The Offspring

It was in Orange County, California, that The Offspring, since formed by Dexter Holland on vocals and rhythm guitar, Todd Morse on bass, Noodles on lead guitar, and Pete Parada on drums, was born in 1984. In its early years, the band drew inspiration from local punk rock bands such as T.S.O.L, Agent Orange, The Adolescents and Social Distortion. Apart from early self-produced releases that met with little response, the band's official debut was just as low-key: their 1989 debut album of the same name sold just 5,000 copies. But the Baghdad EP (1991) caught the attention of Bad Religion guitarist and Epitaph label owner Brett Gurewitz, who decided to sign the band. The second album Ignition, released in 1992, preceded a European tour with NOFX, which expanded the band's audience. When Smash (1994) was released, the band enjoyed huge success with hits like "Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)", "Self Esteem" and "Gotta Get Away". This remains the world's best-selling album by an independent label, with over sixteen million copies sold, and marks The Offspring's commercial peak. Several other albums followed: Americana (1998), Conspiracy of One (2000), Splinter (2003), Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) and Days Go By (2012), but failed to match the massive success of Smash. Nine years passed and 2018 saw the departure of bassist Greg K., replaced by Todd Morse, when a tenth album, Let the Good Times Roll, was released in 2021. After Pete Parada's departure, Brandon Pertzborn takes over on drums on the album Supercharged (2024), supported by the singles "Make It All Right" and "Light It Up".