Top 10 Disturbed Songs
If you’re looking for songs that will annoy your parents, that’s “disturbing songs.” Instead, I’m going to take a look at the Top 10 Disturbed songs of all time. You know, by the band Disturbed? The band that’s been around for over 20 years? The band that has had five consecutive albums debut at #1 in the charts?
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Yeah, that Disturbed.
This heavy band has recently released its eighth album and continues to produce new music and play live. Their Hard Rock or Heavy Metal sound is as distinct as their mascot, “The Guy,” grinning maniacally on each album cover. But what are the best Disturbed songs? I know what’s on my list.
Disturbed Band History
Disturbed got their start as a band called “Brawl” way back in 1994. At that time, it was guitarist/keyboardist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren with bassist Fuzz Kmak and singer Erich Awalt.
But Awalt left the band in 1996, and current singer David Draiman filled his place and also suggested the name Disturbed. This line-up played together until 2003, when Kmak was replaced with current bassist John Moyer.
The band had massive success in the 90s and into the 2000s…
Releasing five albums that were all huge hits. They then went on a hiatus from 2011 until 2015. But they have come back with three more albums, the latest, Divisive, was released in 2022.
The band has received Grammy Award nominations for their work and has won awards from iHeart Radio, Loudwire, and Octane. They’ve toured the world and sold more than 17 million records. So, this heavy band is a major contender to deal with.
Top 10 Disturbed Songs
“Down With the Sickness” (2000)
Disturbed’s first album, The Sickness, is the one that put them on the map. Furthermore, it has been re-released twice, first as a 10-year and then a 20th-anniversary version. This album has been certified 5x Platinum. And, when it came out, it blew everyone away.
The track that most people remember from Disturbed is “Down with the Sickness,” which is almost always played to close their concerts. This song is hard and heavy. The beat is sick and perfectly underpinned by the bass. The guitar chugs in places and squeals and screams in others. And Draiman’s vocals are very unique with his heavy baritone phrasing and staccato animal-like noises thrown in.
This song is heavy and dark, but you can definitely bounce to it. It was swept up in the Nu Metal hysteria at the turn of the century but is really a modern Heavy Metal song.
“Stupify” (2000)
The first single released from 2000’s The Sickness is “Stupify.” This is another heavy, bouncy song that helped put the band on the map. It peaked at only #12 in the charts but has since become a fan favorite. This song has an interesting sound thanks to a keyboard arpeggio that plays throughout the song, and other synth sounds that give it an industrial feel.
The beat is slamming here, and the guitar chugs beautifully to power the track along. Draiman sings in his normal heavy, harsh way for most of the song. But, he also shows off a more operatic side of his voice with a Middle-Eastern-style chant thrown in for good measure.
This song is about racial discrimination and comes from real events in Draiman’s life, having been looked down on because of his Jewish heritage.
“The Game” (2000)
There’s one more track from The Sickness that deserves mention on this list of the Top 10 Disturbed songs. That track is, of course, “The Game,” a song that is a huge fan favorite. This song is still played at most of the band’s concerts and was on the soundtrack to Dragon Ball Z 2: Cooler’s Revenge.
This song is very heavy with an Industrial Metal sound to it. Wengren lays down a double-bass pedal beat that’s absolutely sick, and it sounds like machine guns when reinforced by the bass and guitar. The main guitar riff is so simple but hugely effective in creating an intense atmosphere.
And, as usual, Draiman sings, wails, and grunts to give the track a ton of vocal texture. This is a song about playing games in a relationship, something I think just about everyone is happy to scream against.
“Ten Thousand Fists” (2005)
The next five albums that Disturbed put out all debuted at #1 in the charts. That includes, of course, their third album, Ten Thousand Fists, which they released in 2005. This album also introduces John Moyer on bass after Kmak was fired.
The title track, “Ten Thousand Fists,” and the album title are about unity and excitement, like the feeling of being at a concert with everyone pumping their fists in unison. This is the song to do it to.
Once again, Wengren gives us an incredible beat that’s heavy on the kick drum. Moyer proves he can keep up here with a slamming bassline. The guitar work is as heavy and wild as ever. And Draiman’s vocals pay homage to early Metal gods like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
“Stricken” (2005)
The 2005 Ten Thousand Fists album had more than one trick up its sleeve. “Sticken” is another fan favorite from this classic Disturbed album. This song is hard-edged and comes heavy with the sound that defines Disturbed.
The drums are solid, the bass is pounding, and Donegan’s guitar work is excellent. He also plays a solo on this song, which is something new for Disturbed. But, this one is excellent and perfectly timed within the song.
Draiman sings powerfully in his harsh and staccato style. The lyrics here are some of his best as well. This is a song about being stricken with an obsession within a relationship and speaks to the intense feelings of desire, need, and passion that can so often be blinding.
“Land of Confusion” (2005)
One more track from Ten Thousand Fists has a much-deserved place in Disturbed’s Top 10 tracks. This is “Land of Confusion,” which is a cover of the song Genesis released back in 1986 on their landmark Invisible Touch album.
Disturbed doing Genesis!?
In case you’re skeptical, this track works. The Genesis song is already pretty heavy (for them), with Phil Collins adding some grit to his vocals. Well, Disturbed, take that power and intensity and dial it up to level 10. The beat is sick, the vocals are heavy and full of power, and the synth sounds and guitar work from Donegan create a perfect post-apocalyptic soundscape for this song.
“Indestructible” (2008)
Disturbed’s fourth studio album was released in June 2008. And, like the two albums right before it, Indestructible also debuted at #1. And, for good reason.
This album saw the band diving into harder, darker music and moving away from some of the sounds that helped to lump them (however incorrectly) into Nu Metal. The title track, “Indestructible,” is a swirling, heavy track that really slams.
The bass and drums are super tight here, letting Donegan’s guitar work stand out. The band also plays around with some atmospheric vocal sounds, a great guitar solo, and some odd timing to the delight of Metal fans.
“Inside the Fire” (2008)
Indestructible featured another song that deserves its place in Disturbed’s Top 10 songs. “Inside the Fire” is heavy, intense, and emotionally powerful. This song and its video have themes of suicide that may be disturbing to some people.
It is one of the band’s most Metal songs ever. By that, I mean they use classic Metal arpeggios played in tight time with the drums. There’s a blazing guitar solo here, and the bass and guitar chug along beautifully. And the different parts of this song are tied together with perfect vocal work from Draiman.
“The Vengeful One” (2015)
As I mentioned earlier, Disturbed took a long break between 2011 and 2015. The band members wanted some time and space to work on other projects and also live outside of the hectic touring and recording schedule they’d grown too used to. But, when they came back in 2015 with a new record, Immortalized, it too went straight to #1.
This is a song about all that was going wrong in the US and the world in 2015. It’s a fantasy song about vengeance coming to wipe out evil and corruption. The music is heavy and dark, with an Industrial edge to it. There’s also an incredible breakdown with a blasted double bass beat and chugging guitar and bass that makes this song one heck of a Metal masterpiece.
“Sound of Silence” (2015)
If Genesis was a shock for you, how about covering Simon and Garfunkle, one of the softest, sweetest Folk groups ever? Well, that’s what Disturbed did on Immortalized with the song “Sound of Silence.” And, very surprisingly, it worked beautifully.
This song starts with Draiman singing softly and deeply over a soulful piano. Then, an acoustic guitar and strings come in and build the song up. Draiman’s voice is full of power and strength and an operatic quality that builds and builds until it’s just a fraction away from screaming.
The rest of the band gets a break here while the focus is on Draiman and his much darker interpretation of this song based on a pretty bleak dream. But the song never erupts into full Metal. It keeps a subdued power that I think makes it all that much more intense.
Want More Hard and Heavy Rock Music?
Well, check out our thoughts on the Top Bush Songs of All Time, the Top Evanescence Songs, the Top 10 Shinedown Songs, the Top Insane Clown Posse Songs, and the Top 10 Songs of The Damned for more incredible song selections.
The Top 10 Disturbed Songs Of All Time – Final Thoughts
With a legendary Hard Rock band like Disturbed, it might be too soon to list their best songs of all time. After all, they just put out a new album in 2022 which debuted at #3 in the charts. While this band’s peak popularity has probably passed, they still have a whole lot more to offer as they grow and mature as a group.
From their beginnings as a nearly Nu Metal band to their development into darker and heavier music, Disturbed is one of the biggest and most successful Metal bands of the 21st century. They’ve never been afraid to experiment and surprise. So I, for one, am excited to hear the great songs they’ll come out with next.
Until next time, happy listening.
