18 years and still at the top (Updated January 31, 2013)

Not many bands make it 18 years together, let alone with the same original members, on the same label they started out with. But not many bands are Matchbox Twenty.

Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Kyle Cook and Brian Yale are the foursome behind a band that quickly found international fame with the debut album, "Yourself or Someone Like You" all the way back in 1996. But they'd been playing together even before that, as a Southeastern band called Tabitha's Secret, extending the roots of Matchbox Twenty into two decades together (and counting).

If there's proof in longevity, this is it. The band has released just four albums of new material in 18 years. The latest, "North" bowed in September 2012 and debuted at the very top of the Billboard albums chart. It followed "Mad Season" (2000), which was certified 4x platinum in the United States, and "More Than You Think You Are" (2002), which has achieved double platinum status.
Known for hits like "Unwell," "How Far We've Come," "If You're Gone," "These Hard Times," "Bent" and "3 am," the band finally released a greatest hits package in 2007. It didn't include, of course, songs from Thomas' solo ventures. The most memorable turned out to be a collaboration with Itaal Shur on a song called "Smooth" for Carlos Santana's album "Supernatural" in 1999. It won three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Popular Music Collaboration with Vocals.

Matchbox Twenty is no slouch when it comes to awards and nominations, either. They've received accolades from the American Music Awards, the Grammys and the MTV Video Music Awards. They also captured a People's Choice Award for Favorite Musical Group in 2004.

The band's 2013 North American Tour began January 29th in Catoosa, Oklahoma and ends on March 30th in Indio, California. The headlining tour consists of 39 shows in that two-month time frame. Also on the bill is a stop at Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans to perform on the pregame show with OneRepublic.