\n<\/p>\n
Valentine’s Day playlists may traditionally be dominated by R&B jams and cheesy pop ballads, but rock fans know there are other \u2014 way better \u2014 options, which is why\u00a0we’ve assembled 22 of our favorite pop-punk<\/a> and emo<\/a> love songs. It’s a mix of beloved hits, heartfelt one-hit wonders and lesser-known gems.<\/p>\n For every relationship that’s started in a mosh pit, every couple that got matching tattoos and every millennial who still dreams about their high school crush \u2014 this list is for you.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201c’Cause when I’m with you there’s nothing I wouldn’t do \/ I just want to be your only one\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n There\u2019s an awkward charm to \u201cM&M\u2019s,\u201d one of Blink-182<\/a>\u2019s more underrated gems. Mark Hoppus<\/a> handles lead vocals, pining after a girl he\u2019s fallen for and hoping she feels the same way.<\/p>\n It\u2019s simple and sweet, while also being undeniably catchy. Plus, there are references to masturbation and suicide \u2014 this is a Blink-182 song, after all.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cUntil the day I die, I’ll spill my heart for you\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Story of the Year<\/a>\u2019s debut single is a powerful declaration of love, even when a relationship gets chaotic. The lyrics chronicle a tumultuous romance, filled with both adoration, pain and hate.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a rollercoaster of emotion, punctuated by the intense vocals of singer Dan Marsala.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cIt’s not a walk in the park to love each other \/ But when our fingers interlock, can’t deny, can’t deny you’re worth it\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Yes, it was a major hit \u2014 and feels like an obvious choice for this list \u2014 but there\u2019s just no escaping the endearing joy of Paramore<\/a>‘s \u201cStill Into You.\u201d Across three minutes and\u00a030 seconds, Hayley Williams<\/a> leads a heartfelt anthem to the unpredictability of romance.<\/p>\n See, love doesn\u2019t have to make sense \u2014 when two people are meant for each other, it just somehow works. Of course, the great irony is that \u201cStill Into You\u201d was inspired by Williams\u2019 relationship with Chad Gilbert<\/a> of New Found Glory<\/a>. They broke up in 2017, four years after the single\u2019s release.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cHere I go \/ Scream my lungs out and try to get to you \/ You are my only one\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Can a song be romantic, even if it ends in heartbreak? We say yes and Yellowcard<\/a> seem to agree. The band\u2019s 2003 power ballad \u201cOnly One\u201d is a soaring, emphatic ode to the one who got away, inspired by frontman Ryan Key\u2019s real-life breakup.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cI won’t let them take you, won’t let them take you \/ Hell no, no, oh no \/ I won’t let them take you, won’t let them take you\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The only song \u2014 at least, that we\u2019re aware of \u2014 that somehow turns life in a concentration camp into a tale of undying love. Inspired by his grandparents, who were both Holocaust survivors, Say Anything<\/a> singer Max Bemis crafted the story of a couple whose passion and devotion can\u2019t be extinguished by evil.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a triumphant song about love conquering all and we still get energized every time it starts to play.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cRun, baby, run \/ Forever we’ll be \/ You and me\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n This breakout single for We the Kings perfectly encapsulated the heart-on-your-sleeve romance of early 2000s emo and pop-punk.<\/p>\n Unbridled youthful excitement pours out of every note, as frontman Travis Clark sneaks his lover out of her parents\u2019 home for a whirlwind night of excitement.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cAnd we lay, we lay together just not \/ Too close, too close (How close is close enough?)\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The passion is fiery and intense on Taking Back Sunday<\/a>\u2019s 2006 hit \u201cMakeDamnSure.\u201d Frontman Adam Lazzara<\/a> finds himself consumed by the object of his affection, determined that the two of them should be together.<\/p>\n Do lyrics\u00a0such as \u201cI’m gonna make damn sure \/ That you can’t ever leave<\/em>\u201d border on obsession? That\u2019s in the ear of the beholder.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cWe’ll have to make it on our own \/ Face all the pain and take it on \/ Because the only hope for me is you alone\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Leave it to My Chemical Romance<\/a> to set a romantic song upon a doomsday backdrop. As the world crumbles around him, Gerard Way<\/a> sings about the person he loves \u2014 the only one who can help him conquer the dark realities their faced with. It\u2019s romance on a cinematic scale \u2014 exactly how MCR like it.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cIf you could be my punk rock princess \/ I would be your garage band king \/ You could tell me why you just don’t fit in \/ And how you’re gonna be something\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Andrew McMahon harnesses power chords to pop punk perfection on this track from 2002\u2019s Leaving Through the Window<\/em>. \u201cPunk Rock Princess\u201d finds McMahon yearning for a girl that seems just out of reach, but that doesn\u2019t stop him from dreaming about what their life together would be like.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cWe got older, but we’re still young \/ We never grew out of this feeling that we won’t give up\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Relationships require a lot of time and effort and even then there\u2019s no guarantee things will work out. On their 2003 hit \u201cThe Best of Me,\u201d the Starting Line<\/a> chronicles a couple who have grown up together, weathering the highs and lows of a long-term romance. There\u2019s forgiveness, frustration, miscommunication and redemption all within the song, wrapped together in a vibrant pop-punk package.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> “Death don’t seem so bad \/ When I’m with you, my only love \/ So close your eyes, kiss me one last time \/ We’re gonna die, but not our love”<\/em><\/p>\n Fat Mike<\/a> and his NOFX<\/a> crew will never be accused of being hopeless romantics, yet this track off of 1997\u2019s So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes<\/em> is low-key emotional. It tells the story of a couple embracing their final moments on earth, expressing their devotion moments before their demise.<\/p>\n The heartfelt song is delivered in a frenzied punk package, running at just two minutes in length.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cAnd you stood at your door with your hands on my waist \/ And you kissed me like you meant it\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Occasionally love brings along a moment, so perfect you wish it would never end. That\u2019s the feeling that\u2019s captured in \u201cHands Down,\u201d Dashboard Confessional<\/a> hit single from 2001. Frontman Chris Carrabba\u2019s voice drips of vulnerability as he chronicles an amazing, yet fleeting, romance, culminating with a passionate kiss.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cYour arms in mine \/ Any time \/ Wouldn’t trade anything \/ You’re still my everything\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n While many songs on this list express love in a grand, cinematic fashion, the Get Up Kids<\/a> go the opposite direction on this 1999 track. \u201cI\u2019ll Catch You\u201d is beautiful in its vulnerability, as frontman Matt Pryor expresses his undying devotion over a stark piano-based arrangement.<\/p>\n Roughly halfway through the tune, the band opens things up for a moment of powerful passion, before toning it down once more to close.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cWhen the time we have now ends \/ When the big hand goes round again \/ Can you still feel the butterflies?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Beloved godfathers of emo Jimmy Eat World<\/a> deliver a declaration that love is worth fighting for on this track from 1999\u2019s Clarity<\/em>.<\/p>\n The message of \u201cFor Me This Is Heaven\u201d is simple, yet eternal: life is short, our moments with the ones we love won\u2019t last forever (even if we want them to), so let\u2019s embrace the time we have.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cSo kiss me like you did \/ My heart stopped beating\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The opening guitar riff to \u201cI Caught Fire\u201d tricks you into believing you\u2019re about to hear another of the Used<\/a>\u2019s defiant bangers.<\/p>\n Instead, the band offers up its most romantic lyrics, a welcome yet unexpected change of pace for the group. The heartfelt subject does nothing to dull the power of frontman Bert McCracken<\/a>\u2019s distinctive voice, as he passionate sings about melting in his lover\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cI wanna wake up naked next to you \/ Kissing the curve of your clavicle\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Across an energetic acoustic guitar riff, Alkaline Trio<\/a> frontman Matt Skiba<\/a> tells the story of a woman he can\u2019t stop thinking about. Six months ago her saw her for the first time, a week ago he got the (liquid) courage to finally talk to her, now they\u2019re flirting over the phone and all he can think about is lying next to her.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> “I saw you last night in my dream \/ I’m gonna marry you underneath driftwood from Crescent City”<\/em><\/p>\n After more than a decade together, the Wonder Years<\/a> showed impressive musical maturation with their sixth studio album, 2018\u2019s Sister Cities<\/em>. The band always boasted fantastic lyrics, but here the depth of their writing got even more personal, as best exemplified by the heartwrenching\u00a0song \u201cFlowers Where Your Face Should Be.\u201d<\/p>\n The gorgeous tune slowly builds as frontman Dan Campbell recalls seeing his love in a dream, his voice buoyed by swirling instrumentation that heightens the emotion.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cDo you care if I don’t know what to say? \/ Will you sleep tonight? Will you think of me?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Tom DeLonge<\/a> has never been afraid of getting emo-tional. The punk legend wears hard on his sleeve with this track from his short-lived side project, Box Car Racer<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere Is\u201d isn\u2019t so much a declaration of love as it is a yearning for connection. You can practically hear DeLonge staring at the window, gazing at the sky as he ponders whether there\u2019s anyone in this world who will truly understand him.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cLet’s be alone together \/ We could stay young forever \/ Scream it from the top of your lungs\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Fall Out Boy<\/a>\u2019s evolution has gone something like this: hardcore beginning, pop punk breakout, ascent to stadium rock. \u201cAlone Together\u201d firmly fits in the latter category, a lush, soaring tune about the eternal fire of young romance. It\u2019s the kind of love song you sing along to at full volume.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cAs we wake up in your room \/ Your face is the first thing I see \/ The first time I’ve seen love \/ And the last I’ll ever need\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n One of Pierce the Veil<\/a>\u2019s lesser known tracks \u2014 it was only on the Japanese version of 2010\u2019s Selfish Machines<\/em> before later getting released as a bonus song in 2013 \u2014 \u201cKissing in Cars\u201d is emotional, powerful and deeply relatable.<\/p>\n The song\u2019s lyrics revolved around a couple that broke up, but the love they still have for each other is too strong to keep them apart. They decide to give it another try, even if the odds seem stacked against them.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cBaby is this love for real? \/ Let me in your arms to feel \/ The beating of your heart, baby\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Sometimes love can be wild, confusing and even anxiety provoking.<\/p>\n Head Automatica<\/a> tap into that frenetic energy on their 2004 single \u201cBeating Heart Baby.\u201d The energetic track bubbles with urgency, as the romance between frontman Daryl Palumbo and his partner endures despite each party\u2019s frustrations with the other.<\/p>\n Best\u00a0lyric:<\/strong> \u201cThis is the best thing I’ve ever had for real\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n There\u2019s something wholesome about this single off of 2007\u2019s Even If It Kills Me<\/em>. \u201cThis Is for Real\u201d plays like the honest confession of a man who has tried everything to find happiness, but the only thing that actually brings it to him is being in the presence of his love.<\/p>\n It\u2019s well trodden lyrical territory, but Motion City Soundtrack<\/a>\u2019s pop-punk charm keeps it exciting rather than cliche.<\/p>\n You probably remember the songs and maybe the band names, but do you know where these pop-punk one-hit wonders are now?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBlink-182, \u201cM+M\u2019s\u201d<\/h3>\n
Story of the Year, \u201cUntil the Day I Die\u201d<\/h3>\n
Paramore, \u201cStill Into You\u201d<\/h3>\n
Yellowcard, \u201cOnly One\u201d<\/h3>\n
Say Anything, \u201cAlive With the Glory of Love\u201d<\/h3>\n
We the Kings, \u201cCheck Yes Juliet (Run Baby Run)\u201d<\/h3>\n
Taking Back Sunday, \u201cMakeDamnSure\u201d<\/h3>\n
My Chemical Romance, \u201cThe Only Hope for Me Is You\u201d<\/h3>\n
Something Corporate, \u201cPunk Rock Princess\u201d<\/h3>\n
The Starting Line, \u201cThe Best of Me\u201d<\/h3>\n
NOFX, \u201cFalling In Love\u201d<\/h3>\n
Dashboard Confessional, \u201cHands Down\u201d<\/h3>\n
The Get Up Kids, \u201cI\u2019ll Catch You\u201d<\/h3>\n
Jimmy Eat World, \u201cFor Me, This Is Heaven\u201d<\/h3>\n
The Used, \u201cI Caught Fire\u201d<\/h3>\n
Alkaline Trio, \u201cClavicle\u201d<\/h3>\n
The Wonder Years, \u201cFlowers Where Your Face Should Be\u201d<\/h3>\n
Box Car Racer, \u201cThere Is\u201d<\/h3>\n
Fall Out Boy \u2013 \u201cAlone Together\u201d<\/h3>\n
Pierce the Veil, \u201cKissing in Cars\u201d<\/h3>\n
Head Automatica, \u201cBeating Heart Baby\u201d<\/h3>\n
Motion City Soundtrack, \u201cThis Is for Real\u201d<\/h3>\n
Pop-Punk One-Hit Wonders: Where Are They Now?<\/h2>\n