Crass Course: Old School Pop Punk

Crash course on the PUNK side of Pop Punk. Everything from The Ramones to Weasel to D4 to Fest.
Background Music:
"Pollyanna" by McRackins
• Pollyanna
"Right Like This" by Marble
• Right Like This
"Human Punching Bag" by Teen Idols
• Teen Idols / Spread ‎-...
(Track 3)
"I Don't Wanna Be a New York Ranger" by The Hextalls
• I Don't Wanna Be A New...
"Young, Loud, and Scotty" by Lifetime
• Young, Loud, And Scotty
"Three to the Beach" by Dear Landlord
• Young, Loud, And Scotty
"Sundae Skool" by Boys
• Sundae Skool

[@HateSpeechMKE]

Time to binge this entire channel.

[@mms4397]

Fr

[@dkoskoify]

Great video! Good job, dude. Keep it up, amd you'll surpass Punk Rock MBA in no time. I like that you actually talk about punk!

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Cheers!

[@deekmjones4463]

It's not about surpassing, you guys have your own perspectives.

[@Iexecutioner]

Buddy gets name dropped in a spazz song decades ago and still thinks his word means something

[@Ryattt81]

@@Iexecutioner just let him live...whats the hate for?

[@CALAVERASTV]

this is much better than punk rock mba

[@samhainkid]

The Ramones' penchant for repeating verses goes back to the early bubblegum bands they grew up listening to. Lots of bands like Herman's Hermits and whatnot did the same thing in the 60's.

[@toddpacker4683]

Sloppy seconds “more trouble then they’re worth” is an underrated classic

[@samhainkid]

Nice to see the Teen Idols clip in the beginning! They used to crash at me and my friends' place when their tour would hit Orlando. Super fun times!!!

[@sweetestcyanide]

the Ramones are awesome, def a feel good sound that i can put on in the car and casually enjoy. ive been getting more into the descendants and the misfits lately, both great! nice video dude

[@AtZero138]

Have you heard of.. Hex Dispenser?..

[@jxcobaniki6709]

Extremely happy when I heard Young Loud & Scotty in the back at one point

[@ronanderson6837]

Fantastic song

[@a.champagne6238]

The Normals (1978-80) from New Orleans, LA are a great, obscure pop/punk band. Imagine if Green Day had a second guitarist (who could really shred) a power drummer, and harmonizing vocals. You'd be almost there.

[@hawkeyeproductions7235]

Im 50 and grew up during this time and have seen a lot of the these bands. Your analysis is pretty spot on. Nice presentation.

[@repomanband]

Love your stuff, man! You've introduced me to a lot of great punk bands I'd never herd of!

[@AportesKike]

Pop punk the nerdiest genre for us who were outcasts but not that edgy for metal/hardcore this music I relate from Descendents to Real Friends going Through your Masked Instruders and Ergs

[@spotmcrackin]

Sweet shirt, thanks for including Pollyanna in the BG music.

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Hey thanks dude!!

[@platypuspracticus2]

For me, the quintessential Ramones styled pop punk is Mr T Experience. Also, the Beach Boys influence is key to the Ramones sound...that 60s surf rock influence. Really, I think surf rock is hugely core to pop punk whether it's the Ramones or Descendents and the bands that follow.

[@happycat4838]

Beatnik Termites, Hard Ons, The Manges, DeeCracks and Parasites are some other rad bands for Ramones-core pop punk! Great video, pop punk and skate punk are my two favorite genres, and you did them both justice! I'm definitely subbing, you rule!

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Same dude! I’d love to talk about ramonescore more on this channel in the future. I’ve been kinda playing to the hardcore/crust people with my last few upload to build my audience a lil more but there will be more vids like this!! Thanks dude!

[@ric9759]

You can include The Queers too

[@totalnerdboy]

Love the Lookout sound. My CD collection is mostly those types of bands, and influences my own music. Super stoked you mentioned some of my favorite bands in this vid.

[@wickedlee664]

I’ve ALLways liked ALL more than the Decendants. Well, I consider the whole project to be one band. It is one band. Everything Sucks was originally an ALL album. (The demos feature Price and are superior.) So, it’s all one band. They had 4 singers. They rank as follows from best to least best: Chad Price - Dave Smalley - Milo Aukerman - Scott Reynolds. They are all very good singers but I was disappointed to see them return to calling themselves Decendants and bringing back Milo. They had matured in such a killer way. They retained their manic energy but dropped the adolescent affect. I understand records need to be sold. Just because a band does things to maximize their appeal that doesn’t mean they aren’t still doing what they want. I just like seeing a band evolve. Every member is a rad songwriter. I love them. As an aside, Crimpshrine is one of my favorite bands. I can hear them being influenced by ALL/D. The way the bass carries the melody and the way the rhythm section bubbles and pops along. Both bands have a melancholy pop sound that’s tuneful. To me these bands sound FAR more aggressive to me than “heavier” metal and punk bands. It’s not just tempos that can read as aggressive. It’s in the hands of all the players. Wound up tight. Yup yup.

[@RamenDenominator]

Great comment. ALL deserves more attention now and then. Sincerity is fundamental to punk and ALL delivered that better than anyone.

[@thebrandolorian9037]

I would have loved to see FYPs final show. I didn't know they got back together. I saw them in 96. I loved those guys Edit: After watching this video, I busted out this "best of" Ramones style pop punk mix tape. Man what great memories. Opening song, The Vindictives- Assembly Line.Such a great song.

[@Entropy4All]

Great video. I'm an old school punk who always had a soft spot for the pop punk sound. I do wonder why you didn't include Generation X as one of the pop punk founders? I've always considered them the original pop punk band. In fact, I've always thought that the Descendents were influenced by Generation X. Another possible old school pop punk pioneer might be the Modern Lovers.

[@LetsGoMetsGo33]

1:18 IDK, I think early Misfits is as pop as the Ramones (musically, not thematically). "Hybrid Moments", "Attitude," and “Last Caress" are very similar musically to "Judy is a Punk", "Blitzkrieg Bop", or "She's the One". Both bands had other tracks ("bullet" "horror business" “we are 138"; "pinhead", "now i wanna sniff some glue" "commando”) that have heavier doses of punk than pop.

[@petepersimmons7938]

Absofrickinlutely

[@noahblickensderfer7925]

Great video sir! You have a knack for this.

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Yoooo thanks dude!

[@1thess523]

I played in a pop /skate punk band named Millhouse out of San Antonio Texas from about late 93'- late 96' and we got to open for a bunch of cool band's like Dillinger Four, doc Hopper, The Parasites, Brown Lobster Tank, GOB Emory Swank, Safehouse, Arm Chair Martian, Propagandhi, The Bollweevils, Nigel Six, Rhythm Collision, Zoinks, Man Dingo Scared Of Chaka, Scooby Don't, Everready and probably a fee other's im forgetting. My little brother was out drummer and I know after I left they band they opened for Alkaline Trio, Hey Mercedes, Digger, Revolvers, I think Funeral Oration as well.

[@ramonescorerob4791]

Awesome content! Although I gravitate towards ramonescore stuff these days, you did a great job of explaining the different styles, where their respective influences came from as well as how they evolved. Really well put together!

[@justinfoy7514]

I love the fact that you included Chixdiggit in the conversation. They are so often over looked. Very solid group.

[@evan242503]

If more people your age had your taste in music I think I might eventually be able to enjoy the company of someone your age for more than 10 min. man im getting old.

[@xenos_n.]

Well, you're right when you say you are under qualified for not having even mentioned The Dickies.

[@outtahand666]

Obsessed with these videos dude 🙌🚀

[@mediahits9683]

The Lagwagon track on the 1992 Lookout records comp, Can of Pork, was their first recording.

[@backroadsadventure]

Just found your channel and these crass course videos are awesome. I've always geeked out about sub genres and sub sects to sub genres. Some become very niche that it's hard to classify certain bands within these sub genres one way or the other. And you do a great job of explaining that. I enjoy all of it. It would be neat to see a video on the more rock and roll side of this punk sub genre, Power pop. The nerves, the kids, the boys, forgotten rebels, dead boys, nipple erectors, generation X, cheap trick, ice and the iced, GG and the Jabbers, exploding hearts, the briefs, soda pop kids, street brats, the stitches, johnny thunders, the vibrators, the macc lads maybe fit somewhere? The bodies, New York dolls, etc. The list goes on and on. Awesome channel. Keep em coming.

[@CannaToker420]

Chemical People are fuckin sick dude! You know so many good bands. Love your videos, man.

[@joeyvesguerra]

Of the bands you mentioned for the first wave of pop punk, and ramone-core, i didnt know Chixdiggit!! So thanks for that

[@joeyvesguerra]

also, what song is playing in the background of that section?

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Hell yeah Chixdiggit! is rad! and that song is called "Right Like This" by Marble. I always leave a list of the background music in my description just for future reference

[@craigpatrick1]

Awesome I like about every band mentioned! I live in Fort Collins where the blasting room is I was lucky to see the Filmage premiere followed by an ALL performance with both Chad and Scott on vocals! Love the 90s music I was a teenager during that era I considered myself lucky cause I don’t know what the heck is going on today as far as music

[@1thess523]

I HEAR MARBLE PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND 😀😀😀😀, I did a drum cover of that song Right Like This 👍

[@dragonrapidmusic]

Another great video! The Descendents were formative to how I turned out in life. I'm wondering if you'll ever tackle the topic of Joy Division and post-punk? -Dragon Rapid

[@samuelblinne6040]

Awesome

[@ImLazarusMusic]

I live in Minneapolis. The D4 guys are around town and cool to people. Off With Their Heads is also from here, you probably saw them at Fest as well. I literally remember the day they announced that they had been signed to Epitaph. We were all blown away because they were playing (no exaggeration) 300+ shows a year, but we all figured if anything they’d get signed to Hellcat. They had done a show with Rancid either before or after or both and the writing was on the wall. But yeah it turned out to be Epitaph. My first band also got to be the only opener for Rancid and MXPX in 2007 at the Myth in Maplewood, MN. We didn’t get signed though lol. Now I just play solo and also randomly happen to be the lead singer in a Ramones tribute band (Cretin Avenue Hop). Which seemed appropriate since the story goes that they wrote that song here inspired by our street in St Paul, Cretin Avenue.

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Right on. Yeah I’ve seen OWTH a bunch and I did see D4 at fest lol. I actually used to live in Downtown Saint Paul for a while. Back when the Triple Rock was still a thing. Saw the Loved Ones there and that shit was rad because they never used to come out to the west coast. Good times

[@ImLazarusMusic]

@@thepunkhistorian6397 Oh nice! I played the Triple Rock dozens of times before it closed. What years were you in St Paul? We probably have some mutual friends lol. Did you know the In Defense guys at all?

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

@@ImLazarusMusic I was only there about a year in 2016. Tbh I didn’t make it out to as many shows as I wished I could’ve. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to really get plugged into the scene out there but I really loved the vibe and the clubs. Had a blast at all the shows I went to out there.

[@cowmark67]

Cool video. I just discovered your channel through KZbin recommendations and it's highly enjoyable and informative. Pop punk is probably my favorite music genre as the genre has the most bands represented on my top 50 favorite bands list I've been working on, though black metal (mostly in the post-black/blackgaze realm) is getting close as I discover more bands. Here are my favorite pop punk bands. 1. Green Day (my favorite band of all time and they are from my home town) 2. Paramore 3. Fall Out Boy 4. Sum 41 (more of their catalog is metal, hardcore, and pure punk than pop punk but they do have pop punk classics) 5. PUP (really only Morbid Stuff is pop punk focused but their is a hint of pop punk sound on most of their albums) 6. The Wonder Years 7. The Offspring (I'm not sure if they are punk, skate punk, pop punk, or a mix of all three but I love them, minus the newest album) And here are a few bands that I love that are on the border of pop punk 1. Jimmy Eat World (they do have a lot of emo & alt rock in their sound but there is also a fair amount of pop punk as well) 2. Rancid (not pop punk but their are similar in sound to early Green Day and they come from the same 90s Bay Area scene) 3. Four Year Strong (they are an easycore band, which is a pop punk subgenre, but they aren't straight up pop punk) 4. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk (another easycore band leaning more toward late 2000s metalcore instead of the hardcore of Four Year Strong's easycore sound) 5. Modern Baseball (first and foremost an emo band but they do have pop punk mixed into their sound)

[@wain609]

Great video man!

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Cheers!

[@dustinumberger9698]

Your videos are impressive and enjoyable man, keep up the good work.

[@SJBassin]

I had this huge reply but realized it would come out wrong. The videos you do are awesome and have alot of great bands in them. As someone who went to alot of shows back in the day (79- mid 90's), you don't realize just how obscure some of these bands were back then. I can count on my fingers the people i knew who knew some of these bands back then let alone all of them.Hell I didn't know all these bands and I was pretty avid into the scene or so I thought. Punk was Extremely underground and very localized. The internet has really done alot to bring recognition to many bands. As for labeling bands most of these bands would have been what we called OC bands or Beach Punk (coming from Orange County Ca.). As for influencing this style of play I think you missed major influences like The Crowd, Rik L Rik, China White, Redd Kross, Salvation Army, The Simpletones, Agent Orange, Shattered Faith, Social Distortion, Adolescents and many more bands. Again Great video and it made me look down memory lane with a smile.

[@ronanderson6837]

Descendents/ALL, Sloppy Seconds, Teen Idols… all great bands

[@LetsGoMetsGo33]

Ramonescore FTW! I love 4 of the 5 bands you highlighted! (Nothing against the 5th, just haven't spent much time with them).*

[@roadbull1]

Great content man! I love hot water music but always thought of them as being related more to harder fugazi material than the ramones sound.

[@ric9759]

Did you mention The Dickies? Seminal pop-punk band

[@brandoncantoran6190]

Punknews is great. The main guy, John Gentile, led the writing of the Leftöver Crack book

[@ian_davidson]

Thanks again!

[@ThisIsLaCrow]

I gasped when The Ergs was mentioned!

[@valerianodurante]

Great!

[@heithdrennan75]

Out of all the “gruff beard” bands I think Iron Chic really stands out. One of the best current pop punk bands IMO

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Love Iron Chic. If I’m being honest though I personally think Latterman was better

[@Borninxixax]

I honestly feel like you understated the Buzzcocks’ influence. Maybe not as influential on pop punk, but for sure influential on the more general Indie scene. Great band either way

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

But like you said they were more influential on the more general indie scene. With these videos I try to narrow things down subgenre by subgenre. They were influential on pop punk for sure but not nearly as much as the Ramones or Descendents

[@1thess523]

You got a new sub from Texas because you did a pretty good job 👍

[@shaunhyde5613]

Really surprised you didn’t mention the Dickies. The west coast version of the Ramones and pre-dated The Descendants.

[@AtZero138]

Absolutely... Cheers from Orange County

[@williamz7011]

One of my favorite Ramones core bands is Boris The Sprinkler. Such a goofy/fun band. If you're into that style of punk, you should definitely check them out

[@themastabastard1744]

Thx for the recommendation

[@ethan9590]

Where does NOFX fall in this taxonomy? Also, nice callout to The Nobodys. Some of the best shows I saw in the late 90s were The Nobodys at Club 156 in Boulder. They used to play with other Denver bands like Qualm, Pinhead Circus, and this one band Electric Summer were completely wild and always a good time.

[@GeneralYee123]

Funny you mentioned Screeching Weasel. They had another band called the Riverdales, which was definitely Ramones

[@blackwindsignomancy8429]

Glad you mentioned Diesel Boy and The Nobody’s. I grew up in the mid nineties in Denver and those bands played all the time. I think the Nobody’s are from Colorado Springs

[@1thess523]

I'm a 47 year old guy who comes from the 90s Punk scene original music it's all in that vein, I also do a lot of drum covers from that same era but I also do stuff from later on

[@Jma952]

I freaking love ALL, even more than Descendents!

[@gabrielparadis5895]

The best punk rock bands from the 90s

[@iatetheradio]

Also check out Pinhead Circus, Rhythm Collision, Houseboy and Mandingo!

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

LOVE Pinhead Circus! I know I've listened to Rhythm Collision and Houseboy before too but I haven't done the "deep dive" quite yet. Haven't heard of Mandingo though, I'll definitely have to check them out!

[@ethan9590]

Oh man, Happy as a Clam! That was such a great song.

[@DSPHistoricalSociety]

I came to bitch at you about not having the Screeching Weasel logo on the thumbnail... ...then i noticed the shirt. Much love brother.

[@SRone45]

Husker Du is also a big part of this. Listen to a song like "Could You Be The One?"

[@EvanK2EJT]

There aren't very many benefits to being old as dirt, but being old as dirt did afford me the opportunity to see both the Descendents and the Ramones live. Granted, you can still go to a Descendents show (and you should because they're STILL amazing live to this day), but it's been decades since the last Ramones show.

[@JayyVee41]

The Replacements started it all

[@thebrandolorian9037]

I've watching a ton of your videos and have been really enjoying these videos. But I have a question...Hot Water Music... Pop Punk?

[@nankypooh655]

Considering the political leanings of Doug Colvin and John Cummings I'm a little surprised you covered The Ramones in this tutorial, but, on the other hand, they were basically the founders of so called "Pop-Punk" along with The Buzzcocks. Still a good video.

[@freakmagnet2737]

Fun fact: in 2000s latin america, Poppier punk was called Happy Punk

[@krissymarklewis1793]

You know your stuff man.

[@tinfoilhat3268]

Bro how could you not mention the Dickies?

[@scottejohnson83]

Duuuude, sludgeworth was soooooo fucking good. So underrated and overlooked.

[@marvelmite1]

Wow you go deep. I've thought about doing something very similar but am way too lazy to go through with it. Any chance of a video on the Gorilla Biscuits family tree (Quicksand, Civ,. Etc)

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

that is a GREAT idea!

[@ethan9590]

Weren't Civ made up of ex-Quicksand members?

[@jackquiroz9034]

Dont know if considered pop punk but the old orange county band Plain Wrap had its melodic poppy moments.

[@ryebreadnocrust]

my boy brought up pup and joyce!

[@chano1283]

Any thoughts on doing an Against Me video?

[@jeffmead2935]

hes making it up as he gos along xx

[@toddpacker4683]

Love teen idols

[@peboblank2786]

Man thanks

[@avestuart]

What about The Hard-Ons out of Australia? They were doing a lot of high-speed poppy punk in the mid-to-late 80s. Also, my band played with the McRackins in Vancouver about 15 years ago. I often forget about those guys and I really like them.

[@johndoe-cb5ck]

Keep digging...you didn't mention generation x,the dickies,the saints(from Australia) and many more that need mentioned

[@rinlo1424]

Bouncing Souls

[@Frymac91]

🤘😎🤙

[@pandaredemption]

I always thought that the Buzzcocks and Wipers were both amazing early pop punk stuff.

[@brewberry3894]

Totally! Why limit your music to just one sub Jenre.

[@numbrod27]

Why no mention of Mutant Pop Records?

[@numbrod27]

Monster Zero Records bands Stardumb Records bands

[@jreis5888]

I always thought power pop bands like the jam, the wipers and the damned’s second album were the predecessors to pop punk, or was that an unrelated pop sound in punk music?

[@rocket69218]

Yes, I think so... that's the problem with trying to put bands into genre boxes, it doesn't really work. Musical styles don't start and stop it's a continuous evolution that goes out in all directions and almost everything is influenced by what came before. When someone says 'pop punk' I always think of Buzzcocks first and foremost because that's what I hear in bands like Green Day. And while nobody would call Stiff Little Fingers 'Pop Punk' maybe, musically they are clearly a massive influence on loads of the bands that came after. I don't think you can have a video on pop punk without mentioning The Dickies either... which isn't to criticize, just to point out that to me anyway these labels are more about a time or a scene than they are about the actual music.

[@buzzo8591]

Descendents, screeching weasel, and the queers some of my fav punk bands or bands in general

[@user-gw8xv6qg4v]

The missed out The Undertones .and Generation X

[@richardturzua1785]

How dare you omit the best Pop punk band ever? Limp! Please listen to the album Guitarded and Pop and Disorderly. Follow that with their Self Titled album and you’ll see that they truly rank among the best. I’d like to throw in the other Red Scare bands like Masked Intruder and Elway. It’s always awesome hearing people keep this genre alive. Great vid, my first sentences were typed in jest. Love your stuff bro. Keep up the great work.

[@Eric_oo]

THICK, from NYC

[@abhimenon801]

man, please do a video on "proto-punk"

[@katiefoster2771]

no mention of the Toy Dolls.....F- see me after class.

[@willieluncheonette5843]

Please understand from someone who was there in 1976 and has written about punk, no one called these 1977-79 bands pop punk. They were punk bands period. I guess you sort of mention this.

[@AtZero138]

Thank you... I just left a comment about this... Cheers from Southern California..

[@322dan]

Weston, from Pennsylvania, is one of my favorite pop punk bands ever. They were active from 1991-2001. Then they did a few reunions from 2007-2019. Funny lyrics, great music, lots of energy live. They have really good backing vocals. 3 singers. Check out this album! kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3OsY6WIqLSIatE

[@conor495]

I hate considering any band pop punk just because people automatically assume it’s just bands like Sum41 or Blink 182 or whatever but I’m surprised Dillinger Four and Avail are thrown into that mix is it because they’re melodic?

[@michaelpfogerty]

Have you ever heard The Exploding Hearts?

[@Void7.4.14]

Yep, yes, absolutely, only Fest is a punk festival, not a Pop Punk festival! There's always a good mix of folk punk, pop punk, crust, PV (most years at least 1 band), some youth crew some years, emo, screamo, indie, if it's punk or punk adjacent it generally flies. Unfortunately these past few years have really gone down hill imo and it's been way more pop punk and punk adjacent bands than anything, but I still wouldn't call it a pop punk festival 😂

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Yeah they always have a good mix but let’s not act like half the bands they book each year don’t sound at least a little bit like D4 lol

[@1thess523]

I did a drum cover of Fifteen End Of The Summer

[@unrepair1340]

any band recommendations with sound similar to early blink 182? their old stuff is great (buddha, chershire and dude ranch)

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Slick Shoes, Teen Idols, Bigwig, Pulley, Marble, Scooped Up, Formula One. Im sure you recognize a few of these but hopefully that’s somewhere to start. On the same token tho none of these are QUITE mid 90s blink but in the same vein for sure. It’s hard to capture their sound quite the same way because the call and response with a bass and tenor vocal like that is rare. Especially in punk of the era. Travis’s old band Feeble is worth a listen too. They’re not on streaming but there’s a rip of their EP up on YT

[@unrepair1340]

@@thepunkhistorian6397 appreciate the reccs. ill check em out! there’s something i really love about their old stuff. i wish they kept making more music like dude ranch. i think they sonically sounded the best there imo.

[@JoshuaMutant]

Wait nevermind there it is

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

😂😂😂

[@KhalOisha78]

I can suggest Masked Intruders, they're quite like "Lookout"alike style and great musicians.

[@stuffythriftwood4612]

Stuff like blink 182, and greenday we called Buble gum punk. I couldn't get into green day after kurplunk. I got respect for blink 182 dude ranch, and take off your pants and jacket taught me how to play bass.