3 Classic Rock Bands That Surprisingly Hit No. 1 in 2000

When it comes to popular music in 2000, one thing was certainly true. Pop music reigned supreme. If you look at the charts during the first year of the new millennium, you will see glitzy pop star after glitzy pop star. Names like Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, and Destiny’s Child owned the Billboard Hot 100.

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But just because pop was all the rage in 2000 doesn’t mean there weren’t a few classic rockers who found their way to the top spot. And that’s just what we wanted to dive into below. Indeed, these are three classic rock bands that surprisingly hit No. 1 in 2000.

“Maria Maria” by Santana from ‘Supernatural’ (1999)

In the 1960s, folks in the Bay Area knew the name Santana. He was an up-and-coming guitarist making waves in the West Coast region. And at the end of the decade, Carlos Santana and his band became a household name thanks to his performance at Woodstock. But even with all that, it would be hard for fans then to imagine that he would have No. 1 songs in 1999 and 2000—decades removed from his rise to stardom. Yet, Santana had an incredible second act thanks to his 1999 LP Supernatural, which led to several No. 1 songs, including the sultry “Maria Maria”, which hit No. 1 for 10 weeks in a row.

“With Arms Wide Open” by Creed from ‘Human Clay’ (2000)

At the turn of the new millennium, one of the biggest names in music was the rock band Creed. The group’s LP, Human Clay, led to several giant hit songs, including “With Arms Wide Open”, which took the No. 1 spot the week of November 11, 2000. Sadly for Creed, the bloom on the rose didn’t last long. They were soon derided for their religious connotations in their music. But before all that could take place, the rock group enjoyed the rare feeling of hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100.

“Bent” by Matchbox 20 from ‘Mad Season’ (2000)

Not only did Matchbox 20 lead vocalist Rob Thomas see his song with Santana, “Smooth”, hit No. 1 in 1999, but Thomas and his band garnered their own No. 1 tune in 2000 with the release of their catchy rock track, “Bent”. Around the turn of the millennium, Thomas was one of the hottest names in music. The handsome songwriter and performer seemed to do no wrong then. He wrote hits and earned the praise of fans of all ages. Sounds like an incredible life!

Photo by Jimmy Fontaine / Courtesy Atlantic Records