5 Rock + Metal Moments We’re Thankful for in 2025

As another year starts coming to a close, we wanted to spread some positivity and share the five things we’re most thankful for that happened in the rock and metal world in 2025.

There were a lot of really great moments in music this year and this is by no means a definitive list or to say only five amazing things took place. This specific handful, however, filled us with nostalgia, gave us the chance to say thank you and farewell, welcome some familiar faces back, salute a fallen legend and made us log way too many hours into Reddit trying to decipher cryptic clues.

These moments all, in their own way, makes us appreciate absence and the hole it can leave in our rock and metal hearts. And how coming together as a community of fans is the all-time healer.

The Return of Warped Tour

The rock and metal community said goodbye to Warped Tour after its 25th anniversary celebrations back in 2019, but it wasn’t quite over yet. The festival made its triumphant comeback this year with three separate weekends in Washington D.C., Long Beach, California and Orlando, Florida.

The festival organizers built anticipation slowly throughout the year by revealing bits of the lineup every day for 30 days. When all was said and done and the bills were finalized, we counted over 100 artists that were playing Warped Tour for the very first time, further proving the festival’s mission to showcase the genre’s rising acts.

Plenty of legacy bands and musicians made their Warped Tour return as well, so there was something for everyone at each of the three events.

Warped Tour didn’t just come back for 2025 either — it’s officially back. The dates for all the locations, including new stops in Canada and Mexico, have already been revealed.

The Back to the Beginning Concert + the Osbourne Family

This year was exceptionally bittersweet because Ozzy Osbourne got to say his final goodbye at the Back to the Beginning concert in July before dying 17 days later.

The epic concert was announced back in February and was destined to be the final chapter in Black Sabbath‘s book. All four original members — Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — were set to perform together for the first time in 20 years.

The event was meant to serve as the Prince of Darkness’ farewell to fans, but little did we know that it actually was his final goodbye. The legend died on July 22 at the age of 76 and you could actually feel a shift in the world.

Not only did members of the rock and metal community pay tribute to Osbourne, but it seemed like everyone did. Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne even shared messages they received from Donald Trump and King Charles III after the loss.

The family organized a public funeral procession through Osbourne’s hometown of Birmingham so that fans could gather and pay their respects and even live-streamed it for the rest of the world to see. This was an incredibly intimate and difficult day for the family and yet they chose to open it up to everyone else.

In the few months that followed Osbourne’s death, the members of the family opened up a bit more about their grief and shed some light on the other struggles the rocker had been dealing with leading up to the “Back to the Beginning” show.

Two documentaries about Osbourne’s life were released in 2025 — Ozzy: No Escape From Now (on Paramount+) and Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home (on BBC) — as well as his final memoir Last Rites, which he finished writing just days before he died.

Osbourne may not be with us anymore physically, but thanks to the openness of his family and these biographies, we still feel his presence just as strongly.

Thank you Sharon and the rest of the Osbourne family for giving the fans one last chance to see the Prince of Darkness in his glory and for all you’ve shared with fans since then. We hope you know how much this community loves and respects you all.

My Chemical Romance Celebrated ‘The Black Parade’ on Tour

My Chemical Romance embarked on a big comeback tour in 2022, but they took it to a whole new level when they celebrated nearly two decades of their iconic record The Black Parade in stadiums around the U.S. this year.

Each show was essentially split into two parts — they played The Black Parade in its entirety during the first half of the show and then played another set from a B-stage during the second half.

But My Chemical Romance weren’t just playing concerts, they were telling a story. Each performance was part of an overarching narrative about the fictional world of Draag (which you can read more about here). Every show was unique, featuring different characters and interactions, changes to the setlist and more.

Nearly 20 years after its release, The Black Parade hasn’t faded — it’s reached a new peak of cultural relevance. Younger fans who discovered MCR during lockdown or the 2022 reunion finally got to experience the album’s full theatrical vision in person, right next to the fans who were there in 2006.

More touring is on the books into October of 2026, so perhaps we’ll know more about the story and will have even more to be thankful for by then.

Rush Announced a Reunion Tour

Rush‘s reunion announcement was another very bittersweet moment for fans. It’s extremely exciting to have the opportunity to see such a legendary band return to the stage, especially when the last show they played was over a decade ago.

However, it’s also a reminder of one of the biggest losses in the community — the death of Neil Peart in January of 2020.

READ MORE: The 11 Biggest Rock + Metal Tours Announced for 2026 (So Far)

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson admitted how difficult of a decision it was for them to make to return and announce a 2026 tour with drummer Anika Nilles because Peart was truly irreplaceable. But they came to the conclusion that it was a way to celebrate their legacy as a band, to honor Peart and to play their fans’ favorite songs from the stage again.

The best part about the whole situation was how positively Rush fans reacted to the news and even welcomed Nilles. See all of their 2026 tour dates on their website.

Soundgarden Were Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Third time’s a charm, right? Soundgarden were nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times and finally got in on the third in 2025. It was a long time coming — they first became eligible in 2012, 25 years after the release of their��Screaming Life EP in 1987.

Nirvana and Pearl Jam were inducted in 2014 and 2017, respectively, so it was about time another one of the Seattle grunge giants were recognized for their contributions to music. Soundgarden have always been one of the more obscure groups from that era, but their impact was greater than many may realize.

It’s been over eight years since Chris Cornell tragically died while Soundgarden were on tour. Though the absence of his larger-than-life voice is still felt every day, surviving members Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd have played a handful of performances together since then.

After being inducted by Jim Carrey, the three musicians were joined by original bassist Hiro Yamamoto, Alice In Chains‘ Jerry Cantrell, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, The Pretty Reckless‘ Taylor Momsen and Brandi Carlile for renditions of “Rusty Cage” and “Black Hole Sun.”

Cornell’s two daughters took part in the ceremony as well, with his eldest Lily Cornell Silver delivering an emotional speech and his youngest Toni singing “Fell on Black Days” with Heart‘s Nancy Wilson on an acoustic guitar.

Soundgarden’s induction felt like something Cornell would be proud of and their performance felt like a breath of fresh air. By this time next year, it’s possible that we’ll have finally heard the band’s last album with Cornell that they were working on prior to his death.

It’s also possible that they’ll have taken some of the songs out on the road, according to some recent comments the members of the band have made.