Creed

The band's debut album My Own Prison (1997) was originally released independently before being picked up by Wind-up Records, and went on to produce four number-one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart — an unprecedented achievement for a debut album. The follow-up Human Clay (1999) surpassed even those extraordinary numbers, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and eventually selling over eleven million copies in the United States alone. The album's centerpiece Higher became one of the defining rock radio tracks of its era, spending an astonishing 17 weeks at number one on the Mainstream Rock chart and crossing over to mainstream pop audiences in a way few hard rock songs managed during that period.

Weathered (2001) debuted at number one and produced the massive hit My Sacrifice, demonstrating that Creed's commercial appeal showed no signs of diminishing even as critical opinion remained polarized. The band's Christian-influenced lyrical themes — while never explicitly denominational — resonated deeply with a segment of the rock audience that felt underserved by the more nihilistic strains of alternative rock, and contributed to a level of fan loyalty that proved remarkably durable. Creed disbanded in 2004 amid personal tensions, most notably between Stapp and his bandmates, with Tremonti going on to form the highly successful Alter Bridge with Marshall and Phillips. The classic lineup reunited in 2009 for the album Full Circle and subsequent touring, and again in 2023 for a full reunion tour that demonstrated their enduring audience appeal nearly two decades after their initial breakup.