The third wave of ska punk came in the mid-90s. During this time, ska-punk exploded into the mainstream with fast tempos, brass arrangements, and a unique fashion sense. These four 90s ska-punk bands had millennials skanking and wearing checkerboard or plaid patterns.
Honorable mentions include Less Than Jake, Goldfinger, and early releases from No Doubt.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1983, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones didn’t break through into the mainstream until the mid-to-late 90s. They were among the first bands to popularize the genre in the mainstream, touring extensively throughout the decade. Their breakthrough album, Let’s Face It, was released on March 11, 1997. Their single, “The Impression I Get”, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Following the success of two more singles, “Royal Oil” and “The Rascal King”, the album went to No. 27 on the Billboard 200.
Reel Big Fish
In 1996, Reel Big Fish also pushed ska-punk into the mainstream with the success of their sophomore album, Turn The Radio Off. Their single, “Sell Out”, peaked at No. 10 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Notably, when bassist Matt Wong saw the band on MTV, the sandwich he was eating fell out of his mouth in shock. He had to wait until later that day to share the news with his bandmates. Although Reel Big Fish didn’t maintain their mainstream status, the band generated a cult following, and they still perform together to this day.
sublime
In the early-to-mid 90s, Sublime released a string of ska-punk essentials. They also helped push the genre into the mainstream. Tragically, lead singer Bradley Nowell died of a drug overdose in 1996, just before the release of their self-titled third album. This album contained the hits “Santeria” and “What I Got”, both of which became the band’s signature songs. It peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 in July 1996. Additionally, “What I Got” hit No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart and No. 11 on the Mainstream Rock chart. “Santeria” reached No. 3 on the Alternative Airplay chart in early 1997.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
The post 3 Ska-Punk Bands of the 90s That Had Millennials Skanking and Wearing Checkers and Plaid appeared first on VICE.
