Genres: Alternative/Indie,Soundtracks,Pop,RockA pop punk band from Waldorf, Maryland, Good Charlotte formed in 1995. For the first few years, the band toured local venues and recorded demos. They developed a local fan base and performed with those fans in mind. They released their debut album, Good Charlotte, in 2000.
Good Charlotte
I think that our goal in Good Charlotte is just to be Good Charlotte, and whatever happens, whatever that means, we don't even know, we just push on and tour and make music and do whatever.
The Beginning
A pop punk band from Waldorf, Maryland, Good Charlotte formed in 1995. For the first few years, the band toured local venues and recorded demos. They developed a local fan base and performed with those fans in mind. They released their debut album, Good Charlotte, in 2000. With only one single, Little Things, the album was only a marginal commercial success.
Their second album, The Young and the Hopeless, served to build a wider fan base and earn them radio airplay. The album spawned five singles, including Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, which eventually went triple platinum and climbed to the top of both the pop and the rock charts. MTV played their videos in heavy rotation; the album earned the MTV Viewers Choice Award in 2003.
Building on a Solid Foundation
Good Charlotte followed up the success of their second album with The Chronicles of Life and Death, which received mixed reviews. The band had stepped outside of the formula of the first two albums. Of the four singles released from the album, only one of them, We Believe, appeared on the Billboard charts. Soon after the release, their drummer, Chris Wilson left the band. During their Noise to the World tour with Simple Plan and Relient K, they recruited Dean Butterworth as his replacement.
The 2007 album, Good Morning Revival, debuted in the Top Ten in thirteen countries worldwide, including the United States. The album was available to pre-order via iTunes; a free mp3 of the single, The River, was automatically downloaded with a pre-order. Good Charlotte made multiple live and television appearances to support the album. Appearances included The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
The Present and the Future
The fifth album by Good Charlotte is due to be released in May of 2010. Due to inconsistencies in the recording of the album, it was necessary to re-record the entire album, delaying its release. The band has been keeping fans aprised of its progress via Twitter. They are preparing to embark on the Bamboozle Road Show, a national tour which includes additional acts, including Simple Plan, Third Eye Blind, and Schwayze.
Since 2003, Good Charlotte has been nominated for twenty awards, from by Kerrang!, MTV Music Awards (Europe), MTV Music Awards (Australia), and Nickelodean Australia Kids Choice Awards. Of these, they have won eight, including Viewers’ Choice, Best Rock Video, and Favorite International Group.
Did you know . . .
Band member Joel Madden and Nicole Ritchie have a little girl, who was born in January of 2008
Good Morning Revival sold 66,000 copies in the first week following its release.
In 1999, Good Charlotte was one of the bands chosen to perform at the annual HFStival music festival in Washington, DC, giving them the exposure they needed to succeed in starting their music career.