Enema of the State is the third studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on June 1, 1999, by MCA Records. The band formed in Southern California, earning an early fanbase with their fast tempos, catchy hooks, and trademark irreverence. The band gained greater visibility after releasing their second album, Dude Ranch (1997), which featured the modern rock hit "Dammit". For its follow-up, the band recruited veteran producer Jerry Finn, who became a key creative partner and an important figure in defining their sound. It also marked their first recording with drummer Travis Barker, whose speed, precision, and versatility helped elevate their musicianship.
Recorded across their hometown of San Diego and Los Angeles over three months, Enema of the State introduced a cleaner, more melodic approach that contrasted with the band's rawer early work. Finn's glossy production emphasized tight arrangements, bright harmonies, and a polished pop sensibility that would become emblematic of mainstream pop-punk. Guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus primarily culled stories from friends and autobiographical situations to craft summer-related tracks revolving around teenage breakups, suburban parties and maturity, as well as more offbeat subject matter such as UFO conspiracy theories. The cover art famously features adult film actress Janine Lindemulder in a nurse uniform; the title is a pun on the term enemy of the state.
Upon release, Enema of the State was a huge commercial hit, though some critics viewed the band's radio-friendly sound and goofy image as a major departure from their grassroots, less polished sound. With more than 15 million copies sold globally, the album helped cement the band's status as one of the biggest rock acts of the new millennium. "What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things", and "Adam's Song" became hit singles and MTV staples, generating heavy airplay. Widely regarded as a defining pop-punk record, Enema of the State has had a lasting impact on the genre and beyond; it helped reinvent the sound for a new generation and inspired countless artists, tributes, and accolades.
Background
thumb|left|180px|Enema of the State is the first Blink-182 album with drummer [[Travis Barker, pictured here in 2003.]]
By 1997, Blink-182, consisting of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Scott Raynor, began to receive mainstream exposure as their sophomore record, Dude Ranch, shipped gold and the lead single "Dammit" began to be added to rock radio playlists across the country. The band entered an extended period of touring beginning that summer, which included each date of the worldwide 1997 Vans Warped Tour, a lifestyle tour promoting skateboarding and punk rock music. The trio would only return to their home of San Diego, California for days at a time before striking out the next tour. "When we did our longest tour stretch, it was right when I started dating my fiancée," DeLonge, the band's guitarist and vocalist, said in 2001. "We were all new and in love, and I had to leave. It was just, 'Hey, I'll see you in nine months.' It was really hard." Hoppus felt increasingly lonely; while the other members had longtime girlfriends to return home to, Hoppus was single. In addition to the hefty touring schedule, the trio grew tired of other commitments, including interviews and TV appearances due to the success of "Dammit."
Desperate for a break, the overworked band began to argue and tensions formed. The tension came to a head in February 1998 as the band embarked on SnoCore, described as "a winter version of the Warped Tour." Sharing the stage with Primus, the band was enjoying more success than ever before, but the drama between the musicians had grown substantially. Raynor would depart following SnoCore, and the ensemble recruited Travis Barker, drummer for the opening ska punk group The Aquabats, to fill in for Raynor. Barker, who had not had time to prepare or practice with the duo, learned the drum tracks for the 20-song setlist in only 45 minutes before the first show and performed them flawlessly thereafter. "I remember Travis rehearsing backstage for an hour or two, then playing with them during sound-check," said Adam Deibert of the Aquabats. "A few of us were standing behind the stage and vividly remember the feeling of this is the new Blink. We should have looked for a new drummer right then because it was obvious what band he belonged in." Shortly thereafter, the band embarked on a short minitour along the western coast, most notably Southern California, the band's favorite place to play. The tour ended with the band headlining a sold-out show at the Palladium in Hollywood, California, where the band had dreamed of performing for years. Raynor returned for the band's Palladium performance, but the band became increasingly uneasy and arguments grew worse.
Following a largely successful Australian tour in the spring, Hoppus and DeLonge presented an ultimatum: quit drinking or go to an in-patient rehab. Raynor agreed to both and informed the band of his decision after taking the weekend to mull options. DeLonge would later explain the drinking problem that led to his expulsion: "One show he dropped his sticks 10 times. It was so disturbing to see someone ruining himself." The addition of Barker inspired DeLonge and Hoppus to "play better" and keep up with their new member, whom DeLonge called "perfect."
Recording and production
Pre-production
thumb|right|Enema of the State was partially recorded in the band's hometown of San Diego, seen here in 2005.
Prior to developing the album, the band’s principal songwriters, Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus, had already begun composing new material. One early song that later appeared on Enema of the State was "Mutt". An initial version was recorded with the band's previous drummer, Scott Raynor. Inspired by DeLonge's surfer roommate Benji Weatherly, the track was created to accompany Weatherly's surf footage in the 1998 film The Show. Later that year, the band were approached about appearing in the raunchy teen comedy American Pie—a project whose irreverent tone closely aligned with the band's image.
For their cameo appearance, the group chose to revisit "Mutt", recording a second version with new drummer Travis Barker. For the session they enlisted producer Jerry Finn, a veteran figure in punk and alternative rock production. Finn had previously mixed Dookie by Green Day—a landmark commercial breakthrough for pop-punk—and had since worked with acts such as Rancid, Jawbreaker, and more. Satisfied with the outcome of the session, the band decided to bring Finn on to produce their next album. The remainder of the material for Enema of the State was developed throughout the band's tours that year, where early versions of songs such as "Dumpweed" and "Aliens Exist" were tested live. The first song they wrote with Barker in the band was "Dysentery Gary". The modest studio, tucked away in a retail plaza in Escondido, lacked air conditioning. Studio owner Don Lithgow recalled in 2001 that the band’s growing popularity had noticeably changed the atmosphere of their sessions: "All the kids wanted autographs [...] They’d unlock the doors and let kids into the studio, which most bands would never do."
Recording
The recording process for the album was completed over a period of four months, and production was handled at several production facilities in southern California, including Signature Sound and Studio West in San Diego, Big Fish Studios in Encinitas, and Conway Recording Studios and The Bomb Factory in Los Angeles. Finn came with an array of amps, effects and equipments; previously the band were forced to rent such equipment. The band had so much fun with Finn that there were days when very little work was accomplished: "Recording can get pretty monotonous, but at least we could laugh with Jerry," recalled Hoppus. "A pretty typical day would involve multiple takes for one part of one song, and then everyone would get naked and jump on Jerry." The band chose "never to work with anyone else again," and Finn would produce their next three releases. For Barker, the album was "fueled by black coffee and Marlboro Lights"; he was hopeful for the album as the band were well-rehearsed and no time would be wasted. According to Barker, the album's title stemmed from DeLonge, who was worried about his diet at the time and using enemas.
At the end of recording, Finn suggested they utilize keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., best known for his work with Beck. Hoppus was initially reluctant, noting that most of the band's fans up to that point were hardcore punk rock fans that might not be receptive to keyboard parts. In the end, the group were open to his inclusion: "They welcomed all my ideas and they were super supportive and that's why it was so much fun working with them," Manning later remembered. Recording completed in March 1999 and all parties involved were pleased with the results. "When it was done, we were so stoked. It was like a masterpiece for our band," remembered DeLonge. In 2013, Hoppus referred to Enema of the State as "the heart of Blink-182's musical sensibilities," singling out "its simplicity, its purity, its singularity of purpose between the three of us."
Technical
From a technical perspective, Enema of the State sounds glossier than other pop-punk albums of its era. As the album was recorded on analog tape, the trio put enormous trust into Finn to give the record the polished pop sound they wanted, recalled DeLonge in 2012. Finn was impressed—he had been matching the songs to a click in the control room, but found Barker stayed on meter reliably well. which Finn recommended. DeLonge focused on clean and correct vocal takes, trying to sing as best he could. He later felt it was to the record's detriment, as he felt the performances were too processed instead of authentic. DeLonge recorded the album on Fender Stratocaster, with his tone achieved through a Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier amplifier. In a September 1999 Guitar Player article, DeLonge outlined his intentions: "I'm the kind of guitarist that wants the biggest, fattest, loudest, sound he can get." While mostly recorded in an analog domain, the album employs some digital processing—for example, on "Don't Leave Me", a guitar swell before the second chorus is produced by reversing the delayed guitar that precedes it. For bass guitar tracks, Hoppus has said that he used Fender Precision and Jazz Basses, as well as a Music Man StingRay (the latter of which he was accustomed to at the time). He eventually gravitated towards the Fender basses, as he and Finn agreed that they sat in the mix better. Hoppus later said in 2021 that he preferred the Fender basses and felt that the StingRay sounded too "clanky".
For Tom Lord-Alge, the main mixing engineer on the album, the band had one goal: "Make it sound as aggressive as possible." Lastly, the album was mastered by Brian Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. With a runtime of 35 minutes and 17 seconds, Enema of the State is Blink-182's shortest album to date.
Musical style and composition
Enema of the State is considered by critics as pop-punk and skate punk. Additionally, Loudwire stated that the album represents scene music. The songs on Enema of the State are fast-paced songs regarding "adolescent aimlessness, broken hearts and general confusion over the care and feeding of girls," according to writer Gavin Edwards.
The band decided to emphasize arrangements, harmonies and melodic ideas rather than the fast-paced nature of Dude Ranch; the change was brought about by the band, rather than record executives of theirs. He incorporates a Latin samba on "Dysentery Gary": On "Going Away to College", Barker settles into a single-stroke snare roll; he played in marching band in high school. In a 2000 interview with Drum!, he explained: "There's this Zildjian Day in New York video where Steve Gadd does a full solo, and for the first five minutes it's all just on snare drum, like a marching beat. I always like the way that sounded, so that's kind of why I put that in the middle of 'Going Away to College.'" The song depicts a turbulent relationship and a desire to escape a controlling partner. "Don't Leave Me" continues the album's focus on relationships, The lyrics reference conspiracies such as the Majestic 12, and the song was later revisited in commentary on DeLonge's interest in ufology, including his later work with To the Stars and its role in prompting renewed Pentagon attention to unidentified aerial phenomena.
"Going Away to College" examines young love with a sincere and bittersweet tone, placing the listener in the mindset of a teenager confronting separation as partners depart for different universities. "Dysentery Gary" explores rejection and jealousy, with the narrator venting his frustration by mocking his crush’s partner. It emphasizes a slower, more introspective style compared with the album's typically breakneck pace. Sung by Hoppus from a first-person perspective, each verse begins with the line "I never thought I'd die alone."
As a contrast, "All the Small Things" returns to a lighter tone. The song is a straightforward pop love song built around a "na-na-na" vocal hook, and was inspired by the simplicity of the Ramones. "The Party Song" follows with a rapid-fire vocal delivery and galloping rhythm. It was inspired by a party at San Diego State University that Hoppus found pretentious and dull; feeling out of place, he wrote lyrics about wanting to leave and return home. The band appears on the back cover in their underwear, with Lindemulder preparing for some sort of injection. The trio was oblivious to the fact that Lindemulder worked in the porn industry until informed by producer Jerry Finn. Record executives had delivered a stack of photos of potential cover girls, and the band members happened to pick Lindemulder. "So it's kind of funny that they've been lumped in with Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit, who play up that kind of pimp lifestyle, because Blink is so not that," remarked Finn. According to Mark Hoppus, they "always intended to have a sexy nurse on the cover", and the women considered included models from both Playboy and Lindemulder's employer Vivid Entertainment. Lindemulder is also featured in the music video for "What's My Age Again?". and did not know the trio before shooting. In 2012, he stated the glove was inspired by the album's working title. "Up until the very last minute, the album was going to be called Turn Your Head and Cough," he said. "And that's why I came up with the idea of the glove. Obviously an enema is not really a glove type of thing. I thought it was a good visual." The album's other working titles included Vasectomy, Vasecto-you and Does That Look Infected?; a similar title to the latter was later used by the band Sum 41 for their 2002 album.
There are four different versions of the cover art. The first release has a red cross on the nurse's hat and a capital B in the Blink-182 logo. The band preferred the lower-case b in the band name, and the second version features the red cross and a lower-case b. This third version is the only version to bear a Parental Advisory label for profane lyrics in "Dumpweed" and "Dysentery Gary." A fourth version, released only in Malaysia, features edited pictures on both the front and rear covers. Janine's cleavage has been edited out, with her instead appearing to be wearing a red t-shirt. Then on the rear there have been clothes edited onto the band members. This version also bears the red cross on the nurse's hat. Hoppus said the controversy some had with the cover was exaggerated as "it is just a picture of a girl." Art direction for the album was headed by Tim Stedman, with Stedman and graphic designer Keith Tamashiro designing the package.
Singles
By May 1999, the group was nearing platinum status for Dude Ranch and sales targets were higher for Enema of the State. The Los Angeles Times ran a Sunday feature on the band two days prior to release, noting that "The musicians are sanguine about chances to repeat or exceed the sales of Dude Ranch, noting the always-shifting sands of pop culture and that they've already done better than they'd ever anticipated." Momentum began to build when US radio stations received advance copies of Enema of the State ahead of its June 1 bow. On release day, the trio were in Detroit for a free secret show sponsored by Coca-Cola. In his book, Hoppus reflects that the event may have been too secret — the ticket giveaway promotion failed to gain traction, leaving the band handing out tickets to anyone who happened to walk by. Over its first tracking week, the release peaked at number nine on the U.S. Billboard 200. The album chart was gripped by the Backstreet Boys' Millennium, but Enema of the State still managed to move 109,000 units that week. At a show shortly following the release of the album, DeLonge was approached by Noodles from The Offspring to congratulate him. "He looks at me right in the eyes and he goes, 'You're next,'" remembered DeLonge, who blushed and shook off the compliment.
Reception
Critical response
The initial critical response to Enema at the time of its release was favorable, though some critics found it juvenile. The New York Times designated the record its 'Album of the Week', while Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described it as a "fun record that's better than the average neo-punk release." while a Kerrang! critic wrote that the album includes "enough energy, attitude and cracking songs here to ensure that Blink will be remembered for more than just onstage nudity." Journalist Jon Wiederhorn, writing an early editorial review for Amazon.com, viewed it favorably: "The songs are more dynamic and multitempoed than those on Dude Ranch, sounding like a cross between the Descendents and Fountains of Wayne. And unlike the glut of alt-rock releases that offer one or two memorable songs, Enema is flush with instantly memorable melodies and ear-pleasing harmonies." NME was vicious in its assessment, with reviewer Stevie Chick calling the record despicable, "wholly toothless and soulless" and deriding the band as "as bad, as meaningless, as the cock-rockers and hippy wankers punk originally sought to destroy."
In the decades since its debut, Enema of the State has been widely hailed as a pop-punk classic, and one of the genre's defining works. Jeremy Gordon at Pitchfork called the record sensitive and juvenile in equal measure; an "amazingly effective" combo. Billboard described the album as a "classic" in a retrospective review, calling it the "catchiest batch of songs the band had ever written," and commending the leap in quality both in production and vocals in comparison to its predecessor. while Dan Weiss, writing for The Recording Academy, praised its "remarkably clean-sounding guitars, [and] the hyperactive drumming of Barker."
Criticism
The success of the album, as well as its cleaner sound and the group's appearances on MTV, caused many longtime fans to accuse the band of "selling out." Matt Diehl, author of the book My So-Called Punk, called the basis for satire thin: "To seasoned ears, Blink-182 sounded and looked just as manufactured as the pop idols they were poking fun at." To this point, during a 2000 visit to Italy, the band were treated with a Beatlemania-type fervor. In his memoir, Fahrenheit-182, Hoppus recalls fans chasing their motorcade and beating on the windows after an appearance on TRL Italia. Indeed, the overseas arm of Universal had marketed the trio like a boy band—down to Barker as the cute, tattooed "bad boy".
Additionally, after their major-label breakthrough, the band faced backlash from punk and emo acts who distanced themselves from their music. Tristin Laughter, employee of Bay Area record label Lookout! Records, wrote in an issue of the influential zine Punk Planet that the band would have a genuinely negative impact on punk and accused the band of misogyny. Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong remained diplomatic on the band: "It's gonna be tough for them. They're gonna be judged by a couple of songs for a while."
In 2014, Tom Hawking of Flavorwire included the album in his list of "The 50 Worst Albums Ever Made", in which he said: "I like the millennial generation. [...] I generally enjoy their company, and I respect their tastes... EXCEPT for their inexplicable fondness for blink-182. And pop-punk in general. But especially blink-182. C'mon, kids, I'm on your side. Work with me here."
Legacy
The record proved very influential on the pop-punk genre. With the release of the record, Blink-182 became celebrities and the biggest pop-punk act of the era. Matt Diehl, author of My So-Called Punk, writes that mainstream acolytes of their sound led to profound effects on the "pop punk" genre, such as the deracination of regional scene identity—due to its wide popularity, pop punk bands became commonplace outside the genre's origins. Rolling Stone Nicole Frehsée wrote that the album influenced emo fans, while MTV News credited the album, alongside the Get Up Kids' Something to Write Home About (1999) as pioneering emo pop, calling them "some of the scene's most influential records."
Enema of the State has been called an accurate representation of middle-class teenage life, especially at the time of its release. Entertainment Weekly called it the "perfect encapsulation of the American adolescent male mind-set circa 1999." Alternative Press has ranked Enema of the State among Jerry Finn's top production work, and UK-based music magazine Rock Sound rated it number 2 on their list of "101 Modern Classics" in 2012, writing, "Enema didn't just bring pop-punk to the masses, it marked a complete shift in how music television, radio and the world at large viewed it." Likewise, Scott Russo, frontman of San Diego rock band Unwritten Law, remarked that following the album's release, he would receive CDs from fans that mimicked the glossy sound the album made famous. "It was revolutionary, it was equally as revolutionary as Green Day when it hit, they just didn't get the credit," Russo remarked in 2009. "When I heard how massive and epic Enema was for the first time, my mind was blown. It definitely made me want to be a better songwriter and make bigger-sounding records," said Ryan Key of Yellowcard.
While several songs from the album have been covered by other artists, some have covered the album in full. Indie singer-songwriter Madi Diaz released a Bandcamp-only acoustic cover of the album titled Enema Of The Garden State in 2025, positioning it as an anti-authoritarian antidote to the ICE age.
Accolades
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Publication
! Country
! Accolade
! Year
! Rank
|-
| Blender
| rowspan="2"|United States
| 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die
| 2003
| style="text-align:center;"| *
|-
| Guitar World
| 100 Greatest Guitar Albums
|rowspan="4"| 2006
| style="text-align:center;"| 66
|-
| rowspan="2"|Kerrang!
| rowspan="5"|United Kingdom
| 50 Greatest Punk Albums Ever
| style="text-align:center;"| 14
|-
| 100 Greatest Rock Albums
| style="text-align:center;"| 85
|-
| rowspan="3"|Rock Sound
| Top 150 Albums of Our Lifetime (1992–2006)
| style="text-align:center;"| 15
|-
| 101 Modern Classic Albums
|2012
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time
|2014
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| Billboard
| rowspan="2"| United States
| The 50 Greatest Album Covers of All Time
| rowspan="3"|2015
| style="text-align:center;"| 13
|-
| Spin
| The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)
| style="text-align:center;"| 134
|-
| Kerrang!
| United Kingdom
| 51 Greatest Pop Punk Albums Ever
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| rowspan="2"| Rolling Stone
| rowspan="3"| United States
| 40 Greatest Punk Albums of All Time
| 2016
| style="text-align:center;"| 37
|-
| 50 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums
| 2017
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| Loudwire
| The 50 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums of All Time
| 2022
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|}
<small><nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes an unordered list</small>
Touring
thumb|Blink-182 toured worldwide in support of the record, including a performance at the [[Reading and Leeds Festivals|2000 Reading Festival, pictured above.]]
With massive radio and video play, Blink-182 played to larger crowds when they began touring in support of Enema of the State. The Loserkids Tour commenced in the autumn of 1999 and was the band's first arena tour. The band played to sold-out audiences and performed worldwide during the summer of 2000 on The Mark, Tom and Travis Show Tour. The tour was staged as a drive-in movie, with a giant retro billboard suspended from the ceiling, and films were projected on the screen behind the band – including vintage gay porn as a joke. The tour was one of the most anticipated rock tours of the season and the band headed out on the road with Bad Religion and Fenix TX. Barker broke one of his fingers during an altercation with two men who kept flirting with his girlfriend in Ohio, and Damon Delapaz, guitarist of Fenix TX, stepped in on drums for Barker.
The band also performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2000. To celebrate the success of the tour, the band released a limited edition live album titled The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!), which featured snippets of the band's between-song dialogue. Released in November 2000, the band returned to the studio with Finn to complete a song left off the final track listing of Enema of the State: "Man Overboard."
In 2019, the band conducted a tour in which they celebrated the 20th anniversary of Enema of the State by performing the album in its entirety. Matt Skiba, who was the band's guitarist/vocalist from 2015 to 2022, performed DeLonge's parts.
Track listing
Original release
Australian tour edition
Personnel
Adapted from Enema of the State liner notes.
| 55
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard 200
| 45
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Chart (2000)
! Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)
| 18
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
| 33
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
| 79
|-
! scope="row"|Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
| 36
|-
!scope="row"|European Albums (Music & Media)
| 39
|-
!scope="row"|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
| 65
|-
!scope="row"|Italian Albums (FIMI)
| 16
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
| 11
|-
!scope="row"|Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
| 56
|-
!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)
| 65
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard 200
| 32
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (2002)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
|style="text-align:center;"|124
|}