27 Best 90s Punk Bands

Social Distortion

Punk is quite diverse and you might not ordinarily think that the rockabilly imagery would fit into the genre. Social Distortion proved that the rockabilly aesthetic perfectly fits into punk if you have the right attitude. 

The name Mike Ness is well-known amongst punk fans, and he’s written some of the greatest punk songs ever. Songs like Ball And Chain gave Social Distortion mainstream success at the beginning of the decade.

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes

You’re probably well aware by now that punk music often contains its fair share of humor. If you need a good dose of punk humor, be sure to listen to Me First And The Gimme Gimmes.

This group is essentially a group of punk all-stars who record cover versions of famous songs in punk stylings. Goofy outfits are often par for the course, which only adds to the hilarity. 

Reel Big Fish

Purists would likely scoff at the idea of a ska band being mentioned amongst punk bands. However, ska did play an important role in the formation of punk, which is why they go so well together. 

Ska has had several periods of popularity, with the 1990s being one of those decades. Reel Big Fish was one of the bands at the forefront of this musical movement.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

When speaking of ska, you really cannot overlook The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Many people consider this band responsible for blending ska and punk into one coherent sound.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are perhaps the most successful ska band of all time. Their 1997 album, Let’s Face It, remains a classic from that time period.

Good Riddance

If you aren’t familiar with Good Riddance, you’d probably assume they took their name from the Green Day song. However, Good Riddance actually formed in the late 1980s, which pre-dates the hit song by a handful of years. 

This group has a fast and aggressive edge to its brand of punk. They are also one of the best-known groups to have released albums on the Fat Wreck Chords record label.

Pulley

Compared to other groups and their successes, Pulley is a bit more of an underground punk band. Pulley formed in 1994 during the beginning of the 90s heyday of mainstream punk music.

You might not believe it, but an MLB pitcher plays a prominent role in this band. Scott Radinsky actually had cancer in 1994, which forced him to take a break from baseball. 

It’s not often that somebody has a successful career in 2 vastly different fields of expertise. Basketball superstar Michael Jordan even had a hard time being a professional at 2 different things.

It’s almost hard to imagine playing and coaching baseball and fronting a touring punk band simultaneously. 

MxPx

While massively popular, MxPx is a bit of an odd bird as far as the punk genre is concerned. Most punk bands are quite vulgar in different manners of speaking.

MxPx, on the other hand, is one of the few Christian punk bands to really have a mainstream following. This distinction has allowed them to chart on the Billboard charts numerous times.

Top 90s Punk Bands, Final Thoughts

Those were the best 90s punk bands. Most people associate punk music with a simplistic style of musicality, where attitude matters more than anything. While that may be true for the most part, the punk genre itself is quite diverse.

It was these bands of the 90s that really showed the world that any kind of punk band can exist. That is perhaps why so many people are drawn to it, rooting their sense of individuality in the genre.