It has become blatantly clear that 2016 has witnessed a major resurgence in the area of what I like to call "classic pop punk". We've been graced with tours and new music from not only Good Charlotte, who are the topic of this article, but Blink-182, Green Day, Sum 41, Simple Plan, and so many more. To say it's been an incredible year for touring is an understatement.
To have a tour like the one Good Charlotte will be bringing to The Warfield on October 25 (along with openers The Story So Far, Set Your Goals, and Big Jesus) brings along a show that is almost guaranteed to herald astounding crowd reaction, catchy hooks, booming choruses, and pleasant memories. In honor of the band's return to the spotlight after their hiatus, we'll be looking back at their six studio albums in our Discography Explored feature.
Good Charlotte
Release Date: September 26, 2000
Label: Daylight/Epic Records
Producer: Don Gilmore, John Feldmann (track 10)
Lineup:
Joel Madden - lead vocals
Benji Madden - lead guitar/backing vocals
Billy Martin - rhythm guitar
Paul Thomas - bass guitar
Aaron Escolopio - drums
Good Charlotte first came on to the scene with a self-titled album that came to surface in September of 2000. It was produced by Don Gilmore, with none other than John Feldmann handing his production hands to track 10. "Little Things", the band's first single and the first track on the album, gives us everything that we need to know about Good Charlotte and what to expect from future releases. Heavily distorted power-chord punk riffs, mixed in with harmonious pop vocals from the Madden vocals provide for a very well put together debut.
The Young and the Hopeless
Release Date: October 1, 2002
Label: Epic/Daylight
Producer: Eric Valentine
Lineup:
Joel Madden - lead vocals
Benji Madden - lead guitar/backing vocals
Billy Martin - rhythm guitar
Paul Thomas - bass guitar
Josh Freese - drums
Nothing could have prepared the band, or their fan base, for the album that would eventually go on to shoot them into international superstardom. The Young and the Hopeless hit record store shelves in October of 2002, and it's safe to say that the band's career skyrocketed. Spawning three incredibly successful singles that are still permeate throughout the membrane of modern pop-culture to this day ("The Anthem", "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", "Girls & Boys"), Good Charlotte's second studio album is a snapshot in time of what early 2000s pop-punk was all about. Insanely catchy choruses, a metric fuck-ton of distortion, hard-hitting drums, and harmonized, almost pop-like vocals talking about how stuck up the "rich and famous" are, family situations, and of course, relationships.
Their efforts proved to be a success: The Young and the Hopeless debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, selling 117,000 copies in its first week. By August of the next year, the album was certified double platinum in the United States. It has since been certified triple platinum in the country, and still remains an incredibly popular record in the band's catalogue.
The Chronicles of Life and Death
Release Date: October 5, 2004
Label: Daylight Records
Producer: Eric Valentine
Lineup:
Joel Madden - lead vocals
Benji Madden - lead guitar/backing vocals
Billy Martin - rhythm guitar
Paul Thomas - bass
Chris Wilson - drums/percussion
Now of course, once you hit a certain peak in your career, you gotta have a big follow-up, right? Such is definitely the case with Good Charlotte, who unveiled their next release, The Chronicles of Life and Death, to the world in October of 2004. While there are still traces of their pop-punk upbringing, that deeper element that fans always knew was there, the thing that everyone gravitated towards when the band were first coming onto the scene, was finally brought up into the spotlight. Occasionally receiving the descriptive term, "emo", The Chronicles of Life and Death features stylistic and lyrical departures from previous Good Charlotte albums. The album features a piano ballad ("The Truth"), elements of hip-hop ("I Just Wanna Live"), and more serious topics that cover suicide ("S.O.S.") and reflections on the greed of worldwide corporations ("In This World [Murder]"). While it didn't respond as well commercially as its predecessor, the album went on to sell over two million copies.
Good Morning Revival
Release Date: March 27, 2007
Label: Epic/Daylight
Producer: Don Gilmore
Lineup:
Joel Madden - lead vocals
Benji Madden - lead guitar/backing vocals
Billy Martin - rhythm guitar
Paul Thomas - bass guitar
Dean Butterworth - drums/percussion
After a lineup change, countless tours, and writing numerous songs, Good Charlotte finally unveiled Good Morning Revival, the next step in the career. Their sound began to travel further away from the music that the band became known for, showcasing modern pop sensibilities and tracks that made you want to dance rather than mosh, like "Dance Floor Anthem". This was easily a great period of experimentation for the band. They even went on to later mention that they had created over sixty B-side tracks for the album (only a select few were released as bonus track in certain stores upon the release, and one was later released through Benji Madden's personal blog.) While the album has not been as well received critically as some of their other records, the album went on to sell four and a half million copies, and debuted in the Billboard Top 10 in the United States.
Cardiology
Release Date: October 27, 2010
Label: Capitol Records
Producer: Don Gilmore
Lineup:
Joel Madden - lead vocals
Benji Madden - lead guitar/backing vocals
Billy Martin - rhythm guitar
Paul Thomas - bass guitar
Dean Butterworth - drums/percussion
There was a great deal of uncertainty that preceded the release of Cardiology. The album received delay after delay, and it was a rather stressful time for the band, but it was finally revealed that Good Charlotte had finished their fifth studio album at the beginning of January 2010.
And then they decided to start over. The band stated that they originally went into the studio with producer Howard Benson. With the album finished, they decided to scrap it because they felt that the music just wasn't right. After consideration, the band re-entered the studio with producer Don Gilmore, who the band had worked with on their debut record and Good Morning Revival. According to an update posted by Benji Madden explaining the situation, he said that the band "needed to be in the studio with someone who understood the heart of the band. And what this is, it's YOU GUYS." It was clear that the band wanted to rediscover their roots.
Cardiology is an effort that expands highly upon the sound that Good Charlotte originally became known for, and it was met with high praise from both critics and fans. There are tracks that are reminiscent of their more recent work, but the soul of their music was absolutely there. It stayed on the Billboard chart for two weeks, and has since achieved Gold certification in Australia. A hiatus would follow shortly after touring in support of Cardiology.
Youth Authority
Release Date: July 15, 2016
Label: MDDN/Kobalt
Producer: John Feldmann
Lineup:
Joel Madden - lead vocals
Benji Madden - lead guitar/backing vocals
Billy Martin - rhythm guitar
Paul Thomas - bass guitar
Dean Butterworth - drums/percussion
After five long years, Good Charlotte announced that their hiatus was officially coming to an end. The band entered the studio in 2015 with producer John Feldmann at the helm, and out came Youth Authority. It's quite possibly their best creation yet. It's fueled by the pop-punk charm that we first came to know and love when Good Charlotte first emerged onto the music scene. At the same time, hints of every album the band have produced over their career are present, and it paints a cohesive picture that encapsulates exactly where they are now as musicians. With great moments of nostalgia, soaring choruses, and special guest appearances from Kellin Quinn (Sleeping With Sirens) and Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro).
Good Charlotte are back, and ready to reclaim their position among the scene as one of the forefathers of modern pop-punk.
Good Charlotte
www.goodcharlotte.com
www.facebook.com/goodcharlotte
@GoodCharlotte
This has been another Shameless Promotion.