The difference, by ear
Both are bright, fast and chorus-led. Ska punk's rhythmic vocabulary is doubled - it has a second genre inside it.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 160 to 200 bpm. To hear the difference, play Operation Ivy next to Ramones. Both grew out of punk rock, pop punk first and ska punk eleven years after.
In figures
Ska punk
Where it sits
In short
Ska offbeats and a horn section at punk tempo. The third wave of ska, thoroughly American.
How it sounds
- Upstroke guitar on the offbeat in verses, distortion in choruses.
- A horn section: trumpet, trombone, saxophone.
- Fast tempos, melodic bass and frequently comic lyrics.
Key acts
- Operation Ivy
- Rancid
- Less Than Jake
- Reel Big Fish
Start here
The pickOperation Ivy - Energy. Twenty-seven minutes, one band, wildly outsized influence.
Full page →Pop punk
Where it sits
In short
Punk speed, garage-pop choruses and lyrics about suburban boredom.
How it sounds
- Simple major progressions - I-V-vi-IV - played fast and distorted.
- Choruses with vocal harmonies and singalong 'whoa-oh' hooks.
- Clean production, compressed drums, tempos of 160 to 200 bpm.
Key acts
- Ramones
- Green Day
- blink-182
- The Offspring
Start here
The pickThe Descendents - Milo Goes to College. The manual, written twelve years before the boom.
Full page →