A Simple Plan (For Global Domination)

Simple Plan are one of the few bands that have managed to hold onto their signature sound. While their sound has changed from pop/punk to more generic pop. They still hold it as their own and continue to make waves with their catchy track and guest appearances from vocalists. Making them one of the biggest commercially successful artists to come out of their native Canada and never taking themselves too seriously, making their own charity and aiding in the Ukraine war, these guys have all the right chops and ethics to boot.

1. No Pads No Helmets, Just Balls

Their debut album set the standard for these guys. Songs like I'm Just A Kid spoke to a generation of adolescents (including myself) about how hard life can be as a teenager, as well as The Worst Day Ever, Grow Up, Perfect, You Don't Mean Anything to Me & Addicted, to name a few highlights. By far the weirdest song on the album has to be My Alien, which describes Pierce, the lead singer, dating an alien with lots of legs.

Grow Up & I'm Just A Kid would feature on the Scooby Doo movie soundtrack and set up Simple Plan's link to the cartoon. Their song Don't Wanna Think About You, which was specifically made for the soundtrack, would also feature in the soundtrack to the sequel movie. They also would be involved with writing the theme tune for the What's New Scooby Doo series, which they also sang and even guest starred in the show, as a band.

2. Still Not Getting Any…

If Simple Plan hadn't already found their sound with No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls. Then Still Not Getting Any was their landmark album. Welcome To My Life, their lead single, was a stand out momentous hit that really took the whole concept of a struggling teen and put it perfectly into a song. Shut Up and Crazy were some of the other stand out tracks.

3. Simple Plan

Simple Plan's self-titled album would add a new level of authenticity to the band's sound. While their first two albums were basically simple teen angst songs. This album would see their songs gain a more atmospheric and bigger feel, which would become a staple for the band in later years. Songs like When I'm Gone, Your Love Is A Lie & Save You were prominent tracks from this album.

4. Get Your Heart On!

Get Your Heart On is one of my all time favorite Simple Plan albums, the atmosphere of this album is much bigger and better than before. Now in the peak of their careers, they set about making iconic and memorable tracks, thanks to several star studded guest vocalists from the likes of Natasha Bedingfield on Jet Lag (my person favourite from the album), which also got it's own french version with Marie Mia River Cuomo (lead singer of Weezer) in Can't Keep My Hands Off You. Summer Paradise featuring Sean Penn (and MKTO in some variants of the album). The guys must have had way too much fun doing the artwork for this album, dressing up as classic bands like The Ramones.

5. Get Your Heart On -The Second Coming!

While technically not an album in its own right GYHO - The Second Coming! was an EP of a song that didn't make it onto GYHO (so basically B sides) and was sold separately as an individual CD. It included tracks like Ordinary World, Rest of Us and more. Which had the same gravitas and energy as songs from GYHO, but these tracks often gets swept under the mat in regards to iconic Simple Plan songs.

6. Taking One For The Team

Taking One For The Team is another step in the right direction for these guys. While maybe not as successful as Get Your Heart On!, it had some solid tracks including my favourite of this album, Boom! Other tracks included Singing In The Rain featuring R. City, I Don't Wanna Do To Bed Without You featuring Nelly.

7. Harder Than It Looks

The guys dressed for their working class alter egos, for this album. Wake Me Up( When This Nightmare Is Over), is their signature track, which pays homage to the current War In Ukraine, with the filmmakers and crew even consisting of Ukrainians, as well as VFX and post production. Funds raised from the music video on YouTube went towards the Ukraine relief effort. In addition they offered part of their concert ticket sales to their charity Simple Plan Foundation to help young people struggling with passage to adulthood and supporting people going through life threatening illnesses to the Ukrainian relief. Ruin My Life is also another stand out single that fits perfectly into their teen angst psyche. This album would also see David Desrosiers, their bass player leave the band due to sexual misconduct allegations.