Smash (The Offspring album)

Smash
Studio album by
the Offspring
ReleasedApril 8, 1994 (1994-04-08)
RecordedJanuary–February 1994
StudioTrack Record, North Hollywood, California
Genre
Length46:47
LabelEpitaph
ProducerThom Wilson
The Offspring chronology
Ignition
(1992) 		Smash
(1994) 		Club Me
(1997)
Singles from Smash
  1. "Come Out and Play"
    Released: March 10, 1994
  2. "Self Esteem"
    Released: December 22, 1994
  3. "Gotta Get Away"
    Released: February 2, 1995

Smash is the third studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on April 8, 1994, through Epitaph Records. After touring in support of their previous album Ignition (1992), the band recorded their next album for nearly two months at Track Record in North Hollywood, California.[7][8] Smash was the band's final studio album to be produced by Thom Wilson, who had worked with them since their 1989 debut album The Offspring. Smash was put together on the spot in the studio and there was no systematic work behind the recording of the album.[9]

The rise of grunge, especially Nirvana's successful release of Nevermind (1991), paved the way for American punk rock to reach a wider audience, with punk rock serving as an important base to the grunge sound. While Ignition had exceeded both the band's and the label's commercial expectations, it did not give the Offspring a major commercial breakthrough; Smash was the Offspring's introduction into worldwide popularity. It produced a number of hit singles, including "Come Out and Play", "Self Esteem", and "Gotta Get Away". Along with Green Day's Dookie, Smash was responsible for bringing punk rock into the mainstream, and helped pave the way for the then-emerging pop punk scene of the 1990s.[10][11][12][13]

As a fan favorite, the album received generally positive reviews from critics and garnered attention from major labels, including Columbia Records, with whom the band would sign in 1996. Peaking at number four on the US Billboard 200, Smash has sold over eleven million copies worldwide,[9][14][15][16][17] making it the best-selling album released by an independent record label;[18] it was also the first Epitaph release to obtain gold and platinum status.[19] In the United States, Smash has sold over six million copies[20] and has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA.

  1. ^ Winwood, Ian (April 8, 2021). "How The Offspring's Smash album changed American punk forever". Kerrang!. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  2. ^ Peacock, Tim (September 12, 2017). "Heaven Is A Half-Pipe: The Joys Of Skate Punk". uDiscover. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  3. ^ Chesler, Josh (September 29, 2015). "10 Best Skate Punk Albums of All Time". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Chicago was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference RollingStone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Horn, Bret Van (July–August 1994). "Record Reviews". Punk Planet (2): 53.
  7. ^ "The Offspring Are Still Smashing". OC Register. April 3, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  8. ^ "Helping Make Offspring a Smash". Los Angeles. August 25, 1994. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Wiederhorn, Jon (August 28, 2014). "The Offspring Were 'Flying By the Seat of Their Pants' As They Rocketed to Stardom". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  10. ^ Bienstock, Richard (April 8, 2014). "The Offspring's 'Smash': The Little Punk LP That Defeated the Majors". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  11. ^ Joe D'angelo (September 15, 2004). "How Green Day's Dookie Fertilized A Punk-Rock Revival". MTV.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  12. ^ Melissa Bobbitt (April 8, 2014). "The Offspring's 'Smash' Turns 20". About.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  13. ^ Barry Thompson (April 8, 2014). "'Smash' It Dead: Reflecting on the Offspring's punk breakout, which turns 20 years old today". vanyaland.com. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  14. ^ THE OFFSPRING CELEBRATE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF SMASH Archived February 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Epitaph Records. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  15. ^ THE OFFSPRING HISTORY Archived 2015-03-09 at the Wayback Machine offspring.com/thehistory. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  16. ^ Epitaph Announces Re-issues of Smash and Ignition by Offspring. Alarm. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  17. ^ Bad Religion, the Offspring (performing 'Smash' in full), Pennywise announce summer tour Alternative Press. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sputnikmusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  20. ^ The Offspring Still Fly as 'Days Go By' Rises on Rock Charts Billboard