27 Best 90s Punk Bands

Guttermouth

Punk bands are often a bit lewd and crude, and sometimes they can be quite explicit. Guttermouth is a band that really epitomizes this philosophy, as you might guess from their name. 

This band has made a name for themselves by constantly touring and for saying shocking things into the microphone. If you ever attended the Vans Warped Tour in the 90s-00s, you probably caught this group’s performance. 

Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal Tendencies is a very popular name in the punk genre, which can be recognized by its unique logo. It was not uncommon to see Suicidal Tendencies written on the underside of a hat bill in the 1990s. 

As you might guess from their name, this group incorporated more of an aggressive edge into their music. They’ve had a massive family of members throughout the years, including well-known bass player, Thundercat. 

Pennywise

Pennywise was another band that rose to prominence as punk rock emerged into the mainstream in the mid-1990s. You can probably guess which Stephen King novel their name comes from.

This group was one of the first bands to really be known as a “skate punk” band. They were even featured in a 1997 SEGA skateboarding game, which was 2 years before Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.

Lagwagon

Speaking of Tony Hawk, the 2nd game of the series is generally considered to have one of the best soundtracks. On that soundtrack, you’ll find a band called, Lagwagon.

Lagwagon is one of the most popular groups on Fat Mike’s (NOFX) Fat Wreck Chords label. The band has a very dedicated underground following, largely because they’ve stayed true to their artistic visions. 

Millencolin

Another prominent band within the skate punk subgenre is Millencolin, who comes from Sweden. The band's name literally derives its name from a skateboard trick.

Millencolin's song ‘No Cigar' was featured on the Tony Hawk 2 game, thanks to the commenters on this article for the heads up on that one.

Descendents

If you’re not into punk, you’re probably more familiar with the Descendents logo of Milo than their actual music. Milo has been seen on countless shirts worn by musicians throughout the years.

Descendents has had a few stints of activity over the years. However, it was in the 1990s that the band really caught on to the mainstream spotlight. 

Anti-Flag

Anti-Flag tosses it back to the political roots of punk music, as you might assume from the band’s name. Most punk fans likely associate this band with current punk as they are still quite active today.

However, it was in the late 1990s that Anti-Flag started to gain traction within the genre’s larger audiences. Their most well-known hit, Die For The Government, comes from their 1996 debut album of the same title.

Propagandhi

Propagandhi is one of the few Canadian punk bands known worldwide amongst punk audiences. This group used music as a platform to speak out against current issues.

Non-punk fans might be familiar with this group through the involvement of John K. Samson. He would go on to form the indie-rock band, The Weakerthans, which has its own massive underground acclaim. 

No Use For A Name

Most bands tend to have a hard time deciding on a name for their project. No Use For A Name is quite clever in this regard.

This band had quite an evolution over the years, aided by the various lineups that the band consisted of. No Use For A Name began to make a name for itself in the mid-1990s when punk became mainstream. 

Less Than Jake

Less Than Jake is a pretty recognizable name amongst the many punk bands that existed in the 90s. Part of this is the fact that the band has had moderate success well into the 2000s. 

This group has a distinct blend of punk and ska elements, which grabbed the audience’s attention through relentless touring. The band’s drummer eventually co-founded the famous record label, Fueled By Ramen.