Mighty Joe Young

Stone Temple Pilots, commonly abbreviated as STP, is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1989. Originally consisting of lead vocalist Scott Weiland, drummer Eric Kretz, and brothers Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass), the band's lineup remained unchanged from its formation until the firing of Weiland in February 2013. Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington joined the band in May 2013 but left amicably in November 2015. Weiland died that December, while Bennington died two years later. In 2016, the band launched an online audition for a new lead vocalist; Jeff Gutt was ultimately announced as their new lead singer on November 14, 2017. After forming under the name Swing (later Mighty Joe Young), the band signed with Atlantic Records and changed its name to Stone Temple Pilots. Their debut album, Core, released in 1992, was a major commercial hit. STP released four more studio albums – Purple (1994), Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop (1996), No. 4 (1999), and Shangri-La Dee Da (2001) – before separating acrimoniously in 2003. The band members then partook in various projects, most notably Velvet Revolver and Army of Anyone, before reconvening in 2008 for a reunion tour. They then released their self-titled sixth album in 2010. In 2013, the band released their debut EP High Rise, which was their only release ever recorded with Bennington as lead vocalist. STP has since released two albums with Gutt on vocals: a second self-titled album in 2018, and Perdida in 2020. While initially rising to fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, further releases from the band explored a variety of styles, including psychedelic rock, bossa nova, and classic rock. Stone Temple Pilots are regarded as one of the most successful rock bands of the 1990s, having sold more than 18 million albums in the United States and 40 million worldwide that decade.