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50 Best Rock Songs About Determination and Not Giving Up

Updated on September 25, 2025
Carson McQueen profile image

Carson suffers from a serious case of melophilia. Geeking out on her favorite music artists is her guilty pleasure.

Best Rock Tracks for Staying Determined

There’s a certain grit that shows up when the walls feel too high and the odds stack heavy. It’s not clean or motivational poster material. It’s messy, sweaty, sometimes angry, and sometimes cracked at the edges. Rock songs that hit this space don’t polish up the feeling into something inspirational, they lean into the grind and the push that keeps someone moving forward when stopping sounds easier. A few of these tracks might not even be literally tied to determination, but the pulse they carry still fits the fight.

Think late nights staring at a half-finished paper, or dragging yourself out of bed after another shift, and the right riff lands. The guitar kicks like a second wind, the drums pound steady enough to fake momentum, and suddenly quitting slips out of the picture. The words don’t need to spell out perseverance for it to land that way. Plenty of pop, rock, country, and R&B songs thread into this mix too, but the rock edge hits harder when you’re running on fumes. The energy makes the stubbornness sound louder than the doubt.

Not every anthem here is neat or pretty. Some sound more like a brawl than a pep talk, others stumble through jagged verses before finding that kick in the chorus. That’s the point. Determination doesn’t always look clean, and these songs know how to carry that rawness. Here are the best rock songs for determination and not giving up.

Top 10 Determination Rock Songs

1. 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor

2. 'I Won't Back Down' by Tom Petty

3. 'Don't Stop Believin'' by Journey

4. 'It's My Life' by Bon Jovi

5. 'The Show Must Go On' by Queen

6. 'I'm Still Standing' by Elton John

7. 'Carry On Wayward Son' by Kansas

8. 'Hold On' by Wilson Phillips

9. 'We Will Rock You' by Queen

10. 'The Rising' by Bruce Springsteen

Finding Strength in Rock Music #11 to 20

11. 'Dream On' by Aerosmith

12. 'Hold Your Head Up' by Argent

13. 'Don't Stop' by Fleetwood Mac

14. 'Hold On' by Triumph

15. 'Keep on Pushing' by The Impressions

16. 'The Promised Land' by Bruce Springsteen

17. 'Never Surrender' by Corey Hart

18. 'I'll Stand by You' by The Pretenders

19. 'Runnin' Down a Dream' by Tom Petty

20. 'Breakaway' by Kelly Clarkson

Resilience and Rock Songs #21 to 30

21. 'You Get What You Give' by New Radicals

22. 'Here Comes the Sun' by The Beatles

23. 'I Can See Clearly Now' by Johnny Nash

24. 'Alive' by Pearl Jam

25. 'Fight Song' by Rachel Platten

26. 'Whatever It Takes' by Imagine Dragons

27. 'Beautiful Day' by U2

28. 'Get Up' by Van Halen

29. 'Stand' by R.E.M.

30. 'The Fighter' by The Script

Motivational Rock Music for Perseverance #31 to 40

31. 'Unstoppable' by Sia

32. 'Keep on Truckin'' by Eddie Kendricks

33. 'Keep Your Head Up' by Andy Grammer

34. 'Rise Up' by Andra Day

35. 'The Times They Are a-Changin'' by Bob Dylan

36. 'Against the Wind' by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

37. 'Can't Hold Us' by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

38. 'The Climb' by Miley Cyrus

39. 'Brave' by Sara Bareilles

40. 'Let It Be' by The Beatles

Overcoming Adversity Rock Songs #41 to 50

41. 'Livin' on a Prayer' by Bon Jovi

42. 'The World I Know' by Collective Soul

43. 'My Way' by Frank Sinatra

44. 'Don't Give Up' by Peter Gabriel

45. 'Keep on Loving You' by REO Speedwagon

46. 'Against All Odds' by Phil Collins

47. 'Fight the Good Fight' by Triumph

48. 'We're Not Gonna Take It' by Twisted Sister

49. 'Get Up, Stand Up' by The Wailers

50. 'Go the Distance' by Michael Bolton

© 2025 Carson McQueen

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