The Top 10 Bands that Defined the 2000s Kerrang Era
If you grew up in the UK during the early 2000s and listened to alternative music, you likely came home from school and turned Kerrang on your TV while you read the latest issue of Kerrang magazine. And now that you’re grown up you’re likely reading this to remember the good old days, don’t worry I’m writing this for that exact reason. Here are the top 10 bands that defined the 2000’s Kerrang era.
10. Tenacious D
This may not be the greatest and best song in the world, but it is a damn good one nonetheless. Tenacious D’s ‘Tribute’ was a staple of early 2000’s Kerrang and helped take the band to new levels of popularity. Jack Black claims that they wrote this song because they couldn’t remember how to play the greatest song in the world, which is ‘Beezleboss’ by the way. Tribute also hinted that they believe Stairway To Heaven is the greatest song of all time, with a very similar guitar melody playing at the end of the video, and who are we to argue with that statement?
9. HIM
The Heartogram took over the alternative music scene in the early 2000’s. The logo of the Finnish band HIM, it became a huge part of the culture, donning plenty of merch items, with some fans even getting it tattooed on them. HIM were actually a really great alternative band too, blending hard rock with a gothic theme, some of their songs such as ‘Wings of a Butterfly’ still remain popular today.
8. Lostprophets
Oh man, this one hurts me to write but it is hard to deny the influence that the band had during the time. First gracing the scene with their debut album ‘Fake Sound Of Progress’ the Welsh nu-metal act captured the hearts of fans immediately, before following up with their second album, ‘Start Something’ that was filled with arena anthems such as ‘Last Train Home’, ‘Last Summer’, and ‘Burn Burn’. The band lost some popularity during later years but still had a large and dedicated fanbase before…..well, you know. But, we’re not focusing on what became of the band and are instead reliving the past memories that we have of the music. So forget all of that, put on some headphones and go back to 2004 and remember the happier times.
7. Papa Roach
Is there a more iconic nu-metal opener than “Cut my life into pieces, this is my last resort”? Last Resort became the breakout track for Papa Roach and remains a fond memory for nu-metal fans.
6. Blink-182
This song is overplayed, but there is good reason, it is one of the catchiest songs there is. Blink-182 are known for churning out hit after hit, but there’s something about ‘All The Small Things’ that is different. The song managed to connect with people across all age ranges across the world and still receives plenty of air time even today.
5. Rammstein
The German metallers have been an arena band for over 20 years, and with good reason. Despite many of us not having any idea what they’re singing about, unless you happen to be German or studied the language, we still love them for their heavy industrial music and catchy lyrics.
4. The Offspring
Another band that was known for churning out hit after hit in the ’90s and 2000s, The Offspring wrote some of the best music of the era with songs such as ‘Want You Bad’, ‘Original Prankster’, and ‘Pretty Fly For A White Guy’. When you think of skateboarding music, The Offspring is usually in that conversation.
3. Limp Bizkit
Yes, I used to own a red NY cap, and yes I’m ashamed of myself. Limp Bizkit were one of the most popular bands of the era, although many fans feel slightly embarrassed these days about being a big fan of the band. Blending rap with nu-metal, the band helped shape the genre and became one of the biggest bands in the world in the process. Limp Bizkit became so popular that their song ‘Rollin’ was even WWE’s The Undertaker’s theme song for a while, and their song ‘My Way’ featured in their WrestleMania 17 promo package, arguably the best video package the company ever produced.
2. System Of A Down
WAKE UP, something something something MAKE UP! System Of A Down has become a bit of a meme in recent years, with some interesting mashup and meme songs being created. The band is held in high regard by millions of fans and Toxicity remains one of the defining albums of the era. They haven’t released a new album since 2005, but they did release two new songs in 2020, so fingers crossed a new album eventually surfaces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSvFpBOe8eY
1. Linkin Park
To be honest, any of the top 3 bands could have rightfully taken the top spot, but for longevity, we had to give it to Linkin Park. The band helped catapult nu-metal to the mainstream, before transitioning into a band that continued to write chart-topping anthems. Very few albums, especially from this era, can be enjoyed from start to finish with very few filler songs, but Hybrid Theory and Meteora are two of the best from this time. We can all remember hearing a song from Hybrid Theory for the first time and usually have plenty of fond memories attached to them.
