Well, after reviewing lots of their albums, this post is finally here! I've been waiting for a while to find the right time to make it, and for certain reasons I feel like that time is now. So welcome, everyone, to this post talking about my ten favorite songs from The Offspring! So let's do it!
INTRODUCTION
The Offspring is a punk rock band formed in Garden Grove, California, in 1984. Originally named Manic Subsidal, the band's starting origins were in 1983, when two friends and cross country teammates, drummer Bryan "Dexter" Holland and bassist Greg Kriesel often played music in a garage together. However, two things made this duo motivated to start a full band: Their failure to get into a Social Distortion concert and their hearing of T.S.O.L.'s album Change Today? at a party. So they did. The original lineup consisted of Doug Thompson on lead vocals, Jim Benton on drums, Kriesel, and Holland, who had switched from drums to guitar. Thompson and Benton departed the band shortly after forming it, though, so Holland became the band's lead vocalist and James Lilja became the band's drummer. They also added additional guitarist Marcus Parrish for a short period of time, but in 1985, school janitor Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman replaced him because he was old enough to buy alcohol for the other members, who were not yet old enough to do so. Manic Subsidal changed their name to The Offspring in 1986, when they released their first demo tape that contained the single "I'll Be Waiting". Lilja left the band soon after and was replaced by teenager Ron Welty. Three years later, they recorded and released their self-titled debut album with producer Thom Wilson after signing with a smaller record label. They toured nationally for six weeks to support the album. They recorded another EP and demo with Wilson in 1991 before going back to the studio the next year to record their second album, Ignition. That album, which helped give the band the right to tour with Pennywise, Lunachicks, and NOFX, was released in October of 1992. Just two years later, they went to the studio again to record their album Smash, which was released on April 8, 1994. This album is what got the band into the mainstream and high up on the charts. In fact, this album smashed the record for the most album sales by an independent label band. It has been certified platinum six times by the RIAA to this day. Motivated by this success, they went on to release three more albums in the next six years: Ixnay On The Hombre, Americana, and Conspiracy of One. While none of these albums were as successful as Smash, they all helped the band reach even higher heights of fame. Following the unexplained departure of drummer Welty in 2003, the band recruited Josh Freese to record drums for their seventh album Splinter. This record was released in December of 2003, and shortly after they got Atom Willard to replace Welty. After releasing a greatest hits album and touring for it in 2005, the band decided to take a break from writing, recording, and touring. But that didn't last long, as they were back in the studio by late 2006 to record their eighth album. Freese drummed on this album, although new drummer Pete Parada was recruited before the album, titled Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, was released. It was released on June 17, 2008. Their next album was planned to be released in 2010, but in order to tour more they pushed it back. The record, Days Go By, was released in the summer of 2012. Their long-awaited tenth album has yet to be released, but since Holland finished the work for his Ph.D. and the band put out a new song this summer, Noodles says that two separate albums will be coming pretty soon! So while we wait for those, I'm here to count down my favorite songs from this band. This list was hard to make because I love so many songs from them, but I did it, so let's present it!
Also, one more note for this list. Because using every single song they've made would be extremely hard to work with, only songs officially released as singles in the U.S. are eligible for this list. It does exclude a lot of album tracks that I can call favorites of theirs, including "Secrets From The Underground", "Spare Me The Details", and "Dammit, I Changed Again", but it makes it easier to work with, so I'm putting that down. That said, let's get this over with!
10. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) (from Americana)
Let's start off with a song I'm pretty sure all of us have heard at some point in our lives. We just often didn't know the name of it or who it was by. But I'm glad that I do because I can listen to it on my own time, and trust me, I have done that plenty, as it's my 37th most played song ever according to last.fm at the time of me typing this. I just think the song is really fun, and you can tell that just from the title. It has a very playful production that gives the song a happy tone, and Dexter sings very well throughout the song. The lyrics in the song are about a white guy from the suburbs trying to act like they're a gangster from the ghetto or something along the lines of that. Dexter even said once that he had met a lot of boys like that in Orange County (where he lives), so that could have been what inspired him to write this song. The music video, which is what's embedded above, shows this pretty well if you're unsure of what I'm talking about. There is a white man in the video that is dressed like a wannabe gangster that is walking around acting like one throughout the video, which is the perfect way to represent the song in my opinion. Even if it's bad to be one of these people, the song is still really fun and energetic which I love to hear from bands like The Offspring. I'm pleased with how popular this song it is because it's pretty iconic. Not the best song off of Americana, but it is one of the songs that makes that album really stick out.
9. Self Esteem (from Smash)
Believe it or not, this is the only single from Smash to appear on this list. Don't get me wrong, Smash is a beyond amazing and iconic album, it just doesn't have many songs that stand out too much against the rest of their discography. Except there's this song. You might even have heard this song before because it was a huge hit around the globe, reaching number one in Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, and Norway. Lots of critics even call it the best and most iconic Offspring song. While I personally disagree with this, I can see why they think this. This isn't the most upbeat song out there, but it does still sound pretty fun. I'm not really sure what the meaning behind the song is, but that's okay because not every song has to have a real meaning like "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" does. I think the guitars in this song also work out well and fit with the style of the song. But my favorite part is Dexter. This song has always been one of my personal favorite vocal performances from him, especially when it comes down to that awesome chorus. That's what really makes the song stand out in my opinion. It's definitely not my favorite Offspring song, unlike what others think, but that doesn't mean it isn't amazing, either.
8. Hit That (from Splinter)
This is the only Splinter song that will be on this list, unfortunately. I did discuss that in my review for that album, saying that there were only two singles from this album because most of it isn't too radio friendly, but that's okay because there are more amazing songs to come after this. This is also not my favorite Splinter song, but my favorite one wasn't a single in the U.S., so I think this is the better of the two U.S. singles from there. Aside from that issue, this song is really nothing but fun. It is a bit of a step away from The Offspring's usual style, but that happens sometimes so it's okay. I don't know much about the meaning of the song, but Dexter sounds really good when singing about whatever that is, which is great. It's not the loudest rock song out there, but it's not the quietest either. But yeah, I really just enjoy listening to this not because of a cool story behind it or an awesome vocal performance, I just do because it's fun and I love fun. Not much else to say about this one. It's definitely not my favorite alternative song of 2004, but it is one of the highlights from that category.
7. Half-Truism (from Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace)
The first of three Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace singles to appear on this list, this one caught my attention from the very first listen. It's not very uptempo, but it does sound very good with the amazing guitars and Dexter's amazing vocals. I've browsed the web a lot for possibilities as to what the lyrics in this song are saying, because it does sound like they're saying something to me. But I can come to the conclusion that no one really knows that for sure. That's okay, though, because I love the song either way. I have not talked Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace yet, but I'd like to make a post on it pretty soon because it is a very good album that I think I would have a lot of fun talking about. It's mainly the three singles from the album that appear on this list, including this one, and some of the album tracks that get my attention as well ("Takes Me Nowhere", "Nothingtown", "Stuff Is Messed Up", etc.) that motivate me to talk about it. So I hope to do that soon. But for now, this song is amazing and really shows what the band can do. Even though this wasn't too big of a hit, it's a pretty good place for an aspiring Offspring fan to start because of that.
6. Hammerhead (from Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace)
Oh, look, here's another single from Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace that I can call a major Offspring favorite of mine. Actually, if I had to be honest, there are only two real differences between this and "Half-Truism": This was a much bigger hit and this actually has an interesting meaning behind it that people know about. So, anyone remember that 2011 song "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People that was about a school shooting? Well, the meaning in this song is very similar to that. Both Dexter and Noodles have confirmed that the song is from the perspective of a gunman initiating a school shooting, which is a very interesting perspective to write from. And I think they did it pretty well. Dexter's vocal performance here is also one of the best off of the album in my opinion. Also, I think the guitars in the song fit very well with the song. I like how before the bridge it starts off with a new riff only on the bass, then the guitar breaks in and it gets really lit from there. The energy in this song helps it be what it is in my opinion as well. So yeah, this song is amazing and while it's not quite my favorite song off the album, it is still an extremely fun listen even if the meaning is sort of dark.
5. Original Prankster (feat. Redman) (from Conspiracy of One)
First of all, I'd like to mention that the video for this song is amazing and goes with the song perfectly, so be sure to watch that if you decide to listen to this song. Second of all, YES! Out of all artists that The Offspring could collaborate with to make a song, they chose an amazing rapper that has a lot of talent, and that makes me very glad, especially considering that he's an affiliate of my favorite rap artist Wu-Tang Clan. And since he's basically the 10th member of the Clan because of how much they've collaborated, this is basically a collaboration between my two favorite music artists, which is nothing but epic. The song is catchy in pretty much every way, and just like "Hit That", it's really nothing but fun. As for the meaning, well, you can watch the video for it if you want to find that out. Other than Redman's cool contributions to the song and video, that's pretty much it. This is definitely my favorite single from Conspiracy of One, even with some really cool other ones on there. I recommend this song (and this band) for anyone who loves fun rock songs like one called "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" because that's basically what it is.
4. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid (from Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace)
Even though this song was a hit only ten years ago, it's extremely iconic to the point that doesn't even matter. It even just sounds that way in the song. That's how cool it is. And to be honest, that's really the only reason why I love this song. It just feels really good, even if the meaning isn't too bright. Speaking of the meaning, I've done research and concluded it has something to do with the government, probably along the lines of them manipulating their people. That doesn't stick with me too much, but what does is a lot better. There aren't as many guitars present in this song as I'm used to, but they make the background of the song at least somewhat memorable. And Dexter sounds amazing as usual. There's also the fact that while this was not the first Offspring song I listened to on my own time (that was "Days Go By" for some reason), this was the first one that I kind of got into and looked forward to listening to after I first heard it. And as you can see by its placing on this list, it remains as one of my favorite singles from them to this day. Very good song that deserves to be one of their most commercially successful ones.
So it is now time for our top three. These three songs are not my top three overall favorite Offspring songs, but they are all still flawless songs that make this band very amazing for me. I have already done an in-depth review for one of them, so I won't have much to say about it, but as for the other two, I might have quite a bit to say about them, so bear with me as I do this. Let's get started now.
3. I Choose (from Ixnay On The Hombre)
So the only two Ixnay On The Hombre singles on this list are in the top three. Pretty impressive. The fourth and final single from the album is the first of them. It took me a few listens to get into this song, but I did, and it was just so good once that happened. So let's start off with the basics. The guitar riff that keeps the song flowing is really simple, as it's easy to play on guitar, but it's really awesome at the same time, with the muted chords and all. The bass is good, too, because it helps the first half of each verse go along pretty smoothly. Dexter's vocals are very good as usual, and while he has a lot of amazing vocal performances on Ixnay On The Hombre, this is one of the best. And the chorus is the best part. You really have to listen to that to see the deal. Okay, now for the fun part. I enjoyed the song a lot when I was first into it, but when I found out the meaning behind it, everything changed for me. In short, it's just one of those songs about life and how unfair it can be to you. But in depth, it's about how even though life is often that way, you have the ability to choose (hence the title) to turn it around and look at it more positively. This song's lyrics about this theme are just totally on point in my opinion and could not have been any better. It really helps the song take shape and click with the listener. That combined with how catchy and energy-filled the song is makes for something totally awesome. I have not talked much about Ixnay On The Hombre yet, but I do plan to give it a review when it turns 21 years old this February, so stay tuned for that. But until then, we have this amazing song plus another amazing song from that album which is...
2. Gone Away (from Ixnay On The Hombre)
New music fans might have heard of this song because heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch covered it recently for their seventh album And Justice For None. But that cover is so bad that I could not even make it through the whole thing. This is just not a good song to cover and I'll explain why in a minute. But for those of you that have heard of this song only because of that cover, please stop what you're doing right now and listen to the original version, because it's so much better that it doesn't even compare to the Five Finger Death Punch version. If you think it's good then replace the cover with this in your playlists, because you don't need to be listening to that awful cover. So now onto the song. I think the drum line that starts off the song is great and gets the song started pretty well. When the guitars come in, it starts getting pretty lit. I like that guitar riff that comes at the beginning and in the chorus. After the intro, it slows down a little for the verse and then jumps back in for the chorus. It's basically that back and forth for the whole song, which I enjoy. Now onto the lyrical content. Basically, Dexter wrote this song after his girlfriend died in a car crash, and this song is about what he felt after that happened. It's so strong that you can feel the emotion that he feels by listening to his voice in this song. Just amazing. That is also exactly why most of the time this is not a good song to cover. When hearing the Five Finger Death Punch version of this song, you can't feel any emotion in Ivan Moody's voice at all because I don't think he had anyone close to him pass away before he performed the song. If any other artist, even if it was one of my favorites, did this, it would probably be just as bad because you can't feel the emotion that you're supposed to feel with this. And that's exactly what sets this song apart from the others. You can tell that there was a lot of effort put into this song because it's about something personal that can't be copied by others easily. And that's why I love it so much that it's easily one of the fifty or so best songs I've ever heard before. Great job, guys.
1. The Kids Aren't Alright (from Americana)
Well, I'm pretty sure this was expected because this was the only Offspring song to appear on my top 25 songs of all-time list I did back a month or two ago. Because I already did a pretty in-depth review of this song in that post, I won't get too much into it here. But I love this song because it's a perfect representation of what this band can do. It's not just an outright nothing but fun song like "Hit That", and it's not a super deep and emotional song like "Gone Away". It's right in between, which is great. It is one of the band's most uptempo songs as well, which accounts for a whole lot of energy. Even if it is very fast, it flows super well. All of the guitar riffs here sound great, and I love the short but sweet solo as well. The song is about Dexter going back to the neighborhood that he grew up in only to see that everything is not as great as it used to be, which I enjoy very much. Dexter sings very well in this song, which is also cool because it is pretty different from most of the songs off of Americana. So yeah, if you want to see more about this, you can check out that post I linked. This song is truly incredible and exactly what I want to hear in a great punk rock song. My ears were extremely pleased after being introduced to this flawlessness, and I'm sure yours will as well. ;)
And with that, this post is officially done! I'd like to give a big thanks to anyone who made it this far, as I really appreciate that. Also, if you have any suggestions for future posts, please feel free to share them because I will not turn down anything. And I will most likely not post anything else before Christmas, so I want to wish you guys a merry Christmas as well! Hope it goes well! Other than that I recommend all of these songs to anyone looking for good rock songs to listen to, I have nothing else to say here. Thanks for reading again and have a great Christmas!
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