Top 10 Best Offspring Songs

Formed in 1984, The Offspring rose to prominence in the mid-90s alongside acts like Green Day and Rancid during the punk rock revival. Their breakout album, Smash, released in 1994, is still one of the best-selling independent records of all time, a feat that launched them into the mainstream. Over the years, they've continued to evolve, experimenting with different sounds while keeping the rebellious, adrenaline-fueled essence that made them stand out in the first place.

But The Offspring have always been more than just punk rockers with a knack for catchy hooks. Their songs often tackle themes of social alienation, frustration, and personal struggle, resonating with fans who feel like outsiders in the world. At the same time, the band isn't afraid to lighten things up with a sarcastic or humorous twist, making their catalog a fun yet thought-provoking ride through a mix of emotions and experiences.

Now, it's time to dive into their best tracks, where decades of hits and fan favorites come together to showcase just how diverse and impactful their music has been.
The Top Ten
1 The Kids Aren't Alright

What I like about Offspring is that every single song sounds different. Some artists have similar music and tunes replayed over and over, but for Offspring, every song sounds like it is from a different band. It gives you a lot of options to play around with. This song, in particular, gives so much emotion. Very unique and beautiful.

This song is crazy good. I don't know how You're Gonna Go Far, Kid is really competing with it. Honestly, Come Out and Play, Self Esteem, Gone Away, All I Want, is what The Offspring is. Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace don't properly demonstrate what this band is capable of creating. Beautiful, meaningful, and creative music.

2 Self Esteem

This song is much better than You're Gonna Go Far, Kid. The beat on this is so original, epic, and punk. Other songs that should be higher include Defy You, Can't Get My Head Around You, Original Prankster, Hammerhead, Gone Away, and Pretty Fly (For a White Guy). Get it sorted people, You're Gonna Go Far, Kid has far too many votes!

"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" is number 1. What has this world come to? My vote is for "Self Esteem," but I also love "All I Want," "Gotta Get Away," and "Bad Habit." I could have almost any song except "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" as #1. It makes me want to barf.

3 You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

This song seems like it's cut from a slightly different cloth than a good chunk of the rest of The Offspring's stuff, and for that reason, a lot of their fans don't believe it should be among their best. I'm personally not a hardcore The Offspring fan, but that's mostly because I lean more towards alternative rock than punk rock. Although I do still believe that The Kids Aren't Alright, Self Esteem, Gone Away, and a couple of others from them are fantastic songs.

With that being said, I am a fan of rock in general, and that's what this song is at its core. It's one of my favorite songs of all time, an absolute classic.

4 Come Out and Play

Really great song! The lyrics are very meaningful, and Dex did a great job singing them like always. Greg and Noodles did a great job with the strings, and it was very original. And of course, my Petey did an awesome job with the drums! Overall, the song is very good with lyrics, vocals, and awesome instrumental. The overall sound is very catchy and very punk! It was also the one that got them noticed. Best song! Love them so much. You have to keep them separated!

This should be in the top five in my book. This song and Self Esteem were the first two songs that got Offspring noticed, and this song doesn't really get old, even though it is one of their oldest.

5 Gone Away

Best overall performance by the band, has the grunge sound that made the band great. Lyrics alone make this song a true masterpiece. By far their most powerful song, in my opinion. Dexter truly is a talented and poetic genius, who never gets the credit he rightfully deserves. The bass sounds amazing, the guitars are perfect, and the drums are superior. It is also one of the most inspiring songs in all different kinds of genres.

Clearly their most inspired and emotional song. Pure excellence. The rawness of this song will grab you and make you remember the important people you have lost in this cold, bitter world.

6 Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)

Seriously! Best song ever! Why the hell don't people listen to good music like these guys anymore?! I was talking to a friend about this song, and they asked, "Who's The Offspring?" Can you imagine how pissed off I was?

This is the best song ever! It's really catchy, and the guitar is just amazing. This song hooked me onto this band, along with The Kids Aren't Alright. I don't understand why people don't listen to this band more. They're simply outstanding.

I laughed through this whole song. It's so funny, but so serious at the same time.

"Give it to me baby!"

"UH HUH! UH HUH!"

7 Why Don't You Get a Job

Proof that the Beatles are better than the Offspring: this song has sampled "Ob La Di, Ob La Da" by the Beatles beat-wise. At the time I am writing this, this is number 7 on the list, meaning there are only 6 songs above this for this list. Meanwhile, the Beatles song is number 83 on its respective list, meaning that there are 82 songs above it on that list. So while this song is this band's 7th best, the Beatles song is their 83rd best.

One of the first Offspring songs I ever heard. This singlehandedly got me hooked on this amazing band. I think this deserves to be in the top five. No, top three.

8 Gotta Get Away

This should be in the top 5. I can't stand the Offspring's non-serious songs.

This is real Offspring, not that new punk crap.

What? This song should be in the top 10!

9 All I Want

Powerful and simple - just like being hit with a sledgehammer. This song ought to be in the first ten, definitely!

So energetic and just flat-out fun. Sometimes it just makes you want to hop and run around your room.

Definitely one of the best songs of all time. It's very close to perfection. I love it.

10 Bad Habit

Anyone claiming to be an Offspring fan should know this song! It should easily be up there with "Self Esteem" and "Come Out and Play." Give it a listen - you won't be disappointed.

This song is amazing. It's in my personal top 3 and is one of the best on the Smash album, a classic hit. All fans need to hear this song. Anyone who is considered a fan will love it.

This song explains road rage so well. All you have to do is plug this song in and watch the roads clear ahead of you.

The Contenders
11 Hit That

I love The Offspring, but this is by far my favorite! I love the electronic sounds throughout, and the chorus makes you want to sing along every time.

I always get happy when hearing this. I can listen to this song all day. That amazing piano part, just got to love it!

Very catchy, sounds very different from the rest, yet very similar. Up there with Self Esteem, Come Out and Play, Can't Repeat...

12 (Can't Get My) Head Around You

This song deserves way more credit. Just listen to it. The lyrics are great (as always!).

13 Original Prankster

As if it's below Want You Bad, let alone not in the top 10. So catchy, upbeat, and the riff is amazing. Not to mention the lyrics are snappy and Dexter's voice fits perfectly.

I think this is one of the best Offspring songs. I love them. This beautiful song must be in the top ten!

How this isn't in the top 3, let alone the top 10, is beyond me.

14 Hammerhead

Great song, one of their best actually. I think it should be in the top 3.

There should also be Half-Truism and Trust in You, since they are both great, much better than Walla Walla and most of the songs found here. Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace is The Offspring's greatest album ever.

Catchiest song. Can't help but sing along. The guitar may not be the most technical, but it sure is extremely catchy and heavy.

I love it!

For me, the best song of them. Defy You and The Kids Aren't Alright are very good too, but Self Esteem is epic...

15 Dirty Magic

Classic Offspring. Undoubtedly one of their greatest songs. In my opinion, this should be in their top ten. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid is overrated and probably only number one because of its success on the mainstream market.

What? 17th? Why? I've always loved this song and consider it to be the best of The Offspring! I think it must be at the top of the list. It's really a song!

This song is AMAZING. It has elements of their punk roots and angst, and has similar qualities to "Self Esteem." Also, it has been stuck in my head all day.

16 Defy You

I love The Offspring and loads of their songs, but man, you got this all wrong. This has to be their best song. Top of the list, man! Great vocals, lyrics, and chorus. Great song overall.

I think this is their best song. It's a shame that it's not even in the top 20.

Not my favorite, but definitely needs to be higher.

17 Cool to Hate

Well, this song should be a lot higher. Heck, it's practically the national anthem of the Internet. Great lyrics from one of The Offspring's best albums (Ixnay and Smash are joint first in my opinion). The song is about the toxic negativity of course, and how those who preach it push everything around them away. But aside from the awesome lyrics is the kick-ass tune. Pure Offspring, fast, pummeling punk rock.

Never before have I seen such beautiful satire.

The people who take this song seriously are fools. It's mocking the people who hate everything, and that's part of why it's so awesome!

18 Americana

This is the best song of The Offspring, not only because it is musical perfection, but the lyrics are also very critical towards society and reflect the sad truth about classical U.S. capitalism.

Best drum intro ever! Great song! I've loved this song for years, and I still feel excitement when I hear it!

An almost unknown classic - no Offspring song has as much raw energy as Americana.

19 Pay the Man

The band's only foray into metal fittingly closes what is probably the only progressive punk rock album to grace the mainstream, and is the natural end to the progression on the album. Positively beautifully crafted, building naturally from a slow whisper to an explosive crescendo, and finally collapsing into silence, the song is easily their most structurally complex. It fits more into the "Stairway to Heaven" mold than the "Self Esteem" mold the rest of their repertoire falls into, all with an Easter egg to boot. The Offspring have never produced anything else with this degree of perfection - few bands do - and they probably never will again.

20 Days Go By

The best song by them by far, brilliant riffs, and lyrics are superb. Great sound, and really catchy! This should be number 1 for sure!

It's from their new album, also titled Days Go By! Really deserves more votes because it is a damn good song! Please vote!

21 Staring at the Sun

This song is brilliant and absolutely relentless. It is impossible to listen to this and not want to listen repeatedly. All it will take is a second listen, and you will find yourself singing along word for word.

Perfect.

One of the best, if not the greatest, Offspring song ever written! Come on, guys... It should be easily riding high in the top 5 at least!

Best song to board to! Gets me up and about and ready for anything.

22 Coming for You

I know it's new, but I have to give The Offspring credit. They are still making quality music today like this song. I love the lyrics and the rhythms used to get the idea across. Great song.

I was surprised that this wasn't in the top 5. Then I scrolled down and saw it wasn't even in the top 20. Number 130? This should be #5 at the absolute lowest!

This is one of their best songs, in my opinion. It should be in the top ten, if not at the top of the list.

23 I Choose

This should be in the top 10. It perfectly symbolizes what The Offspring are about: great messages hidden in a fantastic song with an awesome guitar riff. The message of the song is clever: "Life is like falling off a cliff. You never know when you'll hit the ground, so just enjoy the fall while you can."

This song is always overlooked. It is a hidden gem on Ixnay on the Hombre and is one of their best pop-style songs!

Dexter's voice and the guitar part work perfectly together. Favorite song of Ixnay on the Hombre!

24 Want You Bad

Love this song so much! I love a lot of Offspring songs, but this song always cheers me up and is a definite choice for a good party!

This is the song my wife and I chose for our first dance at our wedding. It was played much slower, though.

This and Pretty Fly are my favorite Offspring songs. This should be in the top 10 easily!

25 Smash

The title song off of the debut album. Obviously, the best song on the album and has some of that great silence then slow rhythm that ties out the long last songs of other great albums.

The best song of Smash is Smash.

My favorite Offspring song, by far. I still don't understand why they didn't produce a single with this track, even if a live version exists on the Swedish Gotta Get Away single.

Perfect song.

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