Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:About Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox musical artist The Rembrandts are an American alternative rock duo, formed by Danny Wilde and Phil Solem in 1989.<ref name="Larkin90">Template:Cite book</ref> They had previously worked together as members of Great Buildings in 1981. The Rembrandts are best known for the song "I'll Be There for You", which was used as the main theme song for the NBC sitcom Friends.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

HistoryEdit

Wilde was a member of 1970s cult recording act the Quick,<ref name="Larkin90"/> and had released several mildly successful solo albums in the 1980s. Wilde and Solem had been in the power-pop quartet Great Buildings, a band that released one album for CBS in 1981 before dissolving.<ref name="Larkin90"/>

After establishing themselves as the Rembrandts in 1989, Solem and Wilde recorded a self-titled album largely in Wilde's home studio. From this album, the group had their first success during 1990 with "Just the Way It Is, Baby", which scored at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="Larkin90"/> The self-titled album scored number 88 on the Billboard 200.<ref name="Larkin90"/>

The next album, Untitled, of 1992,<ref name="Larkin90"/> featured the minor successes "Johnny, Have You Seen Her?" and "Chase the Clouds Away". Another track from the album, "Rollin' Down the Hill", was used in the film Dumb and Dumber.

"I'll Be There for You", the theme for the sitcom Friends, reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart for several weeks before being released as a single and peaking at No. 17 on the U.S. Billboard chart.<ref name="Larkin90"/> The single has been released in other countries, including the UK, where it reached No. 3 in 1995 and No. 5 in 1997.<ref name="Larkin90"/> The success of Friends has caused a greater awareness of the band, and led to greater sales of their recorded albums. The song was also featured on the Friends Soundtrack album. An earlier, previously unreleased version of "I'll Be There for You" with a different lyric was included on their Unreleased Stuff album.

In 1997, the duo split, with Solem returning to Minneapolis to concentrate on his band Thrush.<ref name="Larkin90"/> In 1998, Wilde released the album Spin This, credited to "Danny Wilde + The Rembrandts".<ref name="Larkin90"/> In 2000, Solem and Wilde reunited, and released the album Lost Together as the Rembrandts the following year.

In 2005, the band released two versions of an album of re-recorded favorites, Choice Picks: one released through Awarestore.com which features the new track "Chasin' Down a Rainbow", the other on the Fuel 2000 label with the new track "Don't Give Me Up".

In 2006, Rhino Records released the collection Greatest Hits, a 20-song career-to-date retrospective including material from the lone Great Buildings album Apart from the Crowd.

In 2016 the pair reunited and announced they would release a new album. Via Satellite was released in 2019.

Mainstream successEdit

Despite achieving success with "I'll Be There For You", the duo has been dismissive of the song. Phil Solem in 1995, said "We don't want to hang our hats on the theme from a TV show...[w]e've been working too long at our craft for that."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, the duo tried to apologize for the song on MTV News' "The Year in Rock."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

LegacyEdit

In 2014, Rolling Stone ranked them the 20th-best two-hit wonder of all time.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Insider placed them on their list of the "Best One-Hit Wonders of All Time".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

MembersEdit

DiscographyEdit

Studio albumsEdit

Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications
US
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AUS
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The Rembrandts
  • Released: September 4, 1990
  • Label: Atco
88 93 23 43
Untitled
  • Released: September 15, 1992
  • Label: Atco
158
LP 23 133 25 14
  • RIAA: Platinum<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Spin This
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  • Released: April 28, 1998
  • Label: EastWest America
Lost Together
  • Released: October 2, 2001
  • Label: J-Bird
Via Satellite
  • Released: 2019
  • Label: Blue Élan

Compilation albumsEdit

List of albums, with selected details
Title Details
Choice Picks
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: True North, Fuel 2000
Greatest Hits
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Rhino Records

SinglesEdit

Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
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Main.
Pop

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AUS
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UK
<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref>
"Just the Way It Is, Baby" 1990 14 13 26 12 9 6 53 23 77 The Rembrandts
"Someone" 1991 78 104 82 45 57
"Burning Timber" 36
"Save Me" 64
"Johnny Have You Seen Her" 1992 54 24 38 172 48 54 Untitled
"Maybe Tomorrow" 1993
"Chase the Clouds Away"
"Waiting to Be Opened"
"I'll Be There for You" 1995 17 1 3 1 77 3 LP
"This House Is Not a Home" 31 150 82 58
"Don't Hide Your Love"
"Drowning in Your Tears" 1996
"I'll Be There for You" [European re-release] 1997 25 20 34 5
"Too Late" 2001 Lost Together

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:The Rembrandts Template:Authority control