As veterans of the early 2000s nü-metal boom, Papa Roach have a unique perspective on the genre’s defining tracks. In a newly released video, the band’s members each shared their personal picks for the best nü-metal song ever.
Frontman Jacoby Shaddix admitted some bias but ultimately gave the nod to Limp Bizkit: “I’d be biased and say ‘Last Resort’ by Papa Roach, but I’ll give it to Limp Bizkit ‘Break Stuff’.”
Bassist Tobin Esperance highlighted an early genre classic, Korn‘s “Blind”: “The first time I heard that opening intro to ‘Blind’ I was like, ‘Oh shit, this is something that I haven’t heard before.'”
Drummer Tony Palermo went with Deftones‘ “My Own Summer (Shove It)” from their sophomore album Around The Fur, acknowledging the band’s own resistance to the nü-metal label: “I know Deftones don’t like to be coined as nü-metal, but ‘Shove It’ is up there.”
Guitarist Jerry Horton proudly chose his own band’s monumental hit, “Last Resort”, which helped cement Papa Roach‘s place in the genre. Released in 2001, the single went six-times platinum and entered Spotify’s 1 billion streams club in October 2023, proving its enduring impact.
Shaddix reflected on his early career and “Last Resort” in a 2025 interview with X107.5 Las Vegas’ Carlota, admitting, “I’m so a million miles from that person.” He particularly focused on the period following the release of the band’s 2000 hit single, acknowledging that while he “always cared about people,” his youth and recklessness required “a certain amount of… narcissism” to navigate the demands of fame.
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