Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland, formed in 1995. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of Joel Madden (lead vocals), Benji Madden (guitar, vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (guitar, keyboards), and Dean Butterworth (drums, percussion).
For the album, see Good Charlotte (album).
Good Charlotte
Waldorf, Maryland, U.S.
- 1995–present
(hiatus: 2011–2015)
- Joel Madden
- Benji Madden
- Paul Thomas
- Billy Martin
- Dean Butterworth
- Aaron Escolopio
- Chris Wilson
The band released their self-titled debut album in 2000 to mostly positive reviews. In 2002, they achieved breakthrough success with their second album, The Young and the Hopeless. Featuring the hit singles "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", "The Anthem" and "Girls & Boys", The Young and the Hopeless sold 3.5 million copies in the US and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA, for a total of almost 5 million copies sold worldwide. The band followed up with The Chronicles of Life and Death in 2004; a darker album, both musically and lyrically. Backed by the singles "Predictable" and "I Just Wanna Live", The Chronicles of Life and Death continued the band's success, and the album was certified platinum by the RIAA, selling over one million copies in the US alone. In 2007, they released the dance-punk inspired album Good Morning Revival before going back to their pop-punk-roots with the album Cardiology in 2010. After a four-year-long hiatus, the band announced its comeback on November 3, 2015.[1] The band released Youth Authority to positive reviews in 2016, and in 2018 they released their latest album, Generation Rx. In addition, they released two compilations: Greatest Remixes in 2008 and Greatest Hits in 2010.
History[edit]
Early years (1995–1999)[edit]
Twin brothers Joel and Benji Madden formed Good Charlotte and worked full-time on the band.[2] The Madden brothers focused on getting the band signed, reading books and magazines that would aid them in achieving this goal.[3] They made promotional packages which they sent to record labels.[2] Joel Madden learned that the girl he took to homecoming was a sister of bassist Paul Thomas. Thomas met the brothers and was unimpressed with their performance skills.[4] and began playing clubs in the D.C. metro area.[4] The Madden brothers moved to Annapolis, Maryland where they performed acoustic shows.[5] The band named themselves Good Charlotte after the children's book, Good Charlotte: Girls of the Good Day Orphanage, by Carol Beach York.
Guitarist Billy Martin went to one of these shows at the insistence of Jimi HaHa of Jimmie's Chicken Shack.[3] Martin became friends with the Madden brothers and let them move in with him after they were evicted from their apartment.[5] Martin joined Good Charlotte after the trio learned they had a shared interest in the Australian rock band Silverchair[6] and the break up of Martin's band Overflow. They wrote new songs and recorded and performed demos.[7] The band worked in support slots for Blink-182, Lit and Bad Religion.[8] In 1999, Good Charlotte opened for Save Ferris in Philadelphia. After the performance, they left a demo of "Little Things" that soon got airplay on local radio station Y100.[3] Benji Madden was certain of the song's potential hit status with its high-school theme and the reality of its lyrics.[2]
A Sony Music employee passed the band's demo to regional promotion manager Mike Martinovich, who was impressed by the group's writing ability and the autobiographical nature of the songs.[2] He contacted talent manager Steve Feinberg, who flew to Annapolis to watch the group perform and later began working with them.[7] Around the same time, WHFS also began playing the demo.[2] As the track became a hit in the area, record labels began showing interest in Good Charlotte.[3] By the end of 1999, the band went on an east-coast tour with Lit. Representatives from several major labels attended the New York City show of the tour.[9]
Good Charlotte (2000–2001)[edit]
Starting in 2000, the group became a full-time touring act with support slots for Lit, Goldfinger, Sum 41, and Mest.[10] Following a showcase in New York City,[3] the group met with people in the music industry.[11] David Massey, executive vice president of A&R at major label Epic Records, signed the band to the label in May.[12]
Good Charlotte's debut studio album Good Charlotte was released on September 26, 2000[13] through Epic and Daylight Records.[14] The Japanese edition included "The Click", a cover of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "If You Leave" and a live acoustic version of "The Motivation Proclamation" as bonus tracks.[15] Sales did not meet the label's expectations, and the group were nearly dropped from the label.[16] In October and November, the group went on a US tour with Fenix TX,[17] followed by a US tour with MxPx until the end of the year.[18]
In December, the group appeared at HFSmas, the winter version of HFStival.[19] On March 1, 2001, "Little Things" was released as a single in Australia.[20] The CD version included "The Click" and "Thank You Mom" as B-sides.[21] Despite the lack of success for "Little Things", the group's label allowed them to make another video, which was for "The Motivation Proclamation".[22] It was directed by Webb[23] and features the band members on the ground, waking up one-by-one and starting to perform. Scenes from Undergrads were played on a TV.[24] Between March and May, the group supported MxPx on their headlining US tour.[25] In April, the video for "The Motivation Proclamation" was receiving airplay from video outlets.[8] While on the MxPx tour, the album was consistently selling 3,000 copies per week. As a result, the group wanted to make a live music video.[26] At the end of May, the group performed at HFStival. During their set, a music video was filmed for "Festival Song",[27] directed by Marc Webb.[23] The video ended up being a mini-documentary on the day.[28] Members of Mest, New Found Glory, and Linkin Park appear in the video.[29]
The Young and the Hopeless (2002–2003)[edit]
2002's The Young and the Hopeless sold 4.9 million copies and thrust the band into mainstream popularity. The band's breakthrough single, titled "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", topped both pop and rock charts around the globe. Singles that were released from the album include "The Anthem", "Girls & Boys", "The Young & the Hopeless", and "Hold On". The band cited Rancid, Social Distortion, and The Clash as influences for the album.
The Young and the Hopeless debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 117,000 copies.[30] By August 2003, the album had sold over 2 million copies,[31] and by October 2004, 3 million. At that time, the album was still charting on the Billboard 200, 2 years after its release. The album's singles lifted the band from modern rock to top 40 radio stations, with all three major singles crossing over to the format. Each had major success in MTV's Total Request Live.[30] As of 2011, it had sold over 3.5 million copies in the US.[32] The album reached number 18 and 104 on the Billboard 200 year-end charts in 2003 and 2004, respectively.[33][34] The album charted at number 6 in New Zealand,[35] number 7 in Sweden,[36] number 9 in Australia,[37] number 15 in the UK,[38] number 20 in Austria,[39] number 24 in Japan,[40] number 46 in Switzerland,[41] number 52 in France,[42] and number 57 in the Netherlands.[43]
Around this time, the Used were aware that Good Charlotte were in need of a drummer, and introduced them to Chris Wilson.[44] Shortly after this, he became the group's drummer. In July, the group filmed a video for "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous".[20] Directed by Bill Fishman, it features appearances from 'NSYNC vocalist Chris Kirkpatrick, Tenacious D guitarist Kyle Gass and Minutemen bassist Mike Watt. In the video, the group perform inside a mansion, before police surround the mansion. The band is subsequently arrested and appear before a courtroom.[45] The song was released to modern rock radio on August 13,[46] and released as a CD single on September 9. It featured "Cemetery", "The Click" and an acoustic version of "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" as B-sides.[47] The Young and the Hopeless was released on October 1 through Epic and Daylight Records.[46] The group supported No Doubt on their arena tour for a few shows in early October.[48] In October and November, the group went on a headlining US tour.[49]
Between September and November, the group embarked on a headlining US arena tour. The first half was supported by Mest and Something Corporate, while the remaining half was supported by Eve 6 and Goldfinger.[50] At the start of the tour, "Hold On" was released to alternative rock radio.[31] In October, the group filmed a music video for "Hold On" with director Samuel Bayer.[51] The video premiered on November 12 on Total Request Live.[52] For the video, the group collaborated with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It features people with deceased relatives and people who have attempted suicide.[51] In December, the group went on a UK tour with Sugarcult and Mest. In January 2004, the group went on a tour of Japan.[53] "Hold On" and "The Young & the Hopeless" were released as a joint single on January 13.[54] A music video was made for "The Young & the Hopeless", directed by Sam Erickson and the Madden brothers.[23] The video was filmed on a sound stage in Indianapolis, Indiana[55] and the set was filled with a variety of trophies and ribbons, which the band destroy towards the end of the video.[56] In September, the album was reissued as a two-CD package with Good Charlotte.[57]
The Chronicles of Life and Death (2004–2006)[edit]
The Chronicles of Life and Death was made available for streaming on October 1 through MTV's The Leak.[58] Initially planned for release in September,[59] The Chronicles of Life and Death was officially released on October 5 through Epic and Daylight Records.[60] It was released in two different editions: Life (with "Falling Away" as a bonus track) and Death (with "Meet My Maker" as a bonus track), both with different artwork created by Martin. The art for the Life resembles a first-edition book, while the art for the Death version resembles a 100-year-old book. The album booklet is done in the style of a storybook with the song lyrics detailing a story accompanied by illustrations.[61] The album sold nearly 200,000 copies in its first week and reached number three on the Billboard 200, making it the band's highest-charting album in the United States.[62] The group debuted material from the album during a show in New York. Alkaline Trio drummer Derek Grant temporarily substituted for drummer Chris Wilson during the show as Wilson was reportedly receiving therapy. Grant subsequently played with the group for a few more promotional events,[63] which included an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and in-store performances.[64]
In October and November, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with Sum 41.[61] They were supported by Lola Ray and Hazen Street.[65] "I Just Wanna Live" was released as a CD single in Australia on January 17, 2005, with live versions of "S.O.S." and "The World Is Black" as B-sides.[66] The song's music video, directed by Brett Simon, features the group performing in a dive bar before the members return to their day jobs. Eventually, someone from the music industry signs the band, known as the Food Group, who are dressed as an array of food items.[67] In February 2005, the band appeared at MTV Asia's tsunami-relief event for the tsunami in Southeast Asia,[68] before touring Australia.[69] The group embarked on a tour of Europe and the UK[70] in March with support from The Explosion.[71] In early April, a music video was filmed for "We Believe" with director Sam Erickson[72] at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The video features the group performing in an abandoned theatre overlapped with war imagery and people suffering.[73]
In May and June, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with Simple Plan,[70] dubbed the Noise to the World tour.[63] They were supported by Relient K.[70] A few dates into the tour, Wilson left the group citing to health concerns. He was replaced by Dean Butterworth.[63] The group met him through John Feldmann of Goldfinger.[74] "The Chronicles of Life and Death" was released as a CD single in Australia on June 3 with live versions of "The Chronicles of Life and Death" and "Mountain", and a remix of "I Just Wanna Live" as B-sides.[75] "We Believe" was released as a single on August 15.[76] In October, the band appeared at the Bridge School Benefit[77] and on November 13 the album was released on the DualDisc format. It included a making-of documentary and live performances.[78] Later, in March 2007, Butterworth was confirmed as the band's permanent drummer. Benji Madden has claimed in interviews that he feels this record was not as successful as the previous record due to it being "too selfish."[79]
Musical style and influences[edit]
Good Charlotte has been mainly described as a pop-punk band.[110][111][112][113] The band also has been described as alternative rock,[114][115][116] emo,[117][118][119] punk rock,[120][121][122] pop rock,[123][124][125] skate punk,[126] and emo pop.[127] According to writer Bruce Britt, Good Charlotte combine "the hard-charging fury of skate-punk, the melodiousness of pop, and the spooky, mascara-smeared sensibilities of '80s goth".[128] According to program director Robert Benjamin, Benji Madden told him Good Charlotte "wanted to be a combination of the Backstreet Boys and Minor Threat".[129] Benji was a fan of punk band Social Distortion whereas his brother Joel was interested in bands like The Smiths and The Cure.[130] Good Charlotte cite Beastie Boys, Minor Threat, the Clash, the Sex Pistols, Rancid, and Green Day as their influences.[129][131]
Activism[edit]
Billy Martin is a vegetarian and won PETA's vegetarian of the year in 2012. In the past, the band actively supported PETA's animal rights campaigns. Members of the group recorded a track, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", on PETA's Liberation CD and appeared at PETA's 25th Anniversary Gala and Humanitarian Awards Show.[132] Group members have also demonstrated against KFC's treatment of chickens.[133] However, in 2012 and 2013, band members heavily promoted Kentucky Fried Chicken in a series of Australian television commercials, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.[134]