It’s been a while since we ranked some albums, so what better way to reignite things than with the albums of Paramore? Currently supporting Taylor Swift on her Eras tour of world domination, the trio are enjoying a new found level of fame and exposure. Good timing considering they recently went independent following the completion of their contract with Atlantic.
With six studio albums released to date, Paramore confidently boast one of the most consistent discographies in music. As well as this, they firmly established themselves as one of the defining bands of the Emo era. An era I tried so hard to succeed in, but ultimately ended in male pattern baldness. Nice one, genes.
While the badly straightened fringe is long-gone, the memories of listening to Paramore remain. It’s cool to revisit their earlier work, but also good to witness a steady evolution in their sound. Beginning with the heavier Emo and Hard-Rock, softening into Pop and diving into a more Post-Punk sound in recent years. There’s something for everybody, and it can all be enjoyed through the medium of millions of TikToks of Hayley Williams’ insane stage presence and dance moves.
Anyway, here’s the list of Paramore albums from best to the not so best. Do you agree with the ranking? Which would you say is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
6. ALL WE KNOW IS FALLING (2005)
It’s always a feeling of guilt putting an album in the worst spot on a ranking list, but Paramore’s debut probably should sit here. Not because it’s bad, but because it’s them at their infancy. As somebody who heard the band during the RIOT! days, All We Know Is Falling feels raw and incomplete in places.
While understandably it isn’t fully formed, the foundation of what would become their sound is here. Heavy guitar riffs are heard throughout, and it introduces us to Hayley’s soaring vocals which would soon become iconic in a few years.
I also really like the artwork. It feels like a proper throwback to what you expect to see on Myspace. I’d have a great time sharing that with my top 7 friends.
HIGHLIGHTS: “Pressure”.
5. BRAND NEW EYES (2009)
One of many potential surprises on this list. Brand New Eyes is the third studio album of Paramore’s, and probably their most volatile. As Hayley wonderfully documented on a recent reel on Instagram, the space surrounding the creation of the album was one filled with rife and all sorts of not good times. It is the Rumours of their discography.
But for a record shrouded in such animosity, it feels like a complete listen. The context doesn’t translate too much onto the material, as the acoustic guitar is given a bigger platform to deliver hits that hit a little less than previous records (“The Only Exception”), but it still retains a lot of what made their music so accessible.
Obviously, the tie-in to the Twilight series elevated the band to a bigger audience, but personally I preferred the heavier, less vampire-centric style.
HIGHLIGHTS: “Brick by Boring Brick”, “Ignorance”, “Where the Lines Overlap”.
4. RIOT! (2007)
Probably up there on the list of albums that defined the Emo times, Riot! is a proper nostalgic listen while also still holding its own as a solid listen. Featuring arguably Paramore’s biggest hit in “Misery Business”, there’s also “crushcrushcrush” which paired the heaviness with a melodic side that really resonated with the masses at the time.
I was a huge snob when it came to music growing up, and actively tried to go against what was popular at the time. It was less hipster and more dickhead, really, but I do feel I missed out on years of enjoying what is a solid record. What a bellend.
HIGHLIGHTS: “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”, “Misery Business”, “crushcrushcrush”.
3. PARAMORE (2013)
Third place is probably best for this album as it certainly feels like a bridge between the old and new Paramore. Released four years after Brand New Eyes, Paramore acted as a hard reset for the band. With band members leaving and Hayley Williams taking some time to recollect herself, the album shifted towards a Poppier, more upbeat sound.
Its biggest hits in “Ain’t It Fun” and “Still Into You” are some of most immediate singles Paramore have made, and they continue to be massive hits. But while things headed towards a more mainstream style, there’s still a strong foundation of heavy, guitar-based tunes here. “Fast In My Car” is one of their best opening tracks, and “Anklebiters” in particular is proper good to get angry to. “Part II” also stands out as a highlight, being a real throwback to songs we might have heard on earlier albums.
HIGHLIGHTS: “Fast In My Car”, “Ain’t It Fun”, “Part II”, “Still Into You”, “Anklebiters”.
2. AFTER LAUGHTER (2017)
Four years after this big resetcomes After Laughter. The record that finally got me hooked on Paramore. This album could not be any different from their earlier output – throwing aside the all black everything and welcoming colour with open arms. The result is a Poppier listen that’s undeniably catchy and truly hard to ignore but has some edge in parts.
Lead single “Hard Times” is a classic Paramore tune. Its playground sound is jovial and upbeat. Causing a huge collision against Hayley’s lyrics, that detail an honest, ongoing battle with depression. It’s a contrast that adds a lot of depth to the song – probably why I found myself returning to it on a regular basis.
This open account of feelings and emotion with regards to love and lost is well documented throughout the album. All filtered through hooks that make a lot of the songs on it so accessible. From the soft harmony of “Forgiveness” to the snap of “Caught in the Middle”, and the lo-fi-turned-ballad of “Fake Happy”, it seems there’s something for everybody here.
HIGHLIGHTS: “Hard Times”, “Forgiveness”, “Pool”, “Caught in the Middle”.
1. THIS IS WHY (2023)
And finally, Paramore’s best album is their latest. This Is Why has a lot of what I enjoy most about music: hooks, riffs, numerous genres thrown together to create something that’s quite chaotic. It continues to be unpredictable in the best way, and I really do rate it a lot.
Sounding and looking far more grounded than After Laughter, This Is Why embraces a Post-Punk sound that takes all of the wonky, colourful traits and converts them into a Talking Heads-esque series of off-kilter grooves that really works well. From the robotic quirks of the title track, it’s clear there’s a darker tone to the album.
It only boasts ten songs. Removing the bloat and instead becomes their most concise, straight forward record to date. Sounding like an album from a band who have done it all, seen it all and know exactly how to resonate with their audience perfectly.
HIGHLIGHTS: “This Is Why”, “Running Out Of Time”, “Big Man, Little Dignity”, “Figure 8”, “Crave”.
As mentioned, Paramore are a band that offers something for everybody. Their discography is truly a mosaic of explorations down different avenues, all with different contexts and good/bad times. This is no wrong place to begin with them, and that’s why I think they’ve managed to maintain such a huge wave of popularity and relevancy over the years.
Once their time on the Eras tour comes to an end, I cannot wait to hear what they do next. Now having complete freedom to create music without the pressures of a record label, with what seems to be an endless stream of creativity, means that the next chapter of Paramore could be their best yet.