The Greatest Generation
by The Wonder Years
  • Record Label: Hopeless
  • Release Date: May 14, 2013
User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 63
  3. Negative: 5 out of 63
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  1. Brosman
    Jul 23, 2013
    10
    I've never had a band hit home quite as much as this band has. So many feels. I just put my ear buds in and listen to this album and just have the greatest sense of nostalgia. I was already a casual fan, but this album won me over to be a huge fan. This is just a masterpiece.
  2. rmklingler
    Aug 16, 2013
    8
    I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Being from Philadelphia, I could identify with a lot of the references made by the Wonder Years. I admit that at times I have a little bit of "musical ADD", as some albums only keep me entertained for about 4 or 5 songs. This album is one of the few that I can listen to from beginning to end. That's not to say that the whole album is absolutely amazing,I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Being from Philadelphia, I could identify with a lot of the references made by the Wonder Years. I admit that at times I have a little bit of "musical ADD", as some albums only keep me entertained for about 4 or 5 songs. This album is one of the few that I can listen to from beginning to end. That's not to say that the whole album is absolutely amazing, as it is very categorically pop-punk. But I enjoyed this album.… Expand
  3. Sci-Fi-Dude1456
    Nov 12, 2013
    10
    This album reminds me of the pop punk bands in the 90's, and it does a great job musically as well. I have to say. This is one of the best pop-punk records out there.
  4. Waxy
    Oct 29, 2013
    8
    Being a fan of pop-punk myself, when I was first introduced to The Wonder Years' overzealous "Get Stoked On It!" I was a little bit doubtful that this band was serious. The immature lyrics and melodies made me believe that I was listening to some high school teens mess about with some musical instruments. That's not to say I didn't personally enjoy the album.

    The Wonder Years have come    Being a fan of pop-punk myself, when I was first introduced to The Wonder Years' overzealous "Get Stoked On It!" I was a little bit doubtful that this band was serious. The immature lyrics and melodies made me believe that I was listening to some high school teens mess about with some musical instruments. That's not to say I didn't personally enjoy the album.

    The Wonder Years have come a long, long way since then. According to lead vocalist Dan Campbell, The Upsides, Suburbia and The Greatest Generation all tell a tale of a bittersweet life story. The Upsides is all about life before and after college, Suburbia is about the tragic tales of Suburban life and The Greatest Generation is about, well, life itself.

    The Greatest Generation is not as hard hitting as Suburbia or The Upsides, and because the band have been pumping out their almost 'emo' style for two previous albums, it is surely expected that The Wonder Years will eventually just be running on empty. Nothing will be different. That can be said for The Greatest Generation, in the sense that all the songs are similar in some way.
    However, The Upsides had the same kind of problem.

    The only other negative aspect I feel I should point out is if you're looking for memorable, chart-worthy songs, this album is not for you. None of the songs are particularly memorable certainly not when compared to the songs of other pop-punk bands such as All Time Low. "Passing Through A Screen Door" might be recognizable, but it's not radio-standard.

    The reason I scored this album an 8 is because it is hard hitting, and is available to give you a huge dose of reality right when you need it. It has the power to whittle you down to a sobbing mess if you feel you can 'relate' and that's what I respect about The Wonder Years because The Greatest Generation is a finely crafted album, and it's clear a lot of time and hard work has been put into this.

    The only issue I have is that The Wonder Years are reaching the end of the line for fresh emo-punk content that they've been putting out since 2010 on the other hand if vocalist Dan Campbell's words are to be believed: "The Greatest Generation is an ending to a trilogy," and I must say, "I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral" is a damn brilliant ending to it.

    What is next for The Wonder Years' musical ventures? Who knows. But The Greatest Generation is a fantastic ending to their previous album ethoi.    … Expand
  5. LawlietJayson
    Jun 15, 2013
    10
    Pop Punk notoriously tends to be a very immature genre. It's full of bands in their twenties, sometimes thirties, singing about teen heartbreak with fast drums and simple chords to go along with it. That's why, normally, there isn't a pop punk band that can actually make outsiders appreciate what the genre is or what it could be. If the genre stagnates, the only reason people will listenPop Punk notoriously tends to be a very immature genre. It's full of bands in their twenties, sometimes thirties, singing about teen heartbreak with fast drums and simple chords to go along with it. That's why, normally, there isn't a pop punk band that can actually make outsiders appreciate what the genre is or what it could be. If the genre stagnates, the only reason people will listen is for nostalgia and that's only if those people listened to those bands in their teen years. Outside listeners tend to disregard the genre, rightly so.

    The Wonder Years is a band that defies pop punk. They're not comfortable with sitting in the same place. They don't sing about teen heartbreak. They've always tackled somewhat more important subjects to the same fast blistering generic sound. The Greatest Generation is an album for people in their twenties. That's something that can't be said for nearly every pop punk album ever released. While The Upsides tackled anxiety and depression the young generation experiences, Suburbia tackled dealing with your place in the world, The Greatest Generation tackles reaching the point of acceptance. Life isn't spelled out for you and you have to move along. It's about hoping that life can get better rather than marinating in your own problems and depression. While the sound isn't necessarily anything new, it's the best the genre has to offer. The singer Dan "Soupy" Campbell has always been the best part of the band, showing flashes of brilliance as a writer the past few years. Here, he drops some of the most quote-able and unique lines pop punk has ever produced. There is no equal lyricist in the genre. He's firmly ahead by a wide margin.

    While at first the album might seem like the same old by first time listeners, staying with the album and listening to the lyrics will undoubtedly earn your respect. The Wonder Years doesn't make a perfect album, but the reason it gets a ten from me is because it takes a genre that couldn't be more immature and makes it accessibly mature. It's groundbreaking in the sense of pop punk itself. It pushes it to its limits and surpasses those limits.

    One of the best things that can be said is that this album might inspire future generations and change the genre for the better. Pop Punk might never be the same again. It might even become respectable. When people in the future look at pop punk and wonder when it all changed, they'll find the The Greatest Generation. A well crafted mature record that defied its own genre.    … Collapse
  6. Greencloud22
    Jun 23, 2013
    10
    Quite possibly the best pop-punk album I have ever heard. Each song clearly shows that the Wonder Years are a band of dedication, honesty, and phenomenal talent.
  7. Manning11996
    Jul 11, 2013
    10
    The Wonder Years repeatedly resets the bar for pop-punk with each new album release. But there's one thing that's certain after listening to this band's trilogy of music- The Wonder Years are not your average pop-punk band. When the hype for a newly announced Wonder Years album begins to surface, people always have the question, "How can these guys possibly top their previous release?" TheThe Wonder Years repeatedly resets the bar for pop-punk with each new album release. But there's one thing that's certain after listening to this band's trilogy of music- The Wonder Years are not your average pop-punk band. When the hype for a newly announced Wonder Years album begins to surface, people always have the question, "How can these guys possibly top their previous release?" The Wonder Years proved that they have the ability to do that with the release of Suburbia, and they quite possibly have proven it again with 'The Greatest Generation'. My personal favorites include There, There, Dismantling Summer, The Devil In My Bloodstream, and Cul-de-sac, but this album deserves to be listened to as a whole piece of art. My recommendation: Listen to this album, even if you're not a fan of the genre.… Expand
  8. Ricko
    Mar 14, 2016
    7
    My first dealing with The Wonder Years and my opinion hasn't changed much from my first impression of this album. The band at this point in their career were a homage to the likes of Blink 182 but with the maturity of say Jimmy Eats World. This album offers nothing particularly special and your life won't be affected by hearing it or not. At the same time the bands sound packs a bit ofMy first dealing with The Wonder Years and my opinion hasn't changed much from my first impression of this album. The band at this point in their career were a homage to the likes of Blink 182 but with the maturity of say Jimmy Eats World. This album offers nothing particularly special and your life won't be affected by hearing it or not. At the same time the bands sound packs a bit of punch. All the tracks on this record are 7 out of 10s for me with no standouts. The result is that there is no real pull back to the album. For me, the follow up to this record "No Closer to Heaven" is a much better version of similar ideas.… Expand
  9. cod4_rayman
    Dec 20, 2017
    10
    This album shows the greatest amount of evolution I have seen in a pop-punk band. Going from college party background music, to an absolute stellar of a masterpiece in under 5 years is a feat worth praising. Part 1 (tracks 1-6) of the album gives you a nostalgia boost and ends with a climatic, beautiful ballad turned anthem. Part 2 (tracks 7-12) of the album rocks your socks, lightens yourThis album shows the greatest amount of evolution I have seen in a pop-punk band. Going from college party background music, to an absolute stellar of a masterpiece in under 5 years is a feat worth praising. Part 1 (tracks 1-6) of the album gives you a nostalgia boost and ends with a climatic, beautiful ballad turned anthem. Part 2 (tracks 7-12) of the album rocks your socks, lightens your mood, and then directs you to the finale. The final track melds the entire record, and its two perfect parts, into a nostalgia trip within the record. I'm sure this isn't the first band to do this, but goodness, when you listen to the album in its entirety (which I've done plenty of times in the last four years), you realize the trip The Wonder Years have taken you down is a grand internal conflict. One of my favorite albums, it is a must listen for all punk admirers.… Expand
  10. builttospilt
    May 20, 2015
    10
    The Wonder Years don't have any competition in the pop-punk genre. Dan ("Soupy") Campbell's lyricism is honest, tear-jerking, heartbreaking, and downright brilliant. They continue to impress and improve with each release. Can't wait to see what they do next.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
97

Universal acclaim - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Sputnikmusic
    Jul 11, 2017
    100
    The Wonder Year’s hard work and dedication has more than paid off with their newest album. I don’t see anything topping it anytime soon, at least not in the pop-punk spectrum. It challenges the limits of the genre.
    Read full review
  2. Kerrang!
    Jun 3, 2013
    100
    It's an often staggering record, by a great band, defying odds, on a hell of a run of first-lass creative form. [4 May 2013, p.52]
  3. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Jun 3, 2013
    100
    It is my firm belief that The Greatest Generation has no real precedent in this community.
    Read full review
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