Rancid Songs Ranked
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by former members of the band Operation Ivy, Rancid is often credited as being among the wave of bands that revived mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. Over their 29-year career, Rancid remained signed to an independent record label and retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground musical roots.
Rancid has had two lineup changes since its inception, with Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman being the only continuous members. Their current lineup consists of Armstrong on guitar and vocals, Freeman on bass and vocals, Lars Frederiksen on guitar and vocals, and Branden Steineckert on drums. The band was formed by Armstrong, Freeman, and former drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Steineckert. This lineup recorded their first album, with Frederiksen joining the band on their subsequent tour.
To date, Rancid has released nine studio albums, one split album, one compilation, two extended plays, and a series of live online-only albums, and has been featured on a number of compilation albums.[ The band has independently sold over four million records worldwide, making it one of the most successful independent punk rock groups of all time. The band rose to fame in 1994 with its second studio album, Let’s Go, featuring the single “Salvation”. In the following year, Rancid released its highly successful album …And Out Come to the Wolves, which produced its best-known songs “Roots Radicals”, “Ruby Soho”, and “Time Bomb”, and was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA, selling over one million copies in the United States alone. Its next five albums – Life Won’t Wait (1998), Rancid (2000), Indestructible (2003), Let the Dominoes Fall (2009), and …Honor Is All We Know (2014) – were also critically acclaimed, though not as successful as …And Out Come the Wolves. Their most recent studio album, Trouble Maker, was released on June 9, 2017, and they are currently working on a follow-up album for a tentative 2020 or 2021 release. Here are all of the Rancid songs ranked.
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15. Out of Control (Indestructible, 2003)
“Great song. It’s on the need for speed underground soundtrack. Anyways it is about corruption. And the effects of corrupt governments. RESIST RESIST RESIST RESIST is my favorite part.’
14. Olympia, WA ( …And Out Come the Wolves, 1995)
“The feeling I get from this song is mostly about how Tim feels out of place in a big city such as New York. The Olympia punk rock scene was much like the east bay scene at the time.”
13. Nihilism (Let’s Go, 1994)
“As for the song.. “Nihilistic feelin’s are moving. If I try really hard I’ll see right through them.” I’ve always seen it like the nihilistic feeling is the urge to drink. When you drink you don’t give a shit about anything, nothing matters, he’s released from “moral assumption” (where the nihilism comes in) and he’s fighting that, trying to “see through it.” Trying to shake off the urge to drink, the urge to be freed from morality through it.”
12. Old Friend ( …And Out Come the Wolves, 1995)
“This song great, I don’t listen to much of Rancid’s stuff but I love the way the lyrics are quite sad n the tunes really happy! I think its probably about him missing people when he’s on tour too but the ‘Good morning heartache…’ line could mean anything 2 most people”
See more: Rancid Albums Ranked
11. Fall Back Down (Indestructible, 2003)
“Rancid, has been around since the roots of Operation Ivy, and guitarist and vocalist from Sub UK. I’ve been into Rancid since they started. Although “Indestructible” was a decent CD. It isn’t their best. The songs on this album, is good quality and good sounding. But, if you want to hear a better album, I suggest “…And out come the wolves”. or “Life won’t wait”. Also check out “Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards” also a good band.”
10. Hyena (Rancid, 1993)
“It’s about his nomadic street kid life and the angst it caused. He’s “absent from political authority” because he has nothing to lose. He’s just some street punk with practically no identity. People were dying all around him… shit happened. When he says “sometimes the lion share ain’t there” He means that sometimes he’s left without a meal or maybe drugs whether it would’ve been stolen, given, or sold to him.”
9. The Ballad of Jimmy & Johnny (Let’s Go, 1994)
“This song could be about the internal strife in the skinhead world. There are racist skins and there are skins who are against racism and whose members include all races.”
8. Journey to the End of the East Bay (…And Out Come the Wolves, 1995)
“This song seems to be more about closure rather than the greatness of operation ivy. tim reflects about his previous band and asks himself what went wrong with such a great thing. he doesnt glorify operation ivy so much as he describes the foolishness of the group of kids that tried to take on the world. their mixed feelings of ambition and exhaustion as their fans became more and more demanding were part of what drove the band apart. Tim seems to look back his earlier days with mixed emotions and realize the lessons to be learned”
7. Poison (Rancid, 2000)
“Rancid have always been a band with heart and a political and social conscience. Their lyrics are a crucial part of their makeup. But, with songs flashing past at hyper-speeds and Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen tying their tongues in knots, their words become garbled and the impact is inevitably reduced.”
6. Ruby Soho (…And Out Come the Wolves, 1995)
“Rancid is fun music. Who doesn’t love this song? This is da bomb! And check out Transplants for more great stuff! I totally understand the cool way this guy sings, and Rancid can be crowned as punk rock kings.”
See more: Jawbreaker Albums Ranked
5. 1998 (Life Won’t Wait, 1998)
“I’m pretty sure this song is about what happens to runaway kids (becasue that’s what the words say and all). I like it because it goes from the original teen angst POV to the was that really smart? your mom still loves you POV without preaching either one. Tim Armstrong is just an awesome storyteller.”
4. Radio (Let’s Go, 1994)
“There’s a line in “Radio” which could stand for Rancid’s whole philosophy: “When I got the music, I got a place to go”. It’s a hell of a rallying call and one my teenage self would have totally related to.”
3. Time Bomb (…And Out Come the Wolves, 1995)
“Rancid manages to transcend their influences however because they know how to make great hook filled songs. Time Bomb, with it’s bouncy ska rhythm, and the nostalgic Journey to the End of the East Bay are both stellar pop punk songs.”
2. Let Me Go (Rancid, 2000)
“Let Me Go” carries traces of the ska rhythms which color the band’s most recent work but even this is steamrollered by the sheer fury of the surroundings.”
1. Junkie Man (…And Out Come the Wolves, 1995)
“Tim does the speaking part, but I don’t know if its from anything. All it really sounds like to me is something someone on drugs would see or think up. Hence the song’s title; Junkie Man.”