The 30 Best Cranberries Songs, from Dreams to Zombie

What is the Cranberries' most famous song?

"Zombie" is the Cranberries' most famous song, a 1994 protest song that topped Billboard's Modern Rock chart and later became the first song by an Irish band to pass one billion views on YouTube. "Linger", their biggest US hit at number eight on the Hot 100, and "Dreams" are just as loved.

The Cranberries' biggest songs

1. "Zombie", 1994: a furious protest song written after a bombing in England killed two children.
2. "Linger", 1993: a dreamy, string-laden song about heartbreak, a top ten hit in the US.
3. "Dreams", 1992: their shimmering debut single, later heard in many films and TV shows.
4. "Ode to My Family", 1994: a tender song about Dolores' childhood and family.
5. "Salvation", 1996: a fast, punky anti-drug song and a number one Modern Rock hit.
6. "Free to Decide", 1996: a defiant song about the pressures of fame.
7. "When You're Gone", 1996: a heartfelt, old-fashioned love ballad.
8. "Promises", 1999: a heavy, dramatic single from Bury the Hatchet.
9. "Animal Instinct", 1999: a song about the fierce love of a new mother.
10. "Ridiculous Thoughts", 1995: a soaring single from No Need to Argue.

Songs from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993)

Their debut, produced by Stephen Street, was a slow-burning success that took off in the US after MTV began playing "Linger".

11. "Sunday", 1993: a gentle early track on the album.
12. "Pretty", 1993: a short, sweet song later used in the film Prêt-à-Porter.
13. "Waltzing Back", 1993: a song with one of Dolores' most dramatic vocals.
14. "Still Can't...", 1993: a melancholy album track.
15. "Put Me Down", 1993: the quiet closing song.

Songs from No Need to Argue (1994)

16. "I Can't Be with You", 1995: a heartbroken single.
17. "Twenty One", 1994: a reflective song about growing up.
18. "Empty", 1994: a haunting, slow song.
19. "Daffodil Lament", 1994: a six-minute epic that builds and builds.
20. "Dreaming My Dreams", 1994: a soft, beautiful love song.
21. "No Need to Argue", 1994: the short, hymn-like title track.

Songs from To the Faithful Departed (1996) and Bury the Hatchet (1999)

22. "Hollywood", 1996: a single from To the Faithful Departed.
23. "I Just Shot John Lennon", 1996: a song about the night Lennon was killed.
24. "Just My Imagination", 1999: an upbeat, happy single.
25. "You and Me", 1999: a love song from Bury the Hatchet.

Later Cranberries songs

26. "Analyse", 2001: the lead single from Wake Up and Smell the Coffee.
27. "Stars", 2002: a new song for their greatest hits album.
28. "Tomorrow", 2011: the comeback single from Roses.
29. "All Over Now", 2019: the first single from their final album.
30. "Wake Me When It's Over", 2019: a single from In the End.

Who were the Cranberries?

The Cranberries formed in Limerick, Ireland, in 1989, with brothers Noel Hogan on guitar and Mike Hogan on bass and Fergal Lawler on drums. Dolores O'Riordan joined in 1990 after answering their ad for a singer, and she and Noel Hogan became the band's songwriting team. Their mix of jangly guitar, Irish melody and Dolores' extraordinary voice made them international stars, and they sold tens of millions of records worldwide.

Dolores O'Riordan's voice

Dolores O'Riordan grew up in Ballybricken, County Limerick, and sang in church from childhood. Her voice could move from a whisper to a wail in a single line, and her trademark yodel-like vocal breaks, rooted in Irish singing, made every Cranberries song instantly recognizable. Many fans and critics rank her among the most distinctive rock singers of the 90s, and her influence can be heard in a generation of singers who followed.

The story behind Zombie

Dolores O'Riordan wrote "Zombie" after the 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington, England, which killed two young boys, Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry. The band were on tour in England at the time, and the song's heavy guitars and angry chorus were a sharp turn from their gentle earlier songs. It became their biggest hit around the world, and in 2020 its music video passed one billion views on YouTube.

The story behind Linger

"Linger" was one of the first songs Dolores wrote with Noel Hogan after joining the band, about a boy who let her down after their first kiss at a disco. The single first came out in 1993, took off after MTV picked up the video and climbed to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, their biggest US hit. Its swooning strings and gentle melody have made it a favorite for slow dances and cover versions ever since.

Dolores O'Riordan and In the End

Dolores O'Riordan died in London on January 15, 2018, at the age of 46, while the band was working on new music. Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler finished the album using her demo vocals, and In the End came out in 2019 as the band's last album, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. The band then retired the Cranberries name.

Cranberries albums in order

• Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993): the dreamy debut with "Dreams" and "Linger".
• No Need to Argue (1994): their biggest album, with "Zombie" and "Ode to My Family".
• To the Faithful Departed (1996): heavier and angrier, with "Salvation".
• Bury the Hatchet (1999): with "Promises" and "Animal Instinct".
• Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2001): with "Analyse".
• Roses (2012): the reunion album.
• Something Else (2017): orchestral, acoustic versions of their hits.
• In the End (2019): the farewell album.

Cranberries songs for a road trip or St. Patrick's Day

For a long drive, start with "Dreams" and "Linger", turn it up for "Zombie" and "Salvation", and cruise home with "Ridiculous Thoughts" and "Just My Imagination". For a St. Patrick's Day party, add "Ode to My Family" and "Free to Decide" to your Irish playlist. For more, see our road trip songs.

Cranberries songs for a wedding

"Dreams" is a joyful choice for an entrance or a first dance, especially for a couple who fell in love in the 90s, "Linger" is a classic slow dance that gets every generation swaying, and "When You're Gone" and "Dreaming My Dreams" are lovely for a ceremony. For more, see our 90s wedding songs.

Cranberries songs for a memorial or a hard day

For a memorial, "Ode to My Family", "Empty" and "When You're Gone" are gentle, moving choices, and "Dreams" can celebrate a life full of hope, joy and big plans that the people left behind can carry on. For more, see our Irish funeral songs and sad songs.

More 90s rock

If you love the Cranberries, explore our No Doubt songs and Smashing Pumpkins songs.

A song as personal as Ode to My Family

The Cranberries' best songs are about family, home and first love. A personalized song can do the same for someone you love: their name, your shared memories and the moments that made them who they are. It makes a moving birthday, anniversary or Mother's Day gift.

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