All 82 Panic! at the Disco songs ranked from worst to best (2024)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Panic! at the Disco has been a regular in Northeast Ohio over the past decade, performing in the area more than a half dozen times.

That includes standout performances during two of the Alternative Press Music Awards and a surprise gig at the Grog Shop. But the band's biggest concert yet comes Wednesday with a headlining show at The Q.

Panic! is a band that's evolved a lot over the years, going from a full band to a project under the vision of singer Brendon Urie, aka the last man standing.

Here, we rank every official song Panic! at the Disco has released. No demos or alternate takes. Just singles, promotional releases and album tracks that have made Panic! one of the most consistent rock bands in the world.

82. “Introduction”

Let’s start here. I suppose you could make the case that the first track from Panic! at the Disco’s debut album doesn’t count. It’s not really a song, but rather a collection of sounds. So, we’ll count it and, thus, save any other song from the humiliation of last place.

81. “She Had the World”

Panic!’s second album, “Pretty. Odd.,” is easily the group’s most polarizing release. Then a full band, Brendon Urie, guitarist Ryan Ross and company had discovered the Beatles and sought to produce an album that showed as much. But “She Had the World” doesn’t even fit with that concept. It’s a boring song ripped out of the renaissance festival you never wanted to go to.

80. “Casual Affair”

79. “All the Boys”

78. “Roaring 20s”

You can feel the influence of Urie’s stint on Broadway in “Kinky Boots” all over Panic!’s latest album “Pray for the Wicked.” Unfortunately, he fails to blend that influence with Panic!’s pop-punk origins. Urie should have taken more cues from a band like Fun. Instead we’re left with something like “Roaring 20s,” which features the horrible tagline, “Roll me like a blunt ‘cause I wanna go home.”

77. “Let’s Kill Tonight”

76. “One of the Drunks”

75. “Can’t Fight Against The Youth”

A bonus cut from “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare to Die!,” “Can’t Fight Against The Youth” feels like the throwaway it is – a generic tune on an album that otherwise finds Urie coming into his own.

74. “Old Fashioned”

73. “House of Memories”

72. “From a Mountain in the Middle of The Cabins”

Several of the songs on “Pretty. Odd.” do wind up sounding like tunes the Beatles would have produced on something like, say, “The White Album.” But in Panic!’s case, the songs just aren’t very good. They’re overly simplified and can’t help but seem forced.

71. “Stall Me”

A good chunk of the songs this low on the list are bonus cuts from “Vices & Virtues,” the album Panic! recorded essentially as a two-piece. Songs like “Stall Me” aren’t terrible. Still, if they’d remained on the cutting room floor, no one would have been upset.

70. “The Good, The Bad and The Dirty”

69. “I Wanna Be Free”

68. “Intermission”

Just about everything on Panic! at the Disco’s debut album works. That includes the electronic/piano number – void of singing – that occupies the middle of the album. It’s an extension of the intro track and sets the stage for the album’s second half (and quite the lead-in to “But It’s Better If You Do”).

67. “Mercenary”

66. “Dancing’s Not a Crime”

65. “Crazy=Genius”

The swing tune “Crazy=Genius” stands out on “Death of a Bachelor,” but not always for the best reasons. It’s a high-energy (sometimes frenetic) song on an a very good album that could have used maybe one more slow-burner to achieve greatness.

64. “Girl That You love”

Some fans didn’t immediately fall in love with the blatantly electronic vibe “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!” In retrospect, it’s quite refreshing. Though, “Girl That You Love” is one of the few tracks that is a bit heavy handed in Urie commitment to new wave sound.

63. “Turn Off the Lights”

62. “The Overpass”

61. “Feels Like Christmas”

Ah, the Christmas track that fans either loved or forgot about immediately. In theory, this should have been better than it is.

60. “Bittersweet”

59. “Impossible Year”

58. “Folkin’ Around”

This is where we should point out there are people who love (really love) “Pretty. Odd.” and its strange aesthetic. Much of that has to do with the lowkey instrumentation, which emphasizes Urie’s voice. The Dylan-esque “Folkin’ Around” is an example of the band ability to almost make things work…almost.

57. “King of the Clouds”

56. “We’re So Starving”

55. “Trade Mistakes”

54. “C’Mon” (feat. Fun)

People acted like "C'Mon" was some sort of masterpiece when it arrived in 2011. But much of that had to do with the fact that it saw two of the it-bands of the moment coming together. Don't get me wrong. The song has its moments. But it's mostly been forgotten over the past eight years.

53. “Collar Full”

52. “I Have Friends in Holy Places”

51. “When The Day Met The Night”

50. “Build God, Then We’ll Talk”

49. “Far Too Young to Die”

Since taking sole lead of Panic!, Urie has produced a surprisingly diverse catalog. But even if he’d stuck with the solid post-punk of “Too Weird to Live…” on songs like “Far Too Young to Die,” he would have been just fine.

48. “The Piano Knows Something I Don’t”

47. “Pas De Cheval”

46. “Memories”

45. “She’s a Handsome Woman”

We’ve spent most of this so far bashing “Pretty. Odd.” But its got some stellar moments, like the opening of “She’s a Handsome Man,” which comes off as a damn good knock off of the Beatles “She Said She Said.”

44. “Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)”

43. “Golden Days”

42. “It’s Almost Halloween”

If Panic! at the Disco has a cult classic, this is it. Interestingly enough, while other acts were searching for their go-to Christmas song, Panic! tackled a different holiday. It’s also one of the few songs where Ryan Ross’ singing is a welcomed change of pace.

41. “Nicotine”

“Nicotine” was the centerpiece of “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!” It was slightly more generic than the other singles from the album, so Urie wisely split it off into an EP of the same name. It wasn’t the greatest EP. But it was a sign that Urie was really hitting a creative flow as a songwriter.

40. “There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought of It Yet”

The longest title on this list that reminds you Panic! was very much a product of that Fueled by Ramen/Decaydance pop-punk scene that emerged during the mid-2000s. It’s refreshing to realize Urie never completely ditched the swing-happy, jazz vibe Panic! showcased on an early track like “There’s a Good Reason…”

39. “Do You know What I’m Seeing?”

38. “Hurricane”

37. “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”

36. “The Calendar”

35. “Dying in LA”

“Pray for the Wicked” may go down as one of Panic! at the Disco’s more forgettable albums. But even in its unevenness, the album radiates with a level of passion you rarely see from a rock star of this generation. “Dying in LA” would feel like just another ballad if Urie didn’t feel so into it. He draws you in.

34. “I Constantly Thank God For Esteban”

33. “The End of All Things”

In a way, Urie was always building up to his recent cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Some of his best work with Panic! comes at a piano. “The End of All Things,” the emotional closer from “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!” comes with the added bonus of an auto-tune that has Urie sounding like the male version of Imogen Heap. Surprisingly, not a bad thing.

32. “Mad As Rabbits”

31. “Always”

30. “Kaleidoscope Eyes”

29. “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”

28. “Nails For Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks”

From this point on, it’s all pretty essential. “Nails For Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks” would be a landmark track for many other pop-punk acts. There’s a lot to take in here, from the subtle auto-tuning effect on Urie’s voice at times to Ryan Ross’ penetrating lyrics. In many ways, Panic! was just as daring as the complex indie rock bands (The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, etc.) of the moment.

27, “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time”

26. “Sarah Smiles”

25. “Behind the Sea”

What a blissful track. It sounds weird to say, but Panic!’s Beatles-esque vision for “Pretty. Odd.” might have worked better had Ryan Ross taken over singing duties completely. Urie is, by far, the better vocalist. But it felt like the entire album was fueled by Ross’ style more than anyone else. And, to some extent, “Behind the Sea” feels like the launching point for his leaving Panic! to pursue other musical ventures.

24. “New Perspective”

A very important song in the history of Panic! at the Disco. “New Perspective” was the first single released after the departure of Ross and bassist Jon Walker. The catchy song single-handedly proved Panic! had a lot of life left in it.

23. “Vegas Lights”

A banger of a sleeper from “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!,” an album that just doesn’t get enough credit. “Vegas Lights” finds Urie merging his in-the-moment love of synth pop with the bounce that got fans addicted to Panic! at the Disco in the first place.

22. “(F*** A) Silver Lining”

Not everything is bad about “Pray for the Wicked.” In fact, the drum-happy opener “Silver Lining” would lead you to think Urie was about to deliver the most epic album of his career. It doesn’t turn out that way. But you’ll have a good time hitting repeat several times on this one.

21. “The Ballad of Mona Lisa”

If “New Perspective” showed fans there was life after Ryan Ross’ lyrical leadership of Panic! at the Disco, “The Ballad of Mona Lisa” cemented that. The opener from “Vices & Virtues” showed the Urie-led group could become a true hitmaking entity (with help from the rocking production team of Butch Walker and John Feldmann).

20. “But It’s Better If You Do”

This is where Ryan Ross’ lyrics really shine. You have to hit repeat just to comprehend the story he’s trying to tell. But what pushes “But It’s Better If You Do” is its cabaret-style chorus. Urie and Ross had quite a partnership. One writing vivid lyrics and the other delivering them with amazing conviction.

19. “Girls/Girls/Boys”

Brendon Urie’s songwriting partner on “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!” was then full-time bandmember Dallon Weekes. Together, the duo offered up some racy stuff. “Girls/Girls/Boys” is a new wave anthem inspired by Urie’s first threesome experience.

18. “That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)”

The title for Panic! at the Disco’s sophom*ore album “Pretty. Odd.” comes from “That Green Gentleman.” Not surprisingly, it’s one of the best songs on the album and one of the few times Panic! goes beyond just parodying the Beatles into creating their own psychedelic pop sound.

17. “Victorious”

Nothing about “Victorious” is subtle. Urie is right in your face right from the jump, which fans must have liked considering it charted so well. The track has a staggering seven writers, including Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. So it had to be great, right?

16. “High Hopes”

It’s one of the more simplistic songs Urie and his collaborators have written that veers into hip-hop territory with its barrage of snare drums. The hook is inescapable, pushing the song to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, Panic!’s highest position ever.

15. “London Beckoned Songs about Money Written by Machines”

There’s so much attitude in the third track from Panic!’s debut album. “London Beckoned” is nothing short of thrilling with a chorus that combines lively guitars, awesome lyrics and Urie’s sensual voice.

14. “Miss Jackson”

Produced by Butch Walker and inspired by Janet Jackson’s song “Nasty,” “Miss Jackson” is supposed to be dark. But it doesn’t come across that way. Yes, it’s filthy. But it invites you in. The song was a nice foreshadowing of Urie’s highly sexual songwriting and his ability to be clever with metaphors.

13. “LA Devotee”

“LA Devotee” is the most well-rounded pop song Urie has ever written, with help from producer Jake Sinclair. The song draws from ska music. But it’s that extended chorus that finds Urie voice and charisma taking over. You never want it to end.

12. “Northern Downpour”

What makes “Northern Downpour” such a fan-favorite is that its clearly the most authentic sounding thing on “Pretty. Odd.” Ryan Ross taps into the feelings that come with constant touring for an alternative rock song that’s dreamlike.

11. “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is the Press Coverage”

Perhaps the most iconic opening lyrics in Panic! history (“Sit tight, I’m gonna need you to keep time…”), considering they open the first full-song on the band’s unforgettable debut. “The Only Difference…” was shocking upon first listen. Nothing in the pop-punk universe sounded like this. Panic! was carving out its own special niche in a crowded scene.

10. “Emperor’s New Clothes”

Brendon Urie certainly knows how to deliver a chorus and “Emperor’s New Clothes” features one his best over a dance-happy beat produced by Jake Sinclair.

9. “This Is Gospel”

“This is Gospel” is an interesting song. I taps into the same electronic-driven power-pop that saturates the rest of “Too Weird to Love, Too Rare to Die!” But it’s hand isn’t quite heavy. Urie, Weekes and producer Butch Walker slow play their hand into one of Panic!’s great soaring choruses.

8. “Hallelujah”

You pretty much know “Hallelujah” is a hit right from the start. Urie began playing this live before many fans heard it and it’s the song that most set the stage for “Death of a Bachelor” to conquer the charts. “Hallelujah” became Panic!’s first top-40 single since its debut album.

7. “Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off”

And the winner for best song title of the 2000s goes to… “Lying Is the Most Fun…” does hook you with its title. But its sensual lyrics and Urie’s delivery of them made this song a big hit with the Warped Tour set. It’s arguably the best chorus Ryan Ross ever wrote.

6. “Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind)”

Even if you didn’t know this song was by Panic! at the Disco, there’s a good chance it got stuck in your head at some point. The best song from “Vices & Virtues” is a synth pop smash that was so catchy it was used to score a Diet co*ke commercial.

5. “Camisado”

“Camisado” probably features the most Googled lyrics of any Panic! at the Disco song. It doesn’t take a genius to realize they’re listening to a very personal story. The song is about Ryan Ross’ dad and his battle with alcoholism. But Ross shapes it in a universal sense that was endlessly relatable. This is one of the great songwriting achievements of Panic!’s early career.

4. “Nine in the Afternoon”

It didn’t really matter that “Nine in the Afternoon” sounded nothing like Panic! at the Disco’s debut. Fans weren’t alarmed about “Pretty. Odd.” because the lead single is so terrific. The album didn’t fulfill expectations, but we’ll always have this catchy wonder of baroque pop.

3. “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”

What else can you say about “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” Those opening chords were most people’s first induction to Panic! at the Disco. Where the song goes from there is a defining moment in the history of pop-punk. The combination of vivid lyrics, Urie’s singing and emo rock immediately set Panic! apart. If that wasn’t enough, the song came with an unforgettable music video that would earn the band Video of the Year at the 2006 Video Music Awards.

2. “Death of a Bachelor”

The title track from Panic! at the Disco’s fifth album is Brendon Urie’s Frank Sinatra moment. It’s a timeless showcase of pop and jazz that feels both retro and modern at once. It’s also the single best vocal performance of Urie’s career.

1. “Time To Dance”

The title says it all. “Time to Dance” hits you right in your pop-punk dancing shoes and never lets up. As soon as the song starts, you anticipated Urie’s voice screaming “When I say shotgun, you say wedding…” And while the song feels so upbeat, it’s tragically based on Chuck Palahniuk’s “Invisible Monsters” book that features a shooting at a wedding. Like the book, the song just gets better as it goes on. It’s not Panic!’s big hit. But it is the most astonishing thing the band has ever produced.