Dave Matthews Band "Ants Marching"

Dave Matthews Band is arguably is my generation's Jimmy Buffett -- meaning that year after year, fans flock to see DMB play the same set list while they drink (and smoke) too much. Aside from Nickelback, can you name a band as divisive as Dave Matthews Band? People either seem to really love or loathe Dave Matthews. I'm happy to say I'm somewhere right between indifference and who cares?...

Dave Matthews Band "Crash into Me"

"Hike up your skirt a little more..."

Dave Matthews Band - "What Would You Say"

The year 1995 was a pivotal one for the Adult Contemporary format.  While format stalwarts like Gloria Estefan, Elton John, and Bryan Adams still provided plenty of radio-friendly ballads, bands such as Hootie & The Blowfish, Blues Traveler and Dave Matthews Band also entered the musical landscape.  Suddenly, the format faced music decisions that would mean bringing a new sound to the office-friendly Adult Contemporary format.  AC Program Directors rarely added an unfamilar song to their rotation as they tended to play proven and "safe" songs.  A year later, stations grappled over whether or not to add music from Alanis Morissette's edgy Jagged Little Pill album.  Soon stations would branch off into "Bright AC' and "Soft AC" sub-formats causing Bright AC stations to adopt the "no light, sleepy music" positioning statement.  In the case of Dave Matthews Band's "What Would You Say" only managed to chart at #30 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, but the tune helped usher in a more upbeat sound that would soon become commonplace.