If you’ve been paying attention to Billboard’s Hot 100 chart recently, you might see a surprising combination of artist and title ascending its way up the ranks: Disturbed and “The Sound of Silence.” Yes, that is early-’00s drudge-metal outfit Disturbed that just climbed to No. 42, and yes, that is Simon & Garfunkel’s half-century-old ballad they’re doing it with. Pretty much everything about it marks as incomprehensible an anomaly as can be found in 2016 pop music. But just a decade and a half ago, alt-metal mooks covering Top 40 standards and classic-rock staples was as regular an occurrence in the mainstream as Jay Z boasting over pitched-up soul samples or Eminem trolling TRL starlets.

In recognition of this moment in pop history’s unexpected revival, we’ve compiled a list of the 40 best nu metal-era covers of pop songs — defining pop a little broadly, essentially as any song by a popular artist that isn’t particularly metal themselves. These covers aren’t often remembered that fondly — and indeed, most who lived through them may have tried their damnedest to forget as many as possible — but they represented a much-needed lighter side to one of the dourest sets of bands to ever infect American radio, and even if a lot of them were stupid, trashy, and/or downright inexplicable, they were always fun on some level. Not something that can always be said about Disturbed, you know? — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

40. Limp Bizkit, “Bittersweet Home” (Mötley Crüe and the Verve, Greatest Hitz, 2005)

A cover medley that, in every conceivable way, makes more sense than it should. Limp Bizkit clearly intended for it to be the end of Chapter One of their career; turns out, it was the last sentence to the whole book. — A.U.

39. Powerman 5000 feat. DannyBoy, “Relax” (Frankie Goes to Hollywood cover, Zoolander OST, 2001)

In which Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson help Powerman go Powerpuff, unearthing in the process that Frankie Goes to Hollywood synths + nu-metal grime = Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” — A.U.

38. Incubus feat. Big Punisher, “Still Not a Player” (Big Punisher cover, Loud Rocks compilation, 2000)

The Loud Rocks compilation from 2000 was a fascinating prospect: leaving rappers’ verses intact while rock bands handled the backing music and reinterpreted the hooks. Incubus know their way around funk, R&B, and drum’n’bass, so Brandon Boyd’s melodic sensibility was perfect for that “Boricua / Morena” chant, and his band successfully turned an easygoing club hit into an anxious highway pileup, even if Incubus aren’t now and won’t ever be players. — DAN WEISS

37. Kittie, “Run Like Hell” (Pink Floyd cover, Oracle, 2001)

One of nu-metal’s precious few female-fronted acts reorients the bass thump and arena-rock righteousness of The Wall’s disc-two highlight for imposing, downtuned oppression-rock. Not bad, but one of the few songs on this list that actually had the potential to be cooler than it was. — A.U.

36. Framing Hanley, “Lollipop” (Lil Wayne cover, The Moment, 2008)

A notable nu-metal viral sensation from 2008, long after the era was declared dead, the bad-porn dialogue (“Are you kidding? I love your friends. I’m glad they got to come.”) of the video’s intro really has to be seen to be believed. The remake of Lil Wayne’s goofy song itself was inevitable, with that four-note synth morse code rendering itself all too hospitable for a crunching, axe-heavy response. — D.W.

35. Static-X, “Speedway” (Elvis Presley cover, NASCAR: Crank It Up compilation, 2002)

Or you can just look over the tracklist to 2002’s NASCAR: Crank It Up collection and marvel at the time when a whole compilation of major rock artists could be birthed from the crumbs left over from over-consumption of Metallica’s “Fuel.” — A.U.

34. Godsmack, “Rocky Mountain Way” (Joe Walsh cover, Live and Inspired, 2012)

Nu-metal’s grooves were usually better suited for tribal incantations than boozy bar nights, so leave it to the era’s only band whose frontman has a “Poker” subsection on his Wiki page to finally find the middle ground between ’70s and ’00s butt rock — a decade after the fact, no less. — A.U.

33. Three Days Grace, “Wicked Game” (Chris Isaak cover, One-X Deluxe Edition, 2006)

Final proof that — despite your best karaoke-night efforts — it is straight-up impossible to ruin “Wicked Game.” — A.U.

32. Linkin Park, “Rolling in the Deep” (Adele cover, iTunes Festival, 2011)

Everyone and their uncle was covering “Rolling in the Deep” back in 2011 — hell, Uncle Walter bought two copies of 21 just to have an extra one for the car — so you knew some nu-metallists were gonna get in on it. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a one-hit wonder making some last gasp at cultural relevance to take the first crack, but one of the few surviving bands of the era — and more surprisingly, Chester Bennington sounds just as natural wailing “WE COULD HAVE HAD IT AAAA-ALLLLL!!!” as he did wailing about his physics homework back in the day. — A.U.

31. Chevelle, “Black Boys on Mopeds” (Sinéad O’Connor cover, Wonder What’s Next Deluxe Edition, 2003)

Mostly here for the fact that friggin’ Chevelle covered a song off of Sinéad O’Connor’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, and it WASN’T “Nothing Compares 2 U.” — A.U.