10 More Bands Who Had Huge Potential (But Wasted It)

If you were a fan of punk music in the 1990s, chances are you will have been a huge fan of Jawbreaker.

This California band helped usher in the era of emo punk, bringing more emotional stakes to hardcore music in a way that resonated with hundreds of disaffected youngsters. Lead singer Blake Schwartzenbach was a huge cult idol thanks to his deep lyrics and on-stage charisma, and they looked set to break out after their 1994 album 24 Hour Revenge Therapy.

Unfortunately, this would turn out to be a classic case of being careful what one wishes for.

The band’s next album, Dear You, was much more mainstream, the result of them signing a big-money contract with a record label. Their initial passionate fanbase turned against them, accusing them of selling out, and Jawbreaker couldn’t find a new audience to replace them with. They would break up one year later in 1996, bringing a whirlwind few years to a disappointing end.

Jawbreaker lost what made them special once they became a signed artist; a cautionary tale about the dangers of commercialism.