An Emo Playlist Before Emo Turned Into Discount Goth

Picture it. It's the mid-2000's. Think 2005 or 2006. It's my senior year of high school, and I can't wait to graduate and leave my hometown. My friends and I would often take a drive to Mid-Michigan to wander the nearest Hot Topic and seek out some of our favorite bands.

A lot of the bands I found in Hot Topic I still listen to today. At the time, emo wasn't full of heavy black eyeliner and random splashes of color in your dyed black hair.

In my senior year of high school, emo was a relatively new word. Was I emo? Probably, but I didn't look the part. I rarely wore makeup, and my wardrobe was a T-shirt and jeans. The shirts were usually Legend of Zelda-themed. Every once in a while, I'd dye my hair a fun color. And I always had headphones on when I walked around the school.

Thinking back on it, I probably qualified as a geek, but I still liked emo music.

Most of the bands I listened to as a teenager I still listen to today

In the 2020s, my music taste hasn't changed much. I still feel like I'm in 2006 with my choices. I don't mind. Some bands I still buy CDs for today. At least I did until I bought a new computer that doesn't have a slot for CDs. Now I'm trying to avoid buying Apple Music and calling it good.

I know, I'm cheap. But I want to wait until my writing is more profitable before I start subscribing to Apple Music and other random subscriptions to things.

Until then, I'll keep changing songs on my phone when I'm in the mood for this band or that band.

Here are some of my favorite songs from my teen years

I'm only counting songs I listened to from my Junior year to my Senior year. Anything after that, I'm not including. I'll start with the band and then list my favorite songs from said band.

Panic! at the Disco

• I Write Sins, Not Tragedies
• The Only Difference Between Suicide And Martyrdom Is Press Coverage
• Time To Dance
• Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
• But It's Better If You Do
• I Constantly Thank God For Esteban
• There's A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey
• Nine In The Afternoon
• We're So Starving
• That Green Gentleman(Things Have Changed)

My Chemical Romance

• Helena
• Give 'Em Hell, Kid
• To The End
• You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison
• I'm Not Okay(I Promise)
• The Ghost Of You
• This Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You
• Thank You For The Venom
• Hang 'Em High
• Dead!
• This Is How I Disappear
• The Sharpest Lives
• Welcome To The Black Parade
• House of Wolveshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKJiM9Njr8&list=OLAK5uy_kf2mr4s7G3ErS-ruCXgDFFwY8HyHQijfA&index=5
• Mama
• Teenagers
• Disenchanted
• Famous Last Words

Evanescence

• Going Underhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM&list=OLAK5uy_kfaJBiGHXWZgrdrV3ANMUajbiT4tvkOJk&index=2
• Bring Me To Life
• My Immortal
• Imaginary
• Hello
• Call Me When You're Sober
• My Last Breath
• Lithium
• Like You
• Snow White Queen
• Good Enough

Good Charolette

• The Anthem
• Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous
• Girls and Boys
• Wondering
• Riot Girl
• My Bloody Valentine
• Walk Away (Maybe)
• S.O.S.
• I Just Wanna Live
• Predictable
• The Truth
• The World Is Black

Yellowcard

• Ocean Avenue
• Breathing
• View from Heaven
• Empty Apartment
• Way Away
• Only One
• One Year, Six Months
• Down On My Head
• Waiting Game
• How I Go

Simple Plan

• I'd Do Anything
• You Don't Mean Anything
• I'm Just A Kid
• When I'm With You
• Meet You There
• Addicted
• I Won't Be There
• Perfect

Hoobastank

• Running Away
• Crawling In The Dark
• The Reason
• Inside Of You
• Remember Me
• If Only
• Escape
• From The Heart
• Same Direction
• Good Enough
• More Than A Memory

Here are some honorable mentions!

• Dance Dance by Fall Out Boy
• Sugar, We're Going Down by Fall Out Boy
• Misery Business by Paramore
• Legend of Zelda Song by System of a Down
• Other Light by Finger Eleven
• One Thing by Finger Eleven
• Dirty Little Secret by All American Rejects
• In This Diary by The Ataris
• Boys of Summer by The Ataris
• Unopened Letter to the World by The Ataris
• Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly by HIM
• Vampire Heart by HIM
• Under the Rose by HIM

Final Thoughts

High school sucked, but the music from that time didn't. It's fun going back to your playlist and looking at old songs you used to listen to. I feel like a teenager again listening to a lot of these songs. They're never leaving my playlist again.