Rock has been a popular genre of music since its introduction back in the 1950’s. Though some criticized it for promoting anti-authority behavior, the genre has only grown in popularity over the years, leading to the creation of several subgenres. Rock music has left a strong impact on our society and to recognize this we showcase some of the best rock songs of the past decade.
“Tighten Up” by The Black Keys
A rock song that became one of the earliest hits of the 2010’s was The Black Keys’ song “Tighten Up.” It was the last song for the group’s “Brother” album, and the members developed the song while they had some time off during the album’s production. In a short amount of time, the song became a massive hit and went on to be the group’s first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Two music videos were produced for this song: a low-budget version that was made early on, and an official video months later. Adding to the band’s success, the official music video won the 2010 MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video.
It’s funny to think how the group members came up with this tune in their spare time and it ended up becoming one of their biggest hits.
“Walk” by Foo Fighters
“Walk” is one of the strongest rock releases to come out of the 2010’s. This alternative rock song was released in June 2011 by the band Foo Fighters. Upon its release, it was only available as a digitally downloadable single. Though the song was only available online, it quickly rose to the top of the Billboard Rock Songs chart near the end of the following month.
Dave Grohl wrote the song, which primarily deals with the idea of taking the chance to start over and better yourself. If you are given the chance to do something again after failing, you should take the opportunity and give it your all. The music video recorded for the song even went on to win the MTV Award for Best Rock Video in its release year.
“Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon
Walk the Moon is one of the newer rock bands in this list, as it came onto the scene in 2006. “Shut Up and Dance” is a song from the group’s second studio album, titled “Talking is Hard.” Nicholas Petricca, the band’s lead singer, was inspired to write the song when his girlfriend invited him to dance at a Los Angeles nightclub.
As the title would suggest, the song is about a woman trying to get a man to dance with her. The song was also inspired by the music of the 1980’s, and relies more on the melody than on traditional guitar riffs. As of today, the song is the group’s most successful single, as it managed to peak at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.
“Bang Bang” by Green Day
Since the band’s introduction in 1986, Green Day has been a staple of the music scene for decades. “Bang Bang,” the lead single from the band’s 2016 album “Revolution Radio”, has been one of the group’s most notable releases in the 2010’s. The song has also been described as one of the band’s most intense and aggressive songs.
Upon its release, the song went on to peak at number one on the Mainstream Rock music chart in the United States.
“Believer” by Imagine Dragons
Released on February 1, 2017, Imagine Dragons’ “Believer” quickly became the band’s third top ten single. It is considered a pop rock song, which focuses more on the beat and less on rock’s trademark attitude. Though not a rock song in the traditional sense, many traditional rock remixes have sprung up in response to its popularity.
The band’s singer, Dan Reynolds, wrote the song based on his experiences dealing with ankylosing spondylitis. The condition put a massive amount of strain on his spine, and he wrote the song to show that you can overcome pain and make it your biggest strength. Upon release, the song hit number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and quickly became a smash hit.
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