Good Charlotte...More Like Great Charlotte

Okay so Great Charlotte doesn't have the same ring to it but you get my point. At least you would if you are familiar with the punk/dance band Good Charlotte. Sadly, when most people hear about Good Charlotte they think "Hey isn't that guy the father of Nicole Ritchie's baby?" Well yes, lead singer Joel Madden is about to have a baby with Nicole Ritchie but that is not the point of this post. Good Charlotte is a pretty awesome band and I wish that more people thought so. It makes me happy to report that Good Charlotte currently has the #13 spot of iTunes Top Downloaded Tracks with I Don't Wanna Be In Love. It disappoints me to report that it is the #20 spot on the VH1 Top 20 countdown. My point...Good Charlotte is awesome and everyone should have at least a few of their jams on their iPod. Which brings us to...Millie's Essential Good Charlotte List. Just try not to sing along with these songs...I dare you...once you know the words that is.

Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous (played 35 times on the iPod)- This is virgin GC as it really was their breakout hit. This is the song that launched Joel and twin brother Benji (as well as the other guys but honestly I don't know who they are and I am too lazy to Ask Jeeves) into the spotlight, where they have sat comfortably since. It is a great song to get a bunch of drunk people on stage and karaoke to. It rocks and yet makes a pretty good point with lyrics. (DISCLAIMER...I do not encourage or condone the of robbing anyone.) As funny as the whole robbing idea is ...my pick for the line from this song " We'll take the clothes, cash cards, and homes just stop complaining."

The Anthem (played 71 times) - Okay first let me say that I recognize that there is conflict regarding the title of this song. Some call it The Anthem...while others simply call it Anthem. Wikipedia acknowledges both which furthers my confusion since usually Wikipedia is the End All of debate for me. I have chosen to go with The Anthem for this post for two reasons. The first is because I do not want to it be confused with Ayn Rand's Anthem or any other Anthem out there for that matter. Secondly...that is how iTunes lists it and I am hopelessly addicted to iTunes therefore I must side with iTunes. No disrespect intended towards The National Anthem...which is a separate subject all together. So anyway...The Anthem is another song that rocks and yet makes another good point. It is especially popular on my non-conformist or disappointment in Da Man days when I look around and think "I don't ever wanna be like you." (Luckily I don't have too many of those.) Nevertheless it is a good stress reliever on those days when I don't want play nice. Up until about a month ago when the Millie-battery was unexpectantly recharged, I pretty much woke up every morning and heard the first lines of the songs in my head. So let's use those lines for this song. "Its a new day but it all feels old. Its a good life, that's what I'm told but everything, it all just feels the same.

Say Anything (played 41 times) - This is the only non kickass song by Good Charlotte that I am fan of. Honestly...I think that the guys should still to punk/dance songs about being outcasts and what not yet this song is the one exception. Once again I would say that it all comes down to timing. Oh well. I suppose you can't fight the end.

I Just Wanna Live (played 107 times on the iPod) - So the funny part about this song is that it is played so much in the car that Elizabeth knows it and calls it her "jam". Oh well. This is another party song...one that inspires sudden outbursts of singing and dancing. Hell...I even heard Dino singing it in the office today. For some reason, my choice for the lines of this is a no brainer, but I am not sure why I like them so much. Maybe because they are just fun to sing. The lines: "I rock a lawsuit when I'm going to court, a white suit when I'm getting divorced, a black suit at the funeral home, and my birthday suit when I'm home alone." I love that Good Charlotte shouts out to their past in this song by referring to Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous and proudly saying that they are not ashamed of being exactly what they sang against just a few short years ago. Rock on Joel and Benji...rock on.

Finally...the newest and greatest song by the boys of Good Charlotte is....

I Don't Wanna Be In Love (played 97 times on the iPod) - Once again...we run into a title issue since this song is also referred to as The Dance Floor Anthem. GC has gotten smarter and combined the two titles into one incredibly long title. Whatever...it is a great song on or off the dance floor. It is definitely worthy of being higher than #13 on the iTunes list. It actually goes well with lesson from my last posting...which is when in doubt...dance. I like all of the lines in this song...but I will pick a short one that is harmless..."Don't be afraid to get down."

So there it is...the list of Essential Good Charlotte. It was actually harder than I thought to narrow it down because as I reviewed my collection...I actually have a lot of their tunes. Overall they are a fun band and it is worth investing in the above tracks.