#31: Operation Ivy

A final word, it's not a call to action. We ain't no sect, no this ain't no fucking faction

"
Started in 87, ended in 89. Got a garage or an amp we'll play any time. Just the four of us, yeah the core of us. Too much attention unavoidable destroyed us" -Rancid

Next is Operation Ivy, who were good enough to be top 10 on this list if they were around for more than one album.

Wiki Says: Operation Ivy was a ska punk band formed in Albany, California. They are well-known as one of the earliest ska-core bands, a genre that fuses elements of hardcore with ska punk. The band consisted of frontman Jesse Michaels (vocals), Tim Armstrong (credited as "Lint") (vocals/guitar), Matt Freeman (credited as Matt McCall) (bass/backing vocals), and Dave Mello (Drums/backing vocals). The band's name, previously abandoned by another Gilman group, Isocracy, was derived from the Operation Ivy series of nuclear tests.

Discovery: Energy (1989)

Other Releases: Plea for Peace (1992)

Ramones EP (1987)

Unreleased Energy (1996)

Rock Against Bush Volume 2 (2004)

Notably Covered By: The Aquabats!*, Big D & the Kids Table Cherry Poppin Daddies*, Green Day, Goldfinger, The Hippos*, Homegrown*, Jefferies Fan Club*, Long Beach Dub Allstars*, Mellincolin, Reel Big Fish*, Save Ferris, The Suicide Machines

*appear on "Take Warning: Songs of Operation Ivy" (1997).

Favorite Songs: 10. The Crowd

9. Junkie's Runnin' Dry

8. Bad Town

7. Hoboken

6. Vulnerability

5. Yellin' In My Ear

4. Jaded

3. Sound System

2. Jaded

1. Unity

Years Active: 1987-1989

Seen Live: 0 times (obviously)

Op Ivy broke up because they were getting too big to handle and didn't want to sell out. Probably a good move. They'll always be remembered for one of the best albums ever made, and a legacy that continues with Rancid. Their fear was right as I imagine an Op Ivy show now would sell out any venue and people would pay tons of money to see it (myself included).

Up Next: The band that invented punk rock music, but first came Hebrew school