Ranking Blink-182’s 9 Albums
Like many, Blink 182 played a significant role in not only influencing my musical taste, but also serving as an introduction to other bands in the punk scene. Their songs in the late 90s and early 2000s were commonplace on the radio at a time when I was listening to artists like AC/DC, Elvis Presley, and Bon Jovi, thereby opening my eyes to a completely new genre of music. The antics of the band also perfectly fit with an impressionable kid — a kid who loved the careless, humorous and fun loving attitude of the band. Although the band doesn’t get much play time on my speakers any more, I could never deny the impact they made on me when I was younger and how much they shaped the course of my music listening habits from there on.
The band began in 1992 with Tom Delonge (guitar/vocals), Mark Hoppus bass/vocals), and Scott Raynor (drums). The group would stay with this lineup for a few years, releasing a couple demos and their first 2 albums Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch. In 1998, Raynor was booted from the band for having a drinking problem and was replaced by (then Aquabats drummer) Travis Barker. This lineup would release 3 studio albums and a live record before going on hiatus in 2005.
The band reformed again in 2009 to release 1 more full-length and an EP, but afterwards Delonge was kicked out of the band for disputed reasons and Matt Skiba (from Alkaline Trio) was brought in to replace Delonge on guitar and dual lead vocals. In 2022, the band announced that Delonge had once again rejoined the band, retaking his position from the Skiba.
Besides Blink 182, the past and present members have also been involved in several other bands such as Box Car Racer, Angels & Airwaves, +44, The Transplants, and more. The other projects have often been used as an outlet to try out other types of genres or work with different musical artists.
9. Nine (2019)
No longer worried as much by the fan backlash of introducing Tom Delonge’s replacement Matt Skiba, the band manages to come across as a bit more comfortable on Nine than California. The extra time spent together also seems to have given Skiba more of a chance to mesh with Mark and Travis while finding his voice in the group.
While the songs on Nine are still mainly Hoppus focussed, Skiba’s influence peeks out on some heavier tracks like “Black Rain” & “Darkside” — both of which bear some noticeable resemblance to Crimson-era Alkaline Trio.
A welcome mix of musical styles that was mostly absent on California is what works best for the record. Rather than just being a vocal fill-in for Tom, Skiba’s parts are some of the best this time around, and there’s an appreciative level of passion heard whenever he sings. The songs themselves are also overall less predictable and often seem a little more formed compared to California.
Although the production is somewhat improved from California, getting away from John Feldman’s style and working with a different punk producer would do wonders for the band. The poppy gloss on some songs ruins their potential and too many rely heavily on effects rather than exciting and memorable instrumentation or catchy vocal deliveries.
The use of several songwriters outside of the central trio also gives the record a somewhat artificial and plastic feel. For example, “Generational Divide”, a song that’s less than a minute long, has 7 different people credited as writers.
For better or worse, Nine certainly finds the band expanding their sound, but this journey into a more diverse style also sees the band sounding poppier than on previous records. If you cut some of the weaker songs, like “Happy Days”, “Heaven”, and the album’s final 3 tracks, it would make for a much better listening experience.
Recommended Tracks: Generational Divide / Darkside / Black Rain
8. California (2016)
In the aftermath of the drama surrounding the departure of Delonge, Hoppus and Barker brought in Matt Skiba as a replacement and recorded California, an album that was always guaranteed to divide fans regardless of its end result.
The record makes a clear attempt to return to the band’s pop-punk glory days between 1999–2001, aiming to reclaim the same success as those years through similar lyrical content and musical structure. 15 years later, this attempt at teenage angst and ferocity isn’t really the same, but there’s still a lot of fun on the record.
Skiba, an already accomplished artist in Alkaline Trio, was an exciting replacement for Delonge, but his vocal presence just doesn’t cut through in the way that Tom’s did — Skiba’s range being more similar to that of Hoppus. Matt is used more often as a breather from Hoppus singing, rather than the main point of interest.
Although Skiba does add some intriguing elements to Blink that I wouldn’t have expected, the album seems to ultimately be Mark proving to the world that he can be successful without Tom.
Taking a more simplistic approach to the songs can give the listener a nostalgic feel to earlier days and there are degrees of catchiness on essentially all of the tracks. In fact, taken individually, you can find positive takeaways from nearly every song.
Overall, the production really seems to be the album’s problem. The heavy gain manages to wash out individuality from the songs, often making it difficult to discern one track from another — and honestly leads to some real listening exhaustion.
If you pay attention, you’ll also notice there aren’t any particularly memorable guitar riffs, it’s mostly just power chords with clean picking sections. When you add in the Deluxe tracks, it’s clear the record could have significantly benefited from focusing on only the best 10–12 songs, rather than recording 27 similar-sounding tracks.
Lastly, while it’s nice to have the band return to their roots of childish humor on a couple of tracks, it often falls flat and feels hollow and forced more than natural.
Recommended Tracks: Rabbit Hole / Cynical / The Only Thing That Matters
7. One More Time… (2023)
There was a lot of excitement when Blink announced the return of Tom Delonge, but could the new album live up to hyped expectations? Admittedly no, but his homecoming is still more than appreciated and honestly, Blink-182 just doesn’t feel right unless both Mark and Tom are there. I’m sure a lot of fans will also appreciate the return of Tom’s pre-AvA singing style.
Whereas some albums have a theme or tonal direction, One More Time… seems more like a compilation of tracks spanning the past 20ish years of the band. This is great for anyone for anyone wanting to feel a warm return to past records, but for others, this type of retreading could leave them desiring more.
Produced by Barker, the album relies heavily on vocal effects and digital processing (the drums in particular are excessively processed and often far too up front in the mix). Sometimes it works fine and the production isn’t distracting, like on “When We Were Young” or “Anthem Part 3”, but too often it seems like the effects are used as a crutch and ruin the more natural sound some tracks should have. The worst offender being the sentimental “One More Time”, a track with such distractingly heavy use of autotune that it undercuts the message.
There are times when the production doesn’t seem so heavily slathered on, such as the 24-second “Turn This Off!”, which sounds great and makes me wonder why they couldn’t go for this approach on the rest of the album.
The album’s best song, “Terrified” shows Tom in his old creative form so it’s perhaps unsurprising that it’s an unfinished Box Car Racer song. It’s a sad reminder of the level of creativity Tom put into his songs and a sign of what’s mostly missing on the record.
Possibly because of his cancer recovery, but Mark isn’t featured quite as heavily on the album. Luckily, he does provide one of the album’s highlights “Other Side”, a personal song about the death of his bass tech and 1 of only 2 songs that were only written by the Blink trio (the other being “Hurt”).
“Anthem Part 3”, brings the album back to the Take Off Your Pants and Jacket era and finds Tom sounding more youthful than he has in a couple decades, while “Turpentine” features some heavier melodies and more aggressive vocals akin to Untitled. These songs, along with the fun, but substance-free “Dance With Me” provide some of the album’s higher points.
The album’s first single, “Edging”, should’ve been cut from the album as its production stands out like a sore thumb and it’s pretty clear that the song was only released to appease fans while they finished up the album.
One More Time… no doubt has its moments, but it’s ultimately such a mess of ideas (like “Blink Wave” which provides nice variation, but sounds completely out of place on the record) that it’s hard to really appreciate.
My younger self is glad Tom is back in Blink-182, but I think the band has just become too much of a job for Mark, Tom, and Travis at this point.
Recommended Tracks: Terrified / Turpentine / Dance With Me
6. Cheshire Cat (1995)
As their debut (unless you count Buddha), Cheshire Cat successfully manages to capture the potential of Blink-182. Albeit fledgling, there’s a distinct ear for melody throughout the record and while the band’s influences like Descendents and Screeching Weasel are apparent, they’re still able to create a style wholly their own.
Without being able to rely on the studio tricks they had financial access to later in their career, Cheshire Cat displays the band’s raw talent and what they’re capable of without a professional producer or any label intervention. The lack of intervention also gives Mark and Tom a free pass just to be themselves and write silly, childish songs that are clearly meant to make themselves laugh, as is clearly on display in tracks like “Just About Done” or “Ben Wah Balls”.
Despite the songs being a bit rough around the edges, the general structure of Cheshire Cat holds up surprisingly well, showing off the band’s innate songwriting skills and range (from “Peggy Sue” to “Cacophony”), whether they’re touching on more serious matters or just making a joke.
The album’s overflowing honesty keeps the record consistently grounded and relatable. Even the toilet humor holds up because it comes from such a natural place — like hanging out with your friend’s high school band.
Although not as technically proficient as later records, there are still plenty of memorable and exciting guitar riffs, such as the classic opener on “Carousel” or the signature Delonge riff on “M+M’s”. Even with their inexperience, when the lyrics do touch on the more serious, the subject matter manages to stand the test of time. The childish skits even have a lovableness to them.
Obviously, the album suffers from a cheaper recording process and the drums and guitar are quite muddled within the mix. The vocals from both Tom and Mark occasionally leave something to be desired, particularly when either tries to hold notes for more extended periods (“Strings” is maybe the worst offender).
As partial proof of how good the songs are, when the band played a few of these for their live album, they came off just as well, if not better, than some of their later material.
Recommended Tracks: Carousel / Touchdown Boy / Toast and Bananas
5. Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001)
Riding on the coattails of Enema of the State’s success, Take Off Your Pants & Jacket doesn’t mess much with the formula that allowed Enema to succeed, copying most of the sound and style. Despite this similar approach, the songs don’t rely quite as much on playful and catchy hooks, and there’s a noticeable push to focus more on serious topics rather than just having fun (not that there’s any shortage of humor and fun — take “Happy Holidays” or “First Date”).
In keeping with an overall similar style, if you liked Enema, you will probably enjoy this record. Lead vocals are split relatively evenly, but there are more Mark-centered tracks than prior releases, which is perhaps why California slightly reminds me of this album.
Every track is consistently catchy and brimming with peak pop-punk energy. Barker’s drum patterns stand out throughout all of the songs (even more so than Enema), and it makes what may have been some more run-of-the-mill tracks far more interesting. The album also contains arguably some of Mark’s best songs to date — he really sounds incredibly focused throughout the entire runtime.
From a marketing standpoint, the idea of having 3 different versions of the record was certainly innovative and gave a fascinating allure to the record, driving a bit of a ‘collect all 3’ narrative. I’m a bit of a sucker for this level of fan-based fun creativeness.
As much as I like the record, it does feel like they could’ve perhaps done more in the style of “Stay Together For The Kids” or “Shut Up” to help make TOYPAJ stand out on its own and possibly push it to have more of its own style. It’s a minimal criticism because the record is still excellent, and it does feature a significant tonal shift, but it’s still perhaps a little too similar to Enema.
As stated earlier, Mark sounds excellent on the album, but I think Tom’s songs take a small step back from the level of gusto that he had applied to earlier records.
At the end of the day, TOYPAJ is a pop-punk classic and likely a lot of fan’s favorite. It’s a record that can bring you joyously back to a specific time and place.
Recommended Tracks: Online Songs / Give Me One Good Reason / Roller Coaster
4. Enema of the State (1999)
While Dude Ranch gave the band their first real taste of fame, this was undeniably the album that skyrocketed their stardom. Bringing in Jerry Finn to boost the production, the record is packed full of catchy hooks and (mostly) adolescent-focused lyrics. It’s so addictively fun that it’s no surprise the record became as popular as it did.
There was a time when I would listen to this record religiously, at least once a day, if not much more. Even if it doesn’t get anywhere near that level of rotation for me these days, it’s still such a nostalgia trip every time I put it on. It’s one of the few albums that I’ll forever remember every single lyric to every single song.
Enema contains some of the most memorable guitar lines of Blink’s entire discography (just listen to that intro to “Dumpweed”) and, while some of the songs may have become overplayed over the years, they mostly all still hold up (I could probably go without hearing “All The Small Things” again).
From a pure talent standpoint, bringing aboard Travis to replace Scott significantly helped them stand out. While Scott was serviceable, Travis completely transformed the band’s songs with his speed and technicality. While this album doesn’t show off the full extent of Barker’s abilities, it does provide countless examples of his skill in each song.
After all of these years, “Adam’s Song” still manages to hit just as hard emotionally as ever, a beacon of teenage depression. It’s not uncommon that songs like these begin to show their age and sound corny, so it’s refreshing to know this stands the test of time. The record even has “Aliens Exist”, a funny song that became somewhat of a story arc for Tom, taking on a life of its own.
For the most part, the songs have aged well, but some lyrics are a bit cringeworthy and misogynistic when looking back at them. The constant radio play of some songs like “What’s My Age Again” has also somewhat dulled the shine they previously had.
Despite being a relatively short Blink album, this record somehow manages to sum up so much of what was happening for youth in the late 90s — be it style or just general outlook. While I don’t believe it’s their best work, I can’t deny that it’s probably their most catchy and fun.
Recommended Tracks: Dysentery Gary / Wendy Clear / Aliens Exist
3. Neighborhoods (2011)
As the first long-awaited post-breakup album, Neighborhoods had a lot of anticipation building for it. I think this anticipation and the progression in sound were significant reasons why so many people (including myself) were disappointed on release. It wasn’t until years later that I rediscovered the album and fully appreciated its maturity and melodic intricacies.
In many ways, Neighborhoods picks up from where Untitled left off, but with an obvious influence coming from Tom’s band Angels & Airwaves (it shouldn’t be surprising as he made 2 AvA records during the making of Neighborhoods). For better or worse (for some), this was really the last album where the band tried to progress their sound (unless you count the Dogs Eating Dogs EP).
Tom, undeniably the focal point here, sings the majority of lead vocals and pushes his own style more aggressively than that of Hoppus or Barker. In many ways, the record sounds like it’s more Angels & Airwaves featuring Blink-182 than the other way around. This is something that undeniably will annoy many fans, but it just makes me want to hear how the AvA albums would’ve turned out with Mark and Travis.
One of the biggest turn-offs for many is that the album is far more rock-oriented than punk-centric. To this end, “Heart’s All Gone” and “Natives” are the only particularly fast-paced and “punky” tracks.
This would typically be a turn-off for me too, but Delonge’s songwriting reaches such an elevated level on Neighborhoods that I can’t help but love almost everything this record has to offer. “Wishing Well”, one of the best songs Tom has ever written, alone makes this album a must-listen. I honestly think that Neighborhoods features some of the best material Tom has ever written and each listen only makes me appreciate it more.
Despite not having Jerry Finn at the helm, Neighborhoods sounds phenomenal. There’s a good amount of effects and synth (similar to AvA) spread throughout, but they’re used so flawlessly that they never distract but rather enhance the end result — essentially doing exactly what you’d want from studio effects.
Admittedly, there’s an overall disjointed bricolage feel throughout, likely due to band tensions, a long recording process, and separation between studios. But, once you get used to this difference, I think it actually benefits the record and helps to give it its distinctively dark, gloomy, and mature sound.
The guitar riffs spread throughout Neighborhoods really make you appreciate Delonge’s ear for a creative melody, even when it’s not technically the most proficient. There are so many guitar lines on this record, such as on the speedy “Natives” or the chord pattern on “Up All Night” that showcase Delonge’s signature playstyle.
As expected, the drums are intricate and extremely creative (like Barker’s hi-hat pattern on “After Midnight”) and seem to be the glue that holds many of the tracks together. Although somewhat sidelined, Mark’s vocals add so much to the songs and help them stand apart from AvA.
While the entire record has a more serious tone, it doesn’t feel forced. Instead, it seems like a natural expression of the band’s feelings, emotions, and general maturity when it was written. The end of the record does falter slightly, but not enough to take away from the otherwise excellent material.
Neighborhoods is slower, more mature, a bit spacey, and heavily Tom-focused, but if you’re okay with all that, you can appreciate it for how brilliant it is.
Recommended Tracks: Wishing Well / Up All Night / Ghost On The Dance Floor
2. Dude Ranch (1997)
In 1997, Blink-182 released upon the world their sophomore album, Dude Ranch. A record that would be their first major stepping stone to fame via the album’s surprise breakout hit.
Dude Ranch clearly displays how having two strong vocalists can help a band stand out from other contemporaries. It’s not a new approach, but both Tom and Mark offer such a different vocal style from each other that it helps their songs stay unique from each other, yet also complementary enough that they can effortlessly trade off vocals on songs like the killer opener “Pathetic”.
Despite only a small usage of vocal harmonies, Dude Ranch provides some of the best vocals from the band. The vocals are equal parts both earnest and strained while being reserved and calculated. Hoppus, in particular, shines on many of the songs, such as in the chorus of “Emo”. Where his vocals would later soften and smooth out, on Dude Ranch, he’s got an almost raspy delivery in many of the songs, most notably on his terrific delivery in “Dammit”. This helps give the track a sense of edge that’s never been quite replicated on later releases.
The lack of production glossiness on the record helps the listener hear what the band can do without relying on studio techniques for touch-ups. Where Cheshire Cat’s production left something to be desired, this was a record clearly put together by professionals (just nobody on Finn’s level).
Every track on the album features strong songwriting and melodies. The lyrics are more often than not focused on adolescent humor (mainly from Delonge), but when the songs are a bit more serious, they don’t sound forced at all.
In general, the band just sounds so natural here and it’s refreshing to hear both Mark and Tom without so much “vocal assistance”. The humorous lyrics managed to age better than most of their later output because its just kids having fun without much thought of their audience. Songs like the country-tinged “Degenerate” still hold up, as does “Voyeur” and its self-degrading lyrics.
I can’t help but wonder where this band would’ve gone had they signed to an indie label instead. Obviously, they wouldn’t have become as big or done as well financially, but they clearly loved making this style of music and I wouldn’t mind having a couple more Dude Ranch type records. Oh well, I guess in another universe…
If I could change or improve anything on Dude Ranch, it would be to have Travis instead of Scott on drums. It’s not that Scott’s drumming is terrible. It’s just fairly bland compared to the creativity Barker is capable of. Plus, after hearing some of these songs on the live album, it’s clear Travis is needed to add that dash of energy that is missing.
Even if you don’t like “mainstream punk”, I don’t know how you can’t love this record. It’s insanely fun and right up there with many of the best 90s punk records.
Recommended Tracks: Pathetic / Untitled / Apple Shampoo
1. Untitled (2003)
I’ll admit, like Neighborhoods, I wasn’t feeling this (*wink wink) when it was initially released. In fact, after I heard the first couple of singles, I stubbornly decided I was over the band’s newfound seriousness. Now that time has passed, I can see my ignorance and fully appreciate this album for its excellent work of exploratory creativity.
Untitled was a clear departure from the band’s established sound and a great example of how devoted they were to making an album that not only elevated their collective talents but one they could eternally be proud of. Through careful and deliberate studio recording tactics, the songs almost feel like an experience, especially when played together front to back — it’s a record that eternally makes you appreciate the importance of skilled sequencing.
Unlike recent records like California, Nine, and One More Time…, Blink’s fifth record shows just how excellent songs can turn out when you’ve got an incredibly talented producer putting them together. Jerry Finn’s work as a producer is near legendary, but Untitled may just be his magnum opus.
While Untitled isn’t necessarily the best record Finn has been the producer on, I do think it’s the best example of his genius. It’s one of those albums you appreciate more on repeat listens because there are so many little things going on that aren’t immediately noticeable on the first listen or two. In fact, this is my go-to record whenever I need to test new audio equipment — it’s surprising what else you can hear on better equipment.
Barker’s talents as a drummer were already well-documented by this point, but he really takes it to another level on this record with nearly every moment being awe-inspiring. Even his more simplistic drumbeats contain a little extra something special.
Mark and Tom play off each other beautifully, showcasing some of their best songwriting and allowing listeners to hear how varied their sound could be. From “I Miss You” to “Feeling This” to “Stockholm Syndrome”, they all stand out uniquely yet work together seamlessly. Even when it occasionally slows down, it always picks back, like with “Go” or “Here’s Your Letter”.
Not only does each song sound unique, but none of the songs sound quite like previously released material. This is a credit both to the production as well a huge amount of creative effort being placed into each song.
“Asthenia” and “Easy Target” are both contenders for the best Blink songs and they’re surrounded by so many other great tunes on the album. It’s a testament to how great this record is. While Dude Ranch epitomizes the band’s humor, fun, and natural charisma, Untitled showcases the height of their collective talents.
The only (minor) criticisms I have is that the “Stockholm Syndrome Interlude” gets old on repeat listens, and I’m also not a huge fan of Robert Smith’s guest vocals on “All of This”. I appreciate them bringing aboard one of their biggest inspirations, but his appearance throws off the album’s flow. Lastly, although I really like “Feeling This”, it’s also hard to deny that the repeated ‘I’m feeling this’ line is pretty corny.
Recommended Tracks: Asthenia / Easy Target / Violence
