There is no shortage of reasons that the early 2000s were happier, simpler years for us all. From the amazing television shows we grew up with to the ridiculous films that came out, the early 2000s were basically just a weird extension of the 90s.
Perhaps the greatest part of the early 2000s was the music scene. And yes, those were the years when it was still cool to wear studded belts and tease your hair. Who didn't want to resemble Gerard Way or Pete Wentz?
Unfortunately, many of the bands that made those years so enjoyable have stopped making music. And while we still have talent like Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco to keep us sane, we really miss them.
Here are 11 of the bands that need to start up again... please?
The All-American Rejects
GiphyThe All-American Rejects used to be right up there with Taking Back Sunday and Fall Out Boy, at least in terms of popularity. They played major venues, wowing us all with hits like "Dirty Little Secret" and "My Paper Heart."
Sadly, as we got older, their presence in the music scene began to fade. Their last album was released in 2008, but we're holding out hope that they'll surprise us with a new one one of these days.
Cute Is What We Aim For
GiphyIf you didn't love Cute Is What We Aim For, you just weren't a true pop-punk kid. We need more songs like "The Curse of Curves" and "Newport Living" in our lives.
Boys Like Girls
The summer "The Great Escape" made it onto the radio, everyone quickly became obsessed with Boys Like Girls. And their first album was total fire. They brought summer days and nights to life with their music, and that said, we aren't sure what happened to them after that.
They did eventually release a second record, but their popularity was waning at that point. And then, sadly, they disappeared.
The Academy Is...
When this band announced they'd be breaking up, all of us wanted to jump in and tell them to "slow down." Sadly, even their own lyrics wouldn't have stopped the inevitable.
And though lead singer William Beckett tried out a solo career for a while, it just wasn't the same as listening to The Academy Is...
Jack's Mannequin
GiphyMy fellow "One Tree Hill" fans will be nodding along to this one. Jack's Mannequin stole our hearts with songs like "The Mixed Tape" and "Dark Blue," and we were heartbroken when they ended things in 2016.
Forever the Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids was every pop-punk fan's dream band. No one else's sound quite resembled theirs, and they had a small enough fanbase that concerts felt intimate and personal.
Unfortunately, they stopped releasing songs like "She's A Lady" and "Hey Brittany." And then they just stopped creating music all together. Our scene-kid hearts will just never be the same.
Cobra Starship
GiphyRemember these guys? They were around way before their hit, "Good Girls Go Bad," came out. In fact, they frequently used to open for bands like Fall Out Boy, and they even wrote a song for the movie "Snakes on a Plane."
After they got really big, they just sort of faded away. Let's bring them back into the spotlight, please.
Escape the Fate
GiphyThough Escape the Fate is still technically an active band, it's no longer the one we grew up listening to. Between all of the new lead singers, record label changes and band drama, it's impossible for them to even play their old songs anymore.
Honestly, if you do miss Escape the Fate, you're better off just listening to Falling in Reverse.
Metro Station
But seriously, how are we supposed to "shake it" without Metro Station leading the way? They might have only had a few popular hits, but those songs sure got us dancing.
Yellowcard
GiphyYellowcard might have only ended their music career last year, but we miss them already. We just can't help but feeling that "if we could find them now, things would get better."
My Chemical Romance
GiphyThis one might never happen, but that doesn't mean we'll ever accept it. We need My Chemical Romance back in the world, and until they are, we won't be OK (we promise).
