Hootie and the Blowfish will release a new album and go on tour next year

Yes, people used to do that! Never mind the jokes about the band name and their aggressively mainstream sound, because it’s hard to understate how much of a musical phenomenon the group was at its peak, with their signature catchy melodies and joyful harmonies.

“Cracked Rear View” remains one of the highest-selling albums of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, as it went platinum 21 times and spent eight weeks on top of the Billboard 200 chart. The band won two Grammys, including best new artist and best group pop performance for “Let Her Cry.”

Their follow-up,” Fairweather Johnson,” also hit No. 1, and they’ve cut three more albums since, but they’ve never repeated the success of their major label debut.

The band officially went dormant in 2008. “We felt like going away for a while, getting back to our families and a little bit more of a sedentary lifestyle might be a good experiment,” band member Jim Sonefeld told the Associated Press. “We didn’t say we were going away for six months or six years. We just said, ‘Let’s go dormant.’”

Rucker had a string of hits, and the former rock singer quickly gained acceptance within the country music industry.

He also made history in a genre where few modern black artists had hit it big. He won the Country Music Association’s best new artist award in 2009. (It was only the second time the association had ever given an individual award to a black performer.)

Five country albums later, though, and Rucker is ready to return to Hootie and the Blowfish. “I am looking forward to rocking again,” he told the AP.

The Group Therapy Tour, which includes the Barenaked Ladies, will start May 30 in Virginia Beach and continue to more than 40 cities, including Madison Square Garden in New York City. Pre-sale tickets will be available starting Thursday.