Orem, Utah’s The Used formed in 2000, and set the tone for much of the early-aughts Myspace era of rock with their 2002 self-titled LP. While we will get to that record later and its possibly predictable ranking in this sterling piece, we want to let you know that yes, they have more than two studio albums, in fact, they have NINE, who knew? Lastly, another thing for you forever unhappy and bitter readers, please don’t bitch about how we royally screwed up what specific track is mentioned in the “skip it” section, the literal thoughts of tarnished hope, as we legally have to notate one for the majority of the records in these ranking articles that you love to hate. Kinda funny. Just simply enjoy this album ranking from least to best for the four-piece while we drink and dance the night away.
9. The Canyon (2017)
The Used’s seventh record “The Canyon” is almost universally known by the group’s fans as a meh and way-too-long misstep for the band, but 2017 itself had a huge gaffe and was doomed from the start being that it was Trump’s first year as President of the United States, which seems to have really worked out for him. Anyway, this is The Used’s sole effort produced by nu-metal paladin Ross Robinson, the record doesn’t get repeated spins over and over again, but it still has some solid tunes.
Play it again: “For You”
Skip it: “Moving The Mountain (Odysseus Surrenders)”
8. Vulnerable (2012)
2012’s “Vulnerable,” The Used’s fifth studio album, is the band’s first non-major label LP effort and hit stores almost exactly ten years after the four-piece’s breakout debut. While it is (wait for it, wait for it) a VULNERABLE-in-the-best-way overall listen, and “I Come Alive” is a hell of an opening track, the remaining eleven songs sadly aren’t in the same league overall, and provided the act with less of a chance to shine. It’s hard for any band with such an expansive catalog to consistently wow everyone, but “This Fire” and “Now That You’re Dead” are both literal bangers and silver medal song entries even though, as Ricky Bobby said in a different fashion, “Second place is the first loser.” Still, you should check both of those tracks out again, and immediately thereafter shake/bake!
Play it again: “I Come Alive”
Skip it: “Getting Over You”
7. Imaginary Enemy (2014)
Real talk that may cause force without violence: “Cry” is the band’s best post-major label single from 2010-the present day, and we’re not taking any further questions on the matter, as our love is not a battle, it’s a ticking time bomb. Yeah. 2014’s “Imaginary Enemy” is The Used’s best Hopeless Records release, and despite the fact that you didn’t realize that the band had a song newer than 2004’s “All That I Got,” it even charted at number one on the Independent albums chart. That’s not make believe! Said stat probably caught you off guard as you’re so deep. In closing, this album is also longtime guitarist Quinn Allman’s last with the band.
Play it again: “Cry”
Skip it: “El-Oh-Vee-Ee”
6. Toxic Positivity (2023)
This album from The Used definitely has the band’s best LP title and album cover. “Toxic Positivity” has a solid flow front-to-back and features a diverse array of tones and textures throughout its eleven fruitful tracks. Speaking of the word “fruitful,” there’s nothing toxic about cherries unless you’re allergic to them. The prior sentence makes sense (as well as so many other brilliant ones here) if you deep dive into the band’s colorful catalog, which is so much more than strictly blue and yellow. Sky. Pee. Toxic positivity. Easter eggs are great for our headspace. Anyway, this album is the band’s shortest full-length, with no individual song being longer than three-minutes and thirty-five seconds, so if a particular tune offends you, and we know that at least one or more will for you punk rockers, you can make it through the rest quite quickly instead of giving up.
Play it again: “Giving Up”
Skip it: “Dancing with a Brick Wall”
5. Heartwork (2020)
There were two eras of the early part of the pandemic (or plandemic if you nasty): The oft-forgotten-like-his-character-in-“Castaway” Tom Hanks’ self-quarantine period in Daniel Johns’ Australia, where The Used vocalist Bert McCracken currently resides, and the impossible-to-erase-from-your-mind-no-matter-how-hard-you-try rise of Netflix’s incomparable sleeper hit “The Tiger King’.’ 2020’s “Heartwork,” the band’s best non-major label release, was released shortly after the big, wanna-be Joe Exotic’s original “country” music caused the internet to have a permanent bloody nose from the metaphorical accident known as his two LPs. What a weird time to be alive! In closing, “Heartwork” is current guitarist Joey Bradford’s debut effort with the band, and the four-piece’s first for label Big Noise.
Play it again: “Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton”
Skip it: “My Cocoon”
4. Artwork (2009)
Fun fact: The band originally wanted to work with Weezer’s extremely lovable/hateable/revered/doomed frontman Rivers Cuomo on their fourth album “Artwork,” but ended up not exactly settling with platinum-and-then-some-producer Matt Squire for this one, the band’s first non-John Feldmann production effort. This eleven-song record is without question the band’s best sans Feldy, and their most underrated body of work altogether. Sadly, it seems that this album’s then-label Reprise Records showcased that they were born to quit just as the album cycle started, as the band had a chance to release only one single from “Artwork” before the suits quietly gave up on the other ten songs and the entire LP as a whole. We suppose that the relationship between Reprise and The Used was meant to die a short and painless death after a lucrative run, but there will be forever blood on the hands of the conglomerate label. You cigar-toting bigwigs with no semblance of taste know who you are!
Play it again: “Men Are All The Same” EVEN THOUGH ACCORDING TO PUBLIC SETLISTS THE BAND MAY NOT HAVE EVER PLAYED THIS ONE LIVE
Skip it: “Watered Down” BECAUSE ACCORDING TO PUBLIC SETLISTS THE BAND MAY NOT HAVE EVER PLAYED THIS ONE LIVE
3. In Love and Death (2004)
Lunacy fringe from us: For the next three LPs listed, we don’t recommend skipping ANY tracks, so read on, loser. The Used’s second album “In Love and Death” is their biggest seller to date, but it’s set in stone in the bronze medal spot here, and could stay a while. If you feel differently, your opinion is wrong. That blunt posit wasn’t hard to say, and moving forward, you need to update yesterday’s feelings with more quality control. Anyway, if you were at a tour date for this record in the fall of 2004 with The Bronx, Head Automatica, and Atreyu opening like we were, you were both on the right side of the bed and history. This frenetic-in-the-best-way album was eventually reissued with an Adam Lambert feature on a My Chemical Romance cover with Bert Bowie, but smart and astute readers like you already knew that.
Play it again: “Listening”
Skip it: If you skip any, our love for you will turn into your death
2. Lies for the Liars (2007)
This one’s a ripper: 2007’s “Lies for the Liars,” The Used’s third studio record and first without current Rancid drummer Branden Steineckert, is a extremely diverse and beyond solid introduction to the band for those who missed the first two LPs for whatever reason and/or were born after Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson. We stand by our 100% factual opinion that this record is their second most underrated just after its follow-up “Artwork,” and hope to find a way for you to feel exactly the same about this non-subjective point of possible but unjustified contention. The record sounds like it utilized the biggest budget allotted to the band over the course of its twenty-plus year career in the best way, as it sounds HUGE AF and so, so lush. The four-piece pulled out all the stops on this one, that’s for sure! Time has been kind to this album as it still holds up like the next-to-be-mentioned AND kills.
Play it again: “Hospital”
Skip it: We’re not fibbing by reminding you that nothing should be skipped here either
1. Self-Titled (2002)
A post-9/11 concert trump card was witnessing The Used open for H2O as direct support and Box Car Racer in the headlining slot on their only fully national tour. If we’re being honest, it’s a daring, daring move to have your debut album be a self-titled one, but The Used excels in Word’s bold and italic fonts. This may get us canceled, but so will everything that we say and don’t say: The Used’s 2002 LP known as “The Used” is one of the best debut rock albums to be released this century and that wasn’t meant to be funny. If you have any further questions, you’re gonna have to ask nicer than that.
Play it again: “Buried Myself Alive”
Skip it: It would be a poetic tragedy if you skipped any of these incredible songs