Crowded House

Crowded House emerged from the ashes of New Zealand art-rock sextet Split Enz to produce the timeless ballad "Don't Dream It's Over," a number two pop hit in 1987.

Crowded House singer/guitarist Neil Finn joined Split Enz (formed by big brother Tim Finn) in 1977. He eventually began writing songs, including "History Never Repeats," "One Step Ahead" and the minor U.S. hit "I Got You" - contributions that moved the Enz in a more pop/new wave direction. When the band dissolved, Finn and Split Enz drummer Paul Hester recruited bassist Nick Seymour to form the Mullanes, later renamed Crowded House as a nod to the cramped quarters the trio shared while recording their eponymous first album with producer Mitchell Froom.

The Crowded House album was slow to find its commercial footing until Capitol finally agreed to release "Don't Dream It's Over" as a single in late 1986. Manager Gary Stamler partnered with independent promoters to get the record on radio playlists, and "Don't Dream It's Over" finally caught on, setting the stage for a second Top Ten single, ‘Something So Strong." The follow-up LP Temple of Low Men failed to sustain Crowded House's commercial momentum, however, and acclaimed albums like Woodface and Together Alone were met by indifference from U.S. audiences, although the trio remained popular internationally.

Crowded House split in 1996, and in 2005, Hester died by suicide. Finn and Seymour reformed the group with drummer Matt Sherrod, releasing a pair of new albums, Time on Earth and Intriguer, both of which topped the Australian charts. Crowded House again went on hiatus, however, but after Finn served a brief stint in Fleetwood Mac following the exit of Lindsey Buckingham, he and Seymour resurrected the group one more time for 2021's Dreamers Are Waiting, adding Mitchell Froom on keyboards along with Finn's sons Liam and Elroy.