Green Day vs blink-182 - the most influential band in pop punk

[@filmskanauka6364]

Any band who calls themselves punk after 1994 owes green day and offspring a beer

[@nonward]

Haha. I totally get where you're coming from and do think a lot of these pop punk bands do often sound pretty different and poppy and kind of far removed sonically/lyrically from the punk rock scene, in my view.

[@dminicm4603]

blink is the more influential pop punk band, but green day is a more influential rock band in general imo

[@nonward]

Yeah, I agree with this, and that's an important point; personally, I think it's close, but I do lean toward Green Day for rock music (and music in general probably as well, imo) if only because of arguably greater awareness of the band overall and because they were commercially bigger than blink-182 and easily one of the biggest rock bands of the '90s and '00s. Thank you for commenting.

[@MrAaron-ek1wb]

It's not about influence for me. Green Day is just my all time favorite band.

[@grenas1995]

That’s honestly fine that you see it that way. In my eyes, Green Day isn’t pop punk. That term belongs to blink. Green Day is PUNK, and one of the last few bands along with the Offspring, Rancid, and other bands alike, to keep punk alive through straight forward/melodic/in your face punk rock and punk values that all those bands have upheld.

[@nonward]

I understand where you're coming from and feel like Green Day are kind of on the edge of pop punk and a case could probably be made either way. I personally think of them, as well as the Offspring, as being both pop punk and punk rock, and culturally/sonically overall they're certainly much more punk rock-influenced than blink-182. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@grenas1995]

@@nonward appreciate your perspective bro 🙏🏻 that’s fair if you think that, to me they’ve just been one the last bands that’s actually upheld punk values and lifestyle by doing what they want, never repeating themselves, writing the music they want, which at its core, is still straight forward, hard hitting stripped down punk rock with a hint of melodies used to express them. I guess all I’m saying is there’s a reason why they’ve earned the respect of punk icons that came before them such as Joey Ramone himself, Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys (who actually introduced Green Day when they played 924 Gilman street again in 2013 I believe it was), just to name a few.

[@nonward]

Oh, I totally agree, and it's impressive they've had all the success they've had while being so consistent with their punk rock values and sound, and to be clear, by saying they're also pop punk I just meant that stylistically they have some stuff that is a bit more melodic/catchy/accessible than standard punk rock, but they've got plenty of just punk rock songs as well and have always seemed to me to be thematically/culturally true to punk rock, and I'm biased but personally I think Green Day are probably the single most significant figure in punk rock for all their influence and their popularization of the genre

[@TolietWater]

Green Day is a pop punk band they were influenced by all the Ramonescore stuff on Lookout and Husker Du who were way more pop influenced

[@craig2196]

Green day Pioneered Pop Punk, Blink-182 defined it. The Ramones were a rock in the punk cave. Descendants mined that rock, Green day was the train that brought the rock, Blink made the statue out of that rock. That statue is called Pop Punk.

[@nonward]

Haha, I really like this metaphor. It's very creative and accurate/illustrative imo. Thank you for commenting

[@michaelkozma5929]

This was really well done break down video nice job man! I love both bands so much hard to pick. Green day was definitely the first band of 2nd wave Punk to hit mainstream America.. and then Blink took it to another level in terms of multi genre appeal. Another great 90s Punk band was Lagwagon.

[@nonward]

Thank you so much; I really appreciate it. And those are great points, and I felt the same way and I feel that really, an argument could be made for either band for different reasons. And I think I've heard of them but don't know anything by them and will have to check them out. Thank you for the thoughtful comment.

[@michaelkozma5929]

@@nonward check out the song May 16 by Lagwagon, they are a really melodic punk band and have great musicianship. Yes both bands hold so much value in Punk, i love them both. Great video 👍

[@nonward]

Nice song and nice melodies/riffs/overall sound. I also liked the album, especially "Train" and "Love Story." Thanks for recommending them.

[@michaelkozma5929]

@@nonward So glad you enjoyed Train and Love Story! Really catchy stuff, they really encapsulate that 90s nostalgia. I also suggest "Violins". That is their other most popular single. Wishing you luck on youtube nice videos!

[@nonward]

@@michaelkozma5929 I agree; yeah, "Violins" is also good, and they do, in my opinion, seem to have a fairly consistent sound that captures that very well. Thank you, and I appreciate the support.

[@flibbidyx2]

The Descendents. Mark Hoppus himself would tell you he was just ripping them off.

[@nonward]

There's definitely a strong argument for them being most influential, and I definitely should have included them in the video, as in many ways, pop punk can really be traced back to the Descendents, I think, but I still feel like blink-182 went on to develop their own sound that was closer to modern pop punk and more directly influenced the genre and more bands, where personally I give more weight to direct, rather than indirect, influence, though the argument that as the Descendents were such an important originator/precursor of pop punk that they are the most influential on the genre is perfectly valid as well.

[@TolietWater]

Screeching Weasel, NOFX, Face to Face and Jawbreaker were way more influential to that early blink sound I feel like the Descendents definitely influenced them a bit especially with the lyrics and sense of humor but those bands I mentioned influenced their sound more

[@o.a.rodriguez7484]

Blink has had more influence on modern pop punk but GD had more influence on other genres not just pop punk

[@nonward]

That's a very good/important point, which I forgot to address in the video. Yeah, while both have influenced artists outside pop punk, seems like overall, outside the genre Green Day are better known and are more influential within rock music/music as a whole, and especially in punk rock. Also I'm going to change the title slightly so it's less confusing/misleading. Thanks so much for commenting

[@PedroHenrique-mj1mn]

Green Day's signature sound is not easy band to copy, regardless of how simple their formula is. How many bands out there sound like them? Blink's signature sound, on the other hand, is very easy to copy, this is why there are lots of copycat bands around trying to copy them. This does not make their sound more influential, just easier to copy. Green Day's music is more unique.

[@nonward]

This is a good and interesting point and not something I had really considered, and I agree that Green Day does have a very distinct sound (at least in the ways I tend to notice, like their riffs, melodies, and vocal style) that kind of come together in a way that may be difficult for other bands to copy, though I think at least a few aspects of blink-182's sound (particularly Tom's vocal style and also their contrasting dual vocals) may also be somewhat difficult to copy, though I could see Green Day having the edge here. Thank you for your thoughtful comment.

[@ernestosalinasvantreek8686]

I dont agree. Many bands tried to copy blink but none has ever succeded as such. If blink was an easy band to copy, then this discussion would be pointless. In adittion, the “blink” sound everyone talks about its just the enema and take off blink era, which blink is more known for perhaps, but blink sounds its actually pretry unique on its own, specially from the untitled album and forward. Im a huge blink fan and with all of their cataloge up there I understand why people think of blink as a pop punk band, but they are actually pretty hard to classify if you listen to non 1999-2002 era.

[@nonward]

That's a good point. I can see the argument that as they have evolved and experimented with their sound, they have further developed creatively and perhaps have a difficult-to-replicate unique combination of sounds and influences, and very few bands seem to have this sound, and while Green Day certainly has a unique sound, I can also see this view and may be a bit more partial to it actually, though I am a bit biased as I prefer the darker/experimental side of blink-182, and Untitled and Neighborhoods are two of my favorite albums.

[@jaykun182]

I'm sorry but I have to hard disagree.

[@nisoar549]

Blink and mark inspiered me to play bass

[@nonward]

That's really cool. Mark Hoppus (and Mike Dirnt) have written a lot of my favorite basslines.

[@hiding_my_name]

These bands wouldn't exist without the Descendents

[@nonward]

That is absolutely true and a very good and important point. The Descendents were definitely very influential as well, and I certainly should have mentioned them in the video. Thank you for your comment.

[@hiding_my_name]

@nonward i mean it could be argued that that Ramones were the first "pop-punk" band, but for some reason the Descendents to me are the start of this brand of pop-punk.

[@nonward]

That's very true; I agree and also think of the Descendents as being sort of like the first true pop punk band, maybe because of their lyrical/cultural similarities/influence on modern pop punk, even though earlier bands like the Ramones (and a few others like the Buzzcocks) also seem to fit the general description for the genre.

[@OperationCheeseisbad]

I feel like Green Day would be more influential because they inspired blink 182 to make “What’s my age again” and Green Day has been around since 1987 and blink has only been around since 1992

[@nonward]

Very good point. Personally, I think it's close and think that their influence on blink-182 and significant influence on multiple waves of bands is certainly a strong argument in favor of Green Day over blink-182. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@deadendstudio]

While Offspring weren't pop unk themselves (i think?), i feel like a lot of these bands including Blink were influenced by them.

[@nonward]

That's a very good point, and I feel like you could make a case for either (the Offspring as punk rock AND pop punk vs. just punk rock). They certainly are one of the most influential (and commercially successful) bands in the genre and there's also a strong case for them being the most influential given they influenced a number of big bands, like Blink-182, as you said. Thanks so much for commenting

[@HYPERPUNKPEACHES]

Honestly fair take and I understand where you're coming from, however, as a HUGE fan of both bands, I feel like the fact Green Day really made punk as a genre mainstream kinda gives them the automatic win even if Blink has influenced a higher number of (relatively) smaller bands in the genre. Like yeah within the pop punk scene Blink's sound is more widespread, your average music Fantano head or anyone born before 1995 is gunna know punk thanks to Dookie. I think what this debate is missing is the fact NEITHER band is HALF as influential to the scene as Millington

[@nonward]

Haha, and that is perfectly valid and certainly a strong argument in their favor. I guess my focus in the video was more on influence on pop punk specifically and the (maybe a bit narrow) definition I had for it, but that's an important point, and I agree Green Day are more influential in the punk rock genre and about the significance of bringing punk rock into the mainstream for pop punk today. Thank you for the thoughtful comment.

[@VonnegutJohnson]

Green Day kicked the door open. But BLINK perfected the genre.

[@nonward]

Yeah, I agree; that's a really good way of summing up the difference in their influence. Thanks for commenting

[@taraniatheanicomguy7898]

Blink perfected pop punk to the point that saying Green Day is pop punk is just wrong - that is, assuming we’re talking melodically. lyrically and by definition they ARE pop punk, but otherwise you cannot say that Green Day and Blink are the same genre

[@nonward]

@taraniatheanicomguy7898 I agree; that's a very good/insightful point, I think, about blink-182's influence on the genre and how they changed/even redefined it.

[@artminusme]

Blink….. more people wanna be Blink

[@nonward]

Good point. Yeah, I agree. It does seem like more pop punk bands have emulated their sound, though both blink-182 and Green Day, I think, have inspired a lot of musicians/bands. Thanks for commenting

[@GiannisSavv]

Green Day, The Offspring, NOFX etc are punk rock, and blink-182 have certainly beein influenced by them, but they have kinda created their own genre there

[@nonward]

Yeah, I agree. That's a very good way of putting it. And I would also argue that it almost feels like with bands like Green Day and the Offspring and their poppier take on punk rock (which ultimately is still much closer to pure punk rock than blink-182, of course) that they had almost a competing take on the definition/primary sound of pure pop punk, but it was bands like blink-182, I think, who ultimately defined the genre as primarily being more accessible/less traditionally punk-sounding than bands like Green Day/The Offspring, maybe because its accessibility gave it broader appeal. Thanks for commenting.

[@bjbudwar6825]

yeah you are right, but GD was frist who influent b182, so ultimate influence winner must be GD... thats obvious

[@nonward]

That's totally fair and a good point. While I do still think blink-182 developed their own influential sound separate from what they took from Green Day, I can absolutely see your argument, too, and that Green Day were still more influential overall to the genre and perhaps still had a lot to do with blink-182 developing that sound. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@Gabingus69]

blink for sure

[@HdogFGC]

i think blink-182 is the more influential band, but green day is the better band in terms of music. i think the problem with pop-punk as a genre right now is that way too many people take their influence from blink. i am a huge blink-182 fan, but most modern pop-punk bands basically play mad libs and make a blink song but without the charm and energy that blink brings to their music.

[@nonward]

Yeah, I tend to agree, and at times I think the genre can maybe feel a bit stagnant, as many bands seem to be lacking somewhat in experimentation/individuality. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@josepablodeleon6073]

After Enema, all the up and coming band tried to make their own Enema of the State

[@nonward]

Absolutely. In my view, Enema of the State is probably the most influential pop punk album

[@jayess8714]

This argument is always a weird one to me. I can see why you would say Blink is more influential, but simply plain facts Blink wouldn't be Blink if it weren't for Green Day - they not only influenced that genre, but music in general lol. Green Day are god tier 😂

[@nonward]

That's a perfectly valid and good argument, and I do think Green Day are probably more influential overall, like outside of pop punk. And it's certainly true Green Day influenced blink-182, although I also think that blink-182 developed their own sound which was separately influential, but again, your argument certainly is a very good one, and the extent to which blink-182 developed a separate sound, as well as its influence on bands compared to Green Day, is debatable. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@TheGrog911]

Green Day no comparison, if they only released Dookie and that’s where it ended then that’s a heck of an influence.

[@nonward]

I agree that Dookie alone has been massively influential, as was American Idiot, and it's a strong argument for Green Day, though I guess I also think Enema of the State, and to a lesser extent Take Off Your Pants and Jacket and Untitled, have been a little more influential when it comes to the pop punk genre, though it's closer outside of pop punk and I agree Green Day may have the edge over blink-182 when speaking more broadly. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.

[@InTheGameYTShorts]

Blink Defined the Genre, Green Day just makes it sound like angels in the airwaves in my opinion

[@nonward]

Yeah I agree, and interesting/nice way of putting it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@InTheGameYTShorts]

@@nonward yeah, I just don’t like Green Day either, they’re too liberal for me

[@nonward]

Oh, sorry, I might have misunderstood what you meant before about Green Day, as I am a fan of theirs, but I do agree that, even though it seems like it's been a part of their image/identity since American Idiot, I'm not personally really a fan of that aspect of them and they can get a bit too political at times, in my view.

[@TolietWater]

@@nonwardBeing political isn’t a problem for a punk band but I don’t think GD adds anything interesting to the table when talking about politics and honestly AI is hardly an album about politics outside of the obvious examples

[@nonward]

That's a good point; punk rock is definitely one of the genres that is more thematically interested in politics (similarly to some types of hip hop and folk), and it is true most of the songs on American Idiot aren't overtly political, though it seems like politics was still a significant part of the overall theme/statement/message of the album, and I agree that their takes on politics haven't been super interesting, in my opinion, which is probably a better way to put what I was trying to say about how I feel about them being political. Thank you for your thoughtful, knowledgeable, and insightful comments.

[@ryanp4616]

Descendents, Ramones

[@nonward]

Thank you for mentioning them. I agree that they were certainly influential (although a bit less directly compared to Green Day/blink-182 in my view) and should be part of the conversation and I regret not mentioning them in the video.

[@jjayala]

If you asked me in back in the day I'd say green day. At 36 tho I'd say blink longterm because, what in the hell is wrong with green day these days? And I see kids in blink shirts still. My oldest sons name is atticus lol so I like your thumbnail

[@nonward]

Haha, thank you. That's a nice name. And personally, I kind of agree about Green Day, assuming you're referring to their newer music; I know a lot of fans think Saviors is a return to form for them, but I just haven't really been able to get into much of their stuff after American Idiot, and I much preferred One More Time to Saviors. Thank you for your comment.

[@OMGYasuke]

Its hard to say, honestly. Both represent the peak of pop-punk and had massive influence. I feel like Tom Delonge's influence is a thing of its own. Besides his vocals that you pointed out. There was also Tom's looks. Like his hairstyle that had a major impact on emo culture lmao. Tom diving into post-hardcore/emo with Box Car Racer thus sparking, imo, Blink-182's best album, their Untitled record. I give it to Blink 182. Btw, we need another Pop-punk disaster tour part 2 soon lol.

[@nonward]

That's a good point. I wasn't aware of that, though that totally makes sense, that they were also probably influential on artists in pop punk-adjacent styles like emo and post-hardcore. And yeah that would be really cool, though I'd be afraid of the prices haha, but no doubt that another Pop Disaster Tour would be absolutely massive.

[@OMGYasuke]

@nonward Yeah, I'm not saying Box Car Racer was a huge influence on bands, but if Tom doesn't go and do Box Car Racer and explore his more emotional side and maturing as a lyricist We probably wouldn't have gotten the Untitled record that really pushed forward that emo sound while also still being pop-punk but very mature. Which is sad to think because Box Car Racer was pretty much the beginning of the end of Blink-182 with Mark and Tom beefing over that and how bad things were getting during the 03-04 tour. Speaking of the pop-punk disaster tour, idk if this could also count as another point on Blink's influence at the time? But the tour only happened, from what I remember is because Green Day was slowly losing popularity during the late 90s to early 2000s and their manger was basically like "uhh yeah, you're gonna go on tour with Blink rather you like it or not lol." For me, though, I'm a little biased too because Blink is my favorite, but I love Green Day so so much, too. When I look at Blink's influence, I look at every little detail (autism thing, lol). From the music, constantly pushing forward the pop-punk sound, from their clothing, wearing dickies, hurley shirts, the hairstyles (mainly Tom), they never really had any down years in their prime like Green Day did imo. Green Day regained their popularity with American Idiot obviously, but man...the what if Blink didn't break up in 05...how much bigger they could've gotten. Everything they touched back then was just magic.

[@nonward]

Very good and insightful points. Yeah, there's no doubt Untitled played a big role, among other artists/albums, in pop punk's shift to being more emo-influenced around the mid-2000s. And I didn't realize that significant detail about the pop disaster tour and aspects of their fashion, and I think those kinds of details are important and help to understand the extent/nature of their influence. And yeah, true, it makes you wonder how they might have further influenced the direction of pop punk if they had continued their success in their heyday.

[@Mr_Ashley]

Definitely blink. This isn’t 💩 on green day but the amount of copy cat bands that came after blink is ridiculous.

[@nonward]

Yeah, I agree. It definitely seems like overall that pop punk bands, especially around the early-to-mid-2000s, were more influenced by blink-182's sound than Green Day's. Thanks for commenting.

[@PedroHenrique-mj1mn]

LOL that's because Green Day's signature sound is not easy band to copy, regardless of how simple their formula is. How many bands out there sound like them? Blink's signature sound, on the other hand, is very easy to copy, this is why there are lots of copycat bands around trying to copy them. This does not make their sound more influential, just easier to copy. Green Day's music is more unique.

[@teixgo]

Blink 182

[@rodriguezignacio-s8l]

What is a blink? It's Green Day all the way. Billie Joe is far better than mark and tom united. Can't compare the most greatest 90's pop punk band with "blink"

[@teixgo]

Offpingo too

[@nonward]

Yeah, I feel like they're maybe a little overlooked at times, maybe because they kind of peaked commercially earlier than a lot of other bands in the conversation, but the Offspring were, of course, hugely influential for punk rock/pop punk in the '90s and Smash and Americana were two of the biggest punk rock/pop punk albums of all time

[@markshaw-sh6by]

Both dreadful

[@cameronreed1411]

Blink is better, more influential and they don't take themselves too seriously like Green Day does.

[@seanriley2534]

Both of them