Feature Photo: Adrian Amador, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our top ten A Day To Remember songs list looks at the work of a rock band that combines a range of styles and has been described as both metalcore and pop punk. A Day To Remember was first formed in Florida in 2003. A year later they released an independent ep which they distributed at their live shows.
Their full-length debut album And Their Name Was Treason was released in 2005 and sold over 10,000 copies. They then recorded their second album For Those Who Have Heart which got to number seventeen on the Billboard Heatseekers chart when it was released in in 2007. When it was re-released in 2008 it got to number forty-three on the Independent Albums Chart. After re-releasing their debut album in later that year, they began recording their third album which saw a release in 2009 and was titled Homesick. It got to number twenty-one on the Billboard 200 and topped the independent charts.
In 2010, they released their fourth album What Separates Me From You which like the previous record was produced by Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory. After fighting a lawsuit with their label Victory Records, they released their fifth album Common Courtesy in 2013. In 2016 they released a new song titled “Bad Vibrations” and announced that it was the title track of their sixth album which was released in 2016. The next couple of years were rather quiet for A Day To Remember and no new music was produced until 2019 when they released a new song titled “Rescue Me.” Their most recent album Your Welcome was released in 2021.
A Day To Remember are one of the most successful band to emerge from the mid 2000’s era. Their popularity has even enabled to be able to host their own festival which is called the Self Help fest and has hosted many of the biggest bands in contemporary punk, emo and metal. Here is a list of their ten best songs.
# 10 – 1958
Kicking off our top ten A Day To Remember songs list is this track taken from their debut album And Their Name Was Treason released in 2005. Like several other songs on the album, this track features a sample from a film, with the film sampled here being The Boondock Saints. It is also one of the songs on the album that was written by the band when they were teenagers.
# 9 – It’s Complicated
Next up is the third single from the band’s fourth album What Separates Me From You released in 2010. It charted on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Charts at number thirty-four. They played an acoustic version of it for an MTV performance. It is one of the more pop-oriented songs in the ADTR discography, sounding somewhat like a heavier Blink 182.
# 8 – The Plot to Bomb To Panhandle
This next track is taken from the band’s second album For Those Who Have Heart released in 2007. In the US, the album charted at number seventeen on the Heatseekers Albums Chart. This song had a music video produced for it. Critics generally liked the album and said that it was an improvement on their debut record.
# 7 – You Be Tails, I’ll Be Sonic
Here we have another track from What Separates Me From You. It is one of the band’s heavier songs but still contains the band’s use of melody which they are known to often incorporate. Despite the song’s title being a reference to Sonic The Hedgehog, the lyrics have nothing to do with that and are personal lyrics about events that have occurred in guitarist Kevin Scaff’s life.
# 6 – I’m Made of Wax Larry, What Are You Made Of?
The next song on this list is taken from the group’s third album Homesick released in 2009. It features guest vocals from Mike Hrancia who is the frontman of The Devil Wears Prada and a music video for it was also filmed. It charted at number twenty-one on the Billboard 200 and topped in the Independent charts.
# 5 – Monument
Our next song is another cut taken from the second album. This album was their first to be released on Victory Records. In 2008, the album was reissued with different artwork and four new bonus tracks. When it was reissued it re-entered the charts getting to number forty-three on the Independent album charts.
# 4- Have Faith In Me
In the next place is another song from the third album that was released as a single. It charted at number forty in the Alternative Songs chart. There was also a music video produced for it. The sound of the song has also been compared to Blink 182 which is easy to see. The lyrics are about friendship and looking out for other people.
# 3 – Breathe Hope In Me
At the number three position on our list we go all the way back to the beginning of the band’s career with this non album track that is taken from the band’s debut ep Halos For Heroes, Dirt For The Dead released in 2004. This song had a video produced for it while the band were still in high school. The entire thing was recorded in just one day. The band released it themselves and it was limited to just 2000 copies. Ultimately it helped them get signed to the Indianola label.
# 2 – All Signs Point to Lauderdale
Just off the top spot is another song from the fourth record. There was some musical contributions during the writing process from New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert who is also the record’s producer. The title came about when vocalist Jeremy McKinnon and bassist Josh Woodard were walking through a deprived neighbourhood and saw “Lauderdale” on a sign. There was a music video produced for it and it charted on both the Rock Songs chart and the Hot Modern Rock songs chart.
# 1 – The Downfall of Us All
Topping off our list is this song taken from Homesick. It is the album’s opening song and when Jeremy McKinnon suggesting this to the rest of the band they did not think it was a good idea but were more convinced when it was recorded. The song is actually about the pressure that a musician faces when writing music and is aiming to please fans. It also had its own music video and in 2014 was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Critics praised the songs for its sound, calling it anthemic and saying that it was a good album opener.
Feature Photo: Photo: Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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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)
