Teenagers (song)

This article is about the My Chemical Romance song. For other uses, see Teenager (disambiguation) § Songs.

"Teenagers" is the fourth and final single and the eleventh track from My Chemical Romance's third studio album, The Black Parade (2006). It was the third United States single from the album, but the fourth released in the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Australia, and Canada. The song was released to radio on May 15, 2007.^[5]

"Teenagers"
Single by My Chemical Romance
from the album The Black Parade
Released	July 9, 2007
Recorded	2006
Genre	Punk rock[1] pop-punk[2] emo[3] glam rock[4]
Length	2:41
Label	Reprise
Songwriter(s)	Frank Iero Mikey Way Gerard Way Ray Toro Bob Bryar
Producer(s)	My Chemical Romance Rob Cavallo
My Chemical Romance singles chronology
"I Don't Love You" (2007) "Teenagers" (2007) "Desolation Row" (2009)
Additional cover
Promotional cover
Audio sample
file help
Music video
"Teenagers" on YouTube

Background

Gerard Way wrote the song after finding himself in a New York City Subway car full of high schoolers who were "running around, being all violent [and] breaking shit", which Way felt was very different from when he was a teenager himself.^[6] As he told The New York Times, "That was the first time I felt old...I was nervous and I was a target. I felt like I had become a parent figure or part of the problem."^[7]

About the relationship between the song and concerns about gun violence, Way said:

That song almost didn't fit on the record but it's a topic that's so important to our culture. It's about a really big problem in America where kids are killing kids. The only thing I learned in high school is that people are very violent and territorial.^[8]

Critical reception

A reviewer from NME wrote,

"Some bands go out of their way to do a song with a sound they're never bound to do, then release it as a single. They usually fail. My Chemical Romance tried a substantially different sound for this song, and it paid off. The message is simple, the chorus is catchy and Ray Toro's solo joins the chorus and bridge together so smoothly."

The song was rated 5 stars in both NME and AbsolutePunk.net.^{[citation needed]}

The song was #25 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.^[9] This song was also #80 on MTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.^[10] The single is certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA, 2× Platinum by the BPI, and Gold by the FIMI.^[11][12][13]

Chart performance

The song entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at #2, before debuting at #87 on the Hot 100 the following week as the "Hot Shot" debut of the week, and peaked at #67. It has reached #23 on the Pop 100, and #13 on Modern Rock Tracks. It also debuted at #42 in the UK, and became the band's fourth straight top 20 hit from The Black Parade and their third top ten hit from the album, peaking at #9. It debuted at number 16 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

Music video

The music video opens with an almost shot-for-shot tribute to the first scene of Pink Floyd's film The Wall. Further links to The Wall are seen when cheerleaders don gas masks in a similar manner to the masks worn by the teenaged and young adult fans in the film.^[14]

The video was posted by the band via their YouTube channel on May 30, 2007. Sometime around November 1, 2007, the video passed the "Famous Last Words" video as the third most played video on the site. This version of the video cut out the word "shit". The MTV version differs from the YouTube version; notably the teenagers breaking in was cut out, as well as the words "gun", "shit", and "murder".^[15] The video was featured on Total Request Live.

This video aired in New Zealand, which was also the first country in which The Black Parade reached number one.^[16]

Equipment

• Ray Toro's Ebony Gibson Les Paul Standard.
• Frank Iero's Alpine White Gibson Les Paul Studio.
• Mikey Way's Black Fender American Deluxe Jaguar Bass
• Bob Bryar's C&C Custom drumkit.
• Marshall Amplification guitar amplifiers
• Ampeg bass amplifiers.

Track listing

• All songs written by My Chemical Romance.

Version 1 (promotional CD)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Teenagers" (radio edit)	2:38[17]

Version 2 (CD and 7" vinyl)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Teenagers"	2:41
2.	"Dead!" (live from E-Werk in Berlin on October 14, 2006)	3:16[18]

Version 3 (7" vinyl)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Teenagers"	2:41
2.	"Mama" (live from the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on March 22, 2007)	5:00[19]

Version 4 (CD)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Teenagers"	2:41
2.	"Dead!" (live at E-Werk in Berlin on October 14, 2006)	3:16
3.	"Mama" (live from the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on March 22, 2007)	5:00[20]

Version 5 (digital download)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Teenagers"	2:41
2.	"Teenagers" (music video)	2:51
3.	"I Don't Love You" (Video from AOL Sessions)	3:57

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2007–08) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[21] 16 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[22] 50 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[23] 53 Czech Singles Chart[24] 21 European Hot 100 Singles[25] 27 Germany (GfK)[26] 74 Ireland (IRMA)[27] 7 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 6 Scotland (OCC)[29] 6 UK Singles (OCC)[30] 9 US Billboard Hot 100[31] 67 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[32] 23 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[33] 13 Venezuela Pop Rock (Record Report)[34] 15

Year-end charts Chart (2007) Position Australia (ARIA)[35] 65 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[36] 35 UK Singles (OCC)[37] 87

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[13]	Gold	50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[12]	2× Platinum	1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[11]	4× Platinum	4,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
Canada	July 9, 2007	CD 7" digital download	Reprise Warner
United Kingdom
United States
Australia	August 31, 2007
New Zealand
Germany	September 14, 2007

See also

• Ephebiphobia

References

1. Shepherd, Tom (October 23, 2019). "Every Song On My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade, Ranked From Worst To Best". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
2. Burns, Ashley (May 7, 2013). "'Middle School' Is A Mash-Up Of Every Pop Punk Song You Won't Admit You Once Loved". Uproxx. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
3. Cizmar, Martin (March 5, 2009). "10 Emo Songs That Don't Suck". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
4. Melia, Daniel (June 4, 2007). "My Chemical Romance - Teenagers". Gigwise. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
5. "AllAccess.com Alternative eWeekly". AllAccess. May 8, 2007. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
6. Take 40 Australia (April 17, 2008). "MCR's Gerard Way - scared of teenagers on the train!". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
7. Michel, Sam (October 22, 2006). "Fresh from the Garden State, in Black Leather and Eyeliner". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
8. "My Chemical Romance discuss teen gun crime". NME. October 25, 2006. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
9. No byline (December 11, 2007). "The 100 Best Songs of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 21, 2007
10. MTV Asia. "Top 100 Hits List" Archived December 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 27, 2007
11. "American single certifications – My Chemical Romance – Teenagers". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
12. "British single certifications – My Chemical Romance – Teenagers". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
13. "Italian single certifications – My Chemical Romance – Teenagers" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
14. Tibi Puiu (June 18, 2007). "My Chemical Romance with a new single". ZMEmusic. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
15. "Teenagers: MTV UK". MTV. February 25, 2010. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
16. "OFFICIAL TOP 40 ALBUMS". Recorded Music NZ. October 30, 2006. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
17. "Addition Product Information". eil.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
18. "The Record Shack". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
19. "The Record Shack". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
20. "My Chemical Romance Teenagers Australian CD single (CD5 / 5") (412774)". eil.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
21. "My Chemical Romance – Teenagers". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
22. "My Chemical Romance – Teenagers" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
23. "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
24. ds. "ČNS IFPI". www.ifpicr.cz. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
25. "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
26. "My Chemical Romance – Teenagers" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
27. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Teenagers". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
28. "My Chemical Romance – Teenagers". Top 40 Singles.
29. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
30. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
31. "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
32. "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
33. "My Chemical Romance Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
34. "Pop Rock" (in Spanish). Record Report. September 29, 2007. Archived from the original on July 2, 2007.
35. "ARIA End of Year Singles Chart 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
36. "Top Selling Singles of 2007". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
37. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2007" (PDF). UK ChartsPlus. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2020.

External links

• "Teenagers" Music video on YouTube