After vocalist Eric Dill left the group, he was replaced by Kyle Patrick who debuted on their second studio album Modern Minds and Pastimes in 2007.
The band was initially known for its power pop songs and for its mod-based public image,[4] involving sharp-looking suits and ties coupled with moptop haircuts, which is deliberately reminiscent of the Beatles or the Dave Clark Five.
[7][8] They achieved significant commercial success with their first album in the US and their second release met with extreme popularity in Asian countries such as Cambodia and the Philippines.
Calling their place "Imrie House", they met with Romans and Joe Guese (whom Zehr once described as a "professional dropout") and formed a kind of pseudo-fraternity.
Zehr has said that they began playing seriously because "[w]hen we started the band our senior year, it was basically our last-ditch effort, because we all knew we were about to be done with school and have to enter the real world".
[4] Principal songwriter Ben Romans collaborated with Paul Stanley in creating the song,[11] and guitarist Elliot Easton, best known for his work in the Cars, played in it.
"[7] The band opened for Ashlee Simpson for the first time, a position that cost the label $25,000 and that one of their officials later called "the best money we've spent".
[16] The album also contained a cover version of "Lies" – a song which was a hit for UK pop band Thompson Twins in 1983.
Many stores stocked various Click Five-based items such as lunchboxes, backpacks, trading cards, and hair gel lines.
[15] The band spent late 2005 and early 2006 as the opening act for Ashlee Simpson, Alanis Morissette, the Backstreet Boys, and Jesse McCartney as well as touring both by itself and in collaboration with Big City Rock.
[20] Rolling Stone also ran a supportive review from Barry Walters, who stated that the "relentlessly catchy" album featured "several hit-worthy tracks".
AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine has remarked that the band's music "didn't quite stick in the brain".
[24] The remaining four members released an official statement on the departure in March on their MySpace page, stating that "We know he will be missed by many and we wish him the best success in his other endeavors".
He had been performing since age 11, citing Eric Clapton and his bands Derek & the Dominos and Cream, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and James Taylor as his main influences.
[27] Click Five spent early 2007 undergoing a reboot of their musical style, emphasizing new wave and deliberately retro influences with more use of synthesizers.
When playing songs originally sung by Eric Dill live, they lowered the keys a whole step to suit Kyle Patrick's deeper voice.
The band narrowed down the about seventy songs that they had been working on down to twelve and then recorded their second studio album, Modern Minds and Pastimes.
[23] Despite high hopes, the album failed to meet commercial expectations, with only 50,000 copies sold in the U.S.[7] It reached number 136 on the Billboard 200 chart.
[32] The album spawned the single "Jenny" (co- written by Jez Ashurst and Chris Braide),[33] which reached the number one spot in charts in Indonesia, the Philippines,[34] Thailand, Singapore,[15] and Taiwan.
[15] The group continued touring to widely receptive audiences in some Asian countries, notably in the Philippines where they have a loyal fan base, throughout 2008.
[43] A music video for the single, "Don't Let Me Go" was released on April 15, 2011, in partnership with MTV EXIT to bring awareness about human trafficking.
[46] A bonus track from TCV, "Love Space Time" appeared on the compilation album Together We Are Not Alone, where profits were donated to the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake through the Japanese Red Cross Society.
They stated that they were parting ways so that they may continue to focus on their individual endeavors after a long hiatus and thanked all their fans for supporting them throughout the years.
[49] In 2019, Patrick was asked in an interview with CNN Indonesia if the band would reunite in the future, to which he responded, "If the right opportunity and offer came along, [like] a show that could bring us together again, we'd be interested in doing that.
"[50] In December 2024, it was announced that The Click Five would be returning and is set to perform at Playback Music Festival on May 8, 2025, alongside Boys Like Girls and Secondhand Serenade.
[52] However, they also announced that due to scheduling conflicts, only Kyle Patrick, Joe Guese and Ethan Mentzer would be returning to the band.
"[54] Band members have cited power pop leaders Cheap Trick and Matthew Sweet as major influences.
[8] Mikael Wood of Baltimore City Paper has compared the Click Five to Fall Out Boy and the All-American Rejects in terms of sound and crossover appeal.
[5] Gary Susman of Entertainment Weekly has stated their vocal harmonies are similar to Queen, but they sing more like the Backstreet Boys.
[20] Several critics and commentators have stated that the Click Five's overall image, style, and performance is evocative of fellow Boston-based band the Cars.