50 Best Rock Songs About the Military
Rock Songs Honoring Soldiers and Life in the Ranks
There’s a certain heaviness that comes with songs tied to the military. Not the kind that wallows, but the kind that lingers somewhere behind the chest, steady like a heartbeat you didn’t know you were holding. The guitars sound different when the lyrics talk of duty or home, when the snare hits like boots on dirt. You can hear it in the way Springsteen draws out a note or how Metallica lets the feedback hang longer than comfort allows. It’s not all uniform and salute—some of these tracks came from confusion, loss, or the strange pride that sits between the two.
Not every track spells out battlefields or medals, but they still orbit the same gravity. The ones that capture what it feels like to leave something behind, to follow orders, to come home to a place that feels tilted. Some pull from memory, some from movies, some from the ache of watching others go. The line between protest and respect can blur fast in rock, which makes these songs stick around long after they fade out. And tucked between them, you might find echoes of pop, rock, country, and R&B songs that carry the same pulse in their own language.
These aren’t all literal takes on war or service, but they hang in that atmosphere where pride meets exhaustion and noise meets silence. There’s tension, defiance, even tenderness, all wired through amps and distortion. These are the tracks that crank through radios in barracks, on long drives, or late at night when someone’s thinking too hard to sleep. Here are the best rock songs for the military.
Top 10 Military Rock Songs
1. 'War Pigs' by Black Sabbath
2. 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' by Metallica
3. 'Fortunate Son' by Creedence Clearwater Revival
4. 'Run to the Hills' by Iron Maiden
5. 'The Trooper' by Iron Maiden
6. 'Machine Gun' by Jimi Hendrix
7. 'Peace Sells' by Megadeth
8. 'One' by Metallica
9. 'Gimme Shelter' by The Rolling Stones
10. 'London Calling' by The Clash
Greatest Rock Songs About War and Soldiers #11 to 20
11. 'Rooster' by Alice in Chains
12. 'Killer Queen' by Queen
13. 'B.Y.O.B.' by System of a Down
14. 'In the Army Now' by Status Quo
15. 'Born in the U.S.A.' by Bruce Springsteen
16. 'Masters of War' by Bob Dylan
17. 'Soldier of Fortune' by Deep Purple
18. 'Redemption Song' by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
19. 'Angel of Death' by Slayer
20. 'Rust in Peace... Polaris' by Megadeth
The Ultimate Rock Playlist Military Theme #21 to 30
21. 'Wooden Ships' by Crosby, Stills & Nash
22. 'Universal Soldier' by Donovan
23. '21st Century Schizoid Man' by King Crimson
24. 'Disposable Heroes' by Metallica
25. 'Barracuda' by Heart
26. 'Cemetery Gates' by Pantera
27. 'Ohio' by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
28. 'A Change Is Gonna Come' by Sam Cooke
29. 'Heroes' by David Bowie
30. 'The River' by Bruce Springsteen
Top Rated Military Themed Rock Songs #31 to 40
31. 'The Wall' by Pink Floyd
32. 'Don't Tread on Me' by 'Weird Al' Yankovic
33. 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place' by The Animals
34. 'All Along the Watchtower' by Jimi Hendrix
35. 'Sam Stone' by John Prine
36. 'Losing My Religion' by R.E.M.
37. 'Zombie' by The Cranberries
38. 'Blowin' in the Wind' by Bob Dylan
39. 'Bad Moon Rising' by Creedence Clearwater Revival
40. 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' by Iron Maiden
Best Rock Songs About Conflict and War #41 to 50
41. 'Symphony of Destruction' by Megadeth
42. 'Eve of Destruction' by Barry McGuire
43. 'With God on Our Side' by Bob Dylan
44. 'What's Going On' by Marvin Gaye
45. 'White Riot' by The Clash
46. 'Come Sail Away' by Styx
47. 'Soldier Side' by System of a Down
48. 'Highway Star' by Deep Purple
49. 'The Unforgiven' by Metallica
50. 'Holy Wars... The Punishment Due' by Megadeth
© 2025 Carson McQueen
