Breaking Benjamin
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Breaking Benjamin is a well-known post-grunge band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Contents |
[edit] About
The band was formed in 1998 by Benjamin Burnley (vocals) and Jeremy Hummel (drums). They later added Aaron Fink (Guitar) and Mark Keplaski (bass) to their line-up.
In 2001, Hollywood Records picked them up after the success of their independently-released, self-titled EP which sold all 2000 copies that were produced.
They released their major-label debut, Saturate in 2002. The lead single Polyamorous received moderate airplay and grabbed the attention of Rock audiences. Medicate and Skin were also released as singles although they weren't as successful as Polyamorous.
They released their sophomore album We Are Not Alone in 2004. The lead single So Cold was very successful reaching the #2 spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and was also their first single to crack the Billboard Hot 100 at #76. Sooner or Later and Rain were also released as singles with the former having a good run on the Rock charts while the latter wasn't as successful. We Are Not Alone was eventually certified Platinum for sales of over 1,000,000 copies in America alone.
In September 2004, drummer Jeremy Hummel was relieved of his duties after a fallout with his fellow band members. Hummel filed a lawsuit against the band and its management, claiming he was not paid for his contributions. It is now believed that Hummel and the band have come to an agreement on the lawsuit.
The band soon hit the recording studio to record their third album, Phobia which was released in mid 2006. Thanks to the giant success of the lead single The Diary of Jane which is their most successful single in America so far, the album debuted at #2 on The Billboard 200 with a massive 131,000 copies sold in its first week. The band have recently announced that Breath will be the follow up single for the album.
[edit] Certifications
| Year | Album | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | We Are Not Alone | Platinum |
| 2006 | Phobia | Gold |
[edit] Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | US Billboard Hot 100 | US Mainstream Rock | US Modern Rock | Pop 100 | Hot Digital Songs | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Polyamorous | ~ | #19 | #31 | ~ | ~ | Saturate |
| 2003 | Skin | ~ | #24 | #37 | ~ | ~ | Saturate |
| 2004 | So Cold | #76 | #2 | #3 | ~ | ~ | We Are Not Alone |
| 2004 | Sooner or Later | #99 | #2 | #7 | ~ | ~ | We Are Not Alone |
| 2005 | Rain (2005 version) | ~ | #23 | #39 | ~ | ~ | We Are Not Alone |
| 2006 | The Diary of Jane | #50 | #2 | #4 | #46 | #34 | Phobia |
[edit] Tours & Concerts
02.06.07 Lynchburg, VA (Cattle Annie's Restaurant and Entertainment)
02.07.07 Johnson City, NY (Magic City Music Hall)
02.10.07 Buffalo, NY (Town Ballroom)
02.11.07 Bethlehem, PA (Stabler Arena)
02.20.07 Tacoma, WA (Tacoma Dome)
02.22.07 Spokane, WA (Spokane Arena)
02.23.07 Portland, OR (Rose Quarter - Memorial Coliseum)
02.25.07 Billings, MT (Metrapark Arena)
02.28.07 Omaha, NE (Qwest Center Omaha)
03.01.07 Cedar Rapids, IA (U.S. Cellular Center)
03.02.07 Chicago, IL (Allstate Arena)
03.04.07 PA (Bryce Jordan Center State College)
03.05.07 East Rutherford, NJ (Continental Airlines Arena)
03.07.07 Bridgeport, CT (Arena at Harbor Yard)
03.09.07 Hampton, VA (Hampton Coliseum)
03.11.07 Worcester, MA (DCU Center)
03.12.07 Philadelphia, PA (The Wachovia Center)
03.13.07 Pittsburgh, PA (Petersen Events Center)
03.15.07 North Charleston, SC (North Charleston Coliseum)
03.16.07 Duluth, GA (The Arena at Gwinnett Center)
03.18.07 Sunrise, FL (BankAtlantic Center / Bank Atlantic Center)
03.19.07 Orlando, FL (TD Waterhouse Centre)
[edit] Albums
 08.24.2002 Hollywood Records |
 06.29.04 Hollywood Records |
 08.08.06 Hollywood Records |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Polyamorous | Saturate |
| 2003 | Skin | Saturate |
| 2004 | So Cold | We Are Not Alone |
| 2004 | Sooner or Later | We Are Not Alone |
| 2005 | Rain (2005 version) | We Are Not Alone |
| 2006 | The Diary of Jane | Phobia |
| 2006 | Breath | Phobia |
[edit] Compilations & Live Releases
 11.23.04 Hollywood Records |
[edit] Other artists
[edit] Similar artists
[edit] Influences
[edit] Contemporaries
[edit] Trivia
- Toured with Seether and Evanescence
- Burnley used to play covers in coffee shops, and taught himself guitar by listening to Nirvana's Nevermind
- The name "Breaking Benjamin" comes from lead vocalist Benjamin Burnley's early solo experience. Burnley was covering a Nirvana song during an open-mic night at a club when he dropped the microphone to the ground, breaking it. The person who owned the mic came onstage and said, “Thanks to Benjamin for Breaking my fucking mic.”
