3 Doors Down

Whether music snobs like it or not, the Mississippi-birthed, meat-and-potatoes rock act 3 Doors Down has survived – and thrived – for more than a decade and a half now. Even those who can't identify by name the staples of the "active rock radio" format can hum along with the band's first breakout hit, "Kryptonite," from its 2000 debut album, The Better Life. Formed in 1994 in the wake of grunge's mainstream breakthrough/implosion, the band mined the more obvious motifs of the genre to create a big-chorused sound that went down easily. Extremely easily – The Better Life has, in the nine years since its release, gone platinum six times over.

And that hit was no one-time wonder. Each of the band's successive four albums has gone platinum. Its success has doubtlessly been bolstered by the rising popularity of similarly minded populist acts like Daughtry, Nickelback, and Seether – all of whom 3 Doors Down has shared the stage with. As well, the band remains committed to charity work and causes that the Everyman feels good about getting behind – see "Citizen/Soldier," a tribute to the National Guard, from the band's latest album, 3 Doors Down. To put it simply, 3 Doors Down continues to pack large venues like the outdoor amphitheater in Mizner Park, and many of your favorite blog bands do not. For some, that may be a bitter pill to swallow, but the band's many fans couldn't care less.