EXTRACURRICULAR: Mr. Hardy's Top Ten Albums!

   I thought that since I did this with my top ten bands, why not do the same thing but with albums? Before I go in, here's a few criteria I see myself:

1. I only allowed one album per artist. If I allowed more than one per artist, the whole list would only be a few bands and some albums I love would miss out.

2. An album is only eligible if I know every song on it. Knowing a song to me doesn't mean having it memorized - it just means that I know a decent enough chunk of it that when I see the title, I know what song it is and a good bit of how it goes. If someone asked me to, I could sing most of it.

10. Too Weird to Live, too Rare to Die! - Panic! At The Disco

   For me, a lot of times, the album by an artist that's most special to me is whichever was the newest when I got into them. This is very true with Panic. This album has stuck with me for YEARS and I honestly don't think it's ever left my top ten. The anger in "Nicotine", the powerful love ballads that are "The End of All Things" and "Collar Full", the dramatic cries of emotion that are "This is Gospel" and "Far too Young to Die" - it's all so good. Fun fact, this was Panic's last album as a rock band. Every Panic album after this one was a Brendon Urie solo project with Panic! At The Disco being essentially just his stage name.

My favorite track: Either "The End of All Things" or "All the Boys"

9. Smoke + Mirrors - Imagine Dragons

   The newest Imagine Dragons album when I got into them was Night Visions, their first. But they took everything that was good about Night Visions and increased it even more with the follow-up, Smoke + Mirrors. "I'm So Sorry" is one of their heaviest songs, "Release" is soothingly peaceful, and "Warriors" and "Battle Cry" will fire you up and get you ready to fight. And who can forget the big hit that was "I Bet My Life"? This album is Imagine Dragons giving their music their all, and has such a wide range of sound and themes.

My favorite track: It kinda hurts to do this to "Hopeless Opus", but probably "Shots"

8. Siren Song of the Counter Culture - Rise Against

   I only really got into this album recently, but I'm certainly glad I did. It's probably the heaviest album I'm seriously into, and the only one on this list that has screaming in it. The opening track, "State of the Union", is entirely screamed. Don't be misled - Rise Against is not a screamo band. They're just a punk rock band that gets very edgy sometimes. But "Swing Life Away" is one of the sweetest, most peaceful love songs you'll ever hear. "To Them These Streets Belong", "Tip the Scales", and "Give it All" are prime real estate for Rise Against's usual brand of government-hatred and societal angst. It's a very thrilling ride and will certainly get any punk fan pumped up.

My favorite track: "Life Less Frightening"

7. Save Rock and Roll - Fall Out Boy

   This album is in a very similar boat to #10. I remember how cool it was that FOB made music videos for every song on this album and connected them, like a companion movie. That was awesome and still is. I love that FOB took it upon themselves to mount an effort to save Rock and roll, and recruited the likes of Courtney Love, Foxes, and Big Sean, and rock legend Sir Elton John himself, for the title track. "Miss Missing You" is timeless, "The Phoenix" is a great comeback story, and "Where Did the Party Go" is incredibly catchy. "Alone Together" is also top-notch.

My favorite track: "Save Rock and Roll"

6. Hot Fuss - The Killers

   I love Mr. Brightside. Everyone loves "Mr. Brightside". It's my second favorite song of all time. But don't let the greatness and fame of that song distract you from the greatness of the rest of this beautiful album. "Somebody Told Me",  "Smile Like You Mean It", and "All These Things That I've Done" were also pretty big hits, especially the first. "Jenny was a Friend of Mine" and "Midnight Show" tell two parts of a trilogy centered around a man murdering his girlfriend. "Andy, You're a Star" is a song I shared with my former coworker and one of my best friends as kind of "our song".

My favorite track: "Mr. Brightside" - were you expecting anything else? I literally just called it my second favorite song of all-time!

5. Will of the People - Muse 

    Two things Muse is known for: lyrics about rebellion and a very lively stage presence. This album brought all that in spades. I should know, I went to one of the shows. One of my favorite concerts I've ever been to. This album is absolutely bombastic - has the same government/society hatred in songs like "Compliance", "Won't Stand Down", and "We Are F*cking F*cked". "Ghosts (How Can I Move On)" is a beautiful ballad, and "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween" tells a tale of domestic abuse taking place during quarantine. "Verona" is also about quarantine, but is a beautiful love song that is definitely worthy of serenading with.

Favorite track: "Kill or Be Killed"

4. Wild World - Bastille

    Hold me in this wild, wild world, 'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be and in your heat I feel how cold it can get. Bastille has been my favorite band for years now, and this album is them at their strongest. I absolutely love their other albums, but something about this one just makes it feel unique and truly special. It tells a tale of humanity being on the wrong course and the world leading to its own destruction - but also tells us to try and enjoy our lives despite all that. "Snakes" is my favorite song of all time. "Warmth" and "Final Hour" are also absolutely amazing. "Four Walls" tells a dark story of a real-life murder and its aftermath, "Send Them Off!" is a plea for help from one's own mind, and "Blame" is a heavy, accusatory jam. There truly isn't a single song on this album that misses.

Favorite track: "Snakes", obviously.

3. OK Orchestra - AJR

    AJR has long been known for making songs that lament the process of growing up and the struggles of adulthood, as well as missing childhood. This album is the peak of that. As someone who was truly becoming an adult when this album came out, the resonance this album has had with me is insane. "Joe" is about struggling to leave your childhood behind and hoping you've earned the respect of people you used to admire. "Humpty Dumpty" is all about holding your panic in for the sake of others and letting it out in private later. "3 O'Clock Things" is a take on what has happened in life, what's wrong with society, and what could've been done differently. "Christmas in June" deals with wanting success and affirmation but not wanting that to get in the way of personal joy and contentness.

Favorite track: "Humpty Dumpty", followed very closely "World's Smallest Violin"

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2. The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

    I AM NOT AFRAID TO KEEP ON LIVING, I AM NOT AFRAID TO WALK THIS WORLD ALONE. This and the next (and final) entry are both rock operas - albums that tell a story that have a plot and characters and everything. This one centers around a man who dies of cancer and his introduction to the afterlife by a group of beings called the black parade. Many of the songs center on this story and/or the man's reflections and regrets on the life he lived. "Cancer" and "I Don't Love You" are super sad, especially the former. "Welcome to the Black Parade" is undeniably one of the most iconic songs, maybe ever. The transition from "The End." to "Dead!" is absolutely seamless. "Disenchanted" is also a very good song. But, it's my favorite song on this album that talks about overcoming depression and trying to turn life around.

Favorite track: "Famous Last Words"

1. American Idiot - Green Day

    If you know pretty much anything about my taste in music, you know that this is my favorite album. Why? Because I don't shut up about it. The love I feel for this album is almost insane. The way the songs fit the album's story but also stand perfectly on their own is awesome. This album even got made into a musical which I would very much love to see someday if I somehow get the chance. "American Idiot" is about as iconic as a title track can get. "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is one of the saddest songs to become a hit. "Letterbomb" has some of my favorite lyrics - "it's not over til your underground, it's not over before it's too late". "Holiday" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" are timeless hits. "Jesus of Suburbia" is a long epic of rock that contains a lot of the story, same with "Homecoming", which is my favorite Green Day song. That one even features vocal parts from all three members - not just Billie Joe! Even the bonus tracks are great, and the Broadway cast recording just adds even more to the overall American Idiot experience. It's a little edgy and over-the-top at times, but it's all part of the experience, to give you the story and flesh out the characters.

Favorite track: "Homecoming"