Best Nu-Metal Songs of All Time
In honor of the rap-rock nu-metal combination, Audio Ink Radio presents its tally of the best nu-metal songs of all time. – Author: Anne Erickson, Linkin Park photo by James Minchin
Nu-metal changed the trajectory of popular music in the mid-1990s to mid-2000s. The genre brought together heavy metal music with a range of other musical styles, including hip-hop, industrial metal, rock, alternative and grunge, to create a very new, fresh sound. Bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park rose to the top of the charts with their best nu-metal songs, combining rap with metal, and fans couldn’t get enough of it. To this day, elements of nu-metal are alive in the music of a number of modern bands and songs, showing that this genre has left its fingerprint for generations to come.
While nu-metal is often defined by hip-hop vocals amid heavy metal backings, other elements that bring together the sound include drop-D tuning, angsty lyrics and dissonant instrumental backings. In honor of more than two decades of nu-metal mavens, Audio Ink Radio presents its tally of the best nu-metal songs of all time. Also, find Audio Ink Radio’s roster of some underrated nu-metal anthems.
Audio Ink Radio’s Best Nu-Metal Songs of All Time
17. Adema, “Giving In”
Adema hit the road running with their 2001, self-titled debut album, and the band’s angst-ridden, crunchy sound fit perfectly on rock radio playlists at the time, sandwiched between Korn and Limp Bizkit. Adema’s dark, yearning lyrics helped them stand apart from some of their nu-metal peers.
16. 311, “Beautiful Disaster”
311 hailed from an unlikely town for a nu-metal act in Omaha, Nebraska, but Nick Hexum and company were one of the most influential bands of the era, thanks to their original style of blending reggae rock, turntables and alternative. “Beautiful Disaster” was the third single from the band’s fourth studio album, 1997’s “Transistor,” and third time was a charm, as it’s one of their most recognizable tracks. It’s worth nothing that 311’s debut album, “Music,” came out back in 1993, making them one of the trailblazers of the nu-metal movement.
15. Hoobastank, “Crawling In The Dark”
Hoobastank brought a freshness and carefree energy to the nu-metal movement, not to mention head-spinning tempo changes and breakdowns that were simply fun to rock. The band’s hit single “Crawling in the Dark,” off their 2001 self-titled debut, is still a regular on rock radio, as is their ballad-y follow-up single, “The Reason.”
14. Kittie, “Brackish”
Years before the term “female-fronted” became prevalent in the metal and rock worlds, Kittie were breaking the glass ceiling in the boys club of heavy metal. With their 2000 debut “Spit,” Kittie helped pave the way for female metal artists to come, even confronting the themes of sexism in their lyrics. “Brackish” is a highlight on the album, with ripping guitars and pristine vocals and harmonies.
13. Mudvayne, “Dig”
Mudvayne have always been both musically proficient and brutally heavy, and the result is one of the most talented nu-metal bands of all time. Something else that helped Mudvayne stand apart is that the band was known for its slappy bass guitar.
12. Powerman 5000, “When Worlds Collide”
Powerman 5000 broke ground with their 1999 album “Tonight the Stars Revolt!” thanks to the record’s science fiction theme with apocalyptic, creepy, haunting imagery. The band’s industrial metal sound really blossomed on “Tonight,” and nowhere did it sound cooler than on the single “When Worlds Collide.” Furthermore, it’s Powerman 5000’s most recognizable song to date.
11. Saliva, “Every Six Seconds”
Saliva crafted some of the catchiest nu-metal from the era, with a pop sensibility that wasn’t always prevalent in the genre. The band’s popular 2001 release, “Every Six Seconds,” featured the exclusive track “Click Click Boom,” showing off a hook-y, energetic chorus and frontman Josey Scott’s powerful, thick pipes.
10. Drowning Pool, “Bodies”
“Bodies” is one of the most mainstream hits to come out of the nu-metal era. The beginning of the song is legendary, with the vocals, “Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the…floor!” Part of the charm of “Bodies” is that the song mixes nu-metal with an old-school, almost southern sound. It simply rocks.
9. Evanescence, “Bring Me to Life”
Evanescence were a force in the early 2000s. They truly broke the norm with a novel, gothic-pop sound that featured heavy, catchy guitars and Amy Lee’s yearning vocals. “Bring Me to Life,” the debut single off 2003’s “Fallen,” became an anthem for a new generation of rockers. 12 Stones frontman Paul McCoy adds just the right nu-metal flavor with his rapping during the chorus of the song.
8. Limp Bizkit, “Break Stuff”
Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit ruled the airwaves in the early 2000s, and when it comes to nu-metal classics, “Break Stuff” is the jam. This track would actually be the perfect song crank while, well, breaking stuff. Lastly, it features edgy, snarling guitars and Durst’s raw vocals.
7. Papa Roach, “Last Resort”
Even if you aren’t a fan of rock music, chances are you’ve at least heard Papa Roach’s “Last Resort.” The song, off Papa Roach’s breakout album, “Infest,” combines huge riffs and choruses with vocalist Jacoby Shaddix’s pleading vocals, and it’s a hit to this day.
6. Korn, “Blind” and “Freak On A Leash”
“Blind” is considered the song that got the genre really going and growing into one of the biggest movements of its time. Call it the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” of the nu-metal movement. Plus, it’s just a song that rocks so hard. Yes, Korn is on this list twice, because they were that important to the creation nu-metal. It would be impossible to write a feature about nu-metal and leave Korn out. Band members have distanced themselves from the label, but they really did inspire an entire wave of music driven by drop-D tuning and menacing vocals. “Freak On a Leash” came at a time when Korn was already on fire, but the song just took them to the next level.
5. Linkin Park, “In The End” and “Somewhere I Belong”
Perhaps no band from the nu-metal era tugged at your heartstrings more than Linkin Park. Chester Bennington’s lyrics and Mike Shinoda’s raps were sincere, pleading and completely relatable. “In the End” kicked off the band’s lengthy legacy, coming off their smash debut, “Hybrid Theory.” Like Korn, Linkin Park deserves a spot on here twice, since the band is truly a blueprint for for nu-metal sound and style. Chester Bennington’s and company got bit with “Hybrid Theory.” But, their follow-up, “Meteora,” was just as huge. “Meteora” produced one chart-topping radio hit after the next, from “Numb” to “Breaking the Habit.” What’s more, at the top of the list is “Somewhere I Belong,” with its energetic synths and earnest vocals.
4. Slipknot, “Before I Forget”
With their menacing masks, dark themes and in-your-face attitude, Slipknot eventually became one of the biggest bands from the nu-metal movement. The band released “Vol 3.: The Subliminal Verses,” featuring extra heavy riffing and guttural emotions, and nowhere is that more apparent than on the Grammy Award-winning song, “Before I Forget.” Slipknot’s next release, 2001’s “Iowa,” is arguably their best, but “Vol. 3” paved the way.
3. Staind, “Mudshovel”
The line between post-grunge and nu-metal isn’t always clear, and Staind falls somewhere between the two. Staind’s 1999 sophomore album, “Dysfunction,” was co-produced by Fred Durt of Limp Bizkit. It offered a nu-metal edge with the heartfelt, introspective lyrics for which Staind became known. The feisty “Mudshovel” is a stand out, as it earned Staind their first No. 1 rock hit. I’ll never forget the time that I interviewed Aaron Lewis of Staind and mentioned that I discovered them with “It’s Been a While.” His reply was, “Why doesn’t anyone remember ‘Mudshovel?'”
2. System of a Down, “Toxicity”
System of a Down brought a serious vibe to the nu-metal movement. While many of the genre’s acts blasted out seemingly senseless lyrics, System’s music featured weighty, politically-themed lyrics along with their Eastern-influenced sound. “War?” arrives on System of a Down’s 1998 debut album and packs plenty of fury into an under 3 minutes jam. System followed up their debut album with the genre-bending, 2001 release “Toxicity.” That release blended jazz, metal, folk, hard rock and Middle Eastern music, which took them to the next level.
1. P.O.D., “Alive”
There were plenty of great nu-metal songs that could have been No. 1. But, P.O.D. take that honor with their anthem, “Alive,” for a few reasons. For one, the song is a positive, inspiring song out of an era that didn’t have too many of those. “Everyday is a new day. I’m thankful for every breath I take,” frontman Sonny Sandoval shouts in the introduction. “Alice” also arrived on P.O.D.’s blockbuster “Satellite” album, which sadly arrived on 9/11 but offered some rock music with hope to a shocked and saddened world. It’s just a special song and one of the best nu-metal songs of all time.
P.O.D. released their 11th studio album, “Veritas,” on May 3, 2024. Audio Ink Radio spoke with Sandoval about the album, which he called, “rock ‘n’ roll all the way through.”
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