The Offspring 20 years from now?

[endlesst0m]

How do you think The Offspring will be remembered 20 years from now? Will people look at them the same way they look at the Sex Pistols or The Ramones, or will they just fade out and be forgotten? I know most of you are big enough fans to just say "The Offspring will be legends forever!" But honestly...thier last two albums haven't been very popular with either the punkers or the MTV kids. If the next album flops as well, i fear people may see them as "that punk band that had a few good albums but then started to suck", rather then punk rock legends. If you were to ask me this same question in like,1997, I'd say "Fuck yeah, Offspring will be remembered forever!", but now I'm not so sure...

So what do you think...will we still turn on the radio 20 years from now and hear "Self-Esteem" or "The Kids Aren't Alright"? Or will The Offspring just be filed in the "Where are they now?" archives?

[Drummerguy123]

I think it depends on this next album. If they were to finish at GH, then people would see them as the band that just gave up. But I don't think that is going to happen because I have a feeling that they will learn from their mistakes of Splinter and Co1, pick up the pieces, and release a multi-platinum record.

[dain84]

I think Self Esteem, Gone Away, and The Kids Aren't Alright wil be remembered forever.

[Drummerguy123]

I think Self Esteem, Gone Away, and The Kids Aren't Alright wil be remembered forever.

lol. Unfortunately, so will Pretty Fly.

[young greg]

The Offspring will never be remembered in the same light as the Sex Pistols or the Ramones or the Clash (etc.). These bands are among the (more well known and commercialized) founders of punk, but the Offspring--of course--do not fall in this category.

In my opinion, twenty years from now, the Offspring will continue to act as a band that gets kids into punk for the first time. Twelve year-old Johnny punker might hear a more popular track like Pretty Fly... on one of his father's old CDs, like it, and then delve into the earlier works, at which point he will discover S/T, Ignition, and Smash--three solid punk/metal albums. The Offspring are significantly well known and dispersed, lyrically friendly, and musically melodic enough that new-comers to punk aren't scared off by them. If they don't spoil the remainder of their career too badly, I can see them serving as this kind of stepping stone for years to come.

Also, I doubt that they will be remembered for too much more than just being a goofy LA punk band that signed to a major label in the great punk buy-out of 1994. (Green Day are obviously more popular than the Offspring, and wherever the story of Green Day is told, the Offspring will be mentioned as contemporaries.) However, the truth is that the Offspring aren't too musically innovative. They aren't out there doing radical things that nobody has ever thought of before. Sure, they have their own distinctive sound, but it's not monumentally unique.

In short, I believe that punks will be still be listening to the Offspring twenty years from now, if only for a few short years early on.

[dain84]

lol. Unfortunately, so will Pretty Fly.

Yeah, I think the men in black should erase everyone's memories of that song.

[Drummerguy123]

However, the truth is that the Offspring aren't too musically innovative. They aren't out there doing radical things that nobody has ever thought of before. Sure, they have their own distinctive sound, but it's not monumentally unique.

I highly disagree. Listen to Pay the Man and pretty much all of Ixnay. If you are comparing them to Green Day's American Idiot, you are wrong because all Green Day did was write a few long songs, tie them together lyrically, and add meaningless political videos to them. The music itself isn't too great, just the way they organised it. The Offspring, on the other hand, do write powerful lyrics, have interesting melodies, use harmonics extremely well, and aren't afraid to change their style to try something new, yet partially sticking too their roots. I'm sorry for ranting on about how The Offspring are better than Green Day again, but this is how I truly feel. I don't hate Green Day because they "sold out." I don't like them because they get more attention than The Offspring who are by far more talented in every way.

[Drummerguy123]

Yeah, I think the men in black should erase everyone's memories of that song.

Sounds like a good plan.

[endlesst0m]

To further stress my point...compare The Offspring (once again) to Greenday. Both Greenday and The Offspring have had plenty of loyal fans and tons of hit songs, but Greenday are definatly more likely to be remembered years from now. I'd say it's because Greenday has proved that they can still put out hit albums anytime they want, from Dookie, way back in 94' to American Idiot in 05'. On the other hand, Offspring pretty much just had success in the mid 90's. I think that's the main difference.

[Drummerguy123]

To further stress my point...compare The Offspring (once again) to Greenday. Both Greenday and The Offspring have had plenty of loyal fans and tons of hit songs, but Greenday are definatly more likley to be remembered years from now. I'd say it's because Greenday has proved that they can still put out hit albums anytime they want, from Dookie, way back in 94' to American Idiot in 05'. Offspring pretty much just had success in the mid 90's. I think that's the main difference.

But Green Day never really had any big albums except Dookie and American Idiot. And they will only be remembered as a punk band to those that probably have never heard of The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Bad Religion, and other founders of punk.