10 Best Rock Songs Of 2011

The Danish hard rockers finally made a name for themselves in the United States after years of mega-popularity in their homeland. Volbeat's first single from 'Beyond Hell/Above Heaven' introduced the band's unique blend of rock, blues, metal, and rockabilly.We get the feeling that Volbeat will be a lot higher up on 'Best of the Year' lists in the future.

Art of Dying was another band that seemingly came out of nowhere and had a huge year at rock radio. The Canadian rock group got their big break when they signed to (Disturbed members) David Draiman and Dan Donegan's Intoxication Records imprint. The breakout success of 'Die Trying' paved the way for their next single, 'Get Through This,' which is currently taking off at rock stations across the country.

Hard working Michigan rockers Pop Evil built on the national attention they gained from their previous effort 'Lipstick on the Mirror,' by becoming a rock radio staple this year. Their sophomore effort 'War of Angels' has produced two hit singles thus far -- the fist-pumping full on battle rock of 'Last Man Standing' and the heartfelt acoustic-driven ballad 'Monster You Made.'

Chevelle barely made it in time to join the best of 2011 list, but better late than never. Their lead single from the forthcoming album 'Hats Off to the Bull' hearkens back to the earlier Chevelle sound and promises to be one of the most played songs from this year. 'Face to the Floor' is an aggressive examination of financial helplessness in a post-Bernie Madoff America.

Bush made their return to the forefront of rock this year with their heavily delayed 'The Sea of Memories,' despite only having half of the original lineup. The biggest key in their return has been the success of 'The Sound of Winter,' a single which embodies everything that was great about Bush's early albums without sounding like a retread. Perhaps a 10 year hiatus and some new blood is just what the band needed.

Adelitas Way scored their first #1 hit at rock radio this year with the first single from 'Home School Valedictorian.' The group's sophomore album furthered the no nonsense straight ahead rock found on previous hits like 'Invincible', while relating to issues that are universal -- hating you job, financial problems, etc. 'Sick' became a blue collar battle cry much like the comedic 'Hate My Life' from Theory of a Deadman did in 2008.

Staind flaked on the promised return to the heavy on their previous album, but finally delivered with this year's self-titled record. Many were surprised by Staind's ability to lock back into the weight that their music had in the early 2000's. 'Not Again' continues to sit atop the rock charts and even lead their album to a top ten debut on the Billboard 200.

Foo Fighters absolutely killed it this year with their album 'Wasting Light,' which they supported with a media frenzy prior to it's release -- making multiple TV appearance, doing shows, and even releasing a documentary. The band really solidified their rock icon status this year with a great album, hit-filled 3-hour concerts, and two of the biggest rock songs of the year ('Rope' being the other). It would be hard to find an active rock band bigger than the Foo Fighters right now.

Sixx A.M. proved that they were the real deal this year by following the massive hit record 'The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack' with another record influenced by Nikki Sixx's literary endeavors -- 'This is Gonna Hurt.' The band has yet to go the traditional route as far as touring goes, but continues to be a major player at radio with hit singles like the second most played rock song of the year.

The undisputed champion of 2011 is Seether's 'Country Song' -- which was the most played song of the year by a landslide. A country fried hard rock song is probably the furthest thing from a safe bet, but pushing it as their lead single was probably the best move the South African post grungers could've made. 'Holding on to String Better Left to Fray' debuted at #2 on the Billboard Albums Chart, and continues to sell thanks to the powerful chart topping follow up single 'Tonight.' Who would've imagined the #1 rock song of the year would be called 'Country Song?'