10 Pop-Punk Bands Whose Second Album Was Better Than Their First
3. Good Charlotte
There's no story like Good Charlotte's when it comes to the transition from first album to second.
Having almost been dropped by their label due to poor sales of their eponymous first album, GC produced an unskippable masterpiece with The Young and the Hopeless - selling 117,000 copies in its first week, two million within a year and now certified Triple Platinum.
Their self-titled debut did produce tracks like Little Things and Festival Song, but it was nothing compared to what would follow just a couple of years later when the band proved they were young, though anything but hopeless.
Standout track Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous has become one of the most iconic pop punk songs ever due to its commentary on celebrity culture resonating with teenagers in the early '00s while Anthem and Girls & Boys rocketed into the charts themselves.
Remove the singles and you still have an amazing album with zero filler - with tracks like Wondering and Riot Girl becoming fan favourites.
While their first album is looked back on fondly, their second was much more cohesive and explosive - and almost certainly the band's greatest work.