Back in the early 2000s, emo went mainstream, becoming the soundtrack of countless teenagers around the country. My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! at the Disco were blasted at the mall. Tight jeans and side-swept hair became the official uniform. Warped Tour was the must-attend event of the summer. All the while, the songs expressed deep vulnerability, rebellion, and loneliness, only continuing to get more popular as the decade rang on. With this in mind, we got nostalgic and asked our readers to tell us the best 2000s emo songs. They fired back with dozens of responses, and you can find the top fan picks ranked below.
Read more: What does emo really mean? The story of the genre in 11 songs
5. Hawthorne Heights – “Ohio is For Lovers”
Hawthorne Heights’ debut album, 2004’s The Silence in Black and White, was released right when emo had its moment in the sun. Its lead single, “Ohio is For Lovers,” has stayed a staple, encapsulating early 2000s angst through its dramatic lyrics about heartbreak, loneliness, and longing (not to mention an intense bridge that leaned post-hardcore). The love for this song has gone on to spawn the band’s own festival, Is For Lovers, which is boarding the Emo’s Not Dead cruise later this year.
4. Finch – “What It is to Burn”
Finch’s popularity was well-timed, finding friends in Something Corporate and the Movielife upon signing to Drive-Thru Records in 2001, then jumping on Warped Tour upon releasing their incendiary debut album, What It Is To Burn, the next year. That record toed the line between pop punk, post-hardcore, and emo, but its title track shared most in common with the latter’s wounded angst. Heads know that two versions exist: An orchestral demo from the Welcome to the Family comp and a polished rerecord that made the album. Whichever you prefer, it’s one of the strongest emo songs of the 2000s.
3. The Used – “The Taste of Ink”
It’s frequently argued whether or not they’re emo, but our readers pointed to the Used’s “The Taste of Ink” for this poll. They have good reason to. “The Taste of Ink” was a bright spot on their 2002 self-titled debut, becoming its lead single and entry point for thousands of outcasts. Reflecting on the LP’s 20th anniversary in an oral history with AP, frontman Bert McCracken recalled a moment on their first Warped Tour, on a tiny stage right after its release. “The power went out while we were playing ‘The Taste Of Ink,’ so the whole crowd finished the song a cappella, which was special,” he said. To this day, it remains one of their biggest songs.
2. My Chemical Romance – “Welcome to the Black Parade”
2004’s Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge was always going to be a difficult album to follow, but The Black Parade exceeded all expectations. “Welcome to the Black Parade” was its epic introduction, beginning with an inescapable G note and culminating in an incendiary, stadium-sized anthem that channeled Queen, Pink Floyd, and Bowie. Envisioning the Black Parade as both an alter ego and an album, this is where emo met classic-rock grandiosity. “We looked like the death-rock version of Sgt. Pepper,” Gerard Way told AP in 2006, recalling an early performance of the era. “I hadn’t been that scared since our first show.”
1. Taking Back Sunday – “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)”
Taking Back Sunday’s Tell All Your Friends melded emo, post-hardcore, and pop punk in a way that set them apart from their peers. The album was ripe for emo’s blockbuster moment, stuffed with enough angst and heartache to last the rest of the decade — especially “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From The Team).” Written about the end of a relationship, the track is an urgent, dramatic document of betrayal. Decades later, “Cute…” continues to resonate, most recently when Halsey performed it with Adam Lazzara during the NYC stop of her Back To Badlands tour in January.
