My Top 20 Favorite Panic! At The Disco Songs

Hi, I’m Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! I was planning on doing a collaboration this week, but things didn’t work out, so what do I have? Funny story, actually, because I was actually planning on doing this post at some point in the future, but not this soon. My original plan for this week if the collab didn’t work was to review the latest Kidz Bop album, entirely for the sake of comedy and irony. But last week, I said I would temporarily abstain from doing First Impressions posts, and I wanted to keep that promise for more than a week. Besides, I was home alone on Saturday and listening to a bunch of old Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and Twenty One Pilots songs, reminiscing about my emo phase from two years ago. This got me into the mood to talk about my favorite Panic! At The Disco songs of all time. I know it would make more sense to list my favorite Fall Out Boy songs since they just dropped a new album, but I decided to talk about Panic! instead because it was easier for me. I’ve had this list relatively planned out for quite some time now, but I’d have to re-listen to a bunch of Fall Out Boy songs and put them in order for the post. So without further ado, here are my Top 20 Favorite Panic! At The Disco Songs. Remember, this is based solely off of MY opinion, and if you disagree that’s totally fine. Let the long, nonsensical titles that don’t have anything to do with the song ensue.

Hahaha...get it...cause DISCO! oh my god I hate myself
Also, DISCLAIMER: I'm going to get EXTREMELY geeky in this post and probably embarrass myself. But hey, that's what this blog is for! 

20. “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” (Death of a Bachelor)

Built around a sample of “Rock Lobster” by the B-52’s, “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” is a big fan favorite off of the band’s most recent album Death of a Bachelor. That album was the first one I had listened to from the band and this was an instant favorite of mine. I like this one because of the lyrics, which were inspired by parties frontman (and sole remaining member) Brendon Urie had been to in real life and are very tongue-in-cheek. My favorite lines are “I lost a bet to a guy in a chiffon skirt, but I make these high heels work” and “I’m not as think as you drunk I am”.

19. “Sarah Smiles” (Vices and Virtues)

The 2011 album Vices and Virtues is my second-favorite from the band, with only the debut A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out ahead of it. I just really love the vintage-pop vibe found on that album. Brendon wrote “Sarah Smiles” as an attempt to win over his eventual wife Sarah, and the lyrics are just adorable. The chorus goes, “Sarah smiles like Sarah doesn’t care, she lives in her world, so unaware, does she know that my destiny lies with her?” and it’s just so cute, especially considering that they’re now happily married.

18. “All The Boys” (Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!)

Next we have “All The Boys” from the Japanese and Target editions of 2013’s Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!. This is one of Panic!’s more synth-poppy songs, which might be a turn-off if you’re not into that style, but I personally love it. The chorus on this one is insanely catchy, and it matches the Vegas electropop vibe of its parent album perfectly. I think it should’ve made the album proper rather than just being a bonus track, and in my opinion, it’s one of their most underrated songs.

17. “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” (A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out)

That’s a fun way to transition, going from a hidden gem to the band’s signature song and biggest hit. “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” was the big single from the band’s debut album, and it was so popular that I still hear it every now and then on the radio. I won’t deny that there are better songs both on Fever and in the band’s discography as a whole, but come on, “I Write Sins” is such a classic. With an instantly recognizable intro, quotable lyrics, and one of the most iconic videos of the 2000’s emo scene, I can’t help but love it.

16. “LA Devotee” (Death of a Bachelor)

Back in the prime of my emo phase in 2016, this was my favorite song on Death of a Bachelor. While there is one song I love even more from that album, I still have a soft spot for “LA Devotee”. The lyrics are about a woman who embodies everything about Los Angeles, and while there are some good lines, I mainly just love the way this song sounds. It sounds like if you took the 80’s-synthpop of Too Weird and combined it with the horns that appear throughout Death of a Bachelor, and the melodies are amazing. Plus there’s a KEY CHANGE!

15. “This Is Gospel” (Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!)

While in my emo phase, I thought this song was overrated, but coming back to it afterwards, I realize that I was an idiot for thinking that. The song was written about former member Spencer Smith’s battle with alcoholism and addiction, and it has a very powerful message about going through tough times. It has a bombastic sound not unlike what labelmates (and the band that signed Panic!) Fall Out Boy were making around the same time period, a memorable hook of “if you love me, let me go”, and some of Brendon’s most powerful vocals.

14. “Camisado” (A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out)

Similar to the last song, “Camisado” was inspired by a battle with alcoholism. Former Panic! guitarist Ryan Ross wrote the song about his father’s struggles and the anger he felt as a result of them, and they’re vivid with imagery of being stuck in a hospital. There’s also an urgency in the way Brendon sings the song, which is fitting. This song is another one with a great chorus that should’ve guaranteed it as a single (it wasn’t, though), and it has a pop-punk edge I enjoy. The only reason why it isn’t higher is because there’s this weird squelching noise in the bridge that is confusing and weird, but it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the song too much.

13. “Trade Mistakes” (Vices and Virtues)

This song is on here mainly because I just think it sounds pretty. The strings that bookend the track are nice and soothing to listen to, and the synths are twinkling and beautiful. The song sounds like a lullaby, which makes sense considering one of the lyrics is “If I could trade mistakes for sleep, count me away before you sleep”. The song is about admitting your mistakes, and it’s a pretty and emotional song that’s easy to immerse yourself into.

12. “Build God, Then We’ll Talk” (A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out)

One of my friends who was also into Panic! around the time I was didn’t like this song because it’s about prostitution. For me, the topic of the lyrics doesn’t matter, which is why I’m able to love “Build God, Then We’ll Talk” so much. More than the meaning of the lyrics themselves, I just like how they flow. They have sort of a show-tune-esque melody, and the dark parody of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music in the bridge is genius. Plus, there’s a cello solo in one part, which is just awesome and unexpected. I don’t like the video, though, it’s kind of horrifying and not in a good way.

11. “Nicotine” (Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!)

Call me a hypocrite for complaining about how songs that compare love to drugs are cliche and overused on numerous occasions but putting this on here, but “Nicotine” is such an irresistible song. Yes, the lyrics are somewhat cliche, but the song contains what is probably the best guitar riff the band has ever had and an amazing hook. The somber bridge is also fantastic. It has a rock sound to it that makes it stand out from its album, but it’s not too out of left field that it doesn’t feel cohesive with the rest of the tracks from Too Weird.

10. “Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off” (A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out)

With a hefty 14 words, “Lying…” (as I prefer to abbreviate it) has the longest title of any song on my list. Long, pretentious titles were a staple of Panic!’s earlier work, and this song is classic Panic! The lyrics are about the narrator being cheated on, and they’re angsty but super fun to sing along to. I love the contrast between the moody verses and explosive chorus, as well as the outro, which just strips the chorus down to a piano and is actually a really pretty arrangement. I like to belt this one out when I’m home alone.

9. “That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)” (Pretty. Odd.)

The band’s 2008 sophomore album Pretty. Odd. is a fan favorite, but I never really got into it. It had a drastic shift in sound from the debut, being heavily inspired by the Beatles, and while I respect it, it just doesn’t appeal to me. Still, there are two songs on it that I absolutely love, and this is one of them. This is one of the most positive songs Panic! At The Disco has ever written, with a great message about being okay with change. The music is 60’s-inspired and very jovial, and it’s one of those songs that just makes you feel happy when you listen to it.

8. “Northern Downpour” (Pretty. Odd.)

Here is the other song from Pretty. Odd. to make my list, although it’s very different in mood from “That Green Gentleman”. “Northern Downpour” is introspective and acoustic-based. The lyrics have lots of metaphors and make you think. I also like how this is pretty much a duet between Brendon Urie and Ryan Ross, and I love the harmonizations in the song. This song is one of the band’s most emotional and calming, and despite not being a huge fan of the album it’s on, it’s a song that has stuck with me for quite some time.

7. “Bittersweet” (Vices and Virtues)

THIS SONG IS SO UNDERRATED IT PHYSICALLY PAINS ME. Released only as a bonus track for those who pre-ordered Vices and Virtues on iTunes, it should’ve been on the regular album. Pretty much every bonus track from Vices is incredible, but “Bittersweet” has been my favorite ever since I discovered it on YouTube, and I like it more than every song on the album except for one. It juxtaposes upbeat vintage pop instrumentals with sarcastic, brilliant lyrics (“I’ve been to Tokyo and to South Africa, so many places that you might say I’ve seen it all, but my favorite place is the warm embrace of holding your hair back in a bathroom stall” is hilarious to me). Brendon’s vocals are also really cheerful and I love the doo-wop style “ba-ba-ba”’s before the first chorus. This is one of my all-time favorite Panic! songs and it deserved so much better.

6. “House of Memories” (Death of a Bachelor)

To be honest, I don’t really care for Death of a Bachelor as an album that much. It’s not as cohesive as the other albums and most of the songs don’t hold up after repeated listens for me. But of course, the album has its standouts, with this being its high point. The song sort of sounds like “Just One Yesterday” by Fall Out Boy, but I like it better (don’t hate me). I love the addition of horns and the swell the production has, and it has some of Brendon’s best vocals to date. The way he belts out the lyrics during the bridge is amazing, and he’s why the bridge in this song is my favorite of all Panic!’s songs (“Nicotine” is a close second”). The lyrics are really introspective and I love the line “And when your fantasies become your legacies, promise me a place in your house of memories”. But above all else, this song is just on here because of that bridge. So good, man.

5. “Far Too Young To Die” (Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!)

Initially I shrugged this one off as mediocre, but with repeated listens, it quickly became one of my favorites off of the album. It’s definitely one of the moodier songs on the album, but I love it so much. Brendon’s known for his insane vocal range and hitting lots of high notes, but in this song he stays in his middle range, focusing more on emotion than hitting high notes. I see this song as being about wanting to have one last moment of passion in a relationship because you never know when it’s going to end. It’s like if YOLO was romantic, and I can’t believe that’s a sentence I actually typed. The instrumental is my favorite thing about the song, especially when the guitars kick in before the final chorus. That part is just eargasmic. The moody atmosphere of this song feels like it would be perfect to listen to when driving at night, and when I get my license, I’m totally going to do that.

4. “Hurricane” (Vices and Virtues)

If you saw my Fall 2017 playlist, you should’ve known this was coming. Pretty much everything I said in that post still stands, so I’m just going to copy and paste it because I am the laziest person on the planet.

“Throughout most of my emo phase, Fall Out Boy were my #1 favorite band, but Panic! At The Disco were a close second. Once I realized I was starting to get sick of Fall Out Boy, I started to become obsessed with Panic! and I still really like them to this day (also I did NOT expect to put this many songs from my emo phase on here lol). This song, "Hurricane", is on their album Vices and Virtues, which is one of my favorites. It's always been my favorite song from the record and it's one I believe is really underrated. It's a slightly dark and maniacal song (there's some evil cackling in the background), but it's infectious and fun to sing along to. You can bet I know all the words.”

3. “But It’s Better If You Do” (A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out)

“But It’s Better If You Do” was the follow-up single to “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”, and while it sounds a lot like its predecessor, I’ve always preferred it. It has a sort of cabaret-vintage vibe to it with some interesting instruments like the accordion and a horn section. The lyrics are about going to a strip club, which is funny because the members of the band were all teenagers and, to quote Brendon Urie, “I don’t even think any of us had been to a strip club when we wrote this song.” Say what you want about the lyrical content, it still is really fun to sing along to with a bunch of great moments. I love the long note Brendon holds after the first chorus and the two claps during the line “Well I may have faked it”, the latter of which I always do when I listen to the song. This is a song I loved instantly, and I have yet to get tired of it. (Also side note: The music video, while not exactly NSFW, is my favorite video the band has ever done. I love the aesthetic, the storyline, and Brendon’s kind-of-horrible New York accent in the skit in the beginning. It’s just so good.)

2. “Time To Dance” (A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out)

6 of the 20 songs on this list are from A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, which is more than any other album. This is the last one, though, because it’s my favorite. At first, this one wasn’t an absolute favorite, but I did still love it, but one weekend I just listened to it over and over again and fell in love. “Time to Dance” is a fan favorite and a staple of Panic!’s live shows, and it’s one of my goals in life to see this one live. The intro is a blast of guitars and an instantly catchy synth riff, and it keeps that frantic speed throughout the entire song. Like many of the songs on Fever, it has a sort of Broadway-esque melody that is incredibly fun to sing along to. The song structure is also really interesting, in that it doesn’t really have a true chorus, more like a few mini-hooks. My absolute favorite part is the line “When I say ‘Shotgun’, you say ‘wedding’! Shotgun wedding! Shotgun wedding!” It’s just so much fun to scream. The lyrics are inspired by the book Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk, which is a book I’ve never read, but if I do, it will be because of this song, and only because of this song. This song is so close to being my #1, but so far. So what is #1?

1. “Collar Full” (Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!)

Obviously, I love “Time To Dance”, and I love every other song on this list, but none of them compare to my love of “Collar Full”. I like to think I’ve been able to sum up why I love most of these songs in a few sentences, but I’m going to have to try extra-hard to not write an essay about what this song means to me. I’m willing to admit that there are probably better songs lyrically and musically, as well as more creative and original ones in the Panic! catalogue, but there are, like, three songs in existence that even come close to giving me the euphoria that I get from “Collar Full”. Back in early 2016 when I first started getting into Panic!, this was a close second for my favorite song from the band (my #1 was “Ready To Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind)” for a short period of time, and that song was a contender for this list but fell short). But after a few listens, I decided I liked “Collar Full” more and I never looked back. I feel like I’ve brought up that the songs from Too Weird are all 80s-esque many times, but one thing I should bring up is that this one was specifically inspired by “Take On Me” by A-ha, which makes so much sense to me. Of course my favorite Panic! song is inspired by my favorite 80s song! The song has lots of cool synths, and as soon as I hear the twinkling opening, the biggest smile appears on my face. The lyrics are pretty much fluff, but I find them adorable. “If you’re gonna be the death of me, that’s how I wanna go” is just...awww. Brendon sounds great as always, and I specifically love the way he sings the bridge in a more low-key way, which really adds to the emotions in the song. The best way to describe the song is like if you combined the 80s vibes of “Shut Up And Dance” by Walk The Moon with the lovestruck ecstacy of “Into You” by Ariana Grande (both of which are all-time favorites for me), then threw in a hint of the unique flair only Panic! At The Disco should bring. Some people might overlook it since it wasn’t a single, but I’m not one of those people, and I will gladly write an essay about why it’s not just my favorite Panic! At The Disco song, but one of my top 5 favorite songs ever.

Whew, we’re finally done here. I’m going to congratulate myself for not being too wordy (although I got a little carried away in the end), but I’ll admit that more than any other post, this is probably going to be the one I look back on and cringe at. Still, I’m proud of this, and I liked getting to go back into my emo-nerdy side. Next week’s post will be the collab, which I’m really excited for! It’s different from anything I’ve ever done, but I think it’ll be a fun one. I’m Stellar in Neverland and I’ll see you next week. Peace!

Stellar