List of years in rock music

This page lists the individual year in rock music pages. Each year is annotated with a few of the top performing bands, songs, and significant events of each year, with further details at each respective article.

2021

• 2021 in rock music
  • The COVID 19 pandemic delays many rock albums and tours originally meant for 2020 into 2021.[1]

2020

• 2020 in rock music
  • Rapper Machine Gun Kelly goes through a radical style change and releases a pop punk album, titled Tickets to My Downfall. It is the only rock album to be a number one album on the all-format US Billboard 200 album chart until AC/DC tops it in late November, the only other band to do so.[2] Both Green Day and The Killers top both the UK and Australian all-format album charts.[3]
  • The COVID 19 pandemic delays or outright cancels countless rock albums and tours scheduled for the year.[4]
  • During the 2020 United States presidential election, many rock musicians oppose Donald Trump's unauthorized use of their music.[5][6]

2019

• 2019 in rock music
  • Tool, Slipknot and The Raconteurs have number one albums on the all-format US Billboard 200 album chart.[7][8][9] Bring Me the Horizon tops the UK and Australian all-format album charts.[10]
  • Disturbed spends 7 weeks at the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart between their singles "A Reason to Fight" and "No More". Five Finger Death Punch spend 6 weeks at the top of the chart across "When the Seasons Change" and their cover of "Blue on Black".[11]
  • Tool releases their first album in 13 years, Fear Inoculum, and it has the biggest debut for a rock album in 2019.[7] The first single, "Fear Inoculum", breaks the record for longest song to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100 charts at 10 minutes 21 seconds.[12] My Chemical Romance and Rage Against the Machine announce their reformation and intention to tour in the future.[13][14]

2018

• 2018 in rock music
  • Jack White, Dave Matthews Band, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! at the Disco all have number one albums on the all-format US Billboard 200 album chart.[15][16][17][18] Greta Van Fleet have the best-selling album of the week in the US for their debut album Anthems of the Peaceful Army.[19]
  • Ghost's single "Rats" tops the Mainstream Rock chart for seven straight weeks.[20][21] Bad Wolves cover of The Cranberries song Zombie" is the first rock song of 2018 to go platinum in the US, indicating sales of 1 million for the song.[22]
  • A Perfect Circle releases their first album in 14 years, Eat the Elephant.[23] Billy Corgan reforms 3/4's of the Smashing Pumpkin's original lineup.[24]

2017

• 2017 in rock music
  • Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, and U2 all have number one albums on the US all-format Billboard 200 album chart.[25][26][27]
  • The Foo Fighters tops the Mainstream Rock charts for a cumulative 8 weeks across their two singles "Run" and "The Sky is a Neighborhood". Papa Roach's "Help" and Theory of a Deadman's "Rx (Medicate)" each spend six weeks at the top of the chart as well.[28]
  • Both Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave, and Chester Bennington, lead singer of the band Linkin Park, commit suicide.[29][30]

2016

• 2016 in rock music
  • Blink 182, Green Day, and Panic! at the Disco all have number one albums on the US all-format Billboard 200 album chart.[31][32][33]
  • Disturbed's single "The Sound of Silence", a rock cover version of the song by Simon & Garfunkel, tops the Mainstream Rock chart for seven straight weeks,[34] and goes on to be certified triple platinum in the US, selling 3 million copies.[35]
  • Coldplay performs at the halftime show for Super Bowl 50.[36]

2015

• 2015 in rock music
  • Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin and Fall Out Boy all have number one albums on the US all-format Billboard 200 album chart.[37][38][39]
  • Foo Fighters single "Something from Nothing" goes through the second half of its 13-week run at the top of the Mainstream Rock chart.[40][41] Breaking Benjamin spends 9 weeks atop of the chart with "Failure", Shinedown 7 weeks with "Cut the Cord".[40]
  • Country music musician Zac Brown and his band have success with more rock-oriented material, collaborating with the Foo Fighters on the song “Congregation”, and with Chris Cornell with the song "Heavy is the Head", both of which top the Mainstream Rock chart for multiple weeks.[42][43]

2014

• 2014 in rock music
  • The Black Keys, Jack White, Slipknot, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Coldplay all have number one albums on the US all-format Billboard 200 chart.[44][45][46][47][48]
  • Foo Fighters's single "Something From Nothing" spends 8 weeks atop of the Billboard Mainstream Rock songs chart, Seether's "Words as Weapons" and The Pretty Reckless's Heaven Knows" both spend 5 weeks at the top of the chart each.[41]
  • U2 releases their thirteenth studio album Songs of Innocence in a non-traditional and controversial manner - an automatic download to all registered iTunes accounts to mixed results.[49][50][51]

2013

• 2013 in rock music
  • Queens of the Stone Age, Pearl Jam, Avenged Sevenfold, Paramore, and Fall Out Boy all have number one albums on the US all-format Billboard 200 chart.[52][53][54][55][56]
  • Avenged Sevenfold's single "Hail to the King" spends 10 weeks in a row, and 11 weeks cumulative, atop of the Billboard Mainstream Rock songs chart. Alice in Chains spends 8 weeks atop of the chart cumulatively between songs "Hollow" and "Stone", Soundgarden seven weeks across "Been Away Too Long" and "By Crooked Steps".[57]
  • Remaining Stone Temple Pilots members (Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz) collaborate with Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington after the firing of original lead singer Scott Weiland. After legal battles over the name, the four excluding Weiland retain the rights to the band name and record and release an EP of material, High Rise, which includes the Mainstream Rock Songs chart topping song "Out of Time".[58]

2012

• 2012 in rock music
  • Linkin Park, Matchbox 20, Jack White, and Dave Matthews Band all have number one albums on the US all-format Billboard 200 album chart.[59][54][60][61]
  • Three Days Grace's single "Chalk Outline" spends 13 consecutive weeks atop of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart. Shinedown spends a cumulative 16 weeks atop the chart between 12 weeks with "Bully" and 4 weeks with "Unity". Chevelle and Soundgarden each spend 7 weeks atop of the chart as well.[62]
  • Soundgarden reforms and releases their first new material in 15 years.[63]

2011

• 2011 in rock music
  • Foo Fighters, Evanescence, Coldplay all have number one albums on the all-format US Billboard 200 album chart.[64][65][66]
  • Seether's "Country Song" spends 10 consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock songs chart. Foo Fighters spend 9 weeks atop of the chart between singles "Rope" and "Walk". Alterbridge's "Isolation" and Staind's "Not Again" spend 7 weeks at the top of the chart.[67]
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers miss number one on the chart, but tops 18 other national album charts upon release. Nickelback misses having a number one album by a margin of ".18%".[68]

2010

• 2010 in rock music
  • Godsmack, Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold, and Disturbed all have number one albums on the all-format US Billboard 200 album chart.[69][70][71][72]
  • Stone Sour's "Say You'll Haunt Me", Alice in Chains's "Your Decision", and Disturbed's "Another Way to Die" all have separate 8 week runs atop of the Billboard Mainstream Rock songs chart.[73]
  • The low sales of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock puts a halt to the yearly releases of the Guitar Hero series of games that had previously been very popular in the late 2000s.[74][75]

2009

• 2009 in rock music
  • Green Day, Pearl Jam, Daughtry, U2, and Dave Matthews Band all have number one albums on the all-format US Billboard 200 album chart.[76][77][78][79][80]
  • Both Linkin Park and Shinedown find crossover success with singles, with "New Divide" and "Second Chance" peaking at number 6 and 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 all-format song charts respectively.[81]
  • A fan campaign succeeds in getting Rage Against the Machine's 1992 protest song "Killing in the Name" named the number one Christmas song in the UK that year.[82]

References

1. Leight, Elias (March 30, 2020). "They Were Going to Be Spring's Biggest Albums -- Until COVID-19 Hit".
2. https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9488073/acdc-power-up-number-one-billboard-200-albums-chart
3. "Machine Gun Kelly Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Tickets to My Downfall'". Billboard.
4. "All the Live Events, Movie Releases, and Productions Affected by the Coronavirus". Vulture.
5. Nolan, Emma (June 24, 2020). "All the musicians who have stopped Trump using their music". Newsweek.
6. Hussein, Jennifer. "22 artists who have spoken out against President Trump playing their music at his events". Insider.
7. "Tool's 'Fear Inoculum' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart With Biggest Week For a Rock Album in Over 1 Year". Billboard.
8. Coscarelli, Joe (August 19, 2019). "Slipknot Outsells Rick Ross for a No. 1 Album (Published 2019)" – via NYTimes.com.
9. Coscarelli, Joe (July 1, 2019). "Vinyl Sales Help the Raconteurs Beat Lil Nas X to No. 1 (Published 2019)" – via NYTimes.com.
10. "Bring Me The Horizon's "Amo" Sees First Week Decline In The U.S., Opens At #1 In The UK & Australia". Theprp.com. 5 February 2019.
11. https://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/2019/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks
12. "Tool's "Fear Inoculum" Is the First 10-Minute Song Ever to Break the 'Billboard' Hot 100". Spin. August 13, 2019.
13. "My Chemical Romance say they were not expecting such a warm welcome back following reunion announcement". November 2, 2019.
14. Brooks, Dave (November 1, 2019). "Rage Against the Machine to Reunite for 2020 Coachella". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
15. "Jack White's 'Boarding House Reach' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart".
16. "Dave Matthews Band Scores Seventh No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Come Tomorrow'".
17. "Fall Out Boy Earns Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Mania'".
18. "Panic! at the Disco's 'Pray for the Wicked' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart".
19. "Greta Van Fleet notches top-selling album in the U.S. in opening week". Detroit Free Press.
20. "Ghost's 'Rats' Hits No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Songs Chart".
21. "Rock Music: Top Mainstream Rock Songs Chart".
22. DiVita, Joe. "Bad Wolves' 'Zombie' Becomes 2018's First Platinum Rock Song". Loudwire.
23. "J. Cole Claims Fifth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart & Biggest Week of 2018 With 'KOD'".
24. Nevins, Jake (15 February 2018). "Smashing Pumpkins announce first tour since 2000". The Guardian.
25. Kreps, Daniel (25 September 2017). "Charts: Foo Fighters Stake Second Number One With 'Concrete and Gold'".
26. "Linkin Park Scores Sixth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'One More Light'".
27. Kreps, Daniel (10 December 2017). "On the Charts: U2 Claim Eighth Number One LP With 'Songs of Experience'".
28. "2017 Archive - Billboard".
29. Kreps, Daniel (28 June 2017). "Chris Cornell's Widow Breaks Silence on Singer's Death, 'Addiction'".
30. Grow, Kory (20 July 2017). "Chester Bennington, Linkin Park Singer, Dead at 41".
31. "Blink-182 Bumps Drake From No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Retrieved 26 August 2018.
32. "Green Day Earns Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Revolution Radio'". Retrieved 26 August 2018.
33. "Panic! at the Disco Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Retrieved 26 August 2018.
34. "The Sound of Silence-d Guitars: Disturbed's Haunting Simon & Garfunkel Cover Tops Mainstream Rock Songs Chart". Retrieved 26 August 2018.
35. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Retrieved 26 August 2018.
36. "Future Scores Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Retrieved 26 August 2018.
37. "Disturbed Scores Fifth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
38. "Breaking Benjamin Earns Its First No. 1 Album on the Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
39. "Fall Out Boy Scores Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard.
40. "2015 Archive". Billboard.
41. "2014 Archive". Billboard.
42. "Modest Mouse Grabs Top Spot on Top Rock Albums; Foo Fighters Top Mainstream Rock Songs - Music News - ABC News Radio". abcnewsradioonline.com.
43. Zadrozny, Anya. "Zac Brown Band Top Billboard 200 + Mainstream Rock Charts". Loudwire.
44. "The Black Keys Earn First No. 1 Album, Michael Jackson Debuts At No. 2". Billboard.
45. "Jack White's 'Lazaretto' Debuts at No. 1, Sets Vinyl Sales Record". Billboard.
46. "Slipknot Scores Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
47. "Tom Petty Scores First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200". Billboard.
48. "Coldplay's 'Ghost Stories' Starts at No. 1 With Biggest Debut of 2014". Billboard.
49. Hawksley, Rupert (10 September 2014). "Why is the new U2 album in your iTunes library?". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
50. Roose, Kevin (11 September 2014). "Everyone Is Mad at Apple for Forcing Them to Download a U2 Album". New York. New York Media. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
51. Peterson, Kim (12 September 2014). "Apple's free U2 "gift" angers many customers". CBS MoneyWatch. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
52. "Queens of the Stone Age Get First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
53. "Pearl Jam Earns Fifth No. 1 Album On Billboard 200". Billboard.
54. "Avenged Sevenfold Earns Second No. 1 Album On Billboard 200". Billboard.
55. https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/chart-alert/1558370/paramore-earn-first-no-1-album-on-billboard-200
56. "Fall Out Boy Tops Kid Cudi on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
57. https://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/2013/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks
58. "Chester Bennington Releases First EP With Stone Temple Pilots, Plots Future With Linkin Park". Billboard.
59. "Linkin Park Squeaks By Maroon 5, Hits No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard.
60. "Dave Matthews Band Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard.
61. "Album Sales: Jack White's 'Blunderbuss' debuts at No. 1; The Wanted can't compete with One Direction". EW.com.
62. https://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/2012/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks
63. "Soundgarden's First Song in 15 Years Arrives: 'Live to Rise'". Spin. April 4, 2012.
64. "Foo Fighters Earn First No. 1 Album with 'Wasting Light'". Billboard.
65. "Evanescence Nets Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
66. "Coldplay Claims Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
67. https://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/2011/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks
68. "Michael Buble Bests Nickelback, Rihanna on Billboard 200". Billboard.
69. "Godsmack Grabs Third No. 1 Album; Eminem Wows Digitally". Billboard.
70. "George Strait Lands Top Debut on Billboard 200, Beatles' 1' Re-enters Top 5". Billboard.
71. "Avenged Sevenfold Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard.
72. "Game's 'R.E.D.' Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard.
73. https://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/2010/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks
74. Yin-Poole, Wesley (2011-02-09). "Activision kills Guitar Hero". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
75. Dutton, Fred (2011-02-09). "Acti explains Guitar Hero, True Crime cul". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
76. "Green Day Takes Top Spot On Billboard 200". Billboard.
77. "Pearl Jam Scores First No. 1 On Billboard 200 In 13 Years". Billboard.
78. "Daughtry Returns, Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200". Billboard.
79. "U2 Tops The Billboard 200". Billboard.
80. "Dave Matthews' 'Big' Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200". Billboard.
81. "Are Shinedown America's Most Popular Rock Band?". June 29, 2020.
82. "Rage win Christmas chart battle". December 20, 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.