Easycore is the genre hybrid of pop-punk (emphasis on the pop) and hardcore. Its roots date back to the early 2000s and it became a genre around 2007, hitting a fever pitch of massive scene kid popularity in the early 2010s. Easycore is beloved by its fans and mocked by people who don’t get it. It’s basically ska for kids who’ve never heard of ska.
Easycore sounds effortless, however, it requires intricate songwriting, solid technical playing, and insanely high production values. The lyrics can be gibberish though. Hell, half the time the singer is belting out straight up pop-punk word salad. And it’s AWESOME.
So put on your best cartoon monster tee, call all your best friends over, and let’s paint this dead-end town neon. We ranked the 10 best Easycore songs. So, hey dudes… are you ready to?
10. City Lights “Hang Out” (2011)
10th place is actually a million-way tie between every song by City Lights, Hit the Lights, Set Your Goals, Knockout Kid, With The Punches, and about 95 other bands. That’s the beauty of Easycore. If you like one band, you like them all! Much like another often-dismissed genre that blends two genres that don’t usually go together: ska.
9. Meet Me @ The Altar “Mapped Out” (2021)
If you saw that one Taco Bell commercial, you definitely kinda know this band. While their newer stuff leans more straightforward pop punk, Meet Me @ The Altar’s “Model Citizen” EP, along with some of their pre-Fueled By Ramen YouTube stuff, dips into Easycore, showing what the genre sounds like in a post-Covid world. This band gets praise primarily for their vocals but the hidden gem of this band is the lead guitar, which is showcased on “Mapped Out.” Also, some people say they might be an industry plant. Don’t care, love the song.
8. The Wonder Years “Bout to Get Fruit Punched, Homie” (2007)
The Wonder Years would go on to lead the Defend Pop Punk genre, but this is where you can hear their early influence on Easycore as well. The DIY production values show what Easycore sounds like in a band’s practice space. It works great for the vibe of the song and highlights the skillful songwriting and composition required to make a great Easycore song. It also shows exactly how little of a fuck you need to care about the lyrics.
7. Farewell “First One On The Blog” (2007)
Hilariously outdated title aside, Farewell was Epitaph’s power-pop band that incorporated elements of Easycore as early as 2007. However, Farewell rarely gets the credit they deserve for having an influence on a lot of the 2010 Easycore bands that rode the wave of the genre’s success. Over time, the genre as a whole got a lot more “easy” and a lot less “core” and Farewell helped lay out the blueprint for that at the very least.
Honorable Mention: Sunrise Skater Kids “Pit Warrior” (2016)
The Sunrise Skater Kids (from Baltimore) are the satirical Pop-Punk/Easycore band from WarpedTuber Jarrod Alonge. The songs may be a joke, which is why this is only an honorable mention, but the music is incredible. Additionally, the lyrics to “Pit Warrior” are fucking hilarious. This song is a true work of satire, unlike the simpler parody route most comedy musicians go. But what would we know about satire? We’re just a music rankings website.
6. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! “In Friends We Trust” (2010)
This song was Easycore’s “Jump the Shark” moment, which is particularly impressive since Easycore itself was already considered a shark-jumping genre. While many Easycore songs’ lyrics were comprised of mashed-up pop-punk tropes and themes, “In Friends We Trust” is a jumbled mix of very specific Easycore tropes and themes. The music video is a house show/party that combines a ton of stereotypes of punk shows and teen movies. It has an uncanny valley feel to it. The video has lots of things you could theoretically see at a show, but stuff you’ve never actually seen at a show in real life. Seriously, who the fuck wears the Scream mask to a show? Half of the Easycore scene in Paris, apparently.
5. A Place in Time “Firehall” (2011)
If you’re into Easycore and you haven’t heard of “A Place in Time” then let us just say, you’re welcome. In the early 2010s, APIT released three EPs that are Easycore staples and even progress the genre a bit as Easycore was starting to become stagnant around this time. The band structures their songs like prog rock and they rarely repeat any part of their songs without making a variation, which is surprisingly perfect for Easycore despite the genre’s tradition of conventionally structured songs. A Place in Time is the perfect band for any Easycore diehards that missed them during their heyday. “Firehall” is about snakey local promoters and how they co-opt the scene for their own benefit. This is a departure from typical Easycore songs, which are usually about how many pop punk buzzwords you can fit into three and a half minutes.
4. The Story So Far “The Things I Can’t Change” (2013)
The Story So Far is not an Easycore band. But they’re also not-not an Eascycore band. TSSF blends elements from a ton of genres to create their own unique sound. And, yes, one of those genres happens to be Easycore. They’re like the Streetlight Manifesto of the genre. This is the Easycore band for you if you like aspects of the genre but find it a little too, “Hey dudes are you ready to?” for your taste.
3. New Found Glory “Hit or Miss” (2000)
The version of “Hit or Miss” from NFG’s self-titled album is considered by many to be the original Easycore song. To the untrained ear, “Hit or Miss” sounds like any other early NFG song. It’s a jump-around pop-punk banger about being sad over a girl. That is until you get to the bridge and hear aggressive guitars, bouncy-yet-pounding drums, and a fucking sub-drop. The sub drop in pop punk and emo deserves its own list but in regards to Easycore, the moment these elements came together in “Hit or Miss,” a genre was born. And much like a newborn child, it didn’t do anything noteworthy for the next seven years.
2. Four Year Strong “It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now” (2009)
Along with A Day to Remember, Four Year Strong are pioneers of the genre. They’re also one of the most popular bands in the world of Easycore, which is a pretty special feat as the top artists in most genres are rarely its early pioneers. Some people may be put off by Easycore’s clashing sounds and influences, but at the end of the day, the genre is all about well-written songs that are performed and produced masterfully. The genre holds a respect for its musical elders and fans will give an opportunity to any new band who put out quality music. It’s a rare and beautiful thing when art is rewarded based on merit, and this rarely occurs outside of ska.
1. A Day to Remember “The Downfall of Us All” (2009)
This might be a perfect song. And not just a perfect Easycore song. Check out Alex Melton’s country version if you don’t believe me. “The Downfall of Us All” didn’t just dominate Easycore; it defined it. Plus, its mainstream crossover appeal was massive and brought a sense of legitimacy to the genre as a whole. Without this song, the genre doesn’t grow. Without this band, the genre doesn’t exist. Without ADTR, every Easycore show would just be Four Year Strong headlining, which FYS probably wouldn’t have minded. I hear 2nd sucks, especially when ADTR is closing.
Photos by Derrick Austinson, Andy Collegian, “krd,” Elekes Andor, and Victoria Morse
“Ghost Stories” is The Lawrence Arms’ second album and the first to feature guitarist Chris McCaughan’s songwriting. While there’s no such thing as a bad TLA record, this one doesn’t always stack up against the rest very well. It has its moments where it shines, like on the only TLA song to be written and sung by drummer Neil Hennessy “106 South” and fan-favorite “Light Breathing (Me And Martha Plimpton In A Fancy Elevator).” Which is funny because I have a recurring nightmare of being stuck on a fancy elevator with Martha Plimpton, but it’s like a mutant Martha and the elevator is actually my middle school. Anyway, the blueprint is here for what the band will become, but it just feels a bit underdeveloped.
The Lawrence Arms’ first album shared many of the same issues as “Ghost Stories.” Which isn’t too surprising, considering they were both written and recorded within a few months of each other. This is the only Larry Limbs album where all the songwriting is done by bassist (
This is where the band really starts to find their footing. Kelly’s songwriting is far more developed, McCaughan begins to lean into his introspective style of songwriting that has since become essential to the band’s sound, and Hennessy’s drumming really begins to shine. While the songwriting feels much more diverse on this album than the previous ones, there still is an occasional feel of “sameness” while listening to the album in its entirety. But hey, maybe that just adds to the “Exhaustion” part of the album name. None of the songs are bad, but few stand out when put in the context of the album. This isn’t helped by the fact that “Your Gravest Words” and “Brick Wall Views,” while both good songs, share a very similar vocal melody for a good portion of their choruses, and only have one song between them in the tracklist.
This album has what psychologists should start referring to as “The Menzingers Effect.” That is to say, despite being 19 when I first heard it, it was already making me regret not having more fun in my 20s. While TLA lyrics aren’t exactly known for their uplifting and optimistic themes, this album takes an especially dark turn, dealing a lot with regret and pessimism for the future. That’s not to say it’s without its fair share of their typical humor. The song “Drunk Tweets” is everything you’d hope from a song with that title. Despite the 8 year gap from their last album to this one, the band proved that they not only hadn’t lost their footing, but still had plenty of room to evolve their sound while still remaining true to what makes The Lawrence Arms sound like The Lawrence Arms.
While compilation albums can’t be included in the main list, I’d be remiss not to mention the beloved “Cocktails & Dreams.” Despite being a B-sides and rarities album, the songs work so well together that it sounds like a studio album, so much so that new fans often think it is on first listen. While the length of the album does cause it to drag a bit at the end, it’s mostly solid all the way through and boasts many fan favorites, including but certainly not limited to “100 Resolutions” and “Quincentuple Your Money” which is not a song that helped me financially in any way. While there are a few songs that don’t offer anything that can’t be found elsewhere in TLA’s discography, the majority of them are must-listens for anyone who’s getting into this band for the first time, or for anyone who thinks they’re cool because they think “Oh! Calcutta!” is the only good TLA album. You’re not, and maybe hearing some of these songs will shut you up.
This album is the reason Fat Mike made a rule that he had to personally approve all album covers that were being released on Fat Wreck Chords, and that alone makes it pretty awesome. The other thing that makes it awesome is that this record finally gives you the dynamic that the band had been working on for a bit now. Kelly’s songs stay driving and punky, while McCaughan leans into his introspective side even more and delivers thoughtful melodies and lyrics that make you regret ending your last relationship. The back and forth between these styles keeps this album, which is loosely made a concept album through an overarching circus theme, chaotic and surprising in the best way possible.
Just like Cocktails & Dreams, I’d be remiss to not include “Buttsweat and Tears.” All five songs on this EP can be considered fan favorites, and “The Slowest Drink at the Saddest Bar on the Snowiest Day in the Greatest City” is one of their most popular songs, and for good reason.
If you’re not in the 49% of fans that are pissed at me for not putting “Greatest Story” at number one, then you’re probably in the 49% of fans that are pissed off at me for not putting this one at number one. If you’re in the other 2%, then you were probably pissed off at me long before either of those anyway. “Oh! Calcutta!” is a near-perfect album from start to finish. It shows off TLA’s high-energy side in a way they never had before and never have since. Rather than have Kelly and McCaughan take lead vocals on their own songs like in their other albums, most of the album is sung as a duet, which helps to further the energy they’re pouring into each song. Its biggest downfall is the production that lets Kelly’s bass lines and McCaughan’s vocals get a bit buried in the mix at points. Not the worst issue in the world, but when getting to the top 3 of one of the most consistently great bands in punk, you have to get a bit nit-picky.
Yeah, that’s right. “Skeleton Coast.” I mean, have you heard “Pigeons and Spies”? This album takes the dynamic that was fully realized in “Greatest Story” and perfects it in a way that makes the album incredibly cohesive while maintaining the dynamic between McCaughan and Kelly’s songs. The instrumentation is their best work yet, the lyrics are the perfect mix of introspective, witty, sarcastic, and the production serves to elevate the album’s well-executed overarching concept of isolation, which made for an unintentionally well-timed release right at the height of quarantine in 2020. This album packs so much imagery in its just-under-35-minute runtime that it feels like it’s just begging to be the soundtrack of a film adaptation to a Cormac McCarthy novel about the end of the world. They may have even been thinking of that while recording it.
Why hello there “Loveless” inspired album art, we see you there. The blue is kinda cute. Kinda sets the tone even at a glance there. That’s right, you’re in for a fair amount of delay on the guitar with this one. It’s still a good album by all means, it’s just a lot like the album that came before it. Seemingly more of a focus on sweet jingly reverbed guitar and more of a dive towards the shoegaze side of the pool. Which makes sense because when this came out you were probably still listening to a lot of Title Fight and there was a bit of that going around back then. For a third album, they’ve at least shown consistency.
This one kinda breaks the rules, but not really. “Dead Horse” was the band’s first full-length debut back in the ancient days of 2009 when you were starting to realize you didn’t quite fit into your tight pants anymore. In the more recent but still distant past of 2019, the band decided to give the album one big birthday party and re-recorded the entire thing and called it “Dead Horse X.” It’s kinda like when they remastered the first few Resident Evil games, really. This album is pretty cool, even if the smell of debut full-length clings to it. The bass is way more thumpy and prominent than anything else they’ve released, so that really stands out about it overall. Besides that, you can really tell the seeds of something cool are planted, but there’s still something missing. (The secret ingredient is that special shoegazey sauce becoming spicier on everything else they do.)
Do you ever get this feeling like you want to be helpful to someone? Like you’d rather be the shoulder to cry on for a change and be that person for someone? Well here’s a real treat of an album for you. Next time that feeling hits you don’t bother reaching out to see if everyone is okay or if anyone needs to talk. Everyone is fine. But right now you need to sit down and listen to everything the lead singer of Touchè Amorè has to get out. It’s gonna get intense at times, but it’s okay – you’ve got this. Luckily you’re there for him and everything is going to be okay. This album is particularly filled with the saddies, so I don’t recommend playing it at parties or near any kind of vulnerable person. But on top of all that, how about some post-rock vibes, huh? That makes it a lot easier to process the painful gut-punching lyrics being shouted at you and taking the air out of your lungs.
This is the only one of these I’ll bother doing. Simply because part of what makes this band is their live show. They don’t hold back ever, all gas – no brakes. So might as well stick this in there because as far as live albums go, this is as good as the next good one. There are a lot of people on this recording who like to show off that they know all the words. They sound like they’re having fun, you’ll have about a 1/8th of the amount of fun they seem to be having by listening to this record.
More of anything? How about just more of everything? The most recent release from this band is quite the showcase of every tool in their belt. A lot of work went into this one, and it shows when you hear all 7 minutes of “Limelight” and crash right into that wall of sound. Not many albums out there have this many hooks you’ll involuntarily sing along to with a bubble in your throat while getting all teary-eyed. It’s real, it’s relatable, the guitar work is best described with a chef’s kiss. Upon first listen it might catch you completely off guard, strap you down to the arms of a chair and give you one big shot in the arm – OF EMOTION. I imagine since this one was released, pits at their shows have a fair amount of sobbing and everyone’s bottom lip is doing the quivering thing with tears in their eyes.
The second full length seems to be where the band collectively had some sort of “a-ha!” Or “eureka” moment and really figured things out. The opening track with a title being a weird little symbol “~” just jumps out at you from around the corner with an obnoxious “HEY, CHECK OUT THIS DOUBLE KICK!” And we all fall for it every time. Wanna clap? Well, you’re gonna. It’s there, and it works. If you’re looking for that sweet spot of sounding sad and angry, you’ll find it here. There was a lot of tough guy stuff coming out around this time, PTSBBAM really stood out because it’s more or less the opposite of that. To say there’s a lack of chest-thumping mentality here is an understatement. If nostalgia plays any factor, you’ll hear this and go back to the olden days of owning an iPhone 4. All of Touchè’s albums are individually great, but this one earns the badge of “Instant Classic”.