British heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer has released its annual retrospective, selecting the eleven songs that shaped the heavy music landscape over the last 12 months. The 2025 list is a testament to a year where metal deeply infiltrated mainstream pop culture, ranging from major television syncs to historic chart achievements.
The list is emotionally anchored by the inclusion of Ozzy Osbourne‘s 1991 classic, “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” The selection serves as a tribute to the “Prince of Darkness,” who passed away in July following his final concert in Birmingham. The publication noted that the track became an anthem of public mourning during the “Summer of Ozzy,” marking the end of an era for the genre.
Beyond legacy tributes, the list underscores how television drove metal’s relevance in 2025. Tool‘s 90s staple “Stinkfist” made the cut after finding a new audience through the “Alien: Earth” TV series, while Deep Purple‘s “Child In Time” was recognized for its dramatic usage in the Season 5 teaser for “Stranger Things.”
Nü-metal’s resurgence continued to dominate the cultural conversation. Drowning Pool‘s “Bodies” was cited as a defining track of the year, bolstered by a high-profile performance on “The Tonight Show” featuring the band alongside rappers Offset and J.I.D, as well as appearances in the “Yellowjackets” soundtrack and AEW wrestling programming. Similarly, Deftones landed on the list with their new single “My Mind Is A Mountain,” riding a wave of Gen Z popularity that the magazine describes as “baddiecore.”
Modern heavyweights also secured top spots. Sleep Token continued their meteoric rise with “Caramel,” a single from their chart-topping album Even In Arcadia. Ghost also represented the current vanguard with “Satanized,” the track that introduced their new frontman, Papa V Perpetua, and propelled their album Skeletá to Number One on the Billboard charts.
The list also highlighted the year’s most potent collaborations and viral oddities. The “internet-breaking” union of Amy Lee, Courtney LaPlante, and Poppy on the track “End Of You” was recognized, as was the cross-continental fusion of Babymetal and Bloodywood on “Kon! Kon!“.
Rounding out the selection were Castle Rat‘s “Wizard,” fueled by viral stage theatrics, and Decessus‘ “The Eve Of Severed Tongues.” The latter earned its spot after vocalist Ignacia Fernández performed the death metal track live during the Miss World Chile pageant, a competition she eventually won.
The 11 Metal Songs That Defined 2025 (via Metal Hammer):
- Ozzy Osbourne – “Mama, I’m Coming 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“
