Pop-punk has enjoyed a second wave in recent years, so 2023 would be a great time to revisit some classic albums of the genre that will mark their twentieth anniversaries. Alternative rock radio was truly thriving in the early 2000s, as the indie scene also saw some seminal album releases in 2003. Brush your hair out of your eyes and take a look at the 20th anniversary tours we’d love to see.

Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue

Fun fact: “Ocean Avenue” wasn’t the first single released from the platinum album of the same name. It was “Way Away,” which, like all great songs from 2003 to 2007, appeared in an episode of The OC. But as you probably already know, it was “Ocean Avenue” that helped make Yellowcard a household name. To this day, millennials can’t walk through a beach town without getting this song stuck in their head. Though the band broke up in 2017, they did reunite for a set at Riot Fest and are slated to play at both Slam Dunk and When We Were Young festivals in 2023. Seems like the perfect time for a reunion tour to celebrate 20 years since the release of their biggest album.

Evanescence - Fallen

Daredevil (2003) is not a particularly beloved or successful movie, but it did introduce “Bring Me To Life” and “My Immortal” to the masses, as both songs grew in popularity from being on the soundtrack. A month later, Evanescence’s debut album Fallen was released and went on to sell 17 million units to date. It wasn’t just commercially successful though, the band also won Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance at the Grammys. While we’re grateful that Evanescence continues to release new music, fans would love a chance to see Fallen played front to back.

Dashboard Confessional - A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar

A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar isn’t the first Dashboard Confessional album, but it is the first one released as a full band instead of a solo project by Chris Carrabba. The album was an instant success, debuting at No. 2 on the Hot 100. But it has staying power as well; “Hands Down” will always be an emo classic. In 2020, the band set out on a tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band forming, but it was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pivoting to a 20th anniversary tour of A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar instead is a great way to reclaim the energy that was lost when the earlier tour had to be canceled.

The White Stripes - Elephant

While the duo had been critically acclaimed for years and saw some success with 2001’s White Blood Cells, it was their fourth album that saw them break through into the mainstream, whether The White Stripes wanted to or not. Elephant was their major-label debut and went platinum in the United States. The lead single, “Seven Nation Army,” probably has the most recognizable guitar riff of the 2000s and went on to win Best Rock Song at the Grammys, while the album as a whole was awarded with Best Alternative Music Album. While Jack White still tours with his various projects, The White Stripes broke up in 2011. We think it’s about time these ex-spouses and ex-bandmates reunite to celebrate 20 years of one of the most important alternative albums of the decade.

The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

If there’s one movie that best reflects the indie scene of the 2000s, it’s Garden State. And if there’s one band that is associated with Garden State, it’s The Shins. Chutes Too Narrow actually predates the film by one year, but when Natalie Portman played “New Slang” for Zach Braff and said it would change his life, it changed the lives of the band. Though “New Slang” was actually on Oh, Inverted World, the more recent album saw sales grow as well with the movie’s popularity. But even without that push, Chutes Too Narrow was critically acclaimed from the start and made many “Best Albums of 2003” lists. The Shins did a 20th anniversary reissue and a “21st birthday” tour for Oh, Inverted World, so there is precedent for the indie mainstays to do a similar celebration for Chutes Too Narrow.

Muse - Absolution

Muse had been growing in their home country of the UK for years when Absolution, their third album, debuted at No. 1. The lead single, “Time Is Running Out” was their first top 10 hit and was successful in the US as well. In fact, Absolution was their first album to chart in the US and is credited with growing their now thriving fan base in the States, as the album eventually went platinum. Their ninth album came out in August of 2022, so it’s likely that they’ll spend 2023 touring in support of Will of the People, but we still think it would be fun to do something special to acknowledge 20 years of Absolution.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell

Though they toured in the late summer/early fall of 2022 supporting their first new album in nine years, we hope Yeah Yeah Yeahs don't wait to celebrate 20 years since the debut album that put them on the map. Although it wasn’t until “Maps” was released as the third single in early 2004 that the band really blew up, the album as a whole remains a critical origin story for the art-rock trio. They did a deluxe remastering and vinyl reissue of Fever to Tell in 2017, with a small selection of shows to celebrate, but we think a nationwide (if not worldwide!) tour is in order for the 20th anniversary.

Fall Out Boy - Take This To Your Grave

Though it wasn’t the album that had them break into the mainstream (that would of course be their major label debut, From Under the Cork Tree), Take This To Your Grave was an underground hit in the pop-punk scene and is still beloved by longtime Fall Out Boy fans. While a lot of bands tend to eschew their early tracks as time goes on, to this day Fall Out Boy includes “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy” on their setlists, which always conclude with “Saturday.” As the band has evolved over the past two decades, it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane to reflect on their beginnings and hear some of the songs that haven’t been performed live in years.

Motion City Soundtrack - I Am The Movie

As fellow midwestern contemporaries of Fall Out Boy (lead singer Justin Pierre was even featured on Take This To Your Grave), Motion City Soundtrack also made their pre-mainstream debut in 2003. Charting on Billboard’s Independent Album list, I Am The Movie features the classic and prescient pop-punk song “The Future Freaks Me Out” as well as “My Favorite Accident.” Though the 15th year anniversary of Commit This To Memory tour was postponed and rescheduled because of COVID-19 until it became a 17th anniversary tour, fans would still love to see a 20th anniversary celebration of their debut album in 2023. The band is slated to perform at When We Were Young Festival 2023, so it’s the perfect excuse to bask in some nostalgia.

The Format - Interventions + Lullabies

The first of only two studio albums, Interventions + Lullabies helped make The Format a cult favorite in the indie scene. After going on hiatus in 2008, the duo of Sam Means and Nate Ruess had fans rejoicing when they announced a reunion in 2020. With only three dates at relatively small venues, demand was high. Unfortunately, those dates were in March and April of 2020 and were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two more postponements followed until the shows were finally outright canceled. The Format could make this up to fans by planning a longer tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their first album in 2023. But if they wanted to play Dog Problems too, we wouldn’t be mad.

Something Corporate - North

Like The Format, Something Corporate also went on hiatus after two full-length albums. However, they’ve been no stranger to reunion shows, having headlined Bamboozle Left, Bamboozle Chicago, and Bamboozle Right 2010 for the band’s 10th anniversary. They’ve also performed for Dear Jack benefits (lead singer Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin and his solo project has an annual benefit concert supporting his foundation supporting young adult cancer patients). Since they’re returning once more to play When We Were Young Festival 2023, we think it’s about time they do a proper reunion tour while celebrating the 20th anniversary of their second (and final) album.

See the hip-hop and pop albums turning 20 in 2023 and check out the albums from 2013 that we think deserve 10-year anniversary tours!