Heavy music is on the up in Australia, according to new data.
According to data shared with Tone Deaf, there’s been a 105% increase in metal streams in Australia over the last five years an 80% increase in punk streams and an 80% increase in rock streams in the same time period (2020 to 2025).
Heavy music is even outpacing the pack as one of Australia’s fastest-growing genres, surpassing gains seen in dance/electronic (+74%) and hip-hop (+31%) from 2020 to 2025.
Heavy music’s rise isn’t limited to Australia, however, with metal streams up globally by 115%, punk streams by 168%, and rock streams up by 96% from 2020 to 2025.
“Rock, punk, and metal are having a genuine cultural moment again, and it’s being fuelled by both global icons and a boundary-pushing new wave of artists,” says Spotify Senior Music Editor Joe Khan. “Huge local tours from the likes of Metallica, Green Day, Linkin Park, and AC/DC have reignited mainstream attention, while artists such as Turnstile, Fontaines D.C., and Sleep Token have reshaped what these genres look, sound, and feel like for a new generation.
Khan continues: “That momentum is being mirrored with Australian artists too, with the global success of Melbourne punk outfit Amyl and the Sniffers who nabbed a Grammy nomination last year, and ARIA Award winning Sydney hardcore band SPEED, who have long invested in their local scene, even recently using their $80,000 NSW Music Prize win to launch a free, all-ages live music series to support the next generation.”
“It’s impossible to speak to the rise of these genres without acknowledging the pressures shaping how people are feeling right now. As audiences navigate post-pandemic realities, cost-of-living pressures and an increasingly uncertain and divided world, they’re reconnecting with genres that have long offered catharsis, resistance and a sense of belonging, making rock, punk and metal feel more relevant and vital than ever,” Khan adds.
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