Headstrong (Trapt song)

"Headstrong"
Single by Trapt
from the album Trapt
Released	September 23, 2002 (2002-09-23)
Genre	Nu metal [1] [2] alternative rock [3] pop metal [4]
Length	4:45 (album version) 3:54 (edit version) 3:35 (radio and video edit)
Label	Warner Bros.
Composers	Chris Taylor Brown Pete Charell Simon Ormandy
Lyricist	Chris Taylor Brown
Producers	GGGarth Trapt
Trapt singles chronology
"Headstrong" (2002) "Still Frame" (2003)
Music video
"Headstrong" on YouTube

"Headstrong" is the first single released by the American rock band Trapt from their 2002 debut album Trapt. It reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock Tracks charts and No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. It crossed over to mainstream pop radio, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. The song also won two Billboard Music Awards in 2003 for "Best Modern Rock Track" and "Best Rock Track".

Billboard rated "Headstrong" the No. 1 modern rock and mainstream rock song of 2003. In September 2023, for the 35th anniversary of Modern Rock Tracks (which had been renamed to Alternative Airplay), ^[5] Billboard ranked the song at No. 60 on its list of the 100 most successful songs in the chart's history. ^[6] In 2018, an official poll by Ultimate Guitar saw the site's users rate "Headstrong" as having the fourth-worst riff of all time. ^[7]

Music video

A music video was produced for "Headstrong" which shows the band performing in front of a crowd. Paper and other debris are seen flying past in furious winds as the group plays in an urban nighttime setting, as well as a couple of teenagers arguing with the people they know, such as one teen getting into an argument with his father while they are in a car and the kid becomes fed up with his father's attitude and storms off as well as another teen quitting his job at a restaurant after getting pushed around by his boss; the two teens then join Trapt in the crowd. A third teen is seen walking through the crowd and eventually graffitis Trapt's logo on a wall. The video found considerable airplay on MTV2 and MMUSA upon release. The video was directed by Brian Scott Weber.

Awards and nominations

Billboard Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2003	"Headstrong"	Top Rock Song	Won
2003	"Headstrong"	Modern Rock Track of the Year	Won
2003	Trapt	Top Rock Artist	Nominated

Larry Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2003	"Headstrong"	Best Hard Rock Song	Won

Teen Choice Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2003	"Headstrong"	Choice – Rock Track	Nominated

Track listings and formats

• US 7-inch vinyl ^[8]

1. "Headstrong"  – 4:45
2. "Still Frame"  – 4:31

• Australian CD single ^[9]

1. "Headstrong"  – 4:45
2. "Promise"  – 3:36
3. "Hollowman"  – 5:03

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2002–03) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [10] 86 UK Singles (OCC) [11] 106 UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [12] 22 US Billboard Hot 100 [13] 16 US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [14] 40 US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [15] 1 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [16] 1 US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [17] 4

Year-end charts Chart (2003) Position US Billboard Hot 100 [18] 49 US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard) [19] 1 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) [20] 56 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) [21] 1 Chart (2004) Position US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) [22] 50 Decade-end charts Chart (2000–2009) Position US Alternative Songs (Billboard) [23] 1 US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) [23] 7

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ) [24]	Platinum	30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [25]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [26]	Platinum	1,000,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	September 23, 2002 (2002-09-23)	Mainstream rock active rock alternative radio	Warner Bros.	[27]
Australia	May 12, 2003 (2003-05-12)	CD		[28]
United States	June 9, 2003 (2003-06-09)	Contemporary hit radio		[29]
United Kingdom	September 1, 2003 (2003-09-01)	CD		[30]

In popular culture

• "Headstrong" was included in the motocross video game MX Unleashed ^[31] and rhythm game Donkey Konga 2 ^[32] in 2004.
• "Headstrong" was used as the theme song for the WWE pay-per-view Bad Blood in 2003.

References

1. Mills, Matt (April 28, 2020). "The 10 best songs by the 10 worst nu metal bands". Louder Sound . Retrieved May 3, 2020.
2. "Friday Top: 10 Songs with Worst Guitar Riffs".
3. Augusto, Troy J. (June 25, 2003). "Trapt; Seether". Variety . Retrieved May 2, 2020.
4. Gary, Keith (August 7, 2009). "Puddle of Mudd headlines an evening of hard rocking at Riverplace". Lehigh Valley Live. The crowd didn't seem to mind -- or care -- as it sang along to lightly coated Trapt pop metal tunes "Echo," "Still Frame" and "Headstrong."
5. Rutherford, Kevin (September 7, 2023). "Alternative Airplay Chart's 35th Anniversary: Foo Fighters Remain No. 1 Act, 'Monsters' New Top Song". Billboard . Retrieved November 15, 2023.
6. "Greatest of All Time Alternative Songs". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
7. "Friday Top: 15 Worst Riffs of All Time". March 2, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
8. Headstrong (US 7" vinyl liner notes). Trapt. Warner Bros. Records. 2002. 7-16534.
9. Headstrong (AUS CD Single liner notes). Trapt. Warner Bros. Records. 2003. 9362426212.
10. "Issue 706" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
11. "Chart Log UK 1994–2010: DJ T – Tzant". Zobbel.de. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
12. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
13. "Trapt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
14. "Trapt Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
15. "Trapt Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
16. "Trapt Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
17. "Trapt Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
18. "2003 Year End Charts – The Billboard Hot 100 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
19. Bronson, Fred (December 27, 2003). "Chart Beat: Many Acts Return in '03 Recap". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. pp. YE-59. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
20. "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Airplay Monitor . Vol. 11, no. 51. December 19, 2003. p. 14.
21. "Year in Music: Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. YE-75. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
22. "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor . Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 22.
23. "The Decade in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 50. December 19, 2009. pp. 161–162. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
24. "New Zealand single certifications – Trapt – Headstrong". Radioscope. Retrieved August 21, 2025.Type Headstrong in the "Search:" field.
25. "British single certifications – Trapt – Headstrong". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved August 21, 2025.
26. "American single certifications – Trapt – Headstrong". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 24, 2015.
27. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1471. September 20, 2002. p. 33. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
28. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 12th May 2003" (PDF). ARIA. May 12, 2003. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2003. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
29. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1507. June 6, 2003. p. 27. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
30. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . August 30, 2003. p. 23. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
31. Gerstmann, Jeff (February 17, 2004). "MX Unleashed Review". GameSpot .
32. Khan, Mohammad (January 10, 2022). "The Donkey Kong GameCube Game That Never Made It To The U.S." SVG.