311 has enjoyed commercial persistence stemming from its rabid fan base. Since their self-titled album in 1995, all but one of their albums (have been in the top 15 of the Billboard 200. 19 of their singles have received significant radio airplay since "Do You Right" in 1993; five of those songs being top 3 hits on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.

In 1990 and 1991, 311 released three records on their own independent record label, What Have You Records. These records, titled Dammit!, Hydroponic, and Unity, and alongside their energetic live shows, launched their career in the Midwest, after which they moved out to California in an attempt to be signed onto a major record label.

Their first major CD, Music was released in 1993. The single "Do You Right" received airplay on modern rock stations and reached #27 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart. But the album failed to chart at the time. The following year, they released their second album, Grassroots. Although none of the singles charted, the album reached #8 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and #193 on the Billboard 200.

n 1995, 311 released what was to be their biggest selling CD, the self-titled 311 (also known as The Blue Album). The first single "Don't Stay Home" was a modest success, reaching #29 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart. But the follow-up single "Down" was a major success receiving heavy airplay on mainstream radio and the accompanying music video was on MTV’s rotation. The song hit #1 on the Modern Rock chart. The third single, "All Mixed Up", enjoyed almost identical success, reaching #4 on the Modern Rock chart. The singles propelled the album to platinum status in 1996. The album eventually went triple platinum.

In the following years, 311 kept their mainstream success going strong. 1997's Tansistor debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200. Transistor is known as a fan-favorite throughout the 311 community, and sports popular tracks such as "Beautiful Disaster", "Transistor", and "Prisoner." All three enjoyed solid success on radio and MTV, though not as much as their previous singles. The album very quickly went platinum.

In 1999, 311 released their fifth major album, Soundsystem. "Come Original" was the album's first single and had huge success on radio and MTV. The song reached #6 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart. The video was heavily requested on MTV's TRL, and was #60 on TRL's Top 99 of '99. The second single, "Flowing," had American Pie’s Eddie Kaye Thomas featured in the music video.

The success of these albums helped the band's first two major albums, Music and Grassroots, reach certified gold status.

In 1995, the band purchased a communal living space/recording studio in North Hollywood, California called The Hive. The band has recorded every album at The Hive since 2000, beginning with the sessions for From Chaos, 311's sixth major record release.

From Chaos was released in late 2001 and debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200. "You Wouldn’t Believe" featured basketball star Shaquille O’Neal in the video. It had solid success on MTV. The album is mostly known for the third single, "Amber". The song reached out to a new crowd, different from the usual fanbase. The band also played tribute to another band with the song "I'll Be Here Awhile," by lifting several lines from the 77’s 1987 "The Lust, The Flesh, The Eyes and the Pride of Life."

Their seventh major release, 2003's Evolver, was a very different album for 311, and fans' overall opinions of the album were mixed. Despite debuting at #7 on the Billboard 200, the album became their first major studio release not to reach gold status. The single "Creatures (For A While)" reached #3 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.

In 2004, 311 covered the Cure’s "Love Song" which became a #1 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also reached #59 on the Hot 100, their first single to reach that chart. It was featured on the soundtrack for the motion picture 50 first Dates and then a few months later on their own Greatest Hits ’93-‘03. The compilation debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. The album also featured two new songs. One of these new tracks, "First Straw", was released as a single and reached #14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Also that year, 311 played a 68-song setlist during their concert on "311 Day", which the band has held in New Orleans every other year since 2000. "311 Day" occurs on March 11, also written as 3/11. The most recent 311 Day, in 2006, was held at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis , due to the destruction from Hurricane Katrina. The band recorded the entire show in high definition. A pay-per-view version is in the works, along with another 311 Day DVD.

311's latest album

On August 16, 2005, 311 released their eighth studio album, titled Don’t Tread on Me. "Don't Tread On Me," the first single, reached #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and #1 at R&R. The video achieved massive success on MTV, Fuse TV, and VH1. The next single was titled "Speak Easy", with a hook similar to such hits as "Amber" and "Love Song". Despite the song's success, the album has not reached gold status. On June 13, 2006 the third single, "Frolic Room", hit radio.

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