Hootie & the Blowfish Land First Billboard Hot 100 Hit in 29 Years

Hootie & the Blowfish have struck gold again after nearly three decades. Their new track "Bottle Rockets" broke into the Billboard Hot 100 at spot 80, marking their first chart showing since 1996.

Their collaboration with Scotty McCreery struck a chord with listeners. Its numbers tell the story: 4.4 million streams across the U.S., and radio stations playing it 9.5 million times by June 26, according to Billboard Country Update.

This marks the seventh time the band has cracked the Hot 100. Their last entry, "Tucker's Town," spent 20 weeks on the chart and peaked at 38 back in July 1996. The new single mixes fresh sounds with hints of their classic "Hold My Hand" from '95.

The single is also climbing on Country charts. It shot to third place on Billboard's Country Digital Song Sales, while making its way to spots 20 and 26 on Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs lists.

For McCreery, this is his 11th Hot 100 appearance. His previous was just last summer when "It Matters to Her" reached 49.

The mid-90s was when Hootie & the Blowfish were at their peak. Their first album, Cracked Rear View, spawned three top 10 hits. "Only Wanna Be with You" topped out at number 6 in October 1995. Since then, they've taken breaks, come back, and then gone away again. In 2019, they dropped "Imperfect Circle," breaking their long silence.

"Bottle Rockets" is their biggest country hit yet. It pushed past their previous best — "Hold On" from 2019, which reached number 30 on Country Airplay.