
VOTE: Better Band – Breaking Benjamin vs. Staind
Who is the better band – Breaking Benjamin or Staind?
That’s the question at the heart of this week’s Chuck’s Fight Club on the Loudwire Nights radio show. In real life, both bands are on great terms and ready to kick off a co-headlining tour together this week. But in the world of radio airplay, they have continually dominated the airwaves since their 2000s-era arrival, sometimes with songs vying for the No. 1 spot simultaneously. So let’s break it down a bit.
Breaking Benjamin first arrived on the scene with their 2002 album Saturate, that gave them the breakout songs “Polyamorous,” “Skin” and “Medicate.” It was a slow burn start that only gained in momentum with future albums and hit singles that included “So Cold,” “Sooner or Later,” “The Diary of Jane,” “Breath,” “Until the End,” “I Will Not Bow” and “Give Me a Sign.”
The group had a six year break due to legal issues, but Ben Burnley resurfaced with a reconfigured lineup that reclaimed their momentum with “Failure,” “Angels Fall,” “Never Again,” “Red Cold River,” “Torn in Two” and the most recent chart-topper “Awaken.”
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Staind were already rocking for several years before Breaking Benjamin broke through. The band’s debut album was 1996’s Tormented, but they really caught the attention of a broad audience for the first time with 1999’s Dysfunction album. That record gave us “Just Go,” “Mudshovel” and “Home.” Further records featured such standouts as “It’s Been Awhile,” “Outside,” “Fade,” “For You,” “Price to Play,” “So Far Away,” “Right Here,” “Believe” and “Not Again.”
Like Breaking Benjamin, there was a break in the 2010s as the band members splintered off into other projects. But Staind returned with new music in 2023 and once again found rock radio success with “Lowest in Me,” “Here and Now” and “Better Days.”
As with all Chuck’s Fight Club battles, Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong will introduce the matchup on Monday’s show in the 8PM hour. Individual arguments for each band will happen during the 8PM hour on Tuesday and Wednesday while you continue to vote using the ranking tool at the bottom of this post. Then, the winner will be featured during a rock block on the Friday edition of Loudwire Nights in the 8PM hour.
Just this reminder, Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong airs nightly starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.
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Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner