Riot!
Encyclopedia
Riot! is the second studio album by American rock
band Paramore
, succeeding their debut album All We Know Is Falling
, and was released in the United States on June 12, 2007 and in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2007. The album was certified Platinum in The US by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) and in Ireland by Irish Recorded Music Association
, and Gold in the UK. Riot! produced 4 singles
: "Misery Business
", "Hallelujah
", "Crushcrushcrush
" and "That's What You Get
".
"Misery Business" is included in the video games Saints Row 2
, NHL 08
, Rock Band 3
and Guitar Hero World Tour
(the latter featuring a computer-generated replica of lead vocalist Hayley Williams
), while "That's What You Get" is included as a playable song on Rock Band 2
. "Crushcrushcrush" is featured on Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades
and is available as a downloadable track for play on the three Rock Band
games. A cover version of the song is also featured on the game Ultimate Band
. The album cover also resembles the cover artwork of No Doubt
's album Rock Steady. Riot went Platinum on July 11, 2008.
According to guitarist Josh Farro
, Riot! was recorded by Paramore as a trio. Whilst Jeremy Davis
was credited as playing bass on the album, he was in fact kicked out by the band for a lack of work ethic. Paramore's touring guitarist Taylor York
contributed to the songwriting for several tracks on the album.
The track "For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic" comes from what lead guitarist Josh Farro reflects as "putting your faith in someone and they blow it." Farro composed the song and gave the demo to Williams. Farro is known as saying "I wrote the music specifically to be awesome live and to be extremely energetic. It all came out at once. I showed it to Hayley and she just nailed it lyrically. She completely got the feeling I wanted the song to have."
During production, Paramore held an online contest entitled "The Last Song You'll Ever Sing" where fans submitted videos on YouTube
for the opportunity to sing back-up vocals on the track "Born for This". The winner was Mary Bonney of McLean, Virginia.
" being the first. Its origins came from a message Williams posted on the band's LiveJournal
, asking fans to post what they're ashamed of. "I found that people really were reaching out to someone to spill their guts to," she recalls, "so I did the same thing lyrically in the song and let everything out. It's more honest than anything I've ever written, and the guys matched that emotion musically." The song became an instant hit, eventually receiving heavy rotation on MTV
and other music television networks.
The album's second single was "Hallelujah
". As Williams recounts, "It's one of the oldest songs we've got, but we wanted to save it for this record, and it's the perfect home for it. It's a claim of victory for both ourselves and our fans."
The album's third single was "Crushcrushcrush
" and was released January 15, 2008, in the US and the January 23 in the UK
.
The album's fourth single, "That's What You Get
", was released just over a week after Paramore canceled their European tour to work on "personal issues", amidst media speculation of the band breaking up. Williams explained that, given the fragile state of the band, they all thought it best if they kept the shoot low-key, surrounding themselves with their friends and family, keeping it simple. Williams added, "We had tons of friends there, and it really just felt like a hangout session. And Marcos [Siega, the director] was so cool about it. He said, 'Bring your friends.' We shot it in some of our friends' houses, and it just felt so real... and I think it's the first time in a video you're gonna get to see who we really are."
The track "Born for This" contains the line "we want the airwaves back", from the song "Liberation Frequency" taken from the album The Shape of Punk to Come
by the influential Swedish hardcore band Refused
. Williams has explained that this song was written "about the fans" and "that the whole pre-chorus is actually inspired by that one line of the song."
" on the radio. It entered the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart at 20 in late 2007. Riot! sold 42,000 albums in the U.S. in its first week and three months later the album hit its peak at 15 on the Billboard 200. The album achieved some success in the UK reaching #24 on the albums chart sales to date 250,094. The album was certified Platinum on July 11, 2008. The hit single "Misery Business
" has also been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album was re-released in late 2007 as a U-MYX MVI CD/DVD. In New Zealand
, the album peaked at number 15, and was certified Gold on February 1, 2009, shipping over 15,000 copies.
gave the album a B+ and said, "Riot! is immediately appealing because it focuses on sounds that have been neglected by the genre's front-runners. This is an uncomplicated album of strikingly uncomplicated music, entirely lacking in 15 word song titles." Gareth Dobson of Drowned in Sound
gave the album 4 out of 10 stars and said, "At 38 minutes long, it's mercifully brief, but still manages to feel like a double album for those who endure it. That is, those who don't manage to forget that it's on the stereo at all. People, get your pop-punk thrills somewhere else. At least somewhere where there are actual thrills to be had."
Despite mixed and lukewarm reviews, Riot! found itself in several "must have" lists that were compiled by various music publications, networks and other media.
After the album release the band went on an American tour, following it up with a world tour. After their fourth single from Riot! was released the band canceled their European tour to work on "personal issues."
and Josh Farro
, except where noted.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
, succeeding their debut album All We Know Is Falling
All We Know Is Falling
All We Know Is Falling is the debut studio album by American rock band Paramore, released on July 26, 2005. The album reached #8 on the UK Rock Chart...
, and was released in the United States on June 12, 2007 and in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2007. The album was certified Platinum in The US by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) and in Ireland by Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
, and Gold in the UK. Riot! produced 4 singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
: "Misery Business
Misery Business
"Misery Business" is a song by American rock band Paramore, and is the lead single from their second studio album, Riot!. "Misery Business" was the third Paramore video to be directed by Shane Drake, and was nominated for the "Best Video" award at the Kerrang! Awards 2007, but lost to Fall Out...
", "Hallelujah
Hallelujah (Paramore song)
"Hallelujah" is the second single from rock band Paramore's second album Riot!. The single peaked at #139 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is not to be confused with the Leonard Cohen song of the same name, although on the Final Riot! summer 2008 tour, lead singer Hayley Williams performs an...
", "Crushcrushcrush
Crushcrushcrush
"crushcrushcrush" is a song by American rock band Paramore, and is the third single from their second studio album, Riot!. The official music video premiered on TRL on October 16, 2007....
" and "That's What You Get
That's What You Get
"That's What You Get" is a single by rock band Paramore. This is the second Australian single, third U.S. single and the fourth UK single from Riot!. The single has been confirmed by MTV and Fueled by Ramen. The song was released on radio on March 22 in Australia and on March 24 in the U.S.In the...
".
"Misery Business" is included in the video games Saints Row 2
Saints Row 2
Saints Row 2 is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the second title in the Saints Row series, after the release of Saints Row in 2006. It is succeeded by Saints Row: The...
, NHL 08
NHL 08
-Soundtrack:-Easter Eggs:* Wells Greeno-McNeil is the name of a child for the Make-A-Wish Foundation whose wish was to have his name and likeness in a videogame.* The default created player names are of the game's developers....
, Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
and Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series...
(the latter featuring a computer-generated replica of lead vocalist Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams
Hayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore.- Life and career :...
), while "That's What You Get" is included as a playable song on Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
. "Crushcrushcrush" is featured on Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades
Guitar Hero: On Tour series
Guitar Hero: On Tour is a series of music video games based on the Guitar Hero series for the Nintendo DS handheld game system. The series is developed by Vicarious Visions and distributed by RedOctane and Activision...
and is available as a downloadable track for play on the three Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
games. A cover version of the song is also featured on the game Ultimate Band
Ultimate Band
Ultimate Band is a music video game for the Nintendo DS & Wii. It is developed by Fall Line Studios, and published by Disney Interactive Studios.-Gameplay:...
. The album cover also resembles the cover artwork of No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
's album Rock Steady. Riot went Platinum on July 11, 2008.
Recording and production
The album was produced by David Bendeth. Lead vocalist, Hayley Williams, explained the album was called Riot! because, "For us, the title ‘Riot!’ literally means an unbridled outburst of emotions. When we were writing, it seemed like our thoughts and emotions were coming out so fast that we couldn't control them. It felt like there was a riot within us. So the album takes our passion to a new level; it’s just all raw energy."According to guitarist Josh Farro
Josh Farro
Joshua Neil Farro is an American rock guitarist and songwriter, and the lead guitarist of the band Novel American. He is best known as the former lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the alternative rock band Paramore...
, Riot! was recorded by Paramore as a trio. Whilst Jeremy Davis
Jeremy Davis
Jeremy Clayton Davis is an American bassist for the band Paramore.Jeremy Clayton Davis was born on February 8, 1984 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He has been playing bass for almost 14 years...
was credited as playing bass on the album, he was in fact kicked out by the band for a lack of work ethic. Paramore's touring guitarist Taylor York
Taylor York
Taylor Benjamin York , is an American rock guitarist and is currently a member of the alternative rock band Paramore. He also plays the keyboard and glockenspiel occasionally during their live set...
contributed to the songwriting for several tracks on the album.
The track "For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic" comes from what lead guitarist Josh Farro reflects as "putting your faith in someone and they blow it." Farro composed the song and gave the demo to Williams. Farro is known as saying "I wrote the music specifically to be awesome live and to be extremely energetic. It all came out at once. I showed it to Hayley and she just nailed it lyrically. She completely got the feeling I wanted the song to have."
During production, Paramore held an online contest entitled "The Last Song You'll Ever Sing" where fans submitted videos on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
for the opportunity to sing back-up vocals on the track "Born for This". The winner was Mary Bonney of McLean, Virginia.
Songs
The album has yielded four singles, with "Misery BusinessMisery Business
"Misery Business" is a song by American rock band Paramore, and is the lead single from their second studio album, Riot!. "Misery Business" was the third Paramore video to be directed by Shane Drake, and was nominated for the "Best Video" award at the Kerrang! Awards 2007, but lost to Fall Out...
" being the first. Its origins came from a message Williams posted on the band's LiveJournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
, asking fans to post what they're ashamed of. "I found that people really were reaching out to someone to spill their guts to," she recalls, "so I did the same thing lyrically in the song and let everything out. It's more honest than anything I've ever written, and the guys matched that emotion musically." The song became an instant hit, eventually receiving heavy rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and other music television networks.
The album's second single was "Hallelujah
Hallelujah (Paramore song)
"Hallelujah" is the second single from rock band Paramore's second album Riot!. The single peaked at #139 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is not to be confused with the Leonard Cohen song of the same name, although on the Final Riot! summer 2008 tour, lead singer Hayley Williams performs an...
". As Williams recounts, "It's one of the oldest songs we've got, but we wanted to save it for this record, and it's the perfect home for it. It's a claim of victory for both ourselves and our fans."
The album's third single was "Crushcrushcrush
Crushcrushcrush
"crushcrushcrush" is a song by American rock band Paramore, and is the third single from their second studio album, Riot!. The official music video premiered on TRL on October 16, 2007....
" and was released January 15, 2008, in the US and the January 23 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The album's fourth single, "That's What You Get
That's What You Get
"That's What You Get" is a single by rock band Paramore. This is the second Australian single, third U.S. single and the fourth UK single from Riot!. The single has been confirmed by MTV and Fueled by Ramen. The song was released on radio on March 22 in Australia and on March 24 in the U.S.In the...
", was released just over a week after Paramore canceled their European tour to work on "personal issues", amidst media speculation of the band breaking up. Williams explained that, given the fragile state of the band, they all thought it best if they kept the shoot low-key, surrounding themselves with their friends and family, keeping it simple. Williams added, "We had tons of friends there, and it really just felt like a hangout session. And Marcos [Siega, the director] was so cool about it. He said, 'Bring your friends.' We shot it in some of our friends' houses, and it just felt so real... and I think it's the first time in a video you're gonna get to see who we really are."
The track "Born for This" contains the line "we want the airwaves back", from the song "Liberation Frequency" taken from the album The Shape of Punk to Come
The Shape of Punk to Come
The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts is the third and final album released by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, which was released in October 1998 through Burning Heart Records...
by the influential Swedish hardcore band Refused
Refused
Refused was a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1991. In total the band released five EPs and three albums, before splitting up in 1998...
. Williams has explained that this song was written "about the fans" and "that the whole pre-chorus is actually inspired by that one line of the song."
Release
Riot! was released in the United States on June 12, 2007, following the debut of "Misery BusinessMisery Business
"Misery Business" is a song by American rock band Paramore, and is the lead single from their second studio album, Riot!. "Misery Business" was the third Paramore video to be directed by Shane Drake, and was nominated for the "Best Video" award at the Kerrang! Awards 2007, but lost to Fall Out...
" on the radio. It entered the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart at 20 in late 2007. Riot! sold 42,000 albums in the U.S. in its first week and three months later the album hit its peak at 15 on the Billboard 200. The album achieved some success in the UK reaching #24 on the albums chart sales to date 250,094. The album was certified Platinum on July 11, 2008. The hit single "Misery Business
Misery Business
"Misery Business" is a song by American rock band Paramore, and is the lead single from their second studio album, Riot!. "Misery Business" was the third Paramore video to be directed by Shane Drake, and was nominated for the "Best Video" award at the Kerrang! Awards 2007, but lost to Fall Out...
" has also been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album was re-released in late 2007 as a U-MYX MVI CD/DVD. In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the album peaked at number 15, and was certified Gold on February 1, 2009, shipping over 15,000 copies.
Reception
Critical opinion for Riot! was generally positive. Jason Lymangrover of Allmusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and commented that, "Ultimately, this disc has enormous crossover potential, and will probably appeal to those who are fans of the genre, and for those who aren't, there's a good chance of it becoming a guilty pleasure." Stylus MagazineStylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
gave the album a B+ and said, "Riot! is immediately appealing because it focuses on sounds that have been neglected by the genre's front-runners. This is an uncomplicated album of strikingly uncomplicated music, entirely lacking in 15 word song titles." Gareth Dobson of Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
gave the album 4 out of 10 stars and said, "At 38 minutes long, it's mercifully brief, but still manages to feel like a double album for those who endure it. That is, those who don't manage to forget that it's on the stereo at all. People, get your pop-punk thrills somewhere else. At least somewhere where there are actual thrills to be had."
Despite mixed and lukewarm reviews, Riot! found itself in several "must have" lists that were compiled by various music publications, networks and other media.
Riot! Tour
Williams said, "We're hoping to do one more tour across the States before we really get started with all the (European summer) festivals. Of course, I want to do more Warped Tour dates, 'cause it's, like, my favorite tour ever. We'll see what works out and hopefully just have another great year."After the album release the band went on an American tour, following it up with a world tour. After their fourth single from Riot! was released the band canceled their European tour to work on "personal issues."
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Hayley WilliamsHayley Williams
Hayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore.- Life and career :...
and Josh Farro
Josh Farro
Joshua Neil Farro is an American rock guitarist and songwriter, and the lead guitarist of the band Novel American. He is best known as the former lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the alternative rock band Paramore...
, except where noted.
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
15 |
| U.S. Billboard Comprehensive Albums | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Internet Albums | 20 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Digital Albums | 10 |
| European Top 100 Albums | 76 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
24 |
| UK Rock Chart UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... |
2 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
53 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 31 |
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
47 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
15 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 26 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 61 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 66 |
Certifications
| Chart (2008–2009) | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold | 250,000+ |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum | 1,300,000+ |
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold | 35,000+ |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold | 7,500+ |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Gold | 50,000+ |
| Ireland Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
Platinum | 15,000+ |
Personnel
- Hayley WilliamsHayley WilliamsHayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore.- Life and career :...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the... - Josh FarroJosh FarroJoshua Neil Farro is an American rock guitarist and songwriter, and the lead guitarist of the band Novel American. He is best known as the former lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the alternative rock band Paramore...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Jeremy DavisJeremy DavisJeremy Clayton Davis is an American bassist for the band Paramore.Jeremy Clayton Davis was born on February 8, 1984 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He has been playing bass for almost 14 years...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Zac FarroZac FarroZachary Wayne Farro is an American musician and drummer of the bands Novel American and Half Noise. He is best known as the former drummer of the alternative rock band Paramore from its inception until 2010...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...