10 Best Pop-Punk Records
9. The Offspring - Smash
Most pop-punk nowadays comes from all across the world, from the Ramones in New York to modern British pop punk titans like Neck Deep and Gospel Youth. However, the real pop-punk boom began in California, where the Offspring were born and bred in the local skate punk scene.
Under the wing of the punk rock label Epitaph, The Offspring hit on punk rock gold with Smash. Thanks to amazing hit singles like "Come Out and Play," the band helped create the modern pop-punk sound with chainsaw-loud guitars and the impressive shout of frontman Dexter Holland. The song "Self-Esteem" is the perfect formula for a pop-punk song with a tale of dysfunctional love and a great push-and-pull dynamic between the guitars and bass.
The unbelievable hookiness of this record helped it sell over 6 million copies across the world. This was the first ever release from indie label Epitaph to go multi-Platinum. The album has taken on a life of its own as its influence spreads from punk acts to more hardcore genres, with Trivium's Matt Heafy performing their tunes in the band's early days. A fantastic success story for these skate punk transplants from California.