Nu metal didn't just define a generation of heavy bands: it became a total, all-conquering mainstream phenomenon. Its music dominated the charts; its figureheads were all over TV; its fashion became so iconic that baggy jeans, wallet chains and spiky hair have become in vogue once again over two decades since its heyday.
While nu metal was filled with one-hit wonders, also-rans and bands that should have been massive but just couldn't quite get it together, it undoubtedly still spawned a solid crop of heavyweights that have since gone on to legend status. Whether it's through staying relevant through reinvention or crafting a lasting legacy through the influence of their early work, nu metal's biggest and greatest hitters largely remain as popular now as ever, if not more so. With that in mind, here are the ten finest bands to ever be painted with the nu metal tag (even if, in some cases, the tag itself didn't last all that long).
