The Better Life
The Better Life is the debut studio album by American rock band 3 Doors Down, released on February 8, 2000. It has become 7× Platinum since release. This is the only album on which lead singer Brad Arnold played drums. "Kryptonite", "Loser", and "Be Like That" all reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 3, No. 55, and No. 24, respectively. The Better Life sold over six million copies worldwide.[5]
The Better Life | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 8, 2000 | |||
Recorded | 1999 | |||
Studio | New York City, New York, U.S. | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:43 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Paul Ebersold | |||
3 Doors Down chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Better Life | ||||
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Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | B−[3] |
Robert Christgau | C+[4] |
It is the band's best-selling album to date, with sales of over 5,653,000 copies in the United States, as of July 2014.[6]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Brad Arnold.
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Kryptonite" |
| 3:53 |
2. | "Loser" |
| 4:24 |
3. | "Duck and Run" |
| 3:52 |
4. | "Not Enough" |
| 3:16 |
5. | "Be Like That" |
| 4:25 |
6. | "Life of My Own" |
| 3:59 |
7. | "Better Life" |
| 3:05 |
8. | "Down Poison" |
| 4:22 |
9. | "By My Side" |
| 3:20 |
10. | "Smack" |
| 2:30 |
11. | "So I Need You" |
| 3:51 |
Total length: | 40:43 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Loser" (live) | 5:28 |
13. | "Life of My Own" (live) | 4:37 |
14. | "Kryptonite" (live) | 3:49 |
Total length: | 54:39 |
Deluxe edition bonus CD
A deluxe edition with a second disc was released on September 18, 2007, and featured a live performance recorded at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston, Texas.
Personnel
Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[7]
3 Doors Down
- Brad Arnold – lead vocals, drums
- Matt Roberts – rhythm and lead guitars
- Chris Henderson – rhythm and lead guitars
- Todd Harrell – bass guitar
Additional musicians
- Kevin Paige – keyboards (tracks 2, 3, 5)
Production
- Paul Ebersold – producer, engineer
- Matt Martone – engineer
- Toby Wright – mixing
- Mike Butler – mixing assistant
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Andrew Garver – digital editing
Singles
- "Kryptonite" – 2000
- "Loser" – July 29, 2000
- "Duck and Run" – 2000
- "Be Like That" – May 20, 2001
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
|
Decade-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[19] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[20] | 7× Platinum | 5,653,000[6] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- "The Better Life". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- Allmusic review
- Entertainment Weekly review
- "CG: 3 doors down". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
- Archived September 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Grein, Paul (June 24, 2014). "USA: Top 20 New Acts Since 2000". Yahoo! Music.
- The Better Life (booklet). Republic, Universal Records. 2000.
- "3 Doors Down Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- "3 Doors Down Chart History: Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- "3 Doors Down Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- "Australiancharts.com – 3 Doors Down – The Better Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "Austriancharts.at – 3 Doors Down – The Better Life" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "Ultratop.be – 3 Doors Down – The Better Life" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – 3 Doors Down – The Better Life" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "3 Doors Down: The Better Life" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – 3 Doors Down – The Better Life" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "Charts.nz – 3 Doors Down – The Better Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "3 Doors Down Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "Canadian album certifications – 3 Doors Down – The Better Life". Music Canada.
- "American album certifications – 3 Doors Down – The Better Life". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 28, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
External links
- The Better Life at MusicBrainz (list of releases)