Every band has an expiration date, and NOFX is calling it quits at 40 years, as the band is doing 40 dates of its popular “Punk In Drublic” festival that includes punk rock bands and craft beer. Is NOFX really done for good? Who knows, but let’s take a look at the band’s best 10 songs from a crazy career that helped define American punk.
10. “You’re Wrong”
An acoustic NOFX song? This stripped-down gem from the “Never Trust A Hippy” EP takes aim at Ann Coulter, the NRA, and Fox News culture.
9. “Don’t Call Me White”
From the band’s defining record “Punk In Drublic,” “Don’t Call Me White” is a great representation of the essence of NOFX.
8. “Bottles To The Ground”
Familiar with NOFX beforehand, this was the first song that made me fall in love with this band. There’s a catchiness here that the band only flirted with prior.
7. “We Called It America”
Some of NOFX’s latest work is just as good as the classics, and “We Called It America” is a good argument for this- it is also a great Bad Religion impersonation.
6. “All Outta Angst”
“So Long & Thanks For All The Shoes” is Fat Mike’s favorite NOFX record, and this ska song is a standout among various bangers.
5."The Marxist Brothers”
A little bit of “Guns Of Brixton” influence from The Clash shows that NOFX isn’t just a one-trick pony.
4.“Franco Un-American”
When Fat Mike was taking the Punk Voter fight to George W. Bush, this era signified the band opening up to mainstream press and programs like late night TV. This synth-heavy song fit in perfect with the pop-punk that was popular in the early 2000s.
3. “Linoleum”
The band’s signature song is an easy choice for the No.3 spot- it is fast, snotty, and fun.
2.“Seperation of Church and Skate”
Possibly the best song title in the band’s massive catalogue, the actual song is a ripper that rebels against how “safe” the punk rock scene was at the time.
1.”The Decline”
What do you call an 18-minute punk rock song that sounds like a concept album? Simply put, a masterpiece.
-By MIKE DAMANTE
If you are a fan of punk, Mike Damante’s latest book “Hey Suburbia: A guide to the emo/pop-punk rise” is out now, and features interviews with Alkaline Trio, blink-182. Descendents, New Found Glory and others.