Creed

Creed emerged from the same North Florida club circuit that spawned fellow chart-champions Matchbox Twenty. Led by singer Scott Stapp, Creed's mainstream rock sound was heavily influenced by the Doors, Pearl Jam, and the Christian psalms Stapp's father once forced him to copy down as punishment. On the band's multimillion-selling debut album, My Own Prison, Stapp's dramatic baritone tackled themes of unity, tolerance, and his own spiritual crises.

Photo by Markus Klinko