Best Rock Song of 2013 – 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards
It's been a banner year in rock, with a wealth of standout tracks turning up as nominees in the Best Rock Song of 2013 category in the 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards.
There's a wide array of acts represented, from rock radio staples to returning veteran bands and even a few breakout acts making their first substantial mark on the charts. But which song will stand alone as the Best Rock Song of 2013? Well, that's up to you! Check out the nominated tracks and be sure to vote in the poll below.
A Perfect Circle, 'By and Down'
A Perfect Circle surprised fans late in the year with the new studio cut 'By and Down,' which arrived as part of the 'Three Sixty' hits collection. A live version also turns up on the 'A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo' box set. Their devoted fans ate up the new material from Maynard James Keenan and company.
AFI, 'I Hope You Suffer'
AFI have been known to dwell on the dark side, and when it came time to release new music in 2013, there may have been no darker statement than 'I Hope You Suffer.' With its somewhat militaristic drum beat, ominous sounding guitars and piano and Davey Havok's vitriolic and impassioned vocals, AFI struck a chord with the jaded.
Alice in Chains, 'Hollow'
Alice in Chains cemented the current incarnation of their band with a second solid album and 'The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here' got off to a great start thanks to the song 'Hollow.' The swampy, gritty rocker is perfectly offset with the vocal harmonies of Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall.
Alter Bridge, 'Addicted to Pain'
After a break for other projects, Alter Bridge returned with their standout fourth album 'Fortress.' The disc got off to a rocking start with the driving lead single 'Addicted to Pain,' which featured a wall of guitars with Myles Kennedy's powerful vocals cutting straight through.
Avenged Sevenfold, 'Hail to the King'
Riff lovers were likely connected as soon as the opening guitar notes from Avenged Sevenfold's 'Hail to the King' rung out. With a nod to the late '80s guitar rock they grew up on, 'Hail to the King' was immediately embraced and spent several weeks at No. 1 on the Active Rock chart.
Bad Religion, 'True North'
Bad Religion showed no signs of slowing down in 2013, yielding the excellent 'True North' album and the standout title track. This foot-tapper is a driving rocker filled with the attitude that put the band on the map in the first place. After three-plus decades in the music biz, Bad Religion are still clicking on all cylinders.
Clutch, 'Earth Rocker'
Though Clutch have been known to experiment, the band kept it simple with concise, rock-filled tracks for their 'Earth Rocker' disc. The title cut is a swagger-filled rocker that certainly lives up to its name (and scare a few kiddies with Neil Fallon's sinister laugh).
Devour the Day, 'Good Man'
Two former members of Egypt Central decided to further their career after the band split and the first statement to come from the newly created Devour the Day was this chunky rocker. An instantly infectious guitar and drum beat and heady lyrical content about a man questioning his faith makes 'Good Man' one of the year's best tracks.
Five Finger Death Punch with Rob Halford, 'Lift Me Up'
If there was any doubt that Five Finger Death Punch's 'The Wrong Side of Heaven…' two-volume release was going to be an event, that was alleviated with the unveiling of the Rob Halford featuring single 'Lift Me Up.' This new school-meets-old school collaboration topped the charts and further
Korn, 'Love & Meth'
Korn got their groove back with guitarist Brian "Head" Welch returning to the band in 2013. One of the standout cuts from their 'The Paradigm Shift' was the funky 'Love & Meth,' which found the band reclaiming their hard-rocking roots.
Nine Inch Nails, 'Came Back Haunted'
Welcome back Nine Inch Nails! Though their return felt a little more commercial than usual, 'Came Back Haunted' proved to be a true standout. This hard rocking piece of ear candy introduced Trent Reznor's new lineup and set the pace for what was to come.
Palms, 'Patagonia'
Several former members of Isis united with Deftones frontman Chino Moreno for the new band Palms and their collaboration yielded a lush, atmospheric album filled with ebb-and-flow soundscapes. 'Patagonia' was the first song to surface from the disc and proved to be intense, moody and melodic all within the expanse of one track.
Pearl Jam, 'Sirens'
Pearl Jam know their way around a great tune and 'Sirens' is the latest classic they've added to their catalog. The melodic mid-tempo track features impassioned vocals from Eddie Vedder and a Pink Floyd-esque guitar solo from Mike McCready.
Pop Evil, 'Trenches'
Pop Evil earned their first-ever chart-topper in 2013 with 'Trenches' and announced their presence in one fell swoop. All it took was Leigh Kakaty's "Here I come / Here I come" declaration and some chunky guitar riffs and it was on for Pop Evil in 2013.
Queens of the Stone Age, 'I Appear Missing'
Queens of the Stone Age's haunting track 'I Appear Missing' is a swirling masterpiece and one of the standout tracks from the equally impressive '… Like Clockwork' disc. Josh Homme and band truly connect with this slow burn of a song.
Sevendust, 'Decay'
With some nifty guitar work, driving drums and Lajon Witherspoon's powerful vocals, Sevendust offered up one of early 2013's stellar cuts in 'Decay.' The veteran rock band also show off a sweet guitar solo midway through the song.
Sick Puppies, 'There's No Going Back'
Need a pick me up? Sick Puppies provided a bit of self-motivation in 2013 with their hit single, 'There's No Going Back.' The song provided the band's perfect re-entry after taking time to make sure their 'Tri-Polar' follow up was up to snuff. This anthemic cut just feels like reaching for the stars.
Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear, 'Cut Me Some Slack'
Paul McCartney playing with the surviving members of Nirvana -- now that's a headline making event. But the four piece showed that there was more to this collaboration than hype as 'Cut Me Some Slack' found McCartney rocking more than he had in years and Grohl, Novoselic and Smear sounding like they had never parted.
Stone Sour, 'Do Me a Favor'
Corey Taylor got the second part of Stone Sour's 'House of Gold & Bones' album off on the right foot with the anthemic rocker 'Do Me a Favor.' Simply put, this song rocked as Taylor told the tale of a man spiraling toward rock bottom.
Volbeat, 'Lola Montez'
Volbeat continued their upward ascent in the rock world in 2013 with the 'Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies' album. 'Lola Montez' is just a straight-up rocker and showcases the talents that made Volbeat one of rock's hottest bands.
Voting for the 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards closes Feb. 11 at 10AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite song wins!