- Rock band from Orlando Florida, formed in 1995. Original members were Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Kyle Cook (guitar, banjo, backing vocals), Brian Yale (bass), and Paul Doucette (drums, guitar, backing vocals). Adam Gaynor (guitar) was originally with the band, and left in 2004.
- They have released 4 studio albums from 1996 to 2012. Their first album, Yourself or Someone Like You, was their mega-hit, with sales exceeding 12 million copies. Popular singles from the album are 3 AM, Push, Real World, and Back 2 Good. Their second and third albums also exceeded 1 million copies. Their fourth album, North, while only certified Gold (500,000 copies sold), is their only album that peaked at #1 in the U.S. Billboard charts.
- Their musical style is best categorized as pop rock. Their earlier work is more alternative rock, with a grunge-tinge to it.
- Given that the band has been active for over 20 years, they have not released very much music. Rob Thomas has had an active solo career – in particular, he achieved huge success with his collaboration with Santana in 1999 on Smooth, which was written and sung by Thomas. This song was awarded 3 Grammy awards.
- With the release of North in 2012, the band supported the album with a tour. By 2016, there were indications that the band was falling apart, but apparently things changed, because in March 2017, they announced that they are touring again this summer.
- Rob Thomas clearly is the front man for Matchbox Twenty – he writes nearly all of their songs, is the centerpiece of their videos, and his vocals really are the sound of the band. This band is very representative of alternative rock bands that were popular in the 90s. Give a listen to their hit, 3 AM.