Top 10 Favorite Albums

When it comes to music, I’m a huge fan of a very large number of bands and genres. There are many that hold a place in my heart and have influenced me in one way or another. Then there are some that stand out from the rest, the ones that have impacted me and left their mark. These are the bands that have shaped me and have played a part in helping me become the person I am today. Out of all of the music that I’ve fallen in love with, these are the albums that own my heart. Each song hits you, leaving their imprint in its wake. Every time I play them, I’m reminded of how it felt to listen to it for the first time. So, in no particular order, here are my top favorite albums.

My Chemical Romance Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge: I don’t think you know how hard it was for me to only pick one of their albums. Three Cheers was such a prominent force during my adolescence. Until this came into my life, I had never been affected so heavily by a band. I immediately immersed myself in all things My Chem, soaking up every bit of history, interacting with the fan base – everything. Red eyeshadow became an everyday thing.  The MCRmy was the first street team I had ever joined, fueling my love for promoting. One thing MCR does very well is create concepts – elaborate story lines – that each albums follow and each song on Three Cheers is like a new chapter. This album was like a rock opera; it's theatrical, stylish and beautifully written. The amount of inspiration that radiates from this album is insane. The jazz-inspired riffs in "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison?" Iconic. The lyrical brilliance behind "Thank You for the Venom"? Iconic. The imagery in "To The End"? Iconic. When a track from Three Cheers came on, you felt that shit in your soul. 

Personal faves: "I’m Not Okay (I Promise)", "Helena", "Give ‘Em Hell, Kid", and "The Ghost of You" (arguably one of the best music videos ever).

The Used In Love and Death: I’ve mentioned the importance of this album before, so it’s no surprise that it’s being mentioned again. In Love and Death inspired my very first tattoo, so I’ll always be reminded of how this album changed my life. The Used is another band that impacted my life in a big way. They came into my life right when I desperately needed something to believe in. Each song on the album was like my own personal therapy session. Everything I wanted to get out but couldn’t find the right words, they did it for me. The line “If you feel like dying you might wanna sing” from "Let It Bleed" became so much more than a lyric for me. Now, when I think of this album I’m reminded of someone yelling “you saved my life” during Night 2 of their 15 anniversary tour and Bert replying, “You saved mine.” 

Personal faves: "Let It Bleed", "All That I’ve Got", "Sound Effects and Over Dramatics".

FrnkIero and the Cellebration Stomachaches: Frank Iero is by far, one of my favorite musicians of all-time. He’s so incredibly talented and he puts so much of himself into everything he creates. Each time he creates a song, he gives us little pieces of his being. Creating a bond between himself and the listener and in the process, allowing us both to be understood and heard. Stomachaches was his first solo album since the MCR split in 2013 and it’s honestly a masterpiece. Iero is brutally honest, each song revealing bits of his soul and relating back to his own personal experiences with love, loss, mental health and more. The song “Guilt Tripping” is one in particular that speaks to me. The lines: “I went outside hoping the sun would burn my face. I went outside, hoping to feel something” and “I’ve felt this bad for so long I’m scared I’m fine”, perfectly depict my own personal experiences with mental health and that sinking numbness that comes with it. 

Personal faves: “She’s the Prettiest Girl at the Party, and She Can Prove it With a Solid Right Hook”, “Tragician”, “Weighted”.

Panic! At The Disco A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out: This album is what kick started my emo phase and my love for men in eyeliner. I owe all of my eyeliner skills to Ryan Ross. This album is probably one of the most played in my collection. Fever is a picturesque journey that really captured the essence of Panic and created an era that’s still loved by the fandom today. Every time I listen to it, I get more upset that I wasn’t able to see them during “Nothing Rhymes With Circus”. The lyrics on Fever are some of my favorite that Panic has ever released. Ryan Ross is, and always will be, an important asset and his lyrics are a huge reason why Panic took off the way they did. 

  Personal faves: “Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off”, “But It’s Better If You Do”, "Build God, Then We'll Talk".

Fall Out Boy From Under the Cork Tree: Yet another staple from my emo days. Patrick Stump’s voice alone, is a key factor as to why this album is a favorite of mine. An accurate depiction of me singing along to this album is Brendon Urie in the “Drunk History” video. Every song on this album is an anthem, full of all of the teen angst you’ve ever felt dressed up in eyeliner and skinny jeans. Plus, Fall Out Boy is responsible for introducing me to a lot of the bands that I love. Back when Myspace was still a thing (oh, the glory days), I would basically stalk all of the bands from Fueled By Ramen and DecayDance and just immerse myself in their discographies. From Under the Cork Tree produced so many iconic tracks, I would recognize the bass line from "Dance, Dance" faster than my own name. The line "they call kids like us vicious and carved out of stone, but for what we've become, we just feel more alone" from "I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy, and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me" is fire.  

Personal Faves: “Sophomore Slump, or Comeback of the Year”, “Dance, Dance”, “XO”.

Paramore Riot: Paramore was among the bands that I discovered while stalking Myspace. It was also one of the first female-fronted bands that heavily influenced me, musically and style-wise. From the moment I heard “Pressure” I was shook. While the first song I heard was featured on their debut album All We Know is Falling, it was Riot that really stuck with me. It’s my go-to when I need inspiration for performances, in need of a mood-booster, or when I need motivation. Hayley Williams stood out to me because she had such a huge voice and she seemed so fearless, holding her own in such a male-dominated genre. She influenced me to push myself when it came to my singing and to step outside my comfort zone. She also inspired me to go red for the first time. This album was a force to be reckoned with in the mid-2000s. You couldn't leave the house without hearing "Whoa, well I never meant to brag, but I got him where I want him now!" Most days, you could catch me listening to Riot on repeat. The track "That's What You Get" was probably my profile song for months. 

Personal faves: “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”, “When it Rains”, “We Are Broken”.

Taking Back Sunday Louder Now: Taking Back Sunday was another one of those definitive bands for me. They were a part of the Holy Trinity in my playlist (alongside MCR and The Used). Louder Now was the soundtrack to my morning, every day in middle school. Being serenaded by Adam Lazzara while you ate breakfast was the perfect start to my day. Most of my favorite lyrics have came from TBS songs, and Louder Now was no exception. “I’m an addict for dramatics, I confuse the two for love” is probably one of my most quoted lyrics from the album. This album also spawned one of the most iconic songs in the emo movement, “MakeDamnSure”. It was everywhere, and it’s still relevant today. If your crush didn’t inspire you to tweet “I just wanna break you down so badly, in the worst way” then it wasn’t real, fam. 

Personal faves: “MakeDamnSure”, “Liar (It Takes One to Know One)”, “Twenty-Twenty Surgery”, and “What’s It Feel Like to be a Ghost?”

Versa Emerge Fixed At Zero: Another female-fronted band that shook me. As soon as I heard one of their tracks, I was immediately sold. There was just something about VersaEmerge that I was attracted to. They were charismatic, electric, and front-woman Sierra Kusterbeck had one of the most interesting voices I had ever heard. I was in the love the moment she opened her mouth. VersaEmerge is definitely not talked about as much as they should be. Their lyrics are full of wonder, creating a new listening experience every time you hit play. Blake Harnage (guitar, programming, and vocals) is also responsible for the hypnotic sound behind PVRIS’ album White Noise, which Kusterbeck did backing vocals for a few of the tracks. Sierra has such a unique voice, their acoustic tracks are among some of my favorite just because you can truly fear how crisp and full her voice is. My favorite line from the entire album is “We coexist, flourished and sunkissed” from “Lost Tree”. Fixed at Zero is full of hidden gems, it’s a shame that VersaEmerge are no more. 

Personal faves: “Mind Reader”, “Father Sky”, “You’ll Never Know”, “Stranger”.

Leathermouth XO: I remember stalking their Myspace page and Skeleton Crew trying to find every demo I could get my hands on. I saved my lunch money to pre-order this album. Leathermouth was the post-hardcore outlet led by Frank Iero (surprise, surprise). Alongside Iero, the band featured former members: Andrew Escobar, Vincent Averelli, and Steve Oyola. After their departure Rob Hughes, Ed Auletta, John McGuire, and James Dewees filled in to keep things going. The band was formed by a few of Iero friends, and while they had some demo tracks, they lacked lyrics. This is where Frank stepped in and made his contributions. Now, before this turns into an essay on their entire back story – let’s dive into why XO was a masterpiece. As mentioned, I’m gung-ho for Iero’s lyrics, and the tracks on XO screamed every anger-filled, self-loathing thought I’ve ever felt. Pulling from his own frustrations with political nonsense, mental illness, and social climate, Iero used this as a way to vent and speak to a generation of misfits that had been kicked down and broken. Dealing with tragedy and mental illness at such a young age, feeling trapped, unwanted and basically being verbally shit on can take a lot out of a person. The tracks on XO spilled every frustration I’ve ever felt. Iero’s never been one to hold back, which is why some of the tracks got him into a little trouble. Just, casual visits from the Secret Service, things like that. #WorthIt. 

Personal faves: “Sunsets Are For Muggings”, “Your Friends Are Full of Shit”, “This Song Is About Being Attacked By Monsters”.

Cobra Starship Viva La Cobra: Let’s end this on a lighter note. Cobra Starship was the savior that 2000s emo kids needed. Cobra was the main reason my wardrobe had any color and the reason I wanted to learn how to play keytar. Bright pink logos and sass-filled lyrics invaded the scene in 2006 with the release of While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets. While that album contains one of my favorite Cobra tracks, Viva La Cobra was the one that owned my heart. Cobra was one of the bands I stalked online (Thanks Pete), and fell in love with. It's also something that Cobra made fun of with their title “Pete Wentz Is the Only Reason We’re Famous” on a later album. Viva La Cobra dropped in 2007, and was produced by FOB’s Patrick Stump. One of my favorite things about this album is that you can hear Stump make an appearance on almost every track. This album is fun and ridiculous in the best way possible. Tracks like “Damn, You Look Good and I’m Drunk (Scandalous)”, “Prostitution is the World’s Oldest Profession (And I, Dear Madame, Am a Professional)”, and “My Moves Are White (White Hot, That Is)” really captured the essence of Cobra - which was essentially “stop giving a fuck and have a good time.” 

Personal faves: “The City Is at War”, “Smile for the Paparazzi”, “The World Has its Shine (I Would Drop it on a Dime)”.

Honorable Mentions:

The Academy Is Almost Here

Mindless Self Indulgence You’ll Rebel to Anything

All Time Low Nothing Personal