Greatest Nu Metal Songs Ever
Nu Metal was the main heavy music genre in the last 90s – early 2000s. It was the king of rock. It literally took over the music industry and maid heavy music mainstream. Obviously it happened because millions of people liked that new and fresh style of music. It just resonated with so many music fans.
Dozens of upcoming musicians woke up being famous because of this alternative metal sub-genre. May of them became superstars and are still performing in front of sold-out arenas. Others were famous only for some time and when nu metal became less popular, these bands also disappeared.
But no one can deny a huge impact of this music on the whole generation. Just as no one can deny that best Nu Metal hits are still amazing and stood the test of time. In this list I am giving the chart of TOP nu metal songs ever released. In no particular order. Enjoy them as you wish!
1. Korn – Freak On A Leash
Korn was probably THE band that started the main wave of nu metal music. So many nu metal groups consider them to be their main influence. And rightfully so. You can’t speak about the genre’s history with mentioning this great band. And “Freak On A Leash” from Follow the Leader (1998) album is probably their most famous song.
2. Deftones – Change (In the House of Flies)
Deftones themselves were never happy to be labeled as Nu Metal group. For their own reasons they preferred to be apart of that scene. But it did not stop the fans and industry journalists call them that. Or at least mention them as a part of the sub-genre. And if you listen to their music, it’s hard to deny that some of their awesome songs posses more than one nu metal characteristics. Change (In the House of Flies) is one of this great songs.
3. Papa Roach – Between Angels And Insects
Papa Roach burst into the scene with their debut album and went to being one of the most successful and famous bands right away. This groups has some of the most recognizable and greatest songs that also belong into nu metal category. “Last Resort”, “Broken Home”, and of course “Between Angels And Insects”. I highly recommend everyone to listen to their discography and see how their music evolved, but always remained the signature Papa Roach sound.
4. TapRoot – I
TapRoot developed their own sound and distinctive style. It was not a typical Nu Metal sound for their time, yet the band still found its place in the genre overall. If you like melodic metal, with great guitars and creative vocals, their hit “I” should be in your playlist.
5. Slipknot – Wait And Bleed
Slipknot’s debut album was an eye opener for so many metal fans. The sound, the energy, the vocals, the look of the band members in masks and costumes. Everything about the band was unusual and intriguing. It’s one of the heaviest sounding band in this list. But no nu metal chart is legit without one of their hits. And “Wait And Bleed” is one of the greatest ones for sure.
6. Crossfade – Colors
Crossfade has released only 3 studio albums and have a lengthy period of inactivity, but that does not diminish the quality of their music. Their debut album “Crossfade” (released in 2004) has many awesome tracks, with “Colors” one of the punchiest of them. A great track that deserves a spot in this list.
7. Staind – Outside
Staind had some really dramatic changes in their music over the years. Their earlier albums have very noticeable nu metal influences and elements. And the iconic song “Outside” performed in 1999 during the Family Values Tour in duet with Fred Durst literally became a sensation. The live acoustic version was heavily played on radio stations and gained the band countless new fans. This was a perfect boost for their upcoming “Break the Cycle” (2001) album.
8. Incubus – Pardon me
“Pardon Me” from the Incubus third album Make Believe (1999) was a big hit for the band. It is still one of their most recognizable hits. Because of the song’s success the album reached Gold certification (500,000 copies sold) in April 2000. The other amazing hits were “Drive”, “The Warmth”. The album might have started a less nu metalish direction by the group, but this is definitely one of the best songs of the genre.
9. P.O.D. – Southtown
P.O.D. is yet another band that exploded during the nu metal era. They had some nuclear hits like “Boom”, “Youth of the Nation” and others. The group is still active and going strong if you are wondering. They just recently released their latest album called Veritas. And if you are looking for a hard nu metal song, give a listen to the “Southtown” from 2000 almub The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. The band is simply great.
10. Drowning Pool – Bodies
“Bodies” by Drowning Pool may have one of the most recognizable intro in the nu metal track-list. The songs rocked in 2001 when it was released. And it still rocks almost 25 years later. Some things just don’t change.
11. Limp Bizkit – Counterfeit
I mean c’mon, did you think I would not include Limp Bizkit in this best of nu metal chart? No way. LB was the biggest band weather you liked them or not. And if you somehow never head them, you are in for a treat. They defined what the nu metal was for so many music fans. Super hits like “Take a Look Around”, “Break Stufff”, “My Generation” still make people go wild in their concerts. But I do recommend checking their earlier songs from the first album. It did have a more raw sound to it. “Counterfeit” is one those tracks.
12. Crazy Town – Toxic
Toxic is one of the most popular songs by Crazy Town. Released in 1999 in their debut album The Gift of Game it perfectly fits in the era of nu metal. The intro is still one of the best they ever produced.
13. Spineshank – New Disease
You might have missed this one if you were not in the genre back in the day and only discovering it now. But the songs was big. And still sounds great. This hit came out in the band’s second album The Height of Callousness.
14. Ill Nino – How Can I Live
Yet another banger from the early 2000s. “How Can I Live” by Ill Niño was released with the band’s second album Confession. It’s one of their main hits, and it’s hard not to love it. Definitely stood the test of time remaining one of the most melodic nu metal songs. You can also hear it in the soundtrack to the horror movie Freddy vs. Jason.
15. Linkin Park – By Myself
October of 2000 should be forever marked in the calendar of rock music. It was the month when Linkin Park released their debut album Hybrid Theory. Arguably the best nu metal album ever, and one of the greatest rock albums in general. The whole album is a masterpiece. And you can pick any song. Any track. It slaps. Millions of music fans to this day have hits like “Papercut”, “Crawling”, “In the End” and other in their playlists. For this list I chose the song called “By Myself”. But in reality you can’t go wrong with any of them.
16. S.O.A.D – By Myself
System Of A Down is one of the most unique bands that were at the birth and explosion of the nu metal genre. They always had their own twist on the style, and their sound is truly great. They are also one of the most popular metal bands in the world to this day. Fans still hope for new songs from the band, though it does seem unlikely. Chop Suey was the songs that for many became the introduction to the band’s music. And what an introduction this track is!