50 Best Rock Songs About Kings
Legendary Rock Anthems That Channel the Crown
There’s something strange about songs that lean into the idea of kings. Not the fairy-tale kind or the ones on playing cards, but the messy, human kind who never really feel in control. There’s ego in there, sure, but also exhaustion and doubt tucked under the gold. The best rock tracks that tap into that space make power sound brittle. The chords feel heavy, like they’ve been dragged across a stage too many times. The mic feedback crackles like someone trying to keep the illusion alive a little longer.
Some of these songs paint their kings in chaos. Freddie roaring from the throne he built out of pure drama, or Springsteen sounding like he’s trying to outrun the crown that landed on his head by accident. Others circle the idea quietly, wearing it as a metaphor for control, pride, or even loss. They don’t need to spell it out. The imagery, the weight in the riffs, the way the vocals push back against grandeur—it all folds into that mood. Some tracks might not literally name a monarch, but they live in the same emotional territory.
You can feel it across genres too. The swagger bleeding from classic rock riffs into pop, rock, country, and R&B songs that flirt with the throne in their own way. It’s not about coronations or crowns—it’s the sound of people trying to hold power, or pretending to. Here are the best rock songs that capture that restless, uneasy royalty.
Top 10 King and Royalty Rock Songs
1. 'Hail to the King' by Avenged Sevenfold
2. 'Kill the King' by Rainbow
3. 'King of Pain' by The Police
4. 'The Temple of the King' by Rainbow
5. 'King Nothing' by Metallica
6. 'The Court of the Crimson King' by King Crimson
7. 'Kings and Queens' by Aerosmith
8. 'King for a Day' by XTC
9. 'King Creole' by Elvis Presley
10. 'My Fairy King' by Queen
Powerful Rock and Metal Songs #11 to 20
11. 'Kings of Metal' by Manowar
12. 'King of Rock and Roll' by Dio
13. 'Kings of the Wild Frontier' by Adam And The Ants
14. 'King of the Night Time World' by Kiss
15. 'Rock & Roll Is King' by Electric Light Orchestra
16. 'The King Is Alive' by Jordan Feliz
17. 'King Midas in Reverse' by The Hollies
18. 'King' by Weezer
19. 'A Farewell to Kings' by Rush
20. 'Crawling King Snake' by The Doors
Regal Rock and Alternative Songs #21 to 30
21. 'Sun King' by The Beatles
22. 'King of the Road' by Roger Miller
23. 'It's Good to Be King' by Tom Petty
24. 'King of the World' by Steely Dan
25. 'King for a Day' by Pierce The Veil
26. 'Queen of the Highway' by The Doors
27. 'Snow White Queen' by Evanescence
28. 'Royal' by Deftones
29. 'Royal Beggars' by Architects
30. 'Lord of the Flies' by Iron Maiden
Classic Rock and Heavy Metal Songs #31 to 40
31. 'The Man Who Would Be King' by Iron Maiden
32. 'King of Contradiction' by Sum 41
33. 'Speed King' by Deep Purple
34. 'The Rascal King' by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
35. 'In The Hall Of The Mountain King' by The Who
36. 'King of New Orleans' by Better Than Ezra
37. 'King of Sorrow' by Sade
38. 'Rain King' by Counting Crows
39. 'King Of The New York Streets' by Dion
40. 'King' by Florence + The Machine
Diverse Rock and Indie Songs #41 to 50
41. 'Wheat Kings' by The Tragically Hip
42. 'King of Misery' by Saul
43. 'The King Is Dead' by Helstar
44. 'King' by Jinjer
45. 'King of the Hill' by Bruce Hornsby
46. 'King of the Blues' by Gary Moore
47. 'Long Live the King' by The Byrds
48. 'The False Sovereign' by Seraphim
49. 'King of Hearts' by Kiss
50. 'I Was King' by OneOKRock
© 2025 Carson McQueen
