YMMV / Creed (Band)

• Anvilicious: Scott Stapp isn't exactly known to be a master of subtlety, but even compensating for that, "In America" is still incredibly blunt.
• Broken Base:
  • Scott Stapp's vocals. They either make or break the band's music with their quite liberal use of Yarling and is often the one thing that either makes a devoted fan or a caustic critic.
  • During their heyday there was the debate of whether or not they could be considered a Christian Rock act. Proponents pointed towards the Christian themes in their music that often crossed into Anvilicious territory while opponents pointed out that they otherwise had nothing to do with the Christian music scene and certainly didn't act like a Christian band off the stage.
• Condemned by History: The backlash began right around the time they broke up and didn't slow down for years; for a time it was almost a social taboo to say that you were a Creed fan and just about everyone was ashamed of the Creed album they owned circa 2000. In 2013, readers of Rolling Stone voted them as the worst band of the 1990s by such a wide margin the editors claimed the competition "wasn't even close", with much maligned Nickelback coming in a distant second. When Creed got back together and released Full Circle in 2009, it was slammed by critics and was a commercial failure, barely going gold. The subsequent concert tour didn't fare much better, with tickets for a Birmingham concert dropping to as low as 75 cents. That being said, as of late 2023, Creed seems to be experiencing a resurgence in popularity, and may be on the way to Vindicated by History status. In this video, one commentator posits that the public perception of Creed is beginning to shift to metamodern appreciation, in which people may acknowledge Creed's goofier aspects, but still love the music on a genuine level. A lot of this may have to do with Creed's original elder Millennial fanbase becoming old enough not to care whether or not the band is considered "cool" by tastemakers, and younger generations' exposure to them through memery. Notably, the song "Higher" experienced a resurgence in exposure when it was reported that the Texas Rangers had been listening to it for motivation. This culminated in Creed themselves attending a Rangers game and singing along with fans, and the Rangers eventually winning the 2023 World Series. In 2024, they were featured prominently in a commercial for Paramount + during Super Bowl LVIII. Creed's "Summer Of '99" tour announcement for 2024 was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, and some Creed fans have begun dubbing themselves "Crifties".
• Critical Backlash: They are the only band to rival Nickelback as the internet's favorite musical punching bag, a fact not helped by Scott Stapp's notoriously abrasive behavior and alcohol-fueled stage antics, but recent years have seen more people develop a more nuanced view of them, acknowledging genuine merit in their music and believing, much like Nickelback, that they are not nearly as deserving of the snark and vitriol they have received as many have insisted.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Mark Tremonti, who is considered a skilled guitarist (though mostly for his work in Alter Bridge and Tremonti).
• Fandom Rivalry: With Pearl Jam, whose fans accuse Scott Stapp of ripping off Eddie Vedder's singing style.
• First Installment Wins: Some critics of the band admit that their first album, My Own Prison, is genuinely good and better than anything they produced afterwards.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: They're very popular in Brazil.
• Memetic Mutation: Scott's singing. And of course his last name, STAAAAAPPP!!!!!
• Signature Song: "With Arms Wide Open" and "Higher".
• Surprisingly Improved Sequel: Alter Bridge, who consist of Creed minus their most controversial member.
• Suspiciously Similar Song: "What's This Life For" has a similar (but not the same) chord progression and tempo as "Knockin' On Heaven's Door."
• Tear Jerker: "My Sacrifice," "With Arms Wide Open," "One Last Breath" and "Don't Stop Dancing" come to mind.
• They Copied It, So It Sucks!: A third or so of the hate for them originates from how much they copy supposedly better bands, namely Pearl Jam.

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