blink-182

Blink-182 have sold 50 million albums worldwide, with 15.3 million sold in the United States, after turning Southern California skate-punk energy into a string of pop-punk hits. Formed in Poway, California, in 1992, the band’s best-known lineup is bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Their music pairs fast punk-rock tempos with catchy melodies, while the lyrics have often dealt with relationships, adolescent frustration, and maturity. Early on, their high-energy shows and irreverent humor helped them build a following beyond the suburban scene that produced them.

Hoppus and DeLonge began the group with drummer Scott Raynor. Their first two studio albums, Cheshire Cat (1995) and Dude Ranch (1997), arrived through Grilled Cheese, an independent Cargo Records subdivision. Those records brought moderate success in the San Diego punk community and in Australia, attracting major-label interest during punk rock’s broader commercial resurgence. After touring independently, including Warped Tour appearances, blink-182 signed with MCA Records. Raynor was dismissed in 1998, and Barker joined as drummer.

The Barker-era breakthrough came with Enema of the State in 1999 and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket in 2001, the band’s two most commercially successful albums. “All the Small Things,” “Dammit,” and “What’s My Age Again?” became hit singles and regular MTV fixtures, while the group’s direct songwriting and simple arrangements helped bring a new wave of pop-punk into the mainstream. Their untitled 2003 album marked a stylistic change, later followed by Neighborhoods (2011) and the 2012 EP Dogs Eating Dogs.

DeLonge left blink-182 twice, a decade apart, making Hoppus the only member to remain throughout the band’s history. During DeLonge’s absence from 2015 to 2022, Alkaline Trio singer and guitarist Matt Skiba joined Hoppus and Barker, recording California (2016) and Nine (2019) and touring behind both albums. DeLonge returned in 2022, reuniting the group’s most recognized trio. Their ninth album, One More Time..., was released on October 20, 2023.