10 Bands That Broke Up After Their Debut Album

Descendents have been regarded by many as one of the most infuential bands of the Pop-Punk genre, trading aggressive songs of a political nature in favour of upbeat, Surfer Rock inspired melodies layered with a youthful glow. Many bands, such as: blink-182 and Saves the Day, cite Descendents as a major influence on their approach to the genre.

Formed by drummer Bill Stevenson and guitarist Frank Navetta in 1977, Descendents toyed with a few line-ups before settling with vocalist Milo Aukerman and bassist Tony Lombado. The band began working on music immediately, releasing the 'Fat EP' in 1982, quickly establishing themselves in the Californian Hardcore Punk scene. Work began on their debut album swiftly after the release of the EP. 'Milo Goes To College' was released in September of 1982, followed by the subsequent departure of Aukerman. The band dedicated the release to Aukerman, wishing him the best in his pursuit to study Microbiology. Following this, the band recruited Ray Cooper as Aukerman's replacement, in an attempt to keep the band going for the remainder of '82 and '83. Unfortunately, with Navetta departing from the band and Stevenson joining Black Flag, Descendents was quickly side-lined before completely parting ways in 1983.

Thankfully, this split only lasted 2 years, with the band reuniting in 1985 following Aukerman's return home once finishing his qualifications alongside Stevenson's departure from Black Flag. For most of their 43 year-long career, the band have been active periodically, choosing to work their releases and touring schedule around Aukerman's career as a Molecular Biologist. In 2016, Aukerman announced that Descendents were officially a full time project, following his choice to end his career in favour of pursuing music professionally.