Hello music fans, and welcome back to another post! I know I said my next post would be something 2018-related, and that post is currently on the assembly line and should be finished eventually. But it's been two weeks since I last posted anything, so I'm just doing this because I just wanted to leave something in here while I continue working on my 2018 post (and because I love this album). So let's do this!
INTRODUCTION Dookie is the third studio album by rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, and the album that propelled them to success. This Rob Cavallo-produced record received loads of critical acclaim along with a Grammy, and has sold over twenty million copies around the world, the most for a Green Day album. Five hit singles spawned out of this album, which were, in order, "Longview", a re-recorded version of "Welcome to Paradise" from Kerplunk, "Basket Case", "When I Come Around", and "She". All five of these songs reached the top ten on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, with "Longview", "Basket Case", and "When I Come Around" being number one hits on that chart.
REVIEW
This album is a big portion of why Green Day has come to be one of my favorite bands. When you think of Green Day, you might think of them as being big in the alternative rock scene because of songs like "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Wake Me Up When September Ends", and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)". But when I think of Green Day, one of the first words that pops into my head is punk. I think Green Day is a great punk rock band. They have songs like "Minority" and "American Idiot" that have sort of a cool punk-ish vibe to it, but they don't beat anything on this album. Excluding stuff from The Offspring and maybe Lit and Bad Religion, this is punk music at its best. I can't put it any other way. It's no surprise that this record and The Offspring's Smash played a big part in making punk music go mainstream in the mid-90s, because it's very hard to top.
There's many things that make this album a good punk record. I've listened to enough punk albums to know what punk is supposed to sound like, and I can immediately tell that this is one of them. First of all, not every rock singer can contribute to a good punk album in a good way. But Billie Joe Armstrong is one of them. His vocals are great throughout the whole thing. He is also the only guitarist in Green Day, so I will praise him for the powerful power chords that help shape the songs on this album. This also proves why Mike Dirnt is one of my favorite rock bassists, because his contributions on the bass go along with the album perfectly. Another thing I think makes this album truly punk is the drums, so I will give Tre Cool lots of props for that. I'm not paying attention to the lyrics of this album for every second of it, but what I've heard sounds interesting considering how good of a songwriter Billie Joe is. I mean, he released his first record when he was 5, so you can't really go wrong with him. As for everything else, this album was produced well, so thanks to Rob Cavallo for that. I also like how there aren't any songs over four minutes on this album, and although there are only 15 songs on it it's only 38 minutes long. It's a characteristic of a lot of punk albums that I've come to notice over time. So yeah, I think this really shows the punk side of Green Day in a great way. When you hear an style of album you'd usually hear from a more classic band like Bad Religion or NOFX from a more modern band like Green Day, that's just cool to me. I enjoyed that a lot. Not much else to say, so let's review each track!
TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEWS
1. "Burnout"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: This song has a good punk feel to it that I'm definitely used to hearing by now. That may sound like a bad thing but it's really not.
2. "Having A Blast"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I wish Green Day made way more songs like this. This sounds very good. The guitars work well with the song, which I always love hearing.
3. "Chump"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: It could have slightly more to it, but the punk vibes are real here, and I always love punk vibes.
4. "Longview"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: This is one of the weaker singles off the album to me, but I still really enjoy it. The lyrics are interesting, so listening to this song can be like listening to an audio-short story. I enjoy that.
5. "Welcome to Paradise"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I haven't heard the original version of this song before, but this song is just so good. I'm not sure why it wasn't one of my first Green Day songs because it is in the upper ranks of their best songs. I will never turn down an opportunity to listen to this because every aspect of it is up there in the ranks.
6. "Pulling Teeth"
Rating: 9/10
Comments: This is a little different than the first five tracks on the album, but it's still fun to hear. I wouldn't call it true punk but it is true good music.
7. "Basket Case"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This is everything I love about punk all in one song. It's so hugely acclaimed by critics for a reason. And if I don't think that this masterpiece is the best song off the album, it has to be on a pretty good one.
8. "She"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: That surging bass at the beginning is a perfect way to slam on the gas pedal and make this song go the way it needs to. I love it. adds to rock playlist
9. "Sassafras Roots"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: There's a lot of energy in this song and I always love to hear that. It goes hard and I love songs that go hard. A score for me.
10. "When I Come Around"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: This is kind of a more chill song than most of what's on the album, but it does work for me. I was pretty into it for a while after I first heard it, and while it's not as good now, I'm still satisfied with how big of a hit it was.
11. "Coming Clean"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: This song is short but every second is useful. Very good punk song here.
12. "Emenius Sleepus"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: Bassist Mike Dirnt wrote this song, which was interesting to listen to. I like his songwriting and want to hear more now.
13. "In the End"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: This is obviously not better than the Linkin Park song of the same title, but I'm getting some massive Bad Religion vibes from this song, which is fun to hear from a band like Green Day.
14. "F.O.D."
Rating: 9/10
Comments: I had to turn my earbuds up a bit to hear what was going on in the first half, so when it broke in it scared me a little. But when it does break in it sounds great and like the rest of the album.
15. "All By Myself"
Rating: N/A
Comments: Unlike the rest of the album, this song is a hidden track performed by drummer Tre Cool, so it was fun to hear a change. But it's a hidden track on the CD version, so it's not really an actual song that I'll rate.
ALBUM RANKDOWN
Ugh...I really just don't want to do this for this album just because with all of the great songs on it, it would actually be a difficult task. Let's just say that my top 3, in order, are "Welcome to Paradise", "Basket Case", and "Having A Blast".
OVERALL ALBUM SCORE
134/140 = 9.57/10 = 0.957 = 95.7%
FINAL WORDS I C O N Y. That is this album in one word. Everything about it shines and really shows how great of a band Green Day is. If you are curious to hear what punk music sounds like but have no idea where to begin, this is a perfect place, especially if your taste is more mainstream-oriented. If you like pop music that can often get wild, you will love this album, I promise. If it sounds cool, then you can listen to it on Spotify here or on YouTube here.
So that wraps up this awful album review! Thank you to everyone who read it, and I'll see you next time hopefully with that 2018 post I need to finish!
Hey guys, and welcome back to the blog for another top 10 post! This is one I've been waiting to do for a while now, but I feel like now is the time to crank it out, so here it is! Let's dive right in!
INTRODUCTION
1997 is considered by many to be one of the best years for music. There were many fun pop, rap, and R&B hits that dominated the charts throughout this time that made people in love. And honestly, I have to agree with the people who call 1997 one of the best years for music. Along with 1998, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2015, 1997 is one of my personal favorite years for music because of all the good stuff that came out during that time. Because I love that year so much, I decided to put together a list of my top ten songs that were hits during that year. It was extremely difficult, but I did it, so I'm here to present it. Any song that appeared on the Hot 100 Year-End Singles chart, Hot 100 Year-End Airplay Singles chart, or was a notable alternative hit during that year is eligible to appear on here, just to make it easier for me. Also, I tried not to include any repeats from 1996 on this list because I can see myself making a 1996 list in the future. In other words, I would have had the huge hit "Don't Speak" by No Doubt on this list, but I'm saving it for 1996 in case I do that. So yeah, let's get to this list!
10. Mariah Carey - Honey
When people call Mariah Carey a queen and one of the best R&B vocalists of all-time, they are not lying. She really is that good. While I do not think this song is her best vocal performance nor her best song, it is more than worth talking about here. You may not know this song, but it was a huge hit, as it debuted at the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. So think of it as a "thank u, next" of 1997. It was the third Mariah Carey song to do this, which is pretty impressive if you ask me. The song was also nominated for two Grammy awards, and while it did not win any awards, the nominations were well-deserved in my opinion. Mariah Carey has an amazing voice and she really shows it in this song. The song does not represent her usual style very well in my opinion, which can be good because it means she's trying something new. One thing I do really enjoy about it is that piano riff that comes in once every few bars. I think that is really satisfying to hear for some reason. It makes the song sound really good for me. I doubted about putting it on this list because of how great of a year 1997 was for music, but this masterpiece is my most played Mariah Carey song, and it's not close either. So it had to be on here.
9. Third Eye Blind - Graduate
Just listen to a few seconds of the chorus to tell how amazing this song is. The band is trying something a little different with this song and I love it. In fact, the only one of the five singles from their self-titled album I'd say is like their usual style is "How's It Going To Be", so I overall love how they tried some different styles with the singles. This song is a lot harder and more energetic than their usual stuff, which I enjoy. It definitely wasn't as big as the three top ten singles from the album, but it still was an alternative hit which was good. I wasn't sure what the song really meant until I got 3EB's greatest hits CD and read the inside booklet, where lead singer Stephan Jenkins was giving commentary on each of the songs. For this one, he said that it's about "demanding your place", which kind of makes sense considering that the main hook is where he says, "CAN I GRADUATE?" A bio of the song as written on Genius says similar things like, "Graduating from play-pretend to making things happen." I really like this theme as we all will probably feel this way at least once in our lives. That and the energy level always make the song fun to listen to. This isn't the last 3EB song we will see on this list, but this song is still amazing and deserves to be recognized more.
8. Puff Daddy/Faith Evans/112 - I'll Be Missing You
Unlike the previous two songs, I'm pretty sure most of us have heard this song or the song that this song samples at least once in our lives. That's part of why it spent eleven weeks in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1997. But the other part means everything. We'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, this song samples and interpolates the 1983 hit single "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, which is why it could have sounded familiar during the first listen for anyone. I think the sample was made very well and holds up the song nicely. Puff Daddy's rapping is great and Faith Evans's chorus is amazing. 112 also made some nice contributions on the bridge. But the real highlight of this song is the meaning. Unlike a lot of songs, the meaning should be easy to tell if you have just a little bit of background knowledge of hip hop music of the 1990s. It's really nothing more than a tribute song to rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who was murdered in March of 1997 at the young age of 24. You can tell from the verses that Puff Daddy and Biggie were very close friends, which means that Puff was very saddened by his death. You could probably tell that Faith Evans, who was Biggie's wife, was feeling the same things as Puff was just by listening to the chorus. I'm not really sure what relation 112 had to Biggie but there's some emotion in their parts as well. So if you don't know how talented Biggie was and how much he meant to the world of rap music at the time, listen to this song and you should tell. It was amazingly written and proves its point perfectly. My personal favorite Puff Daddy song.
7. Foo Fighters - Everlong
Well, here's the first of five songs from this list that I've talked about on this blog already. I won't spend too much time raving about those because they are already praised in other posts, but I will still give an overview. Anyways, to me, this is kind of a song you have to listen to to see the deal. It is hugely iconic and hugely amazing, but I can't really explain why. That's kind of something you have to hear for yourself. But I think the guitars here sound really good, especially the ones in the intro, and Dave Grohl sounds great along with them. The song isn't a huge banger like songs like "The Pretender" (which is still my favorite Foo Fighters song), so it sounds good in the sort of non-banger way, I guess. It sounds like a usual Foo Fighters song, but better, let's put it that way. So yeah, not much else to say. This song was a huge hit everywhere and is often considered as the best and most iconic Foo Fighters track, so don't be afraid to give it a listen.
6. The Offspring - I Choose
...and we're back here again. I already gave a huge explanation as to why this song is just amazing in my top 10 Offspring songs post I put out on Sunday, so go check that out if you want more. But in short, life is often unfair and messed up to us, and that sucks. But you can make the choice to look at life in a more positive way, and make it like, as the chorus says, a playground rather than a nightmare come true. That's basically what the song is about and I love that theme so much. It also has that insanely catchy guitar riff that follows the song very well. The chorus is amazing not just lyrically, but musically, too. But yeah, I won't get too much into this one because I already did in that top 10 post. Let's get to the top 5 now!
5. Chumbawumba - Tubthumping
As random as this song seems, you've probably heard it before, you just don't know the name of it. This is that bouncy one-hit wonder song that goes, "I get knocked down, but I get up again..." and stuff like that. I think I might have known it from memes or something like that, but I really don't know. This song is really catchy to me and I like how the intro makes it sound slower, but it really just breaks into something awesome and full of energy. The chorus really shows that, as it's the part that makes me enjoy the song so much. The rest of the song is cool, even if it can be weird. I also think the guy singing in this (not sure who it was because this band had a lot of different singers) sounds really good and makes the song slightly better. This song deserved to top lots of charts and gain lots of recognition around the world because it is that good. Very iconic song that is worth still listening to 20 years later.
4. Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
Have you ever heard a song, like "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People, that is really fun and catchy but actually has a pretty dark meaning behind it? Well, here you go. This song is a perfect example of that. In fact, it goes so extreme that the catchy guitar riff that helps make the song upbeat even has a connection to the darkness behind it. But more on that in a minute. The main reason why I enjoy this song is because it's catchy and I love catchy. The song is set up very well and flows through perfectly and it's hard to get tired of that. Stephan Jenkins sounds good throughout the song, too. But what's also really good about it is how well the song was written and set up so that the dark meaning is disguised behind the fun stuff in the song. Basically, the lyrics have to do with an addiction to crystal meth, which is obviously kinda dark. While I definitely do not have much to say about that theme because I wouldn't be able to relate to any of it, I really like how it is hidden behind such fun instrumentals that it shouldn't matter too much. Also, I heard once that the great guitar riff that follows the song is a reference to the charming sound of crystal meth or something like that, and if that's true, then that's just genius at work. I love that. This is definitely not my favorite Third Eye Blind song, as that title goes to "Jumper", but this is still an unforgettable song because of how well it is written and structured.
3. The Notorious B.I.G./Puff Daddy/Mase - Mo Money Mo Problems
I already talked some about this song in my top 25 songs of all-time post, but it's time to revisit it because of this post. I feel like it would be quite wrong to not include a Biggie song on this list because 1997 was quite the year in terms of his music. His second and final album, Life After Death, was released, he had two number one songs in this and "Hypnotize", and another song about him (which I already talked about in this post) spent most of the summer at #1. But on the flip side, it was also the year when his life was tragically brought to an end at the young age of 24. Even though he only released two albums and didn't have too many mainstream hits, he is still considered one of the best and most iconic rappers of all-time, and I agree with anyone who says that. He really is that good. And although he only has one verse in this song, it really proves how good he was and his affiliates are. All of the verses are amazing and the chorus is iconic, too, and the beat is really fun. Some of my personal favorite old school rap songs are ones with both awesome rapping and a more upbeat/catchy production, and this song is a perfect representation of that. It's exactly my style and I enjoy it. Sounds like a pretty amazing song, right? Well, let's just see how much more amazing our top 2 are, because they're obviously pretty good.
2. The Offspring - Gone Away
I kind of just reviewed this song in my top 10 Offspring songs post I put out the other day, but I'm fine with revisiting it again because it's just so good and the version that Five Finger Death Punch did is not. The guitars sound great and the drum line fits with it very well in my opinion. I like how it brings the heat for a few bars in the intro, slows down quite a bit for the verses, and then goes back up for the chorus because it's the best part. As for the lyrics, they're great. They're about what lead singer Dexter Holland was feeling after he lost his girlfriend in a car accident, and although this might be tough to write about, Dexter did it perfectly. He is Noodles's favorite poet for a reason. The emotion in this song can really be felt when Dexter sings it, which is also amazing. So yeah, I won't get too much more into it since I just did a week ago. This is still a pretty awesome song that I'm glad was a big hit.
1. The Wallflowers - One Headlight
I debated for some time on whether to count this song as from 1996 or 1997, but since it peaked on the alternative charts on 1997 and won its two Grammys in the 1998 ceremony, I included it here. I gave a full, in-depth review for it already in my top 25 songs of all-time post, so I'll just go over the basics for this one. I think the production for this song is absolutely on point and fits with the song very nicely. Jakob Dylan has great vocals throughout the song as well. It takes a lot of listens to finally get it and see why I think it's as amazing at it is, so when I was able to get it and see what the big deal was, that was cool because this song was a new favorite of mine. The song is so well-written that it often just speaks to you, and that's really cool. So yeah, I won't say much more since I already talked a ton about it in my first post. This song is overall a masterpiece and I'm glad it was as popular as it was and won as man Grammys as it did.
And that wraps up this post! I hope you had a fun time reading it because I had a fun time making it. 1997 was truly an awesome year for music and a lot of the songs we got out of it were just amazing. If you want to listen to any of these songs because they sound cool to you, I embedded YouTube videos for each song when presenting them so you can listen to them that way. I recommend all of these songs because of how good they are. I will have a 2018-related post out pretty soon (hopefully) so I need to get working on that, but until that comes out, thanks and if I don't post again today I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year and that you have a fun time celebrating today and tomorrow! See you next time!
Well, it's been over two weeks since I last did an album review, and since I randomly put some Three Days Grace albums on my Spotify queue today, I feel like today is a perfect time to review this album! So let's crank it right out!
INTRODUCTION One-X is the second album from Canadian rockers Three Days Grace, first released on June 13, 2006. This was their first album to feature Barry Stock on lead guitar, as they were previously a trio. The album was very acclaimed by critics and sold pretty well, debuting at #2 on the Canadian Albums Chart and at #5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Many of the album's songs were written while lead singer Adam Gontier was in rehabilitation for a drug addiction, unlike what they had usually done. Because of this, lots of the lyrics in the album are pretty dark because Gontier was often writing about how he felt at the time. The critics didn't seem to mind this, though, as the reviews for this record were still pretty positive. So, what do I think about the themes throughout here and how dark it can be? Let's look in and see.
REVIEW
I like to call this album and Three Days Grace's music in general a harder and less poppy variation of a band like My Chemical Romance. They are always described as alternative metal, and I think that's accurate. But I think the lyrical themes in this album are similar to what you'd hear from My Chemical Romance or any other emo band, such as Dashboard Confessional or Simple Plan. Things did change for the band when Adam Gontier was battling his addiction, and I guess how deep the lyrics could go was one of them, because I think there are only about three or four songs on their self-titled album that would fit on here. But to be honest, I kind of enjoy the darker themes from this album. Sometimes, it's just fun to indulge yourself in a video game or something while listening to some kind of deep music, and I feel like this is a great album to listen to for occasions like that. It's satisfying to me sometimes. All of Three Days Grace's first three albums are ones I would use for that occasion, which is an honor because I'd usually just queue some random songs and roll with that. So yeah, I like how deep it goes, even if some people would get bothered by it.
As for the singles, I think the choices were pretty well-made. "Animal I Have Become" is a great choice as the lead single. It's basically about how Gontier was feeling while he was on drugs, and that's what motivated a lot of the darker themes from this album. I think the other three singles were good choices as well because the stories behind them are easily noticeable and stand out when compared to the rest of the album's songs. I do think "Riot" should have been a bigger hit, but I guess it's understandable that it wasn't because it's not as radio-friendly as the other three singles are.
The album tracks are also all unique in their own way. I'll get into specifics when I review each track, but I'll just say for now that they all are at least somewhat dark and sort of sound like they were written by someone like who Gontier was at the time. They also have the hard rock theme going in them, which for me is always very fun to hear. There's really not much stuff in this album that isn't fun to hear in my opinion. It's sort of unique in a good way. Gontier has a lot of great vocal performances throughout the album, too. They help the songs sound really good. Other than that, I don't really know what else to add. So let's review each track.
TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEWS
1. "It's All Over"
Rating: 9/10
Comments: I like how an album full of big rock hits opens up with an album track that is lesser known. This is a cool song to open it. It could have more to it but it's still fun.
2. "Pain"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I talked a lot about this song in my top 10 Three Days Grace songs post, but in short, the harder feel in this song is cool and I like the story behind the lyrics. This song really helps define the album in my opinion.
3. "Animal I Have Become"
Rating: 11 10/10
Comments: Yay, this masterpiece again! Revisiting it as a part of this album is fun because it fits with the album perfectly. This record would not be the same without it. As for why, I talked about it in my top 10 post for these guys, but it is really fun despite having a really dark theme. Three Days Grace are good at this and this song proves it.
4. "Never Too Late"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This is just a song about not giving up and finding light in dark situations. It is performed very well and it shows what these guys can do. I enjoy it a lot.
5. "On My Own"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: I think this is one of the better album tracks from this album. It's very hard and I like it that way.
6. "Riot"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: LET'S START A RIOT!!! A RIOT!!! LET'S START A RIOT!!!!!!
Seriously, though, this is the perfect example of an amazing hard rock song that I could listen to for hours at a time and not get tired of. The tone in this song is just so angry and I love that for some reason. And it's not even my favorite song on the album, which says quite a bit.
7. "Get Out Alive"
Rating: 8.5/10
Comments: This is not an average Three Days Grace song, as it's kind of slow up until after the second chorus. But I still think it was made very well.
8. "Let It Die"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This is by far my favorite album track from this record. It's not my overall favorite Three Days Grace album track (we'll be seeing that song when I review Life Starts Now), but it is a stand-out song for me. Adam Gontier sounds very good throughout the song and the guitars accompany that pretty well. A definite score for me here.
9. "Over and Over"
Rating: 9/10
Comments: This is a slightly less energetic version of "It's All Over" to me. I enjoy it, it's just not one of my go-to songs from this album.
10. "Time of Dying"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: This was a song I got into after a few listens to this album. The chorus here stands out and makes the song as good as it is.
11. "Gone Forever"
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Another good deep hard rock song. It's a good example of what to expect when hearing an album like this or a song by a band like this.
12. "One-X"
Rating: 8/10
Comments: While I enjoy this song, I was never really a huge fan of it. It feels a little too out of place for me for some reason. But what is in place works well and makes the song sound decent.
ALBUM RANKDOWN
1. "Animal I Have Become"
2. "Riot"
3. "Pain"
4. "Never Too Late"
5. "Let It Die"
6. "Time of Dying"
7. "On My Own"
8. "Gone Forever"
9. "It's All Over"
10. "Over and Over"
11. "Get Out Alive"
12. "One-X"
FINAL WORDS
This album is awesome! It's exactly what a great hard rock album should sound like musically, and lyrically it has some interesting themes that just captivate me even more. Hard rock is not for everyone, but if you think it's for you, you can listen to this album on Spotify here or on YouTube here. I highly recommend it to any rock fans looking for something to listen to. Also, I recommend this video from last fall of Adam Gontier as a surprise guest at a Breaking Benjamin concert and performing "Animal I Have Become" with them. It's really cool seeing him with another band and the crowd being really into it. Really fun stuff.
And that brings this post to an end. Thank you to anyone who read it, and be sure to leave any suggestions for me if there's a post you'd like to see me do! Have a great rest of your Christmas day and I'll see you guys soon!
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!
