Sublime Discography

Get to know one of the best bands of the '90s with our Sublime discography. The '90s may have been punctuated by grunge, but Sublime was a band that was able to transcend the trend with an infectious blend of punk and ska that you would have to be an enemy of music not to enjoy. Sublime got their start in 1988 in Long Beach, California with Brad Nowell on vocals and guitar, Eric Wilson on bass, Bud Guagh on drums, Marshall Goodman on the wheels of steel, and Michael "Miguel" Happoldt rounding out the lineup on guitar, vocals and organs. Before Sublime hit the big time in 1996 they were one of the best bands in Los Angeles. Sublime played shows all over Southern California, gaining a following that ranged from surfers and stoners to preppies and gangsters. Sadly, the life of Sublime was cut short when singer-songwriter Brad Nowell died of an overdose a few months before their breakthrough album was released. Sublime officially broke up after Brad died, but their music lived on through their three studio albums and a series of compilation albums, the most notable of which was the Sublime version of the “Hong Kong Phooey” theme song for the album “Saturday Morning’s Greatest Hits.”

1. “40oz to Freedom” While Sublime had a solid local following in Los Angeles and their native Long Beach, few people outside of the City of Angels had ever heard of Sublime. Being that they were still very local at this point, this bit of the Sublime discography was released on singer Brad Nowell’s Skunk Records. “Date Rape” gave Sublime their first taste of national success when it was played on KROQ, one of the biggest rock stations in Los Angeles. Soon after “40oz of Freedom” was released. Becoming a part of the heavy rotation lineup on a major radio station definately helped raise the band’s profile, helping their cover of The Toyes classic “Smoke Two Joints” to become a modern anthem to stoners all over Southern California. If you were lucky enough to live in LA when Sublime was starting out, you always felt as if you were getting in on the ground floor of something big.
2. “Robbin' the Hood” Their local following still going strong, Sublime was finally signed to Gasoline Alley Records, a slightly larger local label that had ties to MCA. This album in the Sublime discorpahy wasn’t meant to be a follow up to “40 oz of Freedom.” The twenty tracks that make up the album were lo-fi and put together almost on a whim. Still, this album showcases what an awesome band Sublime is. They break from the dub sounds to incorporate more punk, ska and rock influences into their music. The album also shows the kind of influence they had garnered in the LA music scene. Gwen Stefani of No Doubt lends her vocals on “Saw Red.” This album didn’t bring Sublime any closer to commercial success but “Pool Shark,” “Work we Do” and “Freeway Time in LA County Jail” continued to endear Sublime to their local fans with tales of life in LA beyond the Hollywood Hills.
3. “Sublime” This part of the Sublime discography is bittersweet. While it is the album that finally brought Sublime commerical success, singer, songwriter and gutairist Brad Nowell died of an overdose a few months before the album’s release. Since it was their most commerical album, it has the Sublime songs the most people know the best. “What I Got,” “Wrong Way,” “Santaria” and “Doin' Time” all became massive hits for Sublime that year. With Brad gone, the rest of Sublime decided to call it quits, walking away from Sublime and leaving us with a small but brilliant body of work to remember them all by.