Note: The following are solely the opinions and views of Amp.
Ok, I've had a chip on my shoulder for the last fifteen years about this and after this week it's time I talk about it. Recently, I saw some people wanting signatures for clean power when right on cue, "What I Got" starts playing which prompted me to not sign. Now, many people call Sublime punk and credit them for reviving mainstream interest in punk. The reality is that Sublime is NOT punk, not original, and one of the most overrated bands of all time.
The basic reality is this, they got EXTREMELY lucky. They were one of countless Ska acts that were starting to form during that period of time which in reality is just lame generic music with a few fucking horns shoved in so awkwardly that it makes goatse seem not awkward by comparison. More than that, the songs are mentioned as being about realistic situations when 90% of the time they really weren't. Most importantly, it was strongly documented that the band was more concerned about getting drunk and being funny than actually making good music. For those who don't believe me, look into the issues the Warped Tour had with their drug usage.
Overall though, I'm fucking sick of people considering this band to be good rock music. It's bland, unoriginal, and relied on the Ska gimmick to work. Calling this band punk is an insult to true punk bands such as The Dead Kennedys. Most importantly, 99% of the people who are self-professed Sublime fans that call it Punk music probably couldn't withstand REAL punk music, or for that matter a minute of Slayer.