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The Better Life is the debut studio album by the American rock band 3 Doors Down, released by Universal Records on February 8, 2000. Three of its four singles—"Kryptonite", "Loser", and "Be Like That"—entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at numbers 3, 55, and 24, respectively. The Better Life has sold over seven&nbsp;million copies worldwide and received septuple platinum certification by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) on February 26, 2020. It is the band's only studio album on which lead singer Brad Arnold played drums. Richard Liles played drums as a touring member from 2000 to 2002. Music videos were made for the album's four singles: "Kryptonite", "Loser", "Duck and Run", and "Be Like That".

In 2025, Lauryn Schaffner of Loudwire named the album the best post-grunge release of 2000. To date, rhythm guitarist Chris Henderson is the only musician who played on The Better Life who remains in the band.

Background and production

The band was formed in 1996 in Escatawpa, Mississippi, as a three-piece composed of Brad Arnold on drums and lead vocals, Matt Roberts on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Todd Harrell on bass guitar. The band's earliest material, the song "Kryptonite", was written by Arnold at the age of 15. Arnold was convinced to be the singer after receiving positive feedback from Harrell's girlfriend, and since none of the remaining members had the vocal ability.

3 Doors Down's first performance was at a celebratory event for a friend and, according to Arnold on the band's official website in 2000, the four songs the band played included "one by Bush, one by Metallica and a couple of originals".

In 1997, 3 Doors Down began recording studio material.

The first 1,000 copies of the demo CD took "two years" to sell, after which 1,000 more copies were produced and sold in "ten days" due to the success of the band's song "Kryptonite" playing on the WCPR-FM radio station, according to Arnold. When discussing how the band got signed to a record label, Arnold said, "Universal and Atlantic came down and talked to us and we wound up signing with Universal".

In June 2021, 3 Doors Down announced a tour to celebrate The Better Life twentieth anniversary. During the tour, the album was played in its entirety alongside songs from the band's other albums. The tour began in late June and ended in mid-October 2021.</blockquote>

Reissues

On September 18, 2007, a two-disc reissue of the album, titled The Better Life: Deluxe Edition, was released including audio of a live performance recorded at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston, Texas, on September 18, 2003. The live audio on the 2007 Deluxe Edition reissue is from the Away from the Sun - Live from Houston, Texas DVD, which was released on November 8, 2005.<!-- The back insert on the DVD incorrectly lists the song "Changes" as being included on the disc even though it isn't. Do not change the information about this in the Wikipedia article. --> The live audio was also separately released digitally and on streaming services as The Better Life: Rarities Edition in 2010.

On November 4, 2009, 3 Doors Down announced a remastered version of The Better Life on CD and vinyl with new artwork as part of "The Even Better Life Ultimate Fan Pack". The package also included an exclusive band poster, a 3 Doors Down shirt, a digital download of a remastered version of "Kryptonite", and a "Pit Pass" for early access to general admission concerts.

| title12 = Loser (live)

| note12 = recorded at Roxy Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia on July 13, 2000, mastered by Tony Gills at The Hit Factory in New York and mixed by Brian Sperber

| length12 = 5:28

| title13 = Life of My Own (live)

| note13 = recorded at Roxy Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia on July 13, 2000, mastered by Tony Gills at The Hit Factory in New York and mixed by Brian Sperber

| length13 = 4:37

| title14 = Kryptonite (live acoustic version)

| note14 = recorded at WMFS-FM in Memphis, Tennessee on February 14, 2000, mastered by Tony Gills at The Hit Factory in New York

| length14 = 3:49

| total_length = 54:49

Personnel

Credits adapted from album liner notes.

3 Doors Down

  • Brad Arnold – vocals, drums
  • Matt Roberts – guitar
  • Chris Henderson – guitar
  • Todd Harrell – bass guitar

Additional musicians

  • Kevin Paige – keyboards

Production

  • Paul Ebersold – producer, engineer
  • Matt Martone – engineer
  • Toby Wright – mixing at The Record Plant (Los Angeles, California)
  • Mike Butler – mixing assistant
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering at A&M Mastering Studios (Hollywood, California)
  • Andrew Garver – digital editing
  • Andrew MacNaughtan – photography
  • Paul R. Brown – art direction, design at Bau-da Design Lab, Inc.

2007 Deluxe Edition

  • Kevin Lee, Noel Lee – executive producers (Monster Music)
  • Noel Lee, Ryan Williams – mixing
  • Malcolm Harper – live audio engineer
  • Assen Stoyanov – second engineer
  • Phin Daly, Bill Levenson, Tom Mackay – reissue supervisors
  • Daniel Adair – drums (live recordings)
  • Gerald McCauley – A&R (Monster Music)
  • Vartan Kurjian – art direction
  • Meire Murkami – design
  • Andrew McNaughtan – digipak photography
  • Douglas Sanders – live photography
  • Ryan Null – photo coordinator
  • Ramon Galbert – product manager
  • Shannon Steckloff – production manager
  • Recorded September 18, 2003 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (Houston, Texas)
  • Mixed at Studio E (Los Angeles) and Westlake Recording (West Hollywood, California)
  • Steve Marcussen – mastering at Marcussen Mastering (Hollywood)
  • Ryan Miller – re-recording mixer at Pulse Recording (Los Angeles)

20th Anniversary Edition

  • Clyde Holly – mixing and recording at Holly House Recording (Biloxi, Mississippi) (original "Escatawpa Sessions" demos, uncredited)
  • Tony Gills – remastering at The Cutting Room (New York City, New York)
  • Evren Göknar – "Escatawpa Sessions" demos remastering at Capitol Mastering (Hollywood, California)
  • Joe Spix – repackage design
  • Ashley Harris – product manager
  • Alex Sale – production manager
  • Josh Graham – art design, layout
  • Vartan Kurjian – art direction
  • Kristin Biskup, Mike Ruthig – A&R

Singles

  • "Kryptonite" – 2000
  • Reached No. 3 on the US Hot 100
  • Reached No. 1 on the US Modern Rock (11 weeks) and US Mainstream Rock (nine weeks)
  • "Loser" – July 29, 2000
  • Reached No. 55 on the US Hot 100

| 29

|-

!scope="row"|US Billboard 200

| 18

|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2001 year-end chart performance for The Better Life

! scope="col"| Chart (2001)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)

| 74

|-

! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)

| 47

|-

!scope="row"| Canadian Albums (Billboard)

| 182

|-

!scope="row"|US Billboard 200

| 43

|}

Decade-end charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Decade-end chart performance for The Better Life

!Chart (2000–2009)

!Position

|-

! scope="row"| US Billboard 200

| style="text-align:center;"|46

|}

Certifications

Appearances

  • "Duck and Run" was featured on the soundtrack to the movie The Hole in 2001.
  • A recording of "Be Like That" with alternate lyrics was featured on the soundtrack to the film American Pie 2 in 2001.

Notes

<sup>1.</sup> Titled "Life on My Own" on the physical 20th Anniversary Edition.

<sup>2.</sup> Titled "The Better Life" on the physical 20th Anniversary Edition.

References