BLINK 182
Blink-182 continued the unexpected '90s journey of pop-punk into the mainstream. The trio emerged from Southern Californian skate-punk culture with a high-energy stage show heavy with slapstick and fart jokes. But like the slightly older Green Day, closer study revealed hook-filled rock songs obsessed with breakup and loneliness, even occasionally delving into such topics as teen suicide ("Adam's Song"). Mark Hoppus grew up in the California desert town of Ridgecrest before moving to Washington, DC, when his parents divorced. A fan of the Cure and the Descendents, Hoppus played bass in a high school garage band. Meanwhile, Tom Delonge grew up riding skateboards near San Diego and picked up his first guitar at church camp. They met in 1991 while Hoppus was attending college near San Diego, and with drummer Scott Raynor they later formed a band, at first simply called Blink. When an Irish band with the same name threatened a lawsuit, it was changed to Blink-182. Early shows featured wet T-shirt and wet pants contests. The band slowly built a young, devoted following with indie recordings and an endless series of performances at various clubs and festivals. Major labels took notice in 1997 with the fast-selling indie release Dude Ranch (#67), which included the modern rock hit “Dammit (Growing Up)” (#11). Raynor was then fired from the band and replaced by Travis Barker (Aquabats). The band signed to MCA, releasing the Top 10 triple-platinum album Enema of the State (#9, 1999). It included the hits “All the Small Things” (#6) and “What’s My Age Again” (#58). Band members also appeared briefly in the teen comedy American Pie. The band’s next release was a live album, The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (#8, 2000), which yielded one single, “Man Overboard,” that had only moderate success. Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (#1, 2001) took Blink-182 to the top of the album chart for the first time. Their 2003 self-titled release held fast their penchant for teen-drenched hormonal brooding, but also revealed a developing musical and personal maturity, the kind that galvanizes matters of the heart as evidenced by Robert Smith’s (The Cure) presence on the album. Then in early 2005 the band declared an immediate, indefinite hiatus in order to be closer with their growing families. A Greatest Hits was released later that year. Hoppus and Barker later formed the band Plus 44. Each member continues to work on various clothing line companies.