Led by vocalist Natalie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs combined danceable rhythms, jangly guitars, catchy melodies, and liberal politics to create a super-accessible version of 1980s college rock. The band broke into the mainstream with a cover of Cat Stevens's classic "Peace Train," and followed up with a string of successful, well-crafted albums. In 1993 the act scored a massive pop hit with a live cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Because the Night," off their MTV UNPLUGGED album. After Merchant left the band for a successful solo career, 10,000 Maniacs soldiered on with former member Mary Ramsey at the helm, never quite achieving the same level of success, but scoring a top 40 hit in 1997 with another cover (Roxy Music's "More Than This").


















![Live At Reading [11/3] (CD) ~ Nirvana (Artist) Cover Art](http://i43.tower.com/images/ss113870667/live-reading-nirvana-cd-cover-art.jpg)













