Ranking All The Offspring Studio Albums
Punk rock has both waxed and waned over time. To name an example, there was a revival of mainstream interest in punk rock in the 1990s. Something that couldn’t have happened without the success of certain banner-bearers. One excellent example would be the Offspring, a punk rock band that started up in 1984 and has continued into the present time.
10. Let the Bad Times Roll
Let the Bad Times Roll came out in 2021. For context, its immediate predecessor is Days Go By, which came out in 2012. As such, Let the Bad Times Roll was the first release from the Offspring in close to a decade’s time. Naturally, there were a lot of people who were eager to see what the band had created in that time. Unfortunately, the release proved incapable of living up to those expectations, which might have been caused by the known difficulties involved in its creation. One example was the departure of the bassist Greg K. Another example was the search of a new record label to replace Columbia Records.
9. Splinter
Splinter doesn’t have the best reputation. Due to this, it should come as no surprise to learn that it met with a mixed response from both the critics and the consumers, though it did manage to sell close to a million copies around the world in the end. There were some memorable songs such as “Hit That” on Splinter, but for the most part, its contents were much more lackluster.
8. Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
This album opened with “Hammerhead,” which met with a positive reception at the time. Sadly, the rest of the album isn’t quite as good. Something that is particularly problematic because Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace is also the Offspring’s single longest album.
7. The Offspring
The Offspring’s self-titled debut album stands out for a number of reasons. For example, it is a product of the band at the start of their career, meaning that it is less polished. To name another example, its content is also darker, more serious than that of the band’s later releases. Something that can come as a real surprise to those who are familiar with the Offspring at their most iconic. Still, The Offspring is put together surprisingly well, meaning that its ranking can see considerable variation from list to list depending on exactly what people are looking for.
6. Days Go By
Sometimes, albums can seem as though the artists have taken one step forward and two steps back. For proof, look no further than Days Go By, which feels very conflicted. Some of its songs are mature, reflecting the veteran band that the Offspring have become. Meanwhile, other songs are fast and energetic, which are very much characteristic of this band. Unfortunately, the last portion of songs feel like filler, so much so that some critics have outright called them “childish.” On the whole, the result is a very uneven release with some highlights.
5. Ignition
In a real sense, Ignition came out before the Offspring became the Offspring. After all, it predates the band’s iconic sound. Furthermore, Ignition came out before the Offspring had their big breakthrough. Still, this release is well-regarded by a lot of people out there. This is because it is a clear improvement on the content of the band’s self-titled debut album, meaning that it is a clear sign of the band’s potential. Since then, the Offspring have more than managed to fulfill that potential, though perhaps not in the way that most people would have expected based on their first two releases.
4. Conspiracy of One
Sometimes, people don’t want to listen to something sophisticated and thought-provoking. Instead, they want something fun, energetic, and light-hearted. For this, there aren’t a lot of albums out there that can match Conspiracy of One. Certainly, said album won’t win any awards for complexity. However, it never pretends to be deserving of such.
3. Americana
The Offspring are one of the most iconic acts of the punk rock of the 1990s. In considerable part, this is because of Americana, which is one of their most famous releases ever. Unsurprisingly, it sold very well, as shown by how it went multi-platinum. However, Americana is also remembered for a number of songs that managed to make it big, with examples ranging from “The Kids Aren’t Alright” to “Why Don’t You Get a Job?”
2. Ixnay on the Hombre
Ixnay on the Hombre has a very straightforward name. After all, ixnay is Pig Latin for “nix” while “hombre” is Spanish for “man,” thus making the name the clear rejection of authority that is emblematic of punk rock. Amusingly, Ixnay on the Hombre was also the first time that the Offspring released their music through a major record label, which was caused by them falling out with their previous record label because of the latter’s choice to sell their previous album to a major record label in exchange for a royalty override. In any case, Ixnay on the Hombre is a solid release from a veteran act, with the result that it managed to perform quite well sales-wise.
1. Smash
Smash was made on a small budget of $20,000. Granted, this was in the mid 1990s, meaning that this wasn’t quite as small as it seems from a modern perspective. Still, there can be no doubt about the fact that Smash managed to do a great deal while working with a paucity of resources. For instance, this is the Offspring’s breakthrough album, which managed to make them known to an international audience. Furthermore, Smash played an important role in the revival of punk rock in that period, meaning that it shares recognition with pivotal works such as Green Day’s Dookie.
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