Surprising Details About Blink-182 That Cast The Band In A Whole New Light

Blink-182 are one of the defining rock bands of their generation, with all three original members — Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker — being beloved celebrities, too. But while their music has always been super fun, the band’s history is full of strife, in-fighting and even tragedy. In fact, the following list features some shocking entries that may just cast the band in a whole new light.

40. Hoppus met his future wife on “All The Small Things” shoot

Hoppus and his wife Skye Everly have been happily married since 2000. But did you know they first met during rehearsals for the iconic “All The Small Things” music video? At the time she was a talent executive for MTV, and initially turned him down. Or more accurately, she turned DeLonge down when he embarrassed Hoppus by asking her out on his buddy’s behalf. Cringe!

39. “What’s My Age Again?” had a different name

“What’s My Age Again?” is arguably Blink-182’s best ode to immaturity, in a career loaded with them. Originally the song was titled “Peter Pan Complex” — a reference to the iconic literary character who never wanted to grow up. But the record company got cold feet, believing the band’s audience wouldn’t get the reference.

38. Their first gig had only one person show up

Hoppus told Rock Sound TV about Blink-182’s first ever gig way back in 1992. He revealed, “We played this biker bar in south San Diego. It was the bartender, one patron, the three of us — we played one song, then the one guy said, ‘Can you please turn it down?’ so we turned it down.” After two more songs, the guy stopped them completely, saying, “Let’s call it. Have some Snapple, you guys earned it.” Ouch!

37. Barker had a Nightmare Before Christmas-themed wedding 

Barker married former Miss USA Shanna Moakler in 2004, and their wedding day paid tribute to two of their favorite movies. The first was The Nightmare Before Christmas, with the drummer wearing the same pinstripe suit as Jack Skellington in the macabre animated classic. Then the couple walked down the aisle to the song “You’re So Cool” from the Quentin Tarantino-penned True Romance. Aww.

36. “Josie” was named after a neighbor’s dog

“Josie,” which appeared on the band’s 1997 album Dude Ranch, is about the best girlfriend in the world. In 2011 Hoppus confirmed on his Tumblr page that Josie was never a real woman — she was simply an idealized partner. The name “Josie” was actually inspired by Hoppus’ friend Elyse Rogers, of the band Dance Hall Crashers, as it was the name of her pet pooch! 

35. Barker was recruited after he learned the songs superquick

When people think of Blink-182, they think of the classic three man line-up immortalized in the title of their 2000 live album The Mark, Tom and Travis Show. But Barker wasn’t a founding member. He only came into the fold in 1998 after original drummer Scott Raynor left the band mid-tour. Barker reportedly learned Blink’s entire 20-song set in only 45 minutes. Whoa.

34. Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge saw huge potential in Blink-182

Warped Tour was an institution in American punk rock, with the travelling festival featuring nearly every major band in the scene over the course of its 25 year history. In 1996 Blink-182 played it for the first time, having been championed by Fletcher Dragge, guitarist of punk elder statesmen Pennywise. He reportedly told founder Kevin Lyman, “They’re gonna be gigantic.” Yes, Dragge could see the future.

33. Hoppus is a huge soccer fan and follows the English Premier League

Hoppus and his family lived in Mayfair, London for three years while the band recorded the album Neighborhoods. While there, he developed a taste for the local sport obsession — football! Or “soccer,” as he would have known it. He began supporting Chelsea football club and is still a fan to this day, keeping up with the team even while back living in California.

32. They started out playing San Diego YMCA centers

In the early days, Blink were known by a couple of bizarre monikers — Duck Tape and Figure 8. By the time they’d decided on Blink, though, they were gaining some momentum in the local punk scene. In fact, they secured a regular gig at a prestigious series of venues — San Diego’s YMCA centers! Hey, every “young man” has to start somewhere. 

31. Hoppus broke both his heels when meeting DeLonge

On MTV’s Ridiculousness, Hoppus told the bittersweet tale of the day he met DeLonge. He chuckled, “I went over to his house. We were writing songs and I was like, ‘Hey, I just learned how to climb telephone poles.’” Naturally, this led to him scaling one outside DeLonge’s abode — but he hadn’t quite figured out how to get down. He thought, “I could just jump.” So, he did. And broke both his heels. 

30. The band blew $500,000 on the music video for “The Rock Show”

2001’s “The Rock Show” had one of Blink-182’s most memorable music videos — precisely because it was crafted to fly in the face of tradition. The band had a budget of $500,000, and chose to blow it on crazy things like buying and releasing doves, destroying cars and TVs, and paying people to shave their heads. Satire? Or a waste of money? We’re not sure.

29. The iconic “Dammit” riff was a stroke of good/bad luck  

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and this was certainly the case when Hoppus wrote “Dammit.” One of the band’s most beloved songs was actually written in 10 minutes while he noodled with an acoustic guitar which was missing two strings. When creating the main riff, Hoppus had to skip over the absentee strings, and he felt this gave it a one-of-a-kind sound. 

28. “Asthenia” uses real NASA transmissions 

Blink-182 don’t just make juvenile, super fun pop-punk music — they occasionally get introspective, too. Take “Asthenia,” from their 2003 self-titled album. It’s a haunting song about the isolation of an astronaut floating in space, high above the earth. The tune even features real NASA transmissions at the start — they’re from the Apollo 9 mission and give the song an extra sense of eeriness. 

27. A lawsuit from an Irish band forced them to change their name

Get this — the band initially released their first album Cheshire Cat under the name “Blink.” But then an Irish electro band of the same name got wind of these new Californian pop-punks. To avoid legal action, the record label forced the band to come up with a new name. The boys stalled for a few weeks, and finally came up with “Blink-182” when put on the spot. 

26. Terry Crews starred in “Down”

These days, Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews is a national treasure. Forget Everybody Hates Chris, it should be Everybody Loves Terry! But back in 2004 he flexed his acting muscles in the band’s “Down” music video. He plays a Los Angeles cop who unsuccessfully pursues a gang member at a house party which, somewhat preposterously, features Blink-182 playing live. That’s some party.

25. Hoppus’ girlfriend gave him an ultimatum

When Blink-182 formed, Hoppus, DeLonge and Raynor were all teenagers. They began spending hours jamming together and writing music in Raynor’s bedroom, which angered Hoppus’ girlfriend. She gave him an ultimatum — choose her or the band. Hoppus chose love. But then he found out that his pals were planning to record a demo, so he swiftly kicked her to the curb. The rest is history!

24. Barker let Kourtney Kardashian tattoo “I love you” on his arm

Barker and his fiancé, reality star Kourtney Kardashian, are very much in love. So much so that in May 2021 he let her ink her devotion permanently on his arm. She posted a photo on Instagram of her holding the needle to her heavily-tattooed beau, alongside the caption, “I tattoo.” Barker replied, “Woman of many talents.” Love takes many forms, people. 

23. DeLonge loves Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World blew up in 2001 when their single “The Middle” became a radio hit. Before that, though, they weren’t overly well known, but did have one celebrity superfan — Tom DeLonge! In fact, they played his wedding reception in May of that year, with DeLonge telling People magazine, “I was in tears. I cried more than any girl.”

22. Hoppus wrote “Going Away To College” after watching a teen movie

The teen comedy Can’t Hardly Wait is based around a high school graduation party. “Going Away to College” is a Blink-182 song about the dilemma of breaking up with your high school girlfriend after graduation. They’re peas in a pod. A homesick Hoppus reportedly wrote the song on Valentine’s Day in 1999 after he watched the movie, which proves inspiration really can come from anywhere.

21. DeLonge was expelled from high school for being drunk

The phrase “everything happens for a reason” can truly be applied to DeLonge being expelled from Poway High School for drunkenness at a basketball game. Why? Because he had to move to Rancho Bernardo High School, which is where he met Anne Hoppus. When she heard he desperately wanted to start a band, she hooked him up with her brother Mark. Yes, that Mark!

20. DeLonge tried to score early gigs by faking an anti-drug message

During an appearance on Hoppus’ After School Radio show in 2021, DeLonge and his old bandmate laughed about an unusual tactic he used to score gigs in their early days. Hoppus said, “You were calling up schools and saying we were a band with a motivational edge to us…”. DeLonge replied, “Yeah, it was like [an] anti-drug, alcohol message or something. Whatever it took.”

19. The band cameos in the first American Pie movie

Blink-182 cameo for 29 glorious seconds in 1999 teen comedy American Pie. This was before the band hit it big, and also not long after Barker joined them. In fact, it was so recent that the credits list former drummer Scott Raynor, instead of Barker. Whoops! The cameo is soundtracked by their song “Mutt,” which had been specially re-recorded for the movie. 

18. They also appeared in an episode of The Simpsons

One of the truest indicators of fame is appearing on The Simpsons. And in 2003 Blink-182 played in Bart’s loft apartment after he moved out of the family home in the episode “Barting Over.” They joined a long tradition of rock bands starring in the show, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, and fellow pop-punks Green Day.

17. Hoppus and Barker’s side project took its name from a telephone dialling code

When +44 formed, fans wondered if the name was a jab at DeLonge, who had just quit Blink-182 for the first time. But as Hoppus told IGN, it was actually a reference to the dialling code used when placing an international call to the United Kingdom. You see, a London date of a Blink European tour was where Hoppus and Barker first discussed making music on their own.

16. Hoppus had cancer in 2021

2021 proved a tough year for Hoppus but, thankfully, he emerged from it victorious. In June he announced to distraught fans that he was undergoing chemotherapy to combat lymphoma. But by late September he had good news — he was cancer free! To complete the happy ending, by Halloween he was performing Blink-182 songs on-stage with Barker at his House of Horrors event. Relief!

15. DeLonge believes in UFOs and conspiracy theories

In a 2000 Rolling Stone profile it was mentioned that DeLonge’s obsession, outside of music, was aliens. Over the years he has doubled down, regularly talking about UFOs and fringe theories. He even started a company called To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences, which produces all kinds of alien-related learning material. 

14. The boys were groomsmen at each other’s weddings

The guys in Blink-182 aren’t just a band — they’re close friends. Hoppus was a groomsman at DeLonge’s wedding in 2001. He even received a silver yo-yo from Tiffany’s as a gift from the mischievous groom. Then in 2004 both Hoppus and DeLonge were groomsmen at Barker’s wedding to Shanna Moakler.

13. The band performed for American troops during the Iraq conflict

Blink-182 played two shows for American troops in the Persian Gulf in 2003. One took place on-board a freakin’ aircraft carrier. How cool is that? Hoppus claimed on Twitter years later that, while on that carrier, he gave a Navy Admiral some friendly advice on how to capture Saddam Hussein. His plan involved video camera time codes which could be used to triangulate Hussein’s location. Wow!

12. After the first split, the band didn’t speak

In February 2005 Blink-182 went on “indefinite hiatus,” which is pretty much industry-speak for “they’ve broken up, sorry.” For three long years, they didn’t speak at all, choosing to concentrate on their various side projects. Yup, there was a lot of bad feeling, especially between Hoppus and DeLonge. But then something tragic happened which brought them into each other’s lives again.

11. Barker survived a plane crash

On September 19, 2008 Hoppus received a shocking phone call in the middle of the night. Barker had just survived a plane crash and was in hospital with burns over 65 percent of his body. The worried bassist hopped on the first available flight. For his part, DeLonge sent Barker some well-wishes. Putting aside their differences, the tragedy eventually opened the door for the band to reunite.

10. One album had a troubled production

The 2011 comeback album Neighborhoods was not a fun experience for the band in some ways. For one, the members had a parade of attorneys, publicists and managers surrounding them. As DeLonge told Alternative Press magazine, “It’s the absolute diarrhoea of bureaucracy that surrounds our band. It’s ridiculous. It’s very hard to get things accomplished in this band because there’s so many of those groups of people.” 

9. DeLonge suggested the band undergo therapy with Tony Robbins 

According to Barker’s memoir Can I Say, DeLonge was super unhappy in 2014 and it led to some erratic decisions. Barker wrote, “Around this time, he abruptly quit the band; he e-mailed me and Mark saying that he was through with the band, and with us. Then the next day, he e-mailed us again saying we should forget everything he just said, and he wanted Tony Robbins to do group therapy with the three of us.”

8. Hoppus used to be the only one without tattoos

Like most rock stars, the guys in Blink-182 are pretty inked up. Barker, for instance, is covered almost head-to-toe in tattoos. DeLonge has a decent collection too, including a large neck piece featuring the word “Illuminated” inside angel wings. But Hoppus stayed resolutely un-inked for years, until he got his wife and daughter’s names on his wrists. Aww.

7. Barker was the star of an MTV reality show

Barker is now arguably the most famous member of Blink-182. He’s constantly in gossip headlines due to his relationship with Kourtney Kardashian, for one thing. But did you know he was once a reality star himself? He and ex-wife Shanna Moakler let MTV’s cameras into their lives in 2005/06 for Meet the Barkers. It lasted two seasons. 

6. Barker appeared on Keeping Up With The Kardashians before he was with Kourtney

Before they got together as a couple, it was known that Kardashian and Barker were good friends. But many fans had forgotten that he had actually made an on-camera appearance in Keeping up with the Kardashians in 2017. At this point, he was her neighbor and the pair were seen talking about respectively homeschooling their kids.

5. The “182” may mean a lot of things, or nothing

During an episode of Hoppus On Music, Blink’s bassist explained the significance of the number “182.” Spoiler alert: it has no significance. He laughed, “We just made up the name 182 and ever since then we’ve just made up different stories about what the 182 means.” At different points it has been Hoppus’ ideal weight, and the number of times Al Pacino drops the F-bomb in Scarface!

4. Original drummer Scott Raynor was fired during 1998 tour

The band have always been vague about why Scott Raynor departed in the middle of a 1998 West Coast tour. According to Joe Shooman’s Blink-182: The Band, The Breakdown & The Return, though, Raynor suffered a tragic family loss and it led to him drinking to cope with his emotions. This began to affect his performance on-stage, and culminated in Hoppus and DeLonge firing him over the phone. A sad situation.

3. The nurse on the “Enema of the State” cover is an adult actress

The “Enema of the State” album artwork, which features a sexy nurse, is now iconic. But did you know the model is actually adult actress Janine Lindemulder? According to producer Jerry Finn, the guys in the band were such innocent dorks that they had no idea who she was. Once they found out, though, they became super interested. As Lindemulder told Entertainment Weekly, “They’re like little boys — just curious.”

2. A side project was named after the Nagasaki bomb plane

To DeLonge and Barker, the name of their 2001 side project Box Car Racer had very different meanings. To Barker, it simply repurposed the name of an old band he was in after high school — a name that meant nothing. But to DeLonge, it was a reference to the atomic bomb that exploded above Nagasaki. The bomber it was dropped from was named “Bockscar,” which many misspell as “Box Car.” 

1. The band have recorded hilariously rude Christmas songs

If you’re celebrating the Holidays and you’ve become sick of the standard Christmas songs you always hear, Blink-182 have you covered. Throw on “I Won’t Be Home For Christmas” or “Not Another Christmas Song” and you’ll laugh your face off. Seriously. They’re funny. On another note, you could even listen to “Boxing Day,” a more sincere holiday-themed song. It has a weird electronic indie sound that is quite unique for Blink.