Off the Charts: No Doubt

Ska's hardly the limit for resilient rockers

By Newt Briggs

Who knows where No Doubt frontgrrl Gwen Stefani would be if not for an older brother who forced his impressionable, young sister to sing a song called "Stick it in the Hole"? Ostensibly about a pencil sharpener, the song launched a career that would take Stefani and her Technicolor tresses from the pick-up window at Dairy Queen to the podium at the Grammys (three times over). Which is not to say that No Doubt's rise to superfame was by any means meteoric; rather, it jerked and sputtered like a Pinto hauling a trailer full of amps to a crosstown gig. Still, while the journey might have been a little herky-jerky, the band's arrival was only temporarily in doubt.

DOUBT (December 1987): On December 21, No Doubt lead singer John Spence shoots himself at a park in Anaheim, Calif. Devastated, the band calls it quits, but it reforms several days later with background singer Gwen Stefani--who was forced into the band by her keyboard-playing brother, Eric--as the lead vocalist. Stefani cites Madness and Julie Andrews as her influences. A collective groan rises from the Orange County's ska-punk community.

MUCH DOUBT (December 1991): Signed to Interscope Records, No Doubt records its self-titled major label debut for the bargain basement price of $13,000. Released in March of the following year, it sells less than 30,000--a poor showing even by independent label standards. The members of No Doubt state that their only goal is to be played on KROQ, L.A.'s alt-rock radio station. An unnamed KROQ producer says, "It would take an act of God for this band to get on the radio."

SOME DOUBT (October 1995): No doubt releases its sophomore LP Tragic Kingdom to only slightly increased fanfare. Stefani, who has recently been dumped by No Doubt guitarist Tony Kamal, sings of heartache on the post-grunge ballad "Don't Speak." Once again, KROQ does not play any of the band's singles.

LITTLE DOUBT (August 1996): On the strength of "Just a Girl" and "Spiderwebs" (which will later be used as the lackluster answering machine message for simple-minded English speakers the world over), Tragic Kingdom is certified double platinum. KROQ finally acquiesces and puts No Doubt songs into the rotation. Two months later, Stefani and her belly button will be featured prominently on the cover of Spin. Her fellow band members will grumble upon discovering that they have been relegated to the issue's table of contents.

NO DOUBT (March 1999): The Recording Industry Association of America creates a new sales accolade, the Diamond Award, which recognizes albums that sell more than 10 million copies in the U.S. At the time, 46 artists were responsible for the 62 best-selling albums in history--one of which was No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom. The band will go on to record two more multi-platinum studio albums, and on Sept. 14, 2002, Stefani will marry Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, thereby solidifying a rock `n' roll partnership worthy of Ike and Tina Turner. Despite prodding from friends and family, the British Rossdale will not speak the phrase, "You know Gavin loves you, baby."