Western Rock Popularity Ranking [2026]

Every Breath You TakeThe Police22rank/position

The Police – Every Breath You Take (Official Music Video)

Released in 1983, this song is known as one of The Police’s signature masterpieces.

It may sound like a love song at first, but it actually hides an eerie theme of surveillance and control.

Sting’s striking vocals and Andy Summers’s guitar riff intertwine with a sophisticated sound that hasn’t faded with time.

Featured on the album “Synchronicity,” the track became a massive hit, spending eight consecutive weeks at No.

1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

If you sing it at karaoke, it might be fun to bring out a slightly unsettling vibe, knowing the meaning behind the song.

Song For The DumpedBen Folds Five23rank/position

Ben Folds Five – Song For The Dumped

This is a Ben Folds Five song that can be heard either as a man singing about being dumped or as someone expressing lingering feelings after doing the dumping.

The anger toward an ex after a breakup and the desire to get back the money spent while dating are emotions anyone who’s experienced heartbreak has likely felt.

If trying hard to forget only makes you think about that person even more, then, like in this song, letting your anger out might actually help you take the next step forward.

Included on the 1997 album “Whatever and Ever Amen,” the track has been used in films and TV shows, and enjoys enduring popularity for its portrayal of emotional wounds and betrayal that many can relate to.

Under The BridgeRed Hot Chili Peppers24rank/position

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge [Official Music Video]

A soul-baring cry of pain and regeneration has taken shape as a sweeping ballad set in Los Angeles.

Included on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, released in September 1991, the song vivid­ly portrays deep loneliness and a love for the city, carried by melodious guitar tones.

Written during recovery from drug addiction, it wraps the vocalist’s inner turmoil and his bond with the city in a warm, gentle sound.

After its single release in March 1992, it won the Viewer’s Choice award at the MTV Video Music Awards and reached No.

2 on the U.S.

charts.

It is a track that resonates with those who, even while harboring loneliness and a sense of loss deep within, strive to keep moving forward.

Open ArmsJourney25rank/position

Journey – Open Arms (Official Video – 1982)

A five-piece rock band that stands as a leading figure in American progressive hard rock, Journey continues to work energetically while overcoming various hardships.

This is their 27th single.

It was released as a single from their seventh album, Escape, the band’s first to hit No.

1 in the United States, and it also drew attention in Japan when it was used as the theme song for the 2004 film Umizaru.

You can feel that it contains all the elements you’d want in a rock ballad—lyrical melodies, dramatic arrangements, and memorable guitar phrases.

The fact that it was used in Japan more than 20 years after its release further proves the song’s timeless beauty as a ballad.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Walk This WayAerosmith26rank/position

Aerosmith – Walk This Way (Live From The Office Depot Center, Sunrise, FL, April 3, 2004)

There was a time when rock was rock and hip-hop was hip-hop, kept in separate lanes.

It’s no exaggeration to say that this one collaboration between Aerosmith and RUN DMC broke down that wall.

Seamlessly fusing the dynamism of hard rock with the bouncy appeal of hip-hop, the track can be seen as a forerunner of the crossover boom that took off in the 2000s.

Although released in 1975, it hasn’t faded one bit in the Reiwa era; it continues to reign as an insanely fresh floor anthem that effortlessly leaps over the constraints of genre.

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Ziggy StardustDavid Bowie27rank/position

David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust (Official Video)

This is an emblematic work from English artist David Bowie’s landmark album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, released in June 1972.

The song lies at the heart of the story depicting the glory and downfall of a rock star from outer space.

You can almost picture the alien protagonist leading his band and furiously thrashing his guitar.

Listeners are instantly captivated by his overwhelming charisma and the allure that hints at a ruinous, destructive edge.

The famous anecdote of Bowie himself announcing the end of the character at a July 1973 concert is well known.

Why not give it a listen when you want to experience a powerful individuality that shatters conventional boundaries?

Seven Nation ArmyThe White Stripes28rank/position

The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army (Official Music Video)

Starting with a simple yet overwhelmingly powerful guitar riff, this track is known as a landmark of alternative rock.

The rebellious spirit and determination for self-determination embedded in the lyrics resonate with many listeners, evoking a universal sense of empathy.

Released by The White Stripes in February 2003, the song is included on the album Elephant and won Best Rock Song at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards.

It has been frequently used at sporting events and political rallies and is beloved around the world.

When you need the courage to face adversity and hardship, this is a song that empowers the heart.