I admit, it’s getting harder for millennials to remember every little detail of the 2000s. We’re now 25 years away from the turn of the century, and a lot has happened since. So many bands and artists have slipped our minds along the way. With a little grace, here are five pop-punk bands from the 2000s that I can’t believe millennials forgot about.
The Ataris
The Ataris were among the pioneering bands who redefined pop punk at the turn of the century. In 1999, their hit “San Dimas High School Football Rules” became an underground hit and a fan favorite. In 2003, the band broke into the mainstream with their fourth album, So Long, Astoria. Their cover of the 80s classic “Boys Of Summer” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.
Cartel
In 2005, Cartel released their debut album, Chroma, with two bold introductory tracks. Running back-to-back, “Say Anything (Else)” and “Honestly” became two of the band’s most well-known hits. The latter peaked at No. 26 on the Pop Airplay chart in 2007. The debut album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.
Four Year Strong
Specializing in easycore, this pop-punk band rubbed elbows with the greatest pop-punk bands in the 2000s. Their 2007 sophomore album, Rise Or Die Trying, became a fan favorite. I remember the purple album cover on many friends’ Myspace pages. Their 2009 follow-up, Explains It All, featured pop-punk and easycore covers of 90s hits, which the band had grown up on. In 2011, the band took a risk and transitioned to a more mature sound. With this, they lost a lot of their earlier fans, abandoning their original addictive easycore style.
Hit The Lights
This Midwestern pop-punk band also specialized in easycore. Their 2006 debut and 2008 follow-up generated many Myspace-friendly tracks, including “Bodybag” and “Drop The Girl”. Hit The Lights also released one of the most successful EPs of the era, Coast To Coast, in 2009. The EP peaked at No. 32 on the US Heatseekers Albums chart.
A Change In Pace
This band’s reign was brief, yet millennials may remember their hit “Weekend Warriors”. Their 2005 debut leaned more into post-hardcore. In 2006, their sophomore album Prepare The Masses saw the band completely embrace their pop-punk side. “Weekend Warriors” is one of the mid-2000s tracks that makes me want to log in to my old Myspace and browse around.
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