Album of the Day

Elektra Records was the victor in a mid-1990s bidding war for Third Eye Blind, and whatever the label paid, it got a handsome return on its investment; the San Francisco quartet's self-titled debut was a huge hit. Frontman Stephan Jenkins and guitarist Kevin Cadogan came up with a fantastic set of songs here; of the 14 originals, five were released as singles and three - "Semi-Charmed Life," "Jumper" and "How's It Going to Be" - reached the Billboard Top Ten. With punchy, hook-laden arrangements and memorable melodies, this is about as catchy as alternative rock gets, and the 1997 collection went on to sell more than six million copies. Released 20 years ago this weekend, THIRD EYE BLIND remains 3eb's best album, and one that still stands up to repeated plays.