When My Chemical Romance released its landmark third album The Black Parade in 2006, it received widespread acclaim and was hailed as the group’s greatest work. Yet, despite becoming the New Jersey band’s biggest album, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, behind Hannah Montana.

Now, 20 years later, The Black Parade has reached No. 1 after an anniversary reissue propelled My Chemical Romance to the highest chart position of its career. The album also set a record for the longest time between an album’s release and its first time at No. 1 in the chart’s history.

The milestone followed an extended tour celebrating the album and a five-night run at The Hollywood Bowl. Warner Records supported the reissue with 20 vinyl variants, digital exclusives, the return of the band’s fan group and a limited iPod Nano release. The campaign helped The Black Parade reach the top of the chart and earned Warner Records senior vice president of marketing and digital Jesse Ervin the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.

In this interview, Jesse Ervin discusses the anniversary release, the role of fan-focused editions in the album’s chart return and what may come next for My Chemical Romance. Ervin said the band would remain part of the conversation for years to come.

What decision helped The Black Parade reach No. 1 after 20 years?

Jesse Ervin described the chart result as a collaboration involving the band, its manager Brian Schechter, Tom Corson, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Mike Chester and the core team [at Warner Records]. The team began with a reissue of Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys earlier in the year, then scheduled The Black Parade’s 20th anniversary edition for October 23. The date aligned with the band’s five sold-out performances at The Hollywood Bowl, giving the campaign a clear anniversary and live-event schedule.

How did The Black Parade’s 20th-anniversary reissue take shape?

The release was planned around the album’s October 23 anniversary, which coincided with a date the team could use for the edition. The band and label wanted to celebrate the record, and the release became the third anniversary edition they had produced in 18 months while the band toured The Black Parade. Their concepts included a 2LP edition with six bonus tracks, including the long-awaited live version of “Someone Out There Loves You.” The band also proposed new artwork by James Jean, designed as a slipcase around the original album and artwork.

Why did the reissue include 20 physical versions and digital exclusives?

The team aimed to create editions with distinct features for fans rather than simply issuing different colors. The campaign included signed albums, CDs and cassettes, a hologram edition and the first one-step audiophile vinyl edition of The Black Parade. The one-step format was described as offering the highest audio-listening experience available to fans on vinyl for this album. The label also made limited editions tied to individual tour dates, including two versions for The Hollywood Bowl.

How did Warner Records create the hologram vinyl edition?

Warner Records proposed the hologram as a new format after earlier releases had used picture discs and zoetropes. The label found a vendor to produce the edition, and the band and team responded positively to the prototype. Frank Iero shared his enthusiasm for it, and fan response led the team to press more copies. The hologram edition sold 14,000 copies.

How did the campaign use 2000s nostalgia to reach fans?

The band and its manager reactivated MCRMY, the group’s core fan community, which had been active in the 2000s. The fan group supported recent campaigns by connecting fans with the band through ticket and signed-item giveaways and by sharing the history of the fandom. The team also created a very limited number of iPod Nano devices preloaded with the 20th-anniversary edition of The Black Parade, drawing on how some fans first listened to the album.

What is driving interest in reissued albums?

Ervin said listeners return to albums because of their lasting relevance and personal connection to the music. Reissues let longtime fans revisit and celebrate familiar records while giving new listeners a chance to discover them. In the two months described in the interview, The Black Parade was the fourth reissued album to reach the chart’s top 10, following The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, Mac Miller’s The Divine Feminine and Beyoncé’s B’Day.

What plans did Warner Records and My Chemical Romance describe for the album and band?

Warner Records announced a partnership with the New Jersey Devils that included a black-and-red vinyl edition of The Black Parade and other activities. The band, which is from New Jersey and supports the team, was also set to continue touring overseas that month. Gerard Way announced onstage at The Hollywood Bowl that the band would release a new album in the future.

What helped The Black Parade reach No. 1?

The Black Parade reached No. 1 after an anniversary reissue aligned with the band’s Hollywood Bowl shows and a wider tour campaign. The release combined new physical editions, fan engagement and digital exclusives.

The anniversary reissue and live events coincided in the campaign.

How many vinyl editions were part of the campaign?

The reissue campaign included 20 vinyl variants and sold 42,000 vinyl copies, according to the interview. The hologram edition accounted for 14,000 copies.

The campaign included 20 vinyl variants and 42,000 vinyl sales.

What was distinctive about the hologram edition?

The hologram vinyl offered a visual format that the label described as new for its release campaign. It sold 14,000 copies, and the team later arranged a repress.

The hologram edition combined album artwork with a hologram presentation.

How did MCRMY contribute to the reissue campaign?

MCRMY, My Chemical Romance’s fan community, helped connect supporters with the band through giveaways and storytelling about the fandom. The campaign also used limited iPod Nano devices to evoke how some listeners experienced the album in the 2000s.

MCRMY helped the band maintain connections with its fan community.