11 Ways Metal + Pop Really Aren't That Different

As the saying goes, opposites attract — even in the world of music. While some disparate genres might have traditionally seemed like they’d have no chance of mingling, that’s all changing today as more and more artists blend styles, borrow from each other and blur categorical lines to create something truly unique.

Loudwire previously wrote about the number of acts that have successfully found a way to be a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. But what about pop and metal: Could there ever be a world in which a Pink fan and a Van Halen fan could come to the table together?

Judging by how many did so at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in L.A. in September, where both were on the bill, there is a strong case for a Venn diagram where these two can happily co-exist. And even where they can co-create.

Artists such as Poppy, Willow, Evanescence, Shinedown and Ghost are key examples where a hybrid of heavier sounds and pop structure come together. And, in some of these cases, are examples of where metal-leaning artists have been able to inch up Billboard Top 100 charts long dominated by pop and hip-hop acts.

Metal has also taken over pop culture consciousness at times, such as when Stranger Things introduced a new generation to Metallica this year or the always heated conversation any time a Kardashian wears a Slayer shirt … or marries a Blink-182 member.

So, is there really that much difference between the two? Based on these 11 examples, pop and metal can often mirror each other.