Like many ridiculously popular breakthrough groups, the following albums finally had chart toppers. The second major label release Before These Crowded Streets began a streak of five straight number one albums.

Dave Matthews Band had achieved incredible success but chose to focus their efforts on becoming a touring sensation in the image of summer concert king Jimmy Buffett. The group toured constantly and became staples on the summer concert series every year.

The 21st century found the group back in Charlottesville recording in a country house. Dave Matthews, the group's primary songwriter, found inspiration from personal tragedy in the past (the notably the death of his sister as a result of a murder-suicide) and this time he beaconed the pain of his uncle's death at the hands of alcoholism.

This, of course, resulted in some pretty depressing music, but the music label wanted happy songs. Matthews tried to appease the label and the new sound seemed to be much more poppy than DMB's previous work. Songs like I Did It, Everyday, and the Space Between turned old fans off as the broader work finally began to chart on the mainstream U.S. charts.

Still, the group had recorded some darker material and this material found itself leaked onto the Internet. Napster downloads ate up the material that sounded much closer to Dave Matthews Band sound. The group realized that they needed some time apart and Dave Matthews embarked on a solo tour. Fans would have to wait three years between Busted Stuff (2002) and Stand Up (2005). Fans would not have to wait for a chance to see the group live though.

Dave Matthews Band began to record its live shows and satiated their fan base's appetite for DMB. It became evident with Stand Up, that though record sales were beginning to wane, the band still had fans willing and wanting to see them play live. They had truly become a product they could all be proud of. They played constantly around the world to fans delight, releasing a new album every two to three years, to the record company's dismay.

Tragedy had become a part of Dave Matthews life and served as inspiration for some of the band's biggest hits. On August 16, 2008, that tragedy touched the entire group. DMB was busy recording material for the new album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, when LeRoi Moore died of complications linked to his ATV accident back on July 1, 2008. Saddened, the group carried on, replacing the saxophonist with Grammy Award-winner Jeff Coffin.

Dave Matthews Band continued touring, though with heavy hearts. They did cancel two shows to recover as much as they could from the very emotional loss. About a year later Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King hit the charts. The album has reached number on the charts and has already achieved platinum status. DMB will touring to support the album through October 2009 and will most likely begin again next summer.