As keepers of the 3rd wave flame, Reel Big Fish are true ska legends. Over the years, RBF have released 9 studio albums showcasing their brand of fun, silly-yet-depressing, and most of all danceable ska music. So we dusted off our favorite pork pie hat and dressed head-to-toe in checkered clothing to give you the definitive ranking of every Reel Big Fish album.
9. Candy Coated Fury (2012)
In 2012, after several decades of ska-punking, the Reel Big Fish honed in on their signature “happy music/angry lyrics” combo. It’s literally right there in the album title. This record isn’t bad if you’re already a fan but it feels like a paint-by-numbers RBF album that any ska band could have written.
Play it again: Everyone Else is an Asshole
Skip it: Hiding in my Headphones
8. Life Sucks…Let’s Dance! (2018)
Life Sucks…Let’s Dance! is the follow-up to Candy Coated Fury. Over the six years in between these albums, the Fish continued to double down on their signature songwriting style and cranked out some more sad and dancy songs for the kids, except this time the record sounds a bit more inspired. Still mostly recommended for those already fans of the band.
Play it again: Ska Show
Skip it: Another Beer Song
7. Monkey’s for Nothin’ and the Chimps for Free (2007)
This album is the sound of freedom. Specifically, the freedom that comes from being dropped by a major label. Finally, the Fish could put out any songs they wanted! And what they put out was… well, fine. There are some solid tracks on here but nothing you can’t get from some of RBF’s past (and better) albums. Hell, some of those songs are actually on this record as the band re-recorded some from “Everything Sucks,” which is a big reason this album is ranked above the previous two.
Play it again: ‘Til I Hit the Ground
Skip it: Another F.U. Song
6. Fame, Fortune, and Fornication (2009)
Reel Big Fish is known for their covers. This album contains all the skank-i-fied versions of a bunch of catchy songs you know and love. And some you’re even probably sick of! Like “Brown Eyed Girl.” Seriously, did we really need another cover of that one?
Play it again: Monkey Man
Skip it: Brown Eyed Girl
5. We’re Not Happy ‘til You’re Not Happy (2005)
For most of the previous albums on this list, Aaron Barrett’s angry and bitter lyrics target life in general. His scathing words on this record are a little more pointed. At this time in the band’s career, ska was mostly considered a joke in the music industry and on music forums, and this album certainly retorts that sentiment head-on. Fire this one up and pick a fight with a friend over petty jealousy. It’s the perfect soundtrack for that.
Play it again: Don’t Start a Band
Skip it: The Bad Guy
4. Everything Sucks (1995)
Going all the way back to 1995, this pre-Sell Out record sounds exactly like you’d expect a local ska band to sound in the 90s. Its recording is a little rough and the performances focus more on heart than technique, yet the songwriting clearly shows a promising band on the rise. You can find a lot of these songs re-recorded on future albums but this is a solid and unique listen from start to finish.
Play it again: I’m Cool
Skip it: Jig
3. Cheer Up! (2002)
After exploding in popularity for 3 months in 1996, 3rd wave ska was mostly seen as a goofy 90s fad. By the early 2000s, many ska bands were vocal about their record labels rejecting any songs that contained upstrokes or too many horn parts, leading to many ska albums of this time being classified as “rock with horns” by fans. Cheer Up is Reel Big Fish’s “rock with horns” album and it’s fantastic. RBF wrote what could have been the saddest 80s hair metal album if Aaron Barrett was born just a few years earlier.
Play it again: Drunk Again
Skip it: Dateless Losers
2. Turn the Radio Off (1996)
This is Reel Big Fish’s most well-known album. And for good reason: it has a moderately successful single on it which, in perfect RBF irony, is a song about selling out. “Turn the Radio Off” is the album that proliferated the sound most people still think of today when they hear the word “ska.” You can love them or hate them for that, but it’s true.
Play it again: Alternative, Baby
Skip it: 241
1. Why Do They Rock So Hard? (1998)
After the massive success of Turn the Radio Off, Reel Big Fish released their magnum opus, colloquially referred to by fans as “White Trash.” WDTRSH picks up where RBF left off by reinventing ska and adding a massive amount of influence from the guitar-heavy bands Aaron Barrett grew up listening to. The lyrics on the album come across as extremely personal and vulnerable. It’s like Weezer’s Pinkerton except without all the… unpleasantness.
Play it again: Down in Flames
Skip it: Scott’s a Dork