B182 - Musical Style and Influences

Musical Style and Influences

Blink-182's music can be described as pop punk, a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, "combining frustration and fast, sunny hooks." The New York Times writes that the band " punk's already playful core and it a shiny, accessible polish." Blink-182 emerged from a "nurturing, often slapstick" Southern California punk scene, playing with groups like Guttermouth, NOFX and The Vandals, but the band's sound was criticized when they achieved mainstream popularity by several punk acts who wished to not be associated with their music. The band's sound evolved with their 2003 self-titled effort, which incorporated emo and post-hardcore influences into deeper, darker pop territory. The band's newest material, Neighborhoods (2011), combines arena rock, hip hop and indie rock inspiration.

Common lyrical themes include love, family, friends, and relationships. In greater detail, this includes "adolescent aimlessness, broken hearts and general confusion over the care and feeling of girls." Lyrics in singles such as "What's My Age Again?" reflect age and maturity, while more serious compositions such as "Stay Together for the Kids" touch on the subject of divorce. DeLonge said in a 1999 interview that the goal is to remain sincere and relatable, noting that the band takes their lyrics very seriously. Despite this, the band gained a reputation for occasional lyrical toilet humor (Take Off Your Pants and Jacket). As the band members grew older, lyrical themes began to reflect the realities of adulthood, including relationship woes, daily pressures and unexpected hardships, most prominently explored on Blink-182 (2003). On Neighborhoods, darker lyricism continues: themes concerning depression, addiction, loss and death were inspired by Barker's plane crash and the death of producer Jerry Finn.

The band has cited The Cure, the Descendents, Screeching Weasel, Bad Religion, Pennywise, NOFX, The Undertones, The Vandals, and Buzzcocks as influences, and they have been cited for their influence on contemporary pop punk music, with MTV News declaring "...Without them, there'd be no Fall Out Boy, no Paramore, or no Fueled by Ramen Records." All Time Low has cited Blink-182 as a major influence, as have bands such as Paramore, Relient K, Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Motion City Soundtrack, New Found Glory, We the Kings, Good Charlotte, Hey Monday, The Cab, Forever the Sickest Kids, Cute is What We Aim For, and Yellowcard. The band's influence extends beyond pop punk groups, as well: indie folk rock quartet Mumford & Sons have acknowledged their influence and respect for the band, as have surf pop duo Best Coast. In 2011, The New York Times asserted that "no punk band of the 1990s has been more influential than Blink-182," stating that even as the band receded after their 2005 split, "its sound and style could be heard in the muscular pop punk of Fall Out Boy or in the current wave of high-gloss Warped Tour punk bands, like All Time Low and The Maine." A 2012 LA Weekly article concurs, stating "Quietly and inevitably, Blink-182 is becoming a hugely influential band."

Blink-182 is one of the bands to be featured in a documentary about modern punk music. The film, entitled One Nine Nine Four, was due to be released in 2009 but has been delayed. The documentary was released on YouTube on April 18th, 2012. Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk narrates the film, which also features other punk acts such as Rancid, Bad Religion, Green Day, NOFX, and The Offspring.