Song of the day for December 29, 2023

Today’s song is Self Esteem by The Offspring.

The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band’s current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan “Dexter” Holland, lead guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman, bassist Todd Morse and drummer Brandon Pertzborn. Over the course of their 39-year career, the Offspring has released ten studio albums and have also experienced a number of lineup changes, most notably with their drummer. Their longest-serving drummer was Ron Welty, who replaced original drummer James Lilja in 1987 and stayed with the Offspring for 16 years. Welty was replaced by Adam “Atom” Willard in 2003, who was replaced four years later by Pete Parada, who remained as the drummer for the Offspring until he was fired from the band in 2021 after his doctor recommended against the COVID-19 vaccine. He was officially replaced two years later by Pertzborn. Gregory “Greg K.” Kriesel (one of the Offspring’s co-founders) was their bassist until 2018, when he was fired from the band due to business disputes, thus leaving Holland as the sole remaining original member. Kriesel was replaced by Todd Morse of H2O, who had been the Offspring’s touring guitarist since 2009.

Dexter Holland is celebrating a birthday today. He turns 58 today, born in 1965.

“Self Esteem” is the eighth track and second single from their third studio album, Smash (1994). The song was released on 22 December 1994 by Epitaph and was a worldwide hit, reaching number one in Iceland, Norway, Latvia and Sweden. “Self Esteem” was nominated for the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Song. The song also appears as the third track on their Greatest Hits (2005). Its music video was directed by Darren Lavett.

Smash was the Offspring’s introduction into worldwide popularity, and produced several 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. 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, making it the best-selling album released by an independent record label; it was also the first Epitaph release to obtain gold and platinum status. In the United States, Smash has sold over six million copies and has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA.