Top Blink-182 Songs
Words by Zoe Marquedant
While Tom Delonge is off co-writing dozens of books with best selling authors, the Blink-182 fandom is left pondering: who the hell is Matt Skiba? The Alkaline Trio founding member stepped as guitarist to complete the trio when Tom Delonge, the band’s original guitarist, was kicked out earlier this year.
The band and its fans are not strangers to drama. Blink has seen its share of hiatuses and off-periods. The band has also been through a line up change before. This time, however, the slip seemed rather permanent. Travis Barker, the band’s drummer, has stated in interviews that he’ll “never say never” when it comes to reinstating Delonge, but both he and the band’s final member Mark Hoppus have also expressed genuine excitement about having Skiba come on as more than just a touring member of the band. Hoppus went as far as to call Skiba “the new step dad that is going to be living with us from now on.” To this the fans have reacted both positively and with cries of “you’re not my real dad.”
Whether you’re weathering this Blink drama by listening to “Down” on repeat or by discovering Matt Skiba and the Sekrets, take some time to appreciate Blink over the course of their decades-long career. Without them we wouldn’t have All Time Low or Fall Out Boy or any of these glorious songs:
“Carousel”
Flyswatter / Buddha
An earlier version of a later hit song, this iteration is the fast paced, rhyme-heavy, endearingly-nasally punk rock that the music world first fell in love with. It is also allegedly one of the first songs to come out of the collective genius of Hoppus and Delonge.
“Dammit (Growing Up)”
Dude Ranch
Another early version of a beloved Blink song, this version of “Dammit” shows the enormous potential that young Blink showed. Its release came on the heels of the band signing with MCA Records in 1996. It was also the last album with their original drummer Scott Raynor.
“Going Away to College”
Enema of the State
This track off of the cheekily titled Enema of the State is one of the sweeter ones in the Blink catalogue. Hoppus was supposedly inspired to write it after watching Can’t Hardly Wait and musing on the collision of high school romance and college.
“Online Songs”
Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
This song, which came out In the midst of Blink’s most popular years, sits opposite to the cutesier “Josie”. The fast, bitter, post-breakup anthem harkens back to the days of stressing over away messages and screen names. It also houses the catchiest collection of nonsensical syllables in a song: Na na na na na…
“Feeling This” (Hoppus/DeLonge)
Blink-182
Blink self-titled album ushered in their experimental era that birthed a sound closer to current days Angels and Airwaves than it does to old school Blink. Still sonic shifts aren’t always bad, as proved by this song with its Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-sque personality.
“All the Small Things”
Greatest Hits / Enema of the State
Originally off of Enema of the State, this track is the one that everyone has heard, even your mom. Delonge wrote it about his girlfriend-turned-wife Jennifer Jenkins, who actually did leave him “roses on the stairs” after Delonge returned home late one night after recording. It has since been named one of the “100 Greatest Pop Songs” by the Rolling Stone and has become perhaps the best known Blink song.
“Dogs Eating Dogs”
Dogs Eating Dogs
The Dogs Eating Dogs EP seemed to be a step in the right direction for Blink after years of turmoil. Their previous release the good, but sort of scattered Neighborhoods had been born in a less-than-traditional recording process that was based in emails and separate studios. They got back to basics and back in the same room for this follow-up that finds them much more coherent and sounding like themselves in only five songs. It will also perhaps be the last release with Delonge. After its release, Delonge commented on the recording process in a now eerily relevant and tell Facebook post in January, saying. he “never planned on quitting, just [found]it hard as hell to commit.” Hmmm.
“I Miss You”
Blink-182
Similar to “Feeling This”, this well-known Blink track features Hoppus and Delonge swapping off for the lead vocal spot, mixing their ranges and styles together perfectly to create one of their most memorable songs. Despite the unusual instrument choices of cello, upright bass and an upright bass and drum brushes, it is THE Blink song and the one to sing along to while mourning the loss of the band Tom’s lip ring.
