Smash Mouth

The first in a growing number of bands to eschew the traditionally accepted route to success via radio airplay and just go for the gusto with TV endorsements, Smash Mouth represent the new breed of media-savvy rock groups. By boiling down the elements of whatever styles seem to be the taste of the week and throwing a -pop ska beat behind it, they've ensured themselves a perpetual spot in the market. With the unforgettably infectious 1997 one-shot "Walkin' on the Sun," a deliciously snide synthesis of garage abrasiveness and lounge-y groove, Smash Mouth got everybody singing in a British accent and playing air-keyboards for a while. Their next release was a VW commercial.