blink-182

Pop-punk godfathers blink-182 embody why the genre appeals to millions. The San Diego band, who coalesced in the early '90s around co-frontmen Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus, blend upbeat tempos, catchy hooks and bawdy humour with lyrics that understand the pain of adolescence—and life in general. The trio's 1995 debut, Cheshire Cat, and 1997 commercial breakthrough Dude Ranch illustrate a fondness for breakneck-speed punk and sharply honed melodies, but blink-182 connected with bigger audiences in the later '90s because their rebellion offered both comic relief—see the nudity-heavy video for "What's My Age Again?", from 1999's Enema of the State—and seriousness, tackling the trauma of suicide ("Adam's Song") and divorce ("Stay Together for the Kids"). Their sound matured considerably into the '00s, becoming more indebted to moody, muscular alternative rock, thanks in no small part to the crack-shot drumming and arrangements of Travis Barker, who joined in 1998. A massive lineup change—DeLonge left the band in 2015 and was replaced by Alkaline Trio singer/guitarist Matt Skiba—didn’t slow them down, even as they and their fans grew up. It's no surprise, then, that 2019's NINE, with its electronic instrumentation and more downcast, introspective themes, still resonated with their diehard followers—blink-182’s energetic, superbly crafted tunes and deeply emotional lyrics know no age limit.