Korn

Although Korn are rightfully considered nu-metal godfathers, the Bakersfield, CA, band have always resisted genre pigeonholing. The nursery-rhyme-quoting 1995 single “Shoots and Ladders” starts with ominous bagpipes, and their 1998 breakthrough album, Follow the Leader, led to stardom on MTV’s pop-leaning TRL as well as a slot on the Family Values Tour with Limp Bizkit and Ice Cube. Korn’s roots were in a late-’80s/early-’90s metal band called L.A.P.D. that featured guitarist Munky and bassist Fieldy. After that group split, the pair linked up with guitarist Brian “Head” Welch and vocalist Jonathan Davis to form Korn in 1993. Early songs such as “A.D.I.D.A.S.” embodied the band’s unique approach: confessional and often dark lyrics paired with shuddering bass, abrasive guitars, and Davis’ half-rapped, half-sung vocals. By the end of the ’90s, Korn were at the forefront of the burgeoning nu-metal movement, although they were already making moves to ensure career longevity. The industrial-flecked hip-hop hit “Got the Life” and electro-goth mood pieces “Make Me Bad” and “Freak on a Leash” presaged a snappy 2004 cover of Cameo’s ’80s funk hit “Word Up!” and 2010s collaborations with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and EDM stars Skrillex and Kill the Noise.