According to DemandSage, TikTok is the 6th most popular social media app in the world. So based on monthly average users, so it’s the future of the music industry. Thanks to the video platform, a handful of songs went viral and landed on charts they’d never touched before.

The video can go viral in just a few minutes. Literally, the song it uses can explode in popularity. Just like Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” did this summer (and on Fortnite most recently). As a result of being featured in the Stranger Things Season 4 finale, the 1986 track was a TikTok hit. After 36 years since the song was released, it landed on Spotify’s Viral 50 and Billboard’s Hot 100 charts for the first time.

Artists and record labels use TikTok to promote music. They sometimes even collaborate with influencers and other figures with large followings to push songs into the mainstream. TikTok users are more likely to listen to songs on streaming services after hearing them on the video app. This is according to MRC Data [via Business Insider], which implies a symbiotic relationship between the two platforms.

To take you down a memory lane from 2022. We gathered a gallery of rock and metal songs that got their moments in the spotlight thanks to TikTok this year. In addition to some significant artists you’ll recognize, we tried to highlight some up-and-coming artists.

Below are a few rock and metal songs that went viral on TikTok this year. Did you discover any new artists through TikTok this year?

‘Surrender to Me’ by Curly Smith

As an example of a song that achieved success through TikTok. A young man named Zach Montana uploaded a video listening to his dad’s tapes in his truck in March. According to his father, Curly Smith, he used to play drums in Boston, and he had a collection of unreleased solo songs.

Among the songs Montana highlighted was “Surrender to Me.” Which had so many views that it was released 44 years later. Smith and Montana both performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

‘Master of Puppets’ by Metallica

Due to Stranger Things’ fourth season being one of the most buzz-worthy shows of 2022. Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” was featured in its finale, which meant many people heard it for the first time.

As a result, it became a viral song to be used in TikTok videos. Landing it on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time and some other charts.

‘Mary on a Cross’ by Ghost

People used Ghost’s “Mary on a Cross” in a TikTok video about Stranger Things. Even though it had nothing to do with the show and just blew up. It had a similar path to superstardom as “Master of Puppets.” Ghost is more commonly used in a sped-up version than the original, but it still gained a lot of new fans. It also reached the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, so Stranger Things and TikTok deserve credit for the success of this song.

‘She Keeps Me Up’ by Nickelback

In the fall, Nickelback’s “She Keeps Me Up” gained a brief spotlight due to its use in thirst trap videos from No Fixed Address. Nickelback caught wind of the trend when the song transitioned from the verse to the chorus as people went from being natural to doing up.

‘Just Pretend’ by Bad Omens

As a result of making its way to TikTok videos about heavy songs with emotional lyrics, Bad Omens‘ “Just Pretend” was placed on Spotify’s Viral 50 U.S. playlist. As the band was on a very successful headlining tour, it was naturally used in more TikToks about various topics.

The House of Memories by Panic! At the Disco

Even though Panic! At the Disco released a new album titled Viva Las Vengeance this year; the viral video was actually “House of Memories” from Death of a Bachelor, which was released in 2016. As a result of the song’s spike in popularity, PATD released both sped-up and slowed-down versions as official tracks on an EP in October.

‘Wolves’ by Order of Elijah 

As a result of this song, and the next few that followed, cultural metal bands from all over the world gained popularity. Deathcore band Order of Elijah from the U.S., “Wolves,” brings attention to the genocide against Indigenous peoples in the U.S. and the oppression that continues today.

‘Blvck Pill’ by Prompts

A Tokyo-based band with members from Japan and South Korea prompts are backed by metal influencers and YouTubers such as Nik Nocturnal. Their 2018 single “Blvck Pill” went viral after being shared by the account @metallhighlights on TikTok.

‘Gaddaar’ from Bloodywood

A heavy Indian folk metal band, Bloodywood, started as a parody act. The track “Gaddaar,” which explores religion and politics worldwide, went viral on TikTok this year.

‘Temper’ by End These Days

After the song “Temper” went viral on TikTok in 2022, South Korea’s End These Days gained traction for its relatability to young people’s frustration with society.

How TIkTok Promotes Music To Go Viral

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos set to music. Many users create and share dance videos or lip-sync videos set to popular songs, and this can help expose the music to a larger audience.

When a particular song becomes popular on TikTok, it can lead to the song going viral and increasing in popularity. This can happen when a large number of users create and share videos set to the song, or when the song is featured in a popular trend or challenge on the platform.

In addition, TikTok has a feature called the “For You” page, which is personalized for each user and recommends content based on the user’s interests and activity. If a song becomes popular and is recommended to users through the “For You” page, it can further contribute to the song’s virality.

Overall, TikTok can play a significant role in helping music go viral by exposing it to a large and engaged audience through the platform’s short video format and personalized recommendation features.