The Wallflowers

This article is about the American band. For the British band, see the Wallflowers (British band).

The Wallflowers
white male holding guitar while looking downwards
Jakob Dylan in 2012
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
DiscographyThe Wallflowers discography
Years active1989–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Websitewallflowersmusic.com

The Wallflowers is an American rock solo project of American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jakob Dylan.[1] The Wallflowers were originally a roots rock band formed in Los Angeles by Dylan and guitarist Tobi Miller. It has undergone several personnel changes, but has remained centered on Dylan.[2]

The band signed with Virgin Records to release their debut studio album (1992), which, despite critical praise, failed to chart and served as their only release with the label. Following the regional success of their 1996 single "6th Avenue Heartache," the band signed with Interscope Records to release their second album, Bringing Down the Horse (1996), which spawned their signature song, "One Headlight."[3] Their third album, (Breach) (2000), yielded the single "Sleepwalker," which became their only song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 (previous singles, popularity notwithstanding, did not chart due to Billboard rules at the time).[4] The group released two further albums—Red Letter Days (2002) and Rebel, Sweetheart (2005)—before going on hiatus. Their sixth and seventh albums, Glad All Over (2012) and Exit Wounds (2021), followed thereafter and were met with continued praise.[5] Lyrically, the band focuses on Dylan's introspection, exploring themes of nostalgia, heartache, purpose and insecurities.[6]

The Wallflowers have sold over ten million albums internationally.[7] They have won two Grammy Awards—Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song for "One Headlight"—from six nominations. The song was also included on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs.[8] Billboard named "One Headlight" as the Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Song, while "6th Avenue Heartache" ranked at number 37 on the list.[9] 15 of the band's songs have peaked within the top ten of Billboard's Adult Alternative Airplay chart. The Wallflowers' personnel has been shared with other bands including Foo Fighters, Ozomatli, and Gogol Bordello; two former members have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[10][11]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Greiving 2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Search | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". www.rockhall.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  3. ^ "41st Annual GRAMMY Awards | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  4. ^ "The Wallflowers". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  5. ^ "The Wallflowers' 'Exit Wounds' Debuts at No. 3 on Billboard's Top Album Sales Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  6. ^ "He's Cool With The Family – Jakob Dylan Interview by LA Times".
  7. ^ "RIAA Charts". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  8. ^ "Grammy Awards". Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  9. ^ Zakaria, Abu (February 18, 2021). "Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  10. ^ "Search | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". www.rockhall.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  11. ^ "The Wallflowers". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.