Everyone loves a good comeback. There’s a gratifying feeling in seeing an old member rejoin the fold, getting to experience a band you never thought you’d see live, or witnessing a group break a years-long hiatus to make some of their strongest work. Given that Linkin Park announced their massive comeback last week, it got us thinking about other instances where bands made a return. Naturally, we turned to our readers and asked them to name the best comeback albums of all time. These are the top picks, ranked accordingly below.
Read more: 10 criminally underrated blink-182 songs
5. Avril Lavigne – Love Sux
Avril Lavigne is at her best when she’s writing bratty tunes about awful boyfriends, messy breakups, and feeling misunderstood by the world around her. That’s why her pop-punk comeback record, 2022’s Love Sux, resonated so strongly with our readers. Helmed by Travis Barker, the LP aligned with the genre’s resurgence, sporting energetic, ferocious rockers that saw Lavigne return to her early sound with a matured POV. She doesn’t hold back, either, firing off fuzzy anthems (“Cannonball”) and snarling bangers (“F.U.,” “Bite Me”) that prove why she’s pop-punk royalty.
4. Pierce the Veil – The Jaws of Life
The Jaws of Life, Pierce the Veil’s first proper album in seven years, hailed the return of the post-hardcore giants, who were operating from a reinvigorated perspective. While the LP appeals to fans of their classic work, the band have grown considerably and reached for different reference points, reflecting their new headspace. Clearly, PTV will always have a lot of love for their old music (they’ll play Collide With the Sky in full at When We Were Young next month), but the trio have a fresh desire to mix things up and try things that make them uncomfortable.
3. MCR5
When My Chemical Romance unveiled “The Foundations of Decay” — their first new music in eight years — in 2022, fans began speculating that there was more to come. While nothing official has come to light, that hasn’t stopped our readers from anticipating the band’s return to the studio to coincide with their tremendous reunion tour. They’re even wondering if more dates are on the way after their two appearances at When We Were Young next month. Given that it has been 14 years since Danger Days, a proper comeback album from the emo vets would certainly be epic.
2. Fall Out Boy – Save Rock and Roll
Fall Out Boy’s comeback album, 2013’s Save Rock and Roll, was monumental, launching them into a whole new era after a four-year hiatus. Their return made them even bigger than before, elevating their sound to grander heights — from the dizzying genre experimentation to creating a video for every song, which strung together to form a greater narrative dubbed The Young Blood Chronicles. It all worked to pristine effect, making good on their time away and satiating a legion of fans while bringing new ones into the fold.
1. blink-182 – One More Time…
Following their unexpected split in 2015, no one was sure if blink-182 would play with their classic lineup again. That’s what made their long-awaited reunion with Tom DeLonge massively satisfying. The band have been ringing in the moment for over a year, too, offering up a brand-new album (and deluxe edition with bonus songs) and sprawling reunion tour, which included a last-minute headlining slot at Coachella in 2023. Safe to say, it has been a rewarding comeback to see play out, making their stadium shows feel like a 2000s summer — and we really missed DeLonge’s trademark whine.
