Active Rock Comeback Underway After Korn Tops Active Rock Charts With 'Start The Feeling'

After the one-of-a-kind album launch of "Requiem" in Los Angeles' Hollywood Methodist Church earlier this month, their lead single "Start the Healing" tops Active Rock radio charts.

"Start the Feeling" debuted at the top of the Active Rock charts for one week last month, beating Three Days Grace's "So Called Life" at No. 2.

Almost three decades since their inception, Korn's latest single made them modern trailblazers as it ushered the return of the Active Rock radio format.

What is Active Rock?

As defined simply, the Active Rock format is how radio stations strike a balance on playing new rock music and classic rock music.

Various radio stations in the United States somehow shifted away from the to cater to its listeners' growing preferences and demographics who wanted to hear more modern rock and alternative acts.

Former Sirius XM Executive and Programmer Gregg Steele Heppner described the Active Rock format as a "more extreme edge of rock music that skews a little younger."

As per Heppner, the format was "essentially born" at Tampa's WXTB in January 1990.

Up until now, the radio station is still playing Three Days Grace, Linkin Park, Seether, Metallica, the Foo Fighters, and Ozzy.

Is it making a comeback?

With community members speculating the comeback of the radio format, Korn's "Start the Feeling" seemed to be the tipping point of some to assure that the format is making its way back.

"There really aren't that many Active Rock radio stations around the country. And not many in large markets. It's always an accomplishment to get to No. 1 in Active Rock," Heppner continued.

In the early 90s, Korn debuted their 1994 hit "Blind" at Los Angeles' KROQ Audacy radio station. Now, sources have reported that the station has straddled quite a while in using the old format.

A now-deleted KROQ job posting for an on-air personality who has "knowledge of Active Rock Format and audience" suggests that the then "Active Rock" radio station is creeping its way to modern programming.

The move to return to the format also coincides with the decline of audience share ratings to its competing station, Alt 98.7, an iHeartRadio station.

However, Variety reported that Audacy Brand Manager Mike Kaplan shuts down speculations of shifting away from the alternative scene, dismissing rumors as "completely false."

"My instincts tell me ... in the more urban centers in our country, the more aggressive Active Rock music doesn't really have much of a lane," Kaplan explains.

On the other hand, Korn's manager Benveniste argued Korn's significance today, saying KROQ has been playing bands that "can't sell a ticket," describing them as "a quick fix, a quick flavor of the moment."

Benveniste also claimed that prolific bands like System of a Down and Korn, who just sold out two stadium shows with 25,000 tickets each, should be given airplay instead of others.