For a music video to reach one billion views on YouTube is a major achievement for any rock artist. For a lot of these musicians, they have successfully crafted the perfect combination of a powerful song, told through a great visual. The likes of Michael Jackson are among the legends who paved the way for others to follow regarding storytelling in music videos. A great song can take an artist a long way, but an iconic video to match means the tune will serve as a building block of their legacy.
This is not an easy feat to accomplish either, as even some of the biggest names in the rock genre have yet to reach this mark. Artists such as Green Day all have videos with hundreds of millions of views, with the latter inching closer to breaking the billion mark, but they are not quite there yet. Nonetheless, there are a few that have made it. Some even boast multiple songs past this mark, further demonstrating the strength of their presence on the platform, which has now been around for 20 years.
1 Audioslave - Like A Stone
Album: Audioslave (2003)
A rock supergroup is formed when musicians from multiple successful acts come together to create something new. Audioslave formed from two other rock bands breaking up: It was the combination of Rage Against the Machine's drummer, bassist, and guitarist, Tom Morello, teaming up with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden fame. The fusion of Cornell's voice and Morello's signature guitar sound seemed to be the perfect match, and their debut album in 2003 became an instant hit.
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One of the songs that has helped the record achieve 3x platinum in the United States is "Like a Stone." The video for the song is quite simple; it features the band playing in a room of a house. However, there is something very powerful about the way Cornell just sits in a chair as he performs. Not only did the tune showcase some of the most compelling aspects of his voice, but it also included a classic Tom Morello guitar solo. With the death of Cornell in 2017, Audioslave is no more, but thanks in part to YouTube, their legacy continues.
2 R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
Album: Out Of Time (1991)
R.E.M. entertained fans all around the world until they officially disbanded in 2011. While they have popped up for the occasional show, all fans truly have now is the amazing discography they have left behind. Of the 15 studio albums they recorded, one of their all-time greats arrived in 1991. This record included the hit song "Shiny Happy People," which has a very memorable video in its own right, but it also featured "Losing My Religion."
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The track alone is enough to create a moving atmosphere. The lyrics really stand out, and the speed of the instrumental helps to create a chilling feeling. The music video only added to this, as it featured dreamlike cinematography and a blend of different imagery. The band's lead singer, Michael Stipe, also gave a great performance. His delivery demands attention, and given how many people have watched this, it undoubtedly worked.
3 Fun. - We Are Young Ft. Janelle Monáe
Album: Some Nights (2012)
Despite a strong start, Fun. stopped releasing music after their sophomore album in 2012. While their debut album didn't become as big as they hoped, their follow-up featured three huge hits for the band: "Some Nights," "Carry On," and "We Are Young." In fact, "We Are Young" became more than just another hit. It not only spent 42 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, with six of those being at the top, but has also achieved diamond certification.
The tune won Song of the Year at the 55th Grammy Awards, and on the same night, the band won Best New Artist.
If that wasn't enough, "We Are Young" won Song of the Year at the 55th Grammy Awards, and on the same night, the band won Best New Artist. It only makes sense that the music video has become successful as well. In it, the band plays on stage in a bar as chaos ensues around them. Even if Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff, and Andrew Dost never reunite, fans will always have these incredible songs that made an impact, as significant as some of the most legendary tracks in music.
4 Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
Album: Night Visions (2012)
Forming in 2008, Imagine Dragons became a household name after their debut album, Night Visions, in 2012. Words such as "breakout" and "breakthrough" were frequently used when the band was being discussed by major outlets like MTV and Billboard. Two of the songs from the record that helped the band gain significant notoriety were "Demons" and "Radioactive." Each achieved incredible success, but it was the latter that became legendary.
Being able to get a hit song on the Billboard Hot 100 is a major accomplishment for any artist, but Imagine Dragons didn't just have "Radioactive" on there for a week; instead, it stayed for 87 weeks. This was an unprecedented duration that spoke to the tune's popularity. It also earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance. The video, which centers on a drifter on a quest to save friends, contributed to the song's allure. Currently, the song is 17x platinum, placing it among some of the best tracks ever.
5 Evanescence - Bring Me To Life
Album: Fallen (2003)
The more promotion a song can receive, the better its odds of becoming a hit. For Evanescence, they couldn't have asked for a bigger platform for "Bring Me to Life" than what they got. The song was part of the 2003 Marvel movie, Daredevil, starring the likes of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. This immediately gave the song notoriety and helped quickly propel it to success, as it was released as the lead single from their debut album, Fallen.
The tune became a worldwide sensation, reaching the top ten in 20 different countries. It would even reach as high as number five on the coveted Billboard Hot 100. The music video maintains the same mystique the song had while used in the film. It features lead singer Amy Lee scaling a building, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. Currently, it has been certified 3x platinum in the United States, but beyond that, it will always hold a place in Marvel history.
6 Guns N’ Roses - Sweet Child O’ Mine
Album: Appetite For Destruction (1987)
In one of the greatest feats in rock and roll history, Guns N' Roses released what many music pundits consider the greatest debut album ever. Arriving in 1987, Appetite for Destruction featured some of the band's biggest tracks, including "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City," and "Sweet Child O' Mine." Although their guitarist, Slash, was unsure of "Sweet Child O' Mine" at first, the rest of the band pushed for it.
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Ultimately, they made the right decision, as the song has become the band's biggest hit. It is so revered that it has charted in multiple decades, demonstrating a continued desire for the track. The music video itself merely shows the band jamming to the track in classic black and white. It's simplistic, but that is what makes it stand out. In a case like this, the song is so good that there wasn't much more needed other than to just let fans hear it.
7 Nirvana - Smell Like Teen Spirit
Album: Nevermind (1991)
Due to Kurt Cobain's death in 1994, Nirvana was active for a short time, lasting less than a decade. However, they made enough of an impact to cement themselves among some of the legends of rock. They were part of Seattle's Big Four alongside Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden, helping usher in grunge as a leading genre. In of songs, perhaps the biggest they contributed was "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
The opening guitar riff has become one of the most iconic in history. The music video also helped the legend of the song grow. In it, the band plays in a gymnasium during a school pep rally, with a smoky haze truly giving it a grunge feel. The song itself is diamond-certified, and it helped the album, Nevermind, become 13x platinum in the United States. Now, as Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, the band proved you don't need longevity to be great, you just need to be memorable.
8 Coldplay - Paradise
Album: Mylo Xyloto (2011)
Having been together since 1997, Coldplay found their first success in 2000 with their debut studio album, Parachutes. Since then, they have released nine more records, grinding each step of the way to become as big as possible. Over the years, the band has been compared to some of the biggest musicians, including U2. They have lived up to this standard on their way to becoming one of the most successful touring acts in the world.
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Achieving this status comes from the band's impeccable work, featuring a slew of hit songs. One of the tunes that stands out the most is "Paradise." As a part of the 2011 album, Mylo Xyloto, this track is beautiful and creates a true sense of a brighter future. The music video enhances it, featuring a person dressed up as an elephant escaping the zoo and chasing a bigger dream instead of a cage. With over almost two billion views, the band is nearing yet another career milestone.
9 Linkin Park - Numb
Album: Meteora (2003)
Standing out among larger-than-life rock stars is no easy task, but Linkin Park pulled it off by mixing different genres into their music. From alternative rock to nu metal to rap rock, the band had a little of something for everyone. They were brought to prominence right from the start with their massive debut album, Hybrid Theory. Following this up was not easy, but when they released Meteora in 2003, the record was bolstered by hits such as "Somewhere I Belong" and "Numb."
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"Numb" became one of Linkin Park's signature songs, topping the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for 12 weeks. Additionally, it ranked on a few more, including the 11th spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics suggest a struggle, and the music video brings that to light. Part of it is the band performing the track in a church, while the other half is a person who seems to be struggling in life. Eventually, this song would end up as a remix with Jay-Z, and has gone down as a signature song for a band that, through adversity, has continued on.
10 Twenty One Pilots - Stressed Out
Album: Blurryface (2015)
The year was 2015, when Twenty One Pilots became a household name after the release of their 6x platinum album, Blurryface. From this record, they had two songs, "Ride" and "Stressed Out," place in the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. "Stressed Out," in particular, has become even more revered thanks in part to the music video. It truly let viewers in as it was shot in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio. This made it feel part music video and part documentary.
The YouTube numbers this song has brought the band are incredible, as it has over three billion views. Impressively, this isn't the only song the band has with over one billion views on the platform, as "Heathens" has also reached this milestone. It wouldn't be surprising to see more of their songs achieve this as well, as they have one of the most loyal fan bases in music. Nonetheless, the band's coming-of-age hit, which won them a Grammy Award, remains at the top.