So why is Descendents’ I Don’t Want To Grow Up on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
It’s so cool and fascinating to look back at the 1980s – a decade in which the mainstream culture pushed Reagan-era conformity, “greed is good” capitalism, not to mention collar popping and wacky belts and stuff – as also a decade* in which vibrant indie, punk, and DIY countercultures were broiling underneath the surface.
* For much more on this, check out the non-fiction book, Our Band Could Be Your Life, which features the journeys of bands such as Black Flag, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Minor Threat, and the Minutemen and their impact on music and pop culture during the 1980s.
And in the midst of it all were the Descendents, bringing us clean-sounding, coffee-powered, fast-paced punk rock with intelligent, wry lyrics.
From a musical standpoint, “Pervert” sounds fantastic, with chord changes and subtle musicianship that you won’t find on a typical punk rock record. And lyrically it’s brave, funny, and bracing as singer Milo Jay Aukerman takes on the part of a creeper.
Here’s a live version of “Pervert,” performed at Mississippi Nights in 1987.
“Rockstar” is a 37 second thrashy trip of a punk rock song with funny, pointed shout and response lyrics to the tune of, “Rockstar, go away! Poser, loser!” And then at the end is an ironically earnest spoken statement that tells you everything you need to know about this band’s punk ethos:
Hey, let’s exploit rock n’ roll to its fullest potential.
The more I listen to “Gcf” (which stands for Good Clean Fun), the more impressed I am*. Descendents music reveals more nuance the more you listen to it. But alternatively it is perfectly acceptable to simply rock out to it.
* While writing this piece, I added “Gcf” to a massive workout playlist I keep on Spotify, called “Gloom Patrol.”
Also see:
- Descendents – Cool To Be You: #798 of best 1,000 albums ever
- Descendents – Everything Sucks: #824 of best 1,000 albums ever
Some stats & info about Descendents – I Don’t Want To Grow Up
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Punk Rock, SoCal Bands, College Rock, Pop Punk, Hardcore Punk, American Punk
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out of 5 stars
- When was I Don’t Want To Grow Up released? 1985
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #513 out of 1,000
Descendents’ I Don’t Want To Grow Up on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Descendents’ I Don’t Want To Grow Up that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
If growing up means being like you, then I don’t want to be like you.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.