15 Greatest Emo Albums Of All Time

15. Panic! At The Disco - A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out

One of the most theatrical and outre groups the genre ever produced, Panic! At The Disco had no intention of being ignored when they burst onto the scene in 2005. The album was - and probably still is - divisive, with some emo veterans decrying the state of things that would allow a band so performative to thrive.

That’s all grist to the mill for Panic!, though, whose outsider status was played up to the max with a deliciously contrary album that flaunts just about every convention of the genre. With unconventional song structure, heavy use of electronic instrumentation, and even subtle autotune, this flew far too close to outright pop for the purists. The songs can’t be denied, however, with the camp spookiness of “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” surely one of the greatest hits the scene has ever produced, and “Camisado” a heady blend of old school angst and electronic blare.

The fey playfulness was off putting to some, but Panic!’s debut has earned its status as a classic album. They would later prove that their hearts lay with pop, but their emo credentials are hard to argue.