Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
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- alternative rock
- pop-punk
- post-hardcore
- punk rock39:36RepriseHoward Bensonx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (often shortened to Three Cheers or Revenge)<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> is the second studio album by American rock band My Chemical Romance, released on June 8, 2004, by Reprise Records.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Contactmusic">Template:Cite web</ref> With this album, the band produced a more polished sound than that of their 2002 debut I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love.<ref name="Zemler">Template:Cite web</ref> It was the band's first release to feature rhythm guitarist Frank Iero on all tracks, as well as the final release to feature drummer Matt Pelissier, who would later be replaced by Bob Bryar.<ref name="RollingStoneBiographyMCR">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
The album received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success for both the band and the Reprise label.<ref name="Billboard Martens">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The record produced three singles—"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", "Helena", and "The Ghost of You".<ref name="Zemler" /> It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) less than a year after its release,<ref name="Contactmusic"/> and has sold over three million copies in the United States.<ref name="Billboard Martens"/> Em Casalena of American Songwriter stated that the album is "essential listening" for 2000s emo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In April 2025, a "deluxe edition" of the album—featuring all of the original tracks remixed and four new, previously unreleased live records—was announced. It was released on June 6, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Music and lyrical themes
Musically, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge has been described as emo,<ref name="Suzy Exposito rollingstone">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Joe Bosso guitarworld">Template:Cite magazine</ref> alternative rock,<ref name="Joe Bosso guitarworld"/> pop punk,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> post-hardcore,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> punk rock,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and pop rock.<ref name="Arielle Gordon pitchfork">Template:Cite web</ref> While I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was considered "a particularly strident entry in that shifty genre of bands tortuously slamming together elements of emo, hardcore, and even metal",<ref name="allmusic.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge "both showcased their songwriting skills and gave them much-deserved attention".<ref name="Zemler"/> Moving away from the "screamo parts"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and "the more complicated structures"<ref name="stylusmagazine.com">Template:Cite web</ref> of their first record in favor of a sound that "skirts the line between pop punk and edgy, theatrical, emo"<ref name="Zemler"/> while being "strongly influenced by hardcore punk",<ref name="stylusmagazine.com"/> Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge has been variously compared to The Misfits,<ref name="rollingstone.com">Template:Cite web</ref> AFI,<ref name="allmusic.com"/> and Thursday.<ref name="allmusic.com"/>
Lead singer Gerard Way has referred to the first single "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" as a "self-help pop song"<ref name="mtv.com">Template:Cite web</ref> while also being called "a surging piece of emo-pop with a hook as ridiculously catchy as it was ridiculous"<ref name="AllMusic-BP">Template:Cite web</ref> and a "moving anthem for the young and depressed"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> by AllMusic and Rolling Stone respectively. This single went on to be nominated for the Kerrang! award for best single<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and reached number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="Hot 100">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
The album opener and second single "Helena" has been referred to as an "album-highlight and smash-hit". Gerard has claimed that the song "shaped what the album is about" and "revealed their dark side" in comparison to the first single.<ref name="mtv.com"/> Its lyrics mourn the loss of Gerard and Mikey's grandmother,<ref name="mtv.com"/> Elena Lee Rush, and was their first entry into the top 40.<ref name="Hot 100"/>
Album concept
According to Way, the album can be understood as a "pseudo-conceptual horror story",<ref name="Zemler" /> that details:
...the story of a man and a woman who are separated by death in a gunfight and he goes to hell only to realize by the devil telling him that she's still alive. The devil says he can be with her again if he brings the devil the souls of a thousand evil men and the man agrees to do it, and so the devil hands him a gun. That was the idea behind the concept, the record ended up being much more about loss and real life than anything, so I would say it's a good split.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Artwork
The cover art, designed by Way himself and titled "Demolition Lovers II", was inspired by René Magritte's painting The Lovers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Way drew a sketch to be used as a reference by a photographer, but the sketch became the basis of the cover art instead.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Reception and legacy
Template:Music ratingsJohnny Loftus of AllMusic wrote that "with the aid of production major-leaguer Howard Benson, they've edited the slight rookie excesses of I Brought You My Bullets You Brought Me Your Love, resulting in a rewarding, pretty damn relentless product."<ref name="allmusic">Template:Cite web</ref> Andy Greenwald of Blender noted Way's integration of elements of his life into the songs on the album and remarked that his "gulping, gasping whine turns stompers like 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)' into after-school poetry".<ref name="blender">Template:Cite journal</ref> Ian Mathers of Stylus Magazine felt that the album contained "twelve near-flawless songs and an interlude in thirty-nine minutes" and that "even when it lets up, [it] doesn't let up",<ref name="sm">Template:Cite web</ref> while Kirk Miller of Rolling Stone described it as "a hell of a good time."<ref name="rs">Template:Cite magazine</ref> IGN critic JR was more reserved in his praise, calling Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge "a good album" that nonetheless "isn't nearly as varied or daring as it could have been".<ref name="ign">Template:Cite web</ref> In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave it a "dud" rating.<ref name="rc">Template:Cite news</ref> Em Casalena of American Songwriter wrote that the album is "a golden record in emo rock history."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> NME listed the album as one of "20 Emo Albums That Have Resolutely Stood the Test of Time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album was ranked at number 260 on SpinTemplate:'s "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)" list.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rock Sound wrote that the album is "an era-defining release", striking "a nerve both musically and emotionally with millions around the world."<ref name="Bird34">Bird, ed. 2015, p. 34</ref> Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan noted that the album's tracks "are so embedded in the DNA of pop culture that even non-MCR-fans tend to know every word."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2016, Rolling Stone declared Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge the tenth greatest emo album out of 40, saying that "Three Cheers wasn't just a concept record, it was a concept sequel, expanding the small-screen story of 2002's I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love into a big-budget production, complete with ruminations on life and death ("Helena") biting kiss-offs ("I'm Not Okay") and a series of dramatic music videos that made them MTV darlings."<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite web</ref>
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge has sold over three million units in the United States and has been certified 3× platinum by the RIAA as of December 2017.<ref name="RIAA"/> By February 2006, the album had sold over 1,356,000 copies in the US and 3 million copies to date.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has also been certified quadruple platinum in Canada,<ref name="MC"/> double platinum in the United Kingdom,<ref name="BPI"/> platinum in New Zealand,<ref name="RMNZ"/> and gold in Argentina,<ref name="CAPIF"/> Australia,<ref name="ARIA"/> Chile,<ref name="Chile">Template:Cite journal</ref> Ireland,<ref name="IRMA"/> and Mexico.<ref name="AMPROFON"/>
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Sound | UK | Top 50 Albums of the Year | 2004 | 5<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Spin | US | The 40 Best Albums of 2004 | 34<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Kerrang! | UK | Albums of the Year | 3<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Metal Hammer | UK | Albums of 2004 | 7<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Track listing
- Standard edition
- Japanese special edition DVD
- Deluxe edition bonus tracks
Personnel
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 My Chemical Romance
- Gerard Way – lead and backing vocals
- Ray Toro – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Frank Iero – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Mikey Way – bass guitar
- Matt Pelissier – drums, percussion
- Bob Bryar – drums, percussion (deluxe edition bonus tracks)
Template:Col-2 Additional musicians
- Bert McCracken – additional vocals on "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison"
- Keith Morris – additional vocals on "Hang 'Em High"
- Rinat Arinos – additional vocals on "The Ghost of You" and "Thank You for the Venom"
- Howard Benson – 1958 Hammond B3
Production Template:Div col
- Howard Benson – producer, mixing
- Rich Costey – mixing
- Craig Aaronson – A&R
- Brian Schechter – management
- Stacy Fass – legal
- Matt Galle – booking
- Mike Plotnikoff – recording
- Eric J. Miller – additional engineering
- Paul Decarli – Pro Tools and programming
- Jon Nicholson – drum tech
- Keith Nelson – guitar tech
- Tom Baker – mastering
- Matt Griffen – production coordinator
- Dana Childs – production coordinator
- Arturo Rojas – runner
- Fernando Diaz – runner
- Mike Gardner – runner
- Chris Ozuna – runner
- Bryan Mansell – runner
- Mark Holley – design assistance
Charts
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Weekly charts
| Chart (2004–2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentine Albums (CAPIF)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 10 |
| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 20 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 73 |
| Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)<ref name="Mexico" /> | 19 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 1 |
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 23 |
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|
| Chart (2020–2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Greek Albums (IFPI)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 20 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 6 |
| US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 19 |
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentine Albums (CAPIF)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 7 |
| Croatian International Albums (HDU)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 5 |
| Dutch Vinyl Albums (Vinyl 33)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 16 |
| German Rock/Metal Albums (GfK)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 8 |
| Spanish Vinyl Albums (PROMUSICAE)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 25 |
| US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2005) | Position |
|---|---|
| Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)<ref name="Mexico">Template:Cite web</ref> | 57 |
| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 116 |
| US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 58 |
| Chart (2021) | Position |
|---|---|
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 98 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 27 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 51 |
Certifications
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Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | April 11, 2005 | Reprise | CD | 9362486152 |
| Japan | July 22, 2004 | WPCR11890 | ||
| January 26, 2005 | CD+DVD | WPZR30075 | ||
| June 24, 2009 | CD | WPCR13504 | ||
| United Kingdom | September 3, 2004 | 9362486152 | ||
| United States | June 8, 2004 | 486152 | ||
| December 16, 2008 | Vinyl LP | 148615 |
Notes
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References
Sources
External links
- Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)