8 Musicians Who Sound NOTHING Like They Did When They Started

4. Hoobastank Was Super Into Ska

In the early 2000s, Hoobastank was one of the last bands to get swallowed up and swept away by the nu-metal tide. They got some love early on for a major label debut that took up the mantle that bands like Incubus had recently abandoned, with standout singles "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away" securing frequent rotation on MTV.

Then they hit it big with a power ballad, "The Reason," which kept them relevant for a couple of years before ultimately becoming a tiny footnote in music history. But long before they sold their souls to the radio devil, Hoobastank had begun making a name for themselves in Southern California as a funky little ska punk band.

Their true debut album, the nonsensically titled They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To, featured an abundance of horns, down-tuned guitars, and the types of melodies that Mighty Mighty Bosstones would probably consider rough drafts.

A song like "Can I Buy You a Drink" has its feet firmly planted in a different era than anything else the band would create. Which is a shame, because that song is so cool. There were hints of their future sound sprinkled throughout this album, but the funky guitars and calypso beats were completely erased by the time "The Reason" made them pop superstars.