Ryan Richards, CEO & artist manager, Future History Management, has spoken to Music Week about rock’s impact in 2025 and the outlook for the genre.
Richards discusses the success of chart-topping acts Sleep Token and Those Damn Crows in the latest edition of the magazine as part of our end-of-year chart trends analysis.
Heavy music was a key part of the British revival in 2025, although it was arguably building on strong foundations from the likes of Bring Me The Horizon. Rock music was also the focus of this year’s National Album Day – and Music Week drew on exclusive data for a report on the heavier end of the genre.
Ryan Richards was a key figure in the rock resurgence in the past 12 months. He steered Sleep Token to No.1 with Even In Arcadia in the UK and US.
The band’s fourth album is among the biggest releases of the year with consumption to date of 100,000 units, according to the Official Charts Company (technically that six-figure total will be confirmed in the coming days).
“For us, the key has always been letting the art lead,” Richards told Music Week. “Sleep Token haven’t built their world through traditional media or personality-led activity – it’s all been about creating something immersive that people feel part of. The intention behind the music, the visuals, and the live experience all works together and invites a global audience in without ever compromising who they are.”
The British band are signed in the US to RCA, with COO John Fleckenstein telling Music Week earlier this year that their huge streaming results are “a testament to the power of their music and the community behind it”.
In the UK, consumption for Even In Arcadia is dominated by streams, which make up 69% of the total.
Their catalogue is also performing strongly with third album Take Me Back To Eden (Spinefarm) adding 62,764 units in the UK so far this year (including 52,782 sales-equivalent streams). It has already surpassed last year’s total of 59,668 units and reached 167,039 units in total.
Scoring No.1 albums in both the US and UK felt like a major moment not just for the band, but for heavy music more broadly
Ryan Richards
Sleep Token currently have 5.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify. They also secured multiple Grammy nominations.
In the US, Even In Arcadia secured the largest streaming week ever for a hard rock album.
“Breaking internationally is not easy for UK acts at the moment, particularly in the rock space, so seeing this project connect so strongly across the US and Europe has been incredibly satisfying,” said Richards. “Scoring No.1 albums in both the US and UK felt like a major moment not just for the band, but for heavy music more broadly. It shows that if you build something authentic and distinctive, the audience will follow.”
Furthermore, Welsh metal band Those Damn Crows – also managed by Future History – made their mark at the albums summit this year.
“Those Damn Crows’ No.1 was another sign that rock is genuinely having a moment again,” said Richards. “Fans are responding to bands who bring honesty, huge songs, and a proper connection with their audience. The UK has always had a powerful rock culture, and this year has shown just how strong that foundation still is.”
There were other big results in rock including two No.1 albums chart results for Yungblud (including Aerosmith collaboration One More Time), plus No.2 entries for international acts Deftones and Ghost, and Top 20 finishes for Babymetal, Spiritbox and Turnstile.
Future History Management has announced recent signings to its roster including As It Is, Bilmuri and Wage War.
“Looking ahead to 2026, the opportunity is there if we keep investing in artist development, live infrastructure and giving fans meaningful experiences,” said Richards. “The audience for heavy music is absolutely growing – younger listeners are discovering rock and metal in big numbers, and they’re engaging with it in the same way they do with any major genre. It feels like expansion, not nostalgia.”
Subscribers can read our full chart trends of 2025 report here.
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