After years of independent recording and touring, including stints on the Warped Tour, the group signed to MCA Records. Their biggest albums, Enema of the State (1999) and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001), saw international success. Songs like "All the Small Things", "Dammit", "I Miss You", and "What's My Age Again?" became hit singles and MTV staples. Later efforts, including an untitled album (2003), marked stylistic shifts. Hoppus is the only member to remain in the band throughout its entire history. DeLonge left the group twice, both times a decade apart, before eventually returning. Founding drummer Scott Raynor recorded and toured with the group before being dismissed in 1998, with Barker taking his place from that point on. From 2015 to 2022, the band included Alkaline Trio singer/guitarist Matt Skiba, with whom they recorded two albums, California (2016) and Nine (2019) and toured in support of both.
Blink-182's straightforward approach and simple arrangements, which helped initiate pop-punk's second mainstream rise, made them popular among generations of listeners. Worldwide, the group has sold 50 million albums and moved 15.3 million copies in the U.S.
Early years (1992-1998)
In May 1993, Blink recorded their first demo tape, entitled "Flyswatter", in drummer Scott Raynor's bedroom. A 4-track was used to record the material. According to Hoppus, only around fifty copies of the demo were produced to give to their family and friends. Before the end of the year, the band released another two demos, one commonly known as Demo #2 while the other was entitled Buddha. Of this last record around 1,000 copies were produced by Filter Records, an independent record company headed by Hoppus's boss.
In early 1994, Blink signed with Cargo Records. The band recorded their début full-length album, "Cheshire Cat" in three days. The album contained a number of updated versions of songs such as "Carousel", "Strings", "Sometimes" and "TV" that had appeared on the "Buddha Promo Tape" as well as some originals.
Shortly after the release of "Cheshire Cat", Blink was threatened with legal action by a pop band in Ireland of the same name. In order to avoid a dispute, Blink appended "182" to the end of their name. The band has cited a variety of reasons for ultimately choosing 182, with some of the more common explanations being the number of times Tony Montana utters the word "fuck" in Scarface, references to the 1985 Timothy Hutton film, Turk 182!, the band's ideal weight, the number of half the days in a year and the number of miles Hoppus had to drive to visit his girlfriend. However, DeLonge has stated that it is just a number that they "pulled out of their ass".
After moving to Encinitas, California, the band recorded the album "Dude Ranch" in 1996 with producer Mark Trombino. blink-182 recorded the album under Cargo Records, but signed with MCA which later became Geffen Records in 1996, in order to handle increased distribution. The album was released in 1997 and was relatively commercially successful, selling 4 million copies worldwide.
The single "Dammit" did well on U.S. modern rock charts, however drummer Scott Raynor later left the band. There are two common explanations for his removal - that Raynor had a serious drinking problem and was asked to go into rehab or face ejection, or alternately, that he departed in order to attend college. Raynor claims he agreed to go to rehab, but that DeLonge and Hoppus were doubtful of his sincerity and subsequently fired him over the phone.
Hoppus and DeLonge had asked drummer Travis Barker of blink-182's support band The Aquabats to fill in for Raynor for the remainder of the tour, thus he had to learn all of the songs in a matter of hours before the show. He ultimately went on to join the band permanently afterwards, leaving The Aquabats.
In 1999, blink-182 hired Jerry Finn as its producer and recorded "Enema of the State". This album propelled the band into the mainstream with hit singles "What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things" and "Adam's Song". All gained a significant amount of airtime on radio and MTV. Enema of the State went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide making it the band's best-selling album to that point.
In 1999 the band also had small parts in the film American Pie, though Travis Barker was incorrectly credited as Scott Raynor.
In 2000, the band released The Urethra Chronicles, a DVD which featured behind-the-scenes information. "The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show: The Enema Strikes Back", blink-182's live album, was also released in 2000, featuring songs from their three full-length records. The album also included one new studio song, "Man Overboard," among the live renditions. The album quickly went out of print making it a much sought after item. A limited edition was printed in October 2006.
The band continued its commercial success with "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" in 2001, which was in the same vein as "Enema of the State". However, a European tour in winter 2001 was canceled in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Rescheduled dates in early 2002 were also canceled due to DeLonge's problems with his back.
In 2002, blink-182 co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day, along with supporting acts Jimmy Eat World and a little known band called Kut U Up. The tour was documented, from Kut U Up's point of view, on the DVD Riding In Vans With Boys.
After taking some time off in 2002, recording of the next record began in early 2003. The band released its next studio album on November 18, 2003. It featured the hit singles "Feeling This", "I Miss You", "Down", and "Always". According to Barker, the "Untitled" record was supposed to represent a new blink-182. It received significant airplay on radio and TV. The Cure front man Robert Smith, often cited as a major influence on the band, appeared on "All of This". During late 2003, the band embarked on the "Dolla Bill" tour, named for the inexpensive ticket costs (It was originally planned to be completely free but later realised that it would be necessary to charge something for the ticket). A tour with No Doubt in the summer of 2004 was also very successful.
Indefinite hiatus and new bands/spinoffs (2005-2009)
In mid-February 2005 the band inexplicably cancelled a performance at Music for Relief's Concert for South Asia (a show put on to aid victims of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake). Shortly there after, before a planned final US spring tour, on February 22, 2005, the band announced they were going on an "indefinite hiatus".
Geffen Records released a Greatest Hits compilation on November 1, 2005 in the U.S., one previously unreleased track was included "Another Girl Another Planet" (a cover song originally by The Only Ones). The song was also used as the theme song to Barker's new reality TV show, Meet the Barkers. Included was the previously issued "I Miss You" B-side and blink-182 album bonus track "Not Now". The album reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.
DeLonge announced his new band, Angels & Airwaves. As his reason for why blink-182 went on indefinite hiatus, DeLonge suggested the mounting tension between himself and Hoppus, ultimately caused by DeLonge's desire for a break with his family coupled with Hoppus' feelings of betrayal after the formation of Box Car Racer. He also announced his plans to create a film about the final days of blink-182. Angels & Airwaves released their debut album "We Don't Need to Whisper" on May 23rd, 2006, where it debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200.
Hoppus and Barker's new project +44 surfaced on December 13, 2005 with the song, "No It Isn't". Coincidentally, the song was released on +44's official MySpace on the same day that Angels & Airwaves were slated to release their first song (and also Tom DeLonge's 30th birthday), though the release of the latter was delayed. Initially, Hoppus was hesitant to admit any deliberate correlation between the song and breakup, but has since admitted the song was about DeLonge and the breakup of the band. +44 released their first album "When Your Heart Stops Beating" on November 14, 2006 and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200.
In August 2006, Hoppus gave an extensive interview with B182.com. The interview focused on blink-182 and the unexplained events that had led to the band's hiatus. Contrary to DeLonge's statements, Hoppus said that the band had been getting along at the time of their final album. Hoppus went on to say that DeLonge requested a half-year respite from touring to spend time with his family, despite a planned final spring U.S. tour. Hoppus and Barker hesitantly conceded, leading to the cancellation of the upcoming tour. Further problems arose in discussions regarding the band's future recording endeavors. It was at this point that Hoppus felt that blink-182 had ceased functioning as a band. Hoppus went on to state that he and Barker eventually formed +44 at the end of the European leg out of frustration for DeLonge's constant reluctance.
On April 5, 2007, it was confirmed that blink-182, along with Rancid and Green Day are some of the bands set to feature in a documentary about modern punk music. The film is titled One Nine Nine Four and looks at the genre of music in the nineties. It will consist of band interviews and archive footage, which will be all compiled together by the documentary makers Robot Academy Films in [pace]Australia. It's expected to be released early next year. Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk will narrate the film, which also features the likes of NOFX and The Offspring.
Travis Barker of +44 currently was asked if the band would get back together. He said "I don't know, I haven't talked to Tom in a long time. I do however talk to Mark everyday."
On November 18th, 2008, after Travis Barker was in a small plane crash, Mark Hoppus updated his blog, himynameismark, with this statement:
"in the midst of everything else that has happened lately, tom, Travis, and i have all spoken together. first through a number of phone calls, and then a couple of weeks ago we all hung out for a few hours. they’ve all been great, very positive conversations. we’re just reconnecting as friends after four years of not talking. it’s a good thing."
He also stated that this doesn't mean a blink-182 reunion, but after several years they have finally begun speaking to each other again. Hoppus also talked about Travis Barker's brush with death in a plane crash in September 2008 and the death of their great friend and longtime producer Jerry Finn.
Blink-182 officially announced their reunion while presenting at the 2009 Grammy Awards. The band's Official Website confirmed the band's reunion with a statement on their website. This song, the first new material released by blink-182 following their indefinite hiatus, was posted in full to Blink182.com late on July 14, 2011, then officially premiered the following day at 10:30 a.m. on Los Angeles radio station KROQ. The Up All Night Songfacts reports that Up All Night, the first new material released by blink-182 following their indefinite hiatus, was posted in full to Blink182.com late on July 14, 2011, then officially premiered the following day at 10:30 a.m. on Los Angeles radio station KROQ.
7th Album - "California" (2016)
"California" is the band's seventh studio album, set for release on July 1, 2016 through BMG. The album was produced by John Feldmann and recorded at Foxy Studios in California, USA. It was the first album by the band to feature vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba (from Alkaline Trio), who replaced former member Tom DeLonge. "Bored to Death" was the first single to be released from the album, on April 27, 2016.
8th Album - "Nine" (2019)
Nine is the eighth studio album by blink-182, released on September 20, 2019, through Columbia Records, as the band's first album on the label. The band began developing the album after fulfilling touring obligations for their previous release, California (2016). While Nine builds upon their collaboration with producer John Feldmann, who also produced California, it also utilizes additional outside producers and songwriters including Captain Cuts, the Futuristics, and Tim Pagnotta. Nine is the band's second and final album to feature guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba before the return of Tom DeLonge in 2022.
On June 23, 2021, Hoppus confirmed that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and had been receiving treatment in secret for the last three months. After his cancer diagnosis, it was reported by sources that Hoppus had met with DeLonge and Barker together at his home to discuss old problems, personal issues, and Hoppus' cancer diagnosis. Hoppus was declared cancer-free later that year, but would continue screening every six months.
News of DeLonge's return to the band had been speculated about since his departure, but came to their peak in October 2022, when the band began posting cryptic messages on their social media accounts. DeLonge's official return was announced on October 11, 2022, alongside a world tour for the next two years, and that they were working on a new album. Following his return, DeLonge messaged Skiba on Instagram to thank him for his time with the band, and later shared the post publicly on his account. Skiba had known an announcement was going to happen, but was unaware that it was regarding DeLonge's return. In the months prior, he had also begun to question his status in the band when a fan asked him if he was still a part of recording. When the announcement was made though, he congratulated the other band members, and thanked fans for his time with the band.
The announcement of DeLonge's return was also accompanied by a new single, "Edging", later that week. The song performed well in the US, becoming their fourth and longest-running number one hit on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, and their highest-charting single on the Hot 100 in eighteen years.While preparing for the tour, Barker suffered a serious finger injury at rehearsals that required surgery. Because of this, the band was forced to postpone the Latin America leg of the tour while Barker was healing. The band would however make a surprise appearance at Coachella in April, marking DeLonge's first appearance with the band in nine years. The band then served as a replacement Sunday headliner of the festival's second weekend after singer Frank Ocean was unable to perform.
In July 2023, Barker stated that the band's ninth studio album is currently projected for an October release.
Wildfire
blink-182 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to grow up, don't want to end up
Caught in a landslide with the other side
Living for the paycheck, dying for the weekend
Take another Xanax, cheating on your girlfriend
Taking your last breath, counting down the time
Don't tell me it's too late, I'm stuck at heaven's gate
I'll own all my mistakes, won't give you what you take
Watch you burning in the wildfire
They said I'd never make it (Watching me fall)
All the time I wasted (Learning to crawl)
Crawl from the ashes as this world comes crashing down
Don't tell me it's too late, I'm stuck at heaven's gate
Strike a match and start a wildfire
I'll own all my mistakes, won't give you what you take
Watch you burning in the wildfire
We won this war, we cursed and swore
They stood no chance at all (The underdogs came home)
We won this war, we cursed and swore
They stood no chance at all
I don't forget, I don't forgive
I'll never change the way I live
I always fought the urge to fall in line
I turned my back on all the rules
I'll never heed the king of fools
I'll never lead the perfect kind of life
I don't forget, I don't forgive (We won this war)
I'll never change the way I live (We cursed and swore)
I always fought the urge to fall in line (They stood no chance at all)
I turned my back on all the rules (We won this war)
I'll never heed the king of fools (We cursed and swore)
I'll never lead the perfect kind of life (They stood no chance at all)
The underdogs came home
The song "Wildfire" by Blink-182 reflects the struggles of the modern world and the desire to break free from the limitations imposed on individuals by society. The lyrics convey the idea of the singer not wanting to grow up and being caught up on the wrong side of society. The chorus suggests that the singer is willing to own up to their mistakes and abandon their past to start afresh, even willing to watch others burn in the process. The subsequent verses voice defiance against societal norms, with the eventual triumph of the underdogs.
The opening lines, "I could never own up, I need to speak up / I don't want to grow up, don't want to end up / Caught in a landslide with the other side / Living for the paycheck, dying for the weekend," provide a glimpse into the singer's mindset. The use of "wildfire" seems to suggest a violent yet transformative force, with the chorus urging the listener to take charge of their own fires of rebirth. The underdogs' triumph suggests that while they may be overlooked, they ultimately have the strength and determination to succeed.
Overall, "Wildfire" conveys a message of perseverance, self-reliance, and the willingness to take on the establishment. It is a stirring anthem for those who feel trapped in their circumstances and seek to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
I could never own up, I need to speak up
I have trouble taking responsibility for my actions or admitting my faults, so I need to learn to open up and speak my mind
I don't want to grow up, don't want to end up
I am afraid of growing older and becoming a responsible adult, because I don't want to lose my sense of freedom and fun
Caught in a landslide with the other side
I feel trapped in a situation where there seems to be no escape, and I am surrounded by people or ideas that I don't agree with
Living for the paycheck, dying for the weekend
I am working a job that I don't find fulfilling, and my only relief is looking forward to the short time when I am not at work
Take another Xanax, cheating on your girlfriend
I am using drugs to numb myself from emotional pain, and I am being unfaithful to my partner
Taking your last breath, counting down the time
I feel like life is slipping away from me, and I am waiting for the end to come
Don't tell me it's too late, I'm stuck at heaven's gate
I am aware that my behavior has been less than exemplary, but I am still hoping for a chance to make things right and be accepted into a better place
Strike a match and start a wildfire
I want to cause a major change or upheaval, and I am willing to take drastic measures to make it happen
I'll own all my mistakes, won't give you what you take
I am taking responsibility for my actions and won't let others take advantage of me or my situation
Watch you burning in the wildfire
I am willing to see others suffer the consequences of their own actions or decisions
They said I'd never make it (Watching me fall)
Others have doubted my abilities or potential for success, and have enjoyed seeing me fail
All the time I wasted (Learning to crawl)
I have struggled and made mistakes along the way, but I am still learning and growing
Crawl from the ashes as this world comes crashing down
Even when everything seems hopeless or destroyed, I am determined to rise from the ashes and start anew
We won this war, we cursed and swore
Despite the odds being against us, we were able to come out victorious through our determination and perseverance
They stood no chance at all (The underdogs came home)
Those who underestimated us were proven wrong, and we were able to claim our rightful place as successful underdogs
I don't forget, I don't forgive
I hold grudges and am not quick to forgive those who have wronged me
I'll never change the way I live
I am set in my ways and refuse to conform to societal expectations or norms
I always fought the urge to fall in line
I have always resisted pressure to conform or be like everyone else, and have remained true to myself
I turned my back on all the rules
I reject authority or societal expectations, and live life on my own terms
I'll never heed the king of fools
I refuse to follow or bow down to those who are foolish or unwise
I'll never lead the perfect kind of life
I understand that I am not perfect and will make mistakes, but I am not worried about living up to anyone else's ideal
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TRAVIS L BARKER, JOHN WILLIAM FELDMANN, MARK HOPPUS, MATTHEW THOMAS SKIBA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
VEE3RDEYE
My favourite from the album so far
andy
me too
Peter Melendez
Piense en su canción favorita de Enema of the State. Ahora piensa en tu canción favorita de California. Ahora imagine que se enamoran y comienzan una familia propia. Eso es lo que es esta canción.
Siempre haciendo las cosas bien Blink 182 ! ♥♥♥
Tiago Contieri
Blink-182, best band forever!!
Underclass H3r0
Unlike most opinions about the California album, I find it to be one of my favorites. Probably in my top 3.
I'm really digging this deluxe album. Every song gives you something a tad different. Misery and 6/8 were darker and just different but very well done. Parking Lot was simple and just energetic and nothing wrong with that. Wildfire somewhat sounds like Enema of the State. Can't get you more pregnant was fine for a quick 30 second song but felt incomplete. Overall I like the direction Blink-182 is going.
taveon timmons
Underclass H3r0 I love California. It's probably my third favorite Blink album.
aliensarerealancient
Far out, the deluxe extra songs are better than the regular songs on California!
Love this track!
Revolutions88
Charlie Lemieux Neighbourhoods is a awesome album
IsSundayFunday
Charlie Lemieux they are a pop punk band from day 1 so sellout is just not a good term. Maybe the sound is different because they are older. And obviously express themselves differently.
Charlie Lemieux
Exactly how id put it too. They lost their originality on all of their newer material, like some on neighborhoods and this whole new album. They became more of a sell out, which is really disappointing