Good Riddance: Their 9 studio albums ranked

Their 9 studio albums ranked from “least good” to best

One of my all-time favorite bands is GOOD RIDDANCE. I fell in love with them when I picked up “For god and country” in a distro at a local hardcore punk show. And they are one of these bands that stayed with me since then. In this article I will rank their 9 studio albums from least good to best. I will ignore their ep’s, splits, compilation albums and even their awesome “last show” live record. Even though I’m torturing myself to rank these records I have to say that GOOD RIDDANCE is one of these rare bands that never made a real bad record, nor did they do ever any drastic style changes to fit the current trends. So, let’s get started.

BY PETER

9. MY REPUBLIC. (2006)

“My republic” is actually Good Riddance last record before they broke up or went on hiatus. It is also the first record in a while with their classic lineup as Sean Sellers did return to the band for this record. Even though this record has all the ingredients of a Good Riddance record you can hear that the band was tired. The whole record seems to be missing that extra factor that makes Good Riddance one of the best bands on the planet.

8. PEACE IN OUR TIME (2015)

“Peace in our time” is the comeback record. Good Riddance got back together, did some touring and then released this record. The reason this record ended on place 8 is that the record as a whole feels a bit incoherent. I’m not sure what the cause of that is. Are these songs written over a large period or is it the fact that on this record most members actually contributed songs? That being said I felt this record was a great return to form for Good Riddance and it even ended on my end-of-year-list of 2015.

7. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS (2019)

Their latest record and because of the political and social climate in the USA and the world you feel that Good Riddance are on fire. This one contains some very catchy songs and great messages while being a very consistent high-quality record. This bodes well for the future of Good Riddance.

6. BOUND BY TIES OF BLOOD AND AFFECTION (2003)

This is actually a flawless record. Probably even more flawless then a lot of the records that are higher up on this list. But by 2003 Good Riddance had really cemented their sound and this record is just that. An excellent Good Riddance record without any surprises on it. A fun fact: close to my house there is a meadow with a white stable. And there is often a donkey grazing there that always brings the cover of this record to my mind.

5. FOR GOD AND COUNTRY (1995)

“For god and country” is Good Riddance’s first full length and holds a special spot in my heart for being the record I discovered them through. Musically this record is their most Californian punk rock sounding record. There are a lot of influences of Bad religion coupled with some echoes of revolution summer DC proto emo. Russ’s lyrics and vocal delivery made this record stand out amongst their contemporaries on the Fat wreck chords roster though.

4. OPERATION PHOENIX (1999)

Good Riddance always mastered to balance on that small line between melodic old school hardcore and Californian punk rock. “Operation Phoenix” is the record where they leaned most towards the hardcore side of their sound. This is the record where the music and delivery sound as angry as their lyrics. This record is also the reason that I own Battalion of Saints records.

3. BALLADS FROM THE REVOLUTION (1998)

On this record Good Riddance is standing in a spread stance. There are some blistering political hardcore songs here, but also poppy punk rock songs about love. This record feels like a reaction to the slicker production and songwriting of A comprehensive guide to moderne rebellion. This is actually a near perfect record that neatly balances on that hardcore punk and punk rock line. I could do without the Kiss cover song though.

2. A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO MODERNE REBELLION (1996)

Good Riddance second full length and what a step up from their already quite impressive first one. On this record they perfected the melodic Californian punk rock side of their sound. Both the political and the relationship lyrics on this release really did hit home for the 17-year-old me.

1. SYMPTOMS OF A LEVELING SPIRIT (2001)

On “symptoms” Good Riddance managed to crystalize their sound. All the influences and slightly different focusses on their previous records came together in one coherent sound. And to top that of this record is filled with great songs and great lyrics. Most Good Riddance records that came after this one, are very much this record with different songs. Here’s a small excerpt from “Libertine” to close things off.: “With you I’ve never felt alone - And as I stumble through these days - I hope you’ll understand - It’s so much more than a phase - It’s everything I am - When I’ve strayed in darker times - When I’m feeling left behind - You’re always there - The music somehow seems to get me by”.