Editing Cracked Rear View (section)

===Commercial reception===
''Cracked Rear View'' is Hootie & the Blowfish's most successful album. While initial sales were modest and it debuted at 127 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1994-07-23 |first=Geoff |last=Mayfield |title=Between the Bullets |page=135 |volume=106 |issue=30}}</ref> it topped that chart five times in 1995<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1995-12-23 |title=The Chart Toppers |department=Artists & Music |page=20 |volume=107 |issue=52}}</ref> and was the best-selling album of 1995 in the United States, selling 7&nbsp;million copies,<ref>{{Cite news |title=HOOTIE'S WHO IN 1995 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1996/01/17/hooties-who-in-1995/c63d26f1-f588-4c78-b658-5bc391c762fa/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> besting the second-place ''[[Crazysexycool]]'' by 2.2&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1996-01-20 |title=Best-Selling Records of 1995 |department=Merchants & Marketing |page=56 |volume=108 |issue=3}}</ref> This won the 1995 ''Billboard'' Music Award for Top ''Billboard''&nbsp;200 Album.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/12/06/Billboard-Music-Award-winners/2972818226000/ |date=1995-12-06 |accessdate=2024-06-29 |title=Billboard Music Award winners |language=en-US |publisher=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> Sales were strong enough that Hootie & the Blowfish were the best-selling group of 1996 in [[adult contemporary]] and [[pop music]] as well, between this album and follow-up ''[[Fairweather Johnson]]''<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=The Year in Charts |department=The Year in Music |pages=YE-8, YE-10 |date=1996-12-28 |first=Fred |last=Bronson |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=108 |issue=52}}</ref> and in April of that year, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reported that ''Cracked Rear View'' had generated over US$100&nbsp;million in gross [[revenue]]s for Atlantic Records ({{Inflation|US|100000000|1996|fmt=eq}}).<ref name="time" /> Both of the band's first two efforts were in the top 20 albums of 1996; ''Cracked Rear View'' was 20th, selling 1.9&nbsp;million copies.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Morrissette Tops Best-Selling Sets of '96 with 'Pill' |page=61 |date=1997-01-18 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=109 |issue=3}}</ref> In 1995 to 1996, ''Cracked Rear View'' sold more than 100,000 copies per week for 40&nbsp;weeks.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Seven Debuts Arrive in Billboard 200's Top&nbsp;10 |department=Charts |pages=41 |date=2012-01-07 |first=Keith |last=Caulfield |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=124 |issue=1}}</ref> This was during an industry-wide trend of depressed sales in both the United&nbsp;States<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Wall Street Credibility |department=NARM '96 |pages=68 |date=1996-03-30 |first=Don |last=Jeffrey |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=108 |issue=13}}</ref> and Canada.<ref name="bb19960120">{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1996-01-20 |first=Larry |last=LeBlanc |title=Late Christmas Rush Boosted Flat Canadian '95 Record Sales |department=Canada |page=48 |volume=108 |issue=3}}</ref>

The album moved 10&nbsp;million certified sales by October 1995,<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1995-11-11 |title=October Certs Benchmarks for Hootie, Elon |department=Artists & Music |first=Chris |last=Morris |page=16 |volume=107 |issue=45}}</ref> reaching 12&nbsp;million by February 1996, which made it the fifth-best selling debut album<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1996-02-10 |title='Led Zeppelin IV' No.&nbsp;4 Best Seller |department=Artists & Music |first=Chris |last=Morris |page=11 |volume=108 |issue=6}}</ref> and this increased by another million sales by June, reaching fourth place.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Between the Bullets |pages=136 |date=1996-08-31 |first=Geoff |last=Mayfield |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=108 |issue=35}}</ref> A 1999 assessment that it had sold 16&nbsp;million copies made it the most copies of a debut album sold.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Led Zep, Nirvana Go 'Diamond' in Certs |pages=75 |date=1999-04-10 |first=Chris |last=Morris |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=111 |issue=15}}</ref> It had sold 10.2&nbsp;million copies in the United States per [[Nielsen SoundScan]] by 2012,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |date=2012-07-05 |title=Usher's 'Confessions' Album Hits 10&nbsp;Million in U.S. Sales |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ushers-confessions-album-hits-10-million-in-us-sales-1084806/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> with an additional 3&nbsp;million copies sold through CD clubs, which are not included in SoundScan's total.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-06-10 |title=Four Columbia House insiders explain the shady math behind "8 CDs for a penny" |url=https://www.avclub.com/four-columbia-house-insiders-explain-the-shady-math-beh-1798280580 |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-us}}</ref> It is the joint [[List of best-selling albums in the United States|19th-best-selling album of all time in the United States]],<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100 RIAA Top 100] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701162536/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100 |date=July 1, 2007}}</ref> rising to 10th place if one excludes compilations.<ref name="nyt">{{Cite news |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522 |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=2024-06-29 |date=2019-06-06 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/06/arts/music/hootie-and-the-blowfish-cracked-rear-view.html |department=Music |title=Hootie & the Blowfish, Great American Rock Band (Yes, Really) |first=Jon |last=Caramanica}}</ref> Internationally, ''Cracked Rear View'' reached number one in [[Canada]],<ref name="ca chart">{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2735&type=2&interval=20&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3 |title=RPM&nbsp;— Item Display : Top Albums/CDs&nbsp;— Volume 62, No. 3, August 21, 1995 |date=March 31, 2004 |work=[[Library and Archives Canada]] |format=PHP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202114804/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2735&type=2&interval=20&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3 |archive-date=February 2, 2014}}</ref> where it was also the best-selling album of the year<ref name="CANYE95" /> at over 800,000 units<ref name="bb19960120" /> and also topped charts in [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Hootie+%26+The+Blowfish&titel=Cracked+Rear+View&cat=a |title=''Cracked Rear View'' by Hootie & the Blowfish |work=charts.nz |publisher=Hung Medien |format=ASP |access-date=December 28, 2010}}</ref> In 1999, it was one of the 62 inaugural [[Music recording sales certification|diamond]] certifications by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]], placing at 16 with 15&nbsp;million sales<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Boston, Hootie Lead RIAA's Certifications for January |pages=17 |date=1999-02-15 |first=Chris |last=Morris |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=111 |issue=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=The Diamond Award |page=13 |date=1999-03-27 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=111 |issue=13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=Elton, Boyz, Joel Among Diamond Honorees |page=80 |date=1999-03-27 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |department=Newsmakers |first=Larry |last=Flick |volume=111 |issue=13}}</ref> and was certified 22× [[RIAA certification|platinum]] (double diamond) by 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doerschuk |first=Bob |title=Hootie & the Blowfish set release date for new album 'Imperfect Circle' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/08/hootie-blowfish-new-album-imperfect-circle-release-date-ed-sheeran-sheryl-crow-song-collaborations/1934267001/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=47877|title=Shania, Backstreet, Britney, Eminem And Janet Top All Time Sellers|last=David|first=Barry|location=New York|publisher=Music Industry News Network|work=[[Bertelsmann Music Group]]|date=2003-02-18|access-date=2012-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030703090845/http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=47877 |archive-date=July 3, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/chartbeat/473955/best-selling-albums-since-1991-soundscan-era-adele-joins-elite-club|title=Best Selling Albums Since 1991 (Soundscan Era): Adele Joins Elite Club|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|magazine=Billboard|date=2012-11-29|access-date=2015-05-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/129722-rise-and-fall-of-the-columbia-house-record-clu/?page=4|title=The rise and fall of the Columbia House record club — and how we learned to steal music|newspaper=[[Boston Phoenix]]|date=2011-11-18|access-date=2015-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120190118/http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/129722-rise-and-fall-of-the-columbia-house-record-clu/?page=4|archive-date=2013-01-20|url-status=live}}</ref> Alongside [[Led Zeppelin's fourth album]], it is the best-selling release on Atlantic<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1995-12-16 |first=Chris |last=Morris |title=Hootie, Whitney, TLC Top Nov. Sales Certifications |department=Artists & Music |page=10 |volume=107 |issue=50}}</ref> and is the album with the fourth-most weeks topping the ''Billboard''&nbsp;200 from the label.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |title=The House Ahmet Built |pages=51 |date=2007-02-24 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=119 |issue=8}}</ref>

The massive commercial success of the band led to some backlash, specifically centered on their music being bland or [[middle of the road (music)|middle of the road]] [[soft rock]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1995-11-11 |first=Melinda |last=Newman |title=Hootie Deserves all the Horn-Blowing; Journalists; Sticker Reply: 'Who Cares?' |department=Artists & Music |page=18 |volume=107 |issue=45}}</ref><ref name="time" /> and being out of step with trends like [[gangsta rap]] or [[grunge]],<ref name="nyt" /> as well as the band's comical name.<ref name="grammyint" /> For instance, in late 1995, Chris Norris of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' wrote that the year in rock music was summed up by Hootie & the Blowfish, which he critiqued for being "{{em|aggressively}} normal" and making "willfully centrist rock".<ref>{{Cite magazine |magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |first=Chris |last=Norris |page=131 |date=1995-12-25 |language=en-US |title=Pop Music |department=The Year's Best and Worst |issn=0028-7369}}</ref> Reassessments in the 2010s have been more kind to the band, noting their importance to 1990s rock music<ref name="nyt" /> and as younger fans from the 1990s have grown up with [[nostalgia]] for the group.<ref>{{Cite magazine |issn=0006-2510 |language=en-US |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=2019-10-31 |first=natalie |last=Weiner |title=Hootie & the Blowfish Talk New Album, &#039;Cracked Rearview&#039; & Touring Success |department=Rock |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/hootie-and-the-blowfish-new-album-interview/ |accessdate=2024-06-29}}</ref> In particular, the 25th anniversary of this album led outlets such as ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'' to note that there was an audience for mid-tempo rock music with solid songwriting that did not reflect the wake of [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s huge success with ''[[Nevermind]]'' in 1991 and by artists that had no interest in trying to be cool.<ref name="cos">{{Cite web |last=Graves |first=Wren |date=2019-07-06 |title=Classic Album Review: Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View |url=https://consequence.net/2019/07/classic-album-review-hootie-the-blowfish-cracked-rear-view/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In ''[[The Dallas Observer]]'', Preston Jones noted that the critical backlash had long ago subsided and that the band's "material has aged extraordinarily well, fond remembrances aside" including live performances touring for their 2019 release ''[[Imperfect Circle]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |newspaper=[[The Dallas Observer]] |first=Preston |last=Jones |language=en-US |accessdate=2024-06-29 |date=2019-06-17 |title=Hootie and the Blowfish Take Dallas Audience Back to the Future with Their '90s Best |url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/25-years-later-hootie-and-the-blowfish-have-a-less-cracked-rear-view-11689355 |issn=0732-0299 |oclc=7095491}}</ref>