Deftones Album Sales: How ‘White Pony’ Became Their Commercial Peak

By the end of the 20th century, rock had drifted far from its blues-based roots. Grunge had come and gone, and bands old and new were experimenting with new metal-influenced sounds and styles. The result was the peak of the alternative metal and nu metal genres, which combined heavy metal with alternative music and other genres such as hip-hop, funk, and industrial. 

While bands such as Faith No More and Pantera had previously offered glimpses of what was to come, alternative metal reached its heyday in the mid-'90s and early 2000s, with bands such as Korn, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park breaking into the mainstream. Another one of these bands was Deftones. While their first two albums put them on the map and helped them gather a dedicated fanbase, it was their third offering, White Pony, that established them as a quintessential alternative metal band. 

White Pony was released in June 2000 via Maverick Records. It was recorded a year earlier in California and was considerably more complex than the band's first two albums. Deftones added elements from several other styles, including trip-hop and hardcore, to their classic alt-rock sound. While slightly less heavy than their previous work, White Pony was an instant hit with both critics and the public. 

Reviewers appreciated its musical diversity, with aggressive passages seamlessly blending with softer ones to create a unique sound. NME's initial review gave it an 8/10 rating and mentioned that, despite being "slightly too long and gothic," the album shows that "Deftones are staking a claim to become the big genre-unifying American rock band who everyone will acknowledge as the kings — like them or not." 

The album's sales figures matched the hype. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and went on to sell 178,000 copies in its first week alone. It sold 500,000 units and earned Gold certification a few months later in September, but it would take two more years for it to sell another 500,000 and go Platinum. Total sales in the U.S. and Canada were around 2 million, giving the album double-Platinum status. It also earned Gold certification in several other countries, including the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.

As with most albums, White Pony's singles were the driving force behind its success. The album's first single was "Change (In the House of Flies)," released in May of 2000, about a month before the full album launch. The song was a collaborative effort by all members of the band and had a slightly different dynamic compared to most other Deftones songs, mainly because frontman Chino Moreno played guitar alongside the band's lead guitarist, Stephen Carpenter. The song was certified 4x Platinum and is still the band's most successful single.

The second single was "Back to School (Mini Maggit)," although it wasn't initially included on the album. It's a modified version of the closing song "Pink Maggit," which featured on the album's initial release. It was written at the request of the band's record label, which thought that the album lacked songs that could be potential singles. Moreno agreed to add new vocal tracks to the song but would later regret giving in to the label's demands and altering the initial album's structure.

As the album approached its 20th anniversary in 2020, Revolver Magazine ran a fan poll asking readers to rank each song from the album. The winner was its third single, "Digital Bath," a creative and experimental piece that showcases Deftones at their best. However, it was relatively underappreciated at the time of its release, reaching only No. 16 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart and No. 38 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

White Pony is widely regarded as the album that transformed Deftones from a decent nu metal act to an era-defining alternative metal group. Many factors contributed to the album's commercial success, with arguably the biggest being the shift in sound compared to the band's previous two. It achieved a more melodic and accessible sound without compromising on the elements that set the band apart from others from that era, while adding complexity to both the music and lyrics.

It also brought in fans of other bands via high-profile guest appearances. Tool's Maynard James Keenan and Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland made guest appearances on "Passenger" and "RX Queen," respectively.

Perhaps most importantly, the album benefited from being released at the right time, just as the rock world was moving past grunge and entering the post-rock era, where metal became infused with elements from several other genres. The result was something new that also seemed vaguely familiar.

White Pony isn't only the album that catapulted Deftones into the mainstream but also the band's best-selling album to date. Despite their next album, the self-titled Deftones, having better first-week sales, its total sales numbers are far lower. Sales from subsequent albums were affected by the mid-2000s' rise in illegal downloading. Besides being a fan favorite, White Pony is also highly regarded by metal critics, being ranked 66th on Rolling Stone's The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time countdown. 

Aside from being a big part of early 2000s music culture, White Pony cemented Deftones' status as an established metal band, giving them more creative freedom and industry recognition. It placed the band in the rare position of being commercially viable while also having an intricate and experimental sound. Now, 25 years after its release, it's seen as a landmark album that gave the band its iconic status and pushed the entire genre forward.