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Boys Like Girls are a pop-punk/emo band who were first formed in 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts. After touring with several other high profile acts in the scene within months of their formation, their self-titled debut was released a year later. Despite being hyped up as the next big success of the emo genre (which was at the peak of its popularity at the time), the album’s success predictions were not replicated in its sales which were rather low and thus failed to reach the Billboard 200. However, after they continued to tour to promote the record, it did eventually enter the chart which was helped by the release of the single “The Great Escape.”
Three years later they released their second album Love Drunk which was much more successful, getting to number eight on the Billboard 200. Three years after this they released their third and so far final album Crazy World which saw the band depart from their previously established sound in favour of a more country direction which was met with a mixed reception. Although the band have never officially broken up and are technically still in existence, they have remained inactive and have yet to follow this album up.
Boys Like Girls are a somewhat overlooked band of the 2000’s emo scene and as a result have become somewhat forgotten about due to their inactivity. This is quite surprising, as the sound that they developed went beyond that of the largely teenage fan-based genre and into a more Adult Oriented Rock sound that one would have thought would have found them more success with a wider audience. So here at Classic Rock we will show our readers what their ten best songs are which may help to get them some more recognition, which they do deserve.
# 10 – The First Time
Kicking off our top ten Boys Like Girls songs list is this track from third album Crazy World that was one of the three songs to be included on the promotional Crazy World ep. At this point it is very evident that the band are going in a much more mainstream direction with this song having a very radio friendly appeal to it. It would best be described as country pop and has definite nods to that of their one time collaborator Taylor Swift. It is also rather reminiscent of latter day Bon Jovi.
# 9 – Life of the Party
Up next is another of the songs taken from Crazy World that was featured on the promotional ep. Like all of the other songs on the album it is very pop-oriented and anthemic. As the title would suggest, it is a very upbeat number that has a lot of feelgood summer vibes to it. With this in mind, it is somewhat surprising that despite being released as a single it completely failed to chart. It would seem that the band were maybe trying to reach out to a more mainstream audience with the sound on this album.
# 8 – Be Your Everything
This is a single taken from Crazy World. Again, it shows the band go in a more pop direction and is particularly more “middle of the road.” This track was also included on the Crazy World ep . This was the album’s lead single which upon its release reached number eighteen on the Billboard Hot Scales Singles Chart.
# 7 – Heart Heart Heartbreak
This song was written by vocalist Martin Johnson along with Sam Hollander and Dave Katz who both work with the production team S*A*M and Sluggo. It was the third single to be taken from Boys Like Girls second album Love Drunk and was released in 2010. It entered the Billboard Mainstream Top Forty at number thirty-six and peaked at number thirty-one after seven weeks.
# 6 – Two is Better Than One
This is another single taken from Love Drunk and features none other than Taylor Swift. Swift and Martin Johnson both wrote the song together and it was the second single to be taken from the album. There was a version recorded without Swift which was sent out on some promotional copies of the album. The track was a massive success and reached number eighteen on the Canadian Hot 100 as well as the Billboard Hot 100.
# 5 – She’s Got A Boyfriend Now
This is the second single to be taken from Love Drunk. The album was recorded in both New York and Vancouver reportedly because the band felt that such a move would lead to more inspiration. The album was the most successful for Boys Like Girls when, as stated in the introduction to this article, it reached number eight on the Billboard. It was the last album to feature bassist Bryan Donahue.
# 4 – Love Drunk
Next we have the lead single and title track from Boys Like Girls second album. To date it is their second highest charting single, peaking at number twenty-two on the Billboard 200. The band first posted it their Myspace page and released it on iTunes before sending it to commercial radio in 2009. Upon its release it had a mixed reception, with some critics enjoying for its upbeat sound but some critics pointed out that the songs’ chorus has quite a strong similarity to that of The Killers “Somebody Told Me” which is very easy to see.
# 3 – Thunder
This was the third and final single from the band’s self-titled debut album released in 2006. Two years before it was recorded for the album, it was originally written as an acoustic song. Upon its release it was a radio hit and they soon posted a radio remix of it on their myspace page. It was actually the first song that Boys Like Girls ever wrote and is about Martin Johnson’s high school sweetheart. Although it was not as commercially successful as the album’s previous two singles, it still got certified Gold.
# 2 – The Great Escape
This was the second single from the debut album and was the first to chart on the Billboard 200 where it reached number twenty-three. It has been certified platinum and gold by the RIAA. The song is a coming of age story about graduating from high school. The song has its own music video and has been used in a number of soundtracks for video games, movies and television shows.
# 1 – Hero/Heroine
At the top spot of our Girls Like Boys list we have the debut single from the debut album. It was something of a sleeper hit as it did not chart when given its original run on radio as well having a music video made for it. It was not until the success of “The Great Escape” that they decided to re-release it and produce a new video which premiered on MTV’s TRL show in 2007. It got certified gold in 2009 and has been used in a couple of movies and reality tv shows.
Boys Like Girls Songs Ranked article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
