The Best Damn Thing is the third studio album by Canadian singer Avril Lavigne. It was released on April 11, 2007, by RCA Records. The album represents a musical departure from her earlier studio album Under My Skin (2004), which incorporates more elements of post-grunge music. The Best Damn Thing is seen by critics as Lavigne's most commercial effort. The album was noted as her first effort to feature a wide range of producers, including Matt Beckley, Rob Cavallo, Dr. Luke and Lavigne herself, who was credited as the executive producer.
Upon its release, The Best Damn Thing received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised Lavigne's transition from grungey alternative rock music to more pop-punk and bubblegum pop[1][2][3][4] music, with it being catchy and very radio-friendly. However, the main criticism of the album was the lyrical content, which some found too rough or brutal. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 289,000 copies. The album also debuted atop the charts in Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom and many other countries. AltPress listed it as one of the albums that best represented the pop-punk scene in 2007.[5]
Four singles were released from the album. Its lead single "Girlfriend" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Lavigne's most chart successful single to date. The single also reached number one in twelve other countries across the world including Australia, Canada and Japan, making it one of the best-selling singles of 2007 worldwide. Other singles; "When You're Gone", "Hot" and "The Best Damn Thing" reached the lower end of the chart. To promote the album, Lavigne performed at many TV shows and award ceremonies, including the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards, as well as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Furthermore, Lavigne embarked on a concert tour, entitled The Best Damn World Tour, starting on March 8, 2008, and ending on October 6, 2008. Footage from the concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto were recorded and released on a DVD titled The Best Damn Tour: Live in Toronto.