MATCHBOX 20 FACTS
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock, Post-Grunge
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
Albums: Yourself or Someone Like You (1996), Mad Season (2000), More Than You Think You Are (2002) and North (2012).
Awards: 2 MTV Video Music Awards, 3 American Music Awards and 1 Grammy Award.
Hits: "Unwell," "How Far We've Come," "3 A.M.," "If You're Gone," "Bent," "She's So Mean," "Push," and "Bright Lights."
Other: Matchbox 20 picked its name after seeing a restaurant patron wearing a softball T-shirt with the number 20 and a series of patches that featured the word "matchbox."
Matchbox 20 is one of the most successful pop rock groups of the late '90s and early 2000s, and has parlayed their success into millions of records sold and a plethora of fans worldwide. The group, consisting of frontman Rob Thomas, bass guitarist Brian Yale, lead guitarist Kyle Cook and drummer Paul Doucette, first hit the American music scene in 1996 with the release of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You. The album featured such successful singles as "Push," "Long Day," "3 A.M." and "Real World," and achieved diamond status in the U.S. as well as multi-platinum distinctions in a number of countries around the world.
While many critics were quick to write off Matchbox 20 as one-hit wonders, the group showed remarkable staying power and was undeniably the most popular American rock band of the late '90s. After the runaway success of their debut album, the group came back swinging in 2001 with Mad Season, which netted a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Album. The single "Bent" hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and "If You're Gone" also became a multi-platinum success. The group came back in 2002 with the release of More Than You Think You Are, which spawned successful singles like "Disease," "Unwell" and "Bright Lights."
After achieving superstar status in the U.S., Matchbox 20 went on a long hiatus as Rob Thomas pursued his solo career and the band members worked on a variety of side projects. By late 2010, the group went back into the studio to begin working on new material and released their fourth studio album, North. The record featured the band's first new single in years, "She's So Mean," and followed up its release with a worldwide tour to promote their newest work.