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Just in the past couple weeks, Rome announced his departure. Brad’s son, Jakob, just recently played with Bud and Eric at a charity show so rumor has it that he may be getting ready to finally fill his dad’s spot. If you haven’t heard Jakob sing, he sounds eerily like his dad.

I think here is a good time to mention Bradley's House, a rehab set up by the Nowell family just opened up last month in Southern California. It is a rehab to support addicted musicians, please check it out and consider supporting the project!

Never thought I'd see someone stand up for Sublime. Good work as always, Finn.

People really underrate how diverse their sound was.

I really believe that Sublime is one of the main reasons that the ska punk/ reggae rock scene survived so long in the Warped Tour scene

Midwest kid in the 90s wishing I was in Cali deep in the punk rock scene sublime was huge part of my life. When Napster was a thing I desperately searched for anything I could find any unreleased snipet of anything. Every riff took me back every word remembered. Didn’t expect to get so emotional and nostalgic today. Thank you.

People always overlook how dark the lyrics to Garden Grove are. "Waking up to an alarm Sticking needles in your arm Picking up trash on a freeway Feeling depressed everyday Leaving without making a sound Picking my dog up at the pound Living in a tweaker pad Getting yelled at by my dad Saying I'm happy when I'm not Finding roaches in the pot"

Dude, thank you for this. I hear people call Sublime a "frat band" and other derogatory terms constantly. Those assessments fail to recognize how great they really were. They are one of my favorite bands of all time, and I get a lot of flak for that. I'm a music junkie and can hold my own talking most genres and artists, and they still hold a top 10 spot for me.

I think you are missing a very big part of Sublime's music. And that is that they were actually making music the "hip hop" way, meaning that most of their songs are based on classic reggae riddims, which instead of sampling, they played live adding their own lyrics but they expanded this technique by also "remixing" punk songs. Sublime is one of my favourite bands and in my opinion the fact that most of their songs are what many people would call "covers" or even worse "stolen" I think was revolutionary and extremely creative and is what led to their success along with Brad's lyrics.

People forget, nothing sounded like sublime before sublime. They invented the Cali reggae sound that has taken off in the last decade. A completely original sound and still stands the test of time

Update. Sublime with Rome just broke up. Brads son Jakob has been performing with them and Bud Gaugh has returned. Rome posted a video saying he is working on solo stuff. If you only posted a week or two later! What are the chances 😂

I have seen sublime go from underground, to super popular, do being associated with dorm rooms, back to cool again. I have been a fan the whole time....The point is listen to what you love, that is what music is all about. As Brad said "one good thing about music....when it hits ya you feel no pain"

Man I love Sublime, one of my all time favorite bands. They really don’t get the recognition they deserve. The album Second Hand Smoke is a great listen

Brads voice is so deeply engrained in my mind. He may not be the most technically proficient singers of all time, but the emotion he conveys through his voice, to me, is like listening to the emotion in Jimi Hendrix's guitar playing. Transcendent, so to speak.

I get feeling weird about Sublime with Rome, but I always thought it was a cool thing that paid tribute to Brad's legacy, while allowing Eric and Bud make a living off the classic songs they were a part of creating. It gave them and the fans a chance to experience some small sliver of what might have been had Brad never died.

I wil lalways cherish this story: I was at Ozzfest 2007. Every one was muddy and heated from the last band (I believe it was Trivium) and we just finished our mosh pit. There was nusic playing between sets as people went about their day. Suddenly, Sublime's Santeria came on. As if rehearshed, the entire stadium's crowd stopped what they were doing and sung along to EVRY. SINGLE. WORD! Its hard to explain but it was magical feeling. There were all these hard-core, metal and punk kids who all came together to sing a fricken reggae song! I wish I could relive that moment again.

As someone that was part of the OC scene back then, it seemed like before every show, as we all waited for them to take the stage, rumors were floating that Bradley had OD. Their live shows were either amazing or a hot mess where Bradley could barely stand and would forget lyrics to the songs. It was always an adventure as to what you would get.

Me and my friends first discovered sublime when Date Rape hit the radio in Chicago. I went out and bought the CD and was blown away by all the other songs on it. I was definitely more of a metal head back then, but it was just so well done! We used to bring 40 oz to every party we went to and force people to listen to it. Haha! I was one of the fans who was very sad when Bradley died. He had so much raw talent. They all did. That bass... A couple years ago, when I started collecting vynil, 40 oz was one of the first 10 albums I had to have.

This one got me! Sublime has been my favorite band since the early 90's. Great party music, but I used to spend hours listening to the lyrics as a teen in a rough spot. People could say that they're a bad influence, but if it taught me anything it was not to try to solve my problems by drowning them under drugs. Like a lot of iconic band members, their story lives through their music and is able to serve so many others throughout time. ❤️

Great stuff Finn, very nice tribute! It'll be interesting to see Sublime continue with Brad's son taking on the lead guitar/lead vocal role. I've been following him with his band LAW for a few years and he's a very good singer, sounds a whole lot like his dad.

I was a teenager in the 90’s. I have 4 of those huge CD books that I dug out of storage recently as my kids are starting to care about music. It’s f’ing awesome to hear them singing along to Simple Plan, Old Blink and of course Sublime. I’m really stoked you can still put a cd in an Xbox!

Great video as always Finn. You should check out the Sublime reunion with Bradleys son, Jakob. They played a type of fundraiser for Bad Brains H.R.

Well done sir. I've been waiting a very long time for this video. Sublime has been my favorite band for well over 20 years and you captured the essence of the band perfectly.

I did not realize they entered the studio for their last album with only 2 or 3 songs. So they had to make one of the best albums of all time just coming up with songs on the spot, while drunk and high. That's mind blowing. Brad was ridiculously talented.

Sublime is the not so secret, secret, greatest band from the mid/late 90s, their energy/vibe/talent can never be duplicated, they could walk in to a too short concert and get a standing O and then get senior citizens to dance and eat shrooms till the sun comes up. Gutter punks and rich kids alike woukd be telling Brad encounter stories for yrs after they came through.

Nobody has ever called KROQ "K-R-O-Q" before the release of this video.

Thanks for giving one of my all time favorites his due. RIP Brad, it's a shame you never got to see people love your art.

Their sound is so diverse such wide ranging influences. This band has literally introduced me to so, so much music I would not have known otherwise.

And of course the video can already be updated, with the new of Rome leaving the band and Bradley’s son Jakob rumored to take over after he played a set with them in December

I have discovered a lot of music because of Sublime. Brad quoted and sampled many reggae, punk, hip hop, funk, etc. artists. Plus, the bass and drum lines are technically complex and catchy, as is Brad's voice and performance.

I grew up with em literally & experienced there rise & fall as well as there transition to LBDAS, They really revolutionized a unique style that my kids are now rocking out to, They’ll never be forgotten, RIP Brad

As a kid, i’d always heard sublime songs on the radio or CDs and liked them, but a few years ago I got really in to them. Their music, lyrics and all, provides a deep comfort from me that I rarely get from the people around me.

Big fan of the channel. It just hit me, im sure you heard this before. You're the modern VH1 behind the music.

Awesome video! I hope post Sublime with Rome after this final year, Rome gets the credit he so much deserves for the artist he is. As someone who might have the different take here and has loved bands like Sublime with Rome, Dirty Heads, Katastro (RIP Andy), Iration, Rebelution etc over the years. Sublime w/ Rome has very much felt like a "cover band" at moments during events, but the stuff that has Rome's touch all over it is amazing! My hope is Jakob takes the helm of Sublime and completely removes that false cover band shadow that unfortunately gets brought up, and we have another amazing band in the scene making more great new music. So much to look forward to with Sublime.

I am not a fan of punk rock, but Sublime truly opened me up to other genres of music. I worked in a CD store in the 90's (back when those were a thing) and that was my first exposure to Sublime's music and I fell in love. I went from a 100% rap listener to listening to lots of different styles of music. I was in high school and college during the 1990's, and Sublime became the soundtrack to all the great times I had. It truly changed my life. RIP Bradley. We miss you.

Im thankful Brads son will sing his songs for crowds. Jacob sounds so much like him, it's bitter sweet.

Sublime and more specifically 40 oz to freedom introduced me Descendents and Bad Religion with their covers on that album. Which in turn got me deeper into the punk scene.

The sad part about the lead singers death too is that when he was found his adorable Dalmatian was found next to him. They truly do have some great songs

Sublime has been one of my favorite bands since I discovered them when I was 14. I spent many days listening to their ablums on repeat on the bus. Now at 24 my toddler and I dance in the kitchen to their groovy tunes. Sublime will always have a special place in my heart ❤

I grew up listening to Sublime, my brother was into them too, posters on the walls and their music on blast in the house. I remember wearing my sublime shirt until it fell apart, and to this day I love their music for whatever mood I’m in. What’s so upsetting is I think of Brad and his addiction. If only he could still be here making some more jams. Their diversity in their music is so rare to find. Thank you for this video!

You knocked this out of the park, Finn. The Ballad of Johnny Butt is a cover of LBHC band Secret Hate off of their album Vegetables Dancing. Also, Sublime with Rome just announced their end of 2024 breakup a couple of weeks ago. Jakob Nowell fronted Sublime at an HR of Bad Brains Benefit show last month, with potential for more shows. Cheers brother! Happy new year!

Their self titled album is a masterpiece. It's arguably probably been the album that's had the most influence in my life 💚

I like how Sublime's songs are so upbeat but then there's songs like Pool Shark that are so dark and sad. RIP Bradley Nowell

It was actually very emotional to relive a lot of these lyrics and I genuinely appreciate the deeper analysis of Brad’s lyrics. The idea that Sublime ever appealed to frat boys from upper middle class families who had never known hardship was just so weird at the time and continues to be weird to those of us whose lives have been irreparably touched by addiction (either our own or of loved ones). It’s beautiful music because it’s painful and human.

My first experience with sublime was Seed from THPS on the N64. Little did i know i would revsit the band in my high school years and end up torrenting the whole discography on demonoid or thepiratebay. There really is no one that can replicate Bradley's ability to write and sing his lyrics with so much passion and crativitity!! You can't help but belt out the lyrics to his songs

I loved sublime as a kid/ teen in the 90s. I'm glad you did this video. Living in Richmond VA at that time, I couldn't help but glimpse one of the band members rocking an AVAIL tee. They were one of the greatest bands from the 90s punk scene of all time IMO. They deserve a lot of credit.

I grew up in south Florida and if you were a beach rat or skate punk you listened to Sublime in the 90’s. It had such a resonance with our world. Sublime always reminds me of sunny beach days and skating with my friends.

Sublime has always been a favorite of mine. Back in high school me and my friends didn’t always agree on things but one thing we ALWAYS agreed on was Sublime on the stereo.

I think this video knocked it out of the park. Fat Mike got this one wrong, and your rebuttal is this. Growing up in the South Bay, I had access to KROQ (but was more inclined to listen to KNAC when they existed) and heard "Date Rape". Working at Sam Goody, I remember the tragedy that was the self-titled release. Your assessment of the albums is spot-on, and I desperately need to replace my copy of "40 oz" because there's so much great material on there. Any band who can do justice to a Grateful Dead song and a Bad Religion song on the same album is stellar IMO, and their cover of Descendents' "Hope" on the s/t is better than the OG.

I love Sublime, they never made one bad song. I wasn't born yet to ever see them live though ❤. You can definitely hear the pain in Brad's voice on a few songs and it's a shame he never got to see his son grow up 😢 .

I was fucking raised on sublime!! Santeria was the song my mother used to sing to me while putting me to sleep as a baby. And later on in my teenage years, I got deeper into the band and I still love them a lot. One of my favorites for sure

Great video on one of my favorite bands since I was 16! But also they had a HUGE impact on the American reggae/punk scene, you can hear their influence in alot of bands such as slightly stoopid, the movement, pepper and iration to name a few. A good album of sublime covers (or covers of songs sublime covered) by people who were influenced by their music is "The House That Bradley Built". It has 60 different covers by different ska, reggae and punk artists and shows the deep and lasting impact sublime has had on music 😌🤙🏻

Great video, thanks for documenting the true story and lasting impact that many fans of current punk and ska should understand and appreciate 🙌

Good on ya for showin Sublime some love. They’re not for everyone but they truly introduced me to so many bands. Everything from the KRS to the Ziggens to Rudi Peni to Desmond Decker. No one was doing what they were doing at that time.

Bradleys voice/style struck a chord with me like no other band really ever has, except maybe The Beatles. I had been listening to them for about 3 days, already totally in love and obsessed with the band, when the new kid in my class wore a Sublime shirt to school. I started talking to him, told him I loved Sublime, 'he said yeah me too, really bummed he died'...I was literally speechless, and really angry, and really depressed, skipped the rest of the day. That was nearly 30 years ago now, still completely in love with them, but still completely depressed about Bradleys death, if I could bring ANYONE back, it'd be him, I almost cant even listen to them these days, just makes me sad...so much lost potential... *sigh*

Sublime is one of those bands that really split generations. I’ve never met anyone under 50 that didn’t at least enjoy sublime but it’s hard to find anyone over 50 that tolerated them. I think it was the same way with the Beatles, my parents generation loved them but my grandparent’s generation thought the Beatles were trash. Lil peep seems to also fall into one of those generationally decisive artists

Probably my favorite bands of all time. Great explanation of the band. People do tend to think of yuppie college rock but I never understood, but I already knew what you just talked about. Also side note Rome just announced at the end of 2023 that he is leaving Sublime for good. Thanks for the great content.

40 oz to freedom is the 90s version of the white album. It just goes so many places. It spoke to the punk kids that also listened to hip hop and reggae. When I heard the bad religion and descendants songs back to back with the Dead and a Krs One tribute, I was like, this dude gets it. What a loss. Thank you Bradley for your influence on my musical career.

I was listening to Sublime yesterday and was wondering if you were going to make a video about them. The timing is impeccable.

kinda surprised you didnt call out how much they "borrowed" from other artists. THese are just ones I could remember of the top of my head. I dont necessarily consider this a bad thing, bc they did put their own spin on it and meld genres pretty creatively. I just think it is worth pointing out RIvers Of Babylon is an old tune (cant remember the artist) Ballad of Johnny Butt is mostly a cover of a Secret Hate Song What I got takes a melody from Lady Madonna by the Beatles Hope is a Descendants tune We're Only Gonna Die From Our own Arrogance is a Bad Religion tune 54-46 Thats My Number is Toots and the Maytals A Message to You Rudy from the Specials Caress Me Down is pretty much Wayne Smiths Under me Sleng Teng (lifting a rhythm is pretty common in the Dub world. John Wayne also used this rhythm on Call the Police as I am sure many others have)

I am eternally grateful to my girlfriend when I was 20 for stopping me getting the logo inked across my back.

Finally! The first dead on accurate description and depiction of the writing and deeper understanding of one of the greatest of all times. Thank You

I don’t know if it’s because I live in SoCal, but I didn’t know anyone DIDNT love Brad and Sublime. They’re still played nonstop over here. Everyone knows all the words to their songs. Anyone with a guitar knows at least one song. RIP Brad we will never stop jamming to the tunes

Every millennial stoner I went to school with or worked with loves Sublime, so I (not a stoner) feel inclined to not like them lol. But I can't fight it - their music is damn good and still holds up, especially that self titled album. Also Finn - I know these videos aren't exactly the ones you really want to make, but I and probably many others appreciate them. Your style is great because it isn't just the typical Wikipedia summary video. You actually include your opinions and experiences related to the band/topic, which makes the videos a lot better, imo.

Their cover of "Rivers of Babylon" is one of my favorite things they ever did. So underrated.

As a young teen in middle school, with a dalmatian, first getting into punk rock in the late 90s, Sublime was a huge deal to me. They were one of the very few things me and my older brother could connect on at that time. Their music always brings me back to those times alone in my room, when I’d be having a rough day, but I could turn the stereo on and completely escape for the duration of an album. And you’re right, they’re always strangely excluded when people list the ska-punk bands of that era, which is kinda criminal. They have some of the best ska-punk bangers of all time. I mean, the back to back punch of “Wrong Way” and “Same in the End” from the self titled album is just insanely good.

I'm very excited for Jakob fronting the band. It's just Sublime now and it's beautiful. I had tears in my eyes when I saw him playing santaria and Bradley's portrait on the screen looking down on his boy... So powerful.

Sublime's story is much like The Ruts; a great band destroyed by heroin use.

Man, rest in peace Bradley Nowell, he was ahead of his time. sublime will go down forever as one of the best rock bands of all time.

Great video. This one was overdue. Remember all this like it was yesterday. Still sad. Thanks for your work Finn.

I decided at 18 that I wanted a tattoo....it wasn't until I became a Sublime fan nearly 15 years later that I had the 40 Oz. cover art tattooed on my back because a tattoo is forever and should mean something to you.....Sublime means everything to me.....we all miss you Brad but are incredibly thankful for the amazing job that Rome, Eric et Al do at keeping his music and spirit alive...❤❤❤ ❤❤❤

Sublime with Rome is done. Rome left the band and brads son was seen playing with the band live.

I remember subscribing to this channel over a year ago because Finn said he needed to make a video on this band. What a great way to start 2024 bro🤙🏼 I think the guys in Sublime deserve way more than praise

Some of my fondest memories are of me and my friends sitting in the back of an old Ram Van driving around town singing our hearts out to Robbin the Hood

Shame that most of their hits were literal plagarisms of other dub music from other aritsts..

Another fun fact that a lot of people don't know is that Brad is the one who discovered Slightly Stoopid and got them signed, as well as became a huge influence on their music.

For those of us that grew up in Orange and LA counties in the 80's and 90's, let's take a moment to appreciate how awesome the scene was, right in our backyard! Not to brag but just to be grateful for that awesome time in history that we were so blessed to be apart of.

Thank you! Waited a minute for you specifically to do a Sublime video take. Great job ❤️

One of my all time favorite bands. Just hearing them instantly takes me back to those “glory” days in so cal as a teen just skating, listening to punk rock, having fun at the beach, and partying - with no cares in the world. But you’re also 100% that I always saw that deeper layer in the lyrics about the struggles of drug addiction and other things he struggled with. Glad I heeded the warnings of him and lots of other artists and didn’t follow down that road. Great breakdown as always Finn 🤘💪

I think the reason Sublime doesn’t get brought up a lot in ska discussions is because, much like No Doubt, they’ve always kind of transcended ska. I’ve always had them categorized as alternative rock because they’re just that hard to put in a box. Like, they don’t have a horn section, the only similarity between Sublime and a band like Reel Big Fish is the upstrokes in the guitar. Because outside of that, Sublime always sounded really laid back and more stylistically eclectic, and that’s the thing that I always believed made them important. Santeria also has one of my all time favorite guitar solos, and it’s fun to listen to on a sunny spring day.

I saw videos of Bradley’s son playing shows with Sublime and I believe that is the ONLY exception to using the Sublime name. Brad would be so proud to see his son jamming his old songs using his guitar!

That was my biggest shock about Sublime was how dark the songs were. I remember seeing a something on them on MTV back in the day and saw the video for Wrong Way and was instantly hooked. But in watching this thing on them I found out Bradley was already gone. So yeah their story is definitely bittersweet. It's too bad it didn't quite work out with Sublime w/Rome cause while it was cool to see/hear the songs being performed live, I couldn't help but think it was basically a cover band since Rome was doing his best (and honestly really good) Bradley impression on vocals when they first started doing shows. Anyway it's been a while since any of your stuff's come up in my feed but this was awesome as always Finn! Keep up the awesome work!

I’m a huge ska punk fan since the summer of ska. I saw What I Got premier on mtv and have loved Sublime ever since. Thanks for giving them their due. ❤

Between this and Rob Harvilla's latest _60 Songs the Explain the 90s_ there's a lot of Sublime love out there right now.

Been waiting on this one... and thank you!! You are so correct on all of it!

Was really happy to see this pop up. I don't think they get talked about nearly enough. You're the only person I watch that has even brought them up, not just in a good light, but at all. If it weren't for Sublime we wouldn't have Slightly Stoopid, Stick Figure, Pepper, Bumpin Uglies, and countless other bands. They really changed reggae as a whole, at least in America. Sublime with rome is actually ending this year. I also believe Jakob is getting with eric and bud to bring it back to an extent, based on what they were saying at the HR benefit show recently. It was pretty neat to see.

Everyone leaves out the hip hop influence when discussing sublime,glad you included it.

You completely captured Sublime and Bradley. I was living in Austin when they were recording "sublime". I had a friend that was working for the promotional team if you wanna call it that. He put in 40 oz and said just listen. I was a fan from that point on. You have to remember that this was in the 1995, when there was ab actual downtown vibe before all of the huge highrise condos in Austin on 6th street where you had performers on the street during SXSW (which at the time only cost you $50 for unlimited access to shows) and you would be walking down the street and get bands like The Slackers begging for people to come to their shows. I had Vic Ruggiero personally give me a flyer for the show they were about to play. I remember telling him, "Dude, you are obviously from Brooklyn, how can you have a rock steady band?" He was just like, "Check us out, you won't be disappointed." I was not.

One of my daughters has a sublime poster on her wall. Just like Finn said - she’s not even familiar with the band but likes the graphic. To her credit though she did go to a telekinetic yeti doom metal show with me last month and likes some of the music I share with her.

I wasn't really into punk music etc, but one song changed my life forever: "What I've Got" was the soundtrack of the playstation game "Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX". Sublime, with many others band in the videogame soundtrack changed me forever. It was the 2000, life was good.

I’m only 36 and have been a fan since I was a kid thanks to my older cousins. I saw Sublime w/ rome before the pandemic playing all the hit at Borgata in AC, NJ and it was amazing… they covered all the hits and it was a blast

Very loved here in Costa Rica, people used to go crazy telling a story how SUBLIME played here almost anonymous, they love our beaches and scene. Pura Vida ✌

Sublime is one of my all time faves, I'm surprised you didn't mention that Bradley's son has recently been singing with the band. Anyway keep up the good work!

Finn... Probably the best spotlight you've done on a band. Thank you for taking time to do this amazing piece on them.. I am doing a Documentary on SUBLIME for the fans and will be conducting interviews as well as people whom grew up with the band. Even though Brad was impulsive though life, not many knew that Nowell was one of the Greats with a proven IQ Genius level on paper of 142 by a young age. He parents enrolled him into a "Mentally Gifted Minors" program and you had to have a minimum IQ proficiency level of extremely high. This guy was off the charts in creativity and it speaks volumes within the eclectic spectrum of his music. The entire band were gifted musicians who loved music through and though.. Nowell's creativity in lyrical story telling was very visual and captivating. Thank you Finn, you are a gift to the music scene, bringing knowledge and passion to real music and real music fans. 🙏

2 decades of professing my adoration for Sublime to those who call them overrated, finally someone else who gets it. It's not just Santeria and Badfish people, listen to their full discography on shuffle I dare you, Sublime transcended genres, soulful, creative, diverse, socially proactive and genuinely talented voices of the street.

My brother loved sublime they were his favorite band. Every time I hear any sublime songs it reminds me being with my brother and having fun snowboarding, skating, biking. He passed away in 2019 accidental overdose. So now sublime makes me nostalgic, sad and happy all at the same time. Also I never knew they covered some songs that later in life i found the originals, so sublime is one of those bands that gets you into other bands like the descendants, Minor threat, Peter Tosh, toots and the Maytals, bad religion, stealy Dan, bad brains, and much much more. Not just different bands different genres also punk rock, reggae, hip hop, they were way ahead of their time and did it correct not just a blender mix of badly mixed genres that don’t go together. And as I get older I can relate to his lyrics much more than when I was a teenager. And the more true they are. Very good tribute video Mr. FIN. I believe you make some of the best videos on bands, and you don’t even have to like them and you still do an amazing job. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and opinions to the world. Look forward to the next one no matter who it is. It’s going to be great. ✌🏼

In 2002 as an exchange student in the US from Poland I was introduced to Sublime. I listen to them till now. Have a good one.

My guitar teachers cousin was in their local town in the early day's she went too one of the first shows they ever did and has early cassette recordings of those shows.

Well you have inspired a Sublime tangent. The little clips of songs you played made me remember how much I love Sublime.