60 Songs That Explain the '90s Paramore — “Misery Business”
29 snips
Mar 11, 2026 
Rob Mahoney, senior staff writer for The Ringer and longtime music commentator, joins to unpack Paramore and the rise of “Misery Business.” He examines Riot!'s messy, thrilling lyrics and Hayley Williams’s powerhouse vocals. They trace Paramore’s jump from teen band to arena anthems and debate evolving performance choices and fandom culture.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Paramore Started As Teenagers In Franklin Tennessee
- Hayley Williams joined homeschooled teen musicians in Franklin, Tennessee and formed Paramore while still a teenager.
- The debut All We Know Is Falling opens with a song about their bassist leaving, a literal band-drama origin story captured on the album cover (an empty couch).
Pressure Showed Paramore's Arena Potential
- 'Pressure' revealed Paramore's gift for arena-sized pop punk despite coming from heavier influences like Deftones.
- The song's big chords and hooky riff made them a Warped Tour attraction and signaled their stylistic pivot.
Hayley Faced Misogyny On The Warped Tour
- Hayley describes the Warped Tour as brutally misogynistic and recounts being forced to prove Paramore on a girl stage.
- She would spit farther, yell louder, and thrash her neck wilder to win respect amid hostile crowds and sponsors throwing condoms.