Vote for the Rock Titan of the Year – 6th Annual Loudwire Music Awards
As a companion to our annual Rock Goddess award honoring the standout women in rock and metal, we also honor the men who made the biggest impact with our Rock Titan award.
Did anyone have a bigger year than Axl Rose? Not only did he welcome back Slash and Duff McKagan for a classic Guns N' Roses reunion tour that grossed millions of dollars, he also stepped in to front AC/DC after Brian Johnson had to step away from the group due to hearing issues.
Elsewhere, Bruce Dickinson kicked cancer in the ass and embarked on a highly successful tour with Iron Maiden in support of their acclaimed album The Book of Souls, while Dave Mustaine released a stellar Megadeth disc, Dystopia, as the band toured relentlessly throughout 2016.
David Draiman and Disturbed hit the road this year after the surprise release of their album Immortalized in 2015, while their cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" collected more than 100 million views on YouTube. And Corey Taylor overcame a serious neck injury to hit the road with Slipknot over the summer and headline Ozzfest Meets Knotfest.
Zakk Wylde had a big year, releasing his critically acclaimed album, Book of Shadows II, and launching his own Wylde Audio guitar line. Rob Zombie continued to multitask, unleashing a new album, The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser, and horror movie, 31, in 2016.
Billie Joe Armstrong made a big comeback this year after a meltdown a few years ago, releasing a new album, Revolution Radio, with Green Day, and hitting the road for a club tour. And who can deny the power of Papa Emeritus III, as his band Ghost won a Grammy, released the awesome single "Square Hammer" and played memorable concerts throughout the world.
If you really want to get into the true definition of titan, look no further than the Ghost Inside. The entire band was devastated by injuries in a late 2015 van crash, with a few members undergoing multiple surgeries and drummer Andrew Tkaczyk even losing his leg. But instead of giving up, the band has persevered, rehabbing and returning to their instruments, with a comeback hopeful for 2017.
So, there you have it, the nominees for Rock Titan of the Year. Vote up to once per hour for your favorite in the poll below through the Jan. 10, 2017 at 10AM ET.