Rob Thomas Talks Legacy of Smash Santana Collab "Smooth"

Twelve weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and three Grammy awards: Rob Thomas and Santana's collab "Smooth" is the definition of a smash. Fourteen years after the song's release, the Matchbox 20 frontman tells Fuse he can still see its impact.

"If you go to a wedding or bar with a band, you're going to hear 'Smooth,'" Thomas tells Fuse. "It's almost like 'Free Bird' at this point. Somebody's going to play it."

But the single also has a personal significance for Thomas. "I don't know the kind of person I would have been if I hadn't met [Santana] at that time," he reveals. "He taught me there's a big difference between being a famous musician and being a celebrity. If you're a famous musician, people know why they know who you are; you're in control of your intention, motive and purpose." No scandals here!

Watch the interview above, then relive 1999 with "Smooth" below.