10 Rock Songs That Don't Sound Like The Artists Who Made Them

Punk rock outfit The Offspring have had their ups and downs across a near 40-year career, but have secured longevity and largely remained true to their (admittedly radio-friendly) original sound in a way that many of their contemporaries have failed to do. Nevertheless, while they have managed to move with the times without totally selling out, there is one song that called all of this into question.

Cruising California (Bumpin' in My Trunk) appeared unexpectedly slap-bang in the middle of the band's 2012 album Days Go By. The saccharine pop song is led by a basic synth/keyboard melody and features the kind of female vocals you might normally expect to hear on an electronic or hip-hop track. And the lyrics? Well, they're all about cruising along in a sick ride, hitting on girls with big arses and G-strings -- you know, Nickelback's usual.

Knowing where the big money comes from, the label put their weight behind the track, commissioning a video to promote it to the mainstream music channels, but The Offspring's usual headbangers were left nonplussed.

Turns out the punk rock four-piece made the pop-laden song as a way of blowing off steam with something silly and not letting the heavier themes of the record get to them. Well, fair enough.