Panic! At The Disco closes the curtain after 19 years as a band, we lovingly review their discography and their evolution over the years.
If you were around Tumblr’s peak days, then you would know that a dark cloud has rolled in between us die-hard emos. Just as the Emo Holy Trinity has been restored to its original balance, it has once again collapsed. This collapse always seems to occur when Fall Out Boy makes a move after a few years of silence… Coincidence? I think not, guys have to make sure they are the pinnacle of the trinity somehow, right?
You’ve already heard the news that Panic! At The Disco (well, actually only Brendon Urie, let’s be real) have called it quits. They have been a staple act that has been a part of the alternative, rock and emo scene for the last 20 years. This is a surreal feeling as I remember having his hit single I write sins, not tragedies on my MP3 player, which my older brother probably downloaded via LimeWire.
Brendon posted an official statement on the band’s social media stating that he is finally closing this chapter in his life, as he begins to prepare for the new father he is becoming with his wife Sarah. In this statement, he recalls the surreal feeling of becoming a band that made such an impact on fans around the world, as well as announcing that his headlining tour of Europe and the UK will be his last.
As this chapter comes to a close, I think it would be the perfect time to review his extensive discography. With seven albums to their name, I think it’s the perfect time to rank these bad boys. What are my qualifications for this? Honestly, I have no choice but to be what is considered an older emo. Of course, these ratings are purely my own opinion, so without further ado here are all of the Panic! At Disco albums ranked from favorite to least favorite.
1. A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (2005)
Panic! At The Disco really came on the scene, especially with this being their debut album. It was also an album that was released on Pete Wentz’s own label Decaydance, which is crazy to think Wentz endorsed these guys before they performed any of these songs live; he just had pure faith in his demonstrations. It is an album that delivered numerous songs that are staples in the emo scene, one of which is his hit song. I write sins, not tragedies. This track also won ‘Video of the Year Award’ at the annual MTV Music Awards in 2006. The entire album is skip-free, everything repeats itself for me, and yes, I do miss the days of those long-sentence titles.
Best track: Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off
2. Vices and Virtues (2011)
I’m going to start by saying that I’m a huge fan of producer John Feldmann, so I’m a bit biased for this album to take second place. This album took place after we saw two original members, Ross and Walker, leave the band, which led to the subsequent change in the band’s sound and lyricism. Since Ross was the one who wrote the majority of the band’s material, this saw Urie step up to take the reins lyrically. Despite the change in writing, the album still did well, especially with its single The ballad of Mona Lisa. In full disclosure, I thought I was the most nervous kid on the block with this track on my iPod. It’s an album I remember fondly, one that kept me going through my first few years in high school, so I’m really holding on to nostalgia with this one.
Best track: The Ballad of Mona Lisa
3. Too Weird To Live, Too Weird To Die (2013)
This album is where we definitely saw a change in musical style, and all the original pop-punk and emo rules that limited them were thrown out the window. I honestly loved the original name of the album. fear and loathing in las vegas, but unfortunately we can’t always get what we want. This album saw them start to move away from the cliché of hating their hometown of Las Vegas and start embracing it, which is definitely not very pop-punk of them to do. This album saw Urie start to add more personal experiences to the lyrics, and we started to see another side of the band. They tackled issues of addiction and sexuality, which was very raw and refreshing to hear. your track this is gospel It had a lot of us in a chokehold, especially me, like I literally learned the whole song on the piano in a matter of days, so this album definitely has a little piece of my heart. That song will be etched in my memory forever.
Best track: this is gospel
4. Pretty. Odd (2008)
Don’t yell at me for putting this at number four, okay if I could make this album tie for number three I would. Honestly, this album confused me at first, as it was different from their first release, and the first track we are so hungry it definitely left an impression on me going into the album. Being a closed-minded teenager at the time, I certainly had my reservations about the psychedelic pop sound. Over time though, I really came to love it, even the nonsensical nonsense lyrics of Nine p.m; I understand the title came from an event during band practice, where they didn’t know what time it was anymore, but it still hurts my brain to think about nine o’clock in the evening.
Best track: northern downpour
5. Death of a Bachelor (2016)
This album marks Panic! At The Disco becoming Urie’s solo project. This is where we can definitely hear the sonic change, and the project slowly began to become what we would call ‘Urie living his theater kid dream’. Honestly, the album slaps you in the face with its infectious melodies and Urie’s lyrical hooks, so you have to give credit where credit is due, especially singles like Victorious Y Emperor’s new clothes. However, many critics would say that the lyrics on this album feel mediocre, and one critic even went so far as to say that the album is “hollow and formless”. Is it my favorite album of theirs? No, but is it the worst? No, too. You’ll still find me jumping to Don’t threaten me with a good time despite my mixed feelings about the sudden change of address.
Best track: Hallelujah
6. Pray for the Wicked (2018)
This to me was the last album of theirs that I didn’t really care for. Yes, I still have mixed feelings as we descend into Urie’s Broadway era, where he starred in Kinky Boots, which probably played a part in how the album turned out. Even though this album did well commercially, especially making an impressive debut on the ARIA album charts at number one, I started to get off the bandwagon. Yes, the album had Urie’s dramatic flair, with his unbridled brashness and charisma, but it honestly fell short. I’m not saying that artists can’t develop their sound, and that they have to stay in their genre confining lanes, but I’d rather this album be under Urie’s name than be released under the band’s name.
Best track: Big hopes
7. Long Live Vengeance (2022)
With this album, I made peace with the fact that the band was just a nickname for Brendon Urie. If you had listened to this album immediately after their debut album, you would have thought they were two distinctly different artists. I will not slander long live revenge because even though he’s far from my cup of tea, I can objectively look at the album and say that despite everything he knows how to make catchy songs. Yes, in my opinion, it sounds like his inner theater kid wet dream that he managed to come true, but I’ll sound like a broken record if I say once again that I’d rather he put his own name on this album. However, despite not being an album I have a burning desire to hear again, it garnered many positive reviews from critics, being described as “A love letter to the golden age of rock.”
best track: Sad clown
Now that the final chapter has closed for Panic! At The Disco, all I can say is that it’s been a wild ride; with their lineup and genre shifts, they will always have an impact on emo culture and of course the alternative music scene in general. Urie’s dedication to breathing new life into the band over the years is admirable, but as most of us can admit, it should have come to an end a few years ago. Again, these rankings are based on my own opinions as a fan (so all fans please stay away from me), and we can always be thankful to be alive in the same timeline as Panic! At the disco.
