45 of the best emo songs ever written

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Emo is, notoriously, a tricky thing to define. It spans genres, cultures, and hundreds of songs over 35 years. When putting together this list of 45 of the best emo songs, we’ve stuck to a couple of simple rules: firstly, they’re pretty much all from the 00s. Secondly, if it was associated with emo during that era in any way, it counts, even if it wasn’t intending to be lumped in with everything else. That means some people might categorise some entries as pop punk, post-hardcore, or even indie, but they were also at a time classified as emo, so it counts.

If you’re just at this point in the long-building revival dipping your toe into your adolescence, this list will hopefully function as a good starting point. There’s a playlist of all of the songs at the bottom, too. Is it sad songs you’re after? We have those too. Or maybe you’re looking for the best albums of 2022?

1. ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ – My Chemical Romance

Maybe an obvious shout, but there is nothing that encapsulates mid-00s emo more than this song, Gerard Way’s ‘Revenge’-era make-up, and the vaguely Heathers inspired music video.

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Most emo line: I’m not okay/I’m not okay/well, I’m not okay/I’m not o-fucking-kay

2. ‘Lover I Don’t Have to Love’ – Bright Eyes

All of Conor Oberst’s back catalogue is created purely to cry to, but ‘Lover I Don’t Have to Love’ wins for its breathy, overwrought storytelling and an iconic feature on The O.C.

Most emo line: Love’s an excuse to get hurt/and to hurt/”Do you like to hurt?”/”I do! I do!”

3. ‘A Little Less Sixteen Candles – A Little More “Touch Me”‘, Fall Out Boy

It’s hard choosing a top 10 Fall Out Boy track, but ‘Sixteen Candles’ has all the tongue-in-cheek bitterness and an ambitious vampire-themed music video while going very hard. 

Most emo line: I don’t blame you for being you/but you can’t blame me for hating it

4. ‘Emily’ – From First to Last

Unusually mellow for From First to Last, ‘Emily’ is a melodramatic, acoustic rumination on love and one that 90% of emo boys sent to girls who were not called Emily in the mid-00s.

Most emo line: ‘Cause thunderstorms could never stop me/’cause there’s no one in the world like Emily

5. ‘Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)’ – Taking Back Sunday

The entirety of 2002’s ‘Tell All Your Friends’ deserves a look-in, but ‘Cute Without the ‘E’’ wins for A) going straight in and B) its vicious, melodramatic approach to infidelity.

Most emo line: I will never ask if you don’t ever tell me/I know you well enough to know you never loved me

6. ‘The Middle’ – Jimmy Eat World

All the best emo bands have a “feeling left out” anthem, and maybe it’s second wave legends Jimmy Eat World who are partly (mostly) responsible, but ‘The Middle’ is still the best one.

Most emo line: Hey, you know they’re all the same/you know you’re doing better on your own, so don’t buy in 

7. ‘The Taste of Ink’ – The Used

The Used’s 2002 self-titled album is full of contenders, but ‘The Taste of Ink’ wins, purely because its lack of instrumental intro makes it the perfect Myspace song.

Most emo line: Couldn’t take this town much longer/being half dead wasn’t what I planned to be

8. ‘Transatlanticism’ – Death Cab For Cutie

Where would emo be without Ben Gibbard? ‘Transatlanticism’ is still an anthem of desperate longing and well worth defying your short attention span to spend almost eight minutes with.

Most emo line: I need you so much closer [x8]

9. ‘Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off’ – Panic! at the Disco

Sure ‘I Write Sins’ is the obvious choice, but ‘Lying’ has all of the hallmarks of a truly great emo song: misplaced horniness, jealousy, and a vaguely vengeful vibe. 

Most emo line: I’ve got more wit, a better kiss, a hotter touch, a better fuck/than any boy you’ll ever meet, sweetie, you had me

10. ‘The Only Exception’ – Paramore

Paramore’s Hayley Williams has a lot of iconic songs under her belt, but perhaps none more than ‘The Only Exception’, a raw, honest acoustic track that was released when she was just 21.

Most emo line: And up until now I have sworn to myself/that I’m content with loneliness

11. ‘Dirty Little Secret’ – All-American Rejects 

A vaguely threatening, upbeat song about infidelity that still goes off.

Most emo line: I’ll keep you my dirty little secret/don’t tell anyone or you’ll be just another regret

12. ‘Beating Heart Baby’ – Head Automatica

In which multi-faceted king Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw fame turns his talent to electronic emo bops.

Most emo line: Girl, you gotta get away from me/’cause you want nothing to do with me

13. ‘L.G. Fuad’ – Motion City Soundtrack

“Let’s get fucked up and die” is a catchy line, but the rest of the lyrics are literal poetry. 

Most emo line: I’m a mess, I’m a wreck/I am perfect, and I have learned to accept all my problems and shortcomings/’cause I am so visceral, yet deeply inept

14. ‘The Best of Me’ – The Starting Line

It’s rare that an emo song actually sounds as romantically optimistic as this one.

Most emo line: We got older but we’re still young/we never grew out of this feeling that we won’t give up

15. ‘Note to Self’ – From First to Last

Before Skrillex was Skrillex he was Sonny Moore, a 16-year-old with a lot of talent and a lot of feelings.

Most emo line: Note to self: I miss you terribly/this is what we call a tragedy

16. ‘Letters To You’ – Finch

Released at a time when Finch were post-hardcore royalty, ‘Letters To You’ helped earn them that crown. 

Most emo line: I’m not sleeping and you’re not here/the thought stops my heart

17. ‘Juneau’ – Funeral For a Friend

Probably one of the best uses of repetition in an emo song of all time. 

Most emo line: Tied to the testing of wills, where my heart breaks and spills

18. ‘Ohio is for Lovers’ – Hawthorne Heights

A recent comment on this video reads, “man, depression was just better in the 2000s”, and I agree.

Most emo line: So cut my wrists and black my eyes/so I can fall asleep tonight, or die

19.  ‘Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down’ – Fall Out Boy

Fun fact: allegedly, Patrick Stump slurred his words on ‘Sugar’ to make the lyrics sound better.

Most emo line: I’m just a notch in your bedpost/but you’re just a line in a song

20. ‘Such Great Heights’ – The Postal Service

Not content with Death Cab, king of heartbreak Ben Gibbard shows up to add electronic music to the feelings.

Most emo line: It’s thoughts like this that catch/my troubled head when you’re away/when I am missing you to death

21. ‘This Year’s Most Open Heartbreak’ – Funeral For a Friend

Probably the most emo song title of all time.

Most emo line: Suicide to kiss your kids goodnight/will you take from them, what they’ve taken from you

22. ‘Stare at the Sun’ –Thrice

Another post-hardcore track controversially labelled as emo, it has all the helplessness and metaphor of the best.

Most emo line: a shrine or stone I haven’t kissed/a scar that never graced my wrist/a mirror that hasn’t met my fist

23. ‘At Your Funeral – Saves The Day

Saves the Day were monumental to second and third wave emo, and 2001’s ‘At Your Funeral’ is a landmark.

Most emo line: I’d offer you my hand it would hurt too much to watch you die

24. ‘Smile in Your Sleep’ – Silverstein

Post-hardcore and emo have more overlap than most bands would like to believe, and the entirety of Discovering the Waterfront serves as evidence.

Most emo line: And all the times you promised me that/everything would work out in the end, you were gravely mistaken

25. ‘Roses For the Dead’ – Funeral For a Friend

A rare emo song about genuine grief, ‘Roses For the Dead’ sees Matt Davies examining his feelings in the wake of the death of two close friends.

Most emo line: Wasting the hours now/we’re all suckers for tragedies


READ MORE: 45 OF THE SADDEST SONGS EVER WRITTEN


26. ‘Konstantine’ – Something Corporate

The direct reference to Jimmy Eat World’s 1999 ‘For Me This is Heaven’ sees Something Corporate really doubling down.

Most emo line: It’s to Jimmy Eat World/and those nights in my car/but this time I’m alone/and I don’t see those stars

27. ‘That’s What You Get’ – Paramore

‘That’s What You Get’, from 2007’s ‘Riot‘! is a fun, poppy song that shows Paramore at their high-energy best.

Most emo line: I drowned out all my sense with the sound of its beating/and that’s what you get when you let your heart win

28. ‘Understanding (In a Car Crash)’ – Thursday

Car crashes are an emo staple, and maybe we have this iconic track by post-hardcore band Thursday to thank.

Most emo line: I don’t want to feel this way forever/a dead letter marked return to sender

29. ‘Calling All Cars’ – Senses Fail

If you want to feel old, remember that ‘Calling All Cars’ was launched for streaming via AOL Radio.

Most emo line: So will you scatter my ashes where they won’t be found?/I kept my word when I swore that I would let you down

30. ‘Thank You For the Venom’ – My Chemical Romance

‘Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge’ did not need to do that on every single track, but it did, and we are grateful.

Most emo line: So give me all your poison/and give me all your pills/and give me all your hopeless hearts/and make me ill

31. ‘So Long, Astoria’ – The Ataris

Adolescent throwbacks by people in their mid-20s are a cornerstone of emo, and this extended Goonies reference is no exception.

Most emo line: Life is only as good as the memories we make/and I’m taking back what belongs to me

32. ‘Ocean Avenue’ – Yellowcard

A very earnest, almost sweet early emo song about teen love and getting out of your hometown.

Most emo line: If I could find you now things would get better/we could leave this town and run forever

33. ‘MakeDamnSure’ – Taking Back Sunday

This goes hard in its own right, but Adam Lazzara’s dance moves in the video sealed the deal.

Most emo line: I just wanna break you down so badly/in the worst way

34. ‘Hands Down’ – Dashboard Confessional

Originally recorded as an acoustic track… is there anything more emo than that?

Most emo line: My hopes are so high/that your kiss might kill me/so won’t you kill me/so I die happy

35. ‘The Recluse’ – Cursive

Released on Saddle Creek of Bright Eyes fame, ‘The Recluse’ seems like a fitting social distancing soundtrack.

Most emo line: But maybe I don’t want to finish anything anymore/maybe I can wait in bed ’til she comes home

36. ‘Thnks fr th Mmrs’ – Fall Out Boy

A bitter, vengeful ode to ex-lovers as only Fall Out Boy do best – and with a Kim K. Kameo!

Most emo line: Thanks for the memories/even though they weren’t so great/”he tastes like you only sweeter”

37. ‘A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White’ – Underoath

Heavier than most, formerly Christian band Underoath are hard to pin down, but this track has all the drama of screamo.

Most emo line: I never thought we’d make it out alive/I never told you but it’s all in your goodbyes

38. ‘Attention’ – The Academy Is…

Attention: Pete Wentz’s Decaydance protégé Will Beckett rarely gets as much of it as he deserves. 

Most emo line: Oh, did I mention when I see you it stings like hell? To the fact that we could have something that’ll never happen

39. ‘Just Until Sundown’ – Further Seems Forever

Before there was Dashboard Confessional, there was Chris Carrabba’s early emo project, Further Seems Forever, to break your heart.

Most emo line: Blaming this all on my views/blaming the mood of the music/blaming it all on you

40. ‘Something That Produces Results’ – The Early November

Opening with the chorus is a bold move, and one that only makes this song go harder.

Most emo line: It takes a lot to make the end/it takes a lot of smart thinking

41. ‘Blue and Yellow’ – The Used

One from their standout debut album, this song deals with the drawbacks of working with your friends.

Most emo line: Should’ve said something but I’ve said it enough/by the way my words were faded/rather waste my time with you

42. ‘Until the Day I Die’ – Story of the Year

It’s a little dramatic, sure, but it definitely gets his point across.

Most emo line: But if you died right now/you know that I’d die to/I’d die too

43. ‘If I Told You This Was Killing Me, Would You Stop?’ – The Juliana Theory

An early contender for most spiteful lyrical emo clichés in one single song.

Most emo line: Listen, here’s the clever one who speaks before his thoughts are done

44. ‘Face Down’ – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ biggest song is also the least misogynistic pop punk/emo song of all time.

Most emo line: One day this world’s gonna end/as your lies crumble down, a new life she has found

45. ‘Existentialism on Prom Night’ – Straylight Run

John Nolan, formerly (and currently) of Taking Back Sunday is responsible for a lot of tears.

Most emo line: Sing like you think no one’s listening/you would kill for this/just a little bit

For all your emo needs, here’s a playlist of all the songs.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7iHAeaIzDsB5WZft69tX5m?si=wE3KxVpnT_6iWDyslxjvxg

Did we miss your favourite song? Let us know in the comments below.

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41 COMMENTS

  1. Dud you guys look at any 4th wave emo bands? I think bands like Modern Baseball and Tiny Moving Parts have some excellent emo songs (just listen to Holy Ghost it’s a masterclass emo rock album)

  2. Top emo songs without a single Sunny Day Real Estate, American Football, Promise Ring, or Cap’n Jazz song? C’mon…

  3. having black makeup and having a guitar in your song doesnt make it emo. none of these songs are real emo, just commercial emo that hot topic kids listen to. where is anything from the kinsella brothers, algernon cadwallader, snowing, twiabp, etc.

  4. This is thee worst “best emo song list” EVER! Like Good Charlotte -” Hold on” should have definitely been in there ( just had to point that out) but some of these song are inspirational songs. Like hell, Fall out Boy’s – “Sugar, we’re going down” is about masterbation for God’s sake ? like whoever wrote this article seriously doesn’t know the difference between emo and their ass ?

  5. Hawthorne Heights- “Ohio is for lovers” Is the one I can just mainly concur with with…that song is like a emo anthem

  6. Amazing. Not a single emo song on the list. A shit ton of really horrible pop songs, some bad post hardcore songs, and some unlistenable crap at best. Sorry folks, but emo came in 1985 and went by 1987.

  7. They are missing some major stuff here, but I will say that I was shocked some of my favorite and most repeated songs that I thought were a bit on the underground side were here. I didn’t know anyone else on earth knew about head automatica. I used to listen to “Beating hearts baby” on the school bus and stare out the window torturing myself over my crush who didn’t know I existed. I’ve listened to “such great heights” so many times it’s ridiculous, and even recently. I’ve seen the Used in concert more times than any other band, so I would probably not call these their best by any means, but I do love those songs. MCR is an absolute legend, and I am glad they got number one on the list, but again, probably most popular song, but not their best. I could go on and on, but anyway, sucks not to see pierce the veil here. I wasn’t a fan back in the day, but I found them in the last few years and I really love them. Thanks for reading and stay emo! Lol

  8. This is absolutely the worst “best of” list ever created. Almost none of the songs on here are actually emo. Putting a disclaimer at the beginning that says you can’t define emo probably means you shouldn’t be creating this list. Pure garbage.

  9. Omg “beating heart baby” by head automatica was my song on my myspace page! Lol #hellaold

  10. This is all just pop emo from the last 2000, like post 2006. No Brand New? How? I’m going to guess the writer of this list is under the age of 33. I can tell because the best bands were over looked and the good bands that made the list are from there sell out albums.

  11. Some decent picks but damn, have y’all ever listened to anything on Initial Records, or Equal Vision? Or like Embrace, Jets To Brazil, or any early emo? Some of these pick are disturbing.

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