With 2025 being 20 years since their formation, this year has been an exciting one for fans of the music of early 2000s pop-rockers the Jonas Brothers. The trio released a new album in August (entitled Greetings from Your Hometown), and launched a coinciding tour called “JONAS20, Greetings From Your Hometown” that included plenty of surprise guest stars.
While Demi Lovato began her acting career in 2002, she initially rose to prominence in 2008 (both acting and singing) as a Disney Channel alum (much like the Jonas Brothers). In fact, her 2008 debut single “This Is Me” (from the Disney Channel TV movie Camp Rock) was a chart-successful, pop-rock duet with Joe Jonas.
Despite issues with substance abuse and an eating disorder in later years, Lovato has released a self-help memoir as well as multiple documentaries involving those battles (as well as her overall career). She’s also dropped eight multi-genre studio records since 2008, with another called It’s Not That Deep coming later this month.
Paramore (2004)
Formed in Tennessee with a lineup that has featured vocalist Hayley Williams as its only consistent member since the beginning, Paramore quickly found mainstream success with a mixture of sounds that included pop, punk, emo, alt-rock, and new wave. Their six albums have largely received critical acclaim, with their last (This Is Why) in 2023.
Despite speculation in 2024 that Paramore had recorded demos for a new LP, Williams recently shot down rumors of a group breakup after the release of her third solo album (Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party). She instead stated that Paramore was “taking a break” at this particular period of time.
Avril Lavigne (2002)
Canadian pop-rock-punker Avril Lavigne initially rose to prominence with the release of her 2002 debut record Let Go, which helped to establish her pioneering legacy of popularizing female-led acts of the genre at the time (such as Paramore). Subsequent LPs found her fame reaching international levels of attention.
While Lavigne’s star doesn’t shine quite as brightly nowadays, she has put out seven studio albums, overcome a health battle related to Lyme Disease, and continues to tour. Additionally, earlier this year, Lavigne was featured on the Billy Idol single “77” and put out her own single “Young & Dumb” with the band (and early tour mates) Simple Plan.
Simple Plan (1999)
In addition to their work with fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne, pop-punk rock group Simple Plan was a staple of the early 2000s music scene. Along with several studio records (six overall as of 2022), the band was a part of the Vans “Warped Tour” for years, and even appeared as themselves in the 2004 Olsen Twins film New York Minute.
While Simple Plan hasn’t released new music in several years, they did a headlining US tour through this year called “Bigger Than You Think!,” which included guests like 3OH!3 and Bowling For Soup. They were also recently the subject of a documentary on their history as a band, entitled Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd.
Coldplay (1997)
While British pop-inflected rockers Coldplay initially formed in 1997, their 2000 debut album Parachutes brought them their first major success in the form of the record’s single “Yellow” (as well as a Grammy Award). Subsequent releases like A Rush of Blood to the Head in 2002 were accompanied by similar accolades.
Now 10 albums into their career with 2024’s Moon Music,thecritical reception to Coldplay’s material has been a divisive subject as they’ve attempted to migrate into wider genres, including funk, R&B, and electronica. However, their records continue to be commercially viable, and the group has remained a consistent touring presence.
The Killers (2001)
The glam, Brit-pop rock-inflected sound of Las Vegas-based band the Killers paid off handsomely on their 2004 debut album Hot Fuss, which spawned some of the group’s most iconic singles, like “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me.” Seven studio albums later, the group is one of the biggest-selling rock acts of the 21st century.
While the Killers haven’t released an album since 2021 (and reportedly scrapped initial plans for an eighth), the original members of the quartet did most recently reunite in 2024 for a series of concerts to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hot Fuss. The foursome also cut a new song for the occasion, their first together since 2017.
Train (1993)
While San Francisco pop-rock band Train did form before the early 2000s, their biggest early mainstream breakthroughs were their 1998 self-titled debut album, as well as their 2001 follow-up LP (entitled Drops of Jupiter). Their 2003 record (My Private Nation) also wound up going platinum, as well as their 2009 single “Hey, Soul Sister.”
While the group has sold over 10 million albums all-time, their notoriety has slowed in recent years. They did release a live album and a one-off single in 2024, but their last studio record AM Gold came out in 2022. Train, however, has continued to tour with their latest dates having taken place this year.
Maroon 5 (2001)
After initially playing music without much success for several years under the name Kara’s Flowers (starting in 1994), the pop-rock group (led by frontman Adam Levine) came back rebranded as Maroon 5 in 2001. They also emerged with the 2002 LP Songs About Jane, a home run swing with successful singles like “Harder to Breathe” and “This Love.”
On subsequent albums, the band has continued leaning in a pop-oriented direction, while incorporating other themes like dance, funk, and soul, which has helped maintain Maroon 5’s relevance in the years since. Their eighth studio album (entitled Love Is Like) emerged in August of this year to heavily mixed reviews.
James Blunt (2004)
Former British Army officer James Blunt left the military in 2002 to pursue a music career, leading to his debut 2004 album, entitled Back to Bedlam. While the single “Goodbye My Lover” experienced some success, it was prior single “You’re Beautiful” that essentially became the equivalent of Blunt’s major pop-rock one-hit wonder.
While Blunt has never managed to eclipse the highly frequent radio-friendly airplay of that song, he has managed to sell millions of albums across the six additional LPs he’s released since then. Blunt remains active, releasing the single “Tears Dry Tonight” earlier this year with Australian DJ Cyril.
Michelle Branch (2000)
The early 2000s were a breakout time for pop-rock-oriented singer-songwriter Michelle Branch, as her 2001 album The Spirit Room had two of her biggest singles, entitled “Everywhere” and “All You Wanted.” She also won a Grammy Award with guitarist Carlos Santana in 2002 for their song collaboration “The Game of Love.”
Over the years, Branch has released five studio albums (as well as a collaborative country record under the band name The Wreckers). Since releasing her last LP The Trouble with Fever in 2022, Branch’s career has remained relatively quiet, though her radio-friendly pop-rock resume still brings plenty of nostalgia to mind.
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