10 Classic Songs With Killer Guest Stars
9. All Of This - Blink-182
Most pop punk fans were shellshocked once they picked up Blink-182's self-titled album. For as much as the title represented the band in full, this was a significant departure from the band's bratty early days, with songs that took on a moody vibe and more eclectic instrumentation.
However, if the band were looking to get moody, it was probably best to have one of the moodiest rock singers of all time to help out.
Towards the end of the record, the alt-rock slam of "Easy Target" fades into "All Of This," which is centered around a broken relationship that the narrator can't move on from. Rather than let Mark Hoppus or Tom Delonge take the lead, the band called in Robert Smith from the Cure to contribute, where he laid down some of the best lyrics ever put on a Blink track.
Blink may have written songs about lost love, but a line like "another night with her but I'm always wanting you" is something that sounds much more natural coming out of Smith's mouth.
The song is great on its own, but the way DeLonge's nasal whine floats on top of Smith's lovelorn voice is something that only true pain is able to accomplish. This was definitely a new look for Blink, but this ode to romantic despair is where pop punk goes when it grows up.