10 pop-punk albums from 2003 still better than pop punk today

Blink-182 – Blink-182

After Tom DeLonge pissed off Mark Hoppus by having Travis Barker drum on the sole Box Car Racer LP, the trio pulled together and created their fifth full-length album. Despite underselling their previous LP, Take Off Your Pants And Jacket, in its first week, their self-titled effort still moved over 300,000 units and has since been certified Platinum in countries around the world.

MxPx – Before Everything & After

Members of Good Charlotte, New Found Glory and the Ataris all contributed in some way to MxPx’s sixth full-length, Before Everything & After. It debuted at No. 51 on the Billboard Top 200 and remains the band’s highest-charting first-week album. “Play It Loud” in not only one of the many jams on this record, but also serves as instructions for listening.

Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue

Who knew pop punk and violin could sound so good together? Well, Yellowcard did, and after the release of Ocean Avenue, so did the rest of the world. The band’s fourth studio album—and major-label debut—cemented them into the pop- punk history books. Just listen to the title track and try to not sing along.

Motion City Soundtrack – I Am The Movie

“I'm on fire, and now I think I'm ready to bust a move” croons a young Justin Pierre at the beginning of Motion City Soundtrack’s classic hit, “The Future Freaks Me Out.” If only they knew the amount of success they would garner over the next decade.

Spitalfield – Remember Right Now

Chicago’s  Spitalfield released their sophomore LP, Remember Right Now, on Victory Records in 2003. From start to finish, the record features a great deal of underrated pop-punk gems. “I Loved The Way She Said L.A.” is a good starting point for first-time listeners.

The All-American Rejects – The All-American Rejects

The All-American Rejects catapulted themselves into the mainstream world with their debut self-titled LP. Notable tracks include “Swing, Swing,” “My Paper Heart,” “The Last Song” and “Time Stands Still,” among others.

Mest – Mest

Mest released their self-titled studio album in 2003. It debuted at No. 64 on the Billboard Top 200. The LP’s hit single, “Jaded (These Years),” features Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden and regularly played on MTV. But there were plenty of other jams including “Rooftops,” “2000 Miles” and “Lost, Broken, Confused.” Oh yeah, did we mention it was produced by John Feldmann?

Relient K – Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right… But Three Do

Relient K’s Grammy-nominated third album, Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right… But Three Do, is commonly overlooked because of its placement in the band’s discography timeline. It followed 2001’s The Anatomy Of Tongue And Cheek (“Sadie Hawkins Dance,” “Pressing On”) and preceded 2004’s MmHmm (“Be My Escape,” “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been,”). Regardless, there are some serious jams on Two Lefts… “Mood Rings,” “Forward Motion” and “College Kids” have a place on any pop-punk playlist.

The Ataris – So Long, Astoria

Indiana natives the Ataris placed themselves into the mainstream market with 2003’s So Long, Astoria. Singles “In This Diary” and “The Saddest Song” gained some attention, but their most notable moment came in the form of a cover of Don Henley’s (Eagles drummer) “The Boys Of Summer.”

Fall Out Boy – Take This To Your Grave

Few bands can ever boast about their debut album. For Fall Out Boy, not only can they brag: They can say they defined an entire genre. (Not that they ever would, though. They’re humble and Midwestern like that.) Take This To Your Grave is where it all started for Fall Out Boy. Their singles “Dead On Arrival” and “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy” put them on the map, while deeper cuts such as “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago” and “Reinventing The Wheel To Run Myself Over” solidified their presence in pop punk and beyond.