Über Evanescence

Formed in 1994 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitar player Ben Moody, Evanescence achieved near instantaneous success upon release of their 2003 debut, Fallen, selling over a million copies of the record and winning a pair of Grammys. Their cross-pollination of melodic piano-rock (think Tori Amos) and crunching, metal(ish) guitars topped by Lee's goth-tinged, earnest vocals brought them worldwide fame, first through the hit single "Bring Me to Life" and then with "Going Under" and "Everybody's Fool." Moody left the band while touring in support of the album, citing creative differences with Lee. The live album Anywhere But Home appeared in 2004, but it wasn't until '06 that the band released a proper new album, the equally successful The Open Door, which reached No. 1 on the charts and yielded a hit in "Call Me When You're Sober." Not long after, Lee fired guitarist John LeCompt, and drummer Rocky Gray left the band. Mike McGuirk