Pop punk: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Pop punk is really used for two separate subgenres of punk rock music: the kind typically found on Lookout! Records, which stray very little from the three-chord formula that The Ramones pioneered, as well as a newer subgenre of melodic, more emotional punk, which includes by bands like NOFX and Unwritten Law. Some bands, like Green Day and Screeching Weasel, bridge the gap somewhat (Green Day was originally on Lookout!)

Lookout! records has a long history of traditional Ramones-syle punk. When hardcore began becoming popular, this type of music was termed "pop punk" because, while much of the punk atitude was the same, it had a much catchier, less angry sound. The connection between Lookout! pop punk and the Ramones is very strong, and is seen not only in their musical style but in their attire, Ramones references in songs, and the fact that several of the bands have covered entire Ramones albums. Well known Lookout! pop punk bands include The Mr. T Experience, whose newer work has branched off into indie pop, The Groovie Ghoulies, whose songs are usually about monsters, The Queers, who sound like a combination of The Ramones and The Beach Boys, and The Lilingtons, who like to sing about high school and comic books.

The other, newer subgenre to be called punk originated with bands like NOFX and Lagwagon, and became popular with the band blink-182. It is sometimes known as So-Cal punk, or skate punk. This kind of punk is generally considered by fans of most other punk genres to be a sellout of the original punk ethos. However, it's musical style can be traced directly to the Lookout! bands which preceded it, and from there to The Ramones. Many of the current crop of So-Cal pop punk bands cite these bands as important influences in their own music. Some bands in the Pop punk scene however, notably NOFX and Pennywise, profess a love for American hardcore bands such as The Misfits, Black Flag.

So-Cal pop punk really came in two waves. The biggest success stories of the first wave of American pop punk have been Green Day, blink-182 and The Offspring. All of these bands share a similar sound that includes thrashy guitar choruses, chuggy verses and radio-friendly melodies. Some of the bands, however, have incorporated uncommercial elements in their music such as swearing and American Pie style humour. The second wave of So-Cal pop punk took advantage of the success won by the previous wave of bands and many new but similar bands were formed including Bowling For Soup, Sum 41, Good Charlotte. These bands have increaseingly gained mainstream popularity through MTV and other outlets.

Pop punk is similar to Emo music. Emo is a mixture of pop, rock and punk-generally with a catchy and uplifting melody backing it. Bands such as Simple Plan, and New Found Glory claim to be Emo but are more rightly described by "real" punks to be Weemo (aka Whining Emo). Wheras Emo is generally bands complaining about life and saying how much they hate everything, Weemo tends to describe a band trying to get the Emo image but instead comes across as immature wannabes, whining about how their girlfriend dumped them.

A common misconception is that bands like Less Than Jake and Rancid are pop punk bands. They are originators of the ska punk genre, which is more influenced by English Two-Tone bands like Madness and The Specials.

Some Australian punk rock bands could also be considered pop punk, such as 28 Days, Area-7, Bodyjar, Eskimo Joe, Frenzal Rhomb, Grinspoon, Jebediah, Killing Heidi, Jet, Lash, The Living End, Magic Dirt, Motor Ace, One Dollar Short, Powderfinger, Spiderbait, Sunk Loto, Superheist and The Vines.

List Of Recognised Pop Punk Artists/Bands

• Alkaline Trio
• The All-American Rejects
• American Hi-Fi
• Blindside
• blink-182
• Bowling For Soup
• Dashboard Confessional
• Gob
• Goldfinger
• Good Charlotte
• Green Day
• Guttermouth
• Jimmy Eat World
• Lagwagon
• Lit
• Avril Lavigne
• Lostprophets
• Me First & The Gimme Gimmes
• Mest
• Millencolin
• MxPx
• New Found Glory
• No Use For A Name
• NOFX
• Not By Choice
• The Offspring
• Pennywise
• Relient K
• Simple Plan
• Spiderbait
• Sum 41
• Switchfoot
• Three Days Grace
• Unwritten Law
• The Vines
• Yellowcard

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