Stone Temple Pilots

History

A Fateful Encounter That Sparked a Legacy

According to one widely circulated account, Stone Temple Pilots’ origin story begins with vocalist Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo meeting at a Black Flag concert in the mid-1980s. The two struck up a conversation that led to an awkward discovery—they were dating the same woman. Strangely enough, this revelation instantly bonded the two musicians. After both called it quits with her, the pair moved into her vacated apartment and began building their musical partnership.

The initial lineup included Weiland’s high school friends, guitarist Corey Hickok and drummer David Allin. After drummer Eric Kretz came aboard, Robert’s older brother Dean DeLeo joined on guitar in 1989, completing what would become the band’s enduring core lineup. At the time, Dean was a successful businessman who’d left music behind, only playing guitar as a hobby.

Initially performing as Mighty Joe Young, the band was forced to change their name after facing legal issues with a blues musician using the same moniker. They rebranded as Stone Temple Pilots and built a dedicated following in San Diego’s club scene before signing with Atlantic Records in 1992.

Core Puts the Band on the Map

Released in September 1992, debut album Core hit like a freight train. Climbing to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the record delivered a run of hits including “Sex Type Thing,” “Plush,” “Creep,” and “Wicked Garden.” “Plush” in particular became an MTV staple and the band’s signature anthem.

Core moved over 8 million copies in the U.S. alone, earning 8x Platinum certification. The acoustic rendition of “Plush” performed on MTV’s Headbangers Ball was one of the clearest showcases of Weiland’s vocal range.

Critics, however, weren’t so generous. Many dismissed the band as “grunge copycats,” accusing them of mimicking Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam. Despite the skepticism, Stone Temple Pilots pressed on, opening for Rage Against the Machine and Megadeth before launching their own headlining tour in 1993.

Purple Reaches No. 1

The 1994 sophomore effort Purple marked a significant leap in songwriting and production. Tracks like “Vasoline,” “Interstate Love Song,” and “Big Empty” proved the band was far more than genre followers. The album shot straight to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and secured 6x Platinum status.

Purple saw the band embracing psychedelic rock textures in earnest. The album fused grunge’s raw energy with classic rock melody, yet many critics weren’t ready to give the band credit, greeting it with much of the same skepticism aimed at Core. That reassessment would take years, with Purple regarded as one of the era’s defining rock records.

In March 1994, the band took home the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for “Plush.”

The Experimental Era and the Beginning of Collapse

The third album, 1996’s Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, marked the band’s most adventurous work. Steeped in psychedelic and art rock influences, the record climbed to No. 4 on the charts with singles “Big Bang Baby” and “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart.”

Weiland had already been arrested for cocaine and heroin possession the year before Tiny Music’s release and ordered into a court-mandated recovery program. Once the album dropped, a relapse sent him back into rehab and forced the tour to shut down early. These struggles would resurface throughout the band’s later history.

In 1997, the band went on hiatus. Weiland released his 1998 solo album 12 Bar Blues while the DeLeo brothers and Kretz formed Talk Show, but both projects flopped commercially.

Reunion and Recurring Setbacks

Reuniting in 1999, the band dropped their fourth album No. 4. Weeks earlier, however, Weiland had been sentenced to a year in jail for violating probation, making a supporting tour impossible. Still, “Down” reached No. 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and “Sour Girl” was, at the time, the band’s only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 78. The “Sour Girl” video featured actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.

The fifth album, 2001’s Shangri-La Dee Da, produced “Days of the Week” and “Hollywood Bitch.” It sold well enough to go Gold, though it fell short of the band’s earlier commercial peaks. During the final show of their fall 2002 tour, a physical altercation erupted between Dean DeLeo and Weiland, and the band’s breakup soon followed.

Weiland went on to form Velvet Revolver with former Guns N’ Roses members, releasing two albums, while the DeLeo brothers pursued Army of Anyone.

The Road Back to Reunion

In late 2007, Mary Forsberg, the mother of Weiland’s two children, extended an olive branch, inviting the DeLeo brothers to a private party where reconciliation talks began. After Weiland departed Velvet Revolver in 2008, Stone Temple Pilots officially reunited for a 65-city tour.

In May 2010, they released their first album in nine years, the self-titled Stone Temple Pilots. “Between the Lines” and “Take a Load Off” received rock radio airplay, and the album peaked at No. 2 on the charts.

However, the band officially fired Weiland in February 2013.

The Chester Bennington Era and Tragedy

In May 2013, Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington joined as the new vocalist. The 2013 EP High Rise and single “Out of Time” drew a mixed response, with some critics questioning whether the band’s sound could work without Weiland while others singled out EP tracks like “Black Heart” as proof the pairing had real potential.

But in November 2015, Bennington amicably departed to focus on Linkin Park commitments.

On December 3, 2015, Scott Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota at age 48. The Hennepin County medical examiner ruled the cause of death an accidental mixed drug toxicity, citing cocaine, alcohol, and MDA, with existing heart disease and asthma noted as contributing conditions.

The Jeff Gutt Era

After launching an online audition for a new vocalist in 2016, the band announced Jeff Gutt as their new frontman in November 2017. With Gutt, they released the 2018 album Stone Temple Pilots and the fully acoustic 2020 record Perdida.

Under Gutt, the band paired its established sound with exploration of new sonic territory. The band continued touring through 2024’s Jubilee Tour, a co-headlining run with Live.

Musical Identity and Influence

Stone Temple Pilots’ sound is characterized by stylistic versatility, evolving from grunge roots through psychedelic rock and art rock explorations. Scott Weiland’s vocals showcased dramatic delivery and wide range, influenced by Jim Morrison and David Bowie. His stage presence was magnetic, marked by flamboyant costumes and theatrical performances.

Dean DeLeo’s guitar work formed the sonic backbone, effortlessly shifting between crushing riffs and lyrical solos. Robert DeLeo’s bass lines were often central to the melody. His songwriting also shaped some of the band’s biggest hits: “Plush,” for instance, grew out of a riff he wrote, built on his love of ragtime chord progressions. Eric Kretz’s drumming struck the perfect balance between power and restraint, completing the band’s dynamic sound.

In the ’90s rock landscape, Stone Temple Pilots occupied a distinct position. As a California band apart from Seattle’s grunge movement, they merged grunge’s primal energy with classic rock’s melodic sensibility. After overcoming early criticism, Purple and Tiny Music established their singular identity.

Between Core’s 8x Platinum certification and Purple’s 6x Platinum status, the band’s run placed it among the best-selling rock acts of the decade.

Stone Temple Pilots became one of the defining bands of ’90s rock. Despite a hiatus, a breakup, multiple reunions, and tragic losses, the band had released new music under three different lead vocalists by 2024.