The lyrics have gotten angsty, the riffs have gotten sugary, the belts have gotten studded. It was only a matter of time before punk rock was packaged for a mainstream audience. Pop punk, everyone's favorite problem child of rock music, evolved as an offshoot of true-blue '70s punk into a formidable cultural bloc entering the early aughts. Was there a definite reason it resonated with the millennial youth so profoundly, and who's to blame?
The Source
There is indeed an entire celestial of bands that could be linked to the impetus of pop punk. However, for our sake, we'll call out the works of Manchester's Buzzcocks. These late-'70s British punks cut their teeth in the aftershocks of punk waves created by the Sex Pistols, but eventually entered a more radio-friendly lane propelled by the songwriting of singer Pete Shelley. Late '70s Buzzcocks compositions contained familiar punk rock chainsaw guitar distortion and punishing tempos with two newer additions to the formula: effortlessly marketable hooks and lovesick lyrical assemblies. Primed to pop on larger radio markets, the seeds of this new genre were sown for millennial reaping.
The Scoop
A Manchester history lesson will, of course, not tell the full story. Catapulted to undisputed notoriety by the late '90s by California's Green Day and Blink-182, pop punk entered its first proper mainstream stage. Carrying on in the tradition of bands like the Buzzcocks, Green Day and Blink-182 would remain relevant into the mid-aughts with a mixture of raucous, up-tempo rhythms, punchy, caffeinated guitars, and narratives of youthful longing ripped straight from the author's most recent diary entry. Today, pop punk is still thoroughly relevant nearly three decades on. Pop punk's wave has crested and crashed several times over for new and nostalgic audiences with that all-important heart-on-your-sleeve sincerity.
The Verdict
So, who can we really blame for pop punk? High school cotillion organizers? Zumiez store managers? Tony Hawk Pro Skater? Maybe you've just been dumped. Maybe high school is almost over. Maybe this small town seems smaller today than it was yesterday. Fear not, you've got an off-brand Fender and a Marshall dirty inside and out. Grab your friends, fill the garage, have a ball. This summer won't last forever.
Key listens
- Dookie – Green Day (1994)
- Enema of the State – Blink-182 (1999)
- Singles Going Steady – Buzzcocks (1979)
- Key track: “When I Come Around” – Green Day (1994)