The List

4 of the Most Underrated Pop Punk Songs From the 2000s

The early 2000s were the golden years of pop punk. There are also quite a few songs that were released by big bands at the time that deserve a lot more love than they got. Letโ€™s take a quick look at four of the most underrated pop punk songs from the 2000s!

1. โ€œRunawayโ€ by Cartel

Cartelโ€™s debut album Chroma came out in 2005, and the hit track โ€œHonestlyโ€ became one of their most well-known songs. However, the song โ€œRunawayโ€ also deserves some serious love. Itโ€™s one of the most underrated pop punk songs out there, complete with notably angsty and powerful lyrics. Itโ€™s essential listening for any Cartel fan. And nobody can beat that guitar solo.

Videos by American Songwriter

2. โ€œDead On Arrivalโ€ by Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy has delivered hit after hit for years. That being said, the song โ€œDead On Arrivalโ€ is one of pop punkโ€™s most underrated tracks. Itโ€™s one of Fall Out Boyโ€™s earlier songs that started drawing attention to the band, and the music video is like a walk through pop punk history.

[Get Tickets To See Fall Out Boy Live In 2024]

3. โ€œRiot Girlโ€ by Good Charlotte

Any pop punk fan who was around in the early 2000s likely had The Young And The Hopeless on CD in 2002. And one of the more underrated songs on that album has to be โ€œRiot Girlโ€. Where some (not all!) pop punk outfits settled for poorly-aging misogynistic lyrics, Good Charlotte opted to pen a sweet anthem about having a cool girlfriend who happens to threaten celebrities.

4. โ€œLights And Soundsโ€ by Yellowcard

โ€œOcean Avenueโ€ was literally everywhere in the early aughts, so Yellowcard had quite a lot to follow up with. Lights And Sounds followed with noteworthy success, and โ€œLights And Soundsโ€ was one of the best tracks on the album. The song and the album as a whole showed Yellowcard at their grittiest.

Photo by James Devaney

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.