The Best Damn Thing is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on 17 April 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 for the studio album, including Matt Beckley, Rob Cavallo, Dr. Luke and Lavigne herself who was referenced as the executive producer.
Upon its release, The Best Damn Thing received generally positive reviews from music critics, many praising her transition from grungey alternative rock music to more pop-punk music, with it being catchy and very radio-friendly. However, the main criticism of the album was the lyrical content, where some found it 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 of the charts including countries Austria, Canada, United Kingdom and many other countries. The album went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling albums of 2007. To further promote the album, Lavigne embarked on The Best Damn World Tour, which began in March 2008 and continued through October 2008.
Four singles were released from the album. Its lead single "Girlfriend" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it as 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.