The Black Parade
The Black Parade is the third studio album by the American rock band My Chemical Romance, first released on October 23, 2006, through Reprise Records. A concept album, it is centered on the story of a man suffering from terminal cancer known as "The Patient", as he nears the end of his life. It has predominantly been considered an emo, alternative rock, pop-punk, hard rock, punk rock, and glam rock record. It was produced by the band alongside Rob Cavallo.
Work on The Black Parade began in early 2006, with the band being influenced by the success and expectations of their previous studio album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004); Gerard Way sought to create a concept album as the follow up to Revenge. Recording for The Black Parade took place from April to August 2006, during which, the band secluded themselves in the Paramour Mansion. Due to their self-imposed isolation, the band's members, particularly bassist Mikey Way, faced mental health issues that impacted the album's production and influenced several of its songs.
The Black Parade received generally favorable reviews from critics upon release. It debuted at number two on both the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart. It has been certified as 4× platinum in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as gold in both Argentina and Chile. It was also given the Platinum Europe Award by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The album was supported by four singles: "Welcome to the Black Parade", which was the band's first number-one single in the United Kingdom, "Famous Last Words", "I Don't Love You", and "Teenagers". In support of the album, My Chemical Romance embarked on The Black Parade World Tour from February 2007 to May 2008.
In the years since its release, The Black Parade has been revered as one of, if not the most important, album in emo, as well as My Chemical Romance's defining work. The album's popularity ended the dominance of emo pop, and influenced metalcore, pop and hip hop artists, and film soundtracks, as well as alternative culture and fashion. It was reissued as The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts in 2016, in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the album's release. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album number 361 in its updated list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".