Best Rock Songs of the Year

The Canadian five-member band’s biggest hit to date is “S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun),” which peaked on the Hot Rock Songs chart at No. 9 and was on the chart for 20 weeks. The single also was the traditional rockers’ first song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart.

The arty English pop rockers have had success within the last five years with five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. Their latest, “Love It If We Made It,” climbed to No. 10 on the Hot Rock Songs list in January. The 1975’s second studio album, “I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It,” was a Billboard Hot 200 chart-topper in 2016.

Las Vegas rockers Imagine Dragons started off 2019 strong with their single “Zero,” peaking at No. 9 on the rock songs chart the week of Jan. 12, 2019. The track enjoyed an extra boost in popularity because of its inclusion in the movie “Ralph Breaks the Internet” — a part of the Wreck-It Ralph franchise — in which it’s played over the end credits.

Catfish And The Bottlemen are indie rockers from Wales whose biggest hit thus far is the single “Longshot,” which peaked at No. 15 in May.

While not their biggest hit of the year, pop rockers Panic! at the Disco did well on the rock charts with their single “The Greatest Show,” which peaked at No. 10 in November 2018, and remained on the charts into the following year. The track was included on “The Greatest Showman: Reimagined,” a collection of songs from the movie “The Greatest Showman,” recorded by popular artists ranging from Kelly Clarkson to the Zac Brown Band.

The English trio is as much at home singing about conspiracy theories and science fiction as they are about love and heartbreak. Muse has had six top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, including “Pressure,” which rose to No. 14 in January. “Pressure” was one of the singles from the band’s album “Simulation Theory,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200.

Listeners were drawn to the bright music and downbeat lyrics of Vampire Weekend’s song “This Life,” sending it to No. 11 on the Hot Rock Songs chart. The third single from their Grammy-nominated album “Father of the Bride” was also a critical success and was labeled “Best New Track” by music-review website Pitchfork in April.

Cage The Elephant, a Kentucky-based rock band helmed by the Shultz brothers, overcame the personal tumult of lead singer Matt Shultz to produce its fifth album, “Social Cues.” That album spawned the single of the same name, about the pitfalls of success, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart in October.

Grammy-winning rock duo The Black Keys were welcomed back fondly by fans after their five-year hiatus. Their toe-tapping single “Go,” from the band’s 2019 album “Let’s Rock,” stayed on the rock charts for a total of 24 weeks, peaking at No. 10.

The four-member group from Florida, whose music has been described as hard rock, alternative metal, and post-grunge, has had 10 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart since 2009. “Monsters” is their most recent, peaking at No. 10 in June.

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier — whose full name is Andrew Hozier-Byrne — spent 22 weeks on the Hot Rock Songs chart with “Movement” off his sophomore album “Wasteland, Baby!” The love ballad shows a sensitive side of Hozier that, despite not pleasing all of the critics, has been streamed more than 59 million times on Spotify.

The two-time Grammy Award winners, formed in Los Angeles, have built an almost cult-like following by melding heavy metal with art rock. “Fear Inoculum” is the title song from the band’s first album in 13 years, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The single peaked at No. 3 in August, and is the band’s highest-charting single.

Vampire Weekend scored their best-performing single on the Hot Rock Songs chart this year with “Harmony Hall,” which peaked at No. 5 and spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart. The song, released after a six-year period of no new music from the group, has drawn comparisons to the work of the Grateful Dead (specifically “Touch of Grey”) as well ’90s alternative pop hits such as The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” and Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You.”

The Grammy Award-winning duo from Columbus, Ohio, have built a following based on their energetic live performances. “The Hype” peaked at No. 3 in October and was Twenty One Pilots’ 13th top 10 hit on the Hot Rock Song chart. Twenty One Pilots has had three chart-toppers on that chart. They took their name from a storyline from Arthur Miller’s play “All My Sons” in which a man knowingly sells defective airplane parts to the military, leading to the deaths of 21 World War II pilots.

Seattle-based indie folk band The Head and the Heart scored their best-performing rock single to date with “Missed Connection,” which peaked at No. 11 in July 2019. The song features piano and synth, giving it a pop edge that helped it also hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart.

The 29-year-old Grammy-nominated Irish singer who plays several instruments has had three top 10 hits. His latest was “Almost (Sweet Music),” which topped out at No.9 in February.

Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men released their biggest rock hit since 2012’s “Little Talks” with “Alligator.” In a statement about the song, the band said it “very much speaks to the excitement and energy that we feel about being back.” Fans agreed, keeping the song on the rock charts for 23 weeks.

Grammy-nominated rockers Godsmack rode the late ’90s post-grunge/metal trend to album success (three chart-toppers on the Billboard 200) and five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Rock Song chart. “Under Your Scars,” a ballad the Lawrence, Massachusetts-based band said was inspired by Lady Gaga, reached No. 6 on the Hot Rock Songs chart in August.

The Swedish-American indie pop duo consisting of husband-and-wife team Shpresa Lleshaj and Cole Randall scored their lone single on the rock charts with “You’re Somebody Else.” Though the song was originally released in 2017, it didn’t enter the Hot Rock Songs chart until 2018. It stayed on the chart for 27 weeks. The minimal tune combines acoustic guitar, electronic drums, and lyrics that deal with the theme of modern anxiety.

The Grammy Award-winning English singer/songwriter collaborated with country singer Chris Stapleton and R&B/funk/soul artist Bruno Mars for his highest-charting song on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart with the No. 3 single, the headbanging “BLOW.” Sheeran, Stapleton, and Mars were replaced by three women singers on the song’s video.

Though American rockers Young the Giant have sent a total of 11 songs to the Hot Rock Songs chart over the past decade, “Superposition” is only their second to break into the top 10. In a Twitter post, the band described the track as “a song about quantum physics that has defied odds.” Lyrics include: “Superstition aims with imprecision / But when things can’t be explained, superposition, oh / In any universe you are my dark star.”

Oliver Tree, from Santa Cruz, California, is a singer, music producer, and comedian who’s had two singles reach the top 40 on the Hot Rock Song chart. His rocker “Hurt,” inspired by a scooter crash he was involved in — accompanied by a graphically violent video — has been his biggest success to date, climbing to No. 11 in June.

Masked Iowan metalheads Slipknot have been a fan favorite since the 1990s. With “Unsainted,” the band proved they still know how to rock — it is their best-performing song on the Hot Rock Songs chart. The song has been streamed more than 60 million times on Spotify, and its music video — which revealed the group’s new masks — has been viewed more than 59 million times on YouTube.

Touring maximum security prisons with his father’s prison ministry as a youth helped inform the music of Virginia native Matt Maeson as a youth. His single “Cringe,” the title song of the same album, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs list and was a chart-topper on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in August.

British folk rockers Mumford & Sons scored a top 10 hit on the Hot Rock Songs chart with “Guiding Light,” which peaked at No. 5. The song — the first single off the band’s fourth album, “Delta” — marked a return to the Grammy Award-winning band’s acoustic-based sound featured in their earlier work.

The English hip-hop-influenced artist (born Dominic Harrison) has music in his DNA. His father sold vintage guitars, and his grandfather performed with glam-rock band T. Rex. YUNGBLUD collaborated with Halsey and Travis Barker for the single “11 Minutes,” which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.

“Lo/Hi” appeared alongside “Go” on the Ohio duo’s album “Let’s Rock.” In addition to reaching No. 5 on the Hot Rock Songs chart, the song became the first single from the band to reach the top position on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart, which ranks rock songs by radio airplay. The bluesy, garage rock track reflects a harder edge than found on their previous album, 2014’s “Turn Blue.”

“My Blood” became one of 13 top 10 hits for the Grammy Award-winning Columbus, Ohio, duo, rising to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. It’s video, which depicts a boy struggling to cope with the death of his mother, has been viewed more than 43 million times.

Twenty-six year old English singer-songwriter George Ezra sent one song to the rock songs chart this past year — the summery anthem “Shotgun.” Describing the single to iHeartRadio, Ezra summed it up as simply “Feel Good Vibes.”

“Ready To Let Go” is another single off the Kentucky-based rock band’s album “Social Cues,” an LP that rose to No. 21 on the Billboard 200. “Ready To Let Go,” the group’s fifth top 10 song, peaked at No. 7.

Las Vegas metalheads Five Finger Death Punch scored their biggest hit to date with their cover of “Blue on Black,” featuring musicians Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Brantley Gilbert, and Brian May. All proceeds from the collaborative effort went to benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation. Blues rocker and co-writer of the track, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, stated that the song “is a powerful collaboration of rock, country and blues artists, and a true testament to the commonalities these musical styles share.”

The Denver-based indie rockers have had significant album success since their emergence in 2012. Their self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and received a Grammy nomination, and their follow-up LP, “Cleopatra,” topped the Billboard 200 in 2016. Their third album, “III,” was released in September and includes the single “Gloria,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Hot Rock Songs chart.

AJR are the initials of brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met, indie rockers who started out busking around New York City covering songs from Vampire Weekend and the Beach Boys. They wrote “100 Bad Days” as a song for people to remember the good times and friendships forged at a party. The song is their biggest success to date, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.

The Shaker Heights, Ohio, native (born Colson Baker) became the first rapper to win amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 2009. He released his fourth album in July, an introspective work that included the single “I Think I’m Okay” that featured Lil Skies, Trippie Redd, YUNGBLUD, and Travis Barker. The song has been his biggest hit to date in the world of rock, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.

“Chlorine,” a single from Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, the Grammy Award-winning duo from Columbus, Ohio, was the fifth single released from their album “Trench.” It went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart in July and spent 42 weeks on that chart.

“Bad Liar” is the 18th top 10 single for the Las Vegas-based rockers, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot Rock Songs chart in March. Imagine Dragons won their first Grammy Award in 2014, riding on the success of their diamond-certified debut album “Radioactive.”

“Broken,” a pop single about two heartbroken people possibly starting a relationship, received considerable airplay as it ascended to the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. The song, from the Los Angeles-based indie band, also topped the Billboard Alternative Songs airplay list for nine weeks and broke the record for weeks on that chart at 76.

“Natural” was the latest single from the Las Vegas-based band to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. “Natural” was the first of five singles released from the album “Origins,” and the high-energy song was played by ESPN as the theme for the 2018 college football season.

“Hey Look Ma, I Made It,” the Las Vegas group’s commentary on the downside of fame, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart in July. The song displaced the group’s hit “High Hopes,” the sixth time an act has knocked itself off the Hot Rock Songs summit.

The Las Vegas-based emo-pop group “Panic! At The Disco” posted their highest-charting single in January with “High Hopes,” which rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. “High Hopes” was the group’s second top 10 success on the Hot 100, following “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” which reached No. 7 in 2006. “High Hopes” was one of the singles from the band’s album “Pray For the Wicked,” which went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.