Here at the Independent, we’ve organized a tournament to determine which band ruled the mid-to-late 2000s, otherwise known as the MySpace Era. A generation that gravitated toward rock and its various subgenres, the mid-2000s were defined by the emergence of punk, pop punk and emo, three subgenres that experienced peak commercial success. While rock and its subgenres no longer monopolize the airwaves, the bands that propelled the genre to the tops of charts possess a resiliency that keeps them near and dear to the hearts of listeners. This first round matchup is between the Foo Fighters and Godsmack.

Foo Fighters

From the ashes of premature death rose the Dave Grohl-led Foo Fighters, who developed into a pillar of the hard rock scene over the past 25 years. While the Seattle hard rockers are primarily known for hits such as “Best of You,” “Everlong,” and “The Pretender,” the Foo Fighters have flooded their audience with a downpour of timeless radio hits.

Harnessing an ability to fluctuate between energetic anthems and pensive epics, the Foo Fighters catalog remained consistent throughout the 2000s. Grohl and Co. began the millennium with 2002’s One by One, introducing listeners to the band’s newfound amalgamation of introspection and aggression. Propelled by hit singles such as “All My Life” and “Times Like These,” One by One earned a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2004.

A year later, the Foo Fighters arguably topped their award-winning effort with 2005’s In Your Honor. While the band left award season empty-handed, the album–which featured Kerrang! Award for Best Single recipient “Best of You”–procured five Grammy Award nominations.

The Foo Fighters’ decade concluded with 2007’s Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, which collected a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. The album’s lead single also secured a nomination for Record of the Year and Best Rock Song of the year before earning a victory for Best Hard Rock Performance.

Which band do you favor? Foo Fighters

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Godsmack

Renowned for unbridled energy atop resounding riffs, Massachusetts hard rockers Godsmack introduced themselves to the rock landscape with their 1998 eponymous debut effort.

Since then, Godsmack–vocalist Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill and drummer Shannon Larkin–enjoyed remarkable success, releasing seven studio albums over a 22-year span.

Between 2001 and 2006, Godsmack was nominated for four Grammy Awards and three Billboard Awards, earning Billboard’s Rock Artist of the Year in 2001. In 2002, “I Stand Alone” claimed Metal Edge Readers’ Choice Awards Song of the Year from a Movie Soundtrack after appearing in The Scorpion King.

Godsmack also collected three consecutive No. 1 releases on the Billboard Top 100 (Faceless, IV and The Oracle) to go alongside 25 top-10 rock radio hits and 18 top-five singles. 2003’s Faceless featured the aforementioned “I Stand Alone” and “Straight Out of Line.” two singles that earned Grammy nominations for “Best Hard Rock Performance” and “Best Rock Song,” respectively.

Enjoy this article? Vote in our other first-round matchups!

My Chemical Romance vs. Coldplay

Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Evanescence

Green Day vs. Simple Plan

Blink-182 vs. Mayday Parade

Linkin Park vs. Paramore