What could be the most underrated band of all time, the group has yet to see even a single imitator. Such a reason for this appears to be that the perfect mix of rock, ska, and alternative only has one sound; and that’s Sublime.
Another great thing about this truly unique band is the mood they convey onto listeners. Whether you are a first time listener or an all out fanatic, you’ll be hard pressed to find a song that doesn’t have you in a good mood at the end. Along these lines, a life performance of Sublime’s music, (presented by the cover band Badfish) is an amazing experience. The set is always loud, fun, and over before you know it. A Sublime (Badfish) concert is one of the only places that you see the entire mosh pit stopping to help a stranger back up.
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Sublime and their music also has a great reminder beneath, the quirky sound, occasionally raunchy lyrics, and garage-style sound show us it’s good to not take yourself too seriously. Even though the band possessed the musical talent and creativity to make a more refined, acceptable sound to a greater audience. They stuck with their own style no matter where it took them. And through the band’s persistent work, people learned to love them.
Another aspect of this band that gets overlooked far too easily is the talent of the bandmembers. Bradley Nowell, the lead singer was a multi-instrumentalist who was capable of playing guitar, synthesizer, drums, and bass. He could do all of that as well as remaining the lead vocalist, songwriter, and producer for the band. Although Nowell was highly capable of producing large amounts of sound on his own, bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Floyd “Bud” Gaugh, also formidable instrumentalists, really helped to give Sublime that professional sound, as well as provide such a distinct live act.
So what really serves to make Sublime seem much smaller than they were is the amount of music produced. Although they officially released only three complete albums over a five-year span of their most active producing, some of the music that became of it was truly revolutionary and still remains un-imitated to this day. If the band was around for longer, who knows what hits they would’ve delivered.
Even though the band often introduces subtle (and not so subtle) references to drug use and the typical “hard life” of a rock band, it’s Nowell’s legacy that reminds fans and others that turning to drug use is never the answer. Despite this tragedy and lesson learned, it’s clear that Sublime was a band unlike any other, resisting conformity to a genre and consistently creating a sound that was both appealing and unique.
