3 Rock Songs To Reach the Top of the Charts in the Post-Garage and Alt-Rock Era

In the 21st century, particularly post-2010, rock ‘n’ roll and all of its sub-genres have taken a bit of a backseat on the charts. Nowadays, the acts that grace the top of the charts are all pop-music oriented, even if they reside in the genres of country, R&B, rap, rock, and soul music. That being so, in the last 15 years, more or less, true rock ‘n’ roll songs have seldom reached the top of the charts. So, with that in mind, we are celebrating three rock songs that have reached the top of the charts in the post-garage and alt-rock era.

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“Beggin’” by Maneskin

In 2021, some of the biggest hits in music were “Save Your Tears”, “Levitating”, and “good 4 you”. In other words, pop music heavily saturated the market. However, in July of that year, a song with an old school sound and a new school twist climbed to No. 13 on the chart. That song was “Beggin’” by the Italian rock band Maneskin.

Originally released in 2017 in Italy, Maneskin’s 2021 single “Beggin’” gained massive notoriety after their Eurovision win in 2021. Following that win, the Italian rock band released the single in the United States in March 2021. Needless to say, the American public ate it up, and consequently, it has been one of the few true rock songs to grace the upper levels of the charts in the last 15 years or so.

“Pumped Up Kicks” by The Foster People

Now, is “Pumped Up Kicks” by The Foster People relative to Led Zeppelin or The Eagles? Not really, but compared to the rest of the “rock” songs released in the last 15 years, it certainly falls under the alt-rock category; hence, we think it qualifies. Nevertheless, this dark-edged alt-rock song was a smashing success following its 2011 release.

In terms of real alt-rock songs, this is certainly one of the most successful in the last 15 years. Released in 2011, this single took the US by storm and went on to peak at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, it held the top spot for eight consecutive weeks.

“Take Me To Church” by Hozier

Alright, again, you might not like our selection here, but have you been listening to the popular music of the last 15 years? If so, you know we’re kind of grasping at straws. Regardless, Hozier‘s 2014 single “Take Me To Church” was one of the biggest hits of the year, and it achieved that by following in the footsteps of the general rock and soul tradition.

Following its release, this single went on to peak at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition to scoring this coveted spot, the single also peaked at No. 2 in the United Kingdom. In terms of the most popular songs in the last 15 years, this is about as rock ‘n’ roll as it gets.

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