(Contributions by Chad Bowar, Chad Childers, Joe DiVita, Graham Hartmann, Ed Rivadavia and Tyler Sharp)

The rock music scene was on point in 2018. Some of the year's best tracks did exactly what you would want from music -- to inform, to move you and to entertain. The year also gave us a number of artists painting outside the lines of what we expect for them, showing creative growth that deserves to be rewarded.

Need to be moved? There's cathartic grace lying within the music from the late Chris Cornell and Bad Wolves' immensely popular cover of The Cranberries' "Zombie," while Three Days Grace and Ledger move you in a different way with highly motivational tracks.

Looking for something with more of a message and socially conscious bite? We suggest tracks from The Fever 333, Dead Sara, Grandson and Muse among others. Meanwhile, if you're just looking for pure fun, why not crank up tracks from Clutch, The Struts and Ghost for a good time.

Join us! There's a little something for everyone in the 40 Best Hard Rock Songs of 2018, so scroll through the gallery below as we reflect on the year that was and take this list with you by following the Spotify playlist.

40 Best Hard Rock Songs of 2018

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