WHO ARE THEY
Arizona's own Jimmy Eat World formed in 1993, releasing a pop-punk self-titled debut the year after. But it was Static Prevails, the next album from lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind, that set the template for the band's trajectory over the next two decades.
With relatable lyrics and a pop sheen, the hook-heavy style Jimmy Eat World adopted has remained remarkably consistent since 1996, even as their entire genre peaked and fell. With no eyeliner, no gimmicks and no tortured haircuts, Jimmy Eat World has long since staked their claim as the meat-and-potatoes standard bearers of emo.
BUY THIS ALBUM
Well, if you're going to the "Futures" 10-Year Anniversary Tour, make that record your starting point. Jimmy Eat World's follow up to the breakthrough "Bleed American" was released by Interscope on Oct. 19, 2004, with Gil Norton producing, and went on to sell more than 620,000 copies. Liz Phair contributed vocals to the single "Work," a burst of ear-candy with a strong undercurrent of escapism. The title track is made of the same buoyant positivity and strong hooks that made "The Middle" a career-defining hit. In general, the band's strong showing on "Futures" cemented Jimmy Eat World's status as NOT a one-hit wonder, paving the way for the steady-touring and devoted fanbase in the years since.
ESSENTIAL TRACKS
"Lucky Denver Mint," 1999. The bittersweet anthem that should've been the band's breakthrough. But it's the most foundational song in Jimmy Eat World's catalog, setting the heart-on-the-sleeve tone that seems to speak directly to fans.
"The Middle," 2001. The platinum-making hook that pushed Jimmy Eat World from a cult-favorite emo band with disappointing sales into the stratosphere of modern rock.
"Pain," 2004. This first single from "Futures" was the band's second No. 1 hit on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.
"Here It Goes," 2007. This "Chase The Light" track is perhaps the band's best song that wasn't released as a single. A live version is included on Luz de Vida: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy, released in 2011 on Fort Lowell Records.
"I Will Steal You Back," 2013. The anchor track on "Damage," which Adkins described as an "adult breakup album," this demonstrates the band's songwriting is just as relatable as Jimmy Eat World enters its third decade.
