Who’s excited to see pop punk band Mayday Parade live at Rockiss Festival 2019? Formed in 2006, the band made a name for themselves with their first EP, “Tales Told By Dead Friends” but it was first full-length album that truly cemented their name in the world of pop punk. To this day, “A Lesson In Romantics” is still regarded as one of the greatest pop punk and emo-pop releases of all time despite making its debut in 2007.
With that being said, perhaps it’s time for a walk down memory lane. Mayday Parade has come a long way in terms of their sound since and what better way to wrap it all up for your convenience? Here’s our list of top 10 best Mayday Parade songs to check out in time for their show!
10. “Piece of Your Heart” (“Sunnyland”, 2018)
The title track from their latest release, “Piece Of Your Heart” is a classic Mayday Parade release. Pulling at all the right heartstrings, Mayday Parade successfully captured the essence of emotional honesty that they do so well. “Sunnyland” is the perfect comeback album, reminding all of us that they never truly left.
9. “All On Me” (“Black Lines”, 2015)
“Black Lines” was a curious album for the band. It was them trying to experiment with their sound, playing with darker themes and different genres, often catching us off-guard with certain tracks. Though perhaps “Hollow” was the most notable jump in genre (giving us a pure angsty sound that is reminiscent of the early 2000s alternative rock bands like Brand New), “All On Me” is what aptly balances Mayday Parade’s original colour and the new stripes of black they’ve dipped themselves in.
8. “Last Night For A Table Of Two” (“Monsters In The Closet”, 2013)
Despite earning the title of being “what emotions sound like”, Mayday Parade does a decent job when it comes to being a rock band. “Last Night” does exactly that, with its heavy guitar riffs and group harmonies in the chorus that send chills down our spines.
7. “Amber Lynn” (“Valdosta” EP, 2009)
For an EP, “Amber Lynn” has a surprising amount of fame considering how it could have been an obscure release. One of Mayday Parade’s more acoustic numbers, it gradually turned into a crowd favourite to sing along to at concerts.
6. “Three Cheers For Five Years” (“Tales Told By Dead Friends”, 2006)
Ah, the beginning. “Three Cheers” was essentially the reason why most of us had “Another night, another dream wasted on you” as permanently embedded into our Myspace profiles… or scribbled onto our skin with Sharpie ink. The raw, emotional factor was what truly captured everyone’s attention with this release, and true enough got the right crowd excited for Mayday Parade’s full album.
5. “I Swear This Time I Mean It” (“Anywhere But Here”, 2009)
As we move into the Top 5 of the list, we get into the good stuff. Out of all of Mayday Parade’s acoustic stuff, it’s this song that probably got us the best (and was the culprit behind all those guitar lessons when we were 15). Written in the sweetest way possible, “I Swear This Time I Mean It” is the lullaby every high school couple wanted to serenade each other with. The natural dreamy factor of the lyrics adds to the fantasy as well, truly making it feel like the perfect teen movie soundtrack.
4. “Oh Well, Oh Well” (Mayday Parade, 2012)
The opening track to their self titled album begun on a seemingly happy note, but “Oh Well, Oh Well” packs punches we never expected. What started as an honest, heartfelt remark was actually bitterness with a twist (particularly evident in the line, “Oh well, oh well, guess I’ll see you in hell!”)
3. “Jamie All Over” (“A Lesson In Romantics”, 2007)
Disarming you from the very start with such raw vocals, “Jaime All Over” is arguably one of Mayday Parade’s best songs. For many, it was the first introduction to the band–considering how it’s the first track off their debut full-length album. What makes the song particularly notable is what later became Mayday Parade’s trademark sound— the emotions invested in it. The song itself just fills you with that naive hope that as a teen that you’d just function on. It’s the thrill of not knowing to expect, and being in the best years of your life.
2. “Stay” (“Mayday Parade”, 2012)
Mayday Parade’s self-titled album had the quality that none of us truly expected. It was very hard to live up to “Romantics”, especially considering how they peaked with their first release. With that being said, their self-titled album comes pretty damn close. “Stay” especially, feels like a movie with the progression of the song changing up from start to finish. Complete with an exposition, rising action, climax, and all— it’s hard to believe that the track is only a mere 3 minutes and 35 seconds long!
1. “Miserable At Best” (“A Lesson In Romantics”, 2007)
And of course, we saved the best for last. Mayday Parade are infamous for their genre of emo pop which stemmed from this track, aka the heartbreak anthem for emos everywhere. “Miserable At Best” tells the tale of a heartbroken boy who is forced to end his relationship, and struggles to let go of it despite the circumstances. The perspective of the song is written in such a human way that it’s no surprise that it resonated so well with all of us as teenagers. Besides, who didn’t cry when they hit us with that line of, “I can live without you but without you I’d be miserable at best?”
Which songs are you most excited to see Mayday Parade perform this weekend? Catch them live in the flesh, throwing it back to the emo days on 28th of April at Rockiss Festival in Taylors University!
