Dream Setlist: Creed Edition

The return of Creed is without a doubt one of the biggest musical comebacks of 2024 — just this year, the Florida-based post-grunge act has successfully completed two sold-out cruises in the spring, and are about to embark on two full tours from now until the end of the year, with several dates already sold out. Currently on the road for their “Summer of ‘99” Tour that extends until the end of September, it’s clear that the popularly-maligned group has been kicking off their renaissance with a bang amidst this newfound adoration from new nostalgic fans.

As a hardcore fan, I don’t like to look at setlists before a show, so to prepare for Creed’s show in Virginia Beach this Saturday, July 27, I’ve gotten an idea from a YouTube channel I watch semi-regularly, Sea of Tranquility, which is selecting an artist and coming up with a dream setlist for said artist. For this concept, the only real parameters I’m giving myself is a 17-song limit (aspirational, I know) and no encores. While I’m the type of fan to advocate for bands to play more deep cuts in their live shows, that’s a hard task for a band like Creed when so many of their songs ended up being hits, so I’m going to do my best to find some sort of balance between the two while actually making what I feel would be a good show.

1. “Are You Ready?” (Human Clay, 1999)

This one probably goes without saying, but it’s almost criminal not to make this the opening track — not only is the title incredibly appropriate, but it’s also musically fitting, as the acoustic guitars in the intro eventually explode into a grandiose opening, the energy of which sustains through the rest of the song.

2. “Bullets” (Weathered, 2001)

When I saw Scott Stapp’s solo band live in 2016, this was his opening track, which is obviously a solid choice because of it’s buildup and hard-hitting sound. However, I prefer starting with “Are You Ready?” and leading into this song as opposed to the other way around for some reason. It wouldn’t make sense to play either of them at any point in the set aside from the very beginning, so why not just play them back to back?

3. “What If” (Human Clay, 1999)

As a fan of the Scream franchise, one could imagine the love I have for this track, with its inclusion in the third film and the prominence of the Ghostface character in the music video. Given the more upbeat nature to this track, coupled with its recognizability amongst even casual fans, the best place for this song is the first half of the set.

4. “Beautiful” (Human Clay, 1999)

This low-key favorite amongst hardcore fans has always deserved more love from the masses, and one can hope that the band will give it its due justice now that they’re actively performing again. Its unassuming verses, grungy choruses, and hypnotic bridge has all the makings of a hit, and hopefully it becomes a live staple during this reunion period.

5. “Overcome” (Full Circle, 2009)

The first single from Creed’s 2009 reunion album, Full Circle (yes, this is their second reunion), packs a serious punch, and it’s honestly tailor-made for the stage — not only does it contain a wicked catchy chorus, but this song is also home to one of my favorite Mark Tremonti solos, so it’d be criminal not to add this to the set.

6. “One” (My Own Prison, 1997)

This standout from Creed’s debut album, My Own Prison, is one of those songs that casual fans might not even realize they’ve heard until at least the pre-chorus. If you were to just say the name of the song, nothing would ring a bell, but once the song actually starts playing and it reaches a certain point, everyone would recognize it. That being said, it makes for an awesome live track, one that’s even more fun to listen to in a concert setting as opposed to just listening to it online.

7. “My Own Prison” (My Own Prison, 1997)

Just one listen to this song is all it would take to realize why the album was named after this song — it’s one of those tracks that has a big impact regardless of what mood you’re in, and that kind of emotion is still there during live performances. Featuring a catchy call-and-response between Stapp and Mark Tremonti during the chorus, the song still packs a punch despite its slower tempo.

8. “Faceless Man” (Human Clay, 1999)

This trippy cut from Human Clay isn’t necessarily a commercial hit, but it definitely has its own fanbase amongst the hardcores, and for good reason. Seeing Stapp and his solo band play it in a small club in my hometown of Jacksonville, NC was epic and one of the standouts of his set that night, so I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to see it on a big stage during a full Creed show.

9. “Torn” (My Own Prison, 1997)

When it comes to Creed and their place in post-grunge history, it comes out in full force in this song — Stapp’s voice and tone is obviously reminiscent of that era, but Tremonti’s guitar work also gives it a step up in sophistication, with his more intricate strumming and picking patterns being akin to the more progressive side of hard rock. While it’s another song on the long side, I still think having this paired with a song like “Faceless Man” would be an interesting transition.

10. “Bread of Shame” (Full Circle, 2009)

With so many of their biggest songs being on the softer end of the musical spectrum, I feel like so many people forget how heavy Creed’s music can be, with this song being a perfect example. Tremonti’s never had a weak performance on an album, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t particularly fond of his work on the Full Circle album. It’s songs like this that I wish were played live more often and exposed to a broader audience in a concert setting.

11. “Weathered” (Weathered, 2001)

As the show begins to wind down in its second half, I think a great transition-ish song would be the title track to the band’s third album, Weathered. While it feels like the song’s constructed to have the chorus be the main focus of the whole track (like most songs, in all fairness), the real highlight is the bridge, with Stapp’s vocals matching the understated intensity of Tremonti’s guitar work.

12. “What’s This Life For” (My Own Prison, 1997)

Featuring another wonderful guitar intro from one of the music world’s more underrated contributors, this hit has it all, from relatable lyrics to a catchy chorus to an upbeat closing after a slower buildup. Having only seen Stapp live once and never having the chance to see Creed live, this song is up there with “Beautiful” at the top of my live bucketlist.

13. “Rain” (Full Circle, 2009)

There are several songs from Full Circle that I wish had more time in the spotlight, like the title track, “Suddenly,” or “The Song You Sing,” but something about this hit single feels fitting at this point of the setlist. Being at a winding-down point towards the end that’s typically reserved for really upbeat bangers or the band’s biggest hits (or both, depending on the band/song), “Rain” fits right in with its big chorus and brisk tempo, along with the fact that it was arguably the biggest mainstream hit from the entire album.

14. “With Arms Wide Open” (Human Clay, 1999)

There’s no doubt that this song will be played at some point during every show for the rest of Creed’s career, and it’s only appropriate to have it as one of the last songs to really keep the audience’s energy up. Despite is slow and soft sound, this is a song that everyone on Earth has heard several times over the course of their lives, and the nostalgia of it will easily keep them engaged and singing along in their best (or worst, depending on your perspective) impressions of Stapp.

15. “Higher” (Human Clay, 1999)

While this song has become a bit of a meme over the years, “Higher” has a special place in my heart because it’s actually the first rock song that I heard at a young age where I can vividly remember my first time hearing it. As far back as my memory goes, this song was always a part of my life, so getting to hear it live is an obvious highlight. It’s also just a great song, regardless of what the haters may say.

16. “One Last Breath” (Weathered, 2001)

If there were encores, this would be the first one and I would have “Higher” be the closer of the main set. However, I’m of the belief that encores should be a thing of the past, so the train’s just going to keep rolling after “Higher” with another huge song in all its glory, complete with its singalong chorus and catchy guitar work.

17. “My Sacrifice” (Weathered, 2001)

While one could make the argument of playing this song closer to the beginning of the set, I can’t get the memory of Scott Stapp closing his solo set in 2016 with these last two songs and how impactful that was, so I’d like to keep that moment in this hypothetical scenario as well.

Again, even as a lifelong hardcore fan of Creed, this was a much more difficult thing to do than I expected. The problem is there are so many great songs to choose from, making it hard to choose which ones to alienate for one setlist. I can’t imagine how the band feels making these decisions, especially taking into consideration not just what songs to play, but when to play them. That being said, this will still become a regular thing for different shows I’ll be attending, and I can’t wait to see Creed live in Virginia Beach this weekend. If there are any songs I missed, let me know your dream Creed setlist in the comments.

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