Mainstream Rock is a music chart in Billboard magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in March 1981 as Rock Albums & Top Tracks, after which the name changed first to Top Rock Tracks, then to Album Rock Tracks, and finally to its current Mainstream Rock in 1996.
The Rock Albums & Top Tracks charts were introduced in the March 21, 1981, issue of Billboard. [1] The 50- and 60-position charts ranked airplay on album rock radio stations in the United States. [2] Because album-oriented rock stations focused on playing tracks from albums rather than specifically released singles, these charts were designed to measure the airplay of any and all tracks from an album. Rock Albums was a survey of the top albums on American rock radio, while Top Tracks listed the top individual songs being played. Mike Harrison of Billboard explained that when major artists release albums, more than one song from the album can become popular at the same time. [2] The first number-one song on the Top Tracks chart was "I Can't Stand It" by Eric Clapton. [2]
On September 15, 1984, the Rock Albums chart was discontinued and Top Tracks was renamed Top Rock Tracks. [1] [3] It reduced from a 60-song tally to 50 songs on October 20, 1984, [1] following a major revamp to the magazine. Coinciding with an increase in its reporting panel of album rock stations in the United States, the name of the chart was changed again with the issue dated April 12, 1986, to Album Rock Tracks. [4]
On November 23, 1991, instead of reporting panels, Billboard changed its methodology of measuring airplay by using monitored airplay as provided by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems to compile many of its charts. [1] As a result, this data showed that many songs could spend months to over a year on the Album Rock Tracks chart. Billboard decided to drop to a 40-position chart on the week of June 27, 1992 (still its current format), and songs that fell out of the top 20 and after spending 20 weeks on the chart were moved to a new 10-position recurrent chart. [5] [1] The recurrent chart was scrapped two years later, but not the methodology.
To differentiate between classic and alternative album rock radio formats, Billboard changed the name of the chart to Mainstream Rock Tracks beginning with issue dated April 13, 1996. [1] [6] The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart did not appear in the print edition of Billboard from its issue dated August 2, 2003, [7] being accessible only through the magazine's subscription-based website, Billboard.biz. In late 2013, the chart was reintroduced to its primary website and magazine.
When R&R ceased publication in June 2009, Billboard incorporated its rock charts, Active Rock and Heritage Rock into its own publication. The radio station reporters of the two charts combine to make up the Mainstream Rock chart. [8] In the United States, Active rock stations concentrate on current hits over classic rock standards while heritage rock stations put a greater emphasis on classic rock with a few newer tracks mixed in. [9] The individual Active Rock and Heritage Rock components were discontinued by Billboard at the end of November 2013 due to a growing lack of difference between the two charts. [10]
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the chart, in June 2021, Billboard released two charts ranking the top songs and artists in the history of the chart. "Touch, Peel and Stand" by Days of the New was the number-one song on the Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs and Shinedown was named the number-one artist on the ranking of Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists. [11] The current number-one song on the chart is "Dark Matter" by Pearl Jam. [12]
These are the artists with at least 8 songs that topped the Mainstream Rock chart.
Songs | Artist | References |
---|---|---|
19 | Shinedown | [13] [14] |
17 | Three Days Grace | [15] |
14 | Five Finger Death Punch | [16] |
13 | Foo Fighters | [17] [18] |
Van Halen | [19] [20] | |
Metallica | [21] | |
12 | Disturbed | [19] [22] |
Godsmack | [23] | |
10 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | [19] [24] |
Volbeat | [17] [25] | |
Papa Roach | [26] | |
9 | Aerosmith | [19] [27] |
Linkin Park | [17] [28] | |
Seether | [17] [29] | |
8 | Nickelback | [17] [30] |
Pop Evil | [31] | |
Green Day | [32] |
Songs | Artist | Reference |
---|---|---|
10 | Five Finger Death Punch | [33] |
8 | Shinedown | [13] |
7 | Disturbed | [22] |
Artist | Total cumulative weeks | Reference |
---|---|---|
Three Days Grace | 92 | [15] |
Shinedown | 86 | [34] [14] |
Metallica | 67 | [21] |
Foo Fighters | 60 | [18] |
Disturbed | 59 | [22] |
3 Doors Down | 53 | [35] |
Nickelback | 51 | [30] |
Seether | 48 | [36] |
Collective Soul | 47 | [37] |
Godsmack | 46 | [23] |
Songs | Artist | Reference |
---|---|---|
32 | Foo Fighters | [18] |
31 | Shinedown | [34] |
29 | Five Finger Death Punch | [38] |
28 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | [39] |
Godsmack | [23] | |
27 | Disturbed | [22] |
Metallica | [21] | |
26 | Papa Roach | [26] |
Van Halen | [39] | |
24 | Aerosmith | [39] |
Pearl Jam | [40] | |
Seether | [41] | |
Three Days Grace | [42] | |
23 | John Mellencamp | [39] |
Songs | Artist | Reference |
---|---|---|
50 | U2 | [43] |
48 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | [44] |
47 | Van Halen | [45] |
46 | John Mellencamp | [46] |
45 | Pearl Jam | [40] |
44 | Aerosmith | [47] |
43 | Metallica | [21] |
42 | Rush | [48] |
40 | Foo Fighters | [18] |
39 | Ozzy Osbourne | [49] |
37 | Papa Roach | [26] |
The Rolling Stones | [50] | |
35 | AC/DC | [51] |
Korn | [52] | |
R.E.M. | [53] | |
Godsmack | [23] | |
32 | Green Day | [32] |
31 | Disturbed | [22] |
Five Finger Death Punch | [38] | |
Nickelback | [30] | |
Shinedown | [34] | |
30 | Stone Temple Pilots | [54] |
These are the songs that have spent at least one year (52 weeks) on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Number of weeks | Song | Artist | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
62 | "So Cold" | Breaking Benjamin | [55] |
56 | "Cold" | Crossfade | [56] |
"Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" | Fuel | [57] | |
55 | "Headstrong" | Trapt | [58] |
53 | "Loser" | 3 Doors Down | [59] |
"Awake" | Godsmack | [60] | |
52 | "Wasteland" | 10 Years | [61] |
"Paralyzer" | Finger Eleven | [62] | |
"Remedy" | Seether | [63] | |
"Life Is Beautiful" | Sixx: A.M. | [64] |
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band formed in Norwood, Ontario, in 1992 originally as Groundswell. Groundswell played in various local Norwood backyard parties and area establishments before disbanding in 1995 and regrouping in 1997 under its current name.
Alternative Airplay is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played songs on alternative and modern rock radio stations. Introduced as Modern Rock Tracks, the chart served as a companion to the Mainstream Rock chart, and its creation was prompted by the explosion of alternative music on American radio in the late 1980s. During the first several years of the chart, it regularly featured music that did not receive commercial radio airplay anywhere but on a few modern rock and college rock radio stations. This included many electronic and post-punk artists. Gradually, as alternative rock became more mainstream, alternative and mainstream rock radio stations began playing many of the same songs. By the late 2000s, the genres became more fully differentiated with only limited crossover. The Alternative Airplay chart features more alternative rock, indie pop, and pop punk artists while the Mainstream Rock chart leans towards more guitar-tinged blues rock, hard rock, and heavy metal.
Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed by singer Brent Smith in 2001 after the dissolution of his previous band, Dreve. Smith, still under contract with record label Atlantic Records, recruited the band's original lineup of Jasin Todd as guitarist, Brad Stewart on bass, and Barry Kerch on drums. Consistent for the first two album cycles, several lineup changes followed in the late 2000s, eventually stabilizing with Smith and Kerch alongside Zach Myers on guitar and Eric Bass on bass. The group has released seven studio albums: Leave a Whisper (2003), Us and Them (2005), The Sound of Madness (2008), Amaryllis (2012), Threat to Survival (2015), Attention Attention (2018), and Planet Zero (2022).
"When I Come Around" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It is the 10th track on their third studio album, Dookie (1994), and was shipped to radio in December 1994 before being physically released as the fourth single from that album in January 1995 by Reprise Records. It was played live as early as 1992.
"Lightning Crashes" is a song by American rock band Live. It was released in September 1994 as the third single from their second studio album, Throwing Copper. Although the track was not released as a single in the United States, it received enough radio airplay to peak at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart in 1995. The song also topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart for 10 weeks and the Modern Rock Tracks chart for nine weeks. Internationally, the song reached No. 3 in Canada, No. 8 in Iceland, and No. 13 in Australia.
"Remedy" is a song by South African rock band Seether. It is the second track on their album Karma and Effect, and was released as the album's lead single. It became their first single to hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, dropping and regaining the spot for a total of eight weeks at number one.
"Animal I Have Become" is a song by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. It was released on April 10, 2006, as the first single from their second studio album, One-X. The song was released digitally on April 18, 2006. The song spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and two weeks at No. 1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song alongside "Riot" are used in the video game, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007. It is the band's first single with their fourth member Barry Stock. Critical reception to the song was generally favorable, with emphasis on the song's catchiness combined with its thick guitars.
Leave a Whisper is the debut studio album by American rock band Shinedown. The album was released on May 27, 2003, faring well due to the success of the singles "Fly from the Inside" and "45". Recording took place at Henson Recording Studios and The Blue Room, both in Los Angeles. Leave a Whisper paved the way for Shinedown's successful second album, Us and Them, and was re-released on June 15, 2004, to incorporate a cover version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man". The album's singles also fared well, with "Fly from the Inside" reaching No. 5, "45" reaching No. 3, "Simple Man" reaching No. 5, and "Burning Bright" reaching No. 2 on the US Mainstream Rock list.
"Headstrong" is the debut single of American rock band Trapt from their 2002 self-titled debut album. 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".
"Fake It" is a song by South African rock band Seether. It is the first single from the band's album Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces. The single quickly rose to number one on both the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts. It also reached number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, the second highest of their singles after "Broken", which reached number 20. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA and silver by the BPI.
This is the general discography of the South African rock band Seether.
The American rock band Shinedown has released seven studio albums, two live albums, five extended plays, three video albums, and 31 singles.
Transit of Venus is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. It was released on October 2, 2012 through RCA Records. The album is the band's first to be released under the record label, following the folding of their former label, Jive Records, in 2011. The album was produced by Don Gilmore and recorded at Revolution Studios in Toronto.
Saint Asonia is a Canadian-American rock supergroup consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Gontier, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Cale Gontier, and drummer Cody Watkins. In 2017, the band's original drummer, Rich Beddoe, left the band and was replaced by Mushok's Staind bandmate Sal Giancarelli, and one year later bassist and backing vocalist Corey Lowery left the band to join Seether and his place was taken by Gontier's cousin Cale Gontier. The band formed in Toronto, Canada in 2015 after Gontier's departure from Three Days Grace in 2013. Their second studio album, titled Flawed Design, was released on October 25, 2019. On January 26, 2020, Art of Dying drummer Cody Watkins became the new drummer for Saint Asonia replacing Sal Giancarelli.
"Let You Down" is a song by South African rock band Seether. It is the first single from their seventh studio album Poison the Parish. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2017.
"Devil" is a song by American rock band Shinedown. It was their first single off of their sixth studio album Attention Attention. It reached number one on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in May 2018.
"Get Up" is a song by American rock band Shinedown. It was the second song off of their sixth studio album Attention Attention. The song's accompanying music video was released on August 8, 2018. In November 2018, the song gave Shinedown their eleventh song to reach the top ten on the Billboard Rock Airplay chart and broke the Foo Fighters previous record with ten songs. The following month, "Get Up" reached number one on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in December 2018 where it remained for two consecutive weeks. The song's number one peak gave Shinedown their 13th Mainstream Rock number one, and tied them for second place with Van Halen for the most number ones on the chart. It was also the band's first single to chart on the Adult Top 40 chart since 2010's "If You Only Knew".
"Monsters" is a song by American rock band Shinedown. It was their third single from their sixth studio album Attention Attention. It reached the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in June 2019. Upon reaching number one on the Mainstream Rock, Shinedown moved into second place for the most Mainstream Rock number ones with fourteen songs. "Monsters" was nominated for iHeartRadio's rock song of the year award.
"Atlas Falls" is a song by American rock band Shinedown. Originally conceived and recorded for the band's 2012 album Amaryllis, the song was left off the album and unreleased until 2020, when the band released it to raise money in support of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. It was later released as a non-album single, and topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart for a week in August 2020, marking the band's 16th number one, the most by any musician since the chart's inception in 1981.
Explosions is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. It was released on May 6, 2022, through RCA Records. The album was produced by Howard Benson and by members of the band.