Creed is an American rock band formed in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1994. Built around vocalist Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti, the original lineup also included bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. The group became one of the defining acts of the late 1990s post-grunge era, combining thick guitar tones, dramatic melodies, arena-sized choruses, and lyrics concerned with struggle, belief, redemption, and personal responsibility.
Stapp and Tremonti had known each other since high school and began writing songs together after reconnecting in Florida. With Marshall and Phillips completing the lineup, the band developed a direct, muscular sound that drew from grunge, hard rock, and alternative metal while favoring accessible song structures. Creed initially operated through its own Blue Collar label, recording its debut album, My Own Prison, on a modest budget. After the independent release attracted attention, Wind-up Records signed the band and issued a remixed version in 1997.
My Own Prison became a major commercial breakthrough. Its title track, "Torn," "What's This Life For," and "One" all reached the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, an unusual achievement for a debut album. The record established Stapp's resonant baritone and Tremonti's riff-driven guitar style as the central elements of the band's identity. Creed's references to spirituality led some observers to associate the group with Christian rock, although the band generally resisted being defined by that category.
The follow-up, Human Clay, transformed Creed from a successful new act into a mainstream rock powerhouse. Released in 1999, it debuted at number one and produced several of the band's best-known songs, including "Higher," "What If," and "With Arms Wide Open." The latter became Creed's first number one pop hit and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. Its accompanying music video helped give the band a broad television presence, presenting the group in a polished but emotionally earnest style that matched its crossover ambitions.
Marshall left Creed in 2000 after a period of public controversy and was replaced on tour by Brett Hestla. For the 2001 album Weathered, Tremonti handled the bass parts in the studio. The album continued the band's commercial run, led by the singles "My Sacrifice" and "One Last Breath." Creed's popularity remained substantial, but the group also faced increasingly hostile critical reaction. Reviewers often regarded its music as formulaic, while Stapp's public image and the pressures surrounding the band's success intensified internal tensions.
Creed officially broke up in 2004. Tremonti, Phillips, and Marshall soon formed Alter Bridge with vocalist Myles Kennedy, while Stapp pursued a solo career. The original quartet reunited in 2009 and released Full Circle, followed by extensive touring and the live album Creed Live. After another period of activity, the band entered a second extended hiatus in 2013.
In 2023, Creed announced another reunion, returning to the stage during a renewed wave of interest in early-2000s rock. Their songs, particularly "Higher," "With Arms Wide Open," and "My Sacrifice," had gained fresh visibility through sports culture and social media. The reunion tours of 2024 and 2025 reaffirmed the band's place as a durable arena-rock act, preserving a catalog that remains closely associated with the sound and ambitions of turn-of-the-century American rock.