All Time Low are a band that elicit many reactions in people. To some, they represent the ideal image of a pop punk band: a group of fresh faced youngsters kicking out sweet jams about partying, hitting up girls and just generally having a good time. To others, they represent everything wrong with the genre, generic music with an annoying singer, a fanbase full of little kids and lyrics that just simply don’t look good superimposed over a Douglas Fir in brainflower font. Personally however, I believe they get a bad rep amongst many people. Today I’m here to rectify that, and show everyone why these bad boys from Baltimore deserve your respect (yeah I know they’re from Towson, the alliteration doesn’t work in that case though).

The first 5 seconds of this song were about as close to “tr00 punx” as All Time Low ever got

What I’ve always loved about All Time Low is the wide range of appeal they have in regards to their audience. Whether you’re a 23 year old ex-scene kid who used to jam So Wrong, It’s Right on the regular, or a 13 year old girl who got into them because 5 Seconds Of Summer gave them a shoutout, you can’t deny their ability to transcend scene generational boundaries. I’m fairly certain there’s even a couple of mothers out there who don’t mind staring at Alex and Jack onstage every now and then while they’re chaperoning their daughters.

If this wasn’t your Myspace profile song in 2007, you clearly fucked up at some point in your life

Aside from perhaps Fall Out Boy, I can’t think of another pop punk band that had such a high presence in the late-2000’s. Their music perfectly exemplifies the kind of carefree innocence that pop punk thrives on. However, even admitting that you’re a fan of them is enough to get you labelled as a pariah amongst certain circles. Their discography might not be flawless, but they’ve notched up a few stone cold classics within the pop punk pantheon to earn your respect. They’ve certainly aged far better than their contemporaries have in retrospect (We The Kings, Forever The Sickest Kids, etc.)

Mark Hoppus’s random ass cameo in this still makes me laugh to this day

2009’s Nothing Personal is honestly one of my favourite albums of all time. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s up there with Enema Of The State and Dookie when it comes to era-defining pop punk albums. The production is top notch, the guitars are overwhelmingly catchy and there’s enough hooks to fill a goddamn tackle box. From beginning to end Nothing Personal is a veritable hit parade of catchy pop punk jams. Every time I hear it, I can’t bear to skip a single song, whether it’s their breakout hit “Weightless”, the ode to alcohol “Stella” or the requisite end-of-album ballad “Therapy”. The whole album just one hell of a ride from beginning to end that still sounds great even 7 years after its original release.

This was the point where they made a conscious effort to sound radio friendly. Still works imo

Whether you like to admit it or not, All Time Low just personify the bare essence of pop punk. Inbetween the soaring choruses, chugging power chords, overwhelmingly catchy hooks and lyrics that bare their heart on their sleeve, All Time Low have it all. If you’ve attended virtually any high school after 2006, you’ve probably come across at least one person obsessed with them in some form or another. For all the talk of crazy fangirls and kids music, how are they any different from the scores of similar bands who’ve garnered significant critical acclaim?

This video looks like something an art school dropout would’ve drafted up in the space of 5 minutes

I believe part of the reason All Time Low have copped the short end of the stick from so many people is that they’ve never taken themselves particularly seriously. However, Blink-182 were famous for doing the exact same thing and they’re revered as gods in this day and age. Although, Blink-182 also have the passage of time on their side (given that it’s been nearly 2 decades since Dude Ranch was released). It’s only logical that a 18-year old kid who fiercely loves Man Overboard or Citizen would cringe at the idea of listening to All Time Low in the current year, especially if they’re trying to present themselves as mature and grown adults. When you consider their last album slided in at #1 on Billboard when most other bands in their category are grinding it out in clubs or on Warped Tour, you get why a number of people are resentful of the band. Losers hate winners, it’s as simple as that.

They may have lost the scene hair, but they’ve still got it when it comes to the music, tbh

Their last album, 2015’s Future Hearts copped a lot of criticism for it’s more accessible sound. The bands newfound association with 5 Seconds Of Sumer seemed to be a major issue amongst people, claiming All Time Low were pandering to a much younger demographic. Personally, I thought it didn’t really sound that different from Don’t Panic in all honesty, that album was pretty radio friendly in and of itsel, and pretty much everyone liked it. It still had enough bangers to keep die-hard fans satisfied. Not to mention the fact they reeled big names like Mark Hoppus and Joel Madden for guest appearances was a nice touch, showing the band hadn’t lost sight of their pop punk roots. Things always seem to go in cycles, so just wait until 2020 when kids start holding Put Up Or Shut Up as an example of “real” pop punk. It’ll happen, trust me.

Rip 2007 Alex Gaskarth’s hair, u will be missed

What do you think? Do All Time Low deserve a critical reevaluation from pop punk kids nowadays, or should simply they stay buried in the neon pop era? Do you miss when every band used Rockett Clothing for their shirt designs? Let us know in the comments below.

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