Metal Hammer have released their list of the 11 metal songs that defined 2025, and it’s a gloriously fun time capsule of the year’s listening habits.
True to form, the magazine didn’t restrict itself to new releases, instead pulling from every corner of metal’s lineage to map out what actually shaped the culture this year.
Sitting at the top of the conversation is Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’, originally released in 1991, the track exploded again in 2025 after Ozzy’s passing in July, becoming a global touchstone for fans mourning one of metal’s most influential voices.
Tool also resurfaced thanks to ‘Stinkfist’ being folded into the heavy soundtrack of Alien: Earth, the sci-fi series that’s had half the internet debating its episode ending needle drops.
The nü-metal revival continued its stubborn march through pop culture, with Drowning Pool’s ‘Bodies’ clocking a wild year. It landed everywhere from The Tonight Show to American Idol, and even scored a fresh mix for a major video game soundtrack.
Metal Hammer’s picks also nod to the shifting shape of modern heavy music, with Sleep Token’s slow burn anthem ‘Caramel’ earning a spot after topping the New York Times’ best songs of 2025.
Standouts
Another standout is ‘End Of You’, the powerhouse collaboration between Amy Lee, Courtney LaPlante and Poppy, a track that snagged Revolver’s Song Of The Year and showcased three distinct voices building something far bigger than genre lines usually allow.
The list gets wilder in the best way possible, with Deep Purple’s ‘Child In Time’ roaring back into the cultural bloodstream after a dramatic placement in Stranger Things.
Death metal outfit Decessus found themselves on the list thanks to vocalist Ignacia Fernández performing ‘The Eve Of Severed Tongues’ live during the Miss World Chile semifinals, one of those moments that reminds you metal will always find its way into unexpected spaces.
From Deftones’ ‘My Mind Is A Mountain’ to Ghost’s latest banger ‘Satanized’, the list captures how metal continues to shape the world, whether through new releases, viral resurrections or TV syncs that send old songs flying back up the charts.
The 11 Metal Songs That Defined 2025 (According to Metal Hammer)
Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Mama, I’m Come Home’
Sleep Token – ‘Caramel’
Amy Lee, Courtney LaPlante & Poppy – ‘End Of You’
Tool – ‘Stinkfist’
Drowning Pool – ‘Bodies’
BABYMETAL – ‘Kon! Kon!’ (feat. Bloodywood)
Castle Rat – ‘Wizard’
Deftones – ‘My Mind Is A Mountain’
Deep Purple – ‘Child In Time’
Decessus – ‘The Eve Of Severed Tongues’
Ghost – ‘Satanized’
RELATED
MORE IN News
