It’s been a massive year for heavy music, and few people understand that more than the folks at SiriusXM’s Octane — the satellite radio service’s premiere destination for headbanging hits from the worlds of hard rock, metal and more.
Throughout 2024, on-air host Jose Mangin, programmer Vinny Usuriello and the rest of their staff have been keeping tabs on the biggest bangers of the year — from veteran artists and up-and-comers alike. And while it’s all been pretty sick, across the board, some of those hits hit harder than others. To celebrate this, they’ve compiled their listeners’ most requested songs for the annual Big Uns of the Year countdown.
While the full list will be unveiled on-air this Saturday (December 21st), Revolver can exclusively reveal that the Octane team has crowned Linkin Park’s debut comeback single, “The Emptiness Machine,” as 2024’s biggest Big Un. They’ve also shared with Revolver that you can expect to the likes of Ice Nine Kills, Sleep Theory, Nothing More, Seether and more to pop up on the list, too.
Before the year officially winds down to a close — and ahead of the Big Uns of the Year premiering this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET — Mangin and Usuriello reflected on the biggest rock trends of 2024, that time Mangin took a knife to the dome in an Ice Nine Kills video, and what they’re all looking forward to sharing with Octane listeners in 2025.
Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine” topped Octane’s Big Uns Countdown this year — why do you think this one became the No. 1 track for Octane and its listeners?
VINNY USURIELLO “The Emptiness Machine” became Octane’s No. 1 song of the year not just because it’s a great song, but because it embodies everything that makes Linkin Park legendary: emotional depth, sonic power and a perfect blend of nostalgia and evolution. Emily Armstrong brings a unique and electrifying energy to the band. It’s a song that reminds fans why they fell in love with Linkin Park in the first place, while also proving that their music remains as vital as ever.
The Big Uns of the Year [list] was carefully curated by listener engagement — throughout the year, Octane encourages listeners to vote for their favorite tracks on the Big Uns Countdown, a weekly chart of the most popular hard rock songs. We also consider the broader cultural impact of a song within the rock and metal community.
What were the biggest trends you noticed going through the worlds of hard rock and metal this year?
USURIELLO The rise of the rock/country hybrid genre in 2024 has been one of the most exciting developments in music, blending the storytelling and relatability of country with the grit and energy of rock. Artists like Jelly Roll, and the recent SiriusXM and Pandora Artist Accelerator artists Lakeview have been at the forefront of this movement, redefining the boundaries of both genres and resonating with a broad audience.
We even saw great a collaboration between Papa Roach and Carrie Underwood this year with their hit song “Leave a Light On (Take Away the Dark)” as another example of hard rock and country coming together.
Octane’s Jose Mangin and Vinny Usuriello
Jose, what was 2024’s most surprising musical moment for you?
JOSE MANGIN: My favorite album of the year is the new one from [System of a Down bassist] Shavo [Odadjian]’s band, Seven Hours After Violet. I didn’t know what to expect and I was hoping it would be awesome, and after Shavo played me some early demos, I was hooked! But is that surprising? Not really, because I expected that.
Surprising… I would say discovering this band from Mexico called Ladrones… It was shocking to me how incredible their mix of Mexican corrido music with modern Metal is. I believe they are the future and represent a colliding of cultures that shows metal’s growth and diversity better than any band out there today.
You had a memorable year yourself, between your work, the launch of Headbangers Happy Hour, your cameo in Ice Nine Kills’ “A Work of Art” video and more. What were some of your personal highlights from 2024?
MANGIN Getting stabbed in the head by horror icon Art the Clown in that new INK video is the coolest shit I’ve ever done! I’m a massive fan of horror, and when Spencer cast me in their Terrifier 3 video, I was beyond floored! Because of that, we started a scary-movie-loving podcast on SiriusXM called Reign in Horror in October, and we’re doing it year round!
Another mind-blowing experience was being on Family Feud with my wife, daughters and sister. That was the most surreal thing ever. Producers told us after filming that it was the most metal episode of all time on the Family Feud, and to me that’s a win! Our episodes air in February.
What new music are you most looking forward to playing for Octane fans in 2025?
MANGIN I’m totally looking forward to exposing our Octane family to more unique sounds from Ladrones, who are putting out a new album in March. I’m also stoked to support new music from my blood brothers in Ice Nine Kills, and the band that SiriusXM blew up in North America, Spiritbox.
Longtime friends Killswitch Engage and Deftones will get lots of love, and newer bands that we’ve directly help to break — like Sleep Theory — will continue to dominate airplay on SiriusXM.
For more Linkin Park, pick up Revolver’s new LP collector’s issue, celebrating the band’s return and their comeback album, FROM ZERO, Revolver’s 2024 Album of the Year.