What's the difference between a pop punk album and a straight-up punk album? The lines are thin, but ultimately it comes down to the ol' "you know it when you hear it" argument.

And when you hear pop punk from the first decade of the new millennium, it's impossible not to get a little nostalgic. There was just something so damn pure about it. Sure, there was heaps of angst and enough songs about teenage heartbreak to last a lifetime, but underneath all that, there was just so much catchy, infectious, life-affirming rock music.

It's weird to say, but pop punk albums tend to be the most personal listening experiences of any genre. It's likely something to do with the age of the listeners (is there anyone in their late 20s who still seeks out new pop punk records?), as everything about your teenage years feels more important than it probably is.

Because of that, there's likely to be more debate over these fifteen albums than the average list...