Pop punk
Encyclopedia
Pop punk is a fusion
music genre
that combines elements of punk rock
with pop music
, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock
, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempo
s, chord changes and loud guitar
s. About.com
has described contemporary pop punk bands as having "a radio friendly sheen to their music, but still maintaining much of the speed and attitude of classic punk rock".
It is not clear when the term pop punk was first used, but pop-influenced punk rock had been around since the mid- to late-1970s. An early use of the term pop punk appeared in a 1977 New York Times article, "Cabaret: Tom Petty's Pop Punk Rock Evokes Sounds of 60s". In the mid-1990s, the California pop punk bands Green Day
and The Offspring
, who were later followed by Blink-182
, would all achieve worldwide commercial success. From the mid-1990s onwards, some bands associated with the genre have been described as "happy punk", "faux-punk", "mall punk", "pseudo-punk" or "bubblegum punk".
and power pop
bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s helped lay the groundwork for the pop punk sound, which emerged at the onset of punk rock
around 1974 with the Ramones
. The Ramones' loud and fast melodic minimalism differentiated them from other bands in New York City
's budding art rock
scene, but pop punk was not considered a separate subgenre until later. Several UK bands of the late 1970s also played what can be considered pop punk. The music of the Buzzcocks
, Generation X
, 999
, The Jam
, The Rezillos
, The Lurkers
, The Undertones
, The Shapes
and Toy Dolls
featured catchy melodies, as well as lyrics that sometimes dealt with relatively light themes such as teenage romance. The US band Bad Religion
, who started in 1979, were another band that helped lay the groundwork for contemporary pop punk. Many mod revival
bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s also displayed pop punk leanings.
By 1981, hardcore punk
had emerged in the United States
, with louder, faster music than punk bands. Vocal harmony, melodic instrumentation and 4/4
drumming were replaced with shouting, discordant
instrumentation, and experimental rhythms. A few bands, such as Descendents
, Screeching Weasel
, and The Vandals
, began to combine hardcore with pop music
to create a new, faster pop punk sound, sometimes referred to as popcore or skatecore
. Their positive yet sarcastic approach began to separate them from the more serious hardcore scene. In the 1980s, the term pop punk was used in publications such as Maximum RocknRoll
to describe bands similar to Social Distortion
, Agent Orange
, and TSOL
.
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Pop punk in the United States underwent a resurgence in the early- to mid-1990s, although the genre was not commercially viable at that time. Many pop punk bands retained a do it yourself
(DIY) approach to their music, and a number of independent record label
s emerged during that period, often run by band members who wanted to release their own music and that of their friends. The independent labels SST
/Cruz Records, Lookout! Records
, Fat Wreck Chords
and Epitaph Records
were about to achieve mainstream success.
released Dookie
, the band's first album on a major record label, after starting out on the independent Lookout! Records
in 1989. The first single, "Longview
", instantly became a hit on MTV and modern rock stations across North America and the United Kingdom. Following the success of their first single, Green Day released "Basket Case
", which became an even bigger hit. Other hits from the album included "When I Come Around
", "Welcome to Paradise
" and "She". As of 2007, Dookie has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Green Day performed at Woodstock '94
and on Saturday Night Live
, and appeared on the covers of Spin
and Rolling Stone
magazines. They won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album
.
Soon after the release of Dookie, The Offspring
released the album Smash on the independent label Epitaph Records
. The first single, "Come Out and Play
", had a pop punk sound that differed from their earlier work, and it became popular first on radio and later on MTV. Other singles, "Self Esteem" and "Gotta Get Away
", sold well. The album sold over 14 million copies worldwide, setting a record for most albums sold on an independent label. By the end of the year, Dookie and Smash had sold millions of copies. The commercial success of these two albums attracted major label interest in punk, particularly Epitaph bands from Southern California, with Bad Religion
, NOFX
and Rancid
reportedly being offered lucrative contracts. Also during this period, Face to Face
released their breakthrough album Big Choice
, featuring their only top 40 hit "Disconnected", which also became popular on the Los Angeles
radio station KROQ
. 1998 saw the MxPx
debut major label release of Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
, making the hits like "I'm Ok, You're Ok", "Party, My House, Be There", and "What's Mine is Yours". The album went Gold 2 years later.
In the early- to mid-1990s, ska punk
achieved commercial success in the United States and several other countries. Some ska punk music — by bands such as Reel Big Fish
, Goldfinger
, Sublime
and Less Than Jake
— shared many characteristics with pop punk.
By 1997, pop punk's audience had expanded significantly and the genre had been brought to new levels of mainstream acceptance.
released the album Americana, which went platinum many times over, and produced hit singles such as "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)
", "Why Don't You Get a Job?
" and "The Kids Aren't Alright
". In 1999, Blink-182
released Enema of the State
, which sold over 15 million copies worldwide. The album had three hit singles, including the #1 single "All the Small Things
" and the #2 singles "What's My Age Again?" and "Adam's Song
". Also in 1999, Lit released their second album, A Place in the Sun, which peaked at #31 on the Billboard 200
and spawned the single "My Own Worst Enemy", which spent 11 weeks at #1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In 2000, The Offspring released their next album Conspiracy of One
on Napster
before they released it on Columbia Records
, sacrificing album sales so their fans could hear their music for free. The same year, MxPx
released The Ever Passing Moment
which proved the hit "Responsibility
", charting at #24 on the Alternative Rock chart. In 2001, Sum 41
released their major label debut All Killer No Filler, which went multi-platinum and included the hit singles "Fat Lip
", "In Too Deep
" and "Motivation", all of which were featured prominently on TRL and modern rock charts. American Hi-Fi
released their successful debut album
which included the top ten hit, "Flavor of the Weak
". Also that year, Blink-182's album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
debuted at #1 on the Billboard album charts and sold over four million copies in the United States. The album included the modern rock and TRL hits "The Rock Show
", "First Date" and "Stay Together for the Kids
".
In 2002, Good Charlotte
released their second album, The Young and the Hopeless
, which went triple platinum. Also in 2002, Simple Plan
released their debut album No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls
, and Face to Face
released How to Ruin Everything
, which would be their final album before disbanding two years later. Also that year, Blink-182 co-headlined one of the biggest concert tours in pop punk history, the Pop Disaster Tour
with Green Day
. In summer 2002, New Found Glory
released their third album, Sticks and Stones
, which experienced a fair amount of mainstream success with singles such as "My Friends Over You
" and "Head on Collision
". Sum 41 released their second album, Does This Look Infected, in 2002, giving them a harder sound with the singles "Still Waiting
", "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)
" and "The Hell Song
".
released their breakthrough album So Long, Astoria
, which included their first top 40 hit, a cover of "The Boys of Summer
". Relient K
released fan favorite album Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do
. Also in 2003, Blink-182
released a self-titled album, which garnered the band several hits, such as "Feeling This
" and "I Miss You
". Also released during this period were Rancid
's Indestructible (featuring the hit single "Fall Back Down
"), Yellowcard
's Ocean Avenue (featuring the hit singles "Ocean Avenue
", "Way Away
" and "Only One"), and The Offspring
's Splinter
, which spawned another number one US hit for the band "Hit That
". MxPx
's Before Everything and After debuted at #51 on the Billboard 200 to critical acclaim.
New Found Glory
released Catalyst
in 2004, which included the hit "All Downhill from Here
". Although some songs on the album expanded on the band's hardcore punk
influences, other songs added synthesizer
s and keyboards
.
Hawthorne Heights
released their debut album The Silence in Black and White
in August 2004, and was certified gold in the United States. In October 2004, Sum 41
released the album Chuck
, which mixed pop punk with several other genres, including thrash metal
, alternative rock
and hardcore. The album's first single, "We're All to Blame
", reached #10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
charts, and the single "Pieces" topped the charts in Canada. Good Charlotte
released the album The Chronicles of Life and Death
. Also that year, Simple Plan
released their second album Still Not Getting Any...
The first single, "Welcome to My Life
", reached #1 on the Canadian Singles Chart and the Spanish Singles Chart, as well as reaching #10 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart and #21 on the Top 40 Tracks. Green Day
released the rock opera
album American Idiot
in September 2004. The singles "American Idiot
", "Jesus of Suburbia
", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams
", "Holiday
" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends
" received international airplay and MTV
video rotation, and topped charts worldwide.
In 2005, MxPx
released their independent Panic
which got the radio hits "Heard That Sound" and "Wrecking Hotel Rooms". Mark Hoppus
and Travis Barker
of Blink-182 formed +44
that same year and in 2006 the band released its first album, When Your Heart Stops Beating
. In 2007, Sum 41
released the album Underclass Hero
, which reached #1 on the Top Canadian Albums. Also in 2007 Relient K
released their fifth album Five Score and Seven Years Ago
which debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200
, and is their most successful album to date. In January 2008, Face to Face
reunited and embarked on their first tour together since 2004 later that year. All Time Low
became commercially successful in the late 2000s, gaining popularity with their albums So Wrong, It's Right
(2007) and Nothing Personal (2010). In June 2008, The Offspring
released the album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, featuring their most successful single "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
", which topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
charts for 11 weeks, making it the longest consecutive run for any Offspring single at #1.
In December 2009, All Time Low won the Best Pop Punk Band award at the Top In Rock Awards. In February 2009, Blink-182 reunited onstage for the first time since 2005, at the 51st Grammy Awards
, announcing their reformation as a band. They toured the United States that summer, and they announced the recording of a new album. Also in 2009, Green Day released their rock opera album 21st Century Breakdown
. Although not as critically acclaimed as American Idiot
, it has still sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. Later that year, MxPx
released the EP Left Coast Punk
.
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
that combines elements of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
with pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
s, chord changes and loud guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s. About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
has described contemporary pop punk bands as having "a radio friendly sheen to their music, but still maintaining much of the speed and attitude of classic punk rock".
It is not clear when the term pop punk was first used, but pop-influenced punk rock had been around since the mid- to late-1970s. An early use of the term pop punk appeared in a 1977 New York Times article, "Cabaret: Tom Petty's Pop Punk Rock Evokes Sounds of 60s". In the mid-1990s, the California pop punk bands Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
and The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
, who were later followed by Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
, would all achieve worldwide commercial success. From the mid-1990s onwards, some bands associated with the genre have been described as "happy punk", "faux-punk", "mall punk", "pseudo-punk" or "bubblegum punk".
Origins (1974-1989)
ProtopunkProtopunk
Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential...
and power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s helped lay the groundwork for the pop punk sound, which emerged at the onset of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
around 1974 with the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
. The Ramones' loud and fast melodic minimalism differentiated them from other bands in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's budding art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
scene, but pop punk was not considered a separate subgenre until later. Several UK bands of the late 1970s also played what can be considered pop punk. The music of the Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
, Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
, 999
999 (band)
999 are an English rock band who formed in London in 1977. They are often cited as one of the first punk rock bands. Between 1978 and 1981, they had five Top 75 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and one Top 40 single. After extensive touring across the Atlantic Ocean, the band's third and fourth...
, The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
, The Rezillos
The Rezillos
The Rezillos are a punk/new wave band, who formed in Edinburgh in 1976 and still play gigs around the world in a re-formed line-up. Although frequently aligned with the punk movement, the Rezillos' irreverent glam rock image and affection for campy girl-group iconography, set them distinctly apart...
, The Lurkers
The Lurkers
The Lurkers were a late 1970s English punk rock group from Uxbridge, West London, notable for being the first group ever on Beggars Banquet Records.-Career:...
, The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
, The Shapes
The Shapes (UK band)
The Shapes were an English punk rock group that formed in the town of Leamington Spa in 1976. Different in many ways from their peers in the nascent punk subculture, they were known for eschewing the more political stances that were fashionable at the time, instead producing works of a cartoonish...
and Toy Dolls
Toy Dolls
The Toy Dolls are an English punk rock band formed in 1979. Departing from the angry lyrics and music often associated with punk rock, The Toy Dolls worked within the aesthetics of punk to express a sense of fun, with songs such as "Yul Brynner Was a Skinhead", "My Girlfriend's Dad's a Vicar" and...
featured catchy melodies, as well as lyrics that sometimes dealt with relatively light themes such as teenage romance. The US band Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, who started in 1979, were another band that helped lay the groundwork for contemporary pop punk. Many mod revival
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s also displayed pop punk leanings.
By 1981, hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
had emerged in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with louder, faster music than punk bands. Vocal harmony, melodic instrumentation and 4/4
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
drumming were replaced with shouting, discordant
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
instrumentation, and experimental rhythms. A few bands, such as Descendents
Descendents (band)
The Descendents are an American punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California. As of 2011, they have released six studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums and three EPs. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians...
, Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead.Since their formation, Screeching Weasel have broken up and reformed numerous times with numerous line-up changes. Ben Weasel has been the only constant...
, and The Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
, began to combine hardcore with pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
to create a new, faster pop punk sound, sometimes referred to as popcore or skatecore
Skate punk
Skate punk is a sub genre of punk rock, originally a derivative of the West Coast hardcore punk scene, that is named after its popularity among skateboarders and association with skateboarding culture. Skate punk most commonly describes the sound of melodic hardcore bands from the 1990s with an...
. Their positive yet sarcastic approach began to separate them from the more serious hardcore scene. In the 1980s, the term pop punk was used in publications such as Maximum RocknRoll
Maximum RocknRoll
Maximum rocknroll is a widely distributed, monthly not-for-profit fanzine based in San Francisco, USA. It features interviews, columns, and reviews from international contributors...
to describe bands similar to Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, Agent Orange
Agent Orange (band)
Agent Orange is an American punk rock band formed in Orange County, California in 1979. The band is one of the first to mix punk rock with surf music. They first gained attention with their song "Bloodstains" which they released on their own 7" E.P. An early demo of the song was presented to...
, and TSOL
TSOL
TSOL is an American punk rock band which formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California. TSOL is short for True Sounds of Liberty although they are rarely referred to by their full name....
.
Independent pop punk (1990-1993)
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
(DIY) approach to their music, and a number of independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
s emerged during that period, often run by band members who wanted to release their own music and that of their friends. The independent labels SST
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
/Cruz Records, Lookout! Records
Lookout! Records
-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...
, Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
and Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
were about to achieve mainstream success.
Popular acceptance (1994-1997)
In February 1994, Green DayGreen Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
released Dookie
Dookie
Dookie is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on February 1, 1994 through Reprise Records. It was the band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo and its major record label debut. Dookie became a worldwide commercial success, peaking at number...
, the band's first album on a major record label, after starting out on the independent Lookout! Records
Lookout! Records
-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...
in 1989. The first single, "Longview
Longview (song)
"Longview" is a song and the first major-label single by the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the fourth track on the band's third album, Dookie . The song was the band's first single to top the Modern Rock chart in the U.S...
", instantly became a hit on MTV and modern rock stations across North America and the United Kingdom. Following the success of their first single, Green Day released "Basket Case
Basket Case (song)
"Basket Case" is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from their third album, Dookie. The song spent five weeks at the top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart.Rolling Stone Readers ranked it No...
", which became an even bigger hit. Other hits from the album included "When I Come Around
When I Come Around
"When I Come Around" is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the fourth single from their third album, Dookie. "When I Come Around" was Green Day's most popular radio single in their early career, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay. This was their...
", "Welcome to Paradise
Welcome to Paradise
"Welcome to Paradise" is a song by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the second single from its third studio album and its major label debut, Dookie. The original version of the song was released on the band's second studio album, Kerplunk and was re-recorded for Dookie in...
" and "She". As of 2007, Dookie has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Green Day performed at Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
and on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, and appeared on the covers of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazines. They won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative rock genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
.
Soon after the release of Dookie, The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
released the album Smash on the independent label Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
. The first single, "Come Out and Play
Come Out and Play (song)
"Come Out and Play" is a song by the Californian punk rock group The Offspring. It is the seventh track on their third album Smash and was released as the first single from that album. The song was the second single to be released by the band, following "I'll Be Waiting/Blackball"...
", had a pop punk sound that differed from their earlier work, and it became popular first on radio and later on MTV. Other singles, "Self Esteem" and "Gotta Get Away
Gotta Get Away
"Gotta Get Away" is a song by The Offspring, released as the third single from their breakthrough album Smash . The song was a modest hit in several countries, but peaked at #6 on Billboard's Modern Rock charts. "Gotta Get Away" was inspired by an early track, "Cogs", written while the band was...
", sold well. The album sold over 14 million copies worldwide, setting a record for most albums sold on an independent label. By the end of the year, Dookie and Smash had sold millions of copies. The commercial success of these two albums attracted major label interest in punk, particularly Epitaph bands from Southern California, with Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
and Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
reportedly being offered lucrative contracts. Also during this period, Face to Face
Face to Face (punk band)
Face to Face is an American pop punk band from Victorville, California formed in 1991 by frontman Trever Keith. Originally known as "Zero Tolerance", Keith had been the only constant member of the band during their years of touring and recording albums. The group was initially signed by Dr. Strange...
released their breakthrough album Big Choice
Big Choice
Big Choice is the second full-length album by the California punk band Face to Face in 1994. The original version of the album was released on Victory Music and re-released on A&M Records in 1995.-Track listing:...
, featuring their only top 40 hit "Disconnected", which also became popular on the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
radio station KROQ
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
. 1998 saw the MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
debut major label release of Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo is the fourth studio album released by the American Skate punk/punk rock band MxPx in 1998. The album title was taken from a letter that a fan had written to the band, complaining that the band was changing, and, "Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo." The band...
, making the hits like "I'm Ok, You're Ok", "Party, My House, Be There", and "What's Mine is Yours". The album went Gold 2 years later.
In the early- to mid-1990s, ska punk
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
achieved commercial success in the United States and several other countries. Some ska punk music — by bands such as Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
, Goldfinger
Goldfinger (band)
Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer...
, Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
and Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
— shared many characteristics with pop punk.
By 1997, pop punk's audience had expanded significantly and the genre had been brought to new levels of mainstream acceptance.
Continued mainstream ascent (1998-2002)
In 1998, The OffspringThe Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
released the album Americana, which went platinum many times over, and produced hit singles such as "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)
Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)
-Australia CD Maxi:-Europe CD Maxi:-Composition and lyrics:Beginning with a sample of the pseudo-German nonsense phrase "Gunter glieben glauchen globen" from Def Leppard's song "Rock of Ages," chanted as a replacement for the traditional "1, 2, 3, 4" to start the recording, the song ridicules a...
", "Why Don't You Get a Job?
Why Don't You Get a Job?
"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a ska song by The Offspring. The song is featured as the 11th track on The Offspring's fifth studio album Americana and was released as the second single from the album. The song also appears as the eighth track on the band's Greatest Hits album...
" and "The Kids Aren't Alright
The Kids Aren't Alright
-Alternative pressing:-Second alternative pressing:-Third alternative pressing:-Music video:It features a room with a background of abandonment or family activity at different times. In the center of the room, there are scenes of various persons, including an appearance by Bif Naked, doing...
". In 1999, Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
released Enema of the State
Enema of the State
Enema of the State is the third studio album by American pop punk band Blink-182. Recorded at various locations throughout California with producer Jerry Finn, the album was first released on June 1, 1999 in the United States on MCA Records...
, which sold over 15 million copies worldwide. The album had three hit singles, including the #1 single "All the Small Things
All the Small Things
"All the Small Things" is a song by American pop punk band Blink-182. It was the second single released from the band's third album Enema of the State...
" and the #2 singles "What's My Age Again?" and "Adam's Song
Adam's Song
"Adam's Song" is a song by American pop punk band Blink-182, from their third album Enema of the State, the album largely credited for the band's success. It was released as the third and final CD single from the album behind "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things" on September 5, 2000...
". Also in 1999, Lit released their second album, A Place in the Sun, which peaked at #31 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and spawned the single "My Own Worst Enemy", which spent 11 weeks at #1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In 2000, The Offspring released their next album Conspiracy of One
Conspiracy of One
-Bonus tracks:-Album length:-Notes:* First pressings in Australia and UK had the track "Huck It" listed as track 14, later reprints have it unlisted as well as the original Mature audiences rating reduced to a PG rating in Australia....
on Napster
Napster
Napster is an online music store and a Best Buy company. It was originally founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing Internet service that emphasized sharing audio files that were typically digitally encoded music as MP3 format files...
before they released it on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, sacrificing album sales so their fans could hear their music for free. The same year, MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
released The Ever Passing Moment
The Ever Passing Moment
The Ever Passing Moment is the fifth full-length album by MxPx, released on May 16, 2000.MxPx gained critical recognition for this album and landed a slot supporting for The Offspring and Cypress Hill on the Conspiracy of One tour. "Responsibility" proved to be a minor radio hit, peaking at #24 on...
which proved the hit "Responsibility
Responsibility (song)
"Responsibility" is a song by pop punk band MxPx. It was released in 2000 and appeared on their sixth album The Ever Passing Moment and was a minor radio hit, peaking at #24 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart...
", charting at #24 on the Alternative Rock chart. In 2001, Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
released their major label debut All Killer No Filler, which went multi-platinum and included the hit singles "Fat Lip
Fat Lip
"Fat Lip" is the title of a song recorded by Canadian punk rock band Sum 41. It was released in April 2001 as the lead single from their debut album All Killer No Filler. It is the band's most successful single to date, topping the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart...
", "In Too Deep
In Too Deep (Sum 41 song)
"In Too Deep" is the title of a song recorded by Canadian punk rock band, Sum 41. It was released in September 2001 as second single from the album All Killer No Filler.-Music video:...
" and "Motivation", all of which were featured prominently on TRL and modern rock charts. American Hi-Fi
American Hi-Fi
American Hi-Fi is an American pop punk band from Los Angeles, California, which originally hailed from Boston, Massachusetts. The band consists of vocalist Stacy Jones, guitarist Jamie Arentzen, bassist Drew Parsons, and drummer Brian Nolan...
released their successful debut album
American Hi-Fi (album)
American Hi-Fi is the debut album by American pop punk band American Hi-Fi. It features the successful single "Flavor of the Weak." The album peaked at #81 on the Billboard 200.-Track listing:All songs written by Stacy Jones.# "Surround" – 3:11...
which included the top ten hit, "Flavor of the Weak
Flavor of the Weak
"Flavor of the Weak" is a song by American rock band American Hi-Fi. The song is released as the first single from their self-titled debut album. It peaked at number five on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the U.S. and number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100...
". Also that year, Blink-182's album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
Take off Your Pants and Jacket
Take Off Your Pants and Jacket is the fourth studio album by the American pop punk band Blink-182. Produced by Jerry Finn, the album was released on June 12, 2001 through MCA Records. Blink-182, after the massive commercial success of their previous album, Enema of the State, entered the studio in...
debuted at #1 on the Billboard album charts and sold over four million copies in the United States. The album included the modern rock and TRL hits "The Rock Show
The Rock Show
"The Rock Show" is the first single from Blink 182's 2001 album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. It was released in June 2001. The song was the most successful song on Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, #71 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #14 on the UK...
", "First Date" and "Stay Together for the Kids
Stay Together for the Kids
-Chart positions:...
".
In 2002, Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
released their second album, The Young and the Hopeless
The Young and the Hopeless
The Young and the Hopeless is the second studio album by Good Charlotte, released on October 1, 2002. It was well received and contained their popular songs "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," "The Anthem," and "Girls and Boys." It had sold 3,464,000 copies in the US up to October, 2010.The album...
, which went triple platinum. Also in 2002, Simple Plan
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
released their debut album No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls
No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls
No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls is the debut album by Canadian pop punk band Simple Plan. It was released on March 19, 2002 on Atlantic Records. The band released four singles from the album. In the band's native, Canada, the album peaked at No. 8 on the Canadian Albums Chart and was certified...
, and Face to Face
Face to Face (punk band)
Face to Face is an American pop punk band from Victorville, California formed in 1991 by frontman Trever Keith. Originally known as "Zero Tolerance", Keith had been the only constant member of the band during their years of touring and recording albums. The group was initially signed by Dr. Strange...
released How to Ruin Everything
How to Ruin Everything
How to Ruin Everything is the sixth studio album by the punk rock band Face to Face, released in 2002 . This was their last album before their 4-year hiatus from September 2004 to January 2008....
, which would be their final album before disbanding two years later. Also that year, Blink-182 co-headlined one of the biggest concert tours in pop punk history, the Pop Disaster Tour
Pop Disaster Tour
The Pop Disaster Tour was a two-month concert tour that was co-headlined by pop punk bands Blink-182 and Green Day in 2002. Starting on April 17, the opening band through May 20 was Jimmy Eat World, with Saves the Day finishing the tour through June 17. Several dates also featured indie rock band...
with Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
. In summer 2002, New Found Glory
New Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
released their third album, Sticks and Stones
Sticks and Stones (New Found Glory album)
Sticks and Stones is the third studio album and major label debut by American rock band New Found Glory. As with its predesossor, their eponymously-titled second album, it was again produced by Neal Avron and was released on June 11, 2002 through MCA Records...
, which experienced a fair amount of mainstream success with singles such as "My Friends Over You
My Friends over You
"My Friends Over You" is the first single from New Found Glory's third studio album, Sticks and Stones. In the US, the song charted at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart....
" and "Head on Collision
Head on Collision
"Head on Collision" is the second single from New Found Glory's third studio album, Sticks and Stones. The single peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart..-Track list:# "Head on Collision"# "Head on Collision"...
". Sum 41 released their second album, Does This Look Infected, in 2002, giving them a harder sound with the singles "Still Waiting
Still Waiting (Sum 41 song)
"Still Waiting" is the title of a song recorded by Canadian punk rock group Sum 41. It was released in November 2002 as the lead single from the album Does This Look Infected?.-Music video:...
", "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)
Over My Head (Better Off Dead)
"Over My Head " is the title of a song recorded by Canadian punk rock group Sum 41. It was released in June 2003 as the third and final single from their second album Does This Look Infected?...
" and "The Hell Song
The Hell Song
"The Hell Song" is the title of a song recorded by Canadian punk rock group Sum 41. It was released in February 2003 as the second single off the Sum 41 album Does This Look Infected?.-Content:...
".
Contemporary mainstream pop punk (2003-present)
In 2003, The AtarisThe Ataris
The Ataris are a rock band from Anderson, Indiana. They have released five studio albums, and their most recent E.P. was released on November 25, 2010 on the Gainesville, Florida based label, Paper + Plastick. It contained the brand new tracks "All Souls' Day" and "The Graveyard of The Atlantic"...
released their breakthrough album So Long, Astoria
So long, astoria
So Long, Astoria is the fourth full-length album released by The Ataris on March 4, 2003.This is The Ataris' first album on Columbia Records, having previously been signed to independent punk label Kung Fu Records. It peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified gold status...
, which included their first top 40 hit, a cover of "The Boys of Summer
The Boys of Summer (song)
"The Boys of Summer" is a song by Don Henley, with lyrics written by Henley and music composed by Henley and Mike Campbell, longtime guitarist for Tom Petty. It is the lead track and first single from Henley's 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song's music video won many awards...
". Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
released fan favorite album Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do
Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do
Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do is the third full-length album released by Christian rock band Relient K. The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Gospel Album, but the award that year ended up being won by Worldwide by Audio Adrenaline...
. Also in 2003, Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
released a self-titled album, which garnered the band several hits, such as "Feeling This
Feeling This
"Feeling This" is a song by American pop punk band Blink-182, released on October 2, 2003 as the lead single from the group's fifth studio album, Blink-182. Bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist Tom DeLonge share songwriting credits on the track...
" and "I Miss You
I Miss You (blink-182 song)
"I Miss You" is the second single from Blink-182's 2003 self titled album. It was released in February 2004. The song signals a drastic departure from Blink-182's usual upbeat, crudely humorous style, presenting a somber theme and a slower pace. In the music video , the band plays at a haunted...
". Also released during this period were Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
's Indestructible (featuring the hit single "Fall Back Down
Fall Back Down
"Fall Back Down" is a song by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released as the first single from their sixth album, Indestructible. It peaked at number 13 on the US Modern Rock Tracks....
"), Yellowcard
Yellowcard
Yellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre...
's Ocean Avenue (featuring the hit singles "Ocean Avenue
Ocean Avenue (song)
"Ocean Avenue" is the title of a song recorded by American pop punk group Yellowcard. It was released in September 2004 as the second single from Ocean Avenue and the third track. It is known for bringing them into the mainstream, as it received numerous spins on MTV and increasing radio airplay...
", "Way Away
Way Away
"Way Away" is the first single and opening track of Yellowcard's album Ocean Avenue. The song and music video both reflect the band's choice about leaving their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida to California in hopes of making a name for themselves in the Southern California music scene."Way Away"...
" and "Only One"), and The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
's Splinter
Splinter (The Offspring album)
-Enhanced version:The Enhanced CD portion of the CD contains the following:* Da Hui Video* Da Hui Video * Demo Studio Tour* 4 wallpapers* 2 MP3 tracks:*"The Kids Aren't Alright" *"When You're in Prison"...
, which spawned another number one US hit for the band "Hit That
Hit That
"Hit That" is a pop punk song released by the punk rock band The Offspring. The song is featured as the fourth track on the band's seventh studio album Splinter and was released as the first single from the album. The song also appears as the 13th track on their Greatest Hits .The single was first...
". MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
's Before Everything and After debuted at #51 on the Billboard 200 to critical acclaim.
New Found Glory
New Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
released Catalyst
Catalyst (album)
Catalyst is the fourth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was produced by Neal Avron and released on May 18, 2004 through Geffen Records. The album includes an enhanced CD portion with a making of the music video for the inaugural single "All Downhill from Here"...
in 2004, which included the hit "All Downhill from Here
All Downhill from Here
"All Downhill from Here" is the first single from New Found Glory's fourth studio album, Catalyst. The song helped the album springboard the band's success....
". Although some songs on the album expanded on the band's hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
influences, other songs added synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
.
Hawthorne Heights
Hawthorne Heights
Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band from Dayton, Ohio, formed in 2001. Their line-up currently consists of lead-singer and rhythm guitarist JT Woodruff, lead-guitarist and vocalist Micah Carli, bassist and backing vocalist Matt Ridenour, and drummer Eron Bucciarelli...
released their debut album The Silence in Black and White
The Silence in Black and White
The Silence in Black and White is the debut studio album by American rock band Hawthorne Heights. It was released on June 1, 2004 through Victory Records. The album was the label's highest selling debut at the time of its release...
in August 2004, and was certified gold in the United States. In October 2004, Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
released the album Chuck
Chuck (album)
Chuck is the third studio album from Canadian rock band Sum 41. The album was released on October 12, 2004. It is the band's last album to feature lead guitarist Dave Baksh...
, which mixed pop punk with several other genres, including thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and hardcore. The album's first single, "We're All to Blame
We're All to Blame
"We're All to Blame" is the title of a song recorded by Canadian group Sum 41. It was released in August 2004 as first single from Chuck.-Content:...
", reached #10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
charts, and the single "Pieces" topped the charts in Canada. Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
released the album The Chronicles of Life and Death
The Chronicles of Life and Death
The Chronicles of Life and Death is the third studio album by Good Charlotte. The album was released on October 5, 2004, by Daylight Records. The album was released with two different versions: a "Life" and a "Death" version which came with different cover art and a special bonus track...
. Also that year, Simple Plan
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
released their second album Still Not Getting Any...
Still Not Getting Any...
Still Not Getting Any... is the second studio album by Canadian pop punk band Simple Plan. It was released on October 26, 2004. It debuted and peaked at #3 on the US Billboard 200 with over 130,000 copies sold in its first week. The record was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry...
The first single, "Welcome to My Life
Welcome to My Life
"Welcome to My Life" is the first single taken from Simple Plan's second studio album, Still Not Getting Any....The song's intention is to express teenage angst about life becoming so frustrating that no one can understand how awful it is for them...
", reached #1 on the Canadian Singles Chart and the Spanish Singles Chart, as well as reaching #10 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart and #21 on the Top 40 Tracks. Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
released the rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
album American Idiot
American Idiot
American Idiot is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on September 21, 2004 through Reprise Records and was produced by longtime collaborator Rob Cavallo. In mid-2003, the band began recording songs for an album entitled Cigarettes and Valentines...
in September 2004. The singles "American Idiot
American Idiot (song)
"American Idiot" is a song by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the first single from their album of the same name.Released in 2004, the single peaked at #61 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Green Day's first Billboard Hot 100 chart entry , helping revive the band's career...
", "Jesus of Suburbia
Jesus of Suburbia
"Jesus of Suburbia" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the fifth and final single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The studio version of the song, a five movement piece, runs just over 9 minutes and was considered to be unfriendly for radio, so it was cut down to...
", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day song)
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the second single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The song was written by Green Day, with lyrics by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong...
", "Holiday
Holiday (Green Day song)
7" picture discVinyl Boxset* Live tracks recorded September 21, 2004 at Irving Plaza, New York-Music video:The first half of the video takes place in a car , where Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool are partying around the town...
" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends
Wake Me Up When September Ends
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by American rock band Green Day released as the fourth single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The single peaked at number six in the United States, becoming Green Day's second Top 10 single. It also peaked at number eight in Canada and the UK,...
" received international airplay and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
video rotation, and topped charts worldwide.
In 2005, MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
released their independent Panic
Panic (MxPx album)
Panic is the seventh full-length album by Christian band MxPx It was released on June 6, 2005- internationally and a day later in the United States. This was a breakthrough album when the single "Heard That Sound" proved a minor radio hit...
which got the radio hits "Heard That Sound" and "Wrecking Hotel Rooms". Mark Hoppus
Mark Hoppus
Mark Allan Hoppus is an American musician, record producer, and television host. He is the bass guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the bass guitarist and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band +44. He is a co-founder of both bands...
and Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
of Blink-182 formed +44
+44 (band)
+44 was an alternative rock band formed by Blink-182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker...
that same year and in 2006 the band released its first album, When Your Heart Stops Beating
When Your Heart Stops Beating
When Your Heart Stops Beating is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band +44. Produced by Jerry Finn, the album was released November 13, 2006 through Interscope Records...
. In 2007, Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
released the album Underclass Hero
Underclass Hero
Underclass Hero is Sum 41's fourth studio album and the only record that was released with only three members in the band, since Dave Baksh left a year early to focus on Brown Brigade. The album was first released July 18, 2007 in Japan. It was released under the Island Records label and...
, which reached #1 on the Top Canadian Albums. Also in 2007 Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
released their fifth album Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Five Score and Seven Years Ago is the fifth full-length album by the Christian rock band Relient K. It was released on March 6, 2007, and is the first full-length album by the band to feature bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck. It is also the first Relient K album released without...
which debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and is their most successful album to date. In January 2008, Face to Face
Face to Face (punk band)
Face to Face is an American pop punk band from Victorville, California formed in 1991 by frontman Trever Keith. Originally known as "Zero Tolerance", Keith had been the only constant member of the band during their years of touring and recording albums. The group was initially signed by Dr. Strange...
reunited and embarked on their first tour together since 2004 later that year. All Time Low
All Time Low
All Time Low is an American pop punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2003.The band consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alexander Gaskarth, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Barakat, bassist and backing vocalist Zachary Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson...
became commercially successful in the late 2000s, gaining popularity with their albums So Wrong, It's Right
So Wrong, It's Right
-Personnel:* Alex Gaskarth: lead vocals, guitar* Jack Barakat: guitar, backing vocals* Zack Merrick: bass, backing vocals* Rian Dawson: drums, percussion* Juliet Simms: guest vocals on "Remembering Sunday"...
(2007) and Nothing Personal (2010). In June 2008, The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
released the album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, featuring their most successful single "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" is a punk rock song by The Offspring. It is the third track on the band's eighth studio album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace and was released as the second single off of the album on September 4, 2008. The song peaked at #1 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart...
", which topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
charts for 11 weeks, making it the longest consecutive run for any Offspring single at #1.
In December 2009, All Time Low won the Best Pop Punk Band award at the Top In Rock Awards. In February 2009, Blink-182 reunited onstage for the first time since 2005, at the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
, announcing their reformation as a band. They toured the United States that summer, and they announced the recording of a new album. Also in 2009, Green Day released their rock opera album 21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the band's second rock opera, following American Idiot, and their first album to be produced by Butch Vig. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006...
. Although not as critically acclaimed as American Idiot
American Idiot
American Idiot is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on September 21, 2004 through Reprise Records and was produced by longtime collaborator Rob Cavallo. In mid-2003, the band began recording songs for an album entitled Cigarettes and Valentines...
, it has still sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. Later that year, MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
released the EP Left Coast Punk
Left Coast Punk EP
-Personnel:* Mike Herrera – Lead vocals, bass* Tom Wisniewski – Lead guitar, backing vocals* Yuri Ruley – Drums...
.
External links
- The Mod Pop Punk Archives - includes information about early pop punk bands
- Punk pop - article about pop punk music
- The Buzzcocks, Founders of Pop Punk - article about the Buzzcock's role in developing pop punk genre
- Pop Punk Radio - Free Pop Punk Radio from SKY.FM