Three Days Grace Explain Psychology Behind Music to AXS TV & More

Three Days Grace are proven hit-makers, and there's no ignoring their influence on modern rock radio. Songs such as "Just Like You," "I Hate Everything About You" and "Home" have been regulars on active rock radio for decades at this point, and it's simply difficult to imagine what rock radio would sound like today without Adam Gontier and company.

Three Days Grace formed in the 1990s and instantly scored a bevy of chart-toppers with their 2003 self-titled debut, and they haven't stopped yet. Now, more than 20 years later, Three Days Grace also scored their 19th No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in early 2025 with the hard-hitting track "Apologies." That song marked their second consecutive No. 1 rock hit, following their song "Mayday," which was No. 1 for five weeks in 2024. These songs also feature longtime vocalist Gontier and new vocalist Matt Walst.

See the full article from Anne Erickson at WMMR here.

As of early of January 2025, Three Days Grace ranks just one step behind Shinedown for the most No. 1s in the history of the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, according to Billboard. So, yes, Three Days Grace certainly know how to craft a chart-topping rock single. It's not just about catchy hooks and guitars. There's also a psychology behind their songs.

Three Days Grace's music appeals to the struggling adolescent. Growing up isn't always easy. Teenagers go through everything from bullying to rebelling against parents to not knowing how to deal with having a crush. So, Three Days Grace's music is perfect for the adolescent who's looking to get out some angst with music.

That appeal and the angsty nature of the band's music has certainly helped them grow an audience, and it keeps their fanbase young. Even though "Home" was written more than 20 years ago, it still speaks to the adolescent today.

Just look at one of the band's most enduring hits: "I Hate Everything About You." The AllMusic Guide states of the song in a review of the band's debut album, "At its best, the band's focus and adherence to alt-metal's formulas - coupled with tight songwriting and some unexpectedly pretty choruses - results in a strong tracks that are more memorable than the work of many of their peers. 'I Hate Everything About You' was Three Days Grace's big single and remains the band's best song, gaining most of its power from its directness and bluntness in examining a dysfunctional relationship."

A user review of the band's debut album on Album of the Year also touched on how the album related to youngsters. "While I take this trip down a tortured ten year old's early sense of teenage anxiety and anger, few albums exist that represented that better than Three Days Grace's debut self-titled record," the user states on the site. "The songs are unbearably simplistic both in structure and songwriting, but somehow this just makes the album that much easier to relate to."

Just a few years later, on 2006's One-X, Three Days Grace continued with those themes that appeal to youngsters. The AllMusic Guide discusses those themes in a review at the time, noting, "Not surprisingly, the songs mostly revolve around feelings of isolation, tumultuous relationships, and anguished loneliness -- but through all their misery and confusion, Three Days Grace ultimately embrace the difficulties as merely a part of being human ("I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all" from "Pain")." They add that "the band's simple and direct approach owns a certain charm that makes One-X an enjoyable listen, albeit hardly innovative."

Even though band members are older, Three Days Grace continue with these themes today. Just look at the band's 2025 album, Alienation. The release features "songs that dive into complex themes of isolation, inner collapse and outward defiance," according to AXS TV, and drummer Neil Sanderson calls "the album as a reflection of the human condition, exploring issues such as anxiety, addiction and heartbreak. Yet, amidst the themes of struggle and disconnect, Sanderson emphasizes that there is an underlying resilience and reach for connection in the human experience, which the album seeks to encapsulate."

Looking further at the motifs of Alienation, Livesphere magazine notes of the album, "The ideas of feeling isolated in one's own emotions and being stuck at the end of a doomed relationship merge together in the consequent tracks, with 'Deathwish' exploring themes of self-destruction as well with lines like 'there's no future there's no past,' the chorus 'living life like a deathwish, born to be a bit reckless' and a threatening bridge, complete with guitar solo, warning to 'be careful what you wish for.'"

Livesphere adds of the release, "and so ends our raw journey of self-reflection, heavy instrumentals and heavier emotional trauma, as we are left to wonder if we will ever defeat this seemingly self-fulfilling prophecy or self-destruction as the song and album slowly fade away."

Hive Magazine elaborates on the themes in Alienation, noting that "tracks like 'Never Ordinary' and 'Another Relapse' delve into themes of isolation, anxiety, addiction and heartbreak" and that "rather than sugarcoating these topics, the band leans into them, offering no easy answers but instead choosing to expose the fractures beneath the surface." They add that "this approach creates an authenticity that fans can truly connect with, giving the record emotional depth beyond the surface-level aggression."

So, those adolescent themes of isolation, rebellion, anxiety and heartbreak as just as prevalent in the band's music today as when they started out. Throughout their career, Three Days Grace haven't been scared to address these topics that may seem taboo to some. Their songs often get personal and describe introspective struggles, mental health battles and not feeling accepted. Even though these themes appeal to adolescents, the same motifs also appeal to anyone, no matter their age.

So, there is really a psychology behind Three Day's Grace's songs, and one of the reasons the band has been able to notch so many hits is because their themes are so relatable.