"I Go Blind" had hit the US Airplay chart, but not the main Pop Singles chart. I liked that one, as well as...

...all of which were tracks from their debut album Cracked Rear View.


Too bad their second album, Fairweather Johnson, wasn't quite as successful. However, I did enjoy "Old Man And Me/When I Get To Heaven" when it was a hit in the summer of '96.
I looked it up on wikipedia and "I Go Blind" hit #3 on the US Adult Contemprary Chart and #22 on the US AC Chart.

I just listened to "Cracked Rear View" album and started wondering why they are so forgotten. I mean their first album went 16× multi-platinum (that sooo much) and its a damn good rock album btw.Are they so painfully 90's that they can't be listenable by newer fans? They are just like "Huey Lewis and the News" from the 80s which are also forgotten.
I think they got too popular too fast thats why had a short musical run like they did. I think they got popular fast because some music fans at the time didn't care for music that was grunge or gangsta rap and Hootie's arrival in the music scene filled that void. Its just a theory. The 90's even up to 1997 had a rep of grunge music being too popular.

Huey Lewis and The News had more longevity than Hootie did. I think Huey Lewis and the News songs were still on the charts in the early 90's although they were on the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100(like #40 at the time.)

I remember Hootie came out with an album in 1998 and Music Choice a sattelite TV radio station had a channel dedicated to their new album for a short time. Of course the album flopped. I mean they just didn't fit in a world of rap, R&B, and teen-pop at the time. Mid 1994-to maybe mid 1996 was their era. Its kinda the time grunge was on the downswing after Kurt Cobain died and late 90's teen-pop wasn't around yet.

I looked it up on wikipedia and "I Go Blind" hit #3 on the US Adult Contemprary Chart and #22 on the US AC Chart.

It hit two positions on the same chart? Wait, I'm confused...

I am looking it up on Wiki now and it says #3 was on the Adult Top 40 chart. But you are right about #22 on the other chart. I also remember that it reached Casey Kasem's American Top 20 countdown and reached the top ten on there.

I am kind of surprised that Hootie and the Blowfish covered 'I Go Blind'.  The original 1986 version was by a Canadian group called 54-40, who, as far as I know, had zero success in the States.

I am kind of surprised that Hootie and the Blowfish covered 'I Go Blind'.  The original 1986 version was by a Canadian group called 54-40, who, as far as I know, had zero success in the States.

I never even knew that it was a cover. And you're probably right about 54-40; I'd never even heard of 'em.

I am kind of surprised that Hootie and the Blowfish covered 'I Go Blind'.  The original 1986 version was by a Canadian group called 54-40, who, as far as I know, had zero success in the States.

Hootie and the Blowfish were actually huge fans of 54-40. They used to do covers of "I Go Blind" and "Baby Ran" quite often when they were starting out.

I actually liked Hootie's songs back around 1995 and 1996 when they were really big, though it's pretty embarrassing to admit now, though. What were we all thinking?  ;D

wow Hootie and Blowfish, huh?  I don't even remember them.  What was their favorite song?