8. Avenged Sevenfold, "Bat Country" - City Of Evil
Avenged Sevenfold's roots go back to being a metalcore band in 1999. (Metalcore is a metal subgenre that features mostly screamed and initially incoherent vocals.) The album we've selected, City of Evil, was the band's breakthrough from 2005 that featured entirely melodic vocals for the first time. Bat Country was the album's bestselling single, making it to #2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Track chart for good reason. It features an infectious melody as well as a softer middle section that lightens the mood considerably before returning to the tune's main theme. The song's lead guitar-work is also memorable, making this selection an excellent candidate for selling metal to a new audience.