By 2004, elements of emo began to invade mainstream rock, blurring the lines between genres. Some 90s bands leaned heavily into this trend, with new young rock bands introducing themselves to the mainstream. Meanwhile, nu-metal also invaded the mainstream, dominating rock charts. Every millennial will remember these rock hits from 2004.
“Breaking The Habit” by Linkin Park
In 2003, Linkin Park brilliantly followed up on their massively successful debut album. Their sophomore album, Meteora, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and generated five hit singles. Three out of those five singles peaked at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart, including “Breaking The Habit”. It was the album’s last single, released on June 14, 2004. In 2004, the music video won the MTV VMA Viewers’ Choice Award and featured animation from the Japanese studio Gonzo.
“Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” by Green Day
No millennial will ever forget Green Day’s early 2000s masterpiece, American Idiot. By then, they had already won our millennials’ hearts with their 1994 album Dookie. In 2004, the band reinvented themselves, releasing a concept rock opera album. “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” was the second single released, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2004.
The full album was released on September 21, 2004, so fans were already familiar with the track when the single dropped. Any millennial will instantly recognize the tremolo guitar effect at the beginning. It’s extremely hard not to hear it in your head at the end of “Holiday”, as one track famously runs into the other on the album.
“The Reason” by Hoobastank
This power ballad is easily the band’s most recognizable song. Hoobastank had already released two hits in 2001, “Crawling In The Dark” and “Running Away”. On their 2003 sophomore album, The Reason, they penned two more hits back-to-back. “Out Of Control”, released on November 4, 2003, peaked at No. 9 on the Alternative Airplay chart.
The album’s title track, “The Reason”, was released as a single on January 26, 2004. It peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Though it wasn’t the band’s first appearance on the Hot 100, it’s their highest-charting hit by far.
“take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand
This Scottish indie rock band penned an addictive hit in early 2004. They brilliantly executed one of the greatest transitions in 2000s rock. They build tension with a fast intro until a tempo change pulls the track back into a dance-punk groove for the rest of the song. Once the song is over, you’ll instinctively want to start it over again. This hit took everyone for a ride in 2004, which is why it peaked at No. 3 on the Alternative Airplay chart.
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