blink-182
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
The third blink-182 LP, Dude Ranch, was jointly released in 1997 by Cargo and MCA. Dude Ranch expanded the groups audience and went platinum by the end of 1998, due in part to the popularity of their infectious teen anthem, Dammit (Growing Up). The group also signed officially with MCA, which released the bands fourth album, Enema of the State, in the summer of 1999. The album, produced by Jerry Finn (Green Day, Rancid), also welcomed a new member into the trios ranks; Travis Barker, formerly with the Aquabats, settled in on drums after Raynor left midway through a 1998 U.S. tour. Enema was greeted with almost immediate success, and helped the band achieve the mainstream status of toilet-humored pop-punk kings that Dude Ranch had only hinted at. Driven by the commercially successful singles Whats My Age Again?, All The Small Things, and Adams Song, music videos for the three songs (whose clips included themes of streaking and boy band spoofs) were MTV smashes as well.
After selling over four million copies of Enema of the State, the trio played on with the limited-edition release The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back) in fall 2000. The album featured the bands radio hits in a live setting, intertwined with their quirky sense of humor as well as the new song Man Overboard. Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, issued in spring 2001, saw the band return to their SoCal punk rock roots. Maturity, of a sort, came with 2003s self-titled album, released on Geffen. Not only did the album sport a song (All of This) that featured Robert Smith of the Cure, but I Miss You also topped the modern rock charts in 2005.
In February 2005, however, popular as ever and seemingly indestructible, blink-182 unexpectedly announced they would be going on an indefinite hiatus, supposedly to spend more time with their growing families. Asking fans for help in selecting tracks, the group issued Greatest Hits that November. Bandmembers also continued on with other projects: Barker -- who had previously released an album with DeLonge as Boxcar Racer -- continued playing with the Transplants and running his clothing company, Famous Stars and Straps. His family was also spotlighted in the MTV reality show Meet the Barkers. Hoppus carried on with his Atticus fashion venture, began producing -- starting with Motion City Soundtracks Commit This to Memory -- and hosting his own podcasts. He further began work with Barker in a new band, Plus 44. DeLonge also continued work with his lifestyle clothing company, Macbeth, and formally announced his new project, Angels and Airwaves, that fall. ~ John Bush & Corey Apar,
