blink-182

Since emerging to widespread attention in the early 2000s, blink-182 have ranked among the leading pop-punk acts thanks to their memorable, upbeat, and frequently witty material. The well-known configuration of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker distinguished itself amid the prevailing teen-pop and nu-metal sounds by breaking through via the 1999 release Enema of the State and then sustaining a run of singles supported by playfully ironic videos. That momentum carried their next effort, 2001’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, to the top of the Billboard 200. Subsequent years found the band maintaining strong chart presence, with Top Ten Billboard 200 entries that encompass the 2003 self-titled set, 2011’s Neighborhoods, and 2016’s California. Although DeLonge departed in 2015 and was succeeded by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, he rejoined for the 2023 album One More Time…, an emotionally resonant return that aligned with renewed interest in pop-punk.

The group originated in the San Diego suburbs, built around DeLonge on guitar and vocals, Hoppus on bass and vocals, and original drummer Scott Raynor. Performing initially as Blink, they issued the independent EP Fly Swatter in 1993. Their 1994 full-length Buddha preceded a deal with Grilled Cheese/Cargo, which yielded Cheshire Cat the next year. A legal challenge from an Irish act sharing a similar name prompted the addition of “-182,” yet the change proved inconsequential as the trio broadened its reach through global dates on the 1996-1997 Warped Tour alongside Pennywise and NOFX, plus countless appearances in skate, surf, and snowboarding videos.

Cargo and MCA jointly put out the third blink-182 album, Dude Ranch, in 1997. The record broadened their following and attained platinum status before 1998 closed, propelled largely by the catchy youth anthem “Dammit (Growing Up).” A formal MCA contract followed, leading to the summer 1999 arrival of Enema of the State. Jerry Finn, known for prior work with Green Day and Rancid, handled production while Travis Barker, late of the Aquabats, took over drums after Raynor exited mid-1998 U.S. tour. The set achieved swift commercial traction, elevating the band to mainstream pop-punk prominence that Dude Ranch had foreshadowed. The hits “What’s My Age Again?,” “All the Small Things,” and “Adam’s Song” drove the project, with their videos—featuring streaking sequences and boy-band satire—becoming MTV staples.

Having moved more than four million copies of Enema of the State, the band issued the limited live set The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back) in fall 2000, which captured radio favorites alongside their characteristic wit and introduced “Man Overboard.” Spring 2001’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket revisited their Southern California punk origins and became their first U.S. chart-topper. A measure of artistic growth appeared on the 2003 Geffen release blink-182, which included “All of This” featuring Robert Smith of the Cure and saw “I Miss You” reach the modern-rock summit in 2005. Despite ongoing popularity, the trio unexpectedly declared an indefinite hiatus in February 2005 to focus on family life. That November they released Greatest Hits after inviting fan input on track selection.

Each member pursued separate ventures during the break. Barker, who had already collaborated with DeLonge in Boxcar Racer, continued with the Transplants and his clothing line Famous Stars and Straps; his household featured in the MTV series Meet the Barkers. Hoppus advanced his Atticus apparel business, began producing (commencing with Motion City Soundtrack’s Commit This to Memory), hosted podcasts, and launched Plus 44 with Barker. DeLonge maintained his Macbeth clothing company and unveiled Angels and Airwaves that autumn.

While still inactive in 2008, the band faced successive hardships: longtime producer Jerry Finn suffered a brain hemorrhage and heart attack, was removed from life support, and died that August. The following month Barker and frequent collaborator DJ AM sustained serious injuries in a plane crash that claimed both pilots and two of Barker’s associates. Recovery required eleven months and resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder for the drummer. The incident prompted Hoppus and DeLonge to reconnect with Barker, culminating in a 2009 reunion announcement and a co-headlining tour with Weezer. Studio work began later that year, though delays postponed the sixth album, Neighborhoods, until 2011.

Even amid internal tensions, blink-182 maintained an active schedule for the remainder of 2011, participating in the tenth Honda Civic Tour with My Chemical Romance, Rancid, and Against Me!. A twentieth-anniversary trek brought the members back onstage together in 2012. Later that year they exited Interscope and commemorated the split with the self-produced EP Dogs Eating Dogs.

After sold-out Los Angeles shows in 2013 and headlining slots at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2014, the band discussed a follow-up to Neighborhoods. In January 2015 Hoppus and Barker informed Rolling Stone that DeLonge had exited and that Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba might substitute at upcoming performances. DeLonge quickly posted on Facebook that he had not resigned and that any forward movement occurred without his involvement. Ultimately Skiba integrated full-time; the refreshed lineup entered the studio late in the year. “Bored to Death,” issued in April 2016, previewed the seventh album California, which debuted at number one that summer ahead of a tour supporting All Time Low, A Day to Remember, and All-American Rejects. Also in 2016 the career-spanning vinyl collection Box Set compiled the band’s six prior studio albums.

The musicians returned to recording while managing additional commitments. Skiba completed another Alkaline Trio record; Barker accumulated further credits, among them collaborations with Yungblud, Machine Gun Kelly, and XXXTentacion. Hoppus introduced Simple Creatures alongside All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth and released two EPs. The aptly titled ninth album Nine appeared in 2019 (per Barker and Hoppus), its bright artwork contrasting darker themes drawn from Hoppus’s experiences with depression and featuring the singles “Blame It on My Youth” and “Happy Days.” A standalone track, “Quarantine,” surfaced in 2020.

Hoppus revealed a lymphoma diagnosis and ongoing treatment in June 2021; later that year he was declared cancer-free. Following his recovery, DeLonge rejoined the group amid plans for a new studio album and tour. The reunited lineup released the Barker-produced “Edging” in October 2022—their first song with DeLonge since 2012—which entered Billboard’s Alternative Airplay Chart at number 12 and held the top spot for thirteen weeks.

Preparations for the World Tour 2023/2024, branded The Rock Hard Tour, advanced until Barker suffered a finger injury in February 2023, postponing dates by several months. An unannounced Coachella appearance that April marked DeLonge’s first performance with the band in nearly a decade; two days later they assumed headline duties. While touring they premiered “One More Time” and “More Than You Know,” heralding the ninth studio album. The Barker-produced One More Time… arrived in October 2023, the first full-length featuring the classic Hoppus-DeLonge-Barker configuration since Neighborhoods, and topped both the Billboard 200 and Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums charts. A deluxe edition, One More Time… Part 2, followed in September 2024 with eight additional tracks, including the single “All in My Head.”