Rock and metal in the 21st century gave us some of the most exciting and unique music in the history of the genres. While legacy acts from the ’70s and ’80s and ’90s all continued to release new material, the turn of the millennium has given rise to a whole new crop of artists. Classic artists like Iron Maiden and Rush continued to make big splashes in the 2000s, and grunge and extreme metal acts from the previous decade continued their dominance. Throw in nu-metal, metalcore, deathcore and more and you’re firmly entrenched in the 21st century.
The onset of the Internet also spurred a radical shift in the music industry’s climate, causing a rapid increase in the amount of signed acts, thus resulting in a whole lot more rock and metal! Fans now have instant access to thousands upon thousands of bands and albums, giving popularity to a wide array of acts as well as making it more difficult for them to break through the never-ending sea of like-minded musicians.
READ MORE: The Top 90 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the 1990s
With a wealth of albums to take into consideration over span between 2000 and the current day, there was a large number of discs to sort from. You’ll find the best from huge bands like Slipknot, Tool and Linkin Park alongside critically acclaimed releases from underground acts.
Scroll through the gallery below to see our picks for the Top 100 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the 21st Century!
100 Best Rock and Metal Albums of the 21st Century
Loudwire’s picks for the best rock and metal albums from 2000 to present.
Gallery Credit: by Loudwire Staff
10 Bands That Only Write Songs About One Specific Thing
The following rock and metal bands all have a very singular lyrical drive. In fact, you could say they each only write songs about one particular thing. How’s that for focus?
Gallery Credit: Philip Trapp
