The Descendents are a punk rock band formed in 1978 in Manhattan Beach, California by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson.
In 1977, friends Frank Navetta and David Nolte began writing songs on acoustic guitars with the intention of forming a band. They initially called themselves The Itch, until Navetta came up with the name Descendents. However by the end of the year they had failed to attract any more band members, so Nolte instead joined The Last with his brothers. It would seem the Descendents had experienced a false start, yet in late 1978 Navetta was joined by drummer Bill Stevenson and bassist Tony Lombardo who revitalised the project. They changed the style and lengths of their recordings over the early year from short under a minute hardcore style songs to average 2-3 minute punk rock songs.
Their first full length album was released in 1982 entitled 'Milo Goes To College' and although it made no chart significance at the time, it is now considered one of the most significant albums of the early 1980s southern California hardcore punk movement. It built on the reputation of the predecessor 'Fat' EP which cementing their status as one of the new influencers of the South California punk scene. They continued to release material up until 1987 and despite their fan base seeming to be ever-increasing, they consistently failed to impact the US charts. The band went on hiatus until the release of 1996 LP 'Everything Sucks' which was the first time they appeared within the top 200 on the US Billboard charts.
The band is more known for its legacy to punk than its commercial successes. The Descendents have been cited as hugely influential to a large amount of modern day pop punk and skate punk bands such as Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, Propagandhi, The All-American Rejects, Green Day, The Bouncing Souls, NOFX, The Offspring, and The Ataris and they have made countless lists by publications including Spin, The Rolling Stone and Kerrang!
Syd Taylor
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