Sunny Day Real Estate's "Emo Legacy"

In today's video, I discuss emo legends, Sunny Day Real Estate. I go into the story of the band and touch on each of their four timeless records. With such noteworthy classics including 1994's Diary and 1998's How it Feels to Be Something On, I dive into these releases and the band's "emo legacy."
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#SunnyDayRealEstate

[@buggydes]

For me, even though i heard Diary first and it holds many memories of my youth, How It Feels To be Something On is my favorite album. The Rising Tide 2nd. I love the evolution of the band. SDRE is one of the few bands that really left a lasting impression on me

[@Droctagon1]

HOW IT FEELS TO BE SOMETHING ON is one of the greatest ever!!!!!!!!!

[@buggydes]

@@Droctagon1 Agree man. It's a masterpiece. Truly is

[@Droctagon1]

@@buggydes amen...only if the others knew!

[@brianbonifacio7536]

I totally agree. How it Feels is unbelievable. I remember hearing In Circles when it came out, and I thought it was good, and there was A LOT of hype about Sunny Day, but I didn't get it. They imploded and that was that....then I saw Nate and Goldsmith on the first Foos tour and thought they were unstoppable. And in 98, a friend told me to sit down and listen to a CD he just got....He didnt tell me what it was. As soon as the drumbeat started in Pillars I was hooked and HAD to listen to the whole album right there. Forever changed. That album is MONUMENTAL.

[@deekismusic]

I feel exactly the same. Diary is legendary, but How It Feels is their magnum opus IMO.

[@smoshbooz]

Self titled is my favourite. It's so heartbreakingly powerful

[@adamwood87]

yeah, LP2 is my favorite album ever, not just by SDRE, but by any band ever. i almost stopped the video when this guy said it was not as good as Diary.

[@only_one_chrisfantazzi]

I could see that especially half the record was played in the diary tour. Song #8 is one of their first songs

[@only_one_chrisfantazzi]

@@adamwood87 it's not DIARY, the best songs were already written and played on the diary tour.

[@youhavetogoback8449]

@@adamwood87 It's definitely their least accessible. I didn't like it at all at first but when it clicks it clicks. The music is very unusual, sounds kind of creepy sometimes but it's so great. It's unlike any other album from that scene.

[@stornkolson]

Yeah, lp2 was actually my favorite. The songs were just weird.

[@parallel3727]

Dude thank you so much. These guys became my favourite band ever a couple months ago, and I’ve never been able to find a video essay kinda thing on them and now it’s here! Even though I went in for the emo songs I heard, I came out with there 3rd album as my favourite. So underrated

[@joshmanley6992]

My favorite band of all time. How It Feels is my favorite record of all time. Going to see them on the reunion tour this September and I’ve never been more excited about a show

[@CharlesRichland]

I can listen to "Every Shining Time You Arrive" on loop for hours.

[@maxalvarez5223]

You and me both

[@Penny_Royalty]

Same!! Fave SDRE song ever.

[@ethan6619]

bruh i cry to that song

[@JennyReads]

This, 100 million, guitar and video games, the prophet, idk which one I like better..

[@CNNBlackmailSupport]

Rodeo Jones and 8 were my favorites, hands down. "Swaaaaaaaayt cuh-lovah" Total mind-blowing song. That bass and drum with the droning harmonics is flawless.

[@frankmccune8825]

I loved Seven, but 8 really solidified my devotion to this band

[@elijahguest1885]

Saw him live Honestly return of the frog queen is one of my favorite solo artist records ever made Jeremy peaked with that record!

[@bellahoughton84]

SDRE/"seven?" F'ing INCREDIBLE SONG! Heard it first in late 1992 at 15yrs old. Was obsessed with it. Still holds up today better than ever! The Catherine Wheel & Hum are two more INCREDIBLE early-mid 90s bands......

[@Lifeonnmarz]

just saw them last night… still the best band ever to me 🙏🏻

[@jiffnjelly1]

I just found these guys and realized I was humming their songs as a child before I understood language and communication skills. It’s like I rediscovered what it feels like to be a one year old child.

[@howitusedtobe]

Nate Mendel’s excellent bass lines .. I was first exposed to LP2 so that’s sort of my go to… they got 8 on the Batman soundtrack too

[@error_1234]

What soundtrack was it? 8 is one of my fav songs by them

[@howitusedtobe]

@@error_1234 Batman forever Im reasonably sure. Lp2 was my first exposure to them 12 with my Discman spinning the wheels off of it .

[@dane279]

Yes Batman Forever! The movie was awful but that soundtrack has so many great alternative bands. I’m sure that’s why I fell in love with that genre.

[@x77punk77x]

“8” on a soundtrack? No way!

[@Penny_Royalty]

I fucking miss SDRE so badly! What a band. So underrated. Their sound WAS different at the time. It’s crazy how half of them became fucking foo fighters for a time being. Feel really bad for what William went through with FF. I’d be running back to SDRE after playing generic arena jock rock night after night. Anyway, all 4 albums are fucking great for different reasons. They made 4 different albums and they all worked. How it feels to be something on is actually my favorite now but for a while it was diary and then LP2. Rising tide also has some of their best songs. I was dying to see what was next and then they were over. Again. But supposedly Grohl is sitting on the unreleased SDRE stuff, according to William. Who knows what’s true but I’d fucking love it if that stuff saw the light of day. Sorry for the rambling. So many thoughts about SDRE. I miss them!

[@quentinortiz4837]

If you love SDRE, you should check out "Everyonr Asked About You". Their album "Let's Be Enemies" is really good and their short EP's are really good. Sadly they only made 1 studio album and a few EP's that are like 10 minutes long. However, they are massive bangers

[@grizzlyaddams3606]

Yeah, Foo sucks.

[@rectoplasmic4630]

THEY'RE TOURING AGAIN WOOOO BABYYYYY

[@MiniMagit]

I dunno why Foo fighters get so much fucking hate man. Those guys have a few pretty solid albums with good songs, and Dave is an awesome frontman. Anyone who says they suck must suck even more ass

[@light_and_sound]

@@rectoplasmic4630 Just saw them twice in one weekend!

[@Hexthrill]

Fun fact - Three Days Grace would likely not have sounded quite the same if it wasn't for Sunny Day Real Estate. Adam Gontier has said the SDRE was one of his biggest inspirations in the early 3DG days, you can find you video on youtube - this is actually what got me curious about SDRE.

[@mrmeme-jq6qr]

The pink album is my first tape I bought - it was so different, original edgy I wasn’t ready for it, like guy’s on another planet trying to make rock music

[@adamlawson5021]

One of my top 10 favorite albums of all time. I have Diary and LP2 on vinyl. LP2 on the turntable rn.

[@patrickswisher1546]

I greatly appreciate your video! Sunny D has been my favorite band for many many years. I especially appreciate how you express a diary is your favorite album. Because in my eyes The rising tide is the best album I’ve ever heard out of thousands. It’s all about perspective my brother. Very good video and I appreciate you doing this.

[@veerchasm1]

Their last 2 albums are my favorites. It’s 2024 and they are touring and released a new live in studio single. Here’s hoping they make a new album!

[@JayEdom]

The rising tide is so far beyond others it’s their best album and is so deep and beautiful

[@misunderknown5721]

???

[@joebob2311productions]

Faces in disguise is otherworldly

[@bentonja668]

its a great album

[@youthofyesterdayrecords]

Yep.

[@gummiewormproduction]

Its their worst

[@lucidmonkey3591]

I used to skateboard to Diary when it came out… the last few weeks I’ve been blaring it in the car… my god it’s just brilliant and powerful

[@911heroesandme]

For me, Diary is great, but How It Feels To Be Something On is absolute TOPS!

[@DrummerEvan1]

The pink album is my favorite

[@TheGreenLanternB]

Television and Faces in disguise are songs that literally changed my life, thanks to them helping me meet my wife and live the life I’ve had

[@brittyn]

Pretty sure it’s ee-nick, not eh-nick. Thanks for making this though. Very underrated band.

[@DSPHistoricalSociety]

My man knows about emo's true Rites of Spring beginnings! I knew you were worth a sub!

[@seanmcgoldrick1702]

Watching this after watching some reunion gigs online :) Good things come back around :)

[@terrabranford2258]

SDRE's discography is pretty even in terms of quality, although i would mostly return to Diary because it was the first record i heard from them and the album flows really well with great song after great song. The S/t has some great songs but as a whole is not as consistent as Diary while "How It Feels to Be Something On" it's more solid and consistent.The Rising Tide is a great album that took some time to grow but i could see why some fans don't like it because of the change of sound (going for a more art rock/progressive rockish sound and the departure of the emo/post hardcore sound from the first/second record)

[@rocknrollsinger]

My main beef with The Rising Tide (which has slowly grown on me over many years) is that it’s so slick and borderline cheesy at times. I think most folks who rank this one high are on the younger side and maybe experienced this one first, by way of other bands who may have referenced it, a la Paramore or other more polished 00’s era emo stuff. For me, How It Feels will always be the best, but that’s maybe what’s extra special about this band. There are 4 distinct camps. I’ve met folks who rank each of these records #1. Diary is your OG emo people, or alt fans who heard it on MTV. Pink is your contrarian punk/hardcore people. How It Feels is your art rock/Radiohead fan, and Rising Tide is the folks who were 10 when Diary came out.

[@justindtackett]

Dude, goood vídeo. Tony Esh burned me a handful of cds back in 2008, he knew I liked Jimmy eat world and peppered some of their influences in my new collection (including Clerity, which I had not listened to). This changed my life! I owe my deep appreciation and mesmerizing attitude toward Sunny Day Real-estate to Tony for sure. Hearing those albums came a just the right time in my life. And then Jeremy recorded a song with “mewithoutyou” and boy was that a treat. Now that I’m in my thirties I look for Jeremy to come out with new stuff and am always happy when he does. Ghosts is a near continuation of SDRE in the sense that it is a musical ride from song to song.

[@TheWonderer7]

You're high. The second album is badass. The bass us amazing

[@Aaaaaaaa-ix4rp]

Good taste man!

[@locustkllr]

and in 2022 they are touring! Holy Crap! With Jeremy, Dan and William, and two new members. Nate has not joined them, and of course in my heart i am still hoping he will, and that they will put together another album. Love these guys, and i played that full black plastic cassette tape of Diary until it was a ragged husk. Also saw them twice live in the 90s in DFW.

[@PrinceSnot]

Its so cool seeing this and doing a report on them for school, knowing i get to see them this December

[@aleclewis3926]

This was a great video thank you

[@noisetape8405]

for me personally: 1. Rising Tide 2. How it Feels 3. Diary 4. LP2 but honestly that does not matter, each albums are powerful.

[@Lifeonnmarz]

i think you are completely correct

[@jmode242]

enigks solo work carrys on sdr 2 another level

[@decadepasts]

Although I love Enigk's solo work I wouldn't compare most of it to Sunny Day Real Estate. At times it reminds me of stuff that Sunny Day would do but at it's core it's nothing like SDRE.

[@jmode242]

@@decadepasts yeah I was drunk when I wrote that

[@decadepasts]

@@jmode242 lol It's ok man. I can see where you're coming from though. Even if you were drunk you did make some sense.

[@idiotwhoedits3522]

I love it when you talk about emo music

[@billypolard]

I can’t keep hearing you call him N-ick. PRETTY sure it’s Eee-nick. At least, that’s how I’ve been saying it since I was 12 ha. I could be wrong. I did have the pleasure of opening up for Jeremy Enigk several years back. A dream come true. Best band ever.

[@Posirep]

Nate Mendel has been in the Foo Fighters for 26 years. id say thats more than a period of time..lol

[@TommyVarekai]

a new song was just released on spotify by them, i checked a few days later to see that it was removed. was very different

[@codiserville593]

Oh dang

[@BlakeHenke77]

Oh yeah I caught it too. It seemed like some sort of weird track made just to experiment with electronics. That's my best guess at least

[@nick0is0ace]

Yeah, I heard this too. It was a strange Instrumental. Not sure what that was all about.

[@pickleman3213]

It was not a real release by them. Someone else put out a song under the same name.

[@NandorTheRelentless76]

I just went to the House Of Blues in Boston and saw them live 2 weeks ago......fucking amazing! They were firing on all 8 cylinders. Jeremy's voice sounded better than ever, Williams drumming was wicked as usual, Dans guitar was incendiary (to quote William Miller of Cream magazine LOL). But seriously, these guys are STILL touring despite NOT having any new material and the place was packed with people. Their legacy will remain intact for years to come

[@qimom11]

I've mostly been into the Pink Album as I've always called it. I have to go dig out their 3rd and 4th b/c I'm seeing them next month!

[@soysaucehairdye7869]

Yeah the Pink Album is my favorite with 'Waffle' being my favorite SDRE song.

[@JustinGariepyPope]

Became my favorite band 4 years ago, hated foo fighters ever since ✊🏻✊🏻😂

[@bushidoway]

How It Feels To Be Something On was my first SDRE album, and later on in life I was surprised to hear Diary, which was quite different. Love the evolution of the band, all albums were great!

[@tobaccopipe27]

How it feels to be something on is so good, it completely changed the way I approach music

[@sunkenvision]

One of my favorite bands of all time

[@FourTHat3]

I think there's something quite poetic about SDRE coming back after I had a fallen off with people in 2022...

[@BubbaCoop]

Looking forward to seeing them live twice next month

[@bellahoughton84]

TY for giving Sunny Day Real Estate their "dues!"

[@clairandco]

Diary and How it feels were my favorites Been a fan since the beginning.

[@robertcarpenter3020]

I actually got to see the early iteration of Sunny Day called Empty Set live a couple of times. I really liked them.

[@jeremymapa5498]

Actually, according to Goldsmith, SDRE recorded their best album in the early 2000s, and somehow David Grohl had it canned(reminds me of Lee Hazelwood and Parsons, or Little Willie John and Capitol Records), it never saw the light of day, and it's disappeared...

[@lucidmonkey3591]

Where did you see that? I’m interested

[@GOTAGaming]

@@lucidmonkey3591 He went on a big facebook rant a few years ago, im not sure the posts are there anymore, but I could bet theres screenshots somewhere. For your own reference, I dont think that it was in the early 2000s, I think it was late 2000s because it was apparently recorded in Grohl's studio which I dont think was built until circa 2005

[@Aaaaaaaa-ix4rp]

This isn’t true: it was a record in 2009 the band didn’t really like it

[@UnrecognizedCue]

Goldsmith also had to backtrack on this claim because he's a fucking liar btw (he still is). It was canned because they were lacking technical support for the album and wasn't directly Grohls fault and Goldsmith and Grohl haven't spoke in years at that point. I love both Foos and SDRE but Goldsmith is a petty dick who loves to smear Grohl whatever chance he gets because of HIS CHOICE to leave the Foos.

[@suikogarden]

I heard it was Nate who put it to a stop. And the master tapes stuck at Studio 606.

[@dadygee]

Diary is... Word bruh! Just gone into a SDRE, TFT, Jeremy binge ... been like 3 days since the last one :) I remember talking to a girl about emo and being emo and she said that she whent through a emo-period. Litstening to HIM and ... Nah, girlfriend you used a lot of makeup and cut ya with a pink razor with a moisturiser strip... We stood in the trenches and bleed from wounds that we still have the scars from. What you enjoyed was the fruit of the threes, being planted in those trenches.. We still heal, feel and love the emotions from when we first heard the words "sew it on.."

[@jojoagogo]

Diary came out when I was a freshman in HS. I have loved them ever since. It reminds me of punk rock winters in New Jersey.

[@chrisbridston3438]

My absolute fav albums are How it feels .. and The Rising Tide .. and we’ll.. Fire theft.. it is a realized sunny day album .. minus Dan .. but still amazing .. SDRE still have an incred album left in them… until then.. SEE ALL OF U AT THE 2022 reunion!!!! So excited

[@canopener505ify]

William was a monster on drums.

[@chrisbridston3438]

How it feels and Rising tide are absolutely amazing

[@tylernewcomb2052]

I think Diaries is what I ultimately enjoy the most but I love "5/4" from the pink album.....Also can't help but love him pointing to Jesus in a very direct way in that song.

[@bluemcdaniel99]

they’re back!

[@ultrajayme]

The opening guitar riff in Killed By An Angel was inspired by Neil Young. And the overall sound for Rising Tide was heavily influenced by The Who, along with Fire Theft.

[@andrewlnguyen]

In the Emo vein, would love to see a video on the band Mineral.

[@SDayRE]

My favourite albums: How It Feels To be Something On & LP2. I hope that after the last meeting and the good tour they are doing they decide to release a new album with new songs

[@ultrajayme]

Their second album isn't self titled, it's named LP2 and there is album art. It has a fly on the corner.

[@chadcassidy1580]

My 2 faves are Pink album, and Rising Tide! Which is usually different than Diary and How It Feels being the fan faves

[@HakimALIGHT]

The Rising Tide is a masterpiece. No weak tracks.

[@3padr598]

I’m gonna see them in late February :3

[@idiotwhoedits3522]

I mean for fucks sake, mcr wouldn't even be a thing without sdre

[@TheGreenLanternB]

They just announced they are reuniting and touring, get tickets now

[@CtDawG77]

Reminds me of Shoegaze with the washy guitars. Know younger kids were into this but Angel Hair was more my style of Emotional Hardcore.

[@soundmapper]

My all time favorite band from the 1st album when it was released, and still to this day. This was what I knew as classic emo, and to be honest, nothing else has ever hit that mark since. Certainly not most of the junk emo genre that followed for years, and unfortunately, nothing after Diary either, except... No mention of "Bucket of Chicken" Picked up that fancy 7" For years, we hoped to get something comparable, and although we did get little glimmers of it buried in songs, like a recipe that wasn't fully adhered to, it's just not the same. People just wanted to hear solid, melodic dual riffs, brutal drums, innocent vocals, and a meandering bassline. That's what the first two songs did right. Too bad infighting pulled it all apart. I feel they could have been 10 times what they ended up being. Got to see them in Boston many years ago. Saw Jeremy out for a walk before the show, and gave him a simple "Hey man" as we passed. But with that all said, thank you for the video and thank you SDRE for the work you did, and the joy you brought us.

[@outspeaker1229]

They announced tour dates today on their Instagram

[@TheRisingTide89]

This band, with videos like Seven and Circles..teleports me back to St. Marks place aka The Village, nyc, in the 1990s...before starbucks brought the yuppies..before the black cube.. A very grungy era, grungy strip of squatters wit their spikey vests, spikey hair and pitbulls, Trash Vaudeville thrift shop for all ur grungy needs, mean lookin punks makin faces at me cuz they saw i was a brat, majority livin on a thin thread, lots mourning another loss from their crew(drugs)..another dogtag on their camo jacket..its all here in SDRE's everything.

[@mickeylaundry2908]

The Rising Tide for me🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@grizzlyaddams3606]

One of the top 5 bands ever. Strange that no one who listened to them back in the day ever used the word, "emo" to describe them.

[@fleetwoodcraic4235]

I mean, not calling yourself emo is like a major tenet of being in an eno band

[@fullfarias7158]

I ve cried a Lot due to that album

[@jameymathers283]

LP2 was their best album IMO. Yes, Diary is epic and timeless, but I feel that the songs on LP2 were more complex and interesting

[@darylwyrick2857]

didn't mention Jeremy's solo albums They are different yet great albums his first Return Of The Frog Queen is in the top 20 best-selling on subpop. It was recorded at my studio I co-engineered/produced that album and if not for the homemade "tube mic" I made out of desperation to get Jeremy to do vocals on Carnival we wouldn't have had enough material for a full album. Also, I was around during fire theft and did some tech work on tour. great people to work for and be cramped on a bus with. Fun times good memories. greedy and I made crop circles in William's flat of wheatgrass that had seen its prime and he wouldn't throw it out it took up most of the counter space. That was funny when everyone awoke to crop circles of course we fully denied any knowledge of how they got there! hehe

[@bigbadmama]

The Rising Tide is one of the greatest albums ever.

[@davemac9563]

I think LP2 is my favorite. It’s more intricate than Diary, but it’s all down to personal preference.

[@frankmccune8825]

How does 8 get skipped over in the highlights of the pink album??? It was on the Batman Forever soundtrack for gosh sake (respect, Jeremy)

[@fullfarias7158]

All álbuns are awesome, but i grew up in Brazil, Diary álbum os one of the best ever

[@welpiguess]

what song is that in the intro man, "mind mind is always...?"

[@only_one_chrisfantazzi]

When ' how it feels to be something on" came out , everyone was scared to say how bad it was

[@LfunkeyA]

how it feels to be something on = best

[@patrickmoore2894]

LP2 was excellent, but then I loved all of their releases. Fire Theft was great too. Jeremy's being born again, by all accounts, did not have all that much to do with the breakup.

[@only_one_chrisfantazzi]

Curiousity question. Please leave an answer yes or no. Did you buy Diary before they broke up?

[@bellahoughton84]

All those CORNY/DRIVE-THRU/XTRA VALUE MEAL "emo" bands fr 1999-04 wish they were SDRE! Gotta put Weezer's/"Blue Album" fr 1994 in there as GOAT of that "genre." Even tho I hate GENRES! To me? It's ALL Rock ~N~ Roll. But if you're gonna go by "genres?" "Blue Album" is the "Bible" of that emo genre. (*I DO like Thursday's/"understanding in a car crash" in late 90s. Great song & video!)

[@younevershould]

whats the song in the first 7 seconds?

[@Waferdicing]

😻

[@Kelly-qy4yr]

Wow not sure how I forgot about these guys, but thank you for reminding me….loved them. Diary was a brilliant album!

[@bellahoughton84]

Seaweed....cool same type early-mid 90s bands. Seen Helmet open for Toadies couple times in small clubs. People JUST DON'T KNOW! REAL/TRUE Rock ~N~ Roll......

[@kyokari4]

3:56 this is why Theo B sounded so weird to me

[@chrisbridston3438]

Dan Horner IS the road block for pretty much every issue .. including the failed 2009 reunion album.. 👏 gotta love a Bully

[@Aaaaaaaa-ix4rp]

Lol explain yourself

[@mikethomas6120]

His name is pronounced eeenick like the e in the word we.

[@jackcarraway4707]

Diary is emo's Nevermind.

[@only_one_chrisfantazzi]

Jimmy eat world was already a band when diary came out

[@bellahoughton84]

God Lives Under Water & SELF. Two more outstanding early-mid 90s bands.

[@josejordan2803]

Anyone here love Fool In The Photograph?

[@ndesdsadfd]

Diary is great. No doubt about that. But for me, their third album is where they truly peaked.

[@youthofyesterdayrecords]

Rising Tide is the masterpiece. Easily. They weren't whole prior to this.

[@justanonion4116]

What the song in the intro 0:05

[@gradymerritt8737]

Seven off Diary

[@bvailoveyou3573]

"Seven"

[@TouringFunkBand1]

idc about the backstory of LP2. That album smokes and is the best production.

[@jeffniehaus9140]

I've been a fan of them since Diary and had no idea they were considered Emo. They sound nothing like any of the bands that are. If emotion is a requirement for that label, then consider almost all music Emo, I guess.