100+ Essential Emo Songs: The Hits That Define a Genre

Do you want catchy music that captures all the raw emotions you’re feeling? Then it’s time to blast some of the biggest emo songs of all time! Whether you want to hear classics from the 90s or nostalgic 2000s hits, we’ve got the perfect suggestions of what to listen to next—with exclusive insights from a pop culture commentator. Keep reading our list of our favorite emo songs that you can add to your playlists right now!

Classic Emo Songs to Listen To

Pop culture commentator Corey Andrew says that some of the most iconic emo songs include:

“Welcome to the Black Parade” - My Chemical Romance
“I Miss You” - Blink 182
“Sugar, We’re Goin Down” - Fall Out Boy
“Cute Without the ‘E’” - Taking Back Sunday
“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” - My Chemical Romance

Section 1 of 8:

Popular Emo Songs

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Check out these emo essentials for a crash course on the genre. Emo music started in the 1980s with the band Rites of Spring, and the genre became popular in the alt scene because of the personal and relatable lyrics. Since then, the emo genre has only gotten bigger with each decade. Andrew says that these songs “truly encapsulate teenage trauma, side-swept bangs, and, of course, eyeliner so thick it could survive the apocalypse of teenage angst.”^{[1]
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- “Welcome to the Black Parade” - My Chemical Romance (2006)
  - Andrew says that this song is “basically the national anthem for the reflection of our lives, longing, the inevitability of death, and literally carrying on after all is said and done.” He adds, “If emo had a Super Bowl halftime show? That’s the headliner.”^{[2]
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- “I Miss You” - Blink-182 (2004)
  - "This one is “peak ‘I’m fine’ while absolutely not being fine,” says Andrew. “It’s the song equivalent of staring at your ceiling at 2 am thinking about the person you’re in love with who either just ghosted you or never gave you the time of day to begin with.”^{[3]
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- “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” - Fall Out Boy (2005)
  - Andrew calls this one “mandatory.” He says, “Nobody hears that opening and doesn’t instantly shapeshift back into their most vulnerable, insecure teenage self—back when we were young, naive, and still believed in sappy late-90s rom-com love … before life turned many of us into cynical believers in doomed romance.”^{[4]
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- “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From The Team)” - Taking Back Sunday (2002)
  - This song is “basically the blueprint for chaotic breakup stalker exes’ emo energy,” says Andrew. “It’s built for screaming lyrics into a hairbrush microphone with heartbroken angst while your parents beg you to please keep it down.”^{[5]
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- “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” - My Chemical Romance (2004)
  - Andrew gives this one an honorable mention because “if emo kids had a pledge of allegiance, it would be that chorus.”^{[6]
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- “Ohio is for Lovers”- Hawthorne Heights (2004)
- “Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades” - Brand New (2003)
- “The Anthem” - Good Charlotte (2002)
- “Jesus of Suburbia” - Green Day (2004)
- “Helena” - My Chemical Romance (2004)
- “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” - Panic! At The Disco (2005)
- “Decode” - Paramore (2008)
- “Face Down” - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (2006)
- “Ocean Avenue” - Yellowcard (2003)
- “The Kill (Bury Me)” - Thirty Seconds to Mars (2005)
- “You’re Not Alone” - Saosin (2006)
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Corey Andrew is a pop culture commentator who co-hosts the celebrity gossip podcast “Naughty but Nice.” Corey is also a stand-up comic and songwriter.

Section 2 of 8:

Saddest Emo Songs

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Emo songs are known for deep, personal lyrics that hit right in the feels. Emo artists use their music as a way to express sadness, frustration, anger, heartbreak, and all the emotions in between. Some songs use aggressive and cathartic guitars and drums, but others stick to acoustic guitars and piano for a more somber sound.
- “Miserable at Best” - Mayday Parade (2007)
- “Adam’s Song” - Blink-182 (1999)
- “Complicated” - Avril Lavigne (2002)
- “Perfect” - Simple Plan (2002)
- “I've Given Up On You” - Real Friends (2013)
- “At Your Funeral” - Saves The Day (2001)
- “Screaming Infidelities” - Dashboard Confessional (2001)
- “If I Told You This Was Killing Me, Would You Stop?” - The Juliana Theory (2000)
- “Keep What You Have Built Up Here” - Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) (2009)
- “Existentialism on Prom Night” - Straylight Run (2004)
- “So Long, Astoria” - The Ataris (2003)
- “Calling All Cars” - Senses Fail (2006)
- “Freakish” - Saves the Day (2001)
- “Juneau” - Funeral for a Friend (2003)
- “Mercy Me” - Alkaline Trio (2005)

Section 3 of 8:

Best Emo Love Songs

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Emo songs don’t just have to be sad or angry–they can also be romantic! A lot of emo artists have slower songs that talk about falling in love and being together with someone special. Whether you want a sweet song to send to your emo crush or just want to listen to the softer side of the genre, these songs are the perfect choices.
- “The Only Exception” - Paramore (2009)
- “Fall for You” - Secondhand Serenade (2008)
- “Stolen” - Dashboard Confessional (2006)
- “I Will Follow You into the Dark” - Death Cab for Cutie (2006)
- “Only One” - Yellowcard (2003)
- “Scene One: James Dean and Audrey Hepburn” - Sleeping With Sirens (2012)
- “Hey There Delilah” - Plain White T’s (2005)
- “Promise” - Matchbook Romance (2003)
- “The Best of Me” - The Starting Line (2002)
- “First Day of My Life” - Bright Eyes (2005)
- “The Curse of Curves” - Cute Is What We Aim For (2007)

Section 4 of 8:

Nostalgic 2000s Emo Songs

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These 2000s songs that are right at home on your MySpace profile. The 2000s marked a big change for emo music. Stores like Hot Topic opened their doors, and concerts like Warped Tour showcased new emo bands around the country, so more people were able to find music in the genre. A majority of bands got their start in the 2000s and have only grown in popularity since then.^{[7]
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- “Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off” - Panic! At The Disco (2005)
- “Swing, Swing” - The All-American Rejects (2002)
- “Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy” - Fall Out Boy (2003)
- “I Woke Up in a Car” - Something Corporate (2002)
- “Understanding in a Car Crash” - Thursday (2001)
- “American Hearts” - Piebald (2001)
- “The Recluse” - Cursive (2003)
- “Something That Produces Results” - The Early November (2003)
- “Admit It!!! - Say Anything (2004)
- “Devotion and Desire” - Bayside (2005)
- “A Favor House Atlantic” - Coheed and Cambria (2003)
- “Heart Transplant” - Punchline (2003)
- “Save Me” - Unwritten Law (2005)
- “The Artist In The Ambulance” - Thrice (2003)
- “Everything is Alright” - Motion City Soundtrack (2005)
- “Attention” - The Academy Is… (2005)
- “The Taste of Ink” - The Used (2001)

Section 5 of 8:

Classic 90s Emo Songs

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Check out these influential emo songs to see where the genre started. Even though emo music got its start in the Washington, D.C. area in the 80s, it grew more prominent in the 90s as bands experimented in the genre. These bands added their own twists to emo music that were popular at the time, like heavier punk elements, pop song structures, and grungy production.^{[8]
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- “In Circles” - Sunny Day Real Estate (1994)
- “Across the Sea” - Weezer (1996)
- “Why Did Ever We Meet” - The Promise Ring (1997)
- “Oh Messy Life” - Cap’n Jazz (1995)
- “Holiday” - The Get Up Kids (1999)
- “Gloria” - Mineral (1996)
- “Jinx Removing” - Jawbreaker (1994)
- “Shoulder to the Wheel” - Saves the Day (1999)
- “Copper and Stars” - Planes Mistaken For Stars (1999)
- “Breakfast of Champions” - Rainer Maria (1999)
- “Back And To The Left” - Texas Is The Reason (1996)
- “For Me This is Heaven” - Jimmy Eat World (1999)
- “Never Meant” - American Football (1999)

Section 6 of 8:

Midwest Emo Songs

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Midwest emo has rawer emotions with prettier instrumentals. Midwest emo is a subgenre of emo music that has a lyrical focus on being an outcast or stuck in a small town. Many Midwest emo bands use raw vocals that sound scratchy or out of tune, paired with twinkly or intricate guitar riffs. While bands don’t necessarily have to be from the Midwest to make Midwest emo, a lot of these bands got their start in places like Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, or another central state.^{[9]
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- “Your Graduation” - Modern Baseball (2014)
- “Yer Killin' Me” - Remo Drive (2017)
- “Pine” - Basement (2012)
- “Twin Size Mattress” - The Front Bottoms (2013)
- “Your Deep Rest” - The Hotelier (2014)
- “Daylily” - Movements (2017)
- “Always Focused” - Tiny Moving Parts (2014)
- “Baboon” - This Town Needs Guns (2009)
- “Scott Pilgrim vs. My GPA” - Mom Jeans. (2016)
- “Plane vs. Tank vs. Submarine” - Tigers Jaw (2008)
- “Came Out Swinging” - The Wonder Years (2011)
- “Head In The Ceiling Fan” - Title Fight (2012)

Section 7 of 8:

Screamo Songs

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Screamo bands shout or yell their vocals to make them more emotional. When singing just isn’t enough to capture the emotions in the lyrics, some artists scream them at the top of their lungs. While it got its start in the early to mid-2000s, screamo really took off around the 2010s and became one of the most popular subgenres in the scene. Some bands started to lean more into metal and punk sounds, but many groups kept the original emo influence in their music.
- “What It Is To Burn” - Finch (2002)
- “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White” - Underoath (2004)
- “Emily” - From First To Last (2004)
- “Miss Murder” - AFI (2006)
- “Smile in Your Sleep” - Silverstein (2005)
- “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last A Minute On The Creek” - Chiodos (2005)
- “Wires And The Concept Of Breathing” - A Skylit Drive (2008)
- “Until The Day I Die” - Story of the Year (2003)
- “F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.” - The Fall of Troy (2005)
- “My Darkest Hour” - Scary Kids Scaring Kids (2005)
- “This Could Be Anywhere In The World” - Alexisonfire (2006)
- “Such Small Hands” - La Dispute (2008)
- “Knives and Pens” - Black Veil Brides (2009)
- “If You Can't Hang” - Sleeping With Sirens (2011)
- “King for a Day” - Pierce the Veil feat. Kellin Quinn (2012)

Section 8 of 8:

Emo Karaoke Songs

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Sing along to these catchy emo songs that everyone knows. If you want to bring a little emo edge to your next karaoke night, there are tons of popular songs that can get everyone singing with you. Jam out to one of these emo radio classics, and it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
- “The Middle” - Jimmy Eat World (2001)
- “Dirty Little Secret” - The All-American Rejects (2005)
- “Welcome to My Life” - Simple Plan (2004)
- “The Great Escape” - Boys Like Girls (2006)
- “Shake It” - Metro Station (2007)
- “Dear Maria, Count Me In” - All Time Low (2007)
- “Check Yes Juliet” - We The Kings (2007)
- “Misery Business” - Paramore (2007)
- “Bring Me To Life” - Evanescence (2003)
- “Thnks fr th Mmrs” - Fall Out Boy (2007)
- “MakeDamnSure” - Taking Back Sunday (2006)