Welcome to the Black Parade

"Welcome to the Black Parade" is a song by the American rock band My Chemical Romance from their third studio album The Black Parade (2006). It was released as the album's lead single on September 12, 2006. An emo and pop-punk song, it opens up with a piano introduction that evolves into a fusion of several other rock-esque genres throughout its run time. The lyrics are based around the album's central character, the Patient, as he recalls a childhood memory before his death. According to band frontman Gerard Way, the broader theme of the song is about the "triumph of the human spirit".

Development of the song began during the band's earliest recording sessions after they were formed in 2001 under the title "The Five Of Us Are Dying". The band attempted several times to work on the song over the course of several years, but struggled to create a final product that they were satisfied with. The band was finally motivated to finish the song after they attached to its beginning a piano line previously created by the producer Rob Cavallo. Samuel Bayer directed the music video for the song, which depicts the band in their "Black Parade" alter-ego as they guide the Patient towards the afterlife. It was later labeled as the "Greatest Video Of The Century" following a MTV viewers poll in 2017.

"Welcome to the Black Parade" was a critical and commercial success, often being considered one of their best songs, if not their best, as well as their signature song. It became their only number one song on the UK singles chart, their most successful song on the Billboard Hot 100, and charted in several other regions such as Venezuela and several European countries. It has several platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America, British Phonographic Industry, Music Canada, and Recorded Music NZ. Music journalists have often considered "Welcome to the Black Parade" to be an "emo anthem"; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has listed it as a song that "shaped rock and roll". The song has been covered by many other artists and is a staple of My Chemical Romance's live shows.