Cranberries – No Need To Argue (30th Anniversary) LP

The Cranberries – No Need To Argue

Celebrating 30 years of their seminal Sophomore album, comes The Cranberries’ “No Need To Argue”, their worldwide multi-platinum beloved masterpiece. This now includes newly mixed Remastered Audio from the original album’s producer Stephen Street, 2 brand new remixes from Chvrches’ Iain Cook, unreleased live music from Woodstock ’94 and the unearthed demo of fan favorite “Zombie”.

“Sometimes, it feels like it's only been a few years ago and other times it feels like an eternity. There are lots of memories still fresh in our minds. It's hard to believe it's been 30 years since its release,” says The Cranberries drummer Fergal Lawler about the 30th anniversary of their landmark second album NO NEED TO ARGUE. 
Originally released on October 3, 1994 via Island Records, No Need To Argue serves as the commercial breakthrough for the band, led by the phenomenal and global success of its signature single “Zombie.” Fronted by the instantly recognizable vocals of the late Dolores O’Riordan, The Cranberries had no trouble writing music for their follow-up to their worldwide multi-platinum breakthrough debut Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? “There was no ‘difficult second album syndrome’,” says Lawler. “Dolores didn’t have any problems writing on the road and in fact was bursting with ideas. Often when a song was completed it’d go straight into the live set, so audiences got to hear a lot of the No Need To Argue songs way before they were recorded. I remember playing ‘Zombie’, for instance, early in 1993 on our first European tour with Hothouse Flowers. By the time the chorus came around for the second time, you could feel the reaction in the room. People just loved it from the get-go.”
Written about the political unrest in Ireland called “The Troubles” that lasted from the late 1960s to 1998, “Zombie” reflected on the innocent children who were killed due to the violence that erupted. "People say we shouldn't have done 'Zombie but, excuse me, I'm Irish. I'm a human being,” explained O’Riordan about the song. “I'm allowed to have feelings about the North, the same way I'm allowed to have feelings about what's going on in Bosnia. I express those feelings in my songs. It's up to people whether they want to listen to them or not.”
Often cited as the album that helped cement Irish music in the worldwide musical conversation, No Need to Argue saw the critical darlings (whose debut Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? introduced the band to the masses) embraced by a global audience due to the album’s universal appeal. No Need to Argue boasted a number of singles including “Ode To My Family”, “I Can’t Be With You”, “Ridiculous Thoughts”, “Dreaming My Dreams” and, of course, “Zombie” which reached No. 1 in Australia, Denmark, France, Belgium, Germany, and topped Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart and whose video counts an astounding 1.6B plays on YouTube. It was also crowned “Song of the Year” at 1995’s MTV Europe Music Awards.
The album’s enduring popularity keeps the band at the forefront of the mainstream’s consciousness, especially with the impact of “Zombie.” Whether being covered by Miley Cyrus at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, belted out by a stadium full of Ireland rugby fans who’ve adopted it as their match day anthem, or sampled by Eminem on his monster 2017 “In Your Head” hit, those tanks and bombs and guns stir the emotions as much now as they did then.
But “Zombie” wasn’t the only track that is singled out by pop culture. “Ode To My Family” even found its way into a 2019 episode of Family Guy with Peter – who was particularly fond of the “Doo doo doo”–ing – telling Lois: “You know once I hear that I can’t get it out of my head!” In fact, songs from No Need To Argue have been showing up in The Office (US), Pitch Perfect 3, Clueless, Yellowjackets, Army Of The Dead, Roswell, New Mexico and more.
Described by producer Stephen Street as “a beautiful collection of people working together with the right intentions,” The Cranberries’ vigor and familial chemistry exudes throughout the album. “Call it youthful arrogance but we knew the songs we’d written were good and couldn’t wait to get them down,” adds guitarist Noel Hogan. “Stephen had bought a camcorder that we spent a lot of time messing around with in The Manor and you can see in the videos how happy and chilled everyone was. The mood in the camp was really, really good and it never felt like work.”
The one indelible mark The Cranberries upholds is their love and belief in their own music. The endurance of that message is the pinnacle of their legacy. “I really think that what makes people tune into The Cranberries is the honesty of the music,” O’Riordan is quoted as saying. “Some fans say, ‘Aren’t you embarrassed singing about such things?’ and I say, ‘That’s what makes me what I am.’ I’m not going to change for anyone.’”

Tracklist:
1. Ode To My Family
2. I Can't Be With You
3. Twenty One
4. Zombie
5. Empty
6. Everything I Said
7. The Icicle Melts
8. Disappointment
9. Ridiculous Thoughts
10. Dreaming My Dreams
11. Yeat's Grave
12. Daffodil Lament
13. No Need To Argue

Label: Universal Music
Released: 1994/2025