Career Timeline of Gwen Stefani: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Gwen Stefani, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Gwen Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer, best known as the lead vocalist of the band No Doubt. No Doubt achieved mainstream success with their 1995 album Tragic Kingdom, featuring hit singles like "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak". The band continued to release successful music, including songs like "Hey Baby" and "It's My Life".
1983: Release of Scarface
In 1983, the movie Scarface, starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira Hancock, was released. This movie later inspired Gwen Stefani's image modification in 2006.
1986: Gwen joins No Doubt
In 1986, Gwen Stefani was invited by her brother Eric to provide vocals for No Doubt, a ska band he was forming.
December 1987: Gwen Stefani becomes lead singer of No Doubt
In December 1987, Gwen Stefani became the sole lead singer of No Doubt after the departure of John Spence.
1991: No Doubt Signed to Interscope Records
In 1991, No Doubt was signed to Interscope Records, marking a significant step in their professional music career.
1992: Release of No Doubt's Debut Album
In 1992, No Doubt released its self-titled debut album, but its ska-pop sound was unsuccessful due to the popularity of grunge music at the time.
1992: The Singles 1992–2003 Release
The Singles 1992–2003 was released in 2003, it includes a cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life".
1994: Guest Vocals on Sublime's Album
In 1994, Gwen Stefani contributed guest vocals to "Saw Red" on Sublime's album Robbin' the Hood before No Doubt achieved mainstream success.
1994: Platinum Blonde Hair Transformation
Since late 1994, Gwen Stefani has usually had platinum blonde hair. She discussed this in the song "Platinum Blonde Life" on Rock Steady.
1995: Popularizing the Bindi and Midriff Exposure
In 1995, Gwen Stefani began wearing a bindi after attending family gatherings with Tony Kanal and popularized it in No Doubt's music videos. Since the 1995 music video for "Just a Girl", Stefani became known for exposing her midriff with tops.
1995: No Doubt's Breakthrough with Tragic Kingdom
In 1995, No Doubt achieved a breakthrough with their studio album Tragic Kingdom, which featured hit singles like "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak".
1995: Release of Tragic Kingdom
In 1995, No Doubt released their third album, Tragic Kingdom, which took more than three years to make. This album was preceded by the self-released The Beacon Street Collection in the same year.
1997: "Don't Speak" tops Hot 100 Airplay chart
In 1997, "Don't Speak" from the album Tragic Kingdom led the Hot 100 Airplay year-end chart, solidifying No Doubt's mainstream success.
1999: Pink Hair Transformation
In 1999, Gwen Stefani dyed her hair pink, and appeared on the cover of Return of Saturn with pink hair.
2000: "Hollaback Girl" Chart Performance
"Hollaback Girl" from Love. Angel. Music. Baby. peaked at number forty-one on Billboard's decade-end charts for 2000–09.
2000: Release of Return of Saturn
In 2000, No Doubt released Return of Saturn, which explored new wave influences and focused on Gwen Stefani's relationship with Gavin Rossdale.
2001: Release of Rock Steady
In 2001, No Doubt released Rock Steady, an album that explored reggae and dancehall sounds while maintaining the band's new wave influences.
2003: Debut of Clothing Line L.A.M.B.
In 2003, Gwen Stefani debuted her clothing line L.A.M.B., marking her expansion into fashion design.
2003: The Singles 1992–2003 Release
In 2003, No Doubt released a greatest hits collection, The Singles 1992–2003, which includes a cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life".
November 12, 2004: Release of Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
On November 12, 2004, Gwen Stefani's debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., was released, featuring collaborations with various artists and producers. The album incorporated musical styles from the 1980s and early 1990s.
2004: Tragic Kingdom sales
By 2004, No Doubt's album Tragic Kingdom had sold more than 16 million copies worldwide.
2004: "What You Waiting For?" Acclaim
In 2004, "What You Waiting For?", the lead single from Love. Angel. Music. Baby., was considered by Pitchfork to be one of Gwen Stefani's best singles, and would later place it at number sixteen on their "Top 50 Singles of 2004" list.
2004: "Cool" Song Release
In 2004, Gwen Stefani co-wrote her song "Cool" about her relationship as friends with Tony Kanal for her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
2004: Solo Debut with Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
In 2004, Gwen Stefani launched her solo career with the release of her debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. The album's sound was inspired by 1980s pop music, and it featured hit singles like "What You Waiting For?", "Rich Girl", "Hollaback Girl", and "Cool".
2004: Film Debut in The Aviator and Voice Acting in Malice
In 2004, Gwen Stefani made her film debut as Jean Harlow in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator. She also lent her voice to the title character of the video game Malice.
2004: Portrayal of Jean Harlow in "The Aviator"
In 2004, Gwen Stefani played original blonde bombshell Jean Harlow in the biopic The Aviator.
2005: Expansion with Harajuku Lovers Line
In 2005, Gwen Stefani expanded her fashion collection with the Harajuku Lovers line, inspired by Japanese culture and fashion.
2005: Rolling Stone Cover and Praise
In 2005, Rolling Stone called Gwen Stefani "the only true female rock star left on radio or MTV" and featured her on the magazine's cover.
2005: "Hollaback Girl" Signature Song
Since its release in 2005, "Hollaback Girl" has been called Gwen Stefani's "signature song" by Rolling Stone. "Hollaback Girl" from Love. Angel. Music. Baby. would go on to be the first song to digitally sell an excess of one million copies in the United States.
2005: Popularity of "Hollaback Girl"
Throughout 2005, "Hollaback Girl" remained popular and became the first US music download to sell more than one million copies.
January 2006: Release of "Crash"
In January 2006, Gwen Stefani released "Crash" as the sixth single from her album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in place of a planned sequel due to her pregnancy.
December 1, 2006: Release of The Sweet Escape
On December 1, 2006, Gwen Stefani's second studio album, The Sweet Escape, was released. The album featured collaborations with various artists and focused more on electronic and dance music.
2006: Image Modification Inspired by Scarface
In 2006, Gwen Stefani modified her image, drawing inspiration from Michelle Pfeiffer's character Elvira Hancock in the 1983 film Scarface. This included a symbol of two back-to-back 'G's, featured on a diamond-encrusted key necklace, which became a motif for promoting The Sweet Escape.
2006: Release of The Sweet Escape
In 2006, Gwen Stefani released her second studio album, The Sweet Escape, featuring the title track and "Wind It Up" as singles.
June 2007: Forbes Report on Earnings
Between June 2007 and June 2008, Forbes magazine reported that Gwen Stefani earned $27 million for her tour, fashion line, and commercials, making her the world's 10th highest paid music personality at the time.
2007: "The Sweet Escape" success
In 2007, Gwen Stefani's song "The Sweet Escape" reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart, marking a significant achievement for the album.
March 2008: No Doubt Begins Work on New Album
In March 2008, No Doubt began working on a new album without Gwen Stefani while she was promoting The Sweet Escape, planning to complete it after her tour.
March 28, 2008: Songwriting Commences Slowly
On March 28, 2008, Gwen Stefani posted on No Doubt's official fan forum stating that songwriting for their new album had commenced but was slow due to her pregnancy.
June 2008: Forbes Report on Earnings
Between June 2007 and June 2008, Forbes magazine reported that Gwen Stefani earned $27 million for her tour, fashion line, and commercials, making her the world's 10th highest paid music personality at the time.
December 9, 2008: The Singles 1992-2003 in Rock Band 2
On December 9, 2008, No Doubt's album The Singles 1992–2003 became available for the video game Rock Band 2.
May 2009: No Doubt Headlined Bamboozle Festival
In May 2009, No Doubt headlined the Bamboozle festival along with Fall Out Boy.
September 22, 2010: Wax Figure Unveiled at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas
On September 22, 2010, a wax figure of Gwen Stefani was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas at The Venetian.
June 6, 2011: No Plans for Solo Work
On June 6, 2011, Gwen Stefani stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that she had no plans to continue work as a solo artist.
June 7, 2011: Harajuku-themed Tea Party for Charity
On June 7, 2011, Gwen Stefani hosted a private Harajuku-themed tea party at Los Angeles' first Japanese-style maid café and pop art space, Royal/T, with proceeds from the auction going to Save the Children's relief effort, following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
2011: Auctioning Dress at amfAR Gala
During the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Gwen Stefani auctioned off the lacy black dress she wore at the amfAR gala for charity, raising over $125,000. The dress was designed by Stefani for L.A.M.B.
August 2012: Fundraiser with Michelle Obama
In August 2012, Gwen Stefani hosted a fundraiser with First Lady Michelle Obama at the singer's Beverly Hills home.
November 3, 2012: "Looking Hot" Music Video Pulled
On November 3, 2012, No Doubt pulled its music video "Looking Hot" from the Internet after receiving complaints that it was insensitive towards Native Americans.
January 2013: Cameo Appearance in Portlandia
In January 2013, No Doubt made a cameo appearance in a hot air balloon for the third season of Portlandia.
2014: Style Icon Award at People Magazine Awards
In 2014, Gwen Stefani received the Style Icon Award at the first People Magazine Awards.
2016: Collaboration on "Go Ahead and Break My Heart"
In 2016, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton co-wrote the song "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" as they navigated the beginning of their relationship, which was featured on Shelton's album, "If I'm Honest".
2016: Release of This Is What the Truth Feels Like
In 2016, Gwen Stefani released This Is What the Truth Feels Like, which became her first solo album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
2016: Hero Award at Radio Disney Music Awards
In 2016, Gwen Stefani was honored at the Radio Disney Music Awards with a Hero Award, which is given to artists based on their personal contributions to various charitable works.
2017: Collaboration on "You Make It Feel Like Christmas"
In 2017, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton collaborated on the song "You Make It Feel Like Christmas", featured on Stefani's holiday album of the same name.
2017: Release of You Make It Feel Like Christmas
In 2017, Gwen Stefani released her fourth solo album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas, which is her first full-length Christmas album. It charted 19 tracks on Billboard's Holiday Digital Song Sales component chart in the United States.
2019: Support for LGBT Community
In a 2019 Pride Source interview, Gwen Stefani expressed her support for the LGBT community, stating she would be blessed with a gay son and emphasizing her wish for her children to be healthy and happy.
2020: Release of "Nobody but You" with Blake Shelton
In 2020, Gwen Stefani released "Nobody but You" with her husband Blake Shelton. The single reached number 18 in the US.
2023: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Orange County Hall of Fame Induction
In 2023, Gwen Stefani received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the inaugural Orange County Hall of Fame.
2024: Release of Bouquet
In 2024, Gwen Stefani released her fifth studio album titled Bouquet.
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