The humble compilation CD — arguably the backbone of any record label during the mid-2000s. Everywhere you turned, there was a new compilation CD hiding in an Alt Press Magazine, haphazardly thrown into the jewel case of that album you just bought at FYE, or forcibly handed to you by a street team member taking advantage of the captive audience waiting in line before a show.
Love it or hate it, the words “Fearless Records” immediately bring one thing to mind for any 20-to-30-something: Punk Goes… This month marked the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the franchise — on August 1st, 2000, Punk Goes Metal hit the shelves, ushering in a new era of mostly-not-actually-punk covers of, well, almost anything really. While Punk Goes… leaned heavily into pop, no genre was safe from the threat of being covered by a mid-level metalcore outfit. Was it cheesy? Yeah, kind of, but it was also undoubtedly a great marketing choice in a sea of other compilations. Do you want to listen to some band you’ve never heard of? No? Well, what if I told you there was more than one screamo cover of Britney Spears? That’s what I thought.
Fearless Records released 18-ish different Punk Goes… compilations between 2000 and 2019, spanning multiple genres, decades, and holidays, as well as three acoustic non-cover compilation albums. Few have had the true grit and determination needed to rank them all. What you see before you is the definitely-not-subjective official ranking of all 18 albums. I’m warning you now: my choices may shock you, but this is my ranking, not yours.
Honorable Mentions (no pun intended):
While there are technically 18 Punk Goes… releases, I’ve decided to omit 4 from the official ranking for not being traditional cover albums. In the spirit of fairness, it only feels right to briefly highlight our disqualified heroes:
Punk Goes Acoustic released three volumes, spanning almost the entirety of the franchise. Sometimes you want to listen to your music, just quieter, and Punk Goes Acoustic delivers.
The Official Punk Goes Acoustic Mini-Ranking:
3: Punk Goes Acoustic, Volume 3 – While I’ve ranked this last out of the acoustic albums, the third installment in Punk Goes Acoustic isn’t bad by any means. It does, however, suffer from its choice to spend most of the album featuring older songs. In spite of that, the newer tracks were still able to go toe to toe with their elders — “Colorblind” by Movements is a notable mention here.
2: Punk Goes Acoustic – The first entry in the series was a true masterclass in compilation albums, with tracks from some truly foundational bands in the scene. Sugarcult’s “Memory” is likely to still be on heavy rotation in any acoustic playlist today, but I want to make a special call out to revisit “Trust” by Thrice and “Letters To You” by Finch.
1: Punk Goes Acoustic, Volume 2 – You really can’t go wrong with anything off any of the acoustic albums, but Volume 2 is such a strange, perfect assortment of songs from the era. Looking back on it from 2025, it’s a great mix of nostalgic names (+44 and Daphne Loves Derby) and current-day touring powerhouses (Jack’s Mannequin and Mayday Parade.) I’d be remiss not to mention the bizarre, even for them, vaguely ragtime rendition of “Woe” by Say Anything.
Bonus: Punk Goes Christmas – Punk Goes Christmas, first released in 2013 and updated with a deluxe edition in 2015, is a pretty standard entry into the alternative Christmas compilation landscape. It features a surprising number of original songs for a franchise that’s almost exclusively known for covers, but the majority of the original songs are pretty enjoyable. I do have to take this opportunity to talk about my unending beef with any adaptation of “Twelve Days Of Christmas”, and “12 Days Of A Pop-Punk Christmas” may be the worst offender yet. Overall, Punk Goes Christmas is a decent, if not somewhat forgettable Christmas compilation.
The Ranking:
Before we dive into the ranking, let’s talk methodology and philosophy. You may ask, “What makes a good cover?” My answer — Novelty, mostly. Unless you’re one of those authentic tribute bands that wears costumes and wigs (no shade, my uncle’s in one of those,) nobody wants to hear a note-for-note interpretation of a song. On the other end of the spectrum, though, a cover that is so far removed from the original lacks the energy that makes people want to listen to it in the first place. In the specific case of the Punk Goes… franchise, this puts a delicate balance into play — the best covers showcase each band’s signature sound while still exuding the spirit of the original tracks (and often, getting a little goofy with it.)
14: Punk Goes X
Punk Goes X, created as a tie-in for the 2011 Winter X Games, ranks last purely on technicality — outside of the first two songs on the album, all of the tracks were already featured on the franchise’s two prior releases, Punk Goes Classic Rock and Punk Goes Pop Vol 3 (a compilation of a compilation, if you will.) The two new tracks, both Mountain-themed for the games, are good, if not kind of predictable, covers of Ozzy Osbourne and Jane’s Addiction. Where the compilation really struggles is in the juxtaposition of the more straightforward Classic Rock with the more experimental Pop Vol 3.
13: Punk Goes Metal
It’s hard to say if Fearless Records knew they had a behemoth on their hands when they first thought the Punk Goes… concept up. The first entry into the franchise was definitely still getting its footing and finding its voice. Choosing metal as the first genre to tackle had definite strengths and weaknesses — there’s a level of familiarity there, but perhaps that exact familiarity (and, I’d imagine, reverence for the artists being covered) left the tracks feeling more like a karaoke night than a fresh reimagining of the hits.
Standouts: “Breakin’ The Law” by Divit , “TNT” by Dynamite Boy
Worst: “Sexual Abuse” by Guttermouth
Honorable Mention: As a goofy little easter egg, “Why Rock?” was originally credited to fictional band Leather Pyrate, but is actually an original song by The Aquabats!
12: Punk Goes Pop
Arguably, the Pop volumes of Punk Goes… are the real bread and butter of the franchise, and as you’ll see below, some of the highest ranked albums on this list. This volume, however? On the whole, the album leans a little too serious. Yeah, they’re punk covers of pop songs, but the first entry into the Pop family lacks the tongue-in-cheek attitude that makes the future volumes so iconic.
Standouts: “Like A Prayer” by Rufio, “Bye Bye Bye” by Further Seems Forever
Worst: “The Way You Love Me” by Keepsake
Honorable Mention: The inaugural Punk Goes Pop wouldn’t be complete without including not one, but two Britney Spears songs — “Sometimes” by Reach The Sky and “Baby One More Time” by Nicotine.
11: Punk Goes Classic Rock
I knew going in that this would probably be one of my least favorites based on content alone, so it’s honestly not surprising to me that Punk Goes Classic Rock ended up down here. This album feels like it’s composed almost entirely of songs that get heavily played on the local dive’s TouchTunes. I have to give props where props are due — it’s a bold move to cover Queen, and both Mayday Parade and Never Shout Never do it pretty well.
Standouts: “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Pierce the Veil, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Never Shout Never
Worst: “Rock ‘N Roll All Nite” by The Summer Set
Honorable Mention: I See Stars’ interpretation of “Your Love” by The Outfield is Punk Goes’ second attempt at the classic song, and in my opinion, more fun than Midtown’s rendition.
10: Punk Goes 90’s Vol. 2
This volume is interesting to me because, outside of Christmas, the franchise had just come off three Pop entries in a row. I got the sense that they knew Pop performed best, but still wanted to divert to give people some other options, so we got…this. We all know Punk Goes… has been punk only in name for a while now, but this installment really feels like “Metalcore (And Also Yellowcard) Go 90’s” — it’s a lot of the same sounds, a lot of the same genre of songs, and the one possible redemption via a hip hop song (“Gangsta’s Paradise”) was kind of a bummer.
Standouts: “Torn” by Hands Like Houses
Worst: “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Falling In Reverse
Honorable Mention: It’s a known fact that you can’t hate an “All Star” cover. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! does not disappoint here.
9: Punk Goes Pop 7
I hate to say it, but after listening to the last installment in the Punk Goes Pop series, I kind of get why they haven’t released another. Maybe we were just in a particularly bland era of pop music, but outside of a few of the tracks (I think Punk Goes… should be legally required to put a Bruno Mars cover on every volume,) the song choices here leave a lot to be desired. To give credit where credit is due, this volume does have the most women on it, which is refreshing compared to the rest of the catalog.
Standouts: “Love Yourself” by Grayscale, “Closer” by Seaway
Worst: “Heathens” by Boston Manor — It’s not exactly a bad cover, but the choice to cover a Twenty One Pilots song is just generally confusing to me here.
Honorable Mention: I’m still perplexed about how not one, but two songs from the Suicide Squad soundtrack ended up on this compilation, but at least New Years Day’s cover of “Gangsta” is a refreshing take on the song.
8: Punk Goes 80’s
This compilation’s greatest crime is that it’s just kind of…boring. Despite having a great selection to choose from, nothing here was particularly memorable. While all of the covers are technically good, this feels more like something you’d throw on in the background instead of actively listening to.
Standouts: “Just Like Heaven” by Gatsbys American Dream, “Straight Up” by Halifax
Worst: “Power Of Love” by The Early NovemberHonorable Mention: JamisonParker’s take on “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” was definitely ahead of its time — if you strip away the vocals, it sounds like something you might hear on a lofi YouTube study mix.
7: Punk Goes Pop 4
This volume has some real hits and some real misses, and not much in between. On one end of the spectrum, you’ve got memorable covers in “Just The Way You Are” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F).” On the flip side, “We R Who We R” leaves a lot to be desired (justice for Kesha!) and “Super Bass” is just plain bland. As if that wasn’t enough, opting to include a Chris Brown cover in 2011 was certainly a choice, especially when it wasn’t even one of his bigger hits. Overall, Punk Goes Pop 4 is the most hit or miss to me out of all of the volumes.
Standouts: “Little Lion Man” by Tonight Alive, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)” by Woe, Is Me
Worst: “Roll Up” by The Ready Set and Modsun
Honorable Mention: Silverstein committed to all 9 minutes of “Runaway,” and for that, I respect them deeply.
6: Punk Goes Pop 5
As someone who had a brief stint as a hula hoop fitness instructor, I can confidently tell you this: the people want more Bruno Mars. Punk Goes Pop wholeheartedly understands this and is committed to starting off not one, but two volumes with one of his songs. It’s a strong start on a pretty consistently strong album. The 5th volume of the Pop collection has a good variety of old and new songs and a good mix of bands covering them. Breathe Carolina continues to prove themselves as the kings of the Punk Goes… franchise with their take on “Billie Jean,” and Upon This Dawning’s cover of “Call Me Maybe” is an unexpected bop.
Standouts: “Call Me Maybe” by Upon This Dawning, “We Found Love” by Forever The Sickest Kids
Worst: “Some Nights” by Like Moths To Flames
Honorable Mention: It’s always a strange choice to me when Punk Goes… covers an artist that has been ON one of their albums, but Secrets’ cover of Gym Class Heroes’ “Ass Back Home” is a fun interpretation.
5: Punk Goes Pop 6
Maybe I’m being dramatic here, but I think Punk Goes should actually suffer for the crime of including a Paramore song in this compilation. Atrocities aside, this is an incredibly strong installment in the franchise. Instead of going into detail on that, however, I’ll be standing on my soapbox for a minute. This isn’t a problem specific to Punk Goes…, but it’s interesting to note that the only woman on the album (PVRIS) wasn’t actually included in the original release of this album, but in the re-release as one of three bonus tracks. For a franchise that covers a decent number of songs from female pop stars, there’s really not much representation on the other side of things.
Standouts: “Stay the Night” by State Champs, “Chandelier” by PVRIS
Worst: “Ain’t It Fun” by Tyler Carter and Luke Holland
Honorable Mention: One song from this volume has been removed from streaming, which is a shame because it’s my favorite on the album. “Turn Down For What,” by Upon A Burning Body (and featuring Ice-T) was allegedly removed as a result of a licensing issue with a Metallica riff per this unverified tweet. It’s very much worth a listen, so catch the Youtube bootleg here.
4: Punk Goes Pop 3
Punk Goes Pop 3 really begs the question: why haven’t there been more Lady Gaga covers? The third installment in the Pop library continues on the positive trajectory that Pop 2 left off on — the song choices are great, the covers are the right balance of goofy, yet sincere, and the covers themselves range from pop punk to metalcore to electropop. I personally would have swapped out one of the two Justin Timberlake/T.I tracks in favor of, well, anything else, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Standouts: “Bulletproof” by Family Force 5, “My Love” by We Came As Romans
Worst: “Paper Planes” by This Century
Honorable Mention: It may not technically be one of the best covers on the album, but “Bad Romance” by Artist Vs Poet is proof that pop punk/metalcore bands should be lining up to cover Ms. Germanotta’s songs.
3: Punk Goes 90s
This is where Punk Goes… really seems to find its footing. The tracklist is a great mix of 90s hits, albeit mostly from the alternative space. I can see skipping out on pop because of the dedicated series, but it would have been nice to see some hip hop or R&B tackled here. Outside of that, this is an incredibly solid set of tracks.
Standouts: “Hey Jealousy” by Hit The Lights, “Wonderwall” by Cartel
Worst: There really isn’t a bad cover here, but “Stars” by Bleeding Through and “The Beautiful People” by Eighteen Visions are a little too close to the original to be interesting.
Honorable Mention: Starting the album out with a Nine Inch Nails cover is a bold choice, but Mae’s take on “March Of The Pigs” really worked out here. Special shoutout to The Killing Moon for taking on “You Oughta Know” without changing the pronouns.
2: Punk Goes Pop 2
The 2nd volume in the Pop series truly gets what it means to be a good cover compilation. Coming directly off the heels of the truly absurd Punk Goes Crunk, Punk Goes Pop 2 embraces its goofiness (burly metalcore dudes covering Britney? You’d better believe it!) and doesn’t take itself too seriously. This results in some really fun, and memorable, covers.
Standouts: “When I Grow Up” by Mayday Parade. “Toxic” by A Static Lullabye makes you wonder how it wasn’t a metalcore song to begin with.
Worst: “Beautiful Girls” by Bayside (to be fair, I’m not sure who could have pulled this off)
Honorable Mention: “…Baby One More Time,” previously featured on the first volume, got its Ru-demption here with August Burns Red’s rendition of the pop hit.
1: Punk Goes Crunk
Did I decide to write this entire article just so I could scream into the void about Punk Goes Crunk? Yeah, maybe. Hear me out, though: this one was for the kids who spent all of their allotted radio time flipping between the alternative station and the hip hop station, hoping to hear both Green Day and Petey Pablo in the same 30 minute block. It only takes a quick glance at the tracklist to see that this could have gone really badly really quickly if it wasn’t approached correctly, and yet, somehow, it just works. You have to respect that most of the bands chose to not go full white boy with it (The Maine, unfortunately, was not one of those bands,) which results in some incredibly fun tracks that manage to stay true to both the original songs and the artist covering them. At its core, this is just a silly little cover album, but a little deeper down? It acts as a reminder that rock and hip hop have always gone so well together, and it’s really a shame that more bands haven’t been commercially successful blending the two genres.
Standouts: “Still Fly” by The Devil Wears Prada, “I Wish” by The Secret Handshake
Worst: Remember what I said about most of the bands not going full white boy with it? “Tennesee” by New Found Glory feels like a “maybe they shouldn’t have” moment.
Honorable Mention: Has Say Anything’s cover of “[I] Got Your Money” been on every playlist I’ve made since 2008? Perhaps. Have I forced the word “Beem-Dog” into the lexicon against all of my friends’ wills? I can neither confirm nor deny this. Is this singular song the entire reason I decided to listen to every single Punk Goes… album and write this piece? Yeah, maybe. Please for the love of god, listen to this ODB cover, I’m begging you.
Will there be another entry into the franchise? Time will tell. But hey, Fearless, if you’re listening — given that the last volume was released in 2019, it suuuuure seems like Punk Goes… was the one thing holding the fabric of civilized society together (I’m only half joking.) Maybe get the marketing team on the line and work to get us back on the right timeline again, please.