The REAL Top 10 Pop Punk Choruses of the 21st Century

I was recently tagged in the comments of a video on facebook. If that's never happened to you, what that means is a friend of yours thinks you should watch a video. I rarely ever do when tagged in them, but since this was the Top 10 Pop Punk Choruses of the 21st century it caught my eye. After Boston sports, and hating myself there is nothing I love more in life than pop punk. It brings me back to a simpler time in life (middle school) and is just genuinely good music that over 15 years later in some cases (time is gross) I still enjoy.  I'm an alt-rock guy to the death, and pop punk is probably my favorite subdivision of the alt-rock subdivision. I wish this was a little more timely of a post since the video I'm about to share is from the summer of 2017, but honestly Pop Punk is always relevant, plus my friend tagged me in the comments of this video last week so I didn't know existed until then.

The list:

10. "In Too Deep"- Sum 41
9. "Flavor of the Weak"- American Hi-Fi
8. "Dirty Little Secret" - All-American Rejects
7. "Rock Show" Blink 182
6. "Fat Lip"- Sum 41
5. "Sk8r Boi"- Avril Lavigne
4. "Sugar, We're Going Down Swinging" - Fall Out Boy
3. "Helena"- My Chemical Romance
2. "Ocean Avenue" - Yellowcard
1. "The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World

In fairness, I think it's important to say this isn't a top 10 best pop punk songs, it's top 10 best pop punk choruses, which I guess is a little different, because some songs verses are better than the actual chorus. I mean Taking Back Sunday's (not the last you'll be hearing from them on this blog) "You're So Last Summer" doesn't have a truly memorable chorus, but it does have one of the best lines in pop punk/emo history.

"the truth
is you could slit my throat
And with my one last gasping breath
I'd apologize for bleeding on your shirt"

But I think we can all agree that the chorus can be make or break in a song; It's what people who don't know the title of a song type into google to find out what it's called. Especially in pop-punk where the focus of the music was being more radio-friendly and easy to sing along to, while also rocking.
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I'm not gonna say every song was unworthy because that's not true. Both Sum 41 songs are staples of early 2000's pop punk. Fat Lip is probably a top 5 most famous song of the era. I listen to Yellowcard nearly weekly, and of course as a pop punk adult-kid Blink-182 is one of my favorite bands of all time. But Helena which isn't even really Pop Punk in the top 3 is laughable, The Middle is a good song, but I bet even Jimmy Eat World themselves would agree it doesn't belong at the top of this list. To prove I can make a better list than Spin and Billboard I am going to give you a list of 10 completely different songs even though I'd agree that a few of theirs are truly worthy. 

Here are the DOL Top 10 Pop Punk Choruses of the 2000's.

10. "Misery Business" - Paramore

I feel like Paramore is more just poppy alternative than pop punk, but idc I'm including this because of how classic the chorus is. To me Misery Business is pop punk, and since I'm making this list that's good enough for me. Everybody loved this song when it came out. It was groundbreaking. Although 2007ish was kind of the beginning of the end for pop punk imo.


P.S. I'm in love with Hayley Williams.

9. "Best of Me" The Starting Line

The Starting Line aren't exactly a household pop punk name like Blink-182, but this song is textbook pop punk because it's all about a girl, being young, and also kind of being a pussy. Yelling that "TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT" gets me fucking amped. I low key listen to this song every time I go to the gym. This song is super-singalong-able. 

8. "Jude Law and A Semester Abroad" - Brand New

Tell all the English boys you meet that this is one of the best pop punk songs and choruses of all time. A little more punk than pop compared to the other songs on this list. Heavy drums, lyrics v relatable to the era,,, more girl drama. A true classic.

7. "I'd Do Anything" - Simple Plan

Say what you want about Simple Plan. Sure they're Canadian and their lead singers name is Pierre, but their debut album was chock full o'pop punk hits.  All time classic. They were all over MTV and TRL when Pop Punk was big in the early 2000's. None were quite as big as their first hit "I'd Do Anything". I have loved this song for over half my life which is kind of scary to think about. Bonus points for an appearance from pop punk God, Mark Hoppus. I feel like I'm going to say this a lot, but the key to a great chorus is the singalong factor, and this song is singable AF. 

6. "Swing Swing" - All-American Rejects

A million times better of a pick than Dirty Little Secrets, although that song did have a fantastic music video with all the post secrets. This is just way more pop punk and a way better chorus/overall song. What makes this song is all the emphasis in the chorus. Away, away, awaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy. Oh wow another song about girls and heartbreak.

5. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" - Panic! At The Disco

Again, kind of flirting with the pop punk line. Just too important of a song and chorus to not include. Kind of lame that there's no unedited version of the video on youtube. A Fever That You Can't Sweat out is one of my 10 favorite albums of this 2000's. 

4. "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" - My Chemical Romance

Emo but also definitly falls under the pop punk umbrella. Sometimes you don't need to be crazy creative to have a great chorus. 

3. "Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous" - Good Charlotte

I wanted to do just one song per band, otherwise this list would've had about 7 fewer artists included. Their 2002 album "The Young and the Hopeless" produced three songs that could be worthy of this list, all great pop punk choruses. I'm choosing to go with Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous because it's my favorite song off that album, and the video doesn't hurt it's cause either s/o Chris Kirkpatrick. It blows my mind that Cameron Diaz is married to fucking Benji Madden.

2. "Cute Without the E (cut from the team)" - Taking Back Sunday

For my money one of the best emo/pop punk/alt/ just overall songs of all time. I fucking love Taking Back Sunday. Seeing them in 2012 was an absolute bucket list moment for middle school dozo. Tell All Your Friends and Where You Want To Be are must listen to albums for anybody who considers themselves a pop punk fan.

1. "My Friends Over You" - New Found Glory

Just maybe ya need this. The original bros before hoes anthem, nice to see the shoe on the other foot for a change. My Friends Over You is the greatest pop punk chorus of all time. IMO it's the best pop punk song of all time. It's got all the elements to great pop punk song. Catchy lyrics, solid beat, and great guitars. This genuinely one of my favorite songs of all time and if you know my taste in music you knew this was going to be number one. It's funny because for as much as I love this song by New Found Glory I only know maaaybe 5 other songs by them. Doesn't matter, this list isn't about those songs, it's about this being the best pop punk chorus (excluding songs from the original questionable list)