But also featured plenty of highlight moments from old-reliable types like Paul McCartney , Judas Priest and David Crosby , all of whom have stayed remarkably busy. Paul Simon and Billy Gibbons took long looks back, while Matt Pike released not one but two well-received records. Here's a look back at 's Best Rock Songs Steve Perry's first solo album in nearly 25 years was born out of deep sorrow over a lost love, so it's no surprise that Traces is populated with so many ballads. Collaborating with guitarist John 5, Perry recaptures every element of his Journey -era arena-pop glory.
You're the One
Black Smoke Rising
Follow Billboard. All rights reserved. This past year, pop's stranglehold on the top 40 loosened considerably, and thanks largely to hip-hop and dance's heavy lifting, a handful of pop-rock artists squeezed through the opening in ubiquity's door. We're still not quite sure how that happened, but we're glad it did, just as we're glad to present our staff's picks for rock's best songs of That's an exciting step forward for the project, as well as the myriad artists mining the territory between emo and rap. And if Travis Barker remixes your track , there's a good chance it does, indeed, bang. If fans were hoping for more of the intense soul-searching and soul inflections that came with Hozier's breakthrough single, "Take Me to Church," they found it in "Nina Cried Power," the Irish singer-songwriter's first breath of new music since Andrew Hozier-Byrne teamed up with gospel and soul queen Mavis Staples for his take on a modern civil rights anthem, and the soaring instrumentation and heavy subject matter -- which pays tribute to Nina Simone, James Brown, Staples and other talents who sang truth to power -- make it a worthy successor to his biggest hit.
"Body Talk"
Contrary to the opinion of doomsayers, was another great year for rock music. Due in large part to the classic rock revival that is taking place, modern artists are crossing the generational divide and appealing to wider audiences. Because so much quality music was released during , it was more challenging than ever to narrow this list to songs. In addition to featuring established artists with careers that span several decades, this list also includes a number of artists on the rise. This list represents more than just the sequential ranking of the Top Hard Rock Songs of Each of these four playlists were purposely curated be listened to individually. Soft piano intros and the Active Rock format do not go hand-in-hand. In fact, they are almost unheard of. However, Shinedown can do it successfully because of their previous track record, and more importantly, because of the brilliant, soulful, unique vocals of Brent Smith. Whereas much of Active Rock is about tapping into at least a hint of angst, Shinedown excels at incorporating a healthy dose of beauty into melodic, poetic lyrics.
Join us as we revisit some of the songs, both well-known and under-the-radar, that deserve to be celebrated as 's Best Rock Songs So Far, and revisit this post as we'll update the list throughout the year. Black Stone Cherry have found their wheelhouse, following the momentum of their Black to Blues EP with a more blues-rock vibe on their new album Family Tree. The track has an undeniably catchy beat and the mid-song guitar breakdown is not to be missed. English exports The Struts have been turning heads for a few years now, first hitting American airwaves in with "Could Have Been Me.
