The Story Of

When Eiffel 65 released “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” it was a flop. They sold around 200 records, shrugged it off as a loss, and forgot about it. But in a wild turn of events, the track got picked up by a small local station before getting airplay on one of the biggest radio stations in Italy—and within days, it was steamrolling its way to becoming one of the biggest hits of the late 1990s, taking the electronic music group touring around the world as their song shot up the charts. We met up with the members of Eiffel 65—Jeffrey Jey, Maurizio “Maury” Lobina, and Gabry Ponte—to find out the origin story behind "Blue," and hear what it was like to become international superstars in the blink of an eye.

When Shaggy recorded his Hot Shot album, containing “It Wasn’t Me” and “Angel”, the label dismissed it as a throw-away album with “no hits”. “It Wasn’t Me” wasn’t even released as a single. But a series of happy accidents, some illegal downloading, and sheer determination, propelled “It Wasn’t Me” to become one of the first viral crossover hits. VICE met up with Shaggy on the 20th anniversary of Hot Shot which coincides with the release of his brand new Hot Shot 2020 album.

"Last Resort" by Papa Roach was a surprise hit given the song's raw and vivid portrayal of mental health and suicide. And although lead singer Jacoby Shaddix wrote “Last Resort” about his friends struggle, the song took on new personal relevance for Jacoby years later when he was battling his own demons. VICE learns the full, little known, story behind "Last Resort" and its journey from darkness into light.

The Thong Song was never meant for Sisqo, but once he heard the track he couldn’t let it go. Although it was originally meant for Michael Jackson, producers Tim & Bob were won over by Sisqo's enthusiasm and fresh ideas. VICE met the creators of Thong Song to hear how G-strings and violin strings united to create this iconic song that brought thongs to the masses.

Vanessa Carlton wrote “A Thousand Miles” in her childhood home as a teenager. Little did she know the song would become an international smash hit, a film-soundtrack favorite, and would be repurposed by new artists and the internet for the next 20 years. VICE meets Vanessa Carlton, "White Chicks" actor Terry Crews, and others responsible for making the song the indelible hit still widely adored today.

“Who Let The Dogs Out” was ubiquitous in the early aughts - emanating from sports stadiums, parties, and radio speakers alike. But few people know the story behind the song or about the group who performed the smash hit, the Baha Men. The song’s unconventional journey spans from crowded baseball stadiums in Seattle to the sandy beaches of the Caribbean. VICE meets the key players involved in the incredible success of the song that left everyone asking, “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

For many, “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus captures the quintessential American high school experience. But for the song’s writer Brendan Brown, “Teenage Dirtbag” represents a fantasy adolesence that he was robbed of after a gruesome murder happened in his home town. And while “Teenage Dirtbag” was overlooked by American audiences at its time of release -- overseas it received a much more unexpected reception.

Nearly everyone has been RickRoll’d. But few know the real story of the artist behind the 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” nor do they know about the mysterious origins of the viral RickRoll video meme that exploded in the mid-2000s. VICE meets Rick Astley and the creators of the song to learn about Rick’s meteoric rise to fame, sudden retirement, and surprising comeback. We also meet the creator of the popular RickRoll meme that cemented this persistent hit for generations to come.