Western Rock Music Popularity Ranking [2025]

Sugar, We’re Goin DownFall Out Boy15rank/position

Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We’re Goin Down (Official Music Video)

A signature anthem of the 2000s pop-punk scene, this track was pivotal in launching American rock band Fall Out Boy to mainstream success.

Featuring a catchy melody and memorable riffs, it’s built on a simple chord progression, making it approachable even for players who aren’t fully confident in their technique.

Included on the album From Under the Cork Tree, the song reached No.

8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also featured on the soundtrack of the film The Fog.

Having received 8× Platinum certification from the RIAA in November 2023, it has continued to be beloved by music fans for many years.

With guitar work centered on power chords and basic rhythmic patterns, it’s highly recommended as an introductory piece for band practice.

Mr. BrightsideThe Killers16rank/position

The Killers – Mr. Brightside (Official Music Video)

It’s a striking song where lyrics of poignancy and doubt intertwine with an energetic sound.

The protagonist’s jealousy-torn emotions leave a deep impression on listeners.

Released in September 2003, it drew major attention as The Killers’ debut single.

Included on the album Hot Fuss, it became a worldwide hit.

Loved by many, it continues to resonate with those who have experienced heartbreak or parting.

Stairway to HeavenLed Zeppelin17rank/position

Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven (Official Audio)

Among the best-selling rock bands of the 1970s and an iconic presence with enormous influence is Led Zeppelin, who debuted in 1968.

The innovative hard rock created by its four members—each a musician of remarkable talent and individuality—can fairly be said to have reached the realm of art.

Transcending the confines of mere hard rock, their masterpiece Stairway to Heaven—built around an acoustic guitar that plays the now-legendary arpeggiated intro and unfolds with a gradually intensifying, dramatic progression—is stunningly beautiful and epitomizes the artistic depth of their music.

Spanning eight minutes, it is undeniably a monumental work in rock history, born of the band’s unparalleled creativity, and it’s easy to see why it is praised even by musicians from the classical world.

Smoke on the WaterDeep Purple18rank/position

Deep Purple – Smoke On The Water (Live from Montreux 2007)

If you play guitar, even if you’re not particularly into hard rock, chances are you’ve tried copying the guitar riff from the intro of this song at least once, right? Smoke on the Water is a signature track by Deep Purple—one of the greatest hard rock bands to come out of the UK and a massive influence on later heavy metal bands—and it’s an incredibly famous classic of 70s hard rock.

Included on the landmark 1972 album Machine Head, it was released as a single in 1973 and even broke into the U.

S.

Top 10, cementing the band’s worldwide popularity.

The riff by the legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is nothing short of iconic—stripped down to the extreme yet supremely heavy and cool—hardly something that needs saying at this point.

The organ tone from keyboardist Jon Lord is equally cool, and from the standpoint of band ensemble, you could call this a perfect song.

Another Brick in the WallPink Floyd19rank/position

Pink Floyd Another Brick In The Wall (HQ)

A landmark piece of socially conscious rock infused with a critical view of formal education.

Released in November 1979 on the album The Wall by the British rock band Pink Floyd, this song topped the charts in 14 countries worldwide.

Centered on the theme of the “wall” built within the protagonist’s mind, it portrays loneliness and despair.

In the film Pink Floyd: The Wall, the striking images of students having their individuality stripped away in a factory-like school left a lasting impression.

A masterpiece where lyrics questioning an oppressive education system and a conformist society are brilliantly fused with a disco-inflected beat and a children’s choir.

It’s a song to hear when your spirits are low or when you feel you’re losing your way.

November RainGuns N’ Roses20rank/position

Guns N’ Roses – November Rain

A song by Guns N’ Roses, the rock band that released numerous hit numbers from the late 1980s and enjoyed worldwide popularity beyond the LA metal genre.

Included on their third album, Use Your Illusion I, the track ranked high not only on the Billboard Hot 100 chart but also on charts in the U.

K.

and Portugal.

The fusion of a string-featured rock sound with Axl Rose’s distinctive high-pitched vocals offers a hook that feels different from typical rock ballads.

With a breezy guitar solo that leaves a strong impression, it’s a beautiful rock ballad that maintains its originality.

Walk This WayAerosmith21rank/position

Aerosmith – Walk This Way (Live From The Office Depot Center, Sunrise, FL, April 3, 2004)

There was a time when rock was rock and hip-hop was hip-hop, kept in separate lanes.

It’s no exaggeration to say that this one collaboration between Aerosmith and RUN DMC broke down that wall.

Seamlessly fusing the dynamism of hard rock with the bouncy appeal of hip-hop, the track can be seen as a forerunner of the crossover boom that took off in the 2000s.

Although released in 1975, it hasn’t faded one bit in the Reiwa era; it continues to reign as an insanely fresh floor anthem that effortlessly leaps over the constraints of genre.