Since just after the confusing birth of punk music, amid the rise of the Ramones and the Sex Pistols in 1975, there have been punks accusing each other of not being punk enough. This accusation has been made for just about every reason imaginable, but most commonly the cries of “sold out” have been linked to the music not being strong enough, which led to the genesis of pop punk.
While “real” or “traditional” punk music is often steeped in anti-authoritarian and anti-establishment ideologies, its poppier cousin tends to take itself a little less seriously and has since given rise to subgenres like skate punk and power pop. Despite everything, the name was used with derision, however, There's no denying that pop punk is a genre with mass appeal and decades of historyand pop punk isn't practically dead. Here are some of the best albums from that history, from the earliest form of pop punk to the height of its heyday at the turn of the millennium.
10
Buzzcocks – love bites
United Artists, 1978
When English punks Buzzcocks began recording their second studio album Love bitesthey were already in their fifth formation as a band after a year and a half of frantic touring. Having formed in the wake of the newcomers the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks were quick to put their own spin on the nascent sound of punk rockeschewing the Sex Pistols' biting political satire in favor of self-deprecating lyrics about adolescence and love.
Love bites was the Buzzcocks' most successful album, and its only single, “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)”, was their most successful single. With lyrics loosely inspired by a line from the 1955 film version of Faces and dollsit's a scathing admission that even the supposed maturity of adulthood is no shield against the pain of falling in love.
9
Generation X – Generation
Chrysalis Records, 1978
Another member of the first generation of English punk groups, Generation X, formed in 1976 around a handsome young university dropout called William Broad, after his first band, Chelsea, broke up. Taking a new name from the book Generation Xa 1964 exploration of England's youth cultures, Broad and his new band burst onto the scene and achieved success as the first band to play at The Roxy, the London nightclub that would become a center for English punks in the coming years.
If the sound of Generation Billy Idol. The “Dancing With Myself” star (although that song was actually a Generation X track) would begin his solo career in 1981, but by ’78 he was deeply involved, working with his bandmates to produce Generation X in just one week.
8
The Descendants – Milo goes to college
New Alliance Records, 1982
Southern California punks the Descendents also joined in the late '70s, but it was only with the arrival of vocalist Milo Aukerman that they switched from a heavily surf-rock style to the little bits of high-speed punk they became famous for. Aukerman only had a short period in the band, as before recording the album he had already decided to major in biochemistry at the University of California in San Diego, so Milo goes to college it was both a reception and a departure for him.
Although the band was unsure whether Milo goes to college would be successful due to their extremely different sound from the then dominant English punk scene, it has since proven instrumental in defining pop-punk as a whole, ensuring that the genre would never forget the SoCal garage scene at its roots.. Since then, Milo goes to college appeared in essential alternative and punk album rankings from music publications. LA weekly to Kerrang!and musicians such as Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Fat Mike of NOFX have cited it as a major influence on them from a young age.
7
Green Day – Kerplunk!
Look! Records, 1992
Long before Green Day there were international superstars or American idiots, they were a trio of angry teenagers from the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California.. Kerplunk! was his second studio album and last release on Lookout! Records and the 50,000 copies sold in its first year – a huge number at the time – led to a bidding war between major labels for the band. In 1993 they signed with Reprise and began recording Dookiewhich would lead to huge commercial success for them, as well as being blacklisted from the East Bay punk scene for selling out.
Before all the drama that came with DookieGreen Day were the darlings of East Bay punk, playing sold-out shows at Berkeley's legendary Gilman Street club to crowds of adoring teenagers. Kerplunk! encapsulated the growing angst among local youth, with numerous songs detailing the realities of living in the squalor of late 1980s West Oakland. “Welcome to Paradise”, one of the singles from Dookie, was first recorded for Kerplunk!and the rawness of the previous version, alongside other songs like “Christie Rd.” and “Who wrote Holden Caulfield?” evoke the boredom of street life that Green Day's later albums became so far removed from.
6
Without a doubt – Tragic Kingdom
Trauma Records and Interscope Records, 1995
Anaheim ska-rockers No Doubt had a tense relationship with Interscope when it came time to return to the studio for their third performance. Their self-titled debut in 1992 failed commercially due to what they felt was a lack of support from record label Interscope Records, while their second album The Beacon Street Collection (released independently due to the withdrawal of support from Interscope) sold over 100,000 copies. This success made Interscope eat its words and signing No Doubt for a third album through associated label Trauma Records.
Tragic Kingdom was an explosive success for No Doubt, helping to further define the “SoCal sound” that was becoming so synonymous with the '90s punk scene. With a tighter, more produced sound than any of their previous releases and several singles from successful (“Just a Girl”, “Spiderwebs” and “Don't Speak” in particular), this was the album that put No Doubt on the map; is also responsible for Gwen Stefani's solo pop career, but no one is perfect.
5
Blink-182 – Rancho dos Caras
Cargo Music and MCA Records, 1997
San Diego skate punks Blink-182 had solid enough success with their debut album, 1995's Cheshire Catthat major record label MCA signed them a year later, splitting the production cost Cara Rancho with his first record label, the independent distributor Cargo Music. With several problems affecting the recording sessions, namely a particularly tight schedule, foot injuries to drummer Scott Raynor and vocalist Mark Hoppus straining their vocals so much that they had to end the sessions a week early, it seemed like Cara Rancho was doomed from the start.
However, the release of the album's first full single, “Dammit”, would prove to be a huge success. Released when the 1997 Vans Warped Tour ended to increase the buzz of Blink's time there, it helped boost Cara Rancho selling over a quarter of a million copies in six months and made the band a household name (at least in homes that listened to punk music). Like Green Day, it was their next album that would make Blink really take off, but Cara Rancho is the foundational work in their catalog that helped define them as a band.
4
Harvey Danger – Where did all the Merrymakers go?
Arena Rock Recording Company, 1997
In the mid-90s, punk was a very Californian thing, while further north, in Seattle, Washington, it was the grunge scene that reigned supreme. Yet amid all the bad mood and flannel, two University of Washington journalism students got together to start a band with a different soundselling his first demo tape for $3 a tape at shows and slowly becoming known as Harvey Danger in the local scene.
Although recording a second demo did not catch the attention of a major record label, it did catch the attention of The Arena Rock Recording Company of Portland, Oregon. Where did all the Merrymakers go? was the result, and it sold decently at first, but when sales slowed, the band almost broke up. On a whim, singer Sean Nelson sent a copy of the Happy for Seattle's flagship radio station KNDD; his DJ Marco Collins decided to give one of his silliest songs a try, and within weeks, “Flagpole Sitta” was at the top of the charts.
Unfortunately, “Flagpole Sitta” was a one-hit wonder for Harvey Danger, but it was quite a hit, reaching third place in the charts. billboard Alternative Airplay chart and even charts in Europe and Iceland. It was memorably used in the 1999 teen sex comedy American Piealthough it was not released on the commercial soundtrack. However, the rest Happy is at least as good as “Flagpole Sitta”, proving that a one-hit wonder is more a factor of luck than artistic talent.
3
Eva 6 – Eva 6
RCA Records, 1998
SoCal punk trio Eve 6 burst onto the charts in early '98thanks in large part to the single “Inside Out”. The song's demo caught the attention of RCA Records producer Don Gilmore, who took the band under his wing to record Eve 6 (and contributed some background vocals). “Inside Out” topped the Alternative Airplay charts and reached #28 on the Hot 100, and Eve 6 reached number one on the Heatseeker albums and number 33 on the billboard 200, proving that this crisp, laid-back yet slightly manic new take on pop punk had a ready audience.
The letter in Eve 6 They are fast, full of intelligence and delusion as vocalist Max Collins' brash delivery on “Inside Out” and “Tongue Tied” leaves the listener no room to think. “Open Road Song” is a fast-paced ode to every trip the car might not survive; “Leech” dismisses posers with a sardonic smile. Although Eve 6 today is better known for Collins' witty social media presence than her music, her first release deserved all the praise it received and more.
2
Lit – A place in the sun
RCA and Dirty Martini Records, 1999
Yet another SoCal powerhouse in the '90s pop punk scene, Orange County rockers Lit had little success with their 1997 debut album. Stumbling in the Fantastic Lightand ownership conflicts with record label Malicious Vinyl caused them to terminate their contract when the label lost its national distribution. In '98 they signed with RCAalso working with producer Don Gilmore to record A place in the sun.
A little serious, a little excited and a little intense, A place in Sun received mixed reviews, but the lead single “My Own Worst Enemy” was an undeniable success, becoming the most played modern rock hit of 1999, according to billboard. FusePop Punk's Greatest Wonders list praised the song, saying: “'My Own Worst Enemy' is self-deprecating and catchy, like all good sad boy band songs. The opening line, Can we forget the things I said when I was drunk? / I didn't mean to call you that' might be the most pop-punk ever written.”
1
Screeching Weasel – Teen punks in heat
Panic Button Records, 2000
Chicago punks Screeching Weasel started out with a much more hardcore sound when they released their self-titled debut album in 1987. In the years since, tHey, I started switching to a more Ramones-like soundeven participating in Selfless Records' Ramones cover project, releasing a full 1976 cover Ramones in 1993. In the late 90s, Screeching Weasel split up twice, recorded ten studio albums and stopped playing live completely. 2000 saw them record what was supposed to be their last album Teen punks in heat.
Although it is far from a perfect recording, Teen punks it was the perfect encapsulation of Screeching Weasel's sound over the years; is a little Ramones, a little Malört drunk and a little frustrated with himself. The album's secret hit is the love song “I'll Stop the Rain,” a surprisingly heartfelt ballad about cheering up an upset friend or lover.