Sometimes all one has to do is, “Trust the process.” That’s especially true with Billboard 200 latest #1 band, Twenty One Pilots. They find themselves atop the chart with their latest “Breach” album, a decade after the band’s 2015’s Blurryface album took the top spot.
What makes this one feel so much different, however?
Pilots’ impressive debut signifies a stage dive of a reminder to those within the music broadcasting industry that yes, an Alt-Rock band can debut #1 in 2025, with record-breaking numbers to justify their cause, even without initial radio support.
Breach not only took the top spot, but they did so in stunning fashion. 200,000 album-equivalent sales (169K of which were pure album sales) makes it the biggest Rock Album debut on the charts since Tool’s 2019 Inoculum. Pilots pathway to #1 also included a record-breaking 72K of vinyl sold in their debut week. That’s the most for a rock band since Billboard began recording the figure.
Yet, their single “City Walls” currently sits at #83 on the Hot 100 and hasn’t cracked Top 20 on Rock Radio nor Top 15 on Alternative Airplay. Alternative Airplay has been very supportive of TØP throughout the years and I predict will be in the weeks ahead.
Is Radio Serving the Future or Preserving the Past?
“You guys showed up bigger than ever. You did this. Buying vinyl, or a box set, or going to listening events, or streaming and telling other people. thank you so much,” said Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots on X.
Joseph continued, “This is the most proud I’ve ever been to be a part of this band. If you only knew how many industry people are confused might now. Wait, what? Yeah. We did.”
Twenty One Pilots’ duo of of lead singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun were not only able to take the #1 spot in impressive fashion with Breach, but they did so in a way that other bands within the Alt-Rock/Rock/Pop Rock genres can learn from.
Mike Easterlin, former President of Fueled by Ramen praised TØP’s album debut while telling me “it is a true testament to their evolution, resilience and the deep bond they’ve built with fans around the world. Even more than a decade in, they continue to grow and redefine themselves. It’s proof that their story is still very much being written.”
With Breaches being a much more rock-heavy album than their previous works, and the exceptional first-week success, former Billboard music journalist Chris Payne explains that we may be seeing a contradiction that may need correction when it comes to the rock ecosystem.
“Rock has enjoyed a really nice cultural resurgence in the 2020s, without much help from radio. Streaming, social media, digital storytelling so to speak, that’s more what drives this stuff now, and Twenty One Pilots have always been really good at those things,” Payne explained.
“So have Sleep Token and Ghost, the other rock bands who had #1 albums on the Billboard 200 this year. People just glance at the first few spots on the Hot 100 or Billboard 200 and don’t see rock bands, so they’re only getting part of the story.”
No Hit Single, No Problem?
I’d argue that now is as good of time as ever for rock radio to embrace the new movement that Gen-Z and millennial fans have created. They are literally screaming that they want more of it, as three #1 rock albums this year alone proves. Perhaps even more importantly, rock fans are one of the few genres that are showing up not only digitally but with physical sales as well.
Sumerian Records President Shawn Keith told me what this new era of rock music means for both bands and radio.
“I always tell bands to not change [your] authenticity to fit on any format that doesn’t want you. Make music that is so undeniable that they’re forced to play you to remain relevant. In music, the artists that are not changing themselves to become popular are the ones that are leading the genres. Rock music is one of the only genres that is largely driven by passionate fans. If it’s real, the world will feel [it].”
Turnstile Has Been Turning Heads
One band that is setting the genre’s new standard is Turnstile. The viral-band known for their unbelievably energetic live show have single-handedly had a direct impact on rock music’s resurgence. Not only are they enjoying a sold out headlining tour that music fans are raving about, but their previous album “BLACKOUT” earned them a Grammy nod and 75+ million streams and headlining festival stages. They are accomplishing all of it with minimal radio airplay.
Multiple industry sources told me that they don’t understand why Rock radio isn’t leaning into Turnstile and “making it theirs.”
Rock Radio’s Opportunity to Lead Again
This isn’t a knock on radio. As someone who has spent years championing new music on the air, I don’t take this lightly.
Instead, I believe this is a monumental and historic time for Rock and Alternative Radio.
For the first time in decades the rock genre is back on a mainstream front. It’s not only scalable, but allows for an opportunity for radio to educate newer listeners about the rock genre which only enhances the station’s brand and identity.
For their part, Alternative Airplay has been much more willing to play newer bands. The result has been a rating increase in many markets, such as Chicago’s WKQX-FM.
Genre-Blending and Overlap Isn’t An Excuse Anymore
There will always be the debate about whether “Rock” is “ROCK.” That will never go away. Just ask the Emo/Pop Punk music scene.
Does Gen-Z have any any idea how to define what “Rock” music is? Absolutely not. Have you seen the viral videos of them trying to figure out how a cassette goes in a tape player?
But the fact of the matter is, although Gen-Z’s definition of Rock may not be up to some programmers’ standards, it’s time to put aside what some view as rock radio’s gatekeeping. Leave the debating to the next time you’re at the bar with your music buddies.
“The future of rock is not trying to recapture the past, but in adapting to the present and influencing the future,” writes OurMusicWorld.com‘s Barbara Green.
For my radio programmer friends out there, I absolutely understand that there are limitations and constraints you have to deal with, along with the “Unknown.”
Well, Gunz is here to tell you that the Unknown isn’t UNKNOWN anymore.
Imagine what could happen if radio took the lead on bands like these, not just followed them. That’s an exciting future I’d love to be a part of both within the industry and as a music fan.
The success stories of Turnstile, Sleep Token and yes, Twenty One Pilots, are presenting the opportunity. The only question is – will radio run with it?
‘Gunz’ has been a staple in the music, sports and news industry for over a decade. From his first on-air appearances on MTV and FUSE television as a teenager to broadcasting nationally with Don Imus, to most recently hosting the Vans Warped Tour on Amazon Music, he has become one of the industry’s most insightful and trusted voices. As host of idobi Radio’s ‘The Gunz Show’ (80K+ Weekly Listeners) for the last fifteen years, Gunz has built a reputation for Breaking Bands and Breaking News, including notable debut interviews from bands such as Twenty One Pilots, Cobra Starship, fun., and viral interviews with artists such as Machine Gun Kelly, All Time Low and The All American Rejects. Whether it’s hosting red carpets or exclusive sit-downs with media’s biggest names from Clive Davis to Dana White, Gunz answers not only “What” is happening, but more importantly – “Why?” for programmers, publicists, artists, entertainers and fans alike.
