2025 #1 Mainstream Rock Songs

1/11: Mayday

Three Days Grace

Three Days Grace score their 19^th #1 on the chart.

It was the band’s first single since the return of original frontman Adam Gontier – splitting lead vocals with Matt Walst.

Of Three Days Grace’s #1s, 11 have been with Gontier, beginning with “Just Like You” in 2004.

Following his departure in ’13, Walst stepped in as the band’s sole vocalist, starting in ’14 with “Painkiller.”

“A lot of the time in the studio, it just comes naturally, shared Walst. “Who’s gonna sing what and where. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Linkin Park

2/15: Heavy Is The Crown

Linkin Park

Having already reached the top of the Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, Linkin Park landed its 12^th #1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay survey with “‘Heavy Is The Crown.”

The track is the second #1 from Linkin Park’s eighth studio album, “From Zero.” “The Emptiness Machine” was the first.

In addition to reaching the top on Mainstream Rock the song was used as the opening theme for the 2024 League of Legends World Championship and was heard in a promo package prior to the NHL 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

“”From Zero,” a ’24 release, was Linkin Park’s first studio album since ’17’s “One More Light.”

Sleep Theory

2/22: Stuck In My Head

Sleep Theory

It was the Memphis four-piece’s first song to top the chart but third effort to chart following “Fallout” (#2 last August) and “Numb” (#9 in January ’24).

Sleep Theory formed in ’20 as a Cullen Moore solo project. The U.S. Army veteran and son of an R&B musician was then joined by bassist Paolo Vergara.  The band subsequently recruited vocalist/guitarist Daniel Pruitt and drummer Ben Pruitt. 

They meld Heavy Metal and R&B. “I don’t even know what genre we are, to be honest,” Moore said. “We’re gonna keep you guessing. That’s what we like to do.”

Falling In Reverse

Bad Guy

3/8: Bad Guy

Falling In Reverse featuring Saraya

Saraya

The band’s second song in a row to top the chart follows “All My Life.”

It’s also Saraya’s first Billboard chart topper. She is a professional wrestler and former girlfriend of Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radlke.

Shinedown

3/15: Dance, Kid, Dance

Shinedown

Shinedown’s 20^th song to reach #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart followed the four-week rule of “A Symptom Of Being Human” in January-February of last year.

Prior to the song’s arrival, the band officially announced that it would be released with another song, “Three Six Five,” as a double A-side single.

“The last two albums (“Attention! Attention!” and “Planet Zero”) were both conceptual so it was important for us to really ask ourselves creatively where do we want to go,” shared frontman Brent Smith “The answer to that was we want to go everywhere so there was no specific direction.” 

The band’s first #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart came in 2005 with “Save Me.”

Papa Roach

3/22: Even If It Kills Me

Papa Roach

“Even If It Kills Me” is the band’s fourth #1 in a row following “No Apologies” (’22), “Cut The Line” (’23) and “Leave A Light On” (’24).

“Even If It Kills Me” is also Papa Roach’s eleventh Mainstream Rock #1.

The song was the lead single from Papa Roach’s upcoming untitled twelfth studio album. and was at WWE’s Royal Rumble event as the theme song for the Cody Rhoads vs. Kevin Owens match.

Papa Roach formed in 1993 but only lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix and guitarist/backing vocalist Jerry Horton have been around for the whole ride.

Disturbed

I Will Not Break

4/12: I Will Not Break

Disturbed

The track was produced by Drew Fulk (WZRD BLD).

“Drew was kind of a younger guy in his 30s, ” noted Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan. “I liked what he was doing (with) Wage War and then Motionless In White, and he did a couple of one-off songs with Papa Roach and Pop Evil and stuff like that. And I thought that this could be a really good marriage between him and Disturbed.

“Even though the riff for ‘I Will Not Break’ is brand new, I was kind of in the spirit of that old-school Disturbed, and that’s what we were hoping to do.” Donegan added.

“I Will Not Break” was Disturbed’s first new music since their ’22.

Nothing More Featuring Eric Vanlerberghe

5/3: House On Sand

Nothing More (featuring Eric Vanlerberghe)

It marks the third #1 from Nothing More’s seventh studio album, “Carnal.”

Nothing More’s “Angel Song,” featuring Disturbed’s David Draiman, and “If It Doesn’t Hurt” were the first two #1s from “Carnal.”

Formed in San Antonio, TX the band spent much of the ’00s recording independent albums and struggling to maintain a steady lineup or attract record label interest.

“Go To War,” released in 2017, was the band’s first #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

5/10: I Will Not Break

Disturbed

“I Will Not Break” had a three-week run atop the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in April before being knocked off for a week by Nothing More’s “House On Sand.” (See above for video clip.)

Volbeat

5/17: By A Monster’s Hand

Volbeat

The lead single from “Gods Of Angels Trust,” Volbeat’s ninth studio album, was produced by Jacob Hansen in the fall of 2024. 

Volbeat recorded live in the studio, playing as few takes as possible before moving to the next track. Only thirteen days after they started working with Hansen, the band was finished.

“In the past, I’ve taken a long time to write and obsessed over so many elements of the songs before finishing them,” said Volbeat guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen. “This time, I wanted to make a Volbeat record without thinking too much about it.”

Volbeat first led Mainstream Rock Airplay in ’12 with “Still Counting.”

Linkin Park

Up From The Bottom

5/31: Up From The Bottom

Linkin Park

Linkin Park’s “Up From The Bottom” owned the top spots on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock Airplay charts.

The song was the band’s 14th chart topper on Alternative Airplay chart (13th on Mainstream Rock).

They now are second with the most #1s on the Alternative chart passing Cage The Elephant. Only The Red Hot Chili Peppers have more #1s on the Alternative Airplay survey (with 15).

Linkin Park is eighth on the list of the most #1s on Mainstream Rock

“Up From the Bottom” is on the deluxe version of “From Zero,”

The Funeral Portrait

6/14: Holy Water

The Funeral Portrait

The track features Five Finger Death Punch vocalist Ivan Moody.

“Before our tour together, I wasn’t too familiar with The Funeral Portrait’s music, so I didn’t know what to expect,” shared Moody. “But after watching them night after night, seeing how they commanded the stage and connected with the crowd, I was absolutely hooked.”

Moody also discussed how the collaboration came about. “I heard ‘Holy Water’ on the radio and couldn’t help but sing along. So I hit up Lee (vocalist Lee Jennings) about the possibility of me redoing the song with them. Luckily, he was all in. — and here we are.”

Evanescence

7/5: Afterlife

Evanescence

Evanescence achieved its first-ever #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with “Afterlife,” which was featured in the Netflix series “Devil May Cry.”

This rise to the top ends a 22-year wait for a #1 hit, the longest in chart history,

Evanescence first reached the survey when “Bring Me To Life” (featuring Paul McCoy) peaked at #11 in ’03.

“Afterlife” also climbed to #3 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, generating 4.2 million impressions.

Three Days Grace

Apologies

7/19: Apologies

Three Days Grace

The song marks the band’s second leader in a row, following the five-week run of “Mayday” (see above).

The song is “a mirror for anyone who feels like they’re too far gone to be loved, explained drummer Neil Sanderson. “How it hurts more knowing someone did love you – just not enough to save you from yourself. Apologies don’t rewind time.”

“Apologies” and “Mayday” were the first singles from “Alienation,” Three Days Grace’s eighth studio album.

“Alienation” debuted at #19 on the Canadian Albums Chart and #38 on the Billboard 200.

7/26: I Refuse

Five Finger Death Punch

The band extended its record for the most consecutive #1s on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart as “I Refuse” topped the chart. It was the band’s 12th straight #1.

“I Refuse,” featuring Maria Brink from In This Moment, is off “Five Finger Death Punch: 20 Years Of FFDP – Best Of Volume,” a collection of re-recorded versions of FFDP’s best-known songs produced in response to the recent sale by their former label of the band’s original master recordings without FFDP’s knowledge or the opportunity to reclaim their own work.

Mammoth

The End

8/2: The End

Mammoth

“I’ve had the tapping idea on the intro for ‘The End’ since before Mammoth,” explained guitarist Wolfgang Van Halen. “I was able to fit it into this world. It’s still over-the-top and shreddy, but it’s also melodic and controlled. Once we finished ‘The End,’ it felt really special to me.”

Van Halen created and performed the song with his longtime collaborator, Michael “Elvis” Baskette.

Mammoth (once known as Mammoth WVH) has now logged three #1s following “Distance” and “Don’t Back Down.”

“The End” is the title track of the third Mammoth album.

8/9: Freefall

Nothing More

Featuring Chris Daughtry (of Daughtry), “Freefall” was the fourth #1 from the Nothing More’s “Carnal” album.

“We wrote an anthem for the people who find themselves in an uncertain and chaotic phase of their life,” relayed singer Jonny Hawkins.” “Every single one of us have had, or will have, experiences where it feels like the rug is pulled from under us… an end to a relationship, a job loss, or the death of a close family member. This song is our way of encapsulating that realization. Chris Daughtry elevated that feeling with his soaring and pristine vocals.”

8/23: Static

Sleep Theory

Sleep Theory scored its second consecutive #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with “Static.” It followed “Stuck in My Head” (see above) to the top. Both songs were from the band’s debut album “Afterglow.”

Their debut EP “Paper Hearts” generated over 33 million streams and landed two songs in the upper reaches of Mainstream Rock: “Fallout” (#2) and “Numb” (#9).

That success led to the recording of their debut full-length album, “Afterglow.” “Stuck In My Head” was the album’s lead single while “Static” was the set’s third release.

9/6: My Mind Is A Mountain

Deftones

Deftones achieved their first #1 on Mainstream Rock with “My Mind Is A Mountain.” It was also Deftones’ first leader on any Billboard airplay chart following a trio of #3 peaks: “Change (In The House Of Flies)” on Alternative Airplay in 2000 followed by “Tempest” (2013) and “Ohms” (2020) on Mainstream Rock Airplay.

Deftones first reached the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 1998 with “Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away).” The band had a 27-year, three-month, one-week wait between its debut chart entry and first #1 – a record for a group in a lead role.

9/20: Killing Fields

Shinedown

“The subject matter in this song cannot be prioritized to one specific opinion,” explained frontman Brent Smith. “The song is meant to push you, to inspire you to think for yourself, and ask questions… We all know we are living in complicated times… The true question is, how will you respond.”

The song, which also went to the top on Active Rock and Alternative Airplay charts, was written by Smith with the band’s longtime bassist/producer Eric Bass, alongside frequent collaborator Dave Bassett.

9/27: Everything Ends

The Architects

The song climbed two spots to reach #1 on Mainstream Rock chart. It was the band’s first #1 on the survey.

The track is the lead single from “The Sky, The Earth & All Between,” Architects’ 11th studio album.

Architects join Sleep Theory, Evanescence and Deftones scoring their first #1 this year on Mainstream Rock as a lead act.

The quartet, which formed in Brighton, England, in 2004, first reached Mainstream Rock with “Animals,” which peaked at #5 in 2021.

10/4: Braindead

Papa Roach

The song features H20 vocalist Toby Morse

“We wanted to create something that felt urgent, honest, and in your face — and bringing Toby in took it to the next level,” explained Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix. “This song is a call to wake up before it’s too late.”

Morse formed H2O, a Hardcore Punk band, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in late ’94. Between ’96 and ’15 the band released seven albums.

Braindead,” currently a Papa Roach stand-alone single, is their 12th leader on the list.

10/18: Specter

Bad Omens

It took a mere eight weeks for Bad Omens’ “Specter” to reach the top.

The band’s previous leader, “Just Pretend,” released in ’23 had a 27-week wait to reach #1. Certified platinum the song became the band’s biggest hit to date.

In between “Just Pretend” and “Specter,” Bad Omens peaked at #2 in ’23 with “The Death Of Peace Of Mind” and #9 a year later with “V.A.N.,” featuring Poppy.

The Richmond, VA band first reached Mainstream Rock’s Top 10 in ’22 when “Like A Villain” peaked at #10.

11/1: Time Will Heal

Volbeat

“Musically, it’s one of those songs, I’ll say, that’s also a signature Volbeat song when it comes to the more Pop-Rock songs from Volbeat,” noted singer/guitarist Michael Poulsen. “We are talking about struggling a little bit with life where I think we all know the feeling — suddenly we wake up and we don’t know why we feel bad. But with life experience, we just know that’s part of life.”

The track followed “By A Monster’s Hand” which topped the chart (see above).

“Time Will Heal” and “By A Monster’s Hand” were from Volbeat’s ninth album, “God Of Angels Trust,” which dropped earlier this year.

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Pretty Reckless

11/8: For I Am Death

Pretty Reckless

It was the band’s first new song in four years.

“With ‘For I Am Death’, I want the music to speak for itself, allowing the listener to decide what it means to them,” said frontwoman Taylor Momsen. “The interpretation of the song might align with my own, or it might come from the heart of the audience. Either way, I’m excited to see what people take away from it and what it means to them. Oh, and Rock and Roll will never die.”

It’s the band’s eighth #1 and fourth straight on Mainstream Rock. The first three were “Death by Rock And Roll” (2020), “And So It Went” (2021) and “Only Love Can Save Me Now” (2021).

11/22: The End

Five Finger Death Punch/Babymetal

Babymetal

With “The End” Five Finger Death Punch land their 17th #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock while Babymetal, who was featured on the track, became the first Japanese act to top the survey.

12/6 Asking For A Friend

Foo Fighters

“Asking For A Friend” takes over the #1 spot from Five Finger Death Punch (featuring Babymetal). “The End” was FFDP’s 17th chart leader.

Only FFDP, Three Days Grace and Shinedown have scored more Mainstream Rock #1s than the Foo Fighters. Shinedown leads the survey with 21 chart toppers.

With “Asking For A Friend,” Foo Fighters earn their first #1 since “The Glass,” which reached the top in April, ’24.

“Best Of You,” released in ’05, was the Foo’s first #1 on the survey.

12/13 Kill Me Fast

Three Days Grace

Three Days Grace are only the second act in the forty-four-year history of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart to earn their 20th leader with “Kill Me Fast.”

Only Shinedown has logged more #1s (21).

“Kill Me Fast” is the band’s third #1 in a row, starting in January with “Mayday.”

Three Days Grace first charted on the Mainstream Rock survey in ’03 with “(I Hate) Everything About You.”

The following year they landed their first #1 with “Just Like You.”