Hello music fans, and welcome back to this blog for another epic top 10 post! It's been sort of a while since I last did one, so for that reason, I am doing a top 10 post on iconic nu metal songs! I am really excited to do this as I am a huge fan of the genre. So let's do it!
INTRODUCTION
This may be weird, but I am going to introduce this post with a short life story. So about two years ago, I was around the peak of my trap-loving phase, and you know, all I listened to was Migos, Future, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, and others of their kind. One Friday at school, I was thinking about fans of other genres and what they would be like, and metal was one of them. I got fascinated thinking about it and even came to a consensus that liking extreme music of that kind might be interesting to experiment with, so when I got home from school that day, I tried my best to start listening to some heavy metal music. I tried a Spotify playlist of newer metal tracks at first, but after about five minutes I decided that what Spotify called old school metal would be better. That playlist had artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Iron Maiden in it, and I listened to it when I was going with my dad to get pizza that night. I even had told him about my plan, and he thought it was cool, but somehow after that I lost my motivation to continue getting into that genre. There was also another instance not long after this when I was in the car with my dad and he had the radio turned to the active rock station. They were playing the nu metal classic "Last Resort" by Papa Roach, and just one second of it made me think that this was more of that heavy metal stuff. My dad told me the song title and artist, and I just thought that Papa Roach sounded like a sort of interesting extreme metal band that I may or may not get into. That only taste of rock radio I had floated in my mind for a few months, and when I rediscovered songs like that months later, it was kind of cool.
So the moral of that story? If I could go back to that day and tell my 13-year-old self one thing about music, it would be to dig deep down into the subgenre of nu metal. Nu metal is a very interesting genre that blends heavy rock music with other styles like hip hop, funk, industrial, and grunge. It is often based around heavy guitar riffs despite having a very wide variety of influences. A common misconception is that nu metal is just a fancy term for rap rock or rap metal, and while a huge portion of nu metal is also rap rock, nu metal also includes bands that combine an alternative metal sound with influences like grunge. Bands like Staind, Godsmack, Evanescence, Hoobastank, and A Perfect Circle have been cited as nu metal despite a lack of hip-hop influences in their sound, so just take away that nu metal is not rap rock. But I still would have told my 13-year-old self about this subgenre because a huge portion of it does involve rapping over metal riffs, and I guarantee you that my 13-year-old self would have loved that. So yeah, that was a big long, but a good way to introduce this list. This is what I think are the most iconic songs from the nu metal genre. These are NOT my favorite nu metal songs of all time, these are the ones that I think influenced and defined the genre the most. I love all of these songs, but these aren't my favorite nu metal songs, but more of what I think the most iconic ones are. In other words, if you're looking to get into nu metal because you think it sounds cool (which I can confirm it does), then you're in the right place. And I am presenting them in alphabetical order, so they are not ordered from least iconic to most iconic. Enough talking, let's get started!
1. Slipknot - Before I Forget
Slipknot is one of those bands that I can't really pick out one signature song from. There were some earlier songs of theirs like "Wait and Bleed" that were fan favorites, then other rock hits like "Duality", "Psychosocial", and this. I picked this not only because it's my personal favorite, but because I think it represents the nu metal sound the best. And it had commercial success, which is also good. As for the song itself, it doesn't have that super heavy and deadly sound that a lot of Slipknot songs do. I don't mind those type of songs, but I prefer the more friendly sounding ones. This song starts out with a cool guitar riff, and after a few measures it goes into a verse that kicks off the nu metal feel of this song. I wouldn't necessarily call it rapping, but it's kind of a thing that vocalist Corey Taylor does in verses like that sometimes. When it kind of seems to switch up going into the chorus, I enjoy it. Taylor did a great job on that chorus and the song wouldn't be the same without it. In fact, while we're on the topic of that, let me just drop this in here:
Icony, huh? I thought so. I don't necessarily recommend this song or this band for someone just getting into nu metal, but once you've got through the basics and think you're ready for something big to hit, then try this or "Duality" out. They should be cool.
2. Drowning Pool - Bodies
If anyone pulls up in my presence and calls Drowning Pool a one hit wonder because of this song, then we are going to have some serious problems. But I picked this song to be on the list because I do think it is the best one. I am going to review Sinner sometime in the near future, so I will save a lot of my thoughts for that. But I will say this: If you have heard or seen any memes that have a whispering voice that says, "Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor...", then it comes from this song. After that short intro with that whispering, which I do think is good, it kicks right into the good stuff. One of the first noticeable things is how singer Dave Williams shows his talent almost right away. He sounds great throughout pretty much the whole song. The rest of the band brings the energy alongside that, and by the time the chorus hits, it's just one big masterpiece. Unlike "Before I Forget", I think this song is a somewhat good nu metal starter, but I would wait before listening to the album. I promise I will talk about this album in a separate post, but for now just understand how iconic this song is.
3. System of a Down - Chop Suey!
Personally, I am not the biggest System of a Down fan, as I think a lot of their music is pretty all over the place, but you still have to admit that they did a lot to the nu metal subgenre and the rock world in general. This is likely my favorite song of theirs because it sounds the most normal out of everything of theirs I've heard. But that's not why I put it on this list. I put it on this list because I think it represents the nu metal genre very well, both musically and commercially. It has a good build-up in the beginning that gets you hooked, and the changing styles and sections throughout the song keep you that way. This was the first System of a Down song I heard, and I'm glad it was because this was the most popular and the most loved out of them. I don't think it's a good nu metal starter song, but as you go on it is good to hear. Not much else to say about this one.
4. Saliva - Click Click Boom
Here's a song that not many people like. I can kind of see why, but as a nu metal fan, it's hard to agree with those people. This song just has pretty much everything I like to hear in it. It clicks on and brings heat almost right away, and it keeps it when it needs to be present. I haven't done much research on the lyrics, and while I know they're not supposed to be serious, it just seems like a story about singer Josey Scott or anybody when they were younger, as you can tell from the first verse. When it gets into the chorus, you can really tell it's just for fun. If you know a thing or two about the nu metal subgenre, you may know that it does have its group of fans, but most other people do not come around to it and don't see why people enjoy it. This song is a perfect example of something that falls into that category, at least in my opinion. It's not for everyone, but it is for some people. If you were like my 13-year-old self and is a rap fan looking for something similar that may not have necessarily been loved, then here you go.
5. Disturbed - Down With The Sickness
General music fans and chart fanatics may have heard of Disturbed from their cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" that was a hit a couple of years ago. However, if you want to be a nu metal fan, then get that out of your head. I did, and it helped me, so you should do the same. I didn't think that cover was bad, but Disturbed has so many great songs that it overshadows that so much. There's "Stupify", "Liberate", "Remember", "Stricken", "The Night", "Inside The Fire", and this, which is often considered the most iconic of those. It does so much in the time that it runs for, and it leaves me at least somewhat shook after every listen (and I've listened to this about 80 times so I know what I'm talking about). It starts off with a drum beat and quiet guitar riff that makes the song sound pretty passive, but at about the thirty second mark, you hear the first "OH-WAA-AAH-AAH-AAH!", and everything falls into place from there. I feel like this song and this band are good examples of why nu metal and rap rock are not the same thing. This is definitely not a rap-influenced song and Disturbed is not a rap-influenced band, yet they did so much to make the nu metal subgenre what it is. I love this song and love this band, and although they seem hated among regular metalheads they are just what I need.
boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
da boom na da noom na namena
GO!
6. Korn - Freak On a Leash
Most rock fans know Korn as one of the defining nu metal bands of the late 90s and early 2000s. However, there was a time when I just wasn't sure what they were thinking because I did not think that Korn should be considered as a nu metal band. I'm not sure why, I guess they just didn't have the vibe that bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park had. Looking back, I can see what my old self was thinking, and while I definitely wouldn't consider every single thing Korn has done as nu metal, their stuff they put out during the subgenre's peak was pretty nu metal in my opinion. I debated on whether to use this song or "Falling Away From Me" for this list. I almost used "Falling Away From Me" because it sounds way more like a nu metal song than this to me, but this is often considered as Korn's signature song and one of the songs that helped nu metal rise to prominence, and this list isn't really based off of my opinion, so I went with this. "Falling Away From Me" is probably my favorite Korn song, but this song got it all started for me because of how cool it is to get into. It has this funky kind of vibe that captures your attention from the very start, and I feel like the choruses and bridge keep it from being boring for me. I feel it's hard to explain, so I guess you have to listen to see the deal. But let me just say that I've come to be a pretty big Korn fan, and if I didn't hear this song then I might not be as big of one.
7. Trapt - Headstrong
This song was released in 2002, but it's the second youngest song on this list. ("Before I Forget" was released as a single in early 2005, which makes it the youngest) I guess that shows how long it's been since nu metal was at its peak, and how big of a downfall it made. Anyways, I've been really familiar with this song for well over a year now, and I loved it from the first listen. I can't remember how I discovered it, but however it happened, I'm glad it did. In fact, this song was a huge crossover hit, peaking at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ultimately becoming the 49th biggest song of 2003 according to Billboard. It was also a number one hit on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. I can see people calling Trapt a one hit wonder due to this being their only big crossover song, but they do have a couple decent songs they made after abandoning the nu metal sound in the mid 2000s, with "Bring It" being the best one in my opinion. It's not nearly as hard and angry as songs like this, so you can check that out if you want, though this is the one that ended up defining their career. I don't know why it was such a big mainstream hit, just because of the angry, heavy nature behind it, but hey, it is what it is, and I won't complain. This is not one of my all-time favorite nu metal songs but I do enjoy it quite a bit.
8. Linkin Park - In The End
I won't go too much into this song since I've talked about it on this blog already, but it is one of my all-time favorite songs and probably my favorite song on this list. I love Linkin Park with a pretty big passion, and they have so many songs that are high tier and always fun to listen to. This is like the grandfather of all of them. Not only was it their most commercially successful song, but it is also considered the most iconic. And one listen is probably all it takes to see why. It has great rapping, great singing, great instrumentation and production, and very well written lyrics. There are lots of great songs on Hybrid Theory, and if this one really stands out when compared to the rest of the songs, then that says something. As I previously mentioned, I won't say much more since this isn't my first time discussing it here, but this really is nothing but greatness, and it did a great job in representing the rock world on mainstream radio and charts.
CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES
THIS IS MY LAST RESORT
9. Papa Roach - Last Resort
This is just me, but I have a hard time imagining a big nu metal fan that isn't in love with early stuff from Papa Roach. Everything released after Infest and lovehatetragedy is not really nu metal in my opinion, but those two albums, especially the former, are nu metal essentials for everyone. And this is really what got this band's popularity started. In fact, if you really don't mind cool kid-type rock music, then stop what you're doing and listen to this song now. (Just don't listen to the squeaky-clean version, I put that there as a joke) You may have heard it before because it was a really popular song, but if you haven't, this is a good chance to indulge yourself in it. This band really had rocked the world with this song and album, which is cool to think about. Lyrics and references to it can be found in lots of places, in memes, video games, and even Roblox skins:
That's all pretty impressive for a song about suicide, which not everyone may like to hear. It peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, which I think is pretty good for a hard rock song. Even better, it was a top 3 hit in the UK, and their debut album Infest was certified 3x platinum with the help of this song's success. And again, for a song of this kind I think that's pretty good. I'm glad it got this popular because it really is a great song, and it probably got so many people into listening to nu metal, which is also cool. I don't know if this is my favorite Papa Roach song, because songs like "Between Angels and Insects", "Scars", "Forever", "...To Be Loved", and "Lifeline" exist. However, there will probably never be a time when listening to this won't be fun for me.
10. Limp Bizkit - Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)
When many people first see or hear something about Limp Bizkit, only negative things come to mind. That's because not very many people seem to like this band. I can't exactly explain why because I do enjoy their music, but it's hard to get that across to their haters because of how passionate they are about their opinions. This is the first Limp Bizkit song I ever heard, and I loved it from the very first listen. It even remains in my top 50 most played tracks (according to last.fm) to this day. I think the mix of hard rock and rap works very well on this song, and hearing Fred Durst spit the energetic chorus over Wes Borland's heavy guitar is always satisfying to me. The whole white guy rapping thing may be part of why this band is so hated, but I really don't mind it. If you can't stand this band and don't know why they got so popular, I respect your opinion, but just realize that the nu metal genre may not have been so popular without the success of them and other similar bands. And yes, that means that mainstream bands like Linkin Park and Papa Roach and some of their successors may not have been so popular without the initial nu metal boost made by bands like Limp Bizkit in the late 90s. Despite how much it seems like I love this song, it's not my favorite from this band, and I won't reveal my favorite yet because I hope to do a top 10 post on these guys eventually. But if you don't mind having an unpopular opinion and want to try something new, then check this out, and it may be your thing. I'm glad I did.
And that wraps up this top 10 post! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it, and don't forget: If you ever feel like my 13-year-old self did at the point I described, then this subgenre is for you. Or if you just think any of these songs sound cool to you, you can listen to them using the YouTube embeds that I placed when presenting each song. You may like them, you may not. But giving nu metal a try may not hurt you.
Also, before I sign off, I want to advertise that I am going to do a Q&A on this blog sometime in the future, and you guys will ask the questions. If you have anything you want to ask me, music related or not, you can ask me using this form, and I will answer your questions in a future post. There's no real deadline to send them, so if you have one in mind, send it as soon as you can. Just nothing too weird, disgusting, creepy, or personal. (I've already had to throw out three questions because of that so watch out) That is all I have for you, thanks again and have a great day!
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