“Butt rock” usually refers to the second wave of post-grunge music, where bands like Bush and Candlebox ultimately turned into Nickelback and Seether. Butt rock had a vice grip on rock radio from the mid-to-late 2000s — arguably the last time a wave of rock experienced mainstream popularity.
A lot of these butt rock bands belong straight in the garbage, but there were some songs in the subgenre that kinda ruled! Let’s see if you agree or disagree.
No one cares if you hate Creed… this is an excellent song. The guitar work from Mark Tremonti is phenomenal here, from the etherial intro to the giant chords of the track’s main riff. Plus, how many rock anthems are written about rekindling an old friendship? Just casually telling your best bro (or bro-ette) how much you love them. It’s some beautiful stuff.
Lacey Sturm‘s vocals are untouchable. She’s so incredibly distinct, blending youthful innocence with the existential doom of burgeoning adulthood. This list could just be the first Flyleaf album… “Fully Alive”, “All Around Me”… “Cassie”… massive songs from pillar to post. “I’m So Sick” is the silver bullet though, tethered to the ground by a killer riff, a giant chorus and shrieking screams from Sturm.
Three Days Grace waved the flag high for the second wave of post-grunge, which started off halfway decent but eventually led to bands like Hinder and Theory of a Deadman. Still, “I Hate Everything About You” holds up thanks so its unique main riff and powerful chorus. You’ve gotta give credit to that drum part too… you know the one.
This is peak butt rock. A well-written song indeed! The chorus is massive, the drumming is sturdy and punctuates the guitar work with surgical precision, the vocals are palatable for the casual audience but remain aggressive enough for your underground crowd… also, did you hear many breakdowns on the radio before this track? “The Diary of Jane” was definitely a hint that radio rock would pick up some metal influence in the following decade.
Only Corey Taylor could go full butt rock yet remain an absolute legend. The boys from Stone Sour were always stellar musicians, but Taylor has a special ability to deliver raw emotion through his vocals. Ain’t nothing wrong with a rip-your-heart-out soft rock ballad, especially when it’s done this poetically.
Chevelle know how to put together a rump-rock single… especially when it’s about the most rump-rock subject of all time — anger! That riff feels like you’re trudging through a lake of tar, while the chorus for “The Red” is as catchy and melodic as one could ever hope for. This cut really held up with time.
“Oh-wah-ah-ah-ah!” is great and all, but lemme tell you ’bout “Ahh-ahh-ahh-oww!” Disturbed‘s “Stricken” is so rhythmically solid that you could build a house on it. It showcases the very best of David Draiman‘s voice as well, with our favorite lip-ringed dangler hitting high notes like he’s trying to fill the atmosphere with nü-metal. A modern classic for sure.
Remember these dudes? Smile Empty Soul had a handful of big hits on their 2003 debut album, including the gritty “Nowhere Kids” and the haunting “Silhouettes.” “Bottom of a Bottle” was the breakout hit though, with the subject of drugs and alcohol being addressed directly in its chorus. It’s a real peel-your-skin-back type of hit and makes you wonder why this band didn’t have a Shinedown type of career.
Is it fair to call this song butt rock? It’s got that essential “I’m a big angry man” guitar riff with the tough-guy / sensitive guy vocal switch. The song is great from beginning to end, and it’s got a super underrated video where camper vans full of people drive into the desert to scope out a big watery cube. We’re gonna allow it.
We couldn’t find it in ourselves to call Audioslave a butt rock band… but we’ll throw Velvet Revolver under that umbrella all day! It helps to have one of the great grunge vocalists lead your band, while an iconic ’80s rock band takes care of the instrumentals. The STP/GN’R supergroup was undoubtedly a successful one, with the unforgettable “Sliver” kicking off an awesome but short-lived career from VR.
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