Smash (The Offspring Album)

Smash (The Offspring album)

Smash is the third studio album by American punk rock band The Offspring. After touring in support of their previous album, Ignition (1992), The Offspring began recording Smash in October 1993 at Track Record in North Hollywood, California. Recording and production were finished two months later, and the album was released on April 8, 1994 on Epitaph Records. Smash incorporates elements of punk rock, alternative rock, heavy metal and ska, and is heavily influenced by the emerging pop punk scene at the time.

In the US, Smash has sold over 6.3 million copies as of 2012 and has been certified 6x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Peaking at number four on the US Billboard 200, it has sold over 12-16 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling independent label album of all time. It was the first album released on Epitaph Records to obtain gold and platinum status. Smash was The Offspring's introduction into worldwide popularity and critical acclaim, and produced a number of hit singles including the hugely successful "Come Out and Play", "Self Esteem" and "Gotta Get Away" singles. As a fan-favorite, Smash received generally positive reviews from critics and garnered attention from major labels, including Columbia Records, with whom The Offspring would sign in 1996. The album has been recognized as an influential and seminal component of the punk rock and pop punk scene in the mid 1990s.