- Punk/Alternative/Emo rock band formed in 2001, from Newark New Jersey. Members of the band were Gerald Way (lead vocals, songwriting), Ray Toro (lead guitar, backing vocals, songwriting), Frank Iero (rhythm guitar, backing vocals, songwriting), and Mikey Way (bass guitar, songwriting). Drums originally were performed by Matt Pelissier, and later by Bob Bryar.
- Gerald Way and Pelissier started the band soon after the September 11 attacks. Way wrote the song Skylines and Turnstiles to express his feelings about the attacks. Toro was recruited to the band because Way could not sing and play guitar at the same time. The three recorded a demo tape in Pelissier’s attic, and Gerald’s brother Mikey joined the band after hearing the tape. They signed a recording contract with an independent record company, and they met Iero, who was playing with another band that was with the same record label. Iero joined the group, and they recorded their debut album in 2002.
- The name of the band was taken from the title of a book by Irvine Welsh, named Ecstacy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.
- The debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, was recorded 3 months after the formation of the band. Without the power of a major label or exposure of the band, the album did not chart. They began to gain a following of fans as they performed at popular venues, and they offered free downloads of their music to increase their visibility.
- In 2003, they signed a contract with a major label, and they toured with heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The following year, they released their second album – Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. The album was certified 3x platinum, and 2 singles broke into the top 10 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart – I’m Not Okay (I Promise) and The Ghost of You.
- Their next record was a live album, Life On The Murder Scene, released in 2006. Later that year, their studio album The Black Parade was released. It included the song Welcome To The Black Parade, which became their biggest single, reaching #1 in the UK, #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In 2017, the music video was chosen by MTV as the Greatest Music Video of the Century (so far). Another single from the album, Famous Last Words, reached #4 on the Alternative Songs chart. The album ultimately sold over 3 million copies in the U.S.
- Their next studio album was released in 2010 – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. The single Sing reached #2 on the Alternative Songs chart. Their final studio recordings were released as a series of singles each month from October 2012 through February 2013. The series of 10 songs was titled Conventional Weapons, but only 2 managed to chart in the U.S. on the Rock Songs chart. In March 2013, the band officially split up.
- My Chemical Romance, with their goth appearance, theatrical vocals and punk-pop sound, became a significant part of modern rock in the 00s. They helped launch the emo genre of music into the mainstream. Here’s the music video to Welcome To The Black Parade. Catchy song, very 00s modern rock sounding song, and entertaining video.