Kreviazuk's first album, Under These Rocks and Stones, was released in Canada in 1996 and the U.S. in early 1997 to much critical praise. The album sold over 100,000 copies in the U.S., fueled mostly by the singles "Surrounded" and "God Made Me", while in Canada it went double platinum with sales of over 200,000. "Surrounded" became her first major Canadian airplay hit in 1997. That year, Kreviazuk received her first Juno Award nomination as Best New Artist.

In 1999, Kreviazuk released her second album. Titled Colour Moving and Still, it featured tracks written with her new husband, Raine Maida, lead singer of Our Lady Peace. The lead single from the album "Before You" became a huge radio hit in Canada and she performed the single on the 2000 Juno Awards, where she won two awards for Best Adult/Pop Album and Best Female Artist.

Her third album, What If It All Means Something, was released in 2002. This album also featured multiple collaborations with Maida. The first single, "In This Life", was a hit in Canada. Kreviazuk performed the song live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Kreviazuk's work has appeared on many soundtracks for films and television shows. In 1998, Kreviazuk scored her only international hit to date with a cover of "Leaving on a Jet Plane", a song written by John Denver and popularized by Peter, Paul & Mary. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the blockbuster film Armageddon and was that album's follow-up single to Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

In 1999, Chantal recorded a cover of the Randy Newman ballad "Feels Like Home" for the Dawson's Creek soundtrack, as well as "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days," and performed a cover version of The Beatles' "In My Life" for the television drama Providence. Her song "This Year" was featured on the Serendipity soundtrack. In 2005, two new songs written and performed by Kreviazuk were also featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants. In 2006, "It's All About a Kiss" played during the film Just My Luck.

In 2001, Kreviazuk made her big-screen debut as a main character in David Weaver's indie film Century Hotel (co-starring alongside Sandrine Holt and Mia Kirshner. She also co-wrote the movie's theme song, "Can't Make it Good", with Maida.