Music discovery · Influence explorer

Artists like Queens of the Stone Age — and the music that made them

Stoner Rock · 1996-present

Desert rock architects crafting heavy, hypnotic riffs with swagger

Queens of the Stone Age emerged from the California desert rock scene in 1996, led by Josh Homme's distinctive downtuned guitar work and falsetto vocals. They've consistently pushed hard rock boundaries, blending stoner rock heaviness with pop sensibilities and dark humor across seven acclaimed albums.

Essential tracks

►No One Knows

►Go with the Flow

►Little Sister

Did you know

Josh Homme plays most guitars tuned down to C standard to achieve their signature heavy sound

The band has featured members of Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and Led Zeppelin across various lineups

Their name comes from a Homme joke about his previous band Kyuss being 'kings of the stone age'

“Desert rock architects wielding heavy riffs with danceable grooves and hooks.”

generations
of influence

Influence tree

Trace Queens of the Stone Age's roots back through history

Every sound has a source. Click any node to hear the connection.

Queens of the Stone Age

1996-present

Kyuss

1987-1995

cited

Black Sabbath

1968-1980

cited

The Stooges

1967-1974

sonic

Led Zeppelin

1968-1980

cited

ZZ Top

1969-present

sonic

Cream

1966-1968

sonic

↑ Click any influence node to see the connection and where to start listening.

What makes the sound

Sonic elements

Heavily tuned-down guitars with thick distortion

Syncopated rhythms and unusual time signatures

Melodic vocals over crushing instrumental foundations

Desert rock atmosphere with danceable grooves

Start with these tracks

No One Knows

Go with the Flow

My God Is the Sun

Little Sister

If you like Queens of the Stone Age, try these

Them Crooked Vultures

Josh Homme supergroup featuring equally heavy but rhythmically sophisticated rock.

2000s · Hard Rock

Fu Manchu

California stoner rock with similarly massive, fuzzed-out guitar tones and desert vibes.

1990s · Stoner Rock

The Dead Weather

Raw garage rock energy with heavy drums and unconventional song structures.

2000s · Garage Rock

Clutch

Groove-heavy hard rock with unique vocals and infectious rhythmic complexity.

1990s · Stoner Rock

Royal Blood

Stripped-down heavy rock duo creating massive sounds from minimal instrumentation.

2010s · Alternative Rock

Eagles of Death Metal

Josh Homme's other project blending rock attitude with unexpected pop sensibilities.

2000s · Garage Rock

About this page

Music like Queens of the Stone Age — Queens of the Stone Age emerged from the California desert rock scene in 1996, led by Josh Homme's distinctive downtuned guitar work and falsetto vocals. They've consistently pushed hard rock boundaries, blending stoner rock heaviness with pop sensibilities and dark humor across seven acclaimed albums.

Artists like Queens of the Stone Age today include Them Crooked Vultures, Fu Manchu, The Dead Weather, Clutch. If you enjoy Queens of the Stone Age, these artists share similar sonic qualities, influences, and emotional range.

Bands like Queens of the Stone Age and songs like Queens of the Stone Age are among the most searched music discovery queries — rootz.guru goes deeper by tracing the roots of the sound itself, not just surface-level similarity.