Blink - 182 Webpage
Introduction:
Based in San Diego, California, USA, Blink-182's highly melodic and entertaining thrash rock broke through onto the mainstream charts in the late 90s. The band were originally formed by Mark Hoppus (b. 15 March 1972, USA; bass/vocals), who had moved to San Diego to study, and Tom DeLonge (b. 13 December 1975, USA; guitar/vocals). Hoppus and DeLonge were joined by drummer Scott Raynor, and began a non-stop gigging schedule on the local punk circuit. The self-released Fly Swatter EP appeared in 1993, and was followed by the cassette only "Buddha" demo, released by Filter Records in a run of less than a 1,000 (the material was re-issued in a slightly different format three years later by Kung Fu Records). Several of the songs from the demo tape subsequently appeared on the band's full-length debut, Cheshire Cat, which was released by the Grilled Cheese label in 1994. Shortly afterwards the trio were forced to adopt the new moniker Blink-182 following the threat of legal action by an Irish techno outfit already recording as Blink. Despite the enforced name change, the trio's popularity continued to grow owing to support slots with several leading punk bands including No FX and Pennywise, and their ubiquitous presence on the skating and snow boarding scenes.
They also developed a reputation for stripping off during live shows. A steady
flow of singles and EPs confirmed both the trio's penchant for gloriously
immature lyrics, and their ability to craft great tunes. Their commercial
breakthrough arrived with 1997's Dude Ranch. The album included the endearing
hit "Dammit (Growing Up)", which enjoyed constant radio play alongside
material by other hardcore bands, including the Offspring, Green Day and Smash
Mouth. Following the release of Dude Ranch, founding member Raynor was replaced
by Travis Barker (b. 14 November 1975, USA). Barker appeared on the band's
major label debut, Enema Of The State, which debuted in the US Top 10 in June
1999 and went on to sell over a million copies in barely two months. The album
was helped by two highly catchy hits, "What's My Name Again?" and
"All The Small Things". Following the release of a stop-gap live
set, the band confirmed the commercial appeal of their scatological punk rock
when their fifth album, Take Off Your Pants And Jacket, debuted at the top
of the US charts in June 2001. DeLonge and Barker concurrently enjoyed success
as part of Blink-182 soundalikes, Box Car Racer, while the latter also joined
Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong in the Transplants.
(taken from the MTV website)