I had an emo phase, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Now, I personally didn't dye my hair bright colors or get facial piercings, but that was mostly due to my mother not allowing it (as I look back, I just want to say a quick thank you to my mom!). I hit the music part of the emo phase hardcore. These few songs I am sharing today aren't even the top 10% of my playlists, but I figured they were pretty broad songs that all my fellow hardcore, punk-rock lovers would remember. I highly suggest checking these out either on Spotify, Pandora or Apple Music or whatever other music streaming service you have so you can revisit your emo "phase" (was it really a phase though?).
Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
If your emo or punk-rock phase didn't include at least on MCR song, were you really emo? While I love every song I have heard from them, this is the one song that sends me back. Just the first note and I already know what's about to go down. It is simply 5 minutes of pure bliss, what can I say? And even though it isn't on this list, "Teenagers" and "Cancer" are also right up there with my favorite MCR songs.
A Match Into Water by Pierce the Veil
THIS SONG Y'ALL! I was browsing through some of my playlists on Spotify, and every time this song comes on, I HAVE to roll the windows down and just jam. I remember when I was little, and always telling myself I would never be someone who was into music where they scream. This song though changes all of that. Other songs that I love by Pierce the Veil include "King for A Day" with Sleeping with Sirens and "Hold On Till May".
Situations by Escape the Fate
This song has Falling in Reverse and 5 Seconds of Summer vibes all up in this song. It's like the perfect mixture, honestly. I only know this song and Reverse the Curse by Escape the Fate, but I definitely recommend taking a listen to this band.
Fashionably Late by Falling In Reserve
On top of being a great punk-rock band, they produce great music to exercise to. This song is actually one of the top songs on my running playlist, and I know I get some looks when it comes up on my playlist. My head nods with the beat and I flail my arms all over the place while I run on the treadmill. "Bad Girls Club" and "The Drug In Me Is You" are my two other favorite songs by them, and they definitely have some other bangers you need to check out if you don't remember them.
Miserable At Best by Mayday Parade
This song puts me in my feels every. single. time. It's a slower song than some of these other ones, but I vibe with it every time it pops up on my phone. Also, it's a longer song, reaching a little past five minutes. I also recommend their song "When I Get Home You're So Dead", which can be found on their album A Lesson In Romantics.
Boomerang by The Summer Set
The few songs I know by them give me some Emblem3 vibes, but I vibe with that hardcore. Their music is a little more pop than punk, but its refreshing among all of my heavily emo songs. I also recommend their song "Lightning In A Bottle"!
Can You Feel My Heart by Bring Me The Horizon
When ever I am feeling sad (which is quite often), I like to revisit my punk-rock playlist, and this is one of the top songs. The drums and guitar paired with the singer's voice is just so powerful. It's what I would classify as a headbanger for sure. "Sempiterna"l is my favorite album by them, and that is also where this song can be found.
21 Guns by Green Day
Every time I listen to this song, I want to go wash some dishes because whenever I had to do the dishes as my weekly chores, this was one song I listened to. I would sing into the brush as I scrubbed all the dishes clean, and it's honestly just a whole vibe in itself. My favorite album of theirs is definitely American Idiot, with its timeless tracks of "Wake Me Up When September Ends", "American Idiot", "Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams", and many more.
Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood
I absolutely love this song. I don't care what anyone tells me, it will be one of my favorites till the end of time. Its not really hardcore like many of the other songs, but it still one to listen to with all the windows and it blaring through your car speakers.
If You Can't Hang by Sleeping With Sirens
I had to end this post with my all-time favorite band from my so-called emo phase. This is the first song I heard that led me down the path of being a punk-rock lover. I pretty much love all of their music, but my all-time favorite album is With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear. Their newer albums Madness and How It Feels To Be Lost are moving their ways up in my personal rankings, but they haven't surpassed the OG yet.
If you can remember jamming to at least half of these in your middle school or high school years, you, my friend, had a little bit of an emo phase, whether you want to admit or not. Go on with this information as you will, and share with your friends who also jammed out to these!