From Allmusic
A New York-based blues-rock quartet formed in 1988 by singer/harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, bassist Bobby Sheehan, and drummer Brendan Hill, Blues Traveler was part of a revival of the extended jamming style of ’60s and ’70s groups like the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin. Signed to A&M, they released their first album, Blues Traveler, in May 1990 and followed it with Travelers & Thieves in September 1991. Popper was in a serious car accident in 1992, leaving him unable to perform for a number of months. Fortunately, he recovered, yet he still had to perform in a wheelchair for a period of time. In April 1993, Blues Traveler released its third album, Save His Soul, which became its first to make the Top 100. Blues Traveler’s aptly named fourth album, Four, released in September 1994, at first looked like a sales disappointment, but it rebounded in 1995 when "Run-Around," a single taken from it, became the group’s first chart hit. "Run-Around" became one of the biggest singles of 1995, spending nearly a full year on the charts and sending Four into quintuple platinum status.
As the group prepared the follow-up to Four, Blues Traveler released the live double-album Live From the Fall in the summer of 1996. The group returned in the summer of 1997 with its fifth studio album, Straight on Till Morning. After completing his 1999 debut solo effort Zygote, Popper — who’d been experiencing chest pains for months — was forced to undergo an angioplasty; weeks later, tragedy struck on August 20, 1999, when Sheehan was found dead in his New Orleans home. He was just 31 years old. The new millennium saw a newly charged Blues Traveler, and their sixth record, Bridge, appeared in May 2001. The next winter, Blues Traveler released the live What You and I Have Been Through. The studio record Truth Be Told followed in 2003, and another concert album, Live on the Rocks, appeared in 2004. The group returned to the studio in 2004, releasing the Jay Bennett-produced Bastardos in September of the following year.
A&M Records produced a promotional version of Blues Traveler’s 1994 album Four to convince DJs and critics that the band was legit and ready to burst on the scene. Titled 1,000,000 People Can’t Be Wrong, it played on the famous Elvis Presley album 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong, which was a volume of the King’s greatest hits. This two-CD set comes with original art befitting of a traveling band: a musical equipment case with faux shipping and name/address labels. Disc one is the full version of Four, but disc two is the real gem: Blues Traveler’s greatest hits, including a live version of a song only found on another, more rare promo, On Tour Forever. Die-hard fans of any band can debate the inclusions and exclusions on this kind of disc, and 1,000,000 People Can’t Be Wrong is no exception. The album is fascinating because the ten songs are those A&M believed were the most mainstream and impressive from the band’s first three albums. The disc starts with "But Anyway," but some will question nearly every other song. "Gina," "Mulling it Over," and "Dropping Some NYC" from Blues Traveler, but not "Alone" or "Crystal Flame"? "Optimistic Thought" and "Sweet Pain" are no brainers, but "What’s for Breakfast" from Travelers and Thieves and not "The Best Part" and "All in the Groove"? "Conquer Me," "Defense and Desire," and "Love and Greed," but not "Believe Me" or "Love of My Life" from Save His Soul? Well, while 1,000,000 People Can’t Be Wrong refers to the fans who discovered this great band, the collection is not for them. These tunes may not be the best Blues Traveler songs, but they are, perhaps, the most representative. "Breakfast," for example, showcases Popper’s harp chops and also the band’s tight groove, lead by an impressive rhythm section. "Conquer" is wistful, while not being as depressing as "Letter From a Friend" (and it is a full four minutes shorter than the incendiary "Mountain Cry"). Remembering this is not a fan-only disc, but an attempt to sell the strengths of the band to non-fans, is convincing. Still, "Defense and Desire" and not "Fledgling"? Maybe only 999,000 people can’t be wrong