The pop-punk classic entered June 1, 1999.
Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge of Blink 182 pictured in 1999.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
Designed to sound like “kindergarten on steroids,” Kysma of the State instantly pushed Blink-182 from the fringes of the mainstream to the center. it spawned two of the biggest hits of the pop-punk generation, went five times platinum (though it peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200), and turned guitarist Tom DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus and rookie drummer Travis Barker into MTV heroes. although often very blurred, thanks to their willingness to strip at any time.
Produced by Jerry Finn (Green Day's Dookie), also led to a wave of bands that combined anthemic hooks with relevant teenage themes and a refusal to take themselves too seriously – see Sum 41, Wheatus and just about every other group that donned camo shorts at the turn of the century. Blink-182 may have entered adulthood for good, but as evidenced by the album's juvenile wordplay and adult-actor-adorned cover art, their humor, style and general attitude were all proudly stuck in their prime. .
Of course, the California trio have never been too concerned with such criticism (“I think it's a lot more punk to piss people off than to conform to all these vegan views,” Hoppus he noticed then) or any accusations of selling out. And over time, the record has been reassessed both as a revolutionary beginner's guide and as a throwback to a sunnier, more carefree era when rock bands weren't necessarily expected to express a social or political conscience.
For his silver anniversary, here's a worst-to-best ranking of his 12 odes to never growing up.
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“Dysentery Gary”
“I hate y'all, your mama's a whore/Where's my dog?/Why girls are so crazy.” “Dysentery Gary” isn't exactly Blink-182's finest hour lyrically. In fact, it's hard to believe that such a crude travesty was written not by a high school dropout, but by two men old enough to have voted in two presidential elections. This gut-wrenching assault on a man whose only crime is dating the object of the band's affections is insanely catchy, though, while Barker mixes things up with a beat that could almost be described as samba. Listen here.
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“The Party Song”
This burst of pure unbridled energy sounds like it was unleashed at the University of San Diego house party it was written for. Whether the jocks and girls in attendance would find the lyrics uncelebratory is another matter. Inspired by a student who left Hoppus visibly frustrated (“This place is so lame, all these girls look the same/All these guys ain't got no game”), “The Party Song” is very much a song against party as a bass player begins to dream of the comfort of his home. But the occasional sexism on display makes you wonder if Hoppus really was that much better than the hedonists he vilifies. Listen here.
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“Wendy Clear”
Obviously named after Hoppus' nautical pride and joy (hence the opening line, “Let's take the boat out on the bay”), penultimate number “Wendy Clear” offers little that the previous ones haven't already 10 tracks, which perhaps explains why the band took a break from performing live for a good 20 years. It's another tale of romantic disappointment – this time directed at a girl who's already in a relationship with someone with no emotional intelligence – set against a backdrop of tasteful punk-pop riffs, sing-along melodies and hyperkinetic percussion. Hey, you didn't look to late '90s Blink-182 for musical innovation. Listen here.
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“Do not leave me”
Kysma of the State's reliance on Blink-182's signature sound means that several tracks inevitably merge into one. Case in point: “Don't Leave Me,” which picks up where the equally frantic wall of noise and adolescent approach to relationships left off. This time, however, the wounded narrator is in a much less toxic state, literally begging the girl who kicked him to the curb for one more chance. It's Barker who gets the most attention, though, his manic work behind the kit channeling his two musical heroes, Buddy Rich and the Muppets' Animal. Listen here.
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“Dumpweed”
DeLonge described “Dumpweed” as “probably the best opener we've ever had” in the 2016 documentary The Pursuit of Tone. (“Feeling This” and “Ghost on the Dancefloor” say hello.) But while Kysma of the State's kickstarter doesn't live up to such bold claims, its youthful lyrical themes, bubblegum punk hooks, and Barker's scattergun beats perfectly setting the tone for all the giddiness ahead. “I Need a Girl I Can Train” may not have aged particularly well, but you have to hope the band was satirizing its incel-like protagonist rather than leaning into blatant misogyny. Listen here.
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“Aliens Exist”
Sparked by regular discussions of aliens on the tour bus, this typically fast and furious number gave true believer DeLonge the chance to convince the outspoken skeptic Hoppus and Blink-182's army of fans that The X-Files it was not a work of pure fiction. Back in 1999, “Aliens Exist” undoubtedly sounded like the ramblings of the tinfoil hat brigade (“I know the CIA would say, 'All you hear is hearsay'”). But after his improbable role in creating a Pentagon UFO division, DeLonge's conspiracy theory now carries a little more weight. Listen here.
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“Anthem”
Another story of suburban conflict, Kysma of the StateThe tumultuous closer finds the trio in full teenage mode, essentially the punk-pop genre's answer to 'Parents Just Don't Understand'. Encapsulating the teenage tendency to blow any minor inconvenience out of proportion, they even compare their punishment to “instant slavery” after a house party that gets out of hand. The team was obviously proud of their outburst, opening the sequel Take off your pants and jacket with “Anthem Part 2”, although this time their anger was directed at the government. Listen here.
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“Mutt”
Written for DeLonge's former roommate Benji Weatherley, a professional surfer nicknamed his way with the ladies, “Mutt” suggests the guitarist may have occasionally suffered from the green-eyed monster. The sultry tale isn't particularly complementary to its central troupe or its latest conquest, which shares a love of public displays of affection (“He's not that old, I'm told a strong sex target/He goes out every day, she goes every way “). First recorded with original drummer Scott Raynor, its voyeuristic nature, however, made it the perfect soundtrack for the webcam scene in American Pie in which Blink-182 themselves make fun of Jason Biggs' inexperienced nerd. Listen here.
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“Leaving For College”
You wouldn't expect one of Warped tour's most important bands to find inspiration in a teen rom-com starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. But in 1998 I can hardly wait had a profound effect on Hoppus, prompting him to write this lyrically heartfelt, if musically silly, ode to that difficult transition period between high school and college. Hailed as one of the best deep tracks of 1999, “Going Away to College” finds its hopeless romantic wondering aloud if his teenage sweetheart will still remember him after graduation (“Is my picture still hanging in her locker? “). It's a shining example of how, despite their twenties, Blink-182 could effortlessly reflect the vulnerabilities of youth. Listen here.
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“How old am I, again?”
Blink-182's first crossover hit, 'What's My Age Again?', brilliantly summed up the trio's unashamedly immature ethos in just two and a half minutes of pogo-inducing punk-pop (“No one should take themselves so seriously / With many years ahead to fall in line/Why would you wish this on me?”). Originally titled 'Peter Pan Complex', it's essentially an official mission statement for the kids of the world, and one that, thanks to an eye-popping promo showcasing their penchant for fleshy Speedos, has millions pledging their allegiance. The trio may have matured since then – and expressed themselves regret for their semi-nude – but this remains one of their most infectious anthems and a Billboard Hot 100 hit. Watch here.
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“Adam's Song”
Talk about a curveball. Amidst all the cartoonish punk riffs, dizzying speed beats and bad-ass toilet humor, Blink-182 unexpectedly took a disappointing detour into emo territory in the form of a Nirvana-esque Suicide Note. Inspired both by the crippling isolation he experienced on tour and a magazine article about a young man who took his own life, Hoppus initially worried that “Adam's Song” would ruin the mood of a record otherwise steeped in relatively harmless fun. But it turned out to be a masterpiece, offering a welcome break halfway through, while also proving that the trio could be just as powerful when they took things a little more seriously. Watch here.
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“All the Little Things”
Specially crafted to appease record label MCA, “All the Small Things” is unsurprisingly Blink-182's biggest and most enduring hit, peaking at No. 6 on the Hot 100 and becoming a fixture on radio and MTV playlists 1999. There's a bit of irony in how its memorable video, an affectionate parody of teen pop favorites like the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, effectively turned the trio against the establishment TRL the favorites themselves. But while punk purists unleashed their disapproval, it remains a strangely sweet serenade – DeLonge wrote it for his wife-to-be, Jennifer Jenkins – and with lines like “Late night, come home/Work is is mine, I know” , a perfectly succinct summary of the mundanity of adulthood. Watch here.
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