Top 20 AFI Songs
***List updated November 2013 to incorporate AFI’s newest album release, Burials***
I am psyched to put this list together, as I am a true AFI fan. If you are new to AFI and looking for the best songs to start out with, I highly recommend checking out the following songs. If you are already a fan, feel free to critique the list. Either way, feel free to comment and let your voice be heard!
A short intro and some context, then onto the list
I first came across AFI in 1997. They were one of the two opening bands for The Offspring, my favorite band at the time, who were on tour in support of the Ixnay on the Hombre album. I instantly loved AFI and a couple weeks later I picked up their first album, Answer That and Stay Fashionable. From then on I bought each new release. When AFI was recording Sing the Sorrow in late 2002, I definitely considered them to be one of my favorite bands and that record was one of the most anticipated albums that I can remember. Sing the Sorrow will probably go down as their best, most complete album but my personal favorite is The Art of Drowning. AFI has since released Decemberunderground, Crash Love, and Burials, all good albums but I am partial to their older material.
So what are the best AFI songs? Everyone probably has a different opinion – and the band probably does as well – but what I tried to do with this list is take everything into account and I aimed to appease fans of the old stuff, fans of the new stuff, and do the band justice at the same time. You can look at this list as ‘AFI’s Greatest Hits’ meets ‘if I had a $20 iTunes gift card to buy AFI songs, which ones should I buy first?’
- Research around the web
- How well the songs charted on Billboard and similar charts
- The overall popularity of the songs (Youtube video views, top iTunes/Amazon/Spotify/Last.fm tracks, lists I found on message boards and blogs, etc.)
- The sheer awesomeness of the songs
- Songs that the band consistently play live
For more AFI lists that I posted check out: Top 15 Underrated AFI Songs, Top 15 Widely Unknown AFI Songs, and Top 20 Best AFI Songs – Editors Choice.
Listen to the complete Top 20 list as a Spotify playlist here
Watch the complete Top 20 list as a Youtube playlist here
1. “Girl’s Not Grey” (2003)
Peaked at #7 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart Peaked at #33 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock Chart Peaked at #114 on the Billboard Top 100
2. “Love Like Winter” (2006)
Peaked at #4 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart Peaked at #68 on the Billboard Top 100
3. “Days of the Phoenix” (2000)
4. “The Leaving Song Pt. 2” (2003)
Peaked at #16 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart Peaked at #31 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock Chart
5. “Totalimmortal” (1999)
6. “Miss Murder” (2006)
Peaked at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart Peaked at #13 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock Chart Peaked at #13 on the Billboard Top 100
7. “A Deep Slow Panic” (2013)
8. “Silver and Cold” (2003)
Peaked at #7 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart Peaked at #39 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock Chart
9. “The Last Kiss” (1999)
10. “Fall Children” (1999)
11. “17 Crimes” (2013)
Peaked at #25 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs Chart
Youtube • Last.fm • Lyrics • Wikipedia • Amazon
12. “Porphyria Cutanea Tarda” (1999)
13. “Beautiful Thieves” (2009)
Peaked at #23 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart
Peaked at #48 on Billboard’s Rock Songs Chart
14. “The Lost Souls” (2000)
15. “The Prayer Position” (1999)
16. “Medicate” (2009)
Peaked at #7 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs ChartPeaked at #16 on Billboard’s Rock Songs Chart
17. “Wester” (2000)
18. “I Hope You Suffer” (2013)
19. “Summer Shudder” (2006)
20. “Third Season” (1997)
Honorable Mentions:
“Two of a Kind” (1995)
“This Secret Ninja” (1996)
“Single Second” (1997)
“The Boy Who Destroyed the World” (1999)
“God Called In Sick Today” (1999)
“Sacrifice Theory” (2000)
“A Story At 3” (2000)
“Bleed Black” (2003)
“Death of Seasons” (2003)
“The Interview” (2006)
“The Missing Frame” (2006)
“I Am Trying Very Hard To Be Here” (2009)
“End Transmission” (2009)
“The Conductor” (2013)
“Wild” (2013)
Now that you’ve read the list, which songs would you pick as AFI’s best song? Which songs should be ranked higher or lower? Are there songs on this list you think should be taken off? Which AFI songs should have made the list but didn’t? Sound off in the comments section below or tweet me @MusicTrajectory
Links of Interest:
AFI Official Site
AFI Youtube Channel
Follow AFI on Facebook
Follow AFI on Twitter
AFI Myspace Page
AFI Wikipedia Page
AFI Last.fm Page
AFI ArtistDirect Artist Page
AFI NME.com Artist Page
AFI Lyrics at LetsSingIt.com
AFI on Spotify
really no despair factor?
No God Called in Sick Today? One of their most played and most famous ever? Or at least Morning Star (that the band calls their GCIST “Light”?? Huh.