15. YOB – “Beauty in Falling Leaves” (2018)





The wrenching centerpiece of YOB’s Our Raw Heart, “Beauty in Falling Leaves” is a journey of soulful expression. Written after a brush with death, frontman Mike Scheidt imparts his deepest spiritualities with complete transparency. It’s an extremely personal song of catharsis and healing, inviting the listener to consider life, death, love, and nature during its 16 minutes of cascading doom. YOB have a few of these lengthy epics in their discography, but “Beauty in Falling Leaves” is among the finest and most emotionally charged, as Scheidt bares his experiences openly in song. —Jon Hadusek

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14. Megadeth – “The Threat Is Real” (2016)

Megadeth are masters of creating thrash metal with a theme of impending doom, and one of the darkest — and most genius — songs off their Grammy-winning 2016 album Dystopia is “The Threat Is Real.” On in, Dave Mustaine and company serve up thrash-y, cutting guitars while Mustaine roars about conspiracies and envisions a bleak post-American world. With Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson, new guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and then-Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler in the studio, Megadeth sounded tighter and more comfortable than they had in years, and their stellar musicianship on Dystopia is most evident on “The Threat Is Real”, a standout track on an album jam-packed with solid tracks. –Anne Erickson

13. Black Sabbath – “God Is Dead?” (2013)

It is impossible to listen to “God Is Dead?” without Ozzy Osbourne’s earworm chorus being stuck in your head for days afterward. It should go down as one of Black Sabbath’s catchiest hooks — “Is God alive or is God dead?” — and the song recaptures the mystical doom of the iconic past. Osbourne, Toni Iommi, and Geezer Butler reunited in the studio for the first time since 1978 to record 13, which sticks close to the heavy melodicism of the band’s classic material. While it was unfortunate that fellow founding member Bill Ward wasn’t aboard, Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk held his own behind the kit. The album was a fine return to form, with “God Is Dead?” being the highlight.–Jon Hadusek

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12. Emigrate featuring Lemmy Kilmister – “Rock City” (2014)

One of the most overlooked collaborations of the decade — and one of the best — the song “Rock City” saw Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe’s side project Emigrate teaming up with legendary Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister. On the excellent Emigrate album Silent So Long, Kruspe recruited such guest singers as Marilyn Manson and Korn’s Jonathan Davis, but it’s this simple yet powerful track with Lemmy that truly shines. Released a year before Lemmy’s death, there is a strain in the iconic rocker’s voice that is both beautiful and heart-wrenching as he sings over one of the most infectious choruses of the 2010s. –Spencer Kaufman

11. Power Trip – “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” (2017)

If there was a thrash metal rally cry of the 2010s, it was the chorus of Power Trip’s “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)”. And with it the Texas band has incited circle pits around the world, successfully drawing both punk fans and metalheads alike to their infectious grooves and breakdowns. The most memorable moment on the band’s excellent 2017 album, Nightmare Logic, “Executioner’s Tax” has helped the band transcend metal audiences while introducing a new generation of listeners to punk-infused thrash. Everybody can get down to this song, and its universal appeal makes it a shoe-in for this list. —Jon Hadusek

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10. Zeal & Ardor – “Gravedigger’s Chant” (2018)

One of the most unique acts to emerge in the 2010s is Zeal & Ardor, the brainchild of frontman Manuel Gagneux. Combining slave spirituals with heavy metal instrumentation, Zeal & Ardor made a splash with their debut album, Devil Is Fine, only to top it with their next disc, 2018’s Stranger Fruit. “Gravedigger’s Chant” is as powerful as music gets, with Gagneux’s heartfelt vocals front and center as he repeatedly sings “Bring the dead body down” over a stunning bed of music, beautifully mixed by Converge’s Kurt Ballou. Zeal & Ardor are the present and future of metal, likely with bigger things to come in the 2020s. –Spencer Kaufman

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09. Iron Maiden – “Empire of the Clouds” (2015)

As far back as their self-titled first album (with “Phantom of the Opera”), Iron Maiden have never been ashamed to publicize their admiration of prog rock. And on the group’s 16th studio LP overall, The Book of Souls, there was another bold entry into the “prog Maiden” songbook, the over 18-minute long (!) “Empire of the Clouds”. While bassist Steve Harris is assumed to be the prog connoisseur in the band (having penned earlier the likes of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “Alexander the Great”), it was surprisingly singer Bruce Dickinson who solely composed this epic tune, which prominently/shockingly features…piano! –Greg Prato

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08. Judas Priest – “Lightning Strike” (2018)

Roughly five decades into their career, Judas Priest are creating some of the best music in their catalog. On “Lightning Strike” off 2018’s Firepower, the Metal Gods pack an insane amount of guitar soloing and riffing, thanks to Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton. Meanwhile, Rob Halford’s voice is as strong as ever, as he sings about a world in turmoil and chaos. Bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis also shine on “Lightning Strike,” offering a rhythm section that keeps up with the song’s guitar virtuosity. While a band like Judas Priest can easily continue to tour on their back catalog alone, Halford and company remain intent on making great metal music, and it will be fascinating to see what they do in the 2020s. –Anne Erickson

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07. Baroness – “March to the Sea” (2012)

Baroness embraced a more melodic sound on the 2012 double-album Yellow & Green, subduing the southern sludge influences of their previous two records. “March to the Sea” epitomizes this change of approach, combining twinkling guitar lines with more restrained vocals from John Baizley. While the shift away from sludge alienated some fans, it effectively allowed Baroness to dabble in other sounds, a creative freedom they would continue to pursue on future albums. “March to the Sea” is the result of an artistic urge to grow and harness the unknown — no matter what. —Jon Hadusek

06. Bring Me the Horizon – “Shadow Moses” (2013)

An anthem if there ever was one, Bring Me the Horizon’s “Shadow Moses” delivers crushing verses alongside one of the most infectious choruses you’ll ever hear in a metal tune. The UK act delivered an instant metalcore classic with 2013’s Sempiternal, and “Shadow Moses” is the album’s glorious centerpiece. From the haunting intro to the gang-vocal chorus to the brutal breakdowns to singer Oli Sykes’ heartfelt screams, this song is metalcore at its best. A far cry from the pop vibe of the Bring Me the Horizon’s recent output, but still the highlight of any Bring Me the Horizon concert. –Spencer Kaufman

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Click ahead to see the best of our Top 25 Rock Songs of the 2010s…