Alien Ant Farm

Alien Ant Farm is an American rock band formed by childhood friends in Riverside, California, in 1995. The band's name reportedly stems from guitarist Terry Corso's daydream about Earth being seeded by beings from other dimensions. After self-releasing two EPs, the group put out its first full album, «Greatest Hits», independently, featuring early versions of songs that would later become hits, including a cover of Michael Jackson's «Smooth Criminal».

Through a connection with Papa Roach, Alien Ant Farm signed to DreamWorks Records and released «ANThology» in 2001. The album's lead single, «Movies», charted on both sides of the Atlantic, but it was the band's cover of «Smooth Criminal» that became an international breakthrough, reaching the top 30 in around fifteen countries. The band toured extensively during this period, sharing stages with Linkin Park and Papa Roach and appearing on the Warped Tour and an MTV Fall Tour.

Musically, Alien Ant Farm blends nu metal and post-grunge rock with pop sensibility and funk-influenced rhythm, a combination that helped «Smooth Criminal» stand out on rock radio and MTV rotation in the early 2000s. Beyond their breakout hit, songs like «These Days» and «Wish» further defined their sound, and the band has continued releasing music and touring in the years since their initial commercial peak.