10 of My Favorite Descendents Songs
Since I’ve been going through the Descendents and ALL catalogs lately, I thought I’d try something a bit different this week and list 10 of my favorite Descendents songs. I’m limiting this to studio tracks only, but I regard Liveage! as one of my favorite live albums ever, too.
Descendents – “My World”
Though I prefer side two of their incredible 1985 sophomore Lp I Don’t Want to Grow Up, I always loved this song. How it’s not more of a favorite with fans is something I’ve never understood, though they did put it on the posthumous live Lp Hallraker.
Descendents – “Can’t Go Back”
Ditto for this excellent slab of power-pop also from side one of I Don’t Want to Grow Up.
Descendents – “Get the Time”
From 1986’s inconsistent but mostly still great Enjoy!, this is an acknowledged classic and the only Descendents tune I ever heard on Jersey shore alternative/indie station WHTG back in the day.
Descendents – “Cheer”
This is another case of a song in their catalog that I wish they’d play more since it’s really, really great (also from Enjoy! and later on Hallraker, though I’m posting the studio version).
Descendents – “Cameage”
Here is yet another stunner that later ended up on Hallraker as one of their great, but lesser-appreciated tracks.
Descendents – “Clean Sheets”
One of their all-time classics, this tale of spurned love leads off side two of 1987’s swan-song (before their two subsequent reunion albums) All.
Descendents – “Pep Talk”
Why this one isn’t more popular with fans is a mystery (see a pattern developing and yes this one was on Hallraker too in a live version) as I think it’s one of their very best songs, though I remember an impromptu Descendents reunion show in 1993 (which, incidentally, is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen) at City Gardens when a fan was yelling loudly for it during the entire set. I don’t think they played it that night. Oh well.
Descendents – “This Place Sucks”
From 1996’s reunion album Everything Sucks, this one finds singer Milo Aukerman lamenting an existence in which he’s surrounded by those who he can’t relate to, but in a more adult manner as befitting their age at the time.
Sorry, but I couldn’t find a video for this, so go buy the album!
Descendents – “I’m the One”
A sort of sequel to “Hope” (from their 1982 debut Milo Goes to College), this relates the tale of being a friend but wanting something more. It’s also quite possibly their most popular and well-known song with a video that garnered MTV play and even some radio action when it was released in 1996.
Descendents – “Anchor Grill”
Perhaps my favorite track in the entire Descendents catalog, this one comes from their most recent album, 2004’s unfairly overlooked Cool to Be You. One of the great things about that album is that its lyrics come from a mature perspective, mostly from a personal nature but there are some songs with pointed socio-political commentary. This is clearly in the former camp, like most of their material, but it has a lyric that many adults can surely relate to.
