Hanson Performs ‘MMMBop’ On ‘Good Morning America’ For 25th Anniversary [Video]
On Friday, May 5, Taylor, Isaac, and Zac Hanson celebrated the 25th anniversary of their band Hanson with a performance of their signature song, “MMMBop,” on Good Morning America (GMA). The Hanson brothers are celebrating their 25th anniversary by going on a worldwide tour dubbed “Middle of Everywhere,” an obvious play on the title of their hit album Middle of Nowhere. They also plan to release a greatest-hits album titled Middle of Everywhere.
The band’s performance of its iconic track “MMMBop” on Good Morning America on Friday was part of GMA’s “Ultimate Mix-Tape” series. Viewers had previously been treated to performances by groups such as the rock band Foreigner and the R&B group En Vogue.
WATCH: @hansonmusic performs 'MMMBop' on @GMA pic.twitter.com/9H1o7ocfDb
— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 5, 2017
The Hanson brothers, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, formed their pop rock band in 1992 and finally made their breakthrough success when they released “MMMBop” in 1997. It was the smash hit track of their hit debut studio album Middle of Nowhere, which earned them three Grammy nominations. The first version of “MMMBop” had debuted in 1996, but the brothers released a reworked version as the lead single for Middle of Nowhere, which included four other singles, “Where’s the Love,” “I Will Come to You,” “Weird,” and “Thinking of You.”
Last month was the 20th anniversary of the release of Middle of Nowhere.
This is backstage at @GMA in Times Square! @Guardians star Michael Rooker singing 'MMMBOP' with @HansonMusic! pic.twitter.com/xHLcGtbcJn
— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 5, 2017
“MMMBop” rose quickly to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts around the world.
The Hanson brothers have released a total of six albums since their breakthrough success with Middle of Nowhere in 1997. They have also started their own record label and moved successfully from being child stars to raising families of their own. The group deliberately took a break from showbiz to raise families in their native Oklahoma.
“We love New York and LA, but we decided to continue building something in Tulsa,” Taylor, 34, told Today.
“It’s more true to who we are and what we want to build into our kids’ identities. I’m a proud family man,” Isaac said, “We didn’t want our kids raised in a place plagued by smog and plastic surgery.”
“We couldn’t be the band we want to be if we were in [LA or New York] because if nothing else, the cost of living, the studio we want to have, the building our record label is in, etc.,” Zac, 31, added, explaining why they chose to stay in Oklahoma. “The idea that we would live somewhere that was nontraditional and build our business out of somewhere that is nontraditional, it’s sort of our tradition.”
“We’ve made choices to be defined not by who we are, but the things that we make. When people think of ‘MMMBop,’ they don’t go like ‘Oh, that guy was dating Kim Kardashian or I saw him on TMZ.’ They think of the music. It’s not by accident. It’s by design.”
But the brothers emphasized that they raised their kids to be proud of their parents’ accomplishments.
“They generally like what we do,” Zac said.
“When my son was 5, he would tell people, ‘My dad plays rock ‘n’ roll guitar,'” Isaac said. “The other kids would be like ‘carpenter’ or ‘accountant,’ and he would say ‘rock ‘n’ roll guitar.’ So, they think it’s cool.”
After first announcing their Middle of Everywhere world tour on March 12, the Hanson brothers will hit the road later this month. They will also release their greatest-hits album on September 8, according to Hollywood Life.
Their new single, “I was Born,” will be available on May 26, 2017, from digital outlets. The tickets to the Middle of Everywhere 25th Anniversary Tour are already available and selling fast. The band’s official website revealed that tickets have sold out in several cities, including London, Sydney, Dallas, Cleveland, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and New York.
[Featured Image By Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
