The Cranberries

In a nifty change-up, Irish band the Cranberries hit it big in the States before their own countrymen took notice. On the strength of the single "Linger", with its lush strings, liquid guitars, and the blazing expression of singer Dolores O'Riordan's lead vocal, the Cranberries shot to the top of the '90s alt-pop scene Stateside, then on both sides of the pond. We've also got O'Riordan's lovely solo ode to her daughter, "Ordinary Day". Feast on more of the Cranberries in Next Steps.

Dreamy, polished pop with a twist was the Cranberries' true talent, but exceptions are what make the rule, and so we bring you the moody ride of "Hollywood" from 1996's To the Faithful Departed. Searching far and wide so you don't have to, we also bring you the best of the Cranberries' Deep Cuts, with previously underexposed numbers like a rough-and-rocking "New New York" as well as knockout O'Riordan collaborations, including "Ave Maria" (with Luciano Pavarotti, among others).

Irish band the Cranberries broke through the old fashioned way, touring and performing to spread the word. When they finally hit it big in the early '90s, they didn't just make a name for themselves; they came to define a certain brand of the era's haunting alternative music, with songs like "Ode to My Family" and "When You're Gone", powered by sweeping washes of chiming guitars, tongue-tripping lyrics, and the vocals of frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan, whose pipes could lilt and whisper one second and swoop and soar the next. Download The Cranberries Essentials and you get the band's best in one shot, from the rarer tracks (a sparkling "Stars") to their trademark nuggets of melodic alt-pop ("Just My Imagination").