“Raised On Pop Punk and Bubblegum”: Ranking Every 5 Seconds of Summer Album

By Lex Robbins 

There’s something strange about ranking albums that you’ve grown up with. 5 Seconds of Summer is a band that has been soundtracking my life for more than a decade. I associate each album with a different era of my life, and I honestly don’t think I would be the person I am today without their music and artistry. Because all six of their albums carry a lot of meaning for me, this ranking isn’t going to be about what is objectively “the best,” but about what has impacted me and stood out to me the most over the years.

6. CALM

In this case, last doesn’t mean the worst. I love how this album puts a creative spin on a self-titled album name, with each letter of the title representing the first letter of each of their first names. Even at the bottom of my ranking, it still contains several songs that I always have in frequent rotation. “No Shame,” “Wildflower,” “Lover of Mine,” “Red Desert” and “Best Years” are all standout tracks to me that show just how much range and depth they were developing as artists.

5. Youngblood

Putting this album near the bottom honestly feels kind of unfair. It’s a no-skip album. No question. Youngblood marks the beginning of a clear shift in the band’s artistry, both lyrically and sonically. It’s more polished and mature, with a strong ‘80s influence that makes it a true standout in their discography. “Valentine,” “Lie to Me,” “Empty Wallets,” “Meet You There” and “Moving Along” are the tracks I find myself revisiting the most and will always play unapologetically at full volume.

4. 5 Seconds of Summer (self-titled)

Their self-titled debut is one of those albums that I like to call “time machine albums.” It’s the one that made me a fan and the one that middle school me thought was everything. Listening to it now feels like stepping back into being 13 again, when I was convinced I was the coolest person alive just because this was what I was listening to.

This album also played a large part in shaping my music taste into what it is today. It opened the door to my love for pop-punk and pop-rock, and that influence hasn’t gone anywhere. My standout tracks stay pretty consistent, with “Never Be,” “Everything I Didn’t Say,” “End Up Here,” “Long Way Home,” and “Amnesia” being my favorites to come back to when I’m feeling nostalgic.

3. 5SOS5

Another interesting spin on a self-titled album name, 5SOS5 feels like home to me. It’s an album that meets you exactly where you are and allows you to just be. Any time I need to sort through my emotions or feel understood, this is the album I’m turning to. The overall sound leans softer with a more dreamy and reflective pop influence that I feel like I can lose myself in when things are heavy. Tracks like “You Don’t Go to Parties,” “Easy for You to Say,” “CAROUSEL,” “Bleach” and “Bad Omens” are my personal favorites on the album, and some of my favorites from the band overall.

2. EVERYONE’S A STAR!

Their latest album, EVERYONE’S A STAR!, feels like a return back to where it all started.

It has echoes of their earlier pop-punk and pop-rock roots, but there’s an evident sense of evolution that keeps it from feeling like a direct copy of their first two albums. On the surface, the album feels very glitz and glam, but there’s also a jagged undertone of the realities of maintaining the famous lifestyle.

It’s also home to what has become my favorite 5SOS song ever, “I’m Scared I’ll Never Sleep Again.” That alone gives this album a permanent place near the top of my ranking. Other standout tracks on this album for me are “The Rocks,” “Jawbreaker,” “istillfeelthesame,” and “Boyband.”

1. Sounds Good Feels Good

We have finally made it to the top of my list with Sounds Good Feels Good coming in at number one. The combination of this album’s beautiful lyrics, punchy sound, and pure nostalgia puts it at the top of my list. This album found me in 2015 when I was probably too young to fully comprehend just how great it was. I loved it then, of course, but revisiting it now in my twenties feels like hearing it for the first time all over again with a deeper sense of appreciation.

Sonically, it leans into classic pop-punk and pop-rock sound, but what makes it stand out is how poetic the lyrics are underneath all that noise. This especially stands out on my favorite tracks like “Vapor,” “Waste the Night,” “Story of Another Us,” “Jet Black Heart” and “Outer Space/Carry On.”

Final Thoughts

Every person has that one band or that one artist that they feel helped shape who they are. Some of their albums feel like home, some of them feel like growing pains, and some feel like versions of yourself you can go back and visit whenever you need to. That’s exactly the kind of band 5 Seconds of Summer is for me, and these six albums will always be a part of my life story.