During the heyday of the Myspace era of the mid-to-late 2000s, many bands used the platform to soar in popularity. Some of these bands never maintained their success. Therefore, these Myspace-era emo bands faded into obscurity, and you probably forgot about them.
Hellogoodbye
This band leaned heavily into emo-pop with their 2006 debut release, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! The band used an image of a hand-drawn cartoon monster on the album cover. This sort of imagery was an artistic trend among emo bands and fans in the Myspace era. Their lead single, “Here (In Your Arms)”, peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a common Myspace profile song in 2007. The debut album went to No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart and No. 13 on the Billboard 200.
Following this debut album’s success, the band entered into a lawsuit with their label, Drive-Thru Records. Therefore, their popularity waned by the time they released a follow-up, four years after the debut. The band is still together in 2026, and recently embarked on a 20th anniversary tour for their debut album.
Tokio Hotel
This German band broke through at home before reaching the US. Their first two albums were recorded entirely in German. Tokio Hotel’s third album, Scream, was the band’s US debut that peaked at No. 6 on the US Top Rock Albums chart. Ultimately, the band was much more successful outside the US, primarily in Europe. Their US follow-up, Humanoid, peaked at 11 on the Top Alternative Albums chart in 2009. Tokio Hotel still tours in 2026, with continued success in Europe throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
The band was known for its emo aesthetic image. They’ve since abandoned this image, looking unrecognizable to those who remember their brief US popularity.
Northstar
This second-wave emo band from Huntsville, Alabama, disbanded just before the Myspace era, though their songs were hits on the site. Initially, the band leaned into nu-metal before adapting to the second wave of emo in the late 90s. Their debut, Is Thing Loaded?, was released in 2002. Their 2004 follow-up, Pollyanna, would subsequently be their final album. Though this was their last release, the band penned fan favorites such as “The Pornographer’s Daughter” and “American Living”.
Photo by MJ Kim/MTV/Getty Images
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