004 |work=[[Library and Archives Canada]] |format=PHP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202114804/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2735&type=2&interval=20&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3 |archive-date=February 2, 2014}}</ref> where it was also the best-selling album of the year<ref name="CANYE95" /> at over 800,000 units<ref name="bb19960120" /> and also topped charts in [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Hootie+%26+The+Blowfish&titel=Cracked+Rear+View&cat=a |title=''Cracked Rear View'' by Hootie & the Blowfish |work=charts.nz |publisher=Hung Medien |format=ASP |access-date=December 28, 2010}}</ref> In 1999, it was one of the 62 inaugural [[Music recording sales certification|diamond]] certifications by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]], placing at 16 with 15&nbsp;million sales<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Boston, Hootie Lead RIAA's Certifications for January |pages=17 |date=1999-02-15 |first=Chris |last=Morris |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=111 |issue=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=The Diamond Award |page=13 |date=1999-03-27 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=111 |issue=13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Elton, Boyz, Joel Among Diamond Honorees |page=80 |date=1999-03-27 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |department=Newsmakers |first=Larry |last=Flick |volume=111 |issue=13}}</ref> and was certified 22× [[RIAA certification|platinum]] (double diamond) by 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doerschuk |first=Bob |title=Hootie & the Blowfish set release date for new album 'Imperfect Circle' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/08/hootie-blowfish-new-album-imperfect-circle-release-date-ed-sheeran-sheryl-crow-song-collaborations/1934267001/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=47877|title=Shania, Backstreet, Britney, Eminem And Janet Top All Time Sellers|last=David|first=Barry|location=New York|publisher=Music Industry News Network|work=[[Bertelsmann Music Group]]|date=2003-02-18|access-date=2012-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030703090845/http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=47877 |archive-date=July 3, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/chartbeat/473955/best-selling-albums-since-1991-soundscan-era-adele-joins-elite-club|title=Best Selling Albums Since 1991 (Soundscan Era): Adele Joins Elite Club|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|magazine=Billboard|date=2012-11-29|access-date=2015-05-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/129722-rise-and-fall-of-the-columbia-house-record-clu/?page=4|title=The rise and fall of the Columbia House record club — and how we learned to steal music|newspaper=[[Boston Phoenix]]|date=2011-11-18|access-date=2015-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120190118/http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/129722-rise-and-fall-of-the-columbia-house-record-clu/?page=4|archive-date=2013-01-20|url-status=live}}</ref> Alongside [[Led Zeppelin's fourth album]], it is the best-selling release on Atlantic<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1995-12-16 |first=Chris |last=Morris |title=Hootie, Whitney, TLC Top Nov. Sales Certifications |department=Artists & Music |page=10 |volume=107 |issue=50}}</ref> and is the album with the fourth-most weeks topping the ''Billboard''&nbsp;200 from the label.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=The House Ahmet Built |pages=51 |date=2007-02-24 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=119 |issue=8}}</ref>

The massive commercial success of the band led to some backlash, specifically centered on their music being bland or [[middle of the road (music)|middle of the road]] [[soft rock]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1995-11-11 |first=Melinda |last=Newman |title=Hootie Deserves all the Horn-Blowing; Journalists; Sticker Reply: 'Who Cares?' |department=Artists & Music |page=18 |volume=107 |issue=45}}</ref><ref name="time" /> and being out of step with trends like [[gangsta rap]] or [[grunge]],<ref name="nyt" /> as well as the band's comical name.<ref name="grammyint" /> For instance, in late 1995, Chris Norris of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' wrote that the year in rock music was summed up by Hootie & the Blowfish, which he critiqued for being "{{em|aggressively}} normal" and making "willfully centrist rock".<ref>{{Cite magazine |magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |first=Chris |last=Norris |page=131 |date=1995-12-25 |language=en-US |title=Pop Music |department=The Year's Best and Worst |issn=0028-7369}}</ref> Reassessments in the 2010s have been more kind to the band, noting their importance to 1990s rock music<ref name="nyt" /> and as younger fans from the 1990s have grown up with [[nostalgia]] for the group.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=2019-10-31 |first=natalie |last=Weiner |title=Hootie & the Blowfish Talk New Album, &#039;Cracked Rearview&#039; & Touring Success |department=Rock |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/hootie-and-the-blowfish-new-album-interview/ |accessdate=2024-06-29}}</ref> In particular, the 25th anniversary of this album led outlets such as ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'' to note that there was an audience for mid-tempo rock music with solid songwriting that did not reflect the wake of [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s huge success with ''[[Nevermind]]'' in 1991 and by artists that had no interest in trying to be cool.<ref name="cos">{{Cite web |last=Graves |first=Wren |date=2019-07-06 |title=Classic Album Review: Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View |url=https://consequence.net/2019/07/classic-album-review-hootie-the-blowfish-cracked-rear-view/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In ''[[The Dallas Observer]]'', Preston Jones noted that the critical backlash had long ago subsided and that the band's "material has aged extraordinarily well, fond remembrances aside" including live performances touring for their 2019 release ''[[Imperfect Circle]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |newspaper=[[The Dallas Observer]] |first=Preston |last=Jones |language=en-US |accessdate=2024-06-29 |date=2019-06-17 |title=Hootie and the Blowfish Take Dallas Audience Back to the Future with Their '90s Best |url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/25-years-later-hootie-and-the-blowfish-have-a-less-cracked-rear-view-11689355 |issn=0732-0299 |oclc=7095491}}</ref>

===Critical reception===
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AM" />
| rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s|Christgau's Consumer Guide]]''
| rev2score = B<ref name="rc">{{cite book |chapter=Hootie and the Blowfish: Cracked Rear View |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=1543 |access-date=May 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729045433/http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=hootie+and+the+blowfish |archive-date=July 29, 2013 |url-status=live |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |title-link=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-312-24560-2}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]]''
| rev3score = B<ref name="cos" />
| rev4 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Hootie and the Blowfish |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |edition=5th concise |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Kerrang!]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Blake |first=Mark |date=March 18, 1995 |title=Albumz |magazine=[[Kerrang!]] |publisher=[[EMAP]] |issue=536|page=48}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Yonke |first=David |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/556 557] |isbn=1-57859-061-2 |chapter=Hootie & The Blowfish}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/hootietheblowfish/albums/album/150938/review/5946885/cracked_rear_view |title=Hootie & the Blowfish: Cracked Rear View |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=October 20, 1994 |access-date=May 5, 2012 |last=Evans |first=Paul |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226173356/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/hootietheblowfish/albums/album/150938/review/5946885/cracked_rear_view |archive-date=December 26, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Hootie & the Blowfish |last=Randall |first=Mac |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/390 390–91]}}</ref>
}}

Critical reviews of ''Cracked Rear View'' were mostly positive. Editors at [[AllMusic]] rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] writing that the album as "the success story of 1994/1995" and continued, "although Hootie & the Blowfish aren't innovative, they deliver the goods, turning out an album of solid, rootsy folk-rock songs that have simple, powerful hooks".<ref name="AM" /> A review for retailers by ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' compared the music to [[Counting Crows]] and [[John Mellencamp]] and spotlighted "Hold My Hand" as particularly accessible.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1994-07-23 |title=Pop |department=Album Reviews |page=56 |volume=106 |issue=29 |editor-first1=Paul |editor-last1=Verna |editor-first2=Marilyn A. |editor-last2=Gillen |editor-first3=Peter |editor-last3=Cronin}}</ref> [[Robert Christgau]] rated the album a B and praised Darius Rucker's "gruff grit [which] adds an extra layer of substance" to the simple songwriting and musicianship and noted the importance of mainstream white audiences hearing about black issues from a black singer.<ref name="rc" />

The band won for [[Grammy Award for Best New Artist]] and "[[Let Her Cry (song)|Let Her Cry]]" won [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]] at the [[38th Annual Grammy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/hootie-blowfish/16330 |title=Hootie & the Blowfish |publisher=[[The Recording Academy]] |date=n.d. |accessdate=2024-06-08 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Track listing==
All songs written by [[Mark Bryan]], Dean Felber, [[Darius Rucker]] and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld, except where noted.
# "Hannah Jane"&nbsp;– 3:33
# "[[Hold My Hand (Hootie & the Blowfish song)|Hold My Hand]]"&nbsp;– 4:15
# "[[Let Her Cry (song)|Let Her Cry]]"&nbsp;– 5:08
# "[[Only Wanna Be with You]]"&nbsp;– 3:46
# "Running from an Angel"&nbsp;– 3:37
# "I'm Goin' Home"&nbsp;– 4:10
# "Drowning"&nbsp;– 5:01
# "[[Time (Hootie & the Blowfish song)|Time]]"&nbsp;– 4:53
# "Look Away"&nbsp;– 2:38
# "Not Even the Trees"&nbsp;– 4:37
# "Goodbye"&nbsp;– 4:05
:Includes [[hidden track]] "[[Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child]]" (traditional)&nbsp;– 0:53

In 2001, the album was re-released on [[DVD-Audio]] with the disc featuring a discography, photo gallery, and video of a live performance of "Drowning".

The 25th anniversary edition from 2019 includes the following bonus discs:

'''Disc 2: B-sides, Outtakes, Pre-LP Independent Recordings'''
#"All That I Believe"&nbsp;– 3:29
#"[[I Go Blind]]" (Neil Osborne, Phil Comparelli, Brad Merritt, Darryl Neudorf)&nbsp;– 3:13
#"Almost Home"&nbsp;– 4:02
#"Fine Line"&nbsp;– 3:33
#"Where Were You"&nbsp;– 3:55
#"[[Hey, Hey What Can I Do]]" (John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant)&nbsp;– 3:56
#"The Old Man and Me" – ''Kootchypop'' Version&nbsp;– 4:29
#"Hold My Hand" – ''Kootchypop'' Version&nbsp;– 5:07
#"If You're Going My Way" – ''Kootchypop'' Version&nbsp;– 3:29
#"Sorry's Not Enough" – ''Kootchypop'' Version&nbsp;– 4:04
#"Only Wanna Be with You" – ''Kootchypop'' Version&nbsp;– 3:41
#"Running from an Angel" – 1991 Version&nbsp;– 3:57
#"Time" – 1991 Version&nbsp;– 4:28
#"Let Her Cry" – 1991 Version&nbsp;– 5:02
#"Drowning" – 1991 Version&nbsp;– 5:50
#"I Don't Understand"&nbsp;– 5:50
#"Little Girl"&nbsp;– 2:50
#"Look Away" – 1990 Version&nbsp;– 2:58
#"Let My People Go"&nbsp;– 2:37
#"Hold My Hand" – 1990 Version&nbsp;– 4:40

'''Disc 3: Live at Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA, February 3, 1995'''
#"Hannah Jane"&nbsp;– 3:36
#"I Go Blind"&nbsp;– 3:04
#"Not Even the Trees"&nbsp;– 4:40
#"If You're Going My Way"&nbsp;– 3:31
#"Look Away"&nbsp;– 2:36
#"Fine Line"&nbsp;– 3:23
#"Let Her Cry"&nbsp;– 5:15
#"Motherless Child"&nbsp;– 0:54
#"I'm Goin' Home"&nbsp;– 4:37
#"Use Me"&nbsp;– 5:00
#"Running from an Angel"&nbsp;– 4:06
#"Sorry's Not Enough"&nbsp;– 4:17
#"Drowning"&nbsp;– 6:12
#"The Old Man and Me"&nbsp;– 4:20
#"Only Wanna Be with You"&nbsp;– 3:53
#"Time"&nbsp;– 5:12
#"Goodbye"&nbsp;– 3:54
#"[[The Ballad of John and Yoko]]" ([[Lennon-McCartney]])&nbsp;– 2:55
#"Hold My Hand"&nbsp;– 5:31
#"[[Love the One You're With]]" ([[Stephen Stills]])&nbsp;– 2:50

'''DVD'''
*[[5.1 Surround Sound]] mix of the original album
Hi-Res 24/96 Bonus Tracks 
*"All That I Believe"
*"I Go Blind"
*"Almost Home"
*"Fine Line"
*"Where Were You"
Music videos:
*"Hold My Hand"
*"Let Her Cry"
*"Only Wanna Be with You"
*"Time"
*"Drowning" – Live

==Personnel==
'''Hootie & the Blowfish'''
* [[Mark Bryan]]&nbsp;– electric guitar, acoustic guitar, [[vocal percussion]], mandolin on "Only Wanna Be with You", piano on "Not Even the Trees" 
* Dean Felber&nbsp;– bass guitar, [[clavinet]], vocals, piano on "Only Wanna Be with You"
* [[Darius Rucker]]&nbsp;– vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
* Jim "Soni" Sonefeld&nbsp;– drums, percussion, vocals, piano on "Look Away" and "Goodbye", glasses on "Not Even the Trees"

'''Additional musicians'''
* [[David Crosby]]&nbsp;– background vocals on "Hold My Hand"
* [[Lili Haydn]]&nbsp;– violin on "Look Away" and "Running from an Angel"
* John Nau&nbsp;– piano on "I'm Goin' Home", [[Hammond organ]]

'''Production'''
* Jean Cronin&nbsp;– [[art director|art direction]]
* [[Don Gehman]]&nbsp;– [[Record producer|production]], [[Audio engineer|engineering]], [[Mixing engineer|mixing]]
* Michael McLaughlin&nbsp;– [[photography]]
* Wade Norton&nbsp;– assistant engineering
* Gena Rankin&nbsp;– production coordination
* Eddy Schreyer&nbsp;– [[Audio mastering|mastering]]
* [[Tim Sommer]]&nbsp;– [[artists and repertoire]]
* Liz Sroka&nbsp;– assistant mixing

==Charts==
===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for ''Cracked Rear View''
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1994–1995)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Australia|7|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|album=Cracked Rear View|rowheader=true|access-date=June 6, 2021}}
|-
! scope="row"| Canadian Albums (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref name="ca chart" />
| 1
|-
{{album chart|Germany|45|id=29645|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|album=Cracked Rear View|rowheader=true|access-date=June 6, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|1|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|album=Cracked Rear View|rowheader=true|access-date=June 6, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|16|date=19950312|rowheader=true|access-date=June 6, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|UK2|12|date=19950312|rowheader=true|access-date=June 6, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|1|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|rowheader=true|access-date=June 6, 2021}}
|}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+1995 annual chart performance for ''Cracked Rear View''
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1995)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1995/albums-chart|title=ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1995|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|access-date=June 6, 2021}}</ref>
| 23
|-
{{album chart|Canada|1|chartid=2839|rowheader=true|refname="CANYE95"|access-date=May 24, 2022}}
|-
!scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1995-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1995|website=The Official NZ Music Charts|access-date=November 16, 2021}}</ref>
| 2
|-
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 6, 2021|archive-date=January 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123044853/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/the-billboard-200|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 1
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+1996 annual chart performance for ''Cracked Rear View''
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1996)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Albums (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.9732&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.9732.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.9732|title=Top 100 Albums of 1996|work=RPM|date=July 17, 2013|access-date=January 23, 2025}}</ref>
| 19
|-
!scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1996-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1996|website=The Official NZ Music Charts|access-date=November 16, 2021}}</ref>
| 19
|-
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1996/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 6, 2021|archive-date=January 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123035756/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1996/the-billboard-200|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 9
|}

===Decade-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Decade-end chart performance for ''Cracked Rear View''
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1990–1999)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine | first = Geoff | last = Mayfield | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA4 | title = 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade&nbsp;— The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s | magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date = December 25, 1999 | access-date = October 15, 2010 |page=YE-20}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|}

==Certifications and sales==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for ''Cracked Rear View''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|title=Cracked Rear View|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=1994|certyear=1996|access-date=November 12, 2021}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|title=Cracked Rear View|award=Diamond|type=album|relyear=1994|certyear=1996|access-date=April 24, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|title=Cracked Rear View|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1994|certyear=2020|id=9008|access-date=October 5, 2021}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|title=Cracked Rear View|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1994|id=1995-09-22|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|certyear=1995}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|title=Cracked Rear View|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1994|certyear=1996|id=1545-1338-2|access-date=April 24, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Hootie & The Blowfish|title=Cracked Rear View|award=Platinum|number=22|relyear=1994|certyear=2024|access-date=June 20, 2024|refname="RIAA"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Worldwide|nocert=true|salesamount=20,000,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thenewirmonews.com/drumming-up-memories-jim-sonefeld-of-hootie-the-blowfish-book-signing-event/|title=Drumming Up Memories: Jim Sonefeld of Hootie & The Blowfish Book Signing Event|publisher=The New Irmo News|date=December 13, 2023|access-date=February 18, 2024}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true | nosales=true }}

==See also==
* [[List of 1994 albums]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website}}
*{{Discogs master}}
*{{MBrgID}}
{{Hootie & the Blowfish}}
{{Billboard Year-End number one albums 1990–2009}}
{{Portal bar|1990s|Rock music|United States}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1994 debut albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Don Gehman]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records albums]]
[[Category:Hootie & the Blowfish albums]]