- Years Active: 1981-2005
- Band Members: Steve Foley, Chris Mars, Slim Dunlap, Tommy Stinson, Bob Stinson, Paul Westerberg
- Genre: Rock & Alternative
- Influenced by: New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, The Rolling Stones, Hüsker Dü, John Lennon, Kiss, Bob Dylan, The Ramones, Big Star, The Sex Pistols, Alex Chilton, Faces
- Followed By: Teenage Frames, Sparklejet, The Fags, Million Yen, Limbeck, The Ducky Boys, Kosher, Superchunk, American Princes, The Afghan Whigs, Who Hit John, The Soft Pack, The Cops, Walt Mink, Knockout Drops, Johnny Rzeznik, Gin Blossoms, Proud Simon, Buzz Zeemer, Grand Champeen, Smoke or Fire, Porchsleeper, Gingersol, Peter Searcy, Star 69, The Dent, The Loved Ones, Lovemeknots, Motel Motel, Cold War Kids, The Goo Goo Dolls, Ghost Town Deputies, Buffalo Tom, Carpet People, Weed, Inc., Coco B's, The Modern Machines, The On Offs, Drive-By Truckers, The Aquanettas, The Star Spangles, Tommy Womack, Liquor Giants, Happiness Factor, Matthew Sweet, Rocket from the Crypt, Alcohol Funnycar, Articles of Faith, Pablo, Squirrel Bait, Wilco, Architects, Dirt Road Logic, Heavy into Jeff, Truck Stop Love, The Enablers, Friendly Foes, Field Trip, Ass Ponys, Rheostatics, Mercyland, The Henry Clay People, The Rooks, Ultimate Fakebook, Amy Ray, Maple Mars, Todd Newman, Dipsomaniacs, Chris McFarland, Epic Hero, Loud Lucy, Billionaire Boys Club, Swingset Police, The All-American Rejects, The V-Roys, Wolf Colonel, The Heavenly States, Happy Hate Me Nots, Run Westy Run, Magnatone, Dito Montiel, The Hold Steady, The Young Executives, The Figgs, True Love, Big Umbrella, Scott McCaughey, Papas Fritas, Otasco, Silkworm, The Narrator, Model Rockets, Excuses, Michael Shelley, Modena Vox, Wes McDonald, Chris Tsefalas, dT's, Titanic Love Affair, Pinhead Gunpowder, Wheels on Fire, Such Sweet Thunder, The Buck Pets, Montgomery Cliffs, Hilltops, The Martinets, The Ergs, The Return, Rank Strangers, Josh Rouse, The Wide Awakes, Twenty Cent Crush, Nirvana, Gentleman, Pipe, The Beatifics, The Presidents of the United States of America, Dramarama, Sam Champion, Mulehead, Superdrag, Two Cow Garage, Rip Dizzy, Trakan, The Holy Cows, Hoover's G String, Pela, Insanity Wave, Dylan Hicks, The Holy Fire, You Am I, Gloritone, The Odds, Zykos, For Stars, The Shame Idols, Baby Chaos, Swingin' Utters, Soul Asylum, Greg Summerlin, Roadstar, Against Me!, Lapdancers, The Weight
- Similar Artists: American Music Club, The Buck Pets, Buffalo Tom, Camper Van Beethoven, Game Theory, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Hooters, Meat Puppets, Minutemen, Bob Mould, The Only Ones, The Pontiac Brothers, Redd Kross, The Smithereens, Social Distortion, Soul Asylum, Squirrel Bait, Volcano Suns, Tom Waits, The Young Fresh Fellows, Urge Overkill, Sugar, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, The Lemonheads, R.E.M., The Mutants, The Breakup Society
The Replacements initially formed in 1979, when Paul Westerberg joined a garage punk band formed by brothers Bob (guitar) and Tommy Stinson (bass) and drummer Chris Mars. Originally called the Impediments, the Minnesota residents changed their name to the Replacements after being banned from a local club for disorderly behavior. In their early days, they sounded quite similar to Hüsker Dü, the leaders of the Minneapolis punk scene. However, the Replacements were wilder and looser than the Hüskers and quickly became notorious for their drunken, chaotic gigs. After they built up a sizable local following the Minneapolis label Twin/Tone signed them.
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, a sloppy hardcore collection, was released in 1981 but failed to make much of an impact on the national scene. It was followed the next year by the Stink EP, which followed the same pattern as the debut. It was the band's second album, 1983's Hootenanny, that first garnered the band attention and helped build their fan base. On Hootenanny, the group started playing around with other genres, adding elements of pop, straightforward rock & roll, country, and folk, although sometimes the eclecticism was ironic.
Hootenanny set the stage for Let It Be, the band's critical and artistic breakthrough. Released in 1984, Let It Be showed that the band had successfully expanded their musical reach and that Westerberg had grown considerably as a songwriter; he was now capable of pop like "I Will Dare," full-throttle rock & roll, and introspective ballads like "Answering Machine." Critics and fellow musicians were quick to praise the band, and they developed a large underground following. The buzz was large enough to convince Sire to sign the band in 1985.
The Replacements' first major-label album, Tim, was scheduled to be produced by Westerberg's idol, Alex Chilton, but the sessions fell through; the album was produced by former Ramone Tommy Erdelyi. Upon its release in 1985, Tim garnered rave reviews that equalled those for Let It Be. Though the band was poised for a popular breakthrough, they were unsure about making the leap into the mainstream. As a result, they never let themselves live up to their full potential. The Replacements landed a spot on Saturday Night Live, but they were roaring drunk throughout their performances and Westerberg said "f*ck" on the air. Their concerts had became notorious for such drunken, sloppy behavior. Frequently, the band was barely able to stand up, let alone play, and when they did play, they often didn't finish their songs. The Replacements also refused to make accessible videos -- the video for "Bastards of Young" featured nothing but a stereo system, playing the song -- thereby cutting themselves off from the mass exposure MTV could have granted them.
After the tour for Tim, Bob Stinson was fired from the band, allegedly for his drug and alcohol addictions. The Replacements recorded their next album as a trio in Memphis, TN, with former Big Star producer Jim Dickinson. The resulting album, Pleased to Meet Me, was more streamlined than their previous recordings. Again, the reviews were uniformly excellent upon its spring 1987 release, but the band didn't earn many new fans. During the tour for Pleased to Meet Me, guitarist Slim Dunlap filled the vacant lead guitarist spot and he became a full-time member after the tour.
Two years later, the band returned in the spring of 1989 with Don't Tell a Soul, the Replacements' last bid for a mainstream audience. The bandmembers had cleaned up, admitting that their years of drug and alcohol abuse were behind them, and were now willing to play the promotional game. Don't Tell a Soul boasted a polished, radio-ready production and the group shot MTV-friendly videos, beginning with the single "I'll Be You." Initially, the approach worked -- "I'll Be You" became a number one album rock track, crossing over to number 51 on the pop charts. However, Don't Tell a Soul never really took off and failed to establish the band as a major commercial force.
Defeated from the lackluster performance of Don't Tell a Soul, Paul Westerberg planned on recording a solo album, but Sire rejected the idea. Consequently, the next Replacements album, All Shook Down, was a solo Westerberg record in all but name. Recorded with a cast of session musicians as well as the band, All Shook Down was a stripped-down, largely acoustic affair that hinted at the turmoil within the band. Chris Mars left shortly after its fall 1990 release, claiming that Westerberg had assumed control of the band; he would launch a solo career two years later. The Replacements toured in support of All Shook Down, with Steve Foley, formerly of the Minneapolis-based Things Fall Down, as their new drummer. Neither the tour nor the album were successful, and the Replacements quietly disbanded in the summer of 1991.
Tommy Stinson formed Bash & Pop the following year; in 1995, he formed a new band called Perfect. Dunlap released a solo album in 1993. Bob Stinson died February 15, 1995, from a drug overdose. Westerberg began a solo career slowly, releasing two songs on the Singles ("Dyslexic Heart," "Waiting for Somebody") soundtrack in 1992; he also scored the film. He released his debut solo album, 14 Songs, in the summer of 1993 to mixed reviews. Paul Westerberg's second solo album, Eventually, was released in the spring of 1996. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide