3. Blink-182
The first time I heard "Dammit," my musical world just about turned upside down. Incredibly angry (as I was at the time), edgy, and just so damn catchy that I immediately ran (okay, drove) to the nearest record store, when record stores still existed, and bought the album. What I discovered was an endlessly hooky cavalcade of 2-to-3 minute tracks that were filled with self-deprecating humor and even pathos - and occasionally at the same time. They not only had the ability to get a simple jam stuck in your head, like "The Girl at the Rock Show" from "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket," my favorite album of theirs and one of my favorites of the early 2000s (there's that phrase again!), they could even surprise you with - of all things for a punk band - a clarinet solo from "What Went Wrong," a bonus track from the same album. These three dudes from southern California have taken themselves a little too seriously lately (what was up with that last album, the bombastic "Neighborhoods"?), but hopefully they'll return to their joyous, youthful roots at some point. I'm not saying they should stay immature (you can't make dick jokes forever), but they should be reminded that making music is supposed to be fun.