The Cranberries in all their glory: best of 1992-2002

Written by Livie Augustine

When I was a kid, my dad would play The Cranberries for my brother and I in the car. We would drive to his apartment in downtown Chicago every other weekend, soundtracked by classic tracks like “Linger” and “Dreams”. From my childhood into my teenage years, I was consistently listening to The Cranberries. 

With the release of their debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, The Cranberries started to blaze a trail for themselves in the Alternative Rock genre. Not only did the band have impressive guitar and percussion skills, they also captivated audiences with Dolores O’Riordan’s enchanting vocals and fantastic lyrics. 

Dolores O’Riordan was truly one in a million. Her tragic death in 2018 left so many people heartbroken. She was and still is an inspiration to many women and has left a great legacy behind her. A little over a year after her death however, The Cranberries released the album In the End, a posthumous showcase of O’Riordan’s bewitching voice. The band’s guitarist, Noel Hogan, said that its release honors the memory of O’Riordan.

Stars: The Best Of The Cranberries 1992-2002 is a beautiful compilation of The Cranberries’ best hits from their first decade as a band. Not only that, but it also includes two songs that are exclusive to this album, “New New York” and “Stars”. “New New York” is a rougher, rockier song. O’Riordan sings of reinventing New York City to a city of unity and hope, as its current state is numbing and empty. The guitar is stony, initially loud and messy with the chorus, where it transitions into a lighter sound during the verses. The song, ends with O’Riordan repeating “They won’t tear us apart!” four times and finishing with the words “No way! New day! New day!” as the guitar takes over to close out the track. 

The other exclusive track, “Stars”, is the namesake of the compilation. This track is a lot different than “New New York” because it is more of a delicate love song. The instruments themselves stay steady and rhythmic throughout the song, holding an emphasis on a more upbeat sound. In addition, the lyrics describe loving someone as they are. O’Riordan gracefully sings “Take you as you are / Have you as you are / Take you as you are” in quite a high pitch. It is soft and airy and contrasts with her usual mezzo voice. She then leads into singing about how “I love you just the way you are / I have you just the way you are / I take you just the way you are”. This track is a beautiful ode to being in love with someone unconditionally.

While “New New York” and “Stars” are the only tracks on the record that we haven’t heard before, the compilation truly can be called the best of The Cranberries from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? to Wake Up And Smell The Coffee. Featuring their biggest hits, “Zombie”, “Linger”, and “Dreams”, this compilation showcases songs that The Cranberries shine the most in. Not only that, but since the featured tracks spread across several albums, it shows how The Cranberries successfully improved their sound over the years while keeping a cohesive style. Stars: The Best Of The Cranberries 1992-2002 is perfectly curated and deservedly frames The Cranberries as icons of the 90s.
Stars: The Best Of The Cranberries 1992-2002 has just been re-released on May 27th with a reissue of the four side vinyl record.