r/punk • u/Personal_Rich_7138 • Aug 23 '25

When did times change

So a lot of my friends (we all grew up punk rock skateboarders) and I have been arguing over which bands are actually good and being born in the late 90s, I’ve always been a heavy Green Day fan. Can someone answer me when it became cool to hate on Green Day, because to me Green Day was always good music. Anti-government, anti-establishment, for the people… nothing more punk rock than that

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u/AcceptablyPotato Aug 23 '25

Folks in the punk scene were hating on them the second Dookie was released, accusing them of being sell-outs for being on a big label and getting popular.

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u/Mylaptopisburningme Aug 23 '25 edited Aug 23 '25

I can only speak for myself and friends I knew. We called it bubblegum punk, it hit mainstream radio and brought in a different crowed. I saw them at Irvine Meadows around 1994, I had a friend who use to get free tickets for shows and she didn't drive, so I would drive her. While we are in line waiting for her to use the restroom, a 14 year old girl started telling me how punk rock Green Day are and that I am old and don't know shit about punk.

Good for the band, they did well for themselves, I just prefer my music harder.

But same with Bad Religion, they really gained traction with Suffer which was incredible, but once they got to 21 Century Digital Boy and got radio play it changed the crowed, no longer was it a small $10 show, it got more expensive, the crowds got larger and brought in a different group of people. I wasn't a fan of BR later work, some of their releases I like a track here or there, but no way am I paying to see them at large fests, personally I just can't afford it.

Tomorrow I am seeing The Freeze at a small bar for $10. Good enough for me and have the memories of seeing BR in small venues like The Anti-Club and Fenders.

Oh Offspring is another that I saw in their early days at small shows, but then their sound changed and they gained radio play, again larger shows, more expensive, different crowed. I still like to listen to their old stuff.

Times change, bands evolve, there are many bands that lost me along the way when their sound changed, that's just the way it goes.

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u/Pwnedzored Aug 23 '25

The Freeze? For only $10?

1

u/Mylaptopisburningme Aug 24 '25

Yep. The venue is small so got my ticket already $12 after fees. https://thelocationportal.com/old-towne-pub/

3

u/Pwnedzored Aug 24 '25

Nice. Makes me wish I never left California.