1. Old Crows/Young Cardinals – Alexisonfire
This album blessed eardrums worldwide with a perfect combination of Alexisonfire’s signature post-hardcore sound and Dallas Green’s angelic singing voice. This was the band’s fourth and most sucessful album.
2. Brand New Eyes – Paramore
2009 was also the year when every human on this planet had a crush on Hayley Williams. Brand New Eyes by Paramore was their third studio album, and gave us some of the most timeless emo anthems like ‘Ignorance’ and ‘Brick By Boring Brick’.
3. Homesick – A Day To Remember
Homesick was an epic mix of heavy, poppy and catchy all at the same time, and the album ended up coming in at number 21 in the US Billboard 200. This album also includes the track ‘If It Means A Lot To You,’ which appealed to both pop fans and heavy music fans alike.
4. Anywhere But Here – Mayday Parade
After the success of 2007’s A Lesson In Romantics, this album was written specifically to “make the heavy parts heavier and the sad parts more sad”. Anywhere But Here was (and still is) one of the ultimate go-to’s for those self-indulgent emo moments.
5. Artwork – The Used
Despite some backlash from critics after the success of their first two albums, Artwork still dished up some serious bangers like ‘Blood On My Hands’ and ‘Empty With You.’ The album explores death and the concept of mortality, Frontman and songwriter Bert McCracken told Alternative Press that having previously lived a “reckless life,” he came to terms with how easy it is to accidentally die after the tragic passing of Heath Ledger. This song is loosely based on the death of the Australian actor and not being able to say “sorry,” or “I never meant to die” after an accidental death.
6. Constellations – August Burns Red
August Burns Red saw major success with their third studio album, Constellations. In an era of an oversatured metalcore scene, it took a lot for bands in the genre to stand out, but August Burns Red perfectly executed this record and the band’s success mirrors the quality of this album. The band will be touring Australia in October to celebrate the tenth anniversary of this epic album.
7. Nothing Personal – All Time Low
The emo-pop sound of Nothing Personal saw this album trickle it’s way into the mainstream. The ‘Weightless’ lyrics: “Maybe it’s not my weekend, but it’s gonna be my year” became a mantra for high school students everywhere. It really was a simpler time…
8. Stand Up And Scream – Asking Alexandria
Depending on who you talk to, this is either one of the best or one of the worst albums ever made, however there’s no denying the popularity of this record. Lyrics to ‘Not The American Average’ were plastered across MySpace profiles everywhere and Stand Up And Scream quickly became one of the most iconic emo albums of it’s time.
9. Love Drunk – Boys Like Girls
Apologies in advance because the title track of this album will most likely be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, if not the rest of your life. Boys Like Girls were definitley leaning more toward the pop side of the pop-punk genre with Love Drunk, with Taylor Swift featuring in ‘Two Is Better Than One.’
10. Hollow Crown – Architects
This album caught the attention of critics and was extremely well received. Hollow Crown blessed the world with a unique sound and laid the foundations for Architects to become the band they are today.
Revisit last year’s interview with The Used.
