1. Everclear
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Before I give any background information about Everclear, I want to explain that this band was the sole reason for me deciding to compose a second article about the future of classic rock. Here's the backstory: On St. Patrick's Day, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across a post from WGN News anchor, Pat Tomasulo, that involved the alcoholic beverage of the same name. So, being the jokester that I am, I commented "Did someone say Everclear?" and posted a link to the music video for their 1995 hit, "Santa Monica," which I have embedded above. After I posted that, I remembered the first article I wrote and realized that I forgot to mention Everclear. So, this article was born.
Anyway, Everclear was formed in Portland, Oregon in 1991. During the group's heyday, the lineup consisted of a trio: Art Alexakis (vox/guitar), Craig Montoya (bass) and Greg Eklund (drums). In 1993, the band released their debut album, World of Noise, independently. This album, along with its predecessor, an EP called Nervous & Weird, were recorded in the basement of a friend of Alexakis using whatever musical gear they could afford on what little money they had. After being signed to Capitol Records in 1994, Everclear would release their sophomore effort, Sparkle and Fade, in 1995. This album contained their first hit, "Santa Monica." The success of "Santa Monica," which peaked at #29, would propel the band to even bigger heights. Sparkle and Fade, as well as their next two albums, So Much for the Afterglow (1997) and Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile (2000), would go on to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
2. Tool
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Formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, this progressive metal quartet originally consisted of Maynard James Keenan (vocals), Adam Jones (guitar), Danny Carey (drums) and Paul D'Amour (bass). However, D'Amour would leave the band in 1995, and was replaced by current bassist Justin Chancellor. This configuration has remained constant to this day. In 1993, Tool released their debut album, Undertow. The album would go on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA, due in part to the success of singles such as "Sober" and "Prison Sex". These songs became hits because of their gruesome stop-motion music videos, directed by Jones, who has since directed all of their future music videos. In September of 1996, the group released their sophomore effort, Ænima. In 1999, frontman Maynard James Keenan formed a side project, A Perfect Circle. But it is his work with Tool that made him a household name. Tool's fifth studio album will be released later in 2019, after spending thirteen years in development hell.
3. Coldplay
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The first foreign band on this list comes to us by way of London, England. Formed in 1996 by a quartet of college students, Coldplay found success in 2000 with their debut single, "Yellow," and subsequent debut album, Parachutes. The music video for "Yellow," embedded above, is notable for having been shot in a single continuous take. Their initial success would further continue with their sophomore effort, 2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head. In 2008, their fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, would become that year's best-selling album.
4. Soul Asylum
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This Minneapolis-based band is a prime example of why you should never give up. Soul Asylum formed in 1981. It took twelve years and six albums under their belt before they scored a hit with the Grammy-winning single, "Runaway Train." The song's music video, embedded above, is quite a tear-jerker, so I suggest making sure you have a box of tissues nearby before watching it.
5. Evanescence
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This gothic rock band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995. After recording three EPs and a full-length demo, Evanescence was signed to Wind-up Records in 2002. Their major-label debut, Fallen (2003), sold 17 million copies worldwide, garnering seven Grammy nominations and two wins. The success of the album was capitalized upon with four major hit singles, "Bring Me to Life," "My Immortal," "Going Under" and "Everybody's Fool." After a three-year wait, the group released their sophomore effort, The Open Door. The band went through some tough times during the recording of this album, such as the departure of founding member Ben Moody, guitarist Terry Balsamo suffering a stroke, as well as the death of their former manager. Nonetheless, the album would sell more than five million copies worldwide, and Evanescence became a force to be reckoned with.
6. Blink-182
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This SoCal-based pop-punk trio was formed in 1992. The original lineup consisted of Mark Hoppus (vocals/bass), Tom DeLonge (vocals/guitar) and Scott Raynor (drums). After recording three demos, the trio released their debut album, 1995's Cheshire Cat, on independent label Cargo Records. This album flopped in the US, but it managed to achieve enough success overseas for MCA Records to sign the band in 1996. Their sophomore release, Dude Ranch (1997), would propel the band to success. This album, their last with Raynor, went Platinum, due to the success of the single "Dammit" and a successful performance at Vans Warped Tour. When the band found a replacement for Raynor in Travis Barker, Blink-182 would become some of the biggest superstars of the late 1990s. However, with fame comes controversy. The music video for their 1999 hit, "What's My Age Again?," garnered controversy because it consisted of the trio running through Los Angeles...nude. Nevertheless, Blink-182 would go on to be one of the most influential pop-punk bands of all time.
7. Mutemath
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The most recent act on this list, Mutemath was formed in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2002. Their debut release, an EP called Reset, was released in September 2004 by Teleprompt Records. a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records. Despite going out of print in America in 2006, Reset was re-released in the United Kingdom in July 2007. Their first full-length release, a self-titled album, was released in January 2006 and was a sleeper hit. An expanded issue of the album was released in September 2006. In addition to the tracks from the initial release, the new version also featured the tracks from Reset, including one of their biggest hits, "Control." Their biggest hit, "Typical," features one of the coolest music videos you'll ever see. The Grammy-nominated video, embedded above, was shot in reverse, taking inspiration from the music video for "The Scientist" by Coldplay.
8. The Mars Volta
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After the breakup of El Paso, Texas-based post-hardcore band, At the Drive-In, in 2001, vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez decided to form a new band. This new band became known as The Mars Volta. Unlike its predecessor, The Mars Volta was based around the progressive rock subgenre. The band released their debut recording, a 3-song EP called Tremulant, in April of 2002. This EP would set the stage for their first full-length project, a concept album called De-Loused in the Comatorium. This album was released in the summer of 2003, and featured Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, Flea, on bass. De-Loused in the Comatorium would receive universal acclaim. In an article called "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time," Rolling Stone magazine would list it as the 25th greatest prog rock album of all time. Unfortunately, The Mars Volta disbanded in 2013. Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez would go on to reform At the Drive-In. Yet The Mars Volta left behind an impressive legacy of six great progressive rock concept albums.
9. Fountains of Wayne
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WARNING: VIDEO IS NSFW! (NOT SAFE FOR WORK)
This NYC-based one-hit wonder formed in 1995. Their big hit, "Stacy's Mom," was heavily inspired by 80s pop culture. The song itself bears similarities to The Cars' 1978 smash, "Just What I Needed," while its infamous music video was inspired by the 1982 teen comedy, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The music video starred supermodel Rachel Hunter as the song's title character. "Stacy's Mom" peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received a nod for Best Vocal Pop Performance at the Grammys.
10. Disturbed
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Disturbed was formed in 1994 in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Their debut album, 2000's The Sickness, propelled the band to stardom. The album peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 chart and went on to go quadruple-Platinum in the United States. The band is also known for reinventing classic songs, such as "Shout" by Tears for Fears, "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel, as well as "Land of Confusion" by Genesis.
11. Transatlantic
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Transatlantic may be the most obscure band on this list, but its members are all veterans in the world of prog: former Spock's Beard frontman Neal Morse (vox/keys/guitar), ex-Dream Theater member Mike Portnoy (drums/vox), Flower Kings frontman Roine Stolt (guitar/vox), and former Marillion member Pete Trewevas (bass/vox). The band got its name from the fact that their members are from both sides of the Atlantic ocean: Morse and Portnoy are Americans, Stolt is Swedish, and Trewevas is British. These four heavy-hitters of prog came together in 1999. They released two albums before initially disbanding in 2002: SMPT:e (2000) and Bridge Across Forever (2001). However, the supergroup would reunite in 2009 to create their third album, The Whirlwind. Finally, if your local classic rock radio station does add Transatlantic to their catalog, don't expect to hear them too often. Almost all of their songs exceed 10 minutes in length. In fact, The Whirlwind's title track takes up the entire album! "Bridge Across Forever," the song that I have embedded above, is one of the only songs by this group that you could expect to actually hear on the radio.
12. Beck
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The first of two solo artists on this list, Beck was born in Los Angeles on July 8, 1970. As a teenager, he gravitated towards hip-hop and folk music. So, he moved to New York City in 1989 to become immersed in the city's anti-folk movement. Upon returning to LA a few years later, he wrote his breakthrough single, "Loser." "Loser" was originally released in March 1993 as a 12" vinyl single from independent label Bong Load Custom Records. The song gained popularity, which led to a DGC Records, a subsidiary of Geffen Records, to sign Beck. DGC re-released "Loser" in 1994 and the song blew up. It peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was subsequently included in his major-label debut, Mellow Gold. His success would not stop there. In 1996, Beck released his second major-label album, Odelay. Odelay was universally well-received, gaining a nod for Album of the Year at the Grammys. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Odelay at #306 in their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." Beck is still getting recognition to this day. After his 2014 album, Morning Phase, won Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2015, Kanye West nearly crashed his acceptance speech to claim that Beyonce should have won the award, a maneuver he did six years earlier with Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards.
13. The Strokes
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Hailing from NYC, this garage rock quintet formed in 1998. The band sent a 14-track demo tape to a newly-formed indie label from the UK, Rough Trade Records. The label signed them, and they recorded their debut EP, The Modern Age (2001). The EP was met with critical acclaim, resulting in The Strokes being involved in a bidding war with record labels. The band ultimately went with RCA Records. In October 2001, RCA put out their debut full-length album, Is This It. The album was met with universal praise, with Rolling Stone magazine calling it the eighth best debut album of all time, as well as #199 on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.
14. Creed
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This next band is one of those bands where you either love them or hate them. There's no in-between. Creed was formed in Tallahassee, Florida in 1993. Widely regarded as a Christian metal band, something that the band members have denied, they released three albums before their initial breakup in 2004: My Own Prison (1997), Human Clay (1999), and Weathered (2001). These albums have all gone multi-Platinum, with Human Clay also being certified Diamond. Creed has also received a Grammy award, with "With Arms Wide Open" winning the Best Rock Song category in 2001. After they broke up in 2004, guitarist Mark Tremonti would go on to form another successful band, Alter Bridge. Yet Creed would reunite in 2009 for their fourth album, Full Circle. Creed would disband again in 2012, this time for good. After this break-up, Tremonti would form a third band, Tremonti, while continuing his work with Alter Bridge.
15. Nightwish
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Hailing from Finland, this symphonic metal band was formed in 1996. Known for operatic female vocals, the band released their debut album, Angels Fall First, the following year. The album was a major hit in their homeland, but it didn't fare as well internationally. All of that changed, however, with the release of their sophomore effort, Oceanborn, in 1998. Their international success would continue with their third and fourth albums, Wishmaster (2000) and Century Child (2002). Despite their international success, the band still had to break through the American market. They were able to due this with their 2004 album, Once, due to the success of the single "Wish I Had an Angel." Unfortunately, Once would be their last album with original frontwoman Tanja Turunen. In 2005, Turunen was dismissed from the band, citing that her husband and commercial interests had changed her attitude towards the band. The band would eventually choose Swedish singer Anette Olzon as the replacement for Turunen. While lacking the operatic vocals showcased by Turunen, the band would reach their peak of commercial success with Olzon as their lead singer. However, Olzon was dismissed from the band in 2012 due the birth of her third child. The band chose Dutch vocalist Floor Jansen as her replacement, and Jansen is still with the band today. Nightwish is currently the third best-selling artist in Finland.
16. Counting Crows
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This septet (originally a sextet) was formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. The band first gained recognition after filling in for Sir Van Morrison at the 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where they performed Morrison's 1970 hit, "Caravan." Later that year, the band was signed to Geffen Records and they released their debut album, August and Everything After. Produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett, this album propelled Counting Crows to superstardom. Containing notable hits like "Mr. Jones" and "Rain King," August and Everything After would go on to be certified 7x-Platinum by the RIAA. The band would go on to record a song for the 2004 animated film, Shrek 2. The song, "Accidentally in Love," would get an Oscar nod for the Best Original Song category. Counting Crows have sold a total of 20 million albums worldwide.
17. Silverchair
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This grunge trio comes to us from Newcastle, Australia. Originally known as Innocent Criminals, Ben Gillies (drums), Daniel Johns (vocals/guitar) and Chris Joannou (bass) formed in 1992, when they were all 13 years old. In April 1994, the band entered a national competition hosted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)-owned radio station Triple J with a demo version of their song "Tomorrow." They won the competition, and, as a prize for winning, the song was recorded by Triple J and a music video was filmed by the ABC. By the time the video was broadcast on TV in June 1994, the band had changed their name to Silverchair. The success of this broadcast sparked a bidding war with major labels. The trio ultimately signed with Sony Music subsidiary Murmur Records. In March 1995, the high-schoolers released their debut album, Frogstomp, which contained a re-recorded version of "Tomorrow." Frogstomp went on to top the album charts in Australia and New Zealand, as well as hitting the top 10 of the Billboard 200 charts in the United States. Silverchair would go on to win more ARIA Music Awards, the Australian version of the Grammys, than any artist in history, winning 21 awards from 49 nominations. The trio disbanded in 2011.
18. Collective Soul
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I would not be surprised if this next band was already on classic rock radio. Collective Soul was formed in 1992 in Stockbridge, Georgia. Lead singer Ed Roland enlisted a group of musicians to recorded a demo in 1993. He intended to sell the songs on the demo to a publishing company as a solo artist. The demo was submitted to WRAS-FM, the student-run radio station at Georgia State University. One of the demo's tracks, "Shine," was added to the station's regular rotation and it became a favorite among listeners. The demo was also passed along to WJRR in Orlando, Florida, where "Shine" also became a listener favorite. The song's sudden popularity caused Ed Roland to form a band, enlisting his brother Dean on rhythm guitar, Ross Childress on lead guitar, Will Turpin on bass, and Scott Evans on drums. This configuration of Collective Soul was signed to Atlantic Records. The label decided to release the initial demo as the band's debut album, titled Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid. While the band was reluctant to release the unpolished demo as their debut, Collective Soul became a household name, and Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid went on to achieve double-Platinum certification. In 1995, the band released their eponymous sophomore album. This album would be certified triple-Platinum and remained on the Billboard 200 chart for an impressive 76 weeks. Collective Soul will be releasing their 10th studio album, Blood, in 2019.
19. Kid Rock
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Born Robert James Ritchie on January 17, 1971, Kid Rock hails from the small town of Romeo, Michigan. A self-taught musician, Rock started his career in the late 1980s as a rapper and DJ. With the help of Boogie Down Productions member D-Nice, Kid Rock was signed to Jive Records at the age of 17. His debut album, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, was released in 1990. However, unfavorable comparisons to Vanilla Ice led to him getting dropped from Jive Records. He would go on to sign with independent label Continuum Records in 1992. His sophomore effort, 1993's The Polyfuze Method, incorporated more of a rock-oriented sound. 1993 also saw the release of an EP, Fire It Up. This EP contained the first of three versions of his song "I Am the Bullgod," as well as a cover of "A Country Boy Can Survive" by Hank Williams, Jr. In 1994, Rock had begun to incorporate live instrumentation during performances, which led to him forming a band called Twisted Brown Trucker. Rock's singing talent was discovered when he recorded a reworked version of Billy Joel's 1980 hit, "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," re-titled as "It's Still East Detroit to Me," with producer Mike E. Clark. Clark suggested that Rock should sing more often. Fast-forwarding to 1998, Kid Rock had fully developed his on-stage persona and recorded his breakthrough album, Devil Without a Cause. In November 2001, Kid Rock released his fifth studio effort, Cocky, which featured one of his signature hits, a duet with Sheryl Crow entitled "Picture." So, despite his beginnings as a rapper, it is Kid Rock's works in the country and rock genres that are what he's most well known for.
20. Audioslave
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Concluding this list is yet another supergroup. Formed in Glendale, California in 2001, this all-star quartet consists of Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello (lead guitar), Tim Commerford (bass/backing vocals), Brad Wilk (drums), and the late great Chris Cornell of Soundgarden on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. Their eponymous debut album (2002) was panned by critics for sounding too much like a fusion of Soundgarden and RATM. However, after the release of their second album, Out of Exile (2005), nay-sayers were quick to change their minds. After the band released one more album, 2006's Revelations, to critical acclaim, Audioslave disbanded in 2007. The quartet would reunite for a one-off gig on January 20, 2017 to protest against the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Unfortunately, any plans for a future reunion were halted after Cornell tragically committed suicide nearly four months later.
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