Skate punk

Characteristics

Noted by AllMusic for having "high-energy", skate punk features fast tempos. Many of the 1980s skate punk bands were hardcore punk bands. In the 1990s, it changed and was played by bands that sound more like pop punk and standard punk rock than hardcore punk. Also a skater subculture, skate punk's origins go back to skate culture and surf culture. Author Steve Fenton wrote, "There are approximately 100 Skate Punk bands that sound exactly like Blink 182 within every populated square mile of Europe." Author Sharon M. Hannon noted skate punk is known for "its fast guitars, driving bass lines, and surf music–style drums". According to Mark Lepage of Spin magazine, it often has a "double-time hup-two-three-four beat". Skate punk music often features singing and vocal harmonies. Rolling Stone described skate punk as "a sort of pop hardcore". Some skate punk music has lyrics that are about humor - "mostly of the smartass variety". A lot of skate punk music features lead guitar playing, guitar riffs, and sometimes guitar solos. Skate punk is described by AllMusic as having "thrashier guitars" than regular punk rock. Blast beats and fast drumming are very common in skate punk. It features the fast tempos of hardcore punk and melodic hardcore, occasionally combining them with the catchy hooks of pop punk. Some skate punk bands play other genres of music; pop punk, funk metal, and hardcore punk are genres that are noted for being played by some skate punk bands. Skate punk paved the way for third-wave ska. Some skate punk bands, including NOFX and The Suicide Machines, also play ska punk. Some skate punk bands, including Cryptic Slaughter, Suicidal Tendencies and Excel, also play thrash metal and crossover thrash.

Early development (1980s)

Originally derived from hardcore punk, skate punk began in the early 1980s. The Big Boys and JFA are considered pioneers of skate punk. Bands such as: Agression, Drunk Injuns, Suicidal Tendencies, RKL, Gang Green, NOFX, McRad, The Black Athletes, Tales of Terror, Stalag 13, Hogan's Heroes, and The Faction were also among the first wave of skate punk bands. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic described early skate punk music as "a confluence of punk's anger and simplicity, the furious speed of hardcore, and defiantly smart-assed machismo". Many early skate punk bands are part of the hardcore punk movement nardcore, which emerged in Oxnard, California. Popular among skateboarders, 1980s hardcore punk bands with connections to skateboarding culture were labeled as "skate punk" - the origin of the term. Early skate punk bands are noted for creating the connection between punk rock and skateboarding. JFA member Brian Brannon said that Mörizen Föche, vocalist of the band Drunk Injuns and former employee of the magazine Thrasher, might be the one who first used the term "skate punk".

Sound change and mainstream success (1990s and early 2000s)

As skate punk became more popular during the 1990s, it changed into a more melodic genre. During this time, some skate punk bands experienced mainstream success and were featured at events such as the Warped Tour, which started in 1995. Prominent skate punk bands of the 1990s include NOFX, Lagwagon, Guttermouth, No Use for a Name, Blink-182, Face to Face, Slick Shoes, MxPx, Unwritten Law, Ten Foot Pole, Screeching Weasel, Bad Religion, The Offspring, and Pennywise.

Skate punk broke into the mainstream in the 1990s. The Offspring's album Smash, released in 1994, launched the band into the mainstream. Rancid's album ...And Out Come the Wolves, Green Day's album Dookie, and The Offspring's album Smash also helped launch punk rock as a whole into the mainstream. Smash, certified 6x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), sold at least 6.3 million copies in the United States and at least 5 million copies outside the United States. NOFX's 1994 album Punk in Drublic was certified gold by the RIAA. Unlike other 1990s punk rock bands, NOFX never signed to a major record label. Also, NOFX has not given permission for its music videos to be played on channels like MTV and VH1. Explaining this decision NOFX member Fat Mike said: "We made the 'Leave It Alone' video, and we decided not to send it to MTV. We just didn't want to be a part of that machine, of that ‘punk wave. I think it's one of the best decisions we've ever made."

Bad Religion's 1994 album Stranger Than Fiction was certified gold by the RIAA. Although it did not achieve the same sales as Smash, Ixnay on the Hombre by The Offspring was certified platinum by the RIAA in April 1997. It sold at least 3 million copies worldwide, with at least 1.4 million of those copies sold in the United States. Ixnay on the Hombre's single "All I Want" peaked at number 65 on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart. In June 1997, Blink-182 released its album Dude Ranch. It was certified gold by the RIAA in February 1998, and was certified platinum by the RIAA in November 1999. Scott Heisel of Alternative Press described Dude Ranch as "a killer skate-punk record". Dude Ranch's single "Dammit" was a hit. It peaked at number 61 on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart, received heavy radio airplay and was played a lot by MTV. In 1998, The Offspring released their album Americana, which was certified 5x platinum by the RIAA. In 1998, MxPx released its album Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo, which was certified gold by the RIAA in January 2000.

In June 1999, Blink-182 released its album Enema of the State. It was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA in January 2000. In February 2001, Enema of the State was certified 5x platinum by the RIAA having sold at least 15 million copies worldwide, with at least 4.54 million of those copies sold in the United States. Having achieved mainstream success, Blink-182 played to sold-out arenas. In November 2000, the band released their live album The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!). It sold at least 110,000 copies in its release week, and was certified gold by the RIAA in January 2001. Although it is a live album, it features a studio track called "Man Overboard". Serviced to radio in September 2000, "Man Overboard" peaked at number 2 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 17 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. In November 2000, The Offspring released their album Conspiracy of One. It was certified platinum by the RIAA within 30 days of being released. In 2000, SR-71's song "Right Now" went to number 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, number two on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number 30 on the Pop Songs chart. In November 2000, their album Now You See Inside was certified gold by the RIAA.

In June 2001, Blink-182 released their album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. It peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, the Canadian Albums Chart and the Top Internet Albums chart. The album sold at least 350,000 copies in its release week and was certified 2x platinum in May 2002. The Canadian skate punk band Sum 41 broke into the mainstream in the early 2000s. Their song "Fat Lip" peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Also, "Fat Lip" was played extensively on radio and was popular on the MTV Total Request Live. The skate punk studio album All Killer No Filler, Sum 41's studio album that features the song "Fat Lip", was certified platinum by the RIAA in August 2001. All Killer No Filler also was certified triple platinum by the organization Music Canada.

Recent skate punk music (2010s)

During the 2010s, there was an emergence of skate punk bands influenced by older skate punk bands; these bands include Trash Talk, FIDLAR and Cerebral Ballzy. They attracted cult followings by promoting their music on the Internet. A lot of these bands, including Trash Talk and Cerebral Ballzy, are influenced by hardcore punk and speed metal. However, FIDLAR is influenced by skate punk bands Blink-182 and The Offspring. FIDLAR achieved underground success; their self-titled album debuted at number five on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart. Despite not being a hip hop band, Trash Talk signed to rapper Tyler, The Creator's record label Odd Future. The label helped Trash Talk attract a lot of fans.