No Doubt - The "Tragic Kingdom" Era

[Leafstorm]

5 singles were released from the album - "Spiderwebs", "Excuse Me Mr.", "Just A Girl", "Sunday Morning" & "Don't Speak" (No, they are not listed in the order of release)... Even though I have not heard the whole album, but judging by the releases, the album was certainly not bad at all... I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing these 5 songs over and over again... well, except for "Excuse Me Mr."

The video for "Spiderwebs" really caught me... it was actually that video that got me interested in their music because it has Japanese words/dialogues in it... and the video itself was just interesting!

So what was the order of release of their singles from this album? Was it "Just A Girl", followed by "Spiderwebs", "Don't Speak", "Sunday Morning" and "Excuse Me Mr."? I made this guess based on the order of videos shown/I saw.

[Keith3000]

Leafstorm said:

So what was the order of release of their singles from this album? Was it "Just A Girl", followed by "Spiderwebs", "Don't Speak", "Sunday Morning" and "Excuse Me Mr."? I made this guess based on the order of videos shown/I saw.

You're right about the the first four songs you mentioned. "Just A Girl" was the first track released off of Tragic Kingdom followed by "Spiderwebs" and then of course the massive "Don't Speak". I remember seeing the "Sunday Morning" video on MTV around May '97 and hearing it a couple times on the radio. I don't know if "Excuse Me Mr." ever made the chart at all. Based on the way pop music was back in '97, I think it was a bit too rock to make a mark on CHR. It might have hit the modern rock chart though.

If I'm not mistaken, all those songs were album tracks, ie. in spite of heavy airplay (esp "Don't Speak"), they never made the Hot 100 under the Billboard rules at the time.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

'Just A Girl' was their first released. Wasn't it released months before it made the chart? The CD came out in 1995 but 'Just A Girl' in 1996. Meanwhile, 'Spiderwebs' was the song that really got them noticed, I think, peaking at #12. At the time, I thought No Doubt would have been a one-hit-wonder like Voice Of The Beehive (they had a minor hit 'Scary Kisses' in 1996) so I was surprised when 'Spider Webs' charted and never expected it to go Top 20.
'Don't Speak' came out later in 1996 and was a huge hit. 'Excuse Me Mr' came out early 1997, I think. Was it released only to rock formats? I remember the video. I don't think it would have charted on Pop if released there since it was so soon after 'Don't Speak'. 'Sunday Morning' came last.
I also think that there may have been a sixth video, apparantly MuchMusic played. I *think* it was for 'Happy Now' but I'm not sure.

[BFMR]

this is just as good as "Rock Steady" album, but i gotta give major props because "Tragic Kingdom" was the best album of the year (mind you, IMO)

Sunday Morning is what actually got me in them... i've liked them ever since

[crash46]

Yeah, "Spiderwebs" was a darkhorse hit that paved the way for the rest of their career (especially "Don't Speak"). But I'll say that "Just a girl" was the actual song that got them noticed. You watch that video, and then you look at all the girls that try to dress just like Gwen, and then hordes of less talented female pop singers did the same.

So yeah, everyone noticed them then. It just took pop radio a little longer than everyone else. Some things haven't changed.

And the coolest track on this album is the title track.

[Deleted]

This is my favorite ND album. My favorite single is "Sunday Morning".

[Gorminako]

Indeed "Just a Girl" was the song that got them noticed because it was so strange. They were still known as quirky and out in the fringes until "Don't Speak" was released. Everybody liked that song. And even though probably no song has been played on radio more since then, it is not a song that many people complain about hearing too much, showing that it wears pretty well.

[tico]

I like "Just A Girl" best. I don't hate "Don't Speak", but I've heard it way too many times.

[FreakyFlyBry]

I heard "Don't Speak" on the radio yesterday, and I was reminded as to how great it still is. I have the "Tragic Kingdom" CD (I bought it used last year), and I should listen to it again sometime.

[BillboardBoy]

I remember Rick Dees doing a comparison between "Just A Girl" and some song from the 1960s.

Anyway, my favorite from that album:

1) Just A Girl
2) Sunday Morning
3) Don't Speak

[M]

Great album!

I'll rank the singles like this:
1. Don't Speak
2. Sunday Morning
3. Spiderwebs
4. Just A Girl
5. Excuse Me Mr.

[Walking Contradiction]

My ranking

1) Spiderwebs
2) Sunday Morning
3) Don't Speak
4) Just A Girl
5) Excuse Me Mr.

But my favorite song on the album is Sixteen.

[johnnywest]

I thought "Just A Girl" was OK, but I gained more respect for it when I heard it again at the beginning of "Romy & Michele's High School Reunion."

[Agent Yoncé]

This is album is so fun! They are too many great songs on here. 'End It On This' always reminds me of a carnival. Lol. This was No Doubt at their best. I'd probably rank this slightly above "RETURN OF SATURN" as my favorite album from them.

[someguy]

This album will always take me back to the sixth grade, haha. I became a lifelong No Doubt/Gwen Stefani fan off of these songs and singles. "Don't Speak", "Spiderwebs", "Excuse Me Mr.", "Sunday Morning" and "Just A Girl" remain some of the best pop/rock songs of the last few decades. Great, great record.

[The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷]

This the very first album I bough with my own money. I was around 8 I think. This album had such a great run of singles... probably my favorite run by a pop/rock act from the 90s.