In November of 2004, Gwen Stefani did what many others in the past have done, from Buddy Holly to Diana Ross to Zayn Malik: she parted ways with the group she became famous with, and went solo.
No Doubt winked at the inevitability of their mesmerizing singer splitting off from them way back in 1996 with the video of “Don’t Speak.” Even though the song was originally crafted as a love song, then transitioned into a breakup tune once Gwen and bassist Tony Kanal broke up after seven years, its video was about how the tastemakers wanted the beautiful singer to be the cover girl and focus of photo and video shoots.
The fact the group was together for 17 years before Stefani went solo is a testament to their love for each other, the band, the fans of the group, and their ability to continue to write hits and tour.
In retrospect it almost seems perfectly planned out. In 2003, No Doubt released greatest hits packages in both audio and DVD spanning their respectable career of mixing pop, ska, and dance into a pop-rock package.
read more at: Setlist.fm
