In Honor Of Tom DeLonge's 50th Birthday, Here Are The 5 Greatest Blink-182 Songs
Happy birthday to the king of pop-punk.
Happy 50th birthday to one of the kings of pop-punk himself, Blink-182 guitarist and singer Tom DeLonge.
His band, along with drummer Travis Barker and bassist and fellow singer Mark Hoppus, penned the soundtracks to many a millennial's summer break back in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Blink-182 has as many hits as some of the greatest bands of all-time, so I thought I'd take some time to celebrate DeLonge's special day as well as his catalog by going over my five favorite Blink songs.
Buckle up as I take all you late 20s and early 30s rockers on a nostalgic ride.
5. Feeling This (Blink-182)
By the release of their 2003 self-titled album, Blink-182 was on life support as a band.
The ever-popular creative differences started to rear their ugly head, and infighting and jealousy were set to tear the band apart at the seams.
That didn't stop the boys from releasing an absolute banger.
"Feeling This" is a high-octane romp about teenage angst and losing your virginity, complete with the angstiest music video of the year.
If there is one common thread for the Blink boys, it's that their videos were often as enjoyable (if not more) as their songs.
Put on "Feeling This" and you'll be instantly whisked away to the summer of 2003.
4. What's My Age Again (Enema Of The State)
Speaking of videos, this one is about as iconic as they come.
So iconic, in fact, that I included it in my love letter to the old days of music videos on MTV.
The song is a perfect encapsulation of what it's like to be a young adult while trying to figure out the world around you.
It's rife with sophomoric humor that kids of the 90s loved ("I said I was the cops, and your husband's in jail, the state looks down on sodomy"), but with a message that anyone coming of age at the time would resonate with ("nobody likes you when you're 23").
Bonus points for DeLonge's iconic and instantly recognizable opening riff.
3. I Miss You (Blink-182)
If you had Fuse TV as a cable channel in the mid 2000s, there's a good chance you saw this video more times than you could count.
It's a little more esoteric than some of the others on this list (as esoteric as a Blink-182 music video can be) but it's iconic nonetheless.
The song is catchy yet melancholy, perfect for angst teens of the 2000s, and the vocal styling of DeLong in the chorus and second verse have become somewhat of a meme.
When your song transcends music and becomes an internet meme, you know you've achieved superstardom.
2. Anthem Part Two (Take Off Your Pants And Jacket)
The only song on this list without a dedicated music video, "Anthem Part Two" is exactly what its title suggests: an anthem for a generation of kids in a big, confusing world.
This marked the first turn towards a more serious side for Blink, but they still did it with all the delicious guitar riffs and hook-worthy melodies that made them as catchy as anyone in the industry.
This song doesn't have the same chart success as some of their other hits, but it's a fan favorite all the same and is one of their most popular and enduring tunes in the band's extensive catalog.
1. All The Small Things (Enema Of The State)
A lot of people point to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana as the song of a generation for Gen X, but to me, this tune is the song of the millennial generation.
"All The Small Things" has become nearly ubiquitous to anyone who grew up in the 90s and 2000s and just the opening guitar riff – courtesy of birthday boy Tom DeLonge – can send a dad in his mid 30s spiraling down a bittersweet vortex of nostalgia.
The video is iconic, spoofing some of the more popular musical acts of the day, and most millennials can probably reenact the entire thing from memory at this point.
This tune has become so popular that it's played at sporting events and shopping mall speakers alike, cementing Blink-182's throne as the best pop-punk band to ever do it.