Paramore’s Biggest Hits, from ‘Misery Business’ to ‘Ain’t It Fun’

Paramore’s turbulent history as a band features multiple line-up changes, interpersonal drama between the members, and stellar solo releases from Hayley Williams. Let’s look back at some of their biggest hits since their inception in 2004.

“crushcrushcrush” (2007)

Released in 2007, “crushcrushcrush” was the third single from “Riot!,” the band’s second album. With killer riffs and a stomping beat, Hayley Williams’ vocals pushed this song to the next level.

Plus, they were so ahead of their time — haven’t we all learned in the years since this was released that they were right? Truly, nothing compares to a quiet evening alone. Wise words, Paramore. Wise words.

“Still Into You” (2013)

The band’s self-titled fourth album, “Paramore,” arrived on the scene in 2013 and brought with it the single “Still Into You.” Is it any wonder that, even after all this time, we’re still into this song?

The music video is bright and fun, full of bicycles, balloons, and ballet — but we thought we’d share with you the time Paramore stopped by the SiriusXM studio to deliver an incredible exclusive rendition of the hit.

Those live harmonies? Iconic.

“The Only Exception” (2009)

2009’s “Brand New Eyes” album gave us “The Only Exception,” which was a bit of an exception to Paramore’s style.

Offering a softer sound compared to their usual fare, the song picked up a GRAMMY nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, proving that changing things up was a risk worth taking.

Fun fact: The many Valentine’s Day cards scattered around Williams in the video were all handmade by fans!

“Ain’t It Fun” (2013)

As the fourth and final single from their self-titled album, “Ain’t It Fun” snagged the GRAMMY Award for Best Rock Song in 2015.

The inclusion of a gospel choir broadens Paramore’s sound in this one, as the band becomes more experimental with their work — a move that ex-bassist Jeremy Davis said made them “nervous” at the time but certainly paid off.

“Misery Business” (2007)

The song that we all know and love! As the lead single from “Riot!,” “Misery Business” marked the band’s entrance into the mainstream, and it’s generally considered the most iconic and enduring Paramore song.

While there’s been talk of certain aspects of the song not aging particularly well — controversial lyrics led to the band’s decision to retire the song from their live sets in 2018, though they have since un-retired it — it remains incredibly popular.

Trying to stop yourself from belting out the chorus alongside Williams is impossible. It just feels so good!

Bonus: “Decode” (2008)

While “Misery Business” might be Paramore’s most obvious hit (and the one that had the most success in the charts), “Decode” actually takes the top spot as their most-viewed video on YouTube. “Misery Business” clocks in at 255 million hits, but “Decode” has managed to rack up an astonishing 433 million to date.

Featured on the “Twilight” movie soundtrack, “Decode” included scenes from the film in its own music video. While fans of the vampire franchise no doubt helped provide some of those views, “Decode” itself still deserves high praise, as proven by the GRAMMY nomination it received for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Just like we were surprised to learn that “Decode” has “Misery Business” beaten when it comes to YouTube views, Kristen Stewart actually once stopped by “The Jess Cagle Show” and revealed that she never expected “Twilight” to be such a huge hit either!

Who knew “Decode” and “Twilight” had even more than the obvious in common?