The All-American Rejects

The story of the All-American Rejects begins in the sleepy town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where a couple of kids named Tyson Ritter (vocals/bass) and Nick Wheeler (guitars/programming) bonded over their mutual love of catchy melodies and monster guitar licks. Flash forward to 2005: Tyson and Nick, aided and abetted by Mike Kennerty (guitar) and Chris Gaylor (drums), are making a splash with their Interscope Records debut, Move Along.

So what does a bored kid from Oklahoma with a guitar and a Walkman grow up listening to? Nick gave us a pretty good idea with this 15-song mixtape.

1. Def Leppard - "Promises" - "This is the perfect song: perfect guitar riff, perfect melody, perfect backing vocals in the choruses...it's perfect!"

2. Bon Jovi - "Born To Be My Baby" - "This is the best chorus ever written! And the best use of the 'Na Nas'!"

3. Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak" - "Great riff to soundcheck with...I always do!"

4. Poison - "Fallen Angel" - "Another great guitar riff, followed by a mouth-solo-worthy, 90210-esque lead!"

5. Huey Lewis & The News - "Stuck With You" - "Proving my theory once again that a triplet feel will give you a hit song every time. His other major hits are in 6/8...don't even get me started! Anyway...this is the song I remember hearing in the car when I was little, and I still can't get it out of my head!"

6. Afghan Whigs "66" - "This is a beautiful song that only this voice can pull off. Reminds me of the now-defunkt college radio station in Stillwater, OK."

7. Rod Stewart - "Every Picture Tells A Story" - "One of the jukebox songs I played every single night at the Righteous Room in Atlanta after the long days of pre-production for our new record. The only thing that could make this gem any better would be a little mandolin!"

8. Tesla - "Caught In A Dream" - "I'm a big fan of Five Man Acoustical Jam so you can imagine my excitement when I heard Tesla was putting out a new album! This song is the perfect mix of The Black Crowes and Aerosmith. And of course that classic Tesla-ish stuff, too!"

9. Genesis - "No Son Of Mine" - "I love this song. I used to call the radio station and request it, wait hours for it to come on, and tape it on my AM/FM Cassette Walkman. Stealing music has sure come a long way, hasn't it?!"

10. Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'" - "It's pretty rediculous how good this song makes you feel! Even if you hate Journey, or Steve Perry, or goofy lookin' keyboard players, or corporate rock in general (which I don't), this song is one of the best!"

11. The Nixons - "Happy Song" - "Check out these guys from Oklahoma!"

12. Butch Walker - "My Way" - "This is a great song to wake with to and start your day!"

13. The Outfield - "Your Love" - "Just a good frickin' song to sing along with!"

14. Queen - "Somebody To Love" - "This is probably one of my favorite Queen songs, and being as I just got their crest immortalized on my body in tattoo form, I felt they definitely had to be on my list. (This song is in 6/8 time...and of course it's great!)"

15. Tears For Fears - "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - "Also in 6/8, and very Huey Lewis & The News-esque might I add, this is great song with a great hook, and a synth pan flute! Good for driving, too."

The All-American Rejects' new album, Move Along, is available now in the ARTISTdirect Store.

Vocalist/bassist Tyson Ritter and guitarist Nick Wheeler both hail from Stillwater, OK, where the pair first embraced music as an appealing diversion from the ho-hum life of small-town America. Citing such influences as AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi, they formed the emo-pop group All-American Rejects in 2000, while both members were still in high school. Maintaining a full lineup proved to be difficult, however, so Ritter and Wheeler employed drum loops and pre-programmed rhythm tracks during their early performances, an arrangement they then reprised on their self-titled debut. Originally released on the Doghouse label in October 2002, the poppy record was later reissued to a national audience by DreamWorks. The band scored a hit with the effervescent single "Swing, Swing," which attracted attention from Interscope Records and ultimately landed the All-American Rejects on the label's prized roster.

Move Along, the band's sophomore album (and first for Interscope), was released in July 2005; it also marked the official debut of Mike Kennerty (guitar) and Chris Gaylor (drums), both of whom had joined the band in 2002 after the completion of the Rejects' eponymous debut. Like its predecessor, Move Along went platinum, with three singles ("Dirty Little Secret," "Move Along," and "It Ends Tonight") enjoying chart success in the U.S. and abroad. Recording sessions for a third album commenced in mid-2007 and ran through the following year, causing the All-American Rejects to cancel their scheduled Warped Tour performances (as well as a string of shows with Simple Plan). When the World Comes Down ultimately arrived in December 2008, preceded by the single "Gives You Hell." ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide