It’s been a great week for rock and metal on the YouTube Music Charts. Currently, three rock and metal bands are celebrating big wins with their songs and music videos there.
The bands in question? That would be Metallica, Rammstein and Red Hot Chili Peppers. All three are now reaping the rewards of their music in terms of YouTube viewership and listenership. The Chili Peppers can even place a special feather in their caps for a particularly notable YouTube achievement they just unlocked.
This week, Metallica’s “Lux Æterna,” the metal band’s new single that emerged on Nov. 28, debuted at No. 25 on YouTube’s U.S. Top Songs chart. Thanks to the tune and its stylized performance video, Metallica also re-entered YouTube’s U.S. Top Artists at No. 64. Metallica’s recently announced 72 Seasons album comes out in April 2023.
Elsewhere in metal, the mainstay German act Rammstein landed at No. 58 on YouTube’s Global Top Songs chart with their single “Adieu,” released on Nov. 24. It’s No. 1 on Germany Top Songs. The song is culled from Zeit, the group’s eighth LP released earlier this year. The horror and sci-fi-indebted “Adieu” video amassed over 10 million views.
And there was a big win for rock. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Californication,” from their 1999 album of the same name, joined YouTube’s Billion Views Club. The music video has now racked up — you guessed it — a billion views. The clip has averaged over 290,000 daily views so far in 2022.
The “Californication” video, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, places the Chili Peppers inside a fictional video game that finds each musician on a California-based adventure. The clip is so beloved that, earlier this year, a game developer created a real video game based on it.
And Metallica are having a big week with other charts, as well. “Lux Æterna” also struck within the Top 10 of Billboard‘s Hot Trending Songs, landing at No. 6 for the week ending Dec. 10.
Watch all three music videos below.
Metallica, “Lux Æterna” (Lyric Video)
Rammstein, “Adieu” (Music Video)
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Californication” (Music Video)
Highest Charting Rock + Metal Albums of 2022
Where did they peak?
