Originating in 1997 in Coral Springs, Florida, New Found Glory stands as one of the most loved bands to originate around the turn of the 21st century. The lineup features Jordan Pundik on vocals, Ian Grushka playing bass, Chad Gilbert on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Cyrus Bolooki on the drums, with Steve Klein, the former rhythm guitarist and lyricist, parting ways with the band in 2013. Over their expansive career, they have released a significant body of work, including ten studio albums, a live album, a pair of EPs, and four albums of covers.
Kicking off with their debut album Nothing Gold Can Stay in 1999, the band made their major label debut with a self-titled album in 2000 featuring the hit “Hit or Miss.” They gained widespread recognition with the 2002 release of Sticks and Stones, thanks to the hit single “My Friends Over You.” Their journey continued with the success of Catalyst in 2004, and the band explored new sounds with Coming Home in 2006, a departure from their typical pop-punk style. They returned to their roots with Not Without a Fight in 2009 and have since added four more albums to their discography, including Radiosurgery in 2011, Resurrection in 2014, Makes Me Sick in 2017, and Forever + Ever x Infinity in 2020.
Critics hail New Found Glory as instrumental in shaping the pop-punk genre, emerging during its second wave in the late ’90s. Their dynamic blend of pop-punk and hardcore elements, alongside anthemic tracks, has earned them the title of “godfathers of pop punk,” with their influence permeating the genre and contributing to the development of easycore.
The band’s foundation traces back to when Pundik and Grushka, after disbanding their previous group, joined forces with Klein and later added Marino on drums, with Gilbert completing the lineup. Their name, inspired by a casual brainstorming session at a Red Lobster, led to the creation of their debut EP, It’s All About the Girls, which quickly garnered a local following. Their grassroots success attracted Eulogy Recordings, leading to their debut album Nothing Gold Can Stay, which, after gaining traction, was re-released by Drive-Thru Records, selling over 300,000 copies.
Their journey through the early 2000s was marked by increasing popularity, with albums like Sticks and Stones and Catalyst achieving significant success and gold certifications. The band experimented with their sound on Coming Home, and continued to evolve with subsequent releases, maintaining a strong presence in the music scene. Despite lineup changes and challenges, including Gilbert’s health issues, New Found Glory has continued to thrive, moving to Hopeless Records in 2014 and continuing to release new music and tour, demonstrating their enduring appeal and impact on the rock and pop-punk landscape.
# 10 – Happy Being Miserable
We open our fun list of favorite New Found Glory songs with the excellent track “Happy Being Miserable.” I think it’s safe to say that we all know a few people who fit that description. The song was released on the album Makes Me Sick. It was the band’s ninth studio album. It was released on April 28, 2017. The song contains that traditional happy and fun New Found Glory sound. The song’s video was a twist on a scene from the movie Stand By Me. Of course, the video is filled with humor, a defining trademark of the band’s music and personality.
# 9 – Head on Collision
Continuing along, we preset a cool mid-tempo rocker from the band. We love the use of dynamics in this one. It’s not just a full blast from the opening note to the end; there is a nice blend of tempo and volume changes through the songs, making it a more enjoyable listen. “Head on Collision,” was released as a single from their third album Sticks and Stones. It was released on October 15, 2002. It garnered attention on the charts, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The track list for the single includes the main song, a radio session version of “Head on Collision,” and “Something
# 8 – Understatement
“Understatement” stands as the opening track of the band’s critically acclaimed third studio album, Sticks and Stones, released in 2002. Fans have always raved about this killer cut. Neal Avron helmed the album’s production as most of the album was primarily recorded at Elysian Fields Studios in Boca Raton, Florida. Sticks and Stones was a massive success for the band. The album hit number four on the Billboard Top 200 album charts. It has since received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), acknowledging the surpassing of one million units in combined sales and album-equivalent units within the United States. That’s a pretty successful album, folks.
# 7 – Get Me Home
The acoustic song Get Me Home was released on the band’s album Make the Most of It. Thr album was released in 2o23. This was an album that delivered acoustic versions of classic New Found Glory songs along with a mix of brand new never released songs. The band looks a little older in the video, but they sound just as fresh as they did in twenty three years earlier in 2020.
# 6 – Radiosurgery
“Radiosurgery” was featured on their seventh studio album of the same name. Launched on August 2, 2011, the track not only serves as the album’s lead single but also symbolizes a poignant moment for the band, drawing inspiration from the medical procedure radiosurgery. This symbolic use stems from a band member’s personal experience with a challenging marital separation, leading to a deeper exploration of themes like heartache and the wish to erase painful memories.
Recorded in Los Angeles at The Casita, the song embodies the band’s signature pop-punk style while presenting a musical evolution marked by distinct piano sounds. The songwriting, a collective effort by the band, showcases a blend of energetic guitar riffs and anthemic melodies reminiscent of influences such as the Ramones and Green Day’s Dookie era, yet distinctly New Found Glory.
The accompanying music video, directed by Meiert Avis and shot at the Linda Vista Hospital in Los Angeles, pays homage to the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” video. Featuring over 100 extras, including fans and friends, the video creates a lively, chaotic party atmosphere in a hotel setting, with appearances by celebrity lookalikes and a cameo from Tom Denney, former guitarist for A Day To Remember
# 5 – It’s Not Your Fault
When I first heard this song, I didn’t realize it was New Found Glory. It sounded more like Tom Petty in feel and production than New Found Glory. That actually made sense because it featured longtime Heartbreaker Benmont Tench. “It’s Not Your Fault” was featured as the premier single from their fifth studio album, Coming Home, in 2006.
The composition of “It’s Not Your Fault,” stretching over three minutes and thirty-seven seconds, is a collective effort of the band’s members, showcasing a blend of robust guitar work, a continuous piano melody, and Jordan Pundik’s compelling vocals. Chad Gilbert, the band’s lead guitarist, reflected on the song’s distinctiveness, highlighting its divergence from previous works and the intention to bring a fresh sound to each album.
Lyrically, the song navigates the complexities of maintaining a relationship over distances, with Pundik expressing a desire for listeners to derive their personal interpretations, though he shares it stems from the challenges of remote arguments and the inability to provide comfort physically.
The music video, directed by Brett Simon, is as intriguing as the song itself, featuring a reverse chronological narrative that intricately unfolds the story of a couple, portrayed by Teddy Van Deusen and Heide Lindgren. The storyline, inspired by a German mobile phone advertisement, captures the couple’s journey from waking up together to retracing their steps back to their initial meeting in a record store, all depicted in reverse.
# 4 – All Downhill from Here
We really love this one. The opening is so exciting, and it just keeps getting better through the entire song. “All Downhill from Here” marked the first single from New Found Glory’s album Catalyst, making its radio debut on April 6, 2004. This track, written by Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein and produced by Neal Avron, captured attention on the charts, notably peaking at number 11 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks. It is one of the band’s final singles to chart in the US.
The music video for “All Downhill from Here” was crafted in collaboration with French animators, creating a world filled with imaginative creatures. Directed by Meiert Avis and the animation team, the video showcases these creatures constructing a tower, with the band performing on a rising platform. This ascent symbolizes a journey to a celestial realm before an abrupt descent, culminating in the structure’s collapse. This video resonated with fans, earning a spot on MTV’s Total Request Live for fifty consecutive days until it was retired from the show.
The single’s enhanced version includes four tracks: the title song, “Broken Sound” from a radio session, “The Minute I Met You,” and a CD-ROM track of “All Downhill from Here,” offering a comprehensive experience of this pivotal song in New Found Glory’s discography.
# 3 – Vicious Love (feat. Hayley Williams)
When Hayley Williams of Paramore jumps into the song and video at around the one minute mark, all you want to do is congratulate the band New Found Glory for adding Hayley Williams to the track. She is one of the most mesmerizing rock singers of the 21st century. There is just something about her that is very special. Paired up a New Found Glory on this excellent track makes one of the band’s most memorable recordings and videos of their career.
# 2 – Hit Or Miss
The iconic song “Hit Or Miss” was originally featured on their 1999 album Nothing Gold Can Stay. The band gave it a fresh new vibe for their second studio album in 2000. This reimagined version caught on, climbing to number 15 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart by April 2001 and even hitting number 58 on the UK Singles Chart in June 2001. “Hit Or Miss” also made its way into the soundtracks of movies like American Pie 2 and The Benchwarmers!
The CD single is a little treasure trove, offering not just the “Hit or Miss (Waited Too Long)” track but also “So Many Ways,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania,” and even a video for “Hit or Miss (Waited Too Long).” This song holds a special place in the hearts of pop-punk fans, standing out as one of the genre’s iconic anthems of the 2000s. With Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, Chad Gilbert, Cyrus Bolooki, and Steve Klein pooling their talents, it’s no wonder this track continues to resonate with fans old and new. We love this one.
# 1 – My Friends Over You
This song will bring back memories for rock fans in their thirties and even early forties. It brings you back to an era where dancing was defined by just jumping up and down. My Friends Over You was released in July 2002. It was the lead single from their third studio album, Sticks and Stones. In the United States, the song achieved a position of number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ascended to number 5 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 30.
It was the final piece composed for the album Sticks and Stones, emerging from a single riff to a complete track in just a couple of days. Lyrically, the song delves into prioritizing friendships over romantic relationships, inspired by personal experiences and reflections on past relationships.
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