How Blink-182 Perfected the Art of Pop-Punk on “All The Small Things”

Pop-punk is often used as a derogatory term for bands considered insufficiently ruffian. But given punk’s history, and especially the Ramones’ knack for borrowing candy-sweet melodies from 60s girl groups like The Shangri-Las, the epithet doesn’t quite stick.

By the time Blink-182 released its third studio album, Enema Of The State, pop-punk had replaced grunge in mainstream culture. Together with The Offspring, Green Day, and others, Blink-182 became a dominant force on MTV and rock radio. And on their 1999 hit “All The Small Things”, the band proved they had perfected the art of pop-punk.

Carry Me Home

With an eternally young and sneering voice, DeLonge delivers an ode to his then-girlfriend. To be clear, that’s a compliment. It reminds me of Liam Gallagher’s baggy snarl when he sings his brother’s anthemic melodies.

All the small things,
True care, truth brings.
I’ll take one lift,
Your ride, best trip.
Always, I know,
You’ll be at my show.
Watching, waiting,
Commiserating.

This is a punk serenading the love of his life. And most bands would kill for a chorus this good. Yet this is only the pre-chorus, as Blink-182 often packed its songs with endless hooks.

Say it ain’t so, I will not go,
Turn the lights off, carry me home.

In the chorus, Mark Hoppus joins DeLonge in a “na, na, na, na” singalong that helped define Gen X punkish irony. On his bandmate, Hoppus told Rolling Stone, “Tom is totally, 100 percent faithful to his girlfriend. He’s pretty straightforward: He hangs out with his girlfriend, and he believes in aliens.”

Jerry Finn

Producer Jerry Finn was tasked with corralling Blink-182’s high-energy punk and goofy attitude. He became so crucial to the band that it often seemed like he was the fourth member alongside DeLonge, Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker.

Also, Finn helped some of the decade’s biggest punk bands refine their sound. His impressive credits include blockbuster recordings by Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, Rancid, and The Offspring.

Late night, come home,
Work sucks, I know.
She left me roses by the stairs,
Surprises let me know she cares.

“All The Small Things” also represented the end of an era. Soon, guitar bands would no longer dominate culture. And with the rise of Napster and digital files, the music business would change forever.

Yet Blink-182’s hit endures as new generations discover the power of punks making the kind of racket you can sing.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc