We were all angsty teenagers at one point. But millennials growing up in the 2000s took this to a new level.
We had Effy Stonem, Avril Lavigne, and One Tree Hill on our side. We were unstoppable.
And if you're a cusper, like me, your angst phase probably started around age 10. Because literally every other song on the radio was...well, pretty dark.
Linkin Park: I tried so hard and got so far.. 10 year old me: BUT IN THE END, IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER
And in my 10-year-old heart, I truly felt these lyrics.
Here are 29 songs that explain why millennials know angst better than anyone:
1. "Losing Grip" by Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne's Let Go was my first CD. I used to scream this song on road trips, and my parents were like...chill.
2. Breathe (2 AM) by Anna Nalick
How old were you when you realized this song was about addiction and abortion?
3. "Savin' Me" by Nickelback
Say what you want about Nickelback, but this song about needing to be saved was felt deep in my 10-year-old heart, despite my biggest hardship being science homework.
4. "Second Chance" by Shinedown
This song made me want to run away from home so badly.
5. "Tied Together with a Smile" by Taylor Swift
Yes, even Taylor Swift makes this list. I used to secretly cry myself to sleep after the last day of school because I'd miss my friends, and I always felt this song referred to that secret.
6. "Make Me Wanna Die" by the Pretty Reckless
My parents got legitimately worried when I started blasting this one, so I had to say it was a joke. :/
7. "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day
The first month of school was always rough, guys.
8. "Lucky" by Britney Spears
So many songs about crying to yourself at night.
9. "Creep" by Radiohead
This was the millenial/Gen X version of "I'm weird. I'm a weirdo. I don't fit in, and I don't want to fit in."
10. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day
We all felt this song when we didn't get asked to the dance or get a part in the school play.
11. "In the End" by Linkin Park
Every time I got an 89 on a test, I would blast this song and cry.
12. "Just Tonight" by the Pretty Reckless
^Me after I took three gummy vitamins and thought I was dying.
13. "Call Me When You're Sober" by Evanescence
I'm pretty sure everyone was sober in my elementary/middle school, but the sentiment remained. DON'T ONLY TALK TO ME OVER TEXT THEN IGNORE ME AT SCHOOL, MAX.
14. "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence
Every 2000s emo song was about someone saving you, which is honestly a toxic message, and probably the reason for all my failed relationships.
15. "I'm with You" by Avril Lavigne
IT'S A DAMN COLD NIGHTTTTTT! TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THIS LIFE!
16. "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind
The casual way we'd burst into "I WISH YOU WOULD STEP BACK FROM THAT LEDGE, MY FRIEND!" defined millennial culture.
17. "The Scientist" by Coldplay
Take me back to elementary school, where no one made fun of me for not shaving my legs.
18. "How to Save a Life" by the Fray
The best song to blast after getting in a fight with your BFF.
19. "Breathe Me" by Sia
Like "How to Save a Life," this song was used for every sad TV moment.
20. "Dark Blue" by Jack's Mannequin
YES, JACK'S MANNEQUIN. I HAVE.
21. "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia
^Me when I sat down in the shower and pretended the water was rain.
22. "Fix You" by Coldplay
Just another song to reinforce the whole savior message!!
23. "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance
This is honestly the most hopeful song on the list. WE'LL CARRY ON.
24. "Guns for Hands" by Twenty One Pilots
There were so many upbeat-sounding songs in the 2000s that were actually about very dark topics (see number 15).
25. "Thnks fr th Mmrs" by Fall Out Boy
I blasted this song after I broke up with my seventh grade boyfriend. Well, technically, my friend broke up with him for me over the phone, but that's just a small detail.
26. "The Freshmen" by the Verve Pipe
^Me after I accidentally stepped on my cat's tail.
27. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
I know this song is from 1991, but Glee using it during the 2010 "Grilled Cheesus" episode was a cultural reset, so I'm claiming it for millennials.
28. "It Ends Tonight" by the All-American Rejects
I still don't know what's ending tonight, but that never stopped me from screaming this song out the car windows.
29. And finally, "I'm Just a Kid" by Simple Plan
If you didn't yell "it's not fair!" and slam your door, were you even a 2000s teenager?
