As far as rock and roll was concerned, grunge was king in the early 90's, so for many bands it was hard to gain exposure and attention if they did not have a murky angst filled sound. However, the bands that did mange to break through onto mainstream radio and MTV, without being so angry, found success.
Blind Melon was one of those bands thanks to their single, "No Rain." After movie to Los Angeles from the midwest, neo-pyschedelic 90's rockers, Blind Melon formed, and released their self-titled debut album in 1992. The band, who took 60's psychedelica, 70's folk, and 80's New Wave, blended it together and thanks to singer
Shannon Hoon's unique voice, the band had fans from all walks of life. The release of their debut album came after Hoon befriended
Guns 'N Roses singer
Axl Rose, who like Hoon, came to LA from the midwest in hopes of rock and roll dreams and each found a kindred spirit in one another, Hoon would even sing backing vocals on GNR's
Use Your Illusion I&II. Rose's influence on Hoon would impact him in many ways, including his songwriting and song structure, and from that, Blind Melon's debut was such a breath of fresh air for music lovers. Thanks to their single, "No Rain," the album peaked at number three on the Billboard chart, but Blind Melon's debut was so much more than that one song. The album packed such a uniqueness that many thought the band would go on to have a fruitful career, however, they were sidelined after Hoon died of a drug overdose in 1995. While they reached as much success as they could, they would be remembered mostly for "No Rain," and its video of the "Bee Girl" who even appeared on the albums cover. Yet, 21 years later, Blind Melon's debut is something that could be released by an indie band today and would find massive praise.
