Our list of the top 20 American rock bands of the 2000s shows just how much the genre had evolved over the years while still hewing closely to its roots.
It was a decade that, by and large, found a new crop of bands from various backgrounds and subgenres seizing the mantle. New York’s garage rock revival scene birthed a myriad of buzz bands, namely the Strokes, whose landmark debut album Is This It influenced several other groups on this list, such as the Killers and Kings of Leon.
On the flip side, pop-punk stalwarts Green Day reached all-new heights with their multi-platinum, politically charged rock opera American Idiot. Apparently inspired by this dramatic reinvention, fellow post-hardcore scenesters My Chemical Romance released The Black Parade, a grandiose concept album inspired by classic rock icons Queen and David Bowie.
READ MORE: Top 50 American Bands of All Time
Meanwhile, some of the genre’s elder statesmen returned to form, releasing their strongest and most well-received material in years. Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen both launched to the top of the charts, and the latter even headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, adding a distinguished notch to his belt.
And, of course, nobody could forget Foo Fighters and the White Stripes, both of whom ascended to the top of the rock ‘n’ roll mountain and whose respective figureheads, Dave Grohl and Jack White, became ambassadors of a genre that was — at least for a little while longer — still thriving.
Read on to see the top 20 American rock bands of the 2000s.
Top 20 American Rock Bands of the 2000s
Legends returned to form and a new crop of bands seized the mantle.
