blink-182

Blink-182 came to prominence in the early 90s punk scene in California where their energetic shows made them a hit with crowds. The group was signed to independent label Cargo Records where they released their debut album “Cheshire Cat”. While the album was not commercially successful, it picked up a lot of buzz and is considered an iconic pop punk album of the time.

The buzz generated by this first album caused a bidding war between multiple mainstream labels and the band eventually signed with MCA. Drummer Scott Raynor’s disagreement with this decision contributed to his drifting from the band and he was eventually fired in 1998 and replaced by Travis Barker.

With the new record label and new line up settled, Blink-182 released “Enema of the State” in 1999 and quickly rose to fame with singles “Adam’s Song”, “All the Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again?” all receiving regular airtime on MTV. The album was the band’s most successful release to date and went to number 9 on the US Billboard chart.

The stress of constant touring and promotion as well as differences about where the band should go with their next album boiled to a head and caused the band to go on an indefinite hiatus in 2005. After Travis Barker was involved in a serious plane crash, the group reunited in 2008 and went on to start work on their sixth studio album, “Neighborhoods”, which was released in 2011 and charted at number 2 in the US.

Blink-182 has cited The Ramones, The Cure and The Vandals, amongst others, as influences for their music, but the reality is that Blink-182 are massive influencers and inspirations for musicians all around the world. The band inspired the second wave of pop punk music in the new millennium and also single-handedly bought this music into the mainstream. For this reason, their music will certainly live on for generations.