Keep 4, Cut 4: Eight Emo Bands That Defined the 2000s

By the late 90s, emo had climbed through the ranks of alternative music. In the early 2000s, emo broke into the mainstream and helped define the decade. There’s a game called Keep 4 Cut 4, where people list off eight options, and you have to keep 4 and cut 4. I’ve compiled the eight most defining bands of the era, and I’m going to attempt to keep 4 and cut 4. I’ll leave bias aside and decide based on their ultimate impact on the entire decade.

My Chemical Romance

Keep. We’ll get it out of the way right out of the gate. My Chemical Romance is arguably one of the most defining bands of the entire decade, let alone just in the emo category. To this day, they remain at the top of the emo mountain, selling out arenas across the country on the 20th anniversary tour celebrating The Black Parade.

Fall Out Boy

Keep. Fall Out Boy is among the most defining bands of the decade as well. Not only did they pen emo and pop-punk anthems early on but also the band continued to grow as time went on. They brilliantly grew with the fans and remain among the top dogs of the music industry to this day. They’re currently teasing a major US tour in 2027 that is sure to be a hot ticket.

The Used

Cut. It’s not that they don’t belong in the top eight; it’s just that I don’t believe they had a cultural impact when compared to others. That doesn’t discount their contributions to the third wave of emo, but I wouldn’t say they possess mass appeal like others who will be named.

Hawthorne Heights

Cut, and basically the same answer as above. Personally, I have a soft spot for Hawthorne Heights because they were one of the first emo bands I discovered. Still, I don’t think they had nearly as many defining hits as other groups of the time.

Paramore

This is an easy answer. Keep. Hayley Williams is among the most iconic figures of the 2000s. She is widely recognizable and has one of the most distinct voices of the decade. She is the Stevie Nicks of our generation and continues to be an icon.

Jimmy Eat World

This pains me to say. Cut. Their impact on the early 2000s is undeniable. They bridged the gap between the second wave of emo in the 90s and the third wave of the early 2000s. Still, they’re up against some heavy hitters of the decade. Putting aside my personal feelings, I have to cut them.

Panic! At The Disco

I know this may be the hottest take, but I’m going to cut. Their debut, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, is one of the main albums to break emo in to the mainstream. If I’m being entirely honest, their musical shift to Pretty. Odd is why I’m cutting them. They abandoned their emo angst and created a traditional rock ‘n’ roll masterpiece. Pretty. Odd is one of the greatest albums of the decade. But it’s hardly emo, and it’s a stretch to believe it is. Therefore, we have one main album to contend with here.

Taking Back Sunday

In a reversal of reasoning, I’m keeping Taking Back Sunday based on their string of defining emo albums throughout the decade. Not only was their 2002 debut, Tell All Your Friends, massively impactful on the third wave of emo, but their follow-up, Where You Want To Be, was as well. Their 2006 third album, Louder Now, is among the most successful emo releases of the decade. They successfully followed up with New Again in 2009, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and competing the decade with four hit records consecutively.

Deciding on some of these had me sweating, but that’s the fun of Keep 4 Cut 4.

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