Limp Bizkit’s third album, *Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water*, made a huge splash when it was released in October 2000. The album sold over a million copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling rock album ever. It topped the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Guitarist Wes Borland shared his surprise at the album’s success, saying, “I never thought Limp Bizkit was gonna be as large as it was. Then the record sold a million in the first week. It was just ridiculous.” The band worked with producer Terry Date at Larrabee Studios in Los Angeles after a short stint with Rick Rubin. Borland, lead singer Fred Durst, bassist Sam Rivers, drummer John Otto, and DJ Lethal recorded everything in one room.
The album produced five singles, including “Rollin’” and “Take A Look Around,” which were featured on the *Mission: Impossible 2* soundtrack alongside Metallica. “Rollin’” even hit No. 1 in the UK.
However, fame came with its challenges. Borland had to leave Florida for Los Angeles when fans started showing up at his home. He recalled, “In the space of six years, I went from a nobody to having 20 kids on the doorstep of my house in Florida looking in my windows. I couldn’t go to the grocery store.”
In a 2014 interview, Durst mentioned that critics were tough on them, even as they tried to poke fun at their image. “That’s why we made the ‘Rollin’ video,” he said.
Borland left the band in October 2001 but returned in 2004. A European tour in 2009 helped revive their career, and the band still plays songs from this iconic album at their shows.
