Hootie & The Blowfish Is Back On The Charts With An Unlikely New Hit

Hootie & the Blowfish changed the sound of alternative rock decades ago and ruled the airwaves for a time. The band produced some of the biggest hits of the mid-’90s, and its album Cracked Rear View — which has already moved more than 20 million units in the United States alone — was not only inescapable, it remains one of the bestselling releases of all time in the country.

While the group is usually associated with one popular subgenre of rock, it’s on the country charts where the outfit returns this week.

Scotty McCreery & Hootie & the Blowfish

Scotty McCreery recruited Hootie & the Blowfish for his new single, which debuts on one Billboard tally this week. “Bottle Rockets” opens at No. 30 on the Country Airplay chart. It instantly becomes a top 40 win on one of the most competitive radio rankings in America, as the airwaves still make or break tracks in that genre.

Hootie & the Blowfish Hits the Country Chart

Despite the fact that the band is almost always connected with rock and rock alone, Hootie & the Blowfish has reached the Country Airplay chart before. The outfit sent its own cut “Hold On” to No. 30 back in 2019. Coincidentally, the group has only landed a pair of wins on the country list, and both have peaked in the same position — at least so far.

Hootie & the Blowfish’s Second Country Smash

“Bottle Rockets” doesn’t just feature Hootie & the Blowfish — it samples one of the band’s biggest singles. The tune interpolates “Hold My Hand,” which the rockers turned into a proper smash back in 1994. That cut, the group’s debut release, helped break the musicians and make them a household name, and now they’ve earned another placement on a ranking few could have predicted it would ever reach.

Darius Rucker is a Country Favorite

Of course, while Hootie & the Blowfish doesn’t have a long history on the Country Airplay chart, lead singer Darius Rucker is familiar with the ranking. After splitting up the band — at least for a time — he pursued a solo career in that genre. He has thus far earned 23 appearances on the tally, with nearly half of them — nine tunes — entering the top 10. Nine of those have run the show for a time.

Scotty McCreery’s New Album

McCreery, meanwhile, scores his eighteenth hit on the Country Airplay chart. Exactly half of those have broken into the top 10, and he’s nabbed himself five No. 1s. The former American Idol winner is promoting an upcoming album, which seems to be fronted by “Bottle Rockets.”