The Rock Show

Music Starts at 00:19

The Rock Show by blink-182

I went to a blink concert tonight, so - as is the protocol - I had to look at one of their songs. This has always been my fave.

I'm not sure what it is that makes me like this song. Is it the repetitive melody that gets stuck in your head like an ant on flypaper? Is it the quintessential pop punk lyrics about stupid teenage adventures and general lack of ambition? Or is it the Guitar-Hero-level guitar action?

It has that "manic pixie dream girl" stock character which is, like, not usually my favorite thing. But it's kind of a staple in this genre of music, so we can let it slide. It's not that deep, and it's too tiring to get annoyed by, um, all the small things.

lol

Anyway, this song was written mostly by bassist Mark Hoppus to fill the spot as a "catchy, feel-good" track for the album (along with Tom DeLonge's First Date). Apparently they each went home and angrily wrote those respective songs in, like, ten minutes after a meeting where management asked them for a "good-time summer anthem thing" (x).

You want a f***ing single? I'll write you the cheesiest, catchiest throwaway f***ing summertime single you've ever heard. (source)

The band members explained their new sound as "catchy [but with] a definite edge" (x). Of the album and The Rock Show specifically, they said:

I think it's actually as if we built a punk rock time capsule and went back to five years ago when we were writing songs. We wrote that song as a mid-tempo punk-pop song about a girl, and it ended up being one of the better ones on the record. (source)

The inspiration for the song was a rock show at a venue Hoppus describes as "covered with graffiti. It stunk. It was made of concrete and metal so the sound sucked and the toilets were always over-flowing. It was the best, we loved it" (x).

Also, okay, last thing: This song came out in 2001.

That was 15 years ago.

Mark Hoppus is 44, and he's still singing about being 17 without a purpose or direction which I think is kind of funny. But, like, whatever. The line is more about lacking purpose rather than being a teenager.

In other words, pop punk isn't an age; it's a mindset. What's my age again?

In other other words, pop punk is a "combination of pop melodies with fast-paced punk rock" (x). It's guitar-heavy music with punk lyrics that actually has a chance of getting on the radio.

It's a banger.

Overview:

Genre:
Pop Punk

Favorite Lyrics:
She said, "What?"
And I told her that I didn't know.

Verdict:
Can you believe blink-182 invented pop punk?