On September 4, 2023, the day I am writing this, Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth passed away. He was 56 years old, and he had recently been admitted to hospice care, due to liver failure from alcohol abuse. Harwell’s determination and persistence helped Smash Mouth break through the flood of new bands in the late 90’s. Unlike Jimmy Buffet, who had an army of fans following him (and plenty of tributes) Harwell’s illness had him leave the band quietly in 2021.
I despise how frequently well-known musicians pass away these days, but whenever a power pop-related one does, I always feel compelled to publish a blog post about it. Smash Mouth reached its peak popularity in 2001 and yes, some of their songs were mainstream “power pop” in my opinion. Known best for “All-Star” and a rousing cover of The Monkees “I’m A Believer,” they felt like one-hit wonders to most, despite having charted several times. But ever since they hit the scene on Fu Yu Mang with the catchy retro hook of “Walking On The Sun,” a pop song nestled among the punk rock tunes, it proved this was the best direction for the band (much like Green Day at the time).
Harwell had a distinctive voice and much like The Smithereens Pat DiNizio – the band may continue without him, but it will never sound the same. My favorite album was 1999’s Astro Lounge, prior to The Shrek movie which really made them big concert draws. Unfortunately, the band couldn’t duplicate that turn-of-the-century zeitgeist and they faded into “uncool,” remixing covers and previous hits. The band paid tribute to him recently, and you should spin some Smash Mouth in his honor. More band history here. RIP Steve.