Ahead of this year’s National Album Day celebrating all things rock, Music Week analyses the growing impact of the heavier end of the genre on DSPs...
Contemporary metal bands are helping to boost the genre on streaming.
Based on Music Week analysis of Official Charts Company data, heavy rock and metal is still dominated by classic catalogue – but current acts are cutting through, including Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon, Linkin Park, Ghost and Sleep Token.
Raw Power CEO Craig Jennings, who manages Bring Me The Horizon, says the genre has improved its reach on streaming platforms.
“The numbers are looking better and better, and that can only be a positive thing,” he told Music Week. “There was a time, not that long ago, where the streaming numbers for rock were really quite poor. But it feels like it’s in a good place.”
According to Official Charts Company data, audio streams for tracks classified as metal/heavy rock are up 14.4% year-on-year so far in 2025. That compares to overall streaming growth across all genres of 5.4% for the year to date.
There will be a further boost as rock is the focus genre for National Album Day (October 18).
Amazon Music will be working on initiatives for National Album Day that build on existing support for the genre such as the Rock Scene playlist.
“The streaming contribution from contemporary rock acts like Sleep Token, Bring Me The Horizon and Ghost has been remarkable this year,” said Elise Cobain, senior music programmer.
Cobain welcomed the growing impact for rock beyond the traditional fanbase.
“This trend reflects a growing appetite for modern rock and metal among mainstream audiences which, as someone who’s worked supporting heavy music artists and content for my whole career, is a joy to see,” she said.
The most streamed metal/heavy rock tracks in the UK so far in 2025 includes catalogue by AC/DC, Green Day, Disturbed, Black Sabbath, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Limp Bizkit and Evanescence in the Top 20.
But there is also a strong showing for more recent material from Linkin Park, who have 13 entries overall – both classic and new – in the Top 100 metal tracks for the year to date. Their 2024 hit The Emptiness Machine is the 12th biggest metal track in 2025.
British breakthrough rock act Sleep Token have four of the year’s biggest metal tracks, led by Caramel with 14m UK streams this year.
As they belatedly mark the 25th anniversary of their 1999 debut album, Slipknot are also making streaming gains. The band’s global performance on DSPs, with an 11% increase in consumption in the run-up to this month’s reissue was highlighted by Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl on a recent earnings call. Spotify streams are now up 12.7% for the year to date.
“We worked closely with the Warner catalogue division to find music that we’d never released before, that we knew the die-hard fans were clamouring for, and we made some awesome formats for fans to engage with,” said Bob Johnsen, president at Slipknot management company 5B Artists + Media.
It’s no surprise to Slipknot, or to us – we’re watching socials, streaming, ticket sales and the front row of our shows every day – and younger and younger people are climbing onboard
Bob Johnsen
Slipknot have four tracks – Psychosocial, Duality, Before I Forget, Wait And Bleed – inside the Top 100 metal/heavy rock rundown in the UK for the year to date, with many more seeing strong streaming results. It’s part of the wider trend for the genre.
“It’s no surprise to Slipknot, or to us – we’re watching socials, streaming, ticket sales and the front row of our shows every day – and younger and younger people are climbing onboard,” Johnsen told Music Week.
Bring Me The Horizon’s Throne and Can You Feel My Heart are inside the Top 100 metal/heavy rock rankings in the UK. It follows the successful digital-first release strategy for the RCA-signed band’s previous two albums.
“Horizon have been dropping a lot of songs quite consistently, and not really sticking to a traditional album campaign mode,” said Jennings.
While Bring Me The Horizon’s Reading Festival set aired on BBC One, Jennings suggested there could be more media support.
“The bottom line is, there’s not a ton of exposure for rock music,” he said. “But it’s encouraging if people are streaming more, and if they’re into rock music, you’d like to think that there will be discovery moments.”
TikTok has played a role in rock success, including Pierce The Veil’s hit So Far So Fake.
“The key was catching the trend early and executing an impactful marketing plan, not only to amplify the moment but also to connect the dots from that trend, to streaming consumption, to ultimately creating new real fans of Pierce The Veil,” said Andy Serrao, president, Fearless.
Other bands cutting through on DSPs include President, Falling In Reverse and Babymetal.
“Babymetal’s continued growth really shows how far they’ve come as a global force,” said Cory Brennan, CEO & founder of 5B Artists + Media, who manage the band with Amuse in Japan. “They’ve bridged cultures and genres by blending Japanese pop culture with heavy music in a way that feels authentic and universal.”
Beyond streaming, Jennings said the touring business for rock – including Wembley Stadium shows for both Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance – shows the genre is in robust health.
“Rock never goes away,” he told Music Week. “Ticket sales are really strong.”
PHOTO: Jonathan Weiner
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