Running Naked to Rock Stardom
After seven years of living the independent punk life, Blink-182 signed with MCA and teamed up with producer Jerry Finn to record the album that would change everything: Enema of the State.
Released in 1999, the album featured new drummer Travis Barker and captured the band’s calling card: catchy punk riffs, huge choruses and the reckless, immature humour of young adulthood. With an adult-film star, Janine Lindemulder, on the cover, Blink-182 weren’t exactly trying to look respectable.
Then came the videos. In the now-iconic clip for What’s My Age Again?, the band ran naked through the streets of Los Angeles, annoying passers-by and generally behaving like they had never quite grown up. Scenes of their streaking antics were intercut with the band performing in an all-white, infinite room. Janine wasn’t just on the cover of the album, she also featured in the video.
The tune was originally titled Peter Pan Syndrome, which makes perfect sense. Its skate-punk riffs and carefree attitude turned the idea of refusing to grow up into a hit. As the album’s lead single, it reached No. 2 in the U.S. and helped push Blink-182 into the pop-punk mainstream.
Jerry Finn, Green Day and the Pop-Punk Explosion
A key part of the story was producer Jerry Finn, who had also worked on Green Day’s breakthrough album Dookie. Green Day had helped bring punk-inspired music to a huge audience in the ’90s; Blink-182 took that momentum and added their own brand of adolescent humour, polished production and infectious melodies.
The other major single from Enema of the State was All the Small Things. Its instantly memorable guitar riff and singalong chorus made it a natural radio hit. The video took aim at the glossy boy-band culture of the era, poking fun at acts such as the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, including Justin Timberlake.
That sense of humour helped the band reach an audience well beyond the punk scene. MTV gave the videos heavy exposure, and Blink-182 became one of the defining bands of the late-’90s pop-punk boom.
Alongside Green Day, the era produced successful acts such as The Offspring, Sum 41, Good Charlotte, No Doubt, Weezer and Millencolin. Punk had travelled a long way from its late-’70s underground roots: these bands were now playing major festivals and venues around the world.
Life After Enema of the State
Enema of the State was a huge commercial success, and Blink-182 went on to sell more than 50 million albums worldwide. Their follow-up records also performed well, but the 1999 album remained the defining breakthrough, with All the Small Things and What’s My Age Again? among the tunes most closely associated with the band.
Blink-182 continued to release music, split up and reunite over the years, keeping their place in the pop-punk conversation. Their 2019 album Nine marked another chapter in a career that had started with independent punk releases and grown into worldwide success.
For guitarists, Blink-182 are a great reminder that a memorable song certainly doesn’t need complicated parts. The punchy riffs, tight rhythms and strong chord progressions in All the Small Things and What’s My Age Again? show how a few well-chosen ideas carry a track.
Get the rhythm and changes locked in, and these tunes are ideal for building a repertoire that works with a band. The playing is direct, the hooks are unmistakable, and the energy comes from making every part count.
And if you’re wondering how Blink-182 became global stars, the answer is a potent combination: Jerry Finn’s production, catchy punk-pop songwriting, MTV exposure and music videos that were impossible to ignore.
Blink-182 Tunes | Related Pages
All The Small Things | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play All The Small Things by Blink-182 using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| C5 | G5 | F5 | G5 |
All the small things, true care, truth brings…
What’s My Age Again? | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play What’s My Age Again? by Blink-182 using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| D#m/B D#m/F# | D#m/C# D#m |
I took her out, it was a Friday night…
Blink-182 on the web
