It’s weird to think about now, but there was a window in 2017 where you literally couldn't escape The Chainsmokers. They were everywhere. If you walked into a CVS, "Paris" was playing. If you turned on the radio, "Something Just Like This" was blasting. Memories Do Not Open wasn't just an album; it was the peak of a specific kind of pop-EDM dominance that felt like it would never end.
Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall were riding a wave of momentum that most artists would kill for. They had just come off the massive success of "Closer," which spent twelve weeks at number one. Expectation was at an all-time high. But when the album actually dropped on April 7, 2017, the reaction was... complicated. Some people loved the nostalgia-heavy, diary-entry vibe. Critics, honestly, mostly hated it. But even if the reviews were lukewarm, the numbers were undeniable. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
The Sound of 2017 Captured in a Time Capsule
What makes this record interesting today isn't necessarily the technical production. It’s the vibe. It feels like a very specific snapshot of mid-2010s culture. You've got these melancholic lyrics about youth, regret, and messy relationships, all layered over those signature synth drops. It was the soundtrack to a million Instagram captions.
The lead single, "Paris," set the tone perfectly. It’s got that hazy, escapist feel. Taggart’s vocals—which were a relatively new addition to their sound at the time—added a layer of intimacy that their earlier frat-party anthems like "#SELFIE" totally lacked. They were trying to say something. They were trying to move beyond just being "the DJ guys."
"Something Just Like This" with Coldplay was the massive juggernaut on the tracklist. It’s one of those songs that feels engineered in a lab to be played in stadiums. Chris Martin’s soaring vocals paired with the duo’s production created a song that has since racked up billions of streams. It’s a testament to how well they understood the pop landscape at the time. They knew exactly how to bridge the gap between a dance floor and a radio station.
Why the Critics Went So Hard
Look, we have to be real about the reception. Pitchfork gave the album a 2.1. That’s brutal. Rolling Stone wasn't much kinder. The general consensus among the "serious" music crowd was that the album was repetitive and lacked depth.
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Critics pointed to the lyrical themes as being a bit shallow. There’s a lot of talk about expensive cars, hotel rooms, and being "wasted" in various cities. For a lot of listeners, it felt like the duo was leaning too hard into the "sad millionaire" trope.
But here’s the thing: fans didn't care.
The "Memories Do Not Open" tour was a massive spectacle. It featured a full band, live vocals, and insane visuals. They were pushing the boundaries of what an EDM live show could look like. They weren't just standing behind a deck anymore. They were performing. This shift was polarizing but necessary for their evolution.
Breaking Down the Tracklist Nuance
There are some deeper cuts on this record that people often overlook because the singles were so loud. "The One" is a surprisingly vulnerable intro. It’s sparse. It’s quiet. It’s about the guilt of being the one to end a relationship because you’re never home.
Then you have "Bloodstream," which is probably the most honest look at the dark side of their sudden fame. It’s moody and self-reflective. It captures that feeling of burnout that comes with being the biggest act in the world and realizing it might not be all it’s cracked up to be.
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- "Paris" - The nostalgic anthem.
- "Something Just Like This" - The global smash.
- "Honest" - A track about the difficulty of staying true in the industry.
- "Young" - A literal trip down memory lane.
The collaboration with Jhené Aiko on "Wake Up Alone" brought a much-needed R&B influence to the project. Her voice added a texture that balanced out Taggart’s flatter delivery. It showed a willingness to experiment with different genres, even if they stayed within their EDM-pop lane for the most part.
The Legacy of the "Drop"
By the time this album came out, the "EDM drop" was starting to feel a bit tired. The Chainsmokers were often accused of using the same formula for every song. You know the one: verse, build-up, synth-heavy drop with a simple melody.
While that formula definitely exists on Memories Do Not Open, it also represented the beginning of the end for that specific era of music. Shortly after this, the charts started shifting toward trap and emo-rap. The "bubbly" EDM sound began to fade. In a way, this album was the grand finale of the EDM-pop crossover peak.
It’s interesting to look back at the track "Young." It’s basically an apology to their parents for being wild kids. It’s incredibly literal. There’s no metaphor. It’s just: "Hey, we did some dumb stuff, but we were young." That lack of artifice is exactly what made them popular. They weren't trying to be Bob Dylan. They were writing songs for people who wanted to feel something while they were driving to the beach or getting ready for a night out.
Technical Production and Collabs
Alex Pall and Drew Taggart worked closely with Jordan Stilwell and DJ Swivel on this project. The production is incredibly clean. Every snap, every synth layer, every vocal chop is polished to a mirror shine. This level of polish is what allowed it to dominate Top 40 radio so effectively.
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The feature list was also strategic. Bringing in Florida Georgia Line for "Last Day Alive" was a bold move that anticipated the massive country-pop crossover trend that would follow years later. They were ahead of the curve in realizing that genre lines were blurring. They didn't see themselves as just EDM producers; they saw themselves as hitmakers.
What We Can Learn from the Memories Do Not Open Era
Looking back at this era provides a lot of insight into how the music industry functions during a transition period. The Chainsmokers were the bridge between the "superstar DJ" era of Calvin Harris and Avicii and the "moody pop" era of artists like Billie Eilish.
They took the energy of the festival circuit and shrunk it down into something that fit inside a smartphone.
If you're an aspiring producer or songwriter, there’s a lot to study here. Regardless of what you think of the music, the branding was flawless. The "Memories Do Not Open" aesthetic—the box, the handwritten notes, the vintage photos—was perfectly tailored for the Pinterest and Instagram era. They sold a lifestyle as much as they sold a sound.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you want to revisit this era or understand its impact, here are a few ways to engage with the material more deeply:
- Listen to the "Memories Do Not Open" tour live versions. Many of the tracks were significantly reworked for the live show, featuring more organic instrumentation and heavier rock influences that aren't present on the studio album.
- Analyze the song structures. If you're a songwriter, look at how "Paris" uses its hook. It’s a masterclass in "earworm" construction. The melody is simple enough to hum after one listen, which is the holy grail of pop songwriting.
- Contextualize the lyrics. View the album as a diary of 2016-2017. It’s a document of a very specific cultural moment when EDM was trying to find its soul after the initial "big room" boom died down.
- Compare with their later work. Listen to So Far So Good (2022) immediately after this album. You’ll hear a massive jump in production complexity and lyrical maturity. It makes the "Memories" era feel even more like a snapshot of a duo finding their feet in the middle of a hurricane.
The album might be locked in a specific time, but its influence on how dance music interacts with pop radio is still felt today. It proved that you could take the bones of a club track, put a vulnerable vocal on top, and conquer the world. Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends entirely on your taste, but its place in music history is secure.