Middle of Nowhere (album)

1997 studio album by Hanson

Middle of Nowhere

Studio album by

Hanson

Released| May 6, 1997 (1997-05-06)
Recorded| July – November 1996
Studio| Los Angeles, California
Genre|

* Pop rock[1][2]
* teen pop

Length| 53:41
Label| Mercury, PolyGram
Producer| The Dust Brothers, Stephen Lironi
Hanson chronology
| MMMBop
(1996)  | Middle of Nowhere
(1997)  | Snowed In
(1997)

|
|

Singles from  Middle of Nowhere

1. "MMMBop"
Released: April 15, 1997
2. "Where's the Love"
Released: September 1, 1997
3. "I Will Come to You"
Released: November 10, 1997
4. "Weird"
Released: March 16, 1998
5. "Thinking of You"
Released: May 4, 1998

Middle of Nowhere is the debut studio album by American pop rock group Hanson, and the first to be released on a major label, which was PolyGram Records and Mercury Records. Released in 1997, it features slicker studio production compared to their previous indie efforts Boomerang and MMMBop. The band members were between the ages of 11 and 16 when it was released. "Yearbook", one of the album's more dramatic songs, was not performed live until the recording of Middle of Nowhere Acoustic on May 5, 2007.

Middle of Nowhere yielded five singles: "MMMBop", "Where's the Love", "I Will Come to You", "Weird", and "Thinking of You". "MMMBop" became a major hit, reaching number one in the United States and at least eleven other countries. The album earned Hanson three Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year.

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [3]
Christgau's Consumer Guide| [4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [5]
Entertainment Weekly| A−[6]
Los Angeles Times| [7]
Music Week| [8]
NME| 8/10[9]
Rolling Stone| [10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [11]
Smash Hits| [12]
Spin| 8/10[13]

Middle of Nowhere reached number two on the Billboard 200, being kept out of the top spot by the Spice Girls' Spice. The album also reached number one in the UK, Australia, Germany, and Taiwan.

Total sales worldwide are 10 million copies. The album sold just under 4 million in the US (4 times platinum) and over 400,000 copies in UK.

The album was well received by critics. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said of the trio: "... lack of guile is Hanson's most endearing quality."[6]

## Track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson and Zachary Hanson, with additional writers noted in parentheses.

1. "Thinking of You" – 3:13
2. "MMMBop" – 4:28
3. "Weird" – 4:02 (Desmond Child)
4. "Speechless" – 4:20 (Stephen Lironi)
5. "Where's the Love" – 4:13 (Mark Hudson, Sander Selover)
6. "Yearbook" – 5:29 (Ellen Shipley)
7. "Look at You" – 4:28 (Stephen Lironi)
8. "Lucy" – 3:35 (Mark Hudson)
9. "I Will Come to You" – 4:11 (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
10. "A Minute Without You" – 3:55 (Mark Hudson)
11. "Madeline" – 4:13 (Clif Magness)
12. "With You in Your Dreams" – 3:56
13. "Man from Milwaukee" [CD-only hidden track] – 3:38

Note

* "Man from Milwaukee" is actually track #21, as there are eight tracks of silence after "With You in Your Dreams". In Japan the song is track 14 because a remix of "MMMBop" serves as song 13. "Man from Milwaukee" was omitted from all cassettes and vinyl pressings of Middle of Nowhere. Some later reissues of the album in some locales including the remastered version and the digital download pressings omitted the tracks of silence and make "Man from Milwaukee" a true track 13.

## Personnel

[edit]

Hanson

* Zachary Hanson – drums, vocals
* Taylor Hanson – keyboards, piano, vocals
* Isaac Hanson – guitar, vocals

Session musicians

* Stephen Lironi – bass, guitar, percussion, programming, producer, keyboards
* Peter Kent – violin
* Michael Fischer – percussion
* Carole Mukogawa – viola
* John Wittenberg – violin
* Mike Shawcross – percussion
* Michito Sanchez – percussion
* Larry Corbett – cello
* Steve Richards – cello
* Ged Lynch – drums, percussion
* Nick Vincent – drums
* Endre Granat – violin
* Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
* David Campbell – conductor, string arrangements
* Abraham Laboriel – bass
* Neil Stubenhaus – bass
* B.J. Cole – pedal steel
* Sandy Stein – keyboards
* Mark Hudson[14] – harmonica
* Murray Adler – violin

Other

* Roger Love – vocal director
* Margery Greenspan – art direction
* Steve Greenberg – executive producer
* Barry Mann – vocal director
* Marina Chavez – photography
* Ted Jensen – mastering
* The Dust Brothers – programming, producer
* Mark Hudson – vocal director

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1997)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] | 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16] | 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[18] | 15
Canadian Albums (RPM)[19] | 4
Danish Albums (Tracklisten)[20] | 5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] | 5
Estonian Albums (Eesti Top 10)[22] | 8
European Albums Chart[23] | 3
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[24] | 4
French Albums (SNEP)[25] | 15
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[26] | 1
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[27] | 29
Irish Albums (IRMA)[28] | 6
Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[29] | 25
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[30] | 10
Malaysian Albums (IFPI)[23] | 4
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[31] | 4
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[32] | 7
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[33] | 8
Scottish Albums (OCC)[34] | 6
Singapore Albums (SPVA)[35] | 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[33] | 10
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[36] | 4
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] | 2
Taiwanese Albums (IFPI)[38] | 1
UK Albums (OCC)[39] | 1
US Billboard 200[40] | 2
Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[41] | 4

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1997)  | Position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[42] | 3
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[43] | 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[44] | 13
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[45] | 43
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[46] | 78
European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)[47] | 28
French Albums (SNEP)[48] | 36
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[49] | 37
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[50] | 16
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[51] | 16
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] | 14
UK Albums (OCC)[53] | 61
US Billboard 200[54] | 13
Chart (1998)  | Position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[55] | 81
Canadian Albums (RPM)[56] | 96
US Billboard 200[57] | 41

### Decade-end charts

[edit]

Chart (1990–1999)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[58] | 89

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[59] | 5× Platinum  | 350,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[60] | Gold  | 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[61] | Platinum  | 50,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[62] | Platinum  | 250,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[63] | 5× Platinum  | 500,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[64] | Gold  | 31,809[64]
France (SNEP)[65] | 2× Gold  | 200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[66] | Gold  | 250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[67] | Gold  | 10,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[68] | Platinum  | 200,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[69] | Gold  | 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[70] | Gold  | 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[71] | 3× Platinum  | 45,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[72] | Gold  | 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[73] | Gold  | 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[74] | Platinum  | 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[75] | Platinum  | 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[76] | Gold  | 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[77] | 4× Platinum  | 4,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[78] | Platinum  | 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Larkin, Colin (1999). All-Time Top 1000 Albums. Virgin Books. p. 113\. ISBN 0-7535-0354-9. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021.
2. ^ Bagge, Peter (2001). "Raiding Hannah's Stash: An Appreciation of late '90s Bubblegum Music". In Cooper, Kim; Smay, David (eds.). Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth. Los Angeles: Feral House. pp. 259–269.259-269&rft.pub=Feral+House&rft.date=2001&rft.aulast=Bagge&rft.aufirst=Peter&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Middle+of+Nowhere+(album)" class="Z3988">
3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Middle of Nowhere – Hanson". AllMusic. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
4. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Hanson". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
5. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). "Hanson". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
6. ^ a b Browne, David (May 9, 1997). "Middle of Nowhere". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
7. ^ Scribner, Sara (May 25, 1997). "Hanson, 'Middle of Nowhere,' Mercury". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
8. ^ "Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. May 31, 1997. p. 23. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
9. ^ Fortnam, Ian (June 14, 1997). "Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
10. ^ Fricke, David (December 25, 1997 – January 8, 1998). "Hanson: Middle Of Nowhere". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 16, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
11. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Hanson". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 362. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
12. ^ Knowles, Ben (June 4, 1997). "Albums". Smash Hits. p. 57. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
13. ^ Vowell, Sarah (July 1997). "Hanson: Middle of Nowhere / Ben Lee: Something to Remember Me By". Spin. Vol. 13, no. 4\. pp. 113–114. Retrieved February 21, 2022.113-114&rft.date=1997-07&rft.aulast=Vowell&rft.aufirst=Sarah&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=JLoecqYeotYC&pg;=PA113&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Middle+of+Nowhere+(album)" class="Z3988">
14. ^ "Middle of Nowhere - Hanson | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
15. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
16. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
17. ^ "Ultratop.be – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
19. ^ Billboard - Google Books. 1997-05-31. Retrieved 2014-01-23 - via Google Books.
20. ^ Billboard - Google Books. 1997-07-05. Retrieved 2014-01-23 - via Google Books.
21. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
22. ^ "Kassetid ja CD-d: EESTI TOP 10". Sõnumileht (in Estonian). August 16, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
23. ^ a b Billboard - Google Books. 1997-07-19. Retrieved 2014-01-23 - via Google Books.
24. ^ "Hanson: Middle Of Nowhere" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
25. ^ "Lescharts.com – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
26. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
27. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1997. 35. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
28. ^ Billboard - Google Books. 1997-06-28. Retrieved 2014-01-23 - via Google Books.
29. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 28 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Hanson".
30. ^ "キラメキ☆MMMBOP" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
31. ^ "Charts.nz – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
32. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
33. ^ a b Billboard - Google Books. 1997-08-30. Retrieved 2014-01-23 - via Google Books.
34. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 - Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.
35. ^ "Top 10 Albums of the Week". The Straits Times. July 19, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved December 21, 2024 - via National Library Board of Singapore and SPH Media.
36. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
37. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
38. ^ "IFPI Taiwan - International Top 10 (1997/26)". 18 February 1999. Archived from the original on 18 February 1999.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
39. ^ "Hanson | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
40. ^ "Hanson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
41. ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
42. ^ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1997". ARIA. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
43. ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1997". Austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved December 19, 2020.
44. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1997". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved December 19, 2020.
45. ^ "Rapports Annuels 1997". Ultratop (in French). Retrieved December 19, 2020.
46. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1997". DutchCharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved December 17, 2020.
47. ^ "Eurochart Top 100 Albums 1997" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
48. ^ "Tops De L'annee: Top Albums 1997". SNEP (in French). Retrieved January 1, 2021.
49. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
50. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1997". The Official NZ Music Charts. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
51. ^ "Year list Album (incl. Collections), 1997". Sverigetopplistan (in Swedish). Retrieved December 19, 2020.
52. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1997: Alben". Hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved January 21, 2021.
53. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1997". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
54. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
55. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1998". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved December 19, 2020.
56. ^ "RPM's Top 100 CDs of '98". RPM. December 14, 1998. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
57. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
58. ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
59. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
60. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
61. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
62. ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
63. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
64. ^ a b "Hanson" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
65. ^ "French album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
66. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Hanson; 'Middle of Nowhere')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
67. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1997". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
68. ^ "Japanese album certifications – Hanson – キラメキ☆MMM BOP" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1997年08月 on the drop-down menu
69. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Type Hanson in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Middle of Nowhere in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
70. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Middle of Nowhere  in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1997 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
71. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
72. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1997 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
73. ^ "Spanish album certifications – Hanson – The Middle of Nowhere". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
74. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
75. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Middle of Nowhere')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
76. ^ "British album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
77. ^ "American album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
78. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1997". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012.

* v
* t
* e

Hanson

* Isaac Hanson
* Taylor Hanson
* Zac Hanson

Studio albums|

* Boomerang
* MMMBop
* Middle of Nowhere
* Snowed In
* This Time Around
* Underneath
* The Walk
* Shout It Out
* Anthem
* Finally It's Christmas
* String Theory

Singles|

* "MMMBop"
* "Where's the Love"
* "I Will Come to You"
* "Weird"
* "Thinking of You"
* "If Only"
* "This Time Around"
* "Penny & Me"
* "Lost Without Each Other"
* "Great Divide"
* "Go"
* "Thinking 'bout Somethin'"
* "Give a Little"
* "Get the Girl Back"
* "I Was Born"

Compilations|

* 3 Car Garage
* MMMBop: The Collection
* Middle of Everywhere: The Greatest Hits

Live albums|

* Live from Albertane
* The Best of Hanson: Live & Electric
* Middle of Nowhere Acoustic

EPs|

* Underneath Acoustic
* Stand Up, Stand Up

Videos and DVDs|

* The Road to Albertane
* At the Fillmore
* Strong Enough to Break

Concert tours|

* Albertane Tour (1998)
* This Time Around Tour (2000)
* Anthem World Tour (2013–2014)
* Middle of Everywhere: 25th Anniversary Tour (2017)

Related articles|

* Discography
* Tinted Windows
* 3CG Records
* "Someone (Laissons nous une chance)"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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