3 Doors Down Broke Through to the Mainstream With ‘Away from the Sun’
3 Doors Down is one of those special bands that has a pure, real rock ‘n’ roll sound but has also crossed over to the mainstream. They’re kind of like Nickelback in the sense that they have a huge mainstream following and have been played all over Top 40 radio, but they’re still a rock band at heart. These guys just know how to write relatable songs with catchy hooks and singable melodies, and millions of people love it.
3 Doors Down’s Away from the Sun album arrived on Nov. 12, 2002. At the time, the guys were already huge on rock radio, thanks to their blockbuster debut album, 2000’s The Better Life. Let’s look into these albums and what they mean for 3 Doors Down’s legacy.
3 Doors Down Went Mainstream With ‘Away from the Sun’
When 3 Doors Down came on the scene with “Kryptonite” in 2000, nobody in the band expected it to really take off like it did.
When asked if he thought The Better Life and songs off that album would have such an impact, lead vocalist Brad Arnold told All About the Rock that they didn’t and that the band really wrote the album for their friends.
“We liked the songs and most of those songs we wrote when we was teenagers,” he said, adding that they “played them around town and our friends seemed to like them so that was a good indication for them I guess. But at the same time, we never dreamed we’d have that kind of success.”
So, how does one follow-up an incredible debut album? 3 Doors Down came back with Away from the Sun, which proved to be even bigger. Songs such as “When I’m Gone” and “Here Without You” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making 3 Doors Down a household name.
Arnold told Cryptic Rock that Away from the Sun solidified 3 Doors Down as a band.
“There are plenty of one hit wonder bands, but there are also plenty of one hit album bands too; Away from the Sun really saved us from that,” he said.
Arnold also said that Away from the Sun was a more adult album, because he was 23 when he wrote it, but he was only 16 when he wrote “Kryptonite.” So, the album had deeper emotions and talked about more adult situations.
I’m a fan of both albums, but you have to admit that Away from the Sun simply has those massive hits that everyone recognizes, no matter their musical taste. That’s partly what makes 3 Doors Down special: their ability to appeal to pop and rock fans alike.
