Counting Crows is an American rock band formed in Berkeley, California, in 1991. The band's current lineup consists of rhythm guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, multi-instrumentalist David Immerglück, bassist Millard Powers, and lead guitarist Dan Vickrey. Former members include drummers Steve Bowman (1991-1994) and Ben Mize (1994-2002), and bassist Matt Malley (1991-2005).
Counting Crows gained commercial success with their debut album, "August and Everything After", released in 1993. Its breakthrough single, "Mr. Jones", helped the album sell more than seven million copies in the United States. In 1994, the band received two Grammy Award nominations, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Round Here" and Best New Artist. Their second album, "Recovering the Satellites", reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and topped album charts in several other countries. Most of the band's subsequent studio albums reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200.
The band's singles include "Mr. Jones", "Rain King", "A Long December", "Hanginaround", and a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi". In 2004, Counting Crows received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Accidentally in Love", which appeared on the soundtrack to the animated film "Shrek 2". The band has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide. Billboard ranked Counting Crows eighth on its list of the greatest adult alternative artists of all time.
The band released the album "Somewhere Under Wonderland" in 2014 and the four-track EP "Butter Miracle, Suite One" in 2021. The latter was expanded into the full-length album "Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!", released in May 2025, which included five additional songs.
The band's name derives from "One for Sorrow", a British nursery rhyme associated with the superstition of counting magpies, which belong to the crow family. Adam Duritz heard the rhyme in the film "Signs of Life", which starred his friend, actress Mary-Louise Parker. The rhyme is also referenced in "A Murder of One", a song on the band's debut album, "August and Everything After".
Counting Crows was formed in 1991 in San Francisco by vocalist Adam Duritz, formerly a member of the San Francisco Bay Area band the Himalayans, and producer and guitarist David Bryson. The group initially performed as an acoustic duo at venues in and around Berkeley and San Francisco. David Immerglück, a friend of the founding members, occasionally performed with them on various instruments but initially declined to become a permanent member because of his commitments to Monks of Doom and Camper Van Beethoven. He nevertheless contributed to recordings for the band's debut album.
By 1993, the lineup consisted of Duritz on vocals and occasional piano, Bryson on guitar, Matt Malley on bass, Charlie Gillingham on keyboards, and Steve Bowman on drums. Duritz served as the band's primary songwriter.
In February 1992, the band's demo recordings attracted interest from nine record labels after Gary Gersh of Geffen Records heard their material. In April, Counting Crows signed a recording contract with Geffen Records. On 16 January 1993, the band performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony as a substitute for Van Morrison. Introduced by Robbie Robertson, they performed Morrison's song "Caravan".
Before signing with Geffen, the band recorded a collection of demo recordings that became known among fans as the "Flying Demos". These included early versions of songs such as "Rain King", "Omaha", "Anna Begins", "Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)", "Shallow Days", "Love and Addiction", "Mr. Jones", "Round Here", "40 Years", "Margery Dreams of Horses", "Bulldog", "Lightning", and "We're Only Love".
Counting Crows released their debut album, "August and Everything After", in September 1993. Its first single, "Mr. Jones", was inspired by Marty Jones, the bassist of the Himalayans and a childhood friend of Duritz, and Kenney Dale Johnson, drummer for Chris Isaak's band Silvertone. The song describes aspiring musicians' ambitions for commercial success and their expectations of fame. Its music video began receiving airplay on MTV in December 1993, helping the single become a breakthrough hit and increasing the band's popularity.
The album featured the singles "Mr. Jones", "Round Here", and "Rain King". Its roots rock sound drew on influences including Van Morrison and The Band, distinguishing it from the grunge music that was prominent on the charts at the time. "August and Everything After" eventually sold more than seven million copies in the United States.
Following the album's success, Counting Crows added guitarist Dan Vickrey to the lineup. Vickrey also contributed backing vocals. During 1993 and 1994, the band toured extensively as both a headliner and a supporting act for artists including the Rolling Stones, Cracker, the Cranberries, Suede, Bob Dylan, Los Lobos, Jellyfish, and Midnight Oil.
On 15 January 1994, Counting Crows appeared on "Saturday Night Live". Duritz later described the performance as an important step in expanding the band's audience beyond radio listeners. The band also appeared on "Late Show with David Letterman". In 1994, it received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Round Here" and Best New Artist.
The band's rapid rise to fame coincided with personal difficulties for Duritz, who experienced a nervous breakdown. Toward the end of 1994, Bowman left the group and was replaced by Ben Mize.
Counting Crows performed only two concerts in 1995, allowing Duritz time to write material for the band's second album. "Recovering the Satellites" was released on 15 October 1996. Its sound was heavier than that of the debut album, and its lyrics addressed the effects of sudden fame on Duritz's personal life and mental state. Songs such as "Have You Seen Me Lately?" and "Recovering the Satellites" explored themes of alienation, self-reflection, and a return to familiar surroundings.
The album included "A Long December", which reached number one in Canada and the top 10 in the United States. On 2 July 1997, Counting Crows began a co-headlining tour with the Wallflowers that continued through September. Other acts on the tour included Bettie Serveert, Engine 88, Gigolo Aunts, and That Dog.
After approximately nine months of touring in support of the album, Duritz developed vocal cord nodules in July 1997, forcing the cancellation of several concerts. Following a period of recovery, the band resumed touring and concluded the year with a performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City for an MTV programme. Recordings from this concert and the band's appearance on "VH1 Storytellers" were released in 1998 as the double live album "Across a Wire: Live in New York City". The album's two discs featured the New York concert and a predominantly acoustic performance, respectively.
Counting Crows performed at Woodstock '99 in 1999. Later that year, the band released its third studio album, "This Desert Life". The album's sales were supported by the singles "Hanginaround" and "Colorblind", the latter of which appeared in the film "Cruel Intentions". The band promoted the album with a co-headlining tour alongside alternative rock band Live.
In 1999, David Immerglück became a permanent member of Counting Crows after previously contributing to each of the band's albums as a session musician. He played acoustic, electric, pedal steel, and slide guitars, as well as mandolin, and provided backing vocals.
Counting Crows released their fourth studio album, "Hard Candy", on 9 July 2002. The album included a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi". Vanessa Carlton provided backing vocals on the single version, which appeared on the soundtrack to the film "Two Weeks Notice" and was included on subsequent editions of the album. The original album release featured a version without Carlton's vocals as a hidden track. Sheryl Crow contributed backing vocals to "American Girls". The album incorporated a more accessible pop-rock sound than the band's earlier work.
During the album's promotion, Counting Crows toured with Dutch band Bløf. Their collaboration resulted in "Holiday in Spain", a song that combines English and Dutch vocals in a duet and overlapping vocal arrangement.
During the "Hard Candy" tour, Mize left the band after completing the US leg of the tour to spend more time with his family and pursue other musical interests. Jim Bogios, formerly a drummer for Ben Folds and Sheryl Crow, replaced him. After the tour, bassist Matt Malley also left the group, citing the demands of touring and his responsibilities as a new father. Millard Powers became his replacement.
In November 2003, Counting Crows released the greatest hits compilation "Films About Ghosts".
In 2004, the band's song "Accidentally in Love" appeared on the soundtrack to the animated film "Shrek 2". It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005 but lost to "Al otro lado del río" from the film "The Motorcycle Diaries".
In June 2006, Counting Crows released the live album "New Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music Hall".
The band's fifth studio album, "Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings", was initially planned for release in late 2007. Duritz explained that the title reflected the contrast between Saturday-night excess and Sunday-morning regret. The band worked with producer Gil Norton, who had also produced "Recovering the Satellites". Vickrey described the planned album as having a rock-oriented first half and a more acoustic, country-influenced second half.
During the summer of 2007, Counting Crows performed before the Home Run Derby at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on 9 July. On 22 July, the band debuted two songs, "Washington Square" and "Cowboys", at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, Delaware. In August, the band performed "Mr. Jones" for a VH1 programme featuring songs from the 1990s. The song was ranked 27th on the programme's list of the 100 greatest songs of the decade.
In September 2007, Counting Crows performed all the tracks from "August and Everything After" in album order at Town Hall in New York City. The concert was recorded for a planned DVD release and also included songs from the forthcoming album. The band postponed the release of "Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings" until early 2008 to allow additional time to prepare the album and a deluxe edition of "August and Everything After".
On 16 January 2008, Counting Crows released a digital single for free download through their official website. It featured "1492", from the Saturday-night portion of the forthcoming album, and "When I Dream of Michelangelo", from the Sunday-morning portion. "Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings" was released on 25 March 2008.
On 22 March 2009, Duritz announced that Counting Crows would leave Geffen Records after 18 years with the label. The announcement included a free download of a live cover of Madonna's "Borderline", recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in 2003.
After leaving Geffen, the band continued touring independently. In the summer of 2009, Counting Crows launched the Saturday Night Rebel Rockers Traveling Circus and Medicine Show tour with Michael Franti and Spearhead, and Augustana. The tour used a collaborative format in which musicians from the participating acts performed one another's songs together throughout the shows rather than following a conventional sequence of separate opening and headline sets.
In August 2011, the band released "August and Everything After: Live at Town Hall", a live album and concert video based on the September 2007 performance. It was the band's third professionally produced live album and its first concert video release.
On 10 April 2012, Counting Crows released "Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation)", an album of cover songs. Its cover artwork was selected through a fan competition. The band toured extensively in 2012 and 2013 to promote the album, including headlining the travelling music festival The Outlaw Roadshow, organised with music blogger Ryan Spaulding, and touring North America with the Wallflowers in the summer of 2013.
During this period, Duritz began co-writing a play titled "Black Sun", which incorporated music written by him, including the previously unreleased songs "Good Luck" and "Chelsea". In November 2013, the band released the live album "Echoes of the Outlaw Roadshow" in North America.
Work on the band's next studio album began in early 2013 and continued during the summer tour. "Somewhere Under Wonderland" was released on 2 September 2014.
In 2018, Duritz invested in three Napa Valley wineries in California: Elyse Winery, Institution Winery, and Addax Winery. The wineries were managed by winemaker Russell Bevan.
In February 2018, Duritz began recording the "Underwater Sunshine Podcast", a weekly music programme co-hosted with author and music journalist James Campion. Duritz and his associates later organised the Underwater Sunshine Fest, a twice-yearly music festival in New York City focused on independent music. The first event took place at Bowery Electric in October 2018 and featured 17 bands over two nights. A second festival in April 2019 featured 18 bands, while a third, held at Rockwood Music Hall in November 2019, included 26 acts. Performers included Yellow House Orchestra, Seán Barna, Mikaela Davis, Marcy Playground, Matt Sucich, Stephen Kellogg, Stew and the Negro Problem, and Fairhazel. Some participating musicians also recorded acoustic sessions at Duritz's loft during the festival weekends.
In January 2019, Counting Crows released a newly recorded version of "August and Everything After", performed with the London Symphony Orchestra at AIR Studios. The song had been omitted from the band's debut album, despite providing its title. In late 2019, Duritz stated that he had begun writing new material in August of that year.
In early February 2020, Duritz described the band's next project as a series of musical suites that could be released as separate EPs. In late February and early March, the band began studio sessions for four songs intended for the first suite: "The Tall Grass", "Elevator Boots", "The Angel of 14th Street", and "Bobby and the Rat Kings". The demos drew influences from bands including Mott the Hoople and Thin Lizzy, as well as Seán Barna's album "CISSY".
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the suspension of touring and studio work led Duritz to begin posting cooking videos on Instagram Stories. He described the activity as an extension of the research he had previously conducted for his music podcast. Duritz and Campion resumed production of the "Underwater Sunshine Podcast" in May 2021.
In April 2021, Counting Crows released "Elevator Boots" as the lead single from the four-track EP "Butter Miracle, Suite One". The song addresses life on tour and combines melodic rock influences. The EP was released on 21 May 2021.
Duritz initially stated that a second EP, "Butter Miracle, Suite Two", would complete the project and form a full-length album when combined with the first EP. He began writing material for the second instalment, and the band planned to resume touring in autumn 2021. In February 2022, Duritz appeared as a guest vocalist on two tracks on "Angel in Realtime", the third studio album by Gang of Youths. Later in 2022, he confirmed that he had completed writing songs for the second suite but decided to rewrite the material and add another composition. Recording was postponed until the band had completed its touring commitments.
During the 2022 Butter Miracle Tour, Counting Crows performed in Israel for the first time, playing at an amphitheatre in Ra'anana. In April 2023, the band returned to Australia and New Zealand for a series of headline concerts, with English musician Frank Turner as the supporting act. In 2024, Counting Crows toured with Santana on the Oneness Tour.
On 21 February 2025, Counting Crows released the single "Spaceman in Tulsa" and announced the release of "Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!". Rather than releasing the planned second EP separately, the band issued the full-length album on 9 May 2025. It included the four tracks from "Butter Miracle, Suite One" and five additional songs.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting_Crows
Studio albums
August and Everything After (1993)
Recovering the Satellites (1996)
This Desert Life (1999)
Hard Candy (2002)
Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (2008)
Underwater Sunshine (or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation) (2012)
Somewhere Under Wonderland (2014)
Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! (2025)
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…shrink me down again