# Satellite (P.O.D. album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Cross Rhythms | (Original) (Reissue) |
| Entertainment.ie | |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| NME | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Whipping Post | |
Satellite is the fourth studio album by American Christian nu metal band P.O.D. It was released by Atlantic Records on September 11, 2001. Satellite debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart with over 133,000 copies sold. It spent five consecutive weeks in the top 10 of that chart. It was the band's last album to feature guitarist Marcos Curiel until 2008's When Angels and Serpents Dance.
Satellite went on to sell over three million copies in the U.S., and over seven million worldwide, making it the band's highest-selling album. Satellite was placed at No. 137 on the Billboard's top 200 albums of the decade (2000–2009). It was the 117th best-selling album of 2001 and the 26th best-selling album of 2002 in the United States.

## Album information

Satellite produced four singles, each of which received a music video; "Alive", "Youth of the Nation", "Boom", and title track, "Satellite". All four music videos were included on P.O.D.'s VHS/DVD Still Payin' Dues, released on November 12, 2002.
To promote Satellite, a sampler CD with the songs "Alive," "Boom," "Masterpiece Conspiracy," and "Set It Off" was released by Atlantic Records in 2001. In a 2001 interview with Billboard, drummer and backing vocalist Wuv Bernardo said about Satellite:
   It’s just more mature. Some of the music is slowed down a bit. There’s more emotion going on.
Satellite was certified triple platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) on August 26, 2002. "Alive" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Although not released as a single, "Portrait" was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards. "Youth of the Nation" also earned a nomination in 2003 for "Best Hard Rock Performance".
In July 2021, lead vocalist Sonny Sandoval said about the album:
   With Satellite, we wanted to be more universal, and we wanted people to be able to listen, relate and interpret what they get out of it.

## Reissues

On July 29, 2002, a Limited Edition reissue of the album was announced. It includes a new front cover, three extra songs on the CD, and a bonus DVD containing video footage of four live songs and a behind the scenes video titled "Into the Satellite". Satellite: Limited Edition was released on August 27, 2002; only 100,000 copies were produced.
A CD-exclusive reissue containing both Satellite and The Fundamental Elements of Southtown (1999), the band's third studio album, was released in Europe and South Africa on August 4, 2008. The reissue includes the bonus track "Whatever It Takes".
On June 9, 2021, a remaster of Satellite was announced for the album's twentieth anniversary. The 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition includes a second CD with one dozen bonus tracks and remastered audio; it was released physically on CD and digitally on September 3, 2021. The bonus material on the remaster consists of the three extra songs from the 2002 Limited Edition CD, "Rock the Party (RTP Remix)" (from the Japanese version of the original Satellite album), "Critic" and "Youth of the Nation (Mike$ki Remix)" (both from the Australian and European "Satellite" single), the instrumental song "Sabbath" (from The Warriors EP (1998)), "School of Hard Knocks," and four previously unavailable demos, which include the songs "Armageddon," "Hold You Again," an alternate recording of "School of Hard Knocks" called "Don't Try to Play Me Out," and a demo recording of "Ridiculous".
A vinyl version of the remaster came out the following month on October 8, 2021. The vinyl reissue of Satellite does not include the extra songs from the CD and digital versions of the 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition.
When discussing the inclusion of bonus content on the remastered version of Satellite, Sonny Sandoval stated during an interview in September 2021:
   We had demos, we had all kinds of stuff, so we were like, "Okay. For that real fan that actually cares about that stuff, you know, let's, let's throw it in there and kind of do a double album, double disc."

## Reception

* Rolling Stone (9/27/2001, pp. 67–8) – 4 stars out of 5 – "Explodes beyond the confines of what has become a played-out sound... songs on a passion so fierce they're almost exhausting to listen to.... Without resorting to ham-fisted angst, P.O.D. push all the right emotional buttons."
* Spin (p. 89) – "[They] sang from the heart about school shootings, losing parents, and being truly alive."
* Q (1/02, p. 106) – 3 out of 5 stars - "...heavy, angry, and very, very loud....many songs have messages of peace and spirituality....their Gen-X angst sounds genuine..."
* CMJ (10/1/2001, p. 16) – "[Its] honest spiritual subject matter coupled with crack-your-skull riffs work like a well-oiled machine."

## Legacy

In July 2010, HM Magazine ranked Satellite as the second-best album on their "Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of all time" list, saying it "had perfect timing... and monster jams."
In September 2014, Revolver put Satellite on its "10 Nu-Metal Albums You Need to Own" list. In November 2021, the publication included Satellite on their "20 Essential Nu-Metal Albums", saying "P.O.D. exchanged the gnarlier hardcore of early albums like 1996's Brown for hook-heavy, reggae-infused rap-rock".
In September 2017, Loudwire ranked Satellite as the band's best album, calling it "P.O.D.'s definitive album" and "a record that excels in all aspects". In February 2021, the album was included on Loudwire's list of "The 40 Best Rock Albums of 2001", saying, "After their 1999 breakout, P.O.D. absolutely commanded the airwaves with 2001’s Satellite." In January 2025, the publication ranked Satellite at #28 on their list of "The Top 50 Nu-Metal Albums of All Time (Ranked)", describing it as "Filled with reggae influenced hooks" and saying the album "blew past the band’s previous efforts".
In December 2017, "Alive," "Boom," and "Youth of the Nation" were ranked at #7, #4, and #1, respectively, on "The 10 best P.O.D. songs" list by Louder Sound.
In March 2018, Heaven's Metal Magazine ranked Satellite at #18 on their "Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of all Time" list, saying, "The band's greatness and power gelled on this release, mixing melody with punch." In March 2021, the album was put on their list of "Christian Metal Albums That Changed the Game", saying, "Not only did Satellite sell ridiculously well, it was nominated for 3 Grammys in the Hard Rock and Metal categories." In December 2024, the publication included the album's track "Thinking About Forever" on their "15 Nu Metal Era Songs That Illuminate Faith and Struggle" list.
In June 2020, Kerrang! included Satellite on "The 21 greatest nu-metal albums of all time - ranked" list, saying "the San Diegan quartet pumped fresh lifeblood into the flagging nu-metal machine with this second major label offering."
P.O.D. announced on their official YouTube channel a series of livestream concerts called "Satellite Over Southtown" on April 23, 2021. The band performed Satellite live in its entirety on May 13, 2021.
A tour for Satellite's twentieth anniversary was announced on June 8, 2021. The tour, which included the bands All Good Things, From Ashes to New, and Sleep Signals as special guests, began August 14 and ended October 7, 2021.
In September 2021, Daryl McIntosh of Albumism called Satellite "timely with both its distinctive sound and refreshingly positive message." He stated, "Satellite not only provided the much-needed musical encouragement, but also at times helped me recalibrate spiritually. P.O.D.’s unique fusion of various musical genres provided a sound unlike any other at the time or since."
Bassist and backing vocalist Traa Daniels said about the significance of Satellite during an interview in February 2023:
   You don't realize how much a difference you make until people come up to you and tell you that, you know, that record meant something to them.

## Track listing

All tracks are written by Sonny Sandoval, Traa Daniels, Marcos Curiel, and Wuv Bernardo.
    $^a$ Appears on Greatest Hits: The Atlantic Years compilation (2006)
    $^b$ Live recording appears on The Warriors EP, Volume 2 (2005)

## Personnel

Credits adapted from album liner notes.
* Sonny Sandoval – lead vocals
* Marcos Curiel – guitar, backing vocals
* Traa Daniels – bass guitar, backing vocals
* Wuv Bernardo – drums, backing vocals
Additional musicians
* Jonnie Hall, D.J. Harper, Nils Montan, Healey Moore, Meagan Moore, Colin Sasaki, Laurie Schillinger, Ayanna Williams – children's choir (track 4)
* Eek-A-Mouse – additional vocals (track 7)
* Steve Russell – pre-production assistance (track 7), guitar tech
* Christian Lindskog – additional vocals (track 10)
* Joel Derouin – violin (track 10)
* Larry Corbett – cello (track 10)
* Suzy Katayama – string arrangement and conducting (track 10)
* H.R. – additional vocals (track 13)
* Andres Torres – guitar tech
* Gary Girsh – drum tech
* Howard Benson – keyboards and loops

## Certifications

Certifications and sales for Satellite :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | Gold | 35,000$^^$ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 100,000$^^$ |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 150,000$^^$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Gold | 7,500$^^$ |
| Sweden (GLF) | Gold | 40,000$^^$ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | Gold | 20,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000$^*$ |
| United States (RIAA) | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000$^^$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||

## Awards
### 2001 Grammy Awards

* Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for "Alive" (nominated)

### 2002 MTV Video Music Awards

* Best Video of the Year for "Alive" (nominated)
* Best Group Video for "Alive" (nominated)
* Best Rock Video for "Youth of the Nation" (nominated)
* Best Direction for "Alive" (nominated)
* Best Special Effects for "Alive" (nominated)
* Viewer's Choice for "Alive" (nominated)

### 2002 Grammy Awards

* Best Hard Rock Performance for "Youth of the Nation" (nomination)

### 2002 Teen Choice Music Awards

* Choice Rock Track for "Youth of the Nation" (nomination)
* Choice Album for "Satellite" (nomination)

### 2003 Dove Awards

* Hard Music Recorded Song of the Year for "Boom" (Won)
* Song of the Year for "Youth of the Nation" (nominated)

### 2003 Echo Awards

* Echo Award for Best International Rock/Alternative Group for Satellite (won)

### 2003 Grammy Awards

* Best Metal Performance for "Portrait" (nomination)

## Appearances

* A remixed version of "Set It Off" was featured on the soundtrack to the movie The Scorpion King in 2002.
* "Boom" was featured on the soundtrack to the movies Grind in 2003 and NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience in 2005; "The Crystal Method Remix" version of the song was featured on the soundtrack to the film Biker Boyz in 2003.
* "Youth of the Nation" was featured on the soundtrack to the film Adrenaline in 2003.
* A remixed version of "Satellite" was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life in 2003.
* "Alive," "Boom," and "Youth of the Nation" were released as downloadable content for the video game Rocksmith 2014 in 2019.