Deftones Songs Ranked
Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. It was formed by Chino Moreno (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Stephen Carpenter (lead guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five years, the band’s lineup changed several times, but stabilized in 1993 when Cunningham rejoined after his departure in 1990; by this time, Chi Cheng was the bassist. The lineup remained stable for fifteen years, with the exception of keyboardist and turntablist Frank Delgado being added in 1999. The band is known as one of the most experimental groups to have come from the alternative metal scene, and is sometimes dubbed by critics as “the Radiohead of metal”. In 2008, while Deftones were working on an album tentatively titled Eros, Cheng was involved in a traffic collision. As a result, he was left in a minimally conscious state until his death in 2013 of cardiac arrest. After Cheng’s accident, Deftones halted production on Eros. Quicksand bassist Sergio Vega, who had filled in as a touring member to replace Cheng, later became his permanent replacement. The band released Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Their latest release, titled Gore, was released in 2016. They have sold over 10 million albums worldwide. A new album, Ohms, will be released on September 25, 2020. Here are all of Deftones songs ranked.
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20. Beauty School (Diamond Eyes, 2010)
“One of the most beautiful songs I ever listened to. Not only from Deftones, but also from any rock band. Definitely a favorite. It’s a shame that not many people know about it besides fans – everyone should.”
19. Sextape (Diamond Eyes, 2010)
“It’s really emotive, so beautiful, every time I hear this song I must pick up my guitar and start playing the song, and when Chino start singing I just start singing, almost crying because of the beauty of this song. “
18. Elite (White Pony, 2000)
“Outright angry, extremely rough, pure Chino-Scream. This was a great triumph of nu metal. The instrumentation’s put into an industrial level. Why this one of all songs made it to the GRAMMYs without any promotion is a mystery that will never be figured out, but oh boy, did this one deserve it.”
17. Knife Party (White Pony, 2000)
“No other song I know makes me feel as weightless and free as knife party. And when Rodleen starts to sing…the song is hauntingly beautiful like something out of this world yet its also like the epitome of human expression all the same.”
See more: Deftones Albums Ranked
16. Back to School (Mini Maggit) White Pony, 2000)
“This is a good sounding song, but Chino even said he didn’t want it on the album. It’s just a shorter, much worse, way less deep version of Pink Maggit that buys into all that teenage angst and the “school sucks” kind of attitude. It was meant to be a big hit, and that’s why it’s not good. Chino just wanted to prove the record company wrong and he even says he regrets doing so. This is the only song on white pony that isn’t perfect. Again, it’s not necessarily BAD, it’s just not good and has no real meaning other than school sucks and we’re all edgy teenagers.”
15. Head Up (Around the Fur, 1997)
“Sick riff, and so heavy it makes you want to jump up and get angry. It’s an all-time favorite song from this band. Max Cavalera being featured is awesome as well. Great song about D-Low. This is one song in my top ten songs ever. The vocals are just great and heavy, you can barely understand what he is saying, which makes it just as badass favorite from the greats, and also is a damn shame it is such an underground song from them, a real fan knows of this gem though.”
14. Around the Fur (Around the Fur, 1997)
“This song was stuck in my head for ages. I feel like I can relate to the song somehow, should I be different and maybe make a fool of myself to impress you? Or should I be like everyone else and be safe? Either way I want you to notice me somehow. That’s how I interpreted it and I think it relates to a lot of people.”
13. Pink Maggit (White Pony, 2000)
“This song gets all the feels without breaking a sweat. The fact that it’s number 100 makes me question the depth of Deftones fans. This song is actually really good.”
12. Leathers (Koi No Yokan, 2012)
“The best song on the koi no yokan album and that is saying a lot. Koi no yokan is an amazing album and there is not a single bad song on it. No song on it you say “eh I kinda like this song”… What you really say is “ok that song is the best on the album next song… No, this song is the best on the album”. Most Deftones fans will probably hate me for this but imma say it… Koi no yokan is the best Deftones album period.”
11. Poltergeist (Koi No Yokan 2012)
“The most underrated and perfectly heaviest song of all Deftones songs. The guitar tone alone which resembles the tone from Meshuggah’s album Kloss is the heaviest of all of their works. The rhythm and the riff from start to end is what a complete song of this genre would be apart from its heaviness and its beauty.”
10. Rosemary (Koi No Yokan 2012)
“This song is just so amazing. It’s like a journey through Chino’s mind, the way the song flows through emotions. Kind of like a ballad, but so much better. Just, the ending lines “Just stay with me” so beautiful and then the heavy guitar crunch followed by notes of tranquility. It’s like a nuclear bomb and then the resulting fallout.”
9. 7 Words (Adrenaline, 1995)
“Chino has so much anger in this song, and he himself stated that he was really against a lot of people when he was young, not my favorite track from Adrenaline because it’s so overrated by I still love you Chino.”
8. Bored (Adrenaline, 1995)
“It’s about Chino’s drug/alcohol habit. He is relating how he turns to it to cope with his boredom and how he feels stuck in this cycle. His dependency is a cure for his boredom, but he wishes there was another way.”
7. Minerva (Deftones, 2003)
“Every time I listen this song it makes me smile. I absolutely love this song. It is a very explosive, in your face song. You think it’s going to be calm, then bam. Surprise.”
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6. Passenger (White Pony, 2000)
“The dueling vocals between Chino Moreno and Maynard James Keenan work so good together. The lyrics are very dark, creating this awe striking atmosphere. Stephen Carpenter and Moreno are excellent on guitar and rhythm guitar, respectively. Abe Cunningham’s drumming hits very hard. The song just comes together so well. The ending is a bit abrupt but that is merely a nitpick.”
5. Diamond Eyes (Diamond Eyes, 2010)
“This is the first song I ever heard outside of rap in high school, which acted as a gateway, leading to many other great songs of theirs and that of many, many other bands. I’ve always been extremely grateful for stumbling upon this song years since. This will always be one of their best, whether out of sentiment or not.”
4. Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) (Around the Fur, 1997)
“In my opinion, the best Deftones song. There is so much raw energy and emotion on this song, and the heavy guitar and screaming vocals will keep this song in your head for a long time.”
3. My Own Summer (Shove It) (Around the Fur, 1997)
“The screaming is excellent and theta contagious guitar riff will be stuck in your head for months YES! This is definitely the best song on this album and the band’s best song as well.”
2. Digital Bath (White Pony, 2000)
“With some artists, it can be difficult to find a single track that encompasses their entire sound. For Deftones, Digital Bath is that track. Sure, Deftones’ catalog is much more dynamically diverse than what you find in Digital Bath, but it all culminates in the best song from their best album to date. It is an emotional roller coaster but lyrically and musically. Not an easy achievement.”
1. Change (In the House of Flies) (White Pony, 2000)
“I’m listening to this song right now because it’s the only one I know, plus it’s in the movie coolers revenge, so it is amazing all by itself, plus the fact that this is a song that is a bit tricky on guitar, so it is my favorite, no doubt.”
