Reviews (page 6 of 14)
Great 90s punk
Classic of Punk-Rock. Self Esteem has been a long time favorite.
4.6 With hindsight this was arguably the best of the poppunk albums, and yet it only achieved fame by riding on the coattails of the explosion of dookie. The reason why it works so well is that the offspring were legitimately a punk band, with a spirit more akin to NoFX than green day/blink, who ventured into pop territory. This album leans a bit more to punk, Americana closer to pop, before they fully transitioned into pretty awful tepid pop punk after that, I'm talking Sum41/Busted levels. The ferocious energy of this album is what drives it, and although not every song is a beast, with the latter half in particular running a bit drier in a couple places (What Happened To You nearly drags it down a star), the sheer number of absolute belters puts it at the pinnacle of the genre.
Love it
One thing that I discovered with this challenge is that I am not a fan of punk. But surf pop punk with funny lyrics? Count me in. Always loved The Offspring but never listened to Smash before, and it was fun and funny listen, just what I expected. Easilynone of the best bands of the 90s, and highly influential, even if some people here don't get them. Every teenager in the 90s or 00s do get them 4/5
I was correct to never listen to this album. Although I wonder if music snobs hated the Sex Pistols as much as I dislike this punk/ska/pop nonsense?
The first album pull that I’ve already listened to. I first listened to this in my baby punk phase and I’m happy to report it hasn’t lost any of its power in the years since. If anything I appreciate it even more for holding up so well. It’s pretty impressive that this became a legit smash success and the bestselling album released on an indie label even though the band’s core sound really hasn’t changed from their debut, they’ve become better and more dynamic songwriters but they still have that Blackball energy and speed for most of this(and even though the singles slow things down a bit they’ve still got a ton of punch to them. I also like their excursion into Ska Punk for one track.) It’ll Be a Long Time is still my favorite on here. Superpowers flex their wings indeed.
Not my thing. Some honest lyrics though 3 ⭐
Kinda crazy how much of this album I remember. Back in 1994, "Self Esteem" and "Come Out and Play" were huge and great at the time (still good songs if I'm being fair). I remember being stoked to hear the rest. Then I heard the rest and was greatly disappointed. Save for the two big singles (and "Gotta Get Away"), the rest of the album sounds like one song played over and over. It's that Epitaph sound that I've never liked. It all sounds the same to me. Save for Offspring's singer's distinctive voice, nothing else about this stands out from any of the rest of Epithaph's roster. Music-wise, this is the same as Pennywise. And it's the same jock punks who listen to that and this. It's very 90s. It's not the worst but overall it doesn't do anything for me but remind me of jock punks with frosted-tipped gelled hair and wallet chains or some shit.
good ol punk rock. makes me wanna skate. or play crazy taxi
Fun album. There are times where it's some of their hits and you're like hey this rocks. Then when most of the other songs play it sounds like one ubiquitous Offspring song. When I read their bio and it said West Coast Surfer Punk it didn't quote make sense, then What Happened to You came on and it all came together
Man this really pissed me off
I mean it's just jam after jam. The spoken word tracks are whatever and unfortunately ruin the flow a bit, but every song is great.
It's just too noisy for my little ears. Though I must say I was incredibly productive at work while these guys were yelling at me.
There's a twinge of nostalgia listening to this, but it's kinda cringe.
SoCal punk rock supreme. The only problem is Dexter Holland, who starts at 10 and goes from there. I'd like The Offspring so much more if he put more Zack de la Rocha on it.
So angsty. So 90s. So amazing.
This is about what I expect when I read "The Offspring" on an album cover. There are undeniable Grunge and Punk influences here, and the singer is usually more shouting than actually singing, which is par for the course for Punk, but not really my cup of tea. Self Esteem is a classic from the era, but the rest of the album is just so-so. Energy yes, good songs, err, not really. 2/5
Really don't like this guy's voice
Classic!!!
Getting 3 albums in the span of one week that I've known inside and out since my teens >>>>> I'm going to try and not let nostalgia color my review of this album. So although I know this one inside and out, The Offspring are not a band I still listen to. However, Smash is still among their best (I'd guess Ignition still holds up too) and they hadn't really gone deep into novelty song territory yet. Sure, "What Happened to You?" is a sillier vibe than the rest and it's nestled in the clearly-weaker Side B, but it's not exactly a song about picking up poop (like on the follow-up to this) or Pretty Fly (For a White Guy). I don't love the production, but the songs are anthemic and hooky as hell. Bad Habit definitely makes you feel like a rebel when you're hearing it for the first time as a kid and all I can say in 2025 is "wow I'm just glad there's no homophobic slurs in that climactic cursing streak" (there is some ableism though.) Having this on cassette meant skipping was a royal pain so I didn't fast-forward through any tracks back then, but now I'd probably skip Killboy Powerhead.
Glad to see The Offspring make the list. Would prefer to see Americana here though, it's a more interesting listen.
Why do I like this?
Meh, semi decent punk
Again, more nostalgia. Good but not the peak of their work.
Solid album. Some of their hits. All great. Solid 4.
I listened to this a lot at my cousin's house while playing Donkey Kong Country with Orange Crush and Old Dutch. I still think he's saying "DONKEY KONG... EVERY DAY" in Genocide. No skipz
This was one of my gateway albums into punk rock - The Offspring were so peak here, it was great.
Pretty good punk rock
Phenomenal album. 9/10.
Amazing album! I like “Gotta Get Away”, “Come Out and Play”, “Self-Esteem”, “It’ll Be a Long Time”, and “What Happened to You”. “Not the One” and “Smash” remind me so much of the angsty energy of “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” (I loved that song as a teen). I loved the old school narrator intro and outro they used. The instrumental ending to “Smash” is great! It has some oriental sounding elements to it. There is an 8min dead air in that song for a hidden break.
Classic. Used to listen to this one alot when I was in high-school so made me feel super nostalgic
Multiple classics but I do enjoy the new albums more
Did not love this the first time. Has not aged well. Get some credit for not being other US punk-ish bands of the same period.
Still fun
My ears hate me listening to this, a distinct headache coming on every time I try. During the day I had to break it down in 2 song chunks as it's so wearing, samey, at times tinny and bludgeoning. Not an experience I want to repeat (although i'm sure there might be similar kinds of album in the 1001). At least the song "Self Esteem" has some subtlety in structure, although many of the more tolerable tracks just have me reaching for Nevermind.
The stupidest album ever made. This band is even worse than I thought, and they’re already my least favorite band.
Influential? maybe. Good? Nah Later Offspring is better 3.5 / 10 Best track: Come Out and Play has at least something interesting going on with that riff
I used to really love the Offspring back in high school with "Americana" being my favorite album by them. Now they're a little cringe to me but it was nice revisiting this album after all these years. I would give this a 3.5 out of 5 but I'll round up out of nostalgia. Favorite track: Self Esteem 3.5/5
Мы не живем в контексте того времени, думаю тогда это было реально круто. Но сейчас, во-первых, другое время, во-вторых, такая музыка не резонирует со мной. Думаю, в любое другое время я бы мог оценить его на 4, но сейчас это МАКСИМУМ 3.5, увы.
The sound is a bit much but they do have a passion for it
I had this compact disc playing on my home stereo. My memory of it was not that it was good, just that there were two bangers. And that was a correct recollection - Keep em Separated and Self Esteem are great, the rest is trash that straddles the punk eras from hardcore 80s stuff to the cheesy late 90s pop punk. Fave Tracks: Come Out and Play, Self Esteem 2.2/5
3.5 Another album that was an integral part of my youth - it's still fun and upbeat pop-punk, but my kid self definitely felt this was a lot more subversive than it is to me today. Still a great listen, and not just for nostalgia.
I was a suburban white kid in the 90s, I have no choice but to 5 star this one
not my thing
Æ vet æ hørte på det, men æ har allerede glemt alt? Det va noen sketsjer med en fyr som snakka, og så va det sanger, og dem va åpenbart på ingen måte minneverdig. Men dem va der, æ vet æ hørte på dem.
5/10
3.5
2 hits, bad voice
WoooooooooooooAhhh woooooooooaaaaaaaaaooooohhhhh. I think self esteem is kind of the platonic ideal of what these guys do. Really dumb lyrics I don’t mind the guitar stuff the vocals are really annoying. Always double tracked and singing at the absolute edge of vocal range always. Ska song was like if Sublime sucked even more.
Or pass?
Pretty cool honestly, nice sound
Enjoyed more than I thought I would liked the narration at beginning middle and end favourite track Killboy Powerhead. Maybe with a second listen will grow on me.
3.5
Good album, I've heard other things by them and it's very reminiscent of their other stuff I'd heard. No takeaways for me, though.
Considering that Americans pretty much invented the genre, 90s skate / pop punk genre was a real low point in punk's history. I wasn't a fan at the time and I think The Offspring were significantly worse than Green Day or NOFX. On listening to Smash for the first time in 30 years, it was significantly worse than I remember. I didn't think it would be a one, but it is utter garbage.
Couldn’t finish
💩💦🚽
Vuigheid ten top, de woede, de gal. Gedurfder dan Amerikaan met af en toe een vleug ska, maar na driekwartier ben je de drieakkoordenriffs en de dubbele basdrums wel zat.
neloša pankrokija, 3 prema 4
This was the first CD I ever bought. I still really enjoy this album but its ranking is almost certainly bumped by nostalgia factor. I think I am willing to now admit Dookie was the better album but this still holds up. 4.5
I liked it better when it came out than now .Didn’t age as well as some other punk stuff if that era .
All this album did was remind me why I'm kind of picky about this type of music. I'm not really feeling the vocalist, but that's not my only problem. The music feels too stereotypical. Same guitar riffs I've heard before that kinda blend in together tied together with the HEEEEY OHOOOooo ass choruses. The music just comes off as a bit corny to me. They're trying to be edgy, but it's kind of a dull edge. I didn't hate any of it but wasn't very invested in it either, and a few decent to good songs don't change that.
A fun nostalgic staple!
Couple of bangers but the rest doesn't do it for me
this was the height of me hating 90s popular music and it hasn't changed
Amazingly 90s. Bias 5 from be for being one of two CDs that where given to me by my sister when I was a child to chape my musical tastes today.
Perhaps the only Offspring album I find palatable.
"Yo, it's time to make some craaaAAAAAzy money!"
a few good songs, but that was it
Not very good. Kinda boring and I never liked The Offspring, and it’s mostly just not very good. I don’t know what to say there’s not tons wrong with it they’re just not my thing
First one I’ve heard all the way through before love the offspring!
Off to see the Offspring next month. Seminal album for me and partly shaped my punk rock future 😀
Enjoyed hearing lots of songs that I don't know from them, while they still had a more punk sound.
Oh how I love loud bands who make music just because. Pure fun. Couple of tracks towards the end felt a little redundant but they made me immediately rethink by following them up with the 'I'm not a trendy asshole, do what I want' song hahaha. Plus we love some hidden tracks. Thanks Offspring
One of my fav
I listened to this nearly twice as I didn't finish the first time, too busy, and I didn't mind listening again. I'm glad I did, because I enjoyed it more the second time around. All these songs basically sound the same, but I like the sound. Nitro, It'll Be A Long Time and Genocide are a couple I especially enjoyed. It's all a bit immature, unambitious and simplistic, but enjoyable still. I also like the narrator, he adds some fun to it, and I guess he returned on Ixnay On The Hombre. I can't quite bring myself to give this four stars, but it's a very strong three.
a well-loved and worn record of my youth.
I like the music. I find the vocals to be annoying and a whole album of it gets me. And if I never have to hear "Self Esteem" and "Come Out and Play" again I will be happy. I lived through their overplayed years and I am frankly sick of it. Surprisingly "Gotta Get Away" (another hit but less overplayed than the others) reminded me of early Joy Division.
This is an easy one. I own this album. Definitely brings back memories of my teenage years since I was 14 when this came out. Even though the singing is a lot of the same (he has a unique voice), meaning every song has the same tone, somehow they change up the music and lyrics in a way that doesn't get boring. I think this is why they hit so big when they came out. This is one of those few albums where every song is good.
Great nostalgia from high school
Great 90's punk album. Great bangers and some genuinely funny writing. Was familiar with it before, but the songs I hadn't heard before were good too.
This still kinda rips! It was one of those genre adjacent albums that broke through to my grunge-o-sphere when I was 14. Even though it spawned pop punk it was close enough to the real thing that it mostly holds up for me today.
Lively, fun, vintage mid-90s punk
La virgen que chute de energia. Tiene que ser dificil mantener ese registro tan alto todo el tiempo.
Onhan täs noi pari ihan mojovaa hittiä mu vähän menee kokonaisuus huutamisen puolelle. Punk sinänsä yesbox
Tätä levyä ollaan kulutettu ja aikakausi muutenkin ollut merkitsevä. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This contains more coffeine than the usual monday morning dose I need 😅
Sounded a bit samey but I did really enjoy the energy
Takes me back to the early 90s but I don't want to go. 👎
Decent.
Veldig slitsomt
This is the album that makes me wish I’d been a skater
I've heard a few Offspring songs here and there, but this was a real treat. Still working on beefing up my knowledge of the punk scene as my angsty teenage music phase was super boring by most standards. The vocals are exactly what I'd expect and enjoy here, and I really enjoyed the instrumentation. There are some great riffs here that I've been humming all day. My favorite was probably "Come Out and Play" which really got me in the groove. I wasn't a huge fan of "What Happened to You" though, it was giving mid-ass anime opening. Stuck between a 4/4.5 here.
Vocals kind of ruined this one for me, but I enjoyed the music. I see the appeal, though.
Nirvana, for people who are more fun, more dorky, and also angry
This album emotionally brings me back to a more simpler, youthful time where i was not overburdened with the the real world issues of our troubled times. It has a nice energy and i think Offspring is a cool act, they have their own sound. That being said, i dont have any nostalgia towards them so as a 35yo i have a more difficult time relating to their vibe as it presents itself to me, where bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana and the like i can always return to because i listened to them as a kid. That being said, i think the album is pretty good, I admit have never listened to Offspring outside of the classic radio hits. Listening to this album will not make me integrate Offspring in my party playlists, but i can respect it for what it is. I give it 7/10 middle fingers to the man.
got to the 3rd song, then I skipped the rest. I've heard it before, it's ok, a solid 3/10, myb a 4. but could I die without having heard this? absolutely.
A true classic by the band, but when reaching for one of their albums it has never been my first pick as this is not the style of punk I associate with The Offspring. Has many classic songs though.
It’s a fun listen. I’m not throwing this on anytime with any sense of conviction, but this record has its place in getting kids to pick up guitar for the first time.
Eka cd, jonka oon saanut. Sekä yksi parhaita levyjä ikinä. 6/5.
Really gets the blood pumping. Pure energy. I also like the recurring bit of the guy introducing the songs, in a sense making this an album within an album. 4/5
Nostalgia
Little Tikes Punk Rock - serves a purpose but is far from the best punk album ever made
too boring, skipping
Sometimes an album comes along that has just the energy you need! It’s a banger start to finish. Perfect score.
Only really heard a handful of their songs but liked them. Just had never dove into them more. Really liked this album a lot. Will be listening to this again
1994 - 14 years old, Kurt gone (not a big fan at that time) and the "void" was filled with mainstream punkrock! Dookie, Smash, Stranger Than Fiction,...Simple, good times...
This is one of those where my nostalgia gets to overwrite my snobbishness. Is this some deep and profound album with heaps of technical skill? no. But do I jam out to it just because its from my childhood? yes,
Self Esteem, Gotta Get Away
Crazy taxi, I think. Now that I listened to The Offspring a substantial amount I realize the lead singer approaches each song the same to a point of it being annoying. Very one-note. Not all bad, but boy that detracts from everything.
This is a band I know pretty well (saw them in concert this past year), but not sure I’ve listened to this album start to finish before. It has multiple hits; Gotta Get Away, Come Out and Play, and my personal favorite Self Esteem. I enjoy when albums have an intro and outro or narrator, adds a bit of personality to the start to finish experience and feels less common in today’s single culture. The ‘bonus track’ towards the end took me back to waiting for the track to run through at the end of an album. Overall, a good an nostalgic listen.
This album feels like the punk rock parts of a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater soundtrack. (As opposed to the metal, hip-hop and ska parts) It was fun. Not the best punk music out there but not a bad way to spend 45 minutes. The existence of the bonus track at the end made me very happy.
Super forgettable. Ill only use this to talk to older former punk rockers. TWO!
Hi Energy. Couple songs I've always liked Gotta Get Away Come Out and Play Self Esteem
Different kind of punk rock that started out strong with “Bad Habit” as the third track that was an instant playlist ad. Recognized “Self-Esteem” which was a unique tune as well. The songwriting, creativity of the guitar licks, and upbeat drum tempos made this album stand out with some average uniqueness.
Good
Cool. They sound like the band that I wanted to have in highschool.
Vraiment cool !
Sympa
La voix du chanteur c'est comme ça que je m'imagine la voix de Rougail en humain, assez stridente et pas hyper agréable. Mais la guitare est super, c'est entraînant, bref comme le nom de l'album : Smash !
I don't have the history with this album that a know a lot of people my age do. I never listened to the offspring growing up, and while I have of course heard many of these songs, I have no nostalgia for this. There are definitely really fun tracks here with good writing that still slay and stay relevant. However it's not a super consistent album imo. For every Self Esteem and Gotta Get Away there's a Killboy Powerhead or So Alone that brings things down a bit. Don't get me wrong, overall this is still a fantastic album and that's coming from someone who doesn't give a shit about most punk music.
Amazing cover to cover. Every time I listen I’m reminded just how unique and powerful these tracks are. Certainly nothing like it at the time and honestly maybe still. Some powerful tracks lyrically like What Happened To You? Not The One, and Come Out And Play. Not The One in particular feels timeless in its message and just as powerful today. Stand out tracks are Come Out and Play, Bad Habit, Not The One, and Self Esteem.
Favorite tracks: Self Esteem, Come Out and Play, It'll Be a Long Time, Gotta Get Away Man, what a classic! The singles are well picked on this one, and continue to be my favorite songs on the album. I found another song or two I enjoyed, but for the most part this album was just nostalgic for me. This was great as an angsty preteen/teen, but didn't quite hold up well enough as an adult. I suspect if I was unfamiliar with them I would only give 2 stars, but for the nostalgia I'll happily give them 4.
They played a small venue here in 1994 the night they got to number one on some chart and they booked an expensive hotel right away instead of sleeping at the venue as planned. This was my scene. Nobody from the scene understood why the Offspring were the ones who made it big and not the good bands like NOFX, Bad Religion, Lagwagon, etc. Especially the singing is not up to par. Some songs are alright, but not quite Bad Religion or NOFX level. Favorite song: come out and play.
4.54
Some good shit right here
Once I saw the yellow tinted skeleton Xray with distorted default fonts, I knew we were in for some good 90s punk. Something to Believe in, Come Out and Play and Self Esteem are an iconic three song run (and the sounds of early 2000s LA KROQ that graced my childhood) and were fun to reminisce with. I’d say this is a solid album, but the voice is a little whiney, and lyrics are unapologetically and sometimes hilariously straightforward. It’s a bit too on the nose. Surprised myself by how much Offspring I knew and how much I enjoyed this listen. Guess the sounds of my childhood were actually Southern California punk!
Not my thing but if I had something to compare it to I feel like it would hold up. This is the kind of thing I could appreciate if it was being played in front of me but would never seek out on my own.
3.5, the offspring typically aren’t my thing since I usually don’t like the vocals on some of their other work. But this one had some hits. Another Tony Hawk Pro Skater fuel album for sure. The 3 minutes of silence uninterrupted till the band comes back in the last track I can imagine having a very fun chuckle with if I was listening to this back in the 90s on my CD player, unfortunately now I just scrubbed through the song time line to figure out why there was multiple minutes of silence.
This was absolutely fine. It really ramps up in the back half and the final song is as an artistic decisions is really funny. With that said, I can’t really say it stuck with me much past that.
Too pop for skae punk, too punk for pop punk. The second half of this album is solid and they're the first major selling band in this world of music, but honestly aren't The Offspring like that one kid from school? Your friends friend on the edge of the social group. He'd be at the big parties and would occasionally say something funny, but you'd never invite him to a smaller gathering or hang out individually.
Ah, the only good Offspring album. When this came out it, the energy really resonated with me. After a few years I moved on to more politically driven punk rock, which I still feel is better music, especially since they really dropped the ball with their follow-ups (Ixnay and Americana). Still, I fondly remember this album. There were better choices for this list from the era however.
Favourite Track: Self Esteem, What Happened to You?
Great, fun album to listen to. Upbeat, with rock / pop punk feel. One song in particular had very profane section — not good for young kids.
Well this was better than expected! Lotta pop punk ragers on the first half of this bad boy, too bad it falls off after the big heavy hitters but the songs arent bad, they just arent as good. And yeah the heavy hitters, self esteem and come out and play are pop/skate punk alltimers. 3.5/5
Couple radio hit bangers. If they weren't played daily on the radio while I was growing up I probably wouldn't have been able to pick them out of the album as their "hits."
This album is quite repetitive, but the energetic riffs and vocals make it fun the whole way through. Nothing really impressive, just enjoyable, catchy punk.
Radio friendly 90s pop punk. I didn't like it then and I still kinda don't. But at least it gives me a sense of nostalgia for my 20s. This is my 200th album. I think I'm going to take a bit of a break and drop dive and re-listen to some of my personal favorites for a bit and come back to this challenge in a few weeks. 2.5/5 #200
This isn't my favorite - but I didn't, like, HATE it
Solid
Fan of the popular songs (Gotta Get Away, Come Out and Play, and Self Esteem), but didn't leave wanting to re-listen to any others. I guess I liked the riff in the middle of It'll Be a Long Time. I liked the hidden track at the end of Smash; I'm a fan of using the medium of the CD as part of the album.
Brought back some memories.
These bangers have been buried in my mind since the mid-90s. Imagine my surprise when I realized I remembered almost every song. Thanks to 11-year-old me for burning the lyrics of Bad Habit into my brain so that I can still scream them in my car 30-odd years later.
Decent overally, bit angsty.
Noisy in a good way. Straightforward. 3 chord riffs and some decent, memorable choruses. Nothing spectacular but it has a charm and a raw energy that makes it a decent listen. When listening to 'Come Out and Play' i realised i'd not heard it for about 20 years and I had a little nostalgic moment remembering a simpler time. Thats what music is all about for me. Favourite track- Self Esteem. 8/10
It’s great but there’s a bit of redundancy to it if you’re excluding the hits
A smash of teenage memories and nostalgia come flooding back with this album. I was just turning 13 when this album came out and it sounded great then and it still does now. Production is on point for a punk rock band and it allowed them to cross over into the mainstream. This album and Green Day's Dookie were my introduction to my life long love of punk. Yeah I'm biased with this rating but who doesn't like screaming "YOU STUPID DUMBSHIT GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKER"? Best Tracks: Bad Habit; Come Out and Play; Self Esteem
Offspring brings high energy, punchy riffs, and catchy songs to this record with highlights like come out and play. It doesn't break the mold but is entertaining and enjoyable
It was alright and listenable. Decent rock if nothing else was playing. I think I would have enjoyed it more when it came out.
Yuck. My punk/hardcore is Bad Brains, Black Flag. This is just obnoxious
This was one of the first CDs I owned, so it is impossible for me to be objective here. I had a great nostalgia trip listening through this again. It is one of the best and most important pop punk albums, helped define a sound for the 90s-00s, and is The Offspring's best album. There isn't much that is innovative or breathtaking on this album, but it's just catchy pop song after catchy pop song, infinitely sing-a-long-able. Many songs follow the same formula, and Dexter's voice is probably grating to a lot of people, but it just reminds me of my own 7th-grade voice singing and shouting along to it. I'm not a trendy asshole, I don't give a fuck if it's good enough for you, 'Cause I am alive
While there's a small bit that feels nostalgic here, it really falls flat and feels weak as a whole project, especially compared to the other rock groups of the era. The only track that did anything for me was "Genocide," which still wasn't that great. 2 instead of 1 star for being cohesive and not too long or bloated.
This one’s a bratty blast of mid-90s skate-punk. Self Esteem and Come Out and Play are classics, and even the early tracks like Bad Habit were super fun. But by the end, the relentless bang-bang-bang drum rhythms started to feel monotonous. Still, the cheeky spoken-word intro and outro gave me a laugh, so I’m rounding up to four stars.
I used to love these guys. Then they went woke and kicked their drummer out of the band for not getting the toxic jab back you know when. I listen with hatred but not prejudice . This is a great album. I feel like it broke down the old door of punk and pushed it, although temporarily, into a new level. I don’t know what happened but I feel like when EMO faded, so did the more aggressive punk. I think it faded into pop punk and never looked back. This is high energy from the start and it doesn’t let off. Couldn’t it be fast and heavier? Sure but this hovers just above the speed limit as to not get caught and told to slow it down. So ya, there’s guitar and hooks and melodies. This was their best before they sold out and then went woke when that petered out. I can hate them now but back then I couldn’t get enough of this album. Choice cut: Gotta Get Away
Good ol 90s punk classics. Was definitely super influential alongside Green Day and stuff like that
exactly my kind of album. beautiful. grungey, punky. down with this entirely. only heard a handful of songs from it and never listened to the full album through. i loved it and it was a really good listen.
Felt like the same song multiple times, but it wasn't too bad of a song. Fun.
Not into ‘90s pop-punk. I don’t like Green Day, even though they are hometown boys (Berkeley, CA) and played my college co-op the year before I got there and the year before they broke. And I don’t like the Offspring. I can appreciate some things. “Self Esteem,” the big hit off this album, does make me laugh and is a bit of an earworm. Drums go hard. But the vocals are mad annoying and the songs blend into each other. 2.5
Do I own this record? Yes. Have I listened to in this century before today? No. There are numerous songs I found myself humming afterwards, but the album feels lesser than its parts. I keep going back between 3 and 4 stars, but I owned the CD, and I remember all the annoyances beyond the music. 3 stars.
Love the immersion and part that brings you to juxtapose the heaviness of the music.
4.5 stars. Middle section slaps. Fun stop-start guitar riffs and some ska influence. Better driving fast than slow.
Honestly, after the past week, I'm just glad to get an album that was released within the past 30-ish years. Also gives me confidence that maybe there are other albums on the list released beyond 1979. I haven't spoiled myself by looking at the list yet. This album is very, very good. This is my first time listening to the entire album from the first track to the last, I think I've just heard the songs randomly over the years. But damn, this scratches just the right itch for me. Also, I accidentally sent a screenshot of this album with the text "national cheeseburger day" because it is national cheeseburger day today, which is funny as hell. I was like, Offspring Smashburger collab hahaha.
Very hardcore but not bad
Some nostalgia baked in, but not really a bad song here. It’s not quite pop punk but isn’t punk. It’s a bridge between bands like Pennywise and Blink 182.
It's alright, nothing to say. It's just okay 5/10.
Ellers tak
Never realized this was on Bad Religion’s independent label, though it makes sense when you listen to it. There’s obviously a lot of similarities to BR, though The Offspring have a more accessible sound and Dexter Holland is a better front man. When they first hit more mainstream radio, I thought they were a bit of a novelty act, likely to be a one hit wonder. But man was I wrong. Gotta Get Away, Self Esteem, Come Out And Play all rightfully had a ton of airplay. Excellent songs, and pretty diverse from each other as well as the type of band they evidently were before Smash, which speaks to their talent. And bonus points for them working dweeb into a hit song. It’s still amazing that they sold over 10m copies of this when they didn’t have a major label to push the record. That’s how good this album is and the hits they put out. A great listen.
At least they only have one album on this list. Self Esteem was an okay song. The rest were thankfully at least fairly short.
Early pop punk, fun stuff. It's a high 3 for me, giving it 3 stars since I don't actually ever play this myself. I'd rather turn on some NOFX instead
Great energy. One of my favorite albums, 90s punk with a 70s punk feel.
Theyll never make me hate you "Self Esteem"
Sure, there’s bands that rode the wave from LA punk to radio more successfully, but The Offspring may be the one that kept things simple and “pure.” It’s big, it’s loud, it’s dumb, and it’s mostly pretty good. Nothing groundbreaking here, just solid punk rock with a few bona fide classics.
doodie ass
This was a surprisingly good album. I enjoyed it
Yeah this album is honestly kind of unserious lol. The lyrics are kind of just not really as political as they want to be and kind of pretty I don't know very abstract and doesn't take a strong stance. Like the song "Genocide", like why would you suggest giving someone your genocide. Doesn't really blame anyone in particular who commits genocide. If its not giving very non-political political statements, like addressing gun control in "come and play" suggesting not being prosecuted under 18 and young people just love to play guns instead of being a systemic issue, then it's pretty self-involved otherwise and falls into the trap of people brainwashed or whatever. I don't think I would have minded the lackluster lyrics if the music itself was interesting. But it's pretty stock standard punk music. Some good guitar work but yeah that's pretty much it. Also songs are pretty catchy at least and not in too annoying of a way. 2 stars. 26/9/25
Huge fan of the offspring. This album is killer from beginning to end.
Alternative punk Favourite track: Come out and play other picks: self esteem, gotta get away, genocide
Love this album!
Bomb
I don't know why exactly but found it pretty cheesy. It had a couple songs that were pretty good but by and large it was forgettable using recycled punk ideas with 90s production. Not a fan of the lyrics either so nothing else to latch on to. Rating: 2.5
Loud and fun
Glad to see this pop up after hearing an old classic of theirs the other week. Also helps me realise the difference of production and evolution of recording quality when I compare to some of the older, messy punk albums on the list that get lost in a blur. Having said that, felt a bit samey throughout. Some nice breakdowns of variance. But generally, the same song 14x. And maybe it just needs to become familiar because great to hear ‘Self-esteem’
me sonaba el grupo pero no lo había escuchado. me gusta el estilo punk rock pero algunas canciones se me hacen pesadas. a pesar de eso está chulo el álbum me ha gustado mucho el empezar con la presentación del álbum y las canciones canciones favs: gotta get away, come out and play, what happen to you
Good Songs: Nitro (Youth Energy), Bad Habit, Come Out and Play (Keep Em' Seperated), Self Esteem, Killboy Powerhead, What Happened To You? Mid Songs: Time to Relax, Gotta Get Away, Genecide, Something to Believe In, It'll Be A Long Time, So Alone, Not The One, Bad Songs: Smash
Музыка: 8/10 Разнообразие: 7/10 Тематика и вайб: 8/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 7/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 9/10 Итог: 7.8
I know a couple of songs of theirs but The Offspring aren’t a band I’ve ever bothered to go out of my way to listen to. That’s gonna change after this, bloody loved it. Top Tracks - Come Out And Play and Something To Believe In
It’s great, lots of good tunes on here. You’ve heard the hits, many times.
Took me back to my teens. About as perfect as a skate punk / pop punk album could be. 6 or 7 tracks that are perfect examples of the genre - yes, Self Esteem and Come Oit and Play were huge, but Bad Habit and Gotta Get Away are equally huge. Has to drop to a 4 though as there's just not enough depth and variety, and the last 4-5 tracks don't hold up as well. Oh, and the ska track is awful.
ça s'écoute mais franchement... BORIIIIING
The offspring have some good music. Theis album is good but the songs sound the same
Gets off to a great start, and then still has some bangers later on in the album. Rocks really hard. High 4.
Passively listened to this a decent amount as a kid, mostly when friends were playing it or seeing the videos on TV. I seem to remember my sister owning this on CD and I'd kind of sneak into her room to borrow it. I was into more underground punk at the time, and the Offspring were definitely more like a top-40s punk band when this came out, they were huge. Despite the damage to my teenage 'scene cred', there were some undeniably good tracks on here. I actually enjoy more of their 'serious' tracks (Gotta Get Away, Self Esteem) over the goofier tracks (I skipped Come out and Play, just because I've heard it a million times and it feels out of place here). It's also annoying as hell. Listening again as an adult, some of the lyrics are definitely cringy and gave me some second hand embarrassment (i.e., you STUPID DUMBSHIT GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKER) in Bad Habit, oof. But then you get to the next track (Gotta Get Away) leaves out the angsty teen outburst lyrics and it works much better in my opinion. Self Esteem is another great track that I related to. Really cool music video that I watched countless times on MTV. Update-I also skipped What Happened to You. Ska punk needs to stay dead. Overall I think I'm officially too old to get down with this anymore, but I can certainly appreciate the bygone days when Smash played in the background.
A total classic. I remember listening to this for the first time on CD with my mom in our living room in middle school. Let's see how it holds up! Bad Habit just rules. Also I just remembered playing a bootleg copy of Road Rash on my bedroom PC as a kid and The Offspring being on the soundtrack. Genocide playing while chain whipping on a motorcycle. The voiceovers are goofy and so 90's. Really nice crispy bass playing which I guess is a punk thing. Straight into the amp, very roundwound wompy pick tone. Green Day similar. Guitars are just shredding with gain and much looser than metal chugs. Lyrically very punk and it's crusty as hell and very real. More aggressive than the skater vibes of Green Day or later pop punk. I bet these shows were just loud as hell. I will say it is a bit fatiguing to make it through the entire album. I'm not a huge punk fan, this is more a nostalgia album for me. I think it will edge into the 4's based on how classic of a record it is and my familiarity. Smash is a great ending track.
pretty nice
An extra star for nostalgia.
Gen X Nostalgia hit
This album is unfairly blamed for a lot of the terrible music it influenced. This album, however, is fucking mint.
A classic - I remember longboarding my neighborhood hills after school listening to this album all the time. Contains the best song ever written about road rage. Objectively I know it’s not the worlds greatest album, but it was a staple of the time and I still enjoy it just as much as I did when I was a kid.
ok. not great.
Skate-Punk, ganz geil aber im Schatten von Seattle-Grunge, Faith no more, chilly peppers und Bad Religion. c
Grunge era skater punk!
Solid rock album but it did all start to sound the same. Still the singles classics
Heard it many times in my youth
The older I get, the less I like The Offspring. Young me and middle age me do not agree on the value of this album. Guess I gotta keep em separated.
These songs are all pretty solid, though the hits are a little overplayed. My biggest problem is that Dexter Holland has no dynamics to his singing, and it just doesn't sound great.
Love The Offspring. Out of the four albums i heard from them in my youth, this is nr. 3, but still pretty great music <3
Es mi infancia. La primera banda que me llevó por el camino de la música. No puedo ser objetiva.
I like the Offspring singles I've heard, and this lives up to them. I even like the little comedy bits.
I have never liked Offspring, Dexter Holland's voice is just not for me and with the very Offspringy instrumentals makes all of their songs sound very much the same to me, this album didn't change my opinion on that.
I wasn't cool enough to be into real punk when I was younger. All I had was the more mainstream punk and pop-punk. The Offspring was one of the mainstream punk bands I was into. This album definitely has a nostalgic feel to it because of that. I tried to listen to this with fresh ears and I think I like it a bit less than what I thought. A lot of it actually kind of sounds like a Nirvana rip-off which is something I had never thought of before. I think without the nostalgia, I'd give this a 3/5 but due to the nostalgia I think I'll give it a 4/5.
What a fantastic record. I love the sound of this band. I love how this is so clearly a hardcore punk record, that somehow appealed to the masses. I don't know if its Dexter's vocals or the silliness behind the music and lyrics. It reminds me of Descendents but better produced and polished. This record has been in my life for as long as I have been interested in music. I remember hearing Self Esteem for the first time and thinking it was somewhat perverted in the best kind of way. Come Out and Play is such a rad surf punk song. I also love how they threw in a ska punk song on here for good measure, it makes me wonder if they really wanted to add that or if their producer talked them into it. This was produced on Epitaph after all. I love this record and I love this band. Long live The Offspring.
Personally would have gone for Americana but this one is nice Esther way
I listened to The Offspring a loooot over 20 years ago. Really not my favorite kind of music anymore, but nice for the occasional, nostalgic re-visit. It's still pretty good, fun pop-punk (definitely not pure punk or 'real' punk rock [luckily so, as I kind of hate those styles]).
This sounds like my teenage years
Dear God. Make it stop. Please. In the end, I made it thru' to the end, but BeeJeezus it sucks. It may loosely resemble "punk", but it is a loose connection. Back in the seventies, I saw quite a few punk bands, some musically less adept than The Offspring, but none of them had the cynical moneygrabbing disdain as this heap of crap.. I shall not be relistening.
Great punk rock. A lot of fun rhythms, beats, and effects. "Gotta Get Away" is truly great. 3.5 / 5
Hip California punk - who’da thunk it
This album is a banger. I can listen to this on repeat!
Takes me back to my teenage years. Their sound worked so well during that time. Straight forward punk vibe, fairly simple melodies and a lot of energy. Self-esteem was such an anthem and still works. But this album becomes a little boring today. It is the same sound all the way through. A little more variety is missing to rate this higher than mid.
I was too old for this in 1994, and *way* too old for it now. No punk I know considers this punk. Apart from the 2-3 obvious hits, not much to write home about. But I will probably bump it up to a 3 because those hits were massive in their day. Listened before: no Listen again: also no
вечная классика
Was quite solid, held up well.
Love this album. It was groundbreaking when it came out and made big waves in my friend group. First heard come out and play on a mix tape, and we all wondered if it was a local band, as the sound was just so different from anything we'd heard before.
This album WAS my childhood!
Come out and play is the stand out track, obviously. I remember headbanging to this in the alternative section of clubs in the 90s, great times.
Absolutely perfect album for a 13 year old. (Note: I was 13 when this album came out.)
Best album for painting houses
stupid and fun. makes me feel like im on the bus with my discman.
Brings back memories, some good, energetic tracks
Aside from the two well known songs, as an album, I don't think its very interesting. It sounds very of its time, and kinf of the same in all songs. It has nostalgia attached to it, its not the worst either, but not great great
liked the secret track, bit too much yelling, wouldve loved it when i was younger probably
There's a lot of trash but the singles are all iconic.
Friends got a gf and I hate that bish
Not good but not boring.
Lol https://youtu.be/fxvek6kVcok?si=ydk3Xxvua4bSjI3o
Not a fan of shouting
Laut! Sonst nix!
OK punk album. Quite liked some bits. I would have given 2.5 but that option is not available so I'm afraid isa a 2
Okay so there IS some good music on this list!
🎵 Gotta keep it five star rated 🎵
It’s great to have an album on the list that I already listen to a few times a year. I’m counting this is as a ska album on the list
Every track is a banger. Favourite Track(s): Self Esteem, Bad Habit, It'll Be A Long Time Least Favourite Track(s): Nitro
It's both catchy and annoying - I suppose very much a positive for pop punk. I saw them at the time - was a fun singalong but nothing more that that. Some quality song writing - Come Out and Play and Self Esteem the obvious hits. Something to Beleive In feels like the lyrics and melody were badly bashed into shape, doesn't line up. Good bit of nostalgia and a 2.5 rounded up.
good album for going crashout but it seems redundant
Good
The known hit singles are the best tracks. The rest sound more or less the same.
Perfect amalgamation of punk and grunge.
Good. Very good.
Call it a sell-out moment if you want, but Smash was an undeniably fun blast of an album when I was a kid. It isn’t as hard or as snarling as the deeper punk catalog, but that’s almost the point - this is the record that proved punk could explode into the mainstream without losing all its bite. It’s fast, melodic, sneering, and accessible in a way that helped define what pop-punk would become. This was a gateway drug for me and a few of my friends: still gritty enough to feel rebellious, but polished enough to get radio play. Foundational, even if punk "purists" rolled their eyes.
This band definitely influenced a ton of the bands I love. I’d buy this record and spin it, would revisit. 5/5
The first mainstream punks? I don't know but i love it, it may be nostalgia but i don't care
I see the appeal just not mine self esteem was good just felt like a lot of mush
Good energy and vocals. Strong singles
Another band I didn't know I knew. Obviously this doesn't have the song I di know, but it's a rollocking rock album and I'd be happy to listen to this every now and then.
The best independent record label release ever
self esteem only bright spot
Usually I don't listen to Punk, but I enjoyed this. Specially the way vocals are recorded and processed, I liked it.
Nothing really special
Great album
Cool albam. ton of energy. couple of old bangers
First time listening to the whole album, even though Ive listened to The Offspring here and there for for years (as a big fan of punkrock). I would describe the sound as raw punk rock, with many strong riffs, energetic vocals and fast beats. It’a nice to see where they started from and how they evolved their sound in their later albums that I’ve enjoyed a bit more. Favorite songs: Gotta Get Away and What Happened to You?
A good pop-punk album. its fun to think that this was coming out the same time as Nirvana. what a beautiful/ transitional time for rock.
This is just not for me, but they are good players.
Feels like a kind of thrash punk version of Nirvana which feels especially true with Gotta get away which sounds like about a girl by Nirvana and the lyrics used seem very similar to Cobain’s self loathing style in some parts. The actual album itself was good though, nice riffs, high energy and good vocals. I thought the sound was a bit weird though, I think it was the drums, they just sounded a bit tinny and quiet. Also, so glad i waited like 6 minutes on the last song to get a 1 minute middle eastern ahh beat, what was that about. Anyway, favourites: Gotta get away, come out and play, it’ll be a long time and what happened to you. Overall, 7/10.
This reminds me of being 14 so much
The incredible bridge between hardcore punk and pop music sensibilities. This leans more in the hardcore direction but it's the album that launched 1000 bands that littered pop music for a decade.
Loved it when it came out & still like it today.
So many memories of this album. Including when I bought it and my dad made me return it because of swearing in the liner notes.
got that classic 90s rock sound to it.
Good lively music for when you are in the right mood, and I guess I was a lot more often in that mood in the 90s. I enjoyed it but dont really miss this kind of music. 3.7 stars.
Неплохой поп-панк с любимым голосом из детства. Лучшая песня - Nitro (Youth Energy).
Really energetic album but not much from a musicianship standpoint
not bad, yk kinda good actually
Loud and gnarly
This is the second punk album I’ve gotten and I enjoyed it much more than Dookie. The guitar riffs were far better and the songs were stronger. The album kept me going right up until the end, and I can see how someone who is much more into punk than me would put this among their favourite albums.
Solid
Definitely wrong time and place in my case. Though I'm not sure how much this stands up even among other punk rock albums of its type, i guess I will learn as time goes on. For now, it succeeds at what it tries to be, just not sure what it tries to be is all that great.
No grippyness to this album. 1/10
Angry!
I remember this album being MASSIVE in 1994, which was a historic year for music. Listening to it now, it feels very dated. It's ok - I like some of the faster stuff on here. It feels like a very sanitized version of punk, which was good as an entry point for better punk albums. But, for me, this feels very conventional and overly slick. 4/10
The catchy hooks and sonics keep me listening. While the forms become repetitive in the second half of the record the sonic quality of the mix/master are really great despite some moments where the lead and background vocals become overbearing. I really enjoyed revisiting this record after 30yrs. Really fun!
very repetitive, a good song maybe? Not a whole album
Not a huge Offspring fan. The vocals have always been grating to me. Music is fine, but I don’t generally seek it out. Album is fine, just not top of the pops to me
Their third album. Punk Rock. Parody Punk. Utter shit ! Vocally annoying, lyrically pathetic and musically flat. Forty six minutes was forty five minutes too long. No stand out track. I've listened, no need to come back again.
To była moja muzyka, gdy miałam 13 lat. Self esteem to do teraz jeden z moich ulubionych rockowych kawałków. Czy cała płyta jest genialna? Raczej nie, ale jest naprawdę dobra i zabawna. Niektóre z ich tekstów mogłyby być standupem. Mocne (bardzo mocne!) 8/10
Great! Reminded me of listening to music in my older brothers car on the way to middle school.
I bought this new when I was a freshman in high school. Still loud and fun, all these years later. Some surprisingly sharp lyrics that I didn't always catch back then.
I assumed this album was around the same time as blink 182 and limp Bizkit. It is a bit older which surprised me. I know the two hits, but the rest was very samey and forgettable, the last song seemed ok. But by then I had lost interest. Good music for skateboarding though.
Liked it way more than expected! Loved Smash, solid anchor
Gotta get away was such a great song!
90s loud macho vibes, not terrible but not great either
Cool
Donkey Kong, every day.
Has more in common with Metallica than the Sex Pistols, Ramones, or the Clash. Motörhead comes to mind. Has that hard chugging guitar riff sound. Gotta Get Away, Come Out And Play, and Self Esteem were all big hits, especially the latter. Something To Believe In, It’ll Be A Long Time are ok songs. Generally, the lyrics are pretty sparse and trite for most songs. Self Esteem and Come Out And Play are kind of outliers in that way.
Wow - make me a 15 year old boy again! This album is fun from start to finish. Now it’s not anything that I would throw in a rotation of must listen to’s but I can see why any teenager at the time played it loud.
The singles are pretty fly. The rest all sounds the same. I miss Crazy Taxi.
Taking its cues more from hardcore and metal than first-generation punk, *Smash* cranks up the tempos at the expense of tunefulness. Only "Gotta Get Away" has anything resembling a melody - most everything else seems like a technical exercise in playing at high speed, with the vocals never really meshing with the high-velocity chord changes underneath.
Every single song sounds exactly the same but honestly it works. Skate punk is the only kind of punk I can hang with for very long.
I probably shouldn’t have listened to this when I had a headache.