When a band has their debut single become their most well-known song, expectations are always going to be high. So was the case for Papa Roach when they released “Last Resort” in early 2000. While they had cut their (crooked) teeth on the independent circuit previously, “Last Resort” was their debut single off their major-label debut album Infest, and the track – which directly confronts suicidal thoughts and ideations – was a nearly-instant hit.
Arriving right as nu-metal was peaking in the public consciousness, the track couldn’t have been better timed. Oh, and there’s this. The song is one of the rare nu-metal tracks to have over one billion Spotify streams, joining songs from Linkin Park and System Of A Down. “Last Resort” reached this milestone today, which is pretty neat – and it can’t be stressed how rare this is for any rock or metal band, let alone a nu-metal band. It was also one of many songs that touched on mental health concerns at the time.
