Hootie & the Blowfish exploded onto the scene with Cracked Rear View, the biggest debut album of the 1990s, selling over 21 million copies thanks to massive hits like “Hold My Hand” and “Let Her Cry,” boosted by David Letterman’s personal endorsement. But their third single “Only Wanna Be with You” contained direct lyrical lifts from Bob Dylan’s “Idiot Wind” and “Tangled Up in Blue” as a tribute—leading to an aggressive copyright demand from Dylan’s lawyers once the song became a global smash. The band settled for around $350,000, exposing their inexperience. Combined with massive overplay backlash, their “too happy” frat-rock vibe clashing with grunge cool, and a disastrous 1996 MTV VMA performance, their follow-up album cratered, turning them from unstoppable juggernaut to industry punchline—though Darius Rucker later found huge success in country.
