10 Perfect Punk Albums That Changed Rock Music History
5. The Offspring: Smash (1994)
The Offspring came to represent the ultimate embodiment of irony, after the release of Pretty Fly (for a White Guy). It was a song mocking white kids who lacked self awareness, sung by a bunch of white dudes in their 30s, still trying to seem hip...
But before they began peddling the most commercial form of pop punk, they were considered one of the greatest punk groups on the indie scene. Their third record, Smash, to this day is the best selling album ever to be put out by an indie label. These guys were true advocates of the indie movement. They essentially introduced a world-wide audience to the rising phenomena of punk rock. This was back when their music had substance. It hadn't become the bubblegum pop of their later years.
You might not hold Offspring in high regard, and if you've only been exposure to their late '90s repertoire, then you'd be forgiven for dismissing them. But these guys, along with Green Day, brought punk back into the '90s.
On the other hand, their success did lead to the popularity of Sum 41, so I guess it wasn't all good...