Top 50 Offspring Songs

If you’re shocked to learn that The Offspring was formed way back in 1984, well, you and me both. That means they’ve been rocking for 39 years. Sure makes me feel old.

This band broke out in the 90s with their aptly named smash hit album Smash. They were part of the Pop-Punk movement (aka 3rd wave Punk) coming out of California full of energy and attitude. But with music videos.

They managed to stay in the game by diversifying their musical style and coming up with new and catchy songs continuously. So, what are the Top 50 Offspring songs? Let’s have a look and see if you agree with my list.

Who Are The Offspring?

The Offspring was started by guitarist and singer Bryan “Dexter” Holland and bassist Gregory “Greg K.” Kriesel in 1984 in Cypress, California. In 1985, Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman joined on lead guitar.

Throughout The Offspring’s career, they’ve changed drummers many times, with Ron Welty as the longest-serving from 1987-2003. They started under the name Manic Subsidal but changed to The Offspring in 1986.

The Offspring got signed to the Punk label Epitaph in 1992 and released Ignition, which got them attention in California. Then Smash came out in 1994 and blew up worldwide. This was followed by big mainstream hits that allowed the band to crossover into other styles. They’ve now released ten albums and are still rocking hard!

Top 50 Offspring Songs

1

Come Out and Play (1994)

Smash was recorded on a tiny budget of just $20,000 in 1994. But, Punk was getting popular thanks to bands like Green Day and Rancid, and this album ended up being a huge deal. It was their third record, but probably the one people remember best. And one of The Offspring’s best remembered songs is probably this album’s first single, “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated).”

What’s great about this track?

It has a great beat. The main guitar chords chug with lots of energy. And, Noodles plays a cool Middle-Eastern riff that gives the song something unique. The vocals in the chorus are fun and energetic, and there’s that “Keep’em separated” part that’s kind of weird. The whole thing is pretty much just a ton of fun, with enough of a hard edge to make it kinda badass.

2

Self-Esteem (1994)

The Smash album defied all expectations, eventually going multi-platinum and selling over 11 million copies around the world. “Come Out and Play” went up to #1 in the charts, and though the next single, “Self-Esteem,” didn’t do quite as well, it’s still one of the most loved Offspring songs.

This is a song about a guy in a relationship with a girl who takes advantage of him and treats him like crap. But he still can’t stick up for himself. While it’s meant to be funny, it’s actually based on the true story of a friend of the band.

This song is a bit slower but a lot heavier. Greg K. plays a simple but super-cool bassline, and the guitars fit in perfectly. And Dexter sings some of his best and funniest lyrics. Right? Yeah!

3

Gotta Get Away (1994)

The third single to come from Smash was “Gotta Get Away.” Ironically, this song was inspired by the pressure the band was under to finish the album which would end up being a massive hit. Dexter sings about being haunted by this pressure and stress every day and every night.

This song has a heavy, mid-tempo beat that the guitars slam along to. The chorus is kind of fun and sing-songy, even though it’s not really a happy, fun song. The guitar sounds here are crunchy and Metal-inspired, so not really Punk Rock-inspired. This is more of a hard Pop-Rock song with a chorus about trying to escape that pretty much anyone can relate to.

4

Gone Away (1997)

From “Gotta Get Away” to “Gone Away.” Just one album, and look how things change! Actually, “Gone Away” is about a different subject matter and is truly a serious song. It comes from Ixnay on the Hombre, their first major-label (Columbia) album and follow-up to Smash.

For this album, the band had a lot more money and time to record. So, it sounds a whole lot more polished, and their ideas are better developed. At the same time, this song was quite a departure for the Pop-Punk band.

It has a slower, though still heavy beat, and while the guitars are still hard and heavy, they’re slower and more droning. After all, this is a song about losing a loved one, so it has a more dirge-like feel. But there’s also a huge Pop-Rock feeling to this song, especially in the chorus.

5

Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) (1998)

For their next trick, The Offspring released 1998’s Americana, their fifth album and the second one on Columbia Records. This time, they felt they had expanded their sound enough already and wanted to get back to something closer to their earlier work. That meant fast and heavy, but also lighter and funnier material. “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” ticks all those boxes.

This song combines Ska, Latin, and even Hip-Hop sounds with the older Offspring Punk Rock sound. And, somehow, it all works. There’s a heavy guitar riff, cowbell, and the very weird but wonderful chorus of female vocals and “Uh-huhs” that’s what everyone remembers. This is the ultimate poser-shaming song, even if it probably wouldn’t fly in modern times.

6

Why Don’t You Get a Job (1998)

Americana was conceived as an examination of the problems in modern American culture. And the next song, “Why Don’t You Get a Job,” fits right in. This is a hilarious Offspring song about moochers, people who take, take, take, and do nothing for themselves.

The music is a very obvious and yet somehow not legal-action-worthy homage to The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” It has a fun, almost marching band feel to it and has one of the most sing-alongy choruses ever. There’s a big bass drum, steel pans, a Hip-Hop beat, and acoustic guitars here, making a unique sound that’s unlike anything the band did before or after.

7

The Kids Aren’t Alright (1998)

Rounding off The Offspring’s hit songs from Americana, “The Kids Aren’t Alright” is another song about problems in America. This time, the music is back to The Offspring’s Pop-Punk roots. There’s chugging, heavy guitars, a fast drum beat, and all the “whoa-ho’s” you could want.

This song was written by Dexter after returning to visit his hometown and meeting people there. So many people’s lives didn’t turn out the way they were meant to. Instead, he sings of suicide, teen pregnancy, unemployment, and drug addiction. This song is a fast, slamming indictment of the American Dream.

8

Original Prankster (2000)

By the time their sixth album, Conspiracy of One, came out in 2000, The Offspring was best known as a weird band that played with strange sounds and funny lyrics. “Original Prankster” was probably the biggest Offspring song from this new album and was definitely weird-sounding and funny.

The music in the verses has a very strong Latin feel and a joke sample from Rob Schneider. The pre-chorus gets hard and heavy with Punk Rock guitars. Then the chorus continues this but also includes interplay between Dexter and Hip-Hop legend Redman. This is another track that has a weird but original mash-up sound while keeping to The Offspring’s Punk Rock roots.

9

Hit That (2003)

The band’s next record, Splinter, was released in 2003. This record was all over the place, with lots of melodic Punk Rock songs but an equal number of tracks that more-or-less defied categorization. The best of these, and a song deserving of its place in the Top 10 Offspring Songs list, is “Hit That.”

This track has a bouncy, almost Ska-like beat. But it also mixes weird duck-like synth sounds, deep piano chords, and some thudding bass just for fun. But, in the chorus, you get enough of that classic Offspring sound to remind you it’s one of theirs. This song, though it’s fun and bouncy, is about how promiscuity can lead to messed-up families.

10

You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid (2008)

The last song on my list of The Offspring’s Top 10 is “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid.” This track comes from the band’s eighth studio album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, which was released in 2008. That’s right, after a 5-year gap. The band toured, and sort of rested on their laurels for several years before writing this new album. And they managed a few great tracks, so maybe it was worth it.

“You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” features a fast-as-you-like beat, chugging guitars, and, of course, Dexter’s nasal voice. It sounds a lot like classic Offspring, but also includes a bit of a Pop-Rock style with some synth sounds and a stomping drum breakdown. It’s highly rhythmic, full of power, and one heck of a great track to dance to.

11

Come Out and Play

12

Gone Away

13

The Kids Aren’t Alright

14

Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)

15

Want You Bad

16

You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid

17

Why Don’t You Get a Job?

18

Hammerhead

19

Original Prankster

20

Can’t Repeat

21

She’s Got Issues

22

Genocide

23

Get It Right

24

Mota

25

Million Miles Away

26

Beheaded

27

Something to Believe In

28

Lightning Rod

29

Want You Bad (Blag Dahlia Remix)

30

The Noose

31

Jennifer Lost the War

32

Fix You

33

Have You Ever

34

Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?

35

One Fine Day

36

Trust in You

37

Neocon

38

A Lot Like Me

39

Dividing By Zero

40

Self Esteem

41

Half-Truism

42

I Wanna Be Sedated

43

Leave It Behind

44

Smash It Up

45

D.U.I.

46

Not the One

47

Session

48

All I Want

49

Americana

50

Staring at the Sun

Want More Amazing Music from the 90s?

Well, then check out our thoughts on the Best 90s Songs, the Best 90s Rock Songs, the Best 90s Grunge Songs, the Best 90s Love Songs, the Best 90s Dance Songs, the Best 90s Hip Hop Songs, and the Best 90s Country Songs for more incredible song selections.

The Top 50 Offspring Songs of All Time – Final Thoughts

The Offspring is still touring and recording, albeit with a new line-up, so “All time” isn’t quite up yet. And, who knows, maybe we’ll see a new song bump one of these classics from its Top 10 spot. But, for now, these are the best Offspring songs the band has released.

While they started with and keep returning to a straight-ahead Pop-Punk sound, many of their best songs don’t fit this mold. Instead, they blend features of other music styles to create something new and unique, and that’s why they stand out. That makes The Offspring a band that you can listen to again and again without getting bored of the same old thing. Pretty, fly, right?

Until next time, happy listening.