Top 50 Nu-Metal Songs

Nu-Metal: Top 50 Songs

Nu-Metal emerged in the mid-1990s and maintained a measure of popularity through the 2000s. The genre merged heavy metal with alternative rock and hip-hop. In many ways, it was a follow-up to grunge with some songs also traversing the area of post-grunge rock. This list was created by aggregating 15 lists focused on nu-metal songs. Those songs featured on 2 or more lists were then ranked based on overall DMDB points. Click here to see other genre-specific song lists. 1. Evanescence with Paul McCoy “Bring Me to Life” (2003) 2. Linkin Park “In the End” (2000) 3. Staind “It’s Been Awhile” (2001) 4. Rage Against the Machine “Killing in the Name” (1992) 5. Linkin Park “Numb” (2003) 6. Incubus “Drive” (1999) 7. Papa Roach “Last Resort” (2000) 8. System of a Down “Chop Suey” (2001) 9. Korn “Freak on a Leash” (1998) 10. Trapt “Headstrong” (2002) 11. Crazy Town “Butterfly” (2000) 12. Incubus “Wish You Were Here” (2001) 13. Breaking Benjamin “The Diary of Jane” (2006) 14. Linkin Park “Somewhere I Belong” (2003) 15. Rage Against the Machine “Bulls on Parade” (1996) 16. Linkin Park “Faint” (2003) 17. Alien Ant Farm “Smooth Criminal” (2001) 18. Disturbed “Down with the Sickness” (2000) 19. Linkin Park “One Step Closer” (2000) 20. Payable on Death (P.O.D.) “Youth of the Nation” (2001) 21. Marilyn Manson “The Beautiful People” (1996) 22. Linkin Park “Breaking the Habit” (2003) 23. Limp Bizkit “Break Stuff” (2000) 24. Drowning Pool “Bodies” (2001) 25. Kid Rock “Bawitdaba” (1998) 26. Limp Bizkit “Rollin’ (Urban Assault Vehicle)” (2000) 27. Slipknot “Wait and Bleed” (1998) 28. Payable on Death (P.O.D.) “Alive” (2001) 29. Stone Sour “Bother” (2002) 30. System of a Down “Toxicity” (2001) 31. Limp Bizkit “Nookie” (1999) 32. Incubus “Pardon Me” (1999) 33. Linkin Park “Crawling” (2000) 34. System of a Down “B.Y.O.B.” (2005) 35. Puddle of Mudd “Control” (2001) 36. Chevelle “The Red” (2002) 37. Mudvayne “Dig” (2001) 38. Korn “Got the Life” (1998) 39. Deftones “My Own Summer (Shove It)” (1997) 40. Godsmack “I Stand Alone” (2002) 41. Limp Bizkit “My Way” (2001) 42. Slipknot “Duality” (2004) 43. Evanescence “Going Under” (2003) 44. Orgy “Blue Monday” (1998) 45. Korn “Blind” (1994) 46. Saliva “Click Click Boom” (2001) 47. Limp Bizkit “Take a Look Around” (2000) 48. Linkin Park “Points of Authority” (2000) 49. (hed) P.E. “Bartender (I Just Want Your Company)” (2000) 50. Linkin Park “Papercut” (2000) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists” First posted 8/29/2022.

Evanescence’s Fallen hit #1 in UK

Fallen Evanescence

Released: March 4, 2003 Charted: March 22, 2003 Peak: 3 US, 11 UK, 15 CN, 13 AU Sales (in millions): 8.0 US, 1.35 UK, 18.3 world (includes US and UK) Genre: alternative rock

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Going Under (6/28/03, 49 RR, 26 AR, 5 MR, 8 UK) Bring Me to Life (with Paul McCoy, 1/25/03, 5 US, 1 RR, 4 A40, 11 AR, 1 MR, 1 UK 3 CN, 1 AU) Everybody’s Fool (4/10/04, 36 MR, 24 UK) My Immortal (11/29/03, 7 US, 2 RR, 19 AC, 1 A40, 7 UK, 1 CN, 4 AU) Haunted Tourniquet Imaginary Taking Over Me Hello My Last Breath Whisper Total Running Time: 48:45

Rating: 3.640 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “Fallen is the major-label debut of Evanescence, a Little Rock, AR-based quartet led by the soaring vocals of 20-year-old Amy Lee. Emboldened by the inclusion of its single Bring Me to Life on the soundtrack to the hit film Daredevil, Fallen debuted at an impressive number seven on Billboard's Top 40.” AMG “But ‘Bring Me to Life’ is a bit misleading. A flawless slice of Linkin Park-style anguish pop, it’s actually a duet between Lee and 12 Stones’ Paul McCoy.” AMG “Half of the album does include flashes of the single’s PG-rated nu-metal (Everybody’s Fool, Going Under),” AMG but the rest “are piano-driven ballads that suggest Tori Amos if she wore too much mascara and recorded for the Projekt label.” AMG “It’s the symphonic goth rock of groups like Type O Negative that influences most of Fallen. Ethereal synths float above Ben Moody’s crunching guitar in Haunted, while Whisper even features apocalyptic strings and a scary chorus of Latin voices right out of Carmina Burana.” AMG “Tourniquet is an anguished, urgent rocker driven by chugging guitars and spiraling synths, with brooding lyrics that reference Evanescence’s Christian values: ‘Am I too lost to be saved? / Am I too lost? / My God! My tourniquet / Return to me salvation.’ The song is Fallen’s emotional center point and defines the band’s sound.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Evanescence AMG All Music Guide by Johnny Loftus WK Wikipedia First posted 3/24/2008; last updated 5/3/2022.

 

Evanescence charted with “Bring Me to Life”

Bring Me to Life Evanescence with Paul McCoy

Writer(s): Amy Lee, Ben Moody, David Hodges (see lyrics here) Released: April 7, 2003 First Charted: January 25, 2003 Peak: 5 US, 11 RR, 4 A40, 11 AR, 12 MR, 13 UK, 3 CN, 16 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 1.2 UK, 5.1 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.7 radio, 1238.17 video, 708.2 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Evanescence leaned mostly toward a commercialized form of goth which was alternative-radio friendly, but lead singer “Amy Lee’s powerful voice juxtaposes…[with] guest singer Paul McCoy’s (of 12 Stones) gruffness” AZ to give “Bring Me to Life” doses of nu-metal and rap-rock. PopMatters.com’s Adrien Bengrad said it sounded “like a love song between a Lilith Fair girl and an Ozzfest dude.” WK All Music Guide’s Johnny Loftus called it “a flawless slice of Linkin Park-style anguish pop” AMG and The Boston Globe said the song “conjures visions of Sarah McLachlan fronting Godsmack.” WK The orchestral parts and pop leanings have also earned the song genre descriptions such as “chamber pop” and a “power ballad.” WK The song didn’t just mix genres but challenged radio station owners who said, “We don’t play pianos and chicks on rock radio.” WK They did after this song became a hit. Initially included on the Daredevil soundtrack, it also served as a launch pad for the group’s album, Fallen. The song was a chart-topper in the UK, Australia, and Italy and went top ten in at least 15 countries. WK The song also took home a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance and was nominated for Best Rock Song. It also won the Billboard Music Award for Soundtrack Single of the Year. Some have interpreted the song’s lyrics as a “a call for new life in Jesus Christ,” but the record company explained that the band was secular and didn’t belong in Christian markets. WK The group’s lead singer, Amy Lee, told Billboard she opposed them being identified as a Christian band, although there are many fans suggesting they are a Christian band. SF Other fans have suggested the song was an homage to the movie Never Ending Story. SF Lee explained that the song was about recognizing what is missing in one’s life. She said the idea was sparked by a conversation in a restaurant waiting for the rest of the party to show up. Although he was just a friend of a friend, he was perceptive enough to sense her hidden feelings and asked her, “Are you happy?” She told VH1, “I realized that for months I’d been numb, just going through the motions of life.” WK She explained to MTV News that, “One day something happens that wakes [you] up and makes [you] realize that there’s more to life…It’s just like, ‘Wow, I’ve been asleep all this time.’” WK Resources: AMG All Music Guide AZ Amazon.com SF Songfacts.com WK Wikipedia.org Related Links: First posted 1/25/2013; last updated 11/7/2022.