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.

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.

Background
In 1997, 3 Doors Down released a self-titled demo CD that garnered attention locally; it was mixed and recorded by Clyde Holly at Holly House Recording, located in Biloxi, Mississippi. Only 2,000 copies of the demo are known to exist; its track listing is mostly shared with The Better Life as six songs from the demo were later re-recorded and polished for release on the album. Two tracks from the demo, "Sarah Yellin' 86" and "Man In My Mind," were released on the bands subsequent album, Away from the Sun on its 2002 original release and 2023 deluxe re-release respectively. Studio recordings of two tracks from the demo, "Dead Love" and "Wasted Me" were produced, but remain unreleased; versions of the songs parenthetically labeled "early version[s]" were also included on their second albums' 2023 deluxe edition—which were the same versions included on the demo. Five songs, "Duck and Run," "Not Enough," "Be Like That," "Better Life," and "So I Need You," were recorded after the band had been picked up by Universal Records.

In 2007, a two-disc version of the album, The Better Life: Deluxe Edition, was released and included an audio recording of a 2003 concert. In 2020, a remaster of the album, The Better Life: 20th Anniversary Edition, was released on vinyl, as well as on CD and digitally in 2021; all three versions include the band's eponymous 1997 demo, with the ten songs being listed as the "Escatawpa Sessions." The CD and digital releases of the 20th Anniversary Edition also include acoustic versions of "Kryptonite" and "Be Like That," along with "The Better Life (XX Mix)" and the studio recording of "Wasted Me" as bonus tracks.

Deluxe Edition bonus CD
On September 18, 2007, the Deluxe Edition with a bonus second disc was released, which features a live performance recorded in 2003 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston, Texas. This disc was also released separately on streaming services as The Better Life: Rarities Edition.

Personnel
Credits adapted from album's liner notes.

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
 * Andrew MacNaughtan – photography

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
 * Reached No. 2 on the US Modern Rock
 * Reached No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock (21 weeks)
 * "Duck and Run" – 2000
 * Reached No. 11 on the US Modern Rock
 * Reached No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock (three weeks)
 * "Be Like That" – May 20, 2001
 * Reached No. 24 on the US Hot 100
 * Reached No. 22 on the US Modern Rock
 * Reached No. 10 on the US Mainstream Rock