In a year where much of the music industry is contending with slowing growth amidst broader societal impacts like inflation and wealth insecurity, heavy rock and metal have emerged statistically as one of live music’s most powerful forces. According to Live Nation, attendance for hard rock and metal shows is up 14% in 2025, now making up 13% of all arena and stadium concerts, an all-time high for the genre in the company’s data.
The resurgence is driven not just by the staying power of legacy acts such as one of the Big Four in Metallica or a resurgence of one of the most prolific bands in decades with Linkin Park, but also by the commercial breakthrough of modern metal bands like Bring Me the Horizon, Ghost, Sleep Token, and Bad Omens. These artists are packing out massive venues and dominating festival slots around the world.
This live success comes at a time when the broader music industry is facing signs of fatigue, particularly in digital spaces. Luminate’s 2025 Midyear Music Industry Report paints a picture of a slowing streaming market in the U.S., where year-to-date audio streaming growth has dipped to 5%. That’s a noticeable drop from the roughly 8% growth seen during the same period in 2024. Globally, growth has fallen from around 15% to closer to 10%.
But despite the cooling momentum in streaming, hard rock and and metal spaces are holding their ground. Luminate notes that 69% of rock streaming in the U.S. is coming from catalogue tracks, meaning songs released more than five years ago. This shows that fan interest in older, guitar-driven music remains remarkably strong even as trends shift elsewhere.
A core component of both streaming and live music showing growth amongst the rock and metal community at large is through what Live Nation and Luminate label as “superfans.” In short, people lumped into these statistics are avid music fans, supporting their favorite artists through multiple avenues: merchandise, physical media, concert tickets, and monetary support through apps like Patreon or Twitch.
All of this can be interpreted in a lot of ways, but a simple truth comes through the data sheets: fans of heavier music are showing up to support beyond trends and fads. Bands like Deftones and Evanescence have songs that have been out since before MP3 players were even readily accessible, suddenly taking off to new listeners and generations on a seemingly daily basis. Whether it's the intensity of a chugging riff or the belting of a somber chorus, people come back because the music makes them feel something. And in a world where people are continually divided, disassociating, and doomscrolling, that’s a hell of a dopamine hit in a packed stadium.
So, the TL;DR? People that have said, “Rock is dead,” can shut the fuck up forever. It’s at the forefront of the industry, and it’s not going anywhere.
