Pop-punk peaked towards the end of the 90s and into the early 2000s. You can get a sense of this when re-watching films from the era. It became cliché to use pop-punk hits for transitional scenes. Now, we look back fondly on this era where pop-punk invaded the mainstream. In the 2000s specifically, many pop-punk hits raced the charts, charting higher than ever before or since. These are the three highest-charting pop-punk hits of the late 90s and 2000s.

“All The Small Things” by Blink-182

By the time Blink-182 established their legendary trio lineup, pop-punk had already pushed into the mainstream. The band capitalized on the momentum of bands such as Green Day to become one of the biggest pop-punk acts going into the new millennium. With their third album, the band released a string of hits starting with “What’s My Age Again?”, peaking at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. They immediately exceeded expectations with their follow-up hit, “All The Small Things”, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne

By 2007, pop-punk had already dominated the first half of the 2000s. Artists such as Avril Lavigne still had more to offer. Her 2007 hit, “Girlfriend”, became one of the most successful pop-punk songs of all time. Released on February 27, 2007, “Girlfriend” peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Avril Lavigne had been close to a No. 1 hit multiple times before. In 2002, her debut single “Complicated” peaked at No. 2. That same year, “I’m With You” peaked at No. 4, and “Sk8er Boi” peaked at No. 10. In 2004, “My Happy Ending” peaked at No. 9. However, she did earn a No. 1 album in 2004 with Under My Skin, and she achieved this again in 2007 with The Best Damn Thing.

“Sugar, wE’RE Goin’ Down” by Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy was one of the main bands to push emo into the mainstream. Their 2000s variation of emo was categorically pop-punk as well, especially on their debut and sophomore albums. On May 3, 2005, Fall Out Boy released their critically acclaimed sophomore album, From Under The Cork Tree. The album’s lead single, “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”, peaked at No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. They brilliantly followed up with “Dance, Dance”, which peaked at No. 9 following its release on October 31, 2005.

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In 1994, Green Day’s third album, Dookie, pushed pop-punk into the mainstream. Throughout the late 90s, countless other pop-punk bands emerged. This coincided with the rise of skateboarding in the 1990s, with the sport becoming widely popular in the late 90s. With skateboarding on the rise, many millennials attempted to take up the hobby, resulting in some harsh slams on concrete. Skateboarding culture and pop-punk went hand in hand in the 90s, and these pop-punk bands gave millennials the courage to take these harsh slams on a skateboard.

Less Than Jake

Formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1992, Less Than Jake blended together pop-punk and ska punk at a time when the two genres were beginning to take over the alternative music world. They released their debut album, Pezcore, in 1995, before joining a major label. Now signed with Capitol Records, the band released their 1996 sophomore album, Losing Streak. They followed up in 1998 with Hello Rockview, produced by Howard Benson, who would go on to work with bands such as My Chemical Romance. With these albums, Less Than Jake was at the forefront of the skate-punk movement from the late 90s into the early 2000s.

Blink-182

As Green Day dominated the mid-to-late 90s, Blink-182 started to benefit from their momentum, launching into the mainstream with their 1997 sophomore album, Dude Ranch. Their 1995 debut, Cheshire Cat, established the group’s signature sound, but they became a mainstream success with their follow-up. It was the last to feature original drummer Scott Raynor, who then left the group in 1998.

By this point, Blink-182 was on a fast track to match the success of Green Day. Dude Ranch peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard 200, but landed at No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. In 1999, their third album, Enema Of The State, was the first to feature iconic punk drummer Travis Barker. This completed the band’s legendary trio lineup. Enema Of The State was a huge commercial success at the end of the 90s, peaking at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200.

MxPx

MxPx were another dominant skate-punk band in the 1990s. They released three defining pop-punk albums in the mid-90s, all a year apart. In 1994, they released their debut album Pokinatcha. They followed up in 1995 with Teenage Politics, featuring some of their most popular songs such as “Punk Rawk Show”.

Their 1996 album, Life In General, is considered to be the band’s masterpiece. It features the essential 90s pop-punk anthem, “Chick Magnet”. MxPx is a band that was known to be closely associated with 90s skateboarding culture. They even used skateboarding in their imagery. An example of this is the cover art of the band’s 1998 B-sides and rarities album, Let It Happen.

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