1. My Chemical Romance I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
Before talking about the song itself, it's important to recognise the brilliance of the song's title. I'm Not Okay (I Promise) sums up everything you'd expect from an emo track. Not only does it feature an angst-ridden statement, it's also got the emo movement's patented sarcasm in brackets, too. The tune itself comes from My Chemical Romances second studio album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, released in 2004. Though 2006's The Black Parade may have been the album that really cemented the band's mainstream status, that album traded a lot of the raw aggression found on Three Cheers for more overt theatricality (though there's still a hefty dose of theatricality to be found on Three Cheers). I'm Not Okay (I Promise) is carried by an insanely catchy guitar tune (and some absolutely fantastic riffage by Ray Toro) but most importantly Gerard Way's indelible vocal delivery. His voice is simultaneously camp, aggressive, condescending, melodramatic and empowering, summing up many of the emo movement's defining characteristics. Clocking in at just over three minutes, I'm Not Okay (I Promise) doesn't outstay it's welcome. It's short, sweet and straight to the point and most importantly, it's utterly brilliant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhZTNgAs4Fc Which is your favourite emo song of all time? Share your favourites below in the comments thread.
