This Unsuspecting Punk Band Broke Into the Mainstream, Just for Their Fans to Call Them Sellouts |
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This Unsuspecting Punk Band Broke Into the Mainstream, Just for Their Fans to Call Them Sellouts
The Offspring made history as the first punk band to find success on an indie label, but they later got hit with accusations of selling out.
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In April 1994, The Offspring released their third album, Smash, on Epitaph Records. The indie label, back when indie actually meant independent, was owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. He originally started it to release Bad Religion albums, but added to the roster in subsequent years. However, none of Epitaph’s bands had ever broken through. But that was about to change very quickly.
Smash was bolstered by two huge hits, “Come Out and Play” and “Self Esteem”. It also featured the popular “Gotta Get Away” and “Bad Habit”. The singles saturated the airwaves, and their music videos were regulars on MTV. In 1994, Green Day was also breaking through with Dookie, bringing mainstream focus to punk rock. But Dookie was Green Day’s major-label debut, and they were constantly met with accusations of selling out.
The Offspring, meanwhile, were finding a similarly huge amount of success, but they were doing it on an indie label. Essentially, Smash not only allowed The Offspring to grow, but it did the same for Epitaph Records. Gurewitz was betting everything on Smash, and it definitely paid off. But it also led to The Offspring’s own Dookie moment. That is, backlash for a major-label switch.
The Album, Like Its Namesake,........