No Doubt Celebrate 25th Anniversary of Life-Changing Album 'Tragic Kingdom'

By Katrina Nattress

October 13, 2020

When No Doubt released their third album, Tragic Kingdom, on October 10, 1995, they had no idea their lives were about to change forever. Over the weekend, Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Adrian Young and Tom Dumont all shared reflective posts on social media to commemorate their seminal album's 25th anniversary.

"We had no idea that our lives were about to dramatically change as a result," Young wrote on Instagram. "Thank you to those who have shared this crazy and spectacular ride with us! Knowing that this record has touched so many of your lives makes the recognition of this day that much more special!"

Kanal shared a similar sentiment in his lengthy post. "We had no idea what was going to happen when we were writing these songs," he admitted. "Through all of the fun and challenging times, we were just a group of friends on a mission to express ourselves musically. Sometimes It felt like it was us against the world but our love for our band got us through it all."

While appreciative, Dumont's tribute was "bittersweet." "What I remember most is that despite the challenges, it was a very creative and magical time," he wrote. "Gwen, Adrian, Tony and I had real chemistry as bandmates and collaborators, and we discovered our voices as we wrote & recorded those songs together. I appreciate the friendships and camaraderie we shared in those years. We were passionate about our music, and the fact that Tragic Kingdom has touched so many people around the world is beyond what I could have ever imagined." The guitarist wishes the band would reunite for one more tour, but feels like "that ain’t gonna happen."

Stefani shared a lot on Instagram to celebrate the milestone, thanking fans and reflecting on what that era means to her in a series of videos. "This album changed my life & I’m so grateful for the luv u continue to show it after all this time," she simply wrote in her first of many posts.

See all the band members' tributes below.

View this post on Instagram

We had already been a band for 9 years before Tragic Kingdom came out. We had no idea what was going to happen when we were writing these songs. Through all of the fun and challenging times, we were just a group of friends on a mission to express ourselves musically. Sometimes It felt like it was us against the world but our love for our band got us through it all. Every part of this album was real as fuck. The writing, the recording, the touring, the shows, doing press. All filled with joy, rawness, discovery, excitement, heartache, exhaustion, healing, gratification and beauty. No amount of time that passes will diminish the things we accomplished and experienced together. To everyone that embraced Tragic Kingdom and made it a part of their lives, you have my never ending appreciation and gratitude. You guys are incredible. You gave us the fuel to continue creating, keep playing, write more songs and release more albums. Happy 25th Tragic Kingdom to us all ❤️ 📸: I don’t know who took these photos. If you do please let me know so I can credit them.

A post shared by Tony Kanal (@tonykanal) on

View this post on Instagram

Honolulu, Hawaii October 1995. L-R: Tony, Adrian, Gabrial, Gwen, Me, Stephen, Donnie. I can’t believe it’s been 25 years, in some ways it feels like yesterday, in some ways it feels like a distant dream. I started playing guitar with No Doubt in 1988. In ’92 we released our first album, and then in ‘93 we began writing songs for the follow up. We were all going to college & some of us worked jobs, and after almost 3 years of working on it, Tragic Kingdom finally came out on October 10, 1995. What I remember most is that despite the challenges, it was a very creative and magical time. Gwen, Adrian, Tony and I had real chemistry as bandmates and collaborators, and we discovered our voices as we wrote & recorded those songs together. I appreciate the friendships and camaraderie we shared in those years. We were passionate about our music, and the fact that Tragic Kingdom has touched so many people around the world is beyond what I could have ever imagined. Sometimes great things fall apart, which is a shame. Yet here we are, 25 years later. It is what it is, & I keep trying to make peace with that. I’m especially grateful to all those who helped us along the way, and most of all to those of you who enjoyed Tragic Kingdom and came out to the shows over the years. I’d love to do one more No Doubt tour, but it feels like that ain’t gonna happen. It’s bittersweet. In any case, what great memories, thanks all.

A post shared by Tom Dumont (@tomdumontphoto) on

Photo: Getty Images

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