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The Dropkick Murphys were formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1996. The band was originally formed as friends just playing in the basement of a local barbershop and turned into something much more. The band's main goal has always been simple: bring people together to have a good time.
Signed to Hellcat Records in 1998, the Dropkick Murphys created albums that mixed the musical influences of their youth. They combined punk rock, Irish folk, rock and hardcore music to make a sound that was uniquely their own. Their first album, Do or Die (1998), failed to reach the charts but was just the beginning for the band. The group's original lead singer Marc McColgan left and was replaced by Al Barr, and they added additional members, increasing their line-up to seven members. Each of their next two albums, The Gang's All Here (1999) and Sing Loud Sing Proud showed improvement, and both charted on the Billboard 200.
It was 2003 when the Dropkick Murphys' popularity and notoriety began to boom. They released Blackout, which included the singles "Walk Away" and "Fields of Athenry." They re-worked the Boston Red Sox's anthem, "Tessie," which was used in the movie Fever Pitch and was the official song of the Sox's 2004 World Series win. Their next three albums have each climbed higher and higher on the Billboard 200 chart, with the 2007 album The Meanest of Times peaking at #20.