Middle of Nowhere (album)

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

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

Professional ratings

Review 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

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

Lead Vocals by Taylor Hanson, unless otherwise noted

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) (Lead vocals: Zac Hanson)
9. "I Will Come to You" – 4:11 (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
10. "A Minute Without You" – 3:55 (Mark Hudson) (Lead vocals: Issac & Taylor Hanson)
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

Hanson

• Zachary Hanson – drums, vocals (Lead vocals on Lucy & Man from Milwaukee)
• Taylor Hanson – keyboards, piano, lead vocals
• Isaac Hanson – guitar, vocals (Lead vocals on A Minute Without You)

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

Weekly charts 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 Czech Albums (IFPI CR)[20] 6 Danish Albums (Tracklisten)[21] 5 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[22] 5 Estonian Albums (Eesti Top 10)[23] 8 European Albums Chart[24] 3 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[25] 4 French Albums (SNEP)[26] 15 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] 1 Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)[28] 7 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[29] 29 Irish Albums (IRMA)[30] 6 Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[31] 25 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[32] 10 Malaysian Albums (IFPI)[24] 4 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[33] 4 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[34] 7 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[35] 8 Scottish Albums (OCC)[36] 6 Singapore Albums (SPVA)[37] 1 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[35] 10 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[38] 4 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] 2 Taiwanese Albums (IFPI)[40] 1 UK Albums (OCC)[41] 1 US Billboard 200[42] 2 Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[43] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[44] 3 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[45] 22 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[46] 13 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[47] 43 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[48] 78 European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)[49] 28 French Albums (SNEP)[50] 36 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[51] 37 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[52] 16 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[53] 16 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[54] 14 UK Albums (OCC)[55] 61 US Billboard 200[56] 13 Chart (1998) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[57] 81 Canadian Albums (RPM)[58] 96 US Billboard 200[59] 41 Decade-end charts Chart (1990–1999) Position US Billboard 200[60] 89

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[61]	5× Platinum	350,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[62]	Gold	25,000*
Belgium (BRMA)[63]	Platinum	50,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[64]	Platinum	250,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[65]	5× Platinum	500,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[66]	Gold	31,809[66]
France (SNEP)[67]	2× Gold	200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[68]	Gold	250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[69]	Gold	10,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[70]	Platinum	200,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[71]	Gold	100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[72]	Gold	50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[73]	3× Platinum	45,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[74]	Gold	50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[75]	Gold	50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[76]	Platinum	100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[77]	Platinum	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[78]	Gold	100,000^
United States (RIAA)[79]	4× Platinum	4,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[80]	Platinum	1,000,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.