Alternative/Pop Punk/Emo

With the rise of “emo” culture came the rise of alternative music. There was lots of alternative music with different subgenres that stemmed in this decade. Subgenres like pop punk and punk rock created the “emo” style. Lots of loud chords and fast rhythms were what attracted many teenagers of the time period. Even though it rose, this style grew from 90’s grunge but it became louder, heavier, and more rebellious. The 2000s took it to a new level.

The Emo Trinity

Within the realms of emo music, a trinity was born. These consisted of the three bands Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance. They became known as a Trinity simply because those who liked one of these bands tend to like the other two as well. While all three of these bands were famous in their own way, we truly feel that My Chemical Romance was the most iconic out of these three.

My Chemical Romance originated in 2001 from Newark, New Jersey and disbanded in 2013. However, it was during the 00’s era that they were the most popular. This band is most known for their hit 2006 album, Welcome to the Black Parade. This album is a rock opera about a man dying of cancer. The album contained 4 hit songs, including “Teenagers” and the title track, “Welcome to the Black Parade”.  When this band broke up, many fans were left heartbroken and wanting more. The fan base to this day is still active, which is why we consider this group to be one of the most iconic pieces of the 2000’s emo era.

American Idiot

Green Day wasn’t new to the alternative/grunge/punk rock scene but they released their most iconic album, American Idiot in 2004. It was an album that targeted the government and the president at the time, George H.W. Bush and the political events and the war in Iraq. This was the time to make a stand and American Idiot pushed boundaries. 3 of the tracks hit the Billboard Top 100 and still stayed there. This album peaked at #1 in 2004 and stayed for 3 weeks at the top and 120 weeks in general on the Billboard Top 100. and recently has come back into the top rock charts.

Other Notable Artists

The famous band Paramore formed during this era in 2004. Paramore is considered to be an alternative rock band with the iconic lead singer Hayley Williams bringing an edgy voice to their music. This band was popular throughout the years but really took off in 2007 with their second album Riot!. Riot! had four lead singles, including “Misery Business” and “That’s What You Get”. This whole album manages to explore different genres of music while keeping an edgier sound. Riot! became triple platinum and is Paramore’s best work to date. Paramore thrived in the 2000s but still remain popular today.

There was a lot of other bands that also dominated the scene with their top hits that are still played on the radio today. You’ve probably heard some of these iconic songs including “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence, “All The Small Things” by Blink 182, “Uprising” by Muse, “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down, and “Numb” by Linkin Park. Alternative music created a huge mainstream following during this era, which is one of the many reasons why this was such a great decade for music.