During Creed‘s heyday, frontman Scott Stapp was often compared to Eddie Vedder, though not necessarily in a good way. Critics would dismiss Creed as Pearl Jam rip-offs and would accuse Stapp specifically of cribbing Vedder’s singing style.
Decades later, Stapp is now taking those comments in stride.
“Hey, they said the same thing about Darius Rucker,” Stapp tells Guitar World. “He was the Eddie Vedder rip-off before they called me the Eddie Vedder rip-off.”
He adds, “I felt like I was in good company, and I was honored by the compliment.”
In general, the cultural perception around Creed seems to have shifted since they were topping the charts with hits including “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open.” Once a mainstay on “most hated bands” lists, Creed is now selling out shows on a reunion tour, appearing in Super Bowl commercials and getting shout-outs from acclaimed artists like SZA.
“I’ve always said that Creed was cool with the fans,” Stapp says. “The critics and the media painted this narrative that didn’t reflect 95 percent of the population.”
“You don’t sell millions of records and sell out multiple nights in arenas if you’re uncool,” he continues. “The media put this idea out there because we were so big, and it wasn’t the story they wanted moving forward. But it’s the people that matter, not the press.”
Creed’s reunion tour launches July 17 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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