Now, Creed is credited with resuscitating rock music and critics are scrambling to explain the band's appeal. Band members attribute their success to pent-up consumer demand for hard rock. Tremonti's analysis notwithstanding, solid songwriting factors largely into Creed's success. The band's music is spiritual, heroic and unabashedly positive - the perfect tonic for rock fans weary of jaded alternative pop. The band's appeal, however, extends well beyond its music.
Creed enjoys an enviable, almost familial rapport with their fans.
The download created a grassroots street buzz and demonstrated how the Internet can be used to stoke consumer interest. The recordings resulted in an independently produced CD titled My Own Prison . The disc caught the attention of BMG, which inked a distribution deal with the band. Now, perched firmly atop the modern rock heap, fans are wondering just how much higher Stapp, Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips can climb. Such resourcefulness bodes well for Creed's future.