The Black Parade was emo’s answer to The Who’s Tommy, a concept album that sounded more like a Broadway musical production than a standard rock record. From soaring guitars to a rollicking rhythm section to Gerard Way’s distinctive gritty falsetto and dramatic enunciation, The Black Parade was Vaudeville on steroids and one of the most eclectic albums to ever be released in a genre known for its risk-taking. This album effectively served as the soundtrack for my freshman year experience at UCSB, cruising around in my roommate’s brother’s white Scion bumping this so loud it made the windows rattle. Listening to it again nearly 20 years later I’m still floored at how dynamic the record is– it’s no surprise that this sent the band to incredible commercial heights and defined a decade of emo music in the process. You had Chiodos-esque chugging guitars, Taking Back Sunday-esque dual vocal harmonies, and all of the drama of Panic! At The Disco laid out in one tidy package.
Following the release of this album My Chemical Romance cemented their place as one of emo’s landmark acts that remains to this day. In addition, lead singer Gerard Way parlayed the band’s success into an expansion of his skillset across other media platforms. He co-created and wrote the Eisner Award winning The Umbrella Academy, which was later developed into a hit Netflix series of the same name.
Standout Songs: “This Is How I Disappear”, “Dead!”, “Welcome to the Black Parade”, “I Don’t Love You”, “Mama”
